Digital Commons Network^™

A Rhetorical Analysis Of Kesha's 2018 Grammys Performance Of Praying, Alexandra Ali

SCOM Undergraduate Research Conference

This rhetorical analysis focuses on the impact left upon Kesha's audience as this performance takes the audience on a journey from #MeToo to Time's Up!

Analyzing The Minority Experience Through Poetic Inquiry, Abriel Maldonado

SCOM Undergraduate Research Conference

Poetic inquiry is the process by which the author unearths key words from the data and strategically truncates these words into poetic structures.The following poems utilize this process in order to articulate the findings of a two-year qualitative study investigating the minority experience at a predominantly white institution (PWI).This qualitative study employed eight semi-structured interviews and was conducted at a mid-sized, public University in the Chesapeake region of the United States. All participants identified as a racial minority on the predominantly white campus and their varied experiences represent the heterogeneity of the minority experience on campus.

Keywords: minorities, predominantly white …

Virtual Reality And Speech Anxiety, Lauren Blitz, Olivia Adams

SCOM Undergraduate Research Conference

Exploring the use of virtual reality therapy as a method of desensitization and inoculation for student's with public speaking anxiety.

‘I Am With You’: A Feminist Oppositional Narrative Analysis Of Emily Doe’S Recited Letter To The Defendant, Taylor Hollowood

SCOM Undergraduate Research Conference

I provide an analysis of the rhetorical techniques used by Emily Doe, as she addresses Brock Turner and the rest of the court during Turner’s sentencing hearing, in order to combat the patriarchal assumptions present in today’s society with regard to sexual assault. Furthermore, this manuscript explores issues of gender and communication through the lens of sexual assault, shedding light on the incongruities of language in modern American society.

Fed Up With The Personal Responsibility Of Obesity: A Pentadic Analysis Of Fed Up, Rebekah Peterson

SCOM Undergraduate Research Conference

This paper uses Kenneth Burke’s pentadic criticism to examine the reality Fed Up, a documentary about obesity in the United States, wants its audience to accept about the obesity epidemic and why. The first half of the documentary frames the obesity epidemic as scene-act in order to change the audience’s reality of the issue because the obesity epidemic has been framed in society as agent-act, portraying obesity as the individual’s fault. The second half shifts to an agent-scene ratio to answer why Fed Up attempts to change the audience’s reality. The implications of the pentadic ratios and shift are discussed …

A Rhetorical Analysis Of Desmond Tutu’S 1976 Letter To Prime Minister John Vorster, Nicholas Anguiano

SCOM Undergraduate Research Conference

In 1976, South African clergyman Desmond Tutu wrote an open letter to Prime Minister B.J. Vorster urging him to end the apartheid system of racial segregation. In the midst of growing frustration amongst the black population and fear of violence, the letter pleads for the Prime Minister to recognize their shared humanity, showing that they share the same interests for preserving peace and prosperity for all South Africans, warning of potential widespread violence in the near future. Tutu's appeals can be viewed through the lens of Kenneth Burke's theory of consubstantiality. As Burke's theory indicates concerning all rhetoric, Tutu's letter …

"Are You Okay?" A Rhetorical Analysis Of Jon Stewart's 9/11 Monologue And His Role As Leader, India Hagen-Gates

SCOM Undergraduate Research Conference

This project uses the Narrative Paradigm presented by Walter Fisher in order to analyze Jon Stewart’s monologue after 9/11 and understand its effects on his audience. I look deeply at the surrounding context, especially the late night response to 9/11 and the expectations for Stewart’s return. Narrative Criticism allows us to better understand Stewart’s perspective on the events of 9/11. The story he presents is clear in its theme of hope. This method allows for a deep appreciation of how Stewart identifies with his audience, while separating his own voice from the crowd. I argue that he acts as a …

United Airlines' Public Relations Crisis, Katie Crowther, Andrew Mueller, Jared Van De Crommert, Laura Arroyo, Matt Jones

SCOM Undergraduate Research Conference

This project involves an in-depth analysis of how the United Airlines Express Flight 3411 affected customer’s attitudes, intent to fly, and supportive communication intent of the Airline Company, United, among a sample population. The goal is to demonstrate whether or not the incident on flight 3411 affected the JMU student body as a whole and whether or not they would still fly with United Airlines.