Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017) Graduate Research Symposium 2013

Apr 15th, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

President 's Commencement Addresses: Revising the Functions of Ceremonial Rhetoric

Milene Ortega Ribeiro University of Nevada, Las Vegas, [email protected]

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Repository Citation Ribeiro, Milene Ortega, "President Barack Obama's Commencement Addresses: Revising the Functions of Ceremonial Rhetoric" (2013). Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017). 14. https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/grad_symposium/2013/april_15/14

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This Event has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017) by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact [email protected]. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA’S COMMENCEMENT ADDRESSES: REVISING THE FUNCTIONS OF CEREMONIAL RHETORIC Milene Ortega Ribeiro Department of Communication Studies, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

ABSTRACT METHOD

Commencement speakers are typically expected to praise students for their Close textual analysis, consistent with the methodology of achievements and motivate them for the path that is to come. When the organic rhetorical criticism. This method involves three commencement speaker is a President, however, the expectation is phases: different. In times of rhetorical presidency, no presidential address is apolitical, and this project investigated the functions of ceremonial rhetoric in 1. Descriptive analysis: investigates the structure, supporting light of the rhetorical presidency doctrine. Close textual analysis of the three material, tone, vocabulary, among others elements that most controversial commencement speeches delivered by President compose the text; Obama, revealed that the challenge of fulfilling the expectations of a 2. Extrinsic analysis: unveils the contextual elements that commencement address, while also responding to rhetorical problems, provide better understanding of the text; required the President to adopt complex rhetorical strategies. The 3. Analytical research: findings from the two previous phases predominant strategies included humor, which was used in the process of are combined with theoretical framework that allows the minimizing controversies; strategic use of rhetorical presence when selecting critic to identify the rhetorical strategies predominant in the the elements to be emphasized in the speech; and ideological interpellation. text.

ANALYSIS CONCLUSION

COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS AT COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS AT COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS AT President Obama used strategies that would ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME BARNARD COLLEGE allow him to be the embodiment of the (MAY 13, 2009) (MAY 17, 2009) (MAY 14, 2012) ideologies most closely related to the audience. By doing so, President Obama CONTEXT CONTEXT CONTEXT was able to interpellate his audience to . Great recession . Great recession . Reelection year subject themselves to his perspective on the . . Arizona is the home state of John McCain President Obama’s opinion on abortion › Polls indicated that both Obama and Mitt issues relevant in each occasion. With those › 53% of the state voted for McCain clashed with Notre Dame’s Catholic values. Romney were supported by 46% of voters. findings, this project proposes to refine the › 45% of the state voted for Obama . Controversy about due to . Gridlock in Congress functions of presidential ceremonial rhetoric. . Impasses in Congress violation of the United States Conference of › Obama faced charges of limited In this refined segment of the genre, the . Honorary Degree controversy Catholic Bishop’s 2004 statement: “The accomplishments speech should use the available means of Catholic community and Catholic institutions . National unemployment rate of 8.2% persuasion towards a single purpose: display leadership through eloquence thus PREDOMINANT RHETORICAL STRATEGIES should not honor those who act in defiance of . Obama’s mandatory preventive services for . Dichotomy of the American Dream: interpellating individuals in the audience to our fundamental moral principles.” women controversy: subject themselves to the ideological views › The path of greed and irresponsibility  self-reliance . Multiple interruptions during the speech: › Religious institutions and Republicans of the speaker. › The path of devotion to a “bigger purpose”  “Abortion is murder! Stop killing children!” running for president repealed the measure. interdependence › Sandra Fluke/ Rush Limbaugh . Semantic Association PREDOMINANT RHETORICAL . Obama offers to be Barnard’s commencement REFERENCES › The path of greed and irresponsibility  lazy; STRATEGIES 1. Karlyn Khors Campbell and Thomas R. Burkholder, Critiques of Contemporary Rhetoric (Belmont, CA: speaker at the 2012 graduation. Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1997). 2. Celeste Michelle Condit, “The Functions of Epideictic: The complacency; struggles; disrupted economy; material . Boston Massacre Orations as Exemplar,” Communication Quarterly 33 (1985): 284-299. 3. Walter R. Combination of verbal and non-verbal › Barnard: a liberal arts college for women, Fisher, “Reaffirmation and Subversion of the American Dream,” Quarterly Journal of Speech 59 (1973): 160-167. 4. Louis Althusser, Lenin and Philosophy and Other Essays, trans. Ben Brewster (New York: possessions; ruthless competition; get-rich-quick strategies when responding to disruptions Monthly Review Press: 1972), 174. 5. Jenn Metz, “Jenkins: Obama ‘Honored’ University by Accepting,” associated with the University of Columbia. The Observer, March, 23, 2009, accessed February 25, 2013, http://www.ndsmcobserver.com/2.2754/jenkins-obama-honored-university-by-accepting-1.255642. 6. schemes; Wall Street; Bernie Madoff. . Adoption of theological language Barack Obama, “Remarks by the President in Commencement Address at the University of Notre Dame,” › Columbia students protested. May 17, 2009, The White House, accessed May 25, 2012, http://www.whitehouse.gov/video/President- › The path of devotion to a “bigger purpose”  quality; . Obama-Notre-Dame-Commencement#transcript. 7. Barack Obama, “Remarks By The President At Prophetic tradition › Speculation whether or not the speech was a Arizona State University Commencement,” May 13, 2009, The White House, accessed May 25, 2012,http://www.whitehouse.gov/video/President-Obama-Arizona-State-Commencement/#transcript. 8. determination; freedom; opportunity; equality; wise . Humor Barack Obama, “Remarks by the President at Barnard College Commencement Ceremony,” May 14, political move. 2012, The White House, accessed May 25, 2012, http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press- office/2012/05/14/remarks-president-barnard-college-commencement-ceremony. 9. Sarah Dutton, Jennifer investments; businesses and institutions that last; . de Pinto, Fred Backus, and Anthony Salvanto, “Obama, Romney in Dead Heat, CBS News/New York comments on the issue of same-sex Times Poll Finds,” CBS News, April 18, 2012, accessed November 30, Abraham Lincoln. http://m.cbsnews.com/storysynopsis.rbml?pageType=politics&catid=57415623&feed_id=3&videofeed=39. marriage. 10. Photograph on the left by Pablo Martinez Monsivais from the Associated Press, published by The Washington Post in the article “Courting women, Obama gives commencement speech at Barnard . Interpellating the audience toward his motto: “it’s time for College” on May 14, 2012, http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/post/courting-women- obama-to-give-commencement-speech-at-barnard-college-appear-on-the- view/2012/05/14/gIQA1h0ROU_blog.html. 11. Photograph in the center by John Gress from Reuters, change” PREDOMINANT RHETORICAL STRATEGIES published by The New York Times in the article “At Notre Dame, Obama Calls for Civil Tone in Abortion Debate,” on May 17, 2009, › Message conveyed through values that sounded “right” . Father Persona http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/18/us/politics/18obama.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0. 12. 13. Photograph on the right by Charles Dharapak from the Associated Press, published at http://www.naztoday.com/news/statewide-news/2009/05/president-barack-obama-greeted-with-cheers-at- › Audience is interpellated to subject to the ideology of . Presence asu-slideshow/. interdependence. . Humor