Com 226: Classical Rhetoric

COM 226: CLASSICAL RHETORIC

Instructor: Travis Kiger Office Hours: TR 2:30-3:30 / or appt. Office: 58 Fell Hall Phone: 309.438.2321 Email: [email protected] Section: 01 Classroom: 152 Fell Hall Meeting time: TR 11:00-12:15

COURSE TEXT: . Crowley, S., & Hawhee, D. (2012). Ancient Rhetoric for Contemporary Students (5th ed). New Jersey. Pearson.

. Supplemental readings will be posted to the course site

ALSO REQUIRED: . Daily Access to Reggienet.illinoisstate.edu . Some mechanism that can record at least 8 minutes of video that can be uploaded to a computer (smartphone, tablet with video capabilities, laptop with web cam, or a friend/classmate with said technology).

COURSE OBJECTIVES AND GOALS: o To understand the culture from which rhetorical training and theory emerged. o To gain a better knowledge of the theories at the foundation of rhetoric o To understand rhetoric's nature, scope, and functions in ancient civilizations. o To intelligently discuss the contributions of individuals who figured prominently in rhetorical training and theory development during the classical Greek and Roman periods. o To use classical constructs to better understand modern rhetorical situations o To understand how to integrate rhetorical concepts into message construction

EVALUATION: Rhetorical Criticism: Since and understanding of this theory is not all that useful if it cannot be applied, you will be asked to turn in 4 papers that use the constructs that we are learning in the class to analyze contemporary rhetorical artifacts(speeches, advertisements, movies, movements ect…). The focus of analysis should be on the evaluation of an artifact by applying the 5 classical canons of rhetoric, in addition to theories covered in thr course. You are to use APA formatting on all papers. o Quarter Analysis (2): 3-5 pp o Midterm Analysis: 8-10 pp o Final Analysis: 13-15 pp

Progymnasmata: This series of exercises is modeled after those used in ancient Greek and Roman schools of rhetoric. In their original form, they were designed to promote students’ mastery of skills necessary for effective composition and oratory. In our forum, the progymnastmata will be used to enhance our appreciation of the training received by classical rhetoricians. Each chapter has a series of exercises and questions built in this vein. Upon the completion of each chapter you will be asked to turn a 1 to 2 page paper with responses stemming from these prompts.

Exam: There will be one cumulative course exams. The exam will assess your understanding of communication concepts and theories, as well as your application and integration abilities.

Participation – Weekly Quizzes will be posted online to check reading and understanding. Page 2 of 7

Extra Credit – I offer one extra-credit analysis assignment per semester. Please do not inquire about individual extra-credit.

Breakdown – Here is the point breakdown for the course. (I reserve the right to add or subtract points from the course total as needed):

100 Quarter Analysis 150 Midterm Rhetorical Analysis 100 Rhetorical Analysis Presentation 200 Progymnasmata 150 Participation 200 Final 900 Total

Extra Deductions – Sort of the opposite of extra credit, your final grade can be penalized in two ways: Poor Communication Habits and Presentation Day Absences.

. A purpose of this course is to identify standards for good communication practices and develop the skills necessary to improving them. Poor Communication Habits are considered violations of these standards, and will be penalized under the premise that if you cannot demonstrate good communication behaviors then you are not learning or using the information covered in the course. As we will learn early on, Communication involves both the sending and receiving of information. Therefore, your behaviors as a participant (speaker and listener) in class, online, in small groups and in your interactions with me are all opportunities for you to demonstrate what you’ve learned. For a clearer idea of what sort of behavior is expected, please carefully read the section Classroom Policies and Rules. Point penalties will depend on the severity of the situation. This policy is not meant to limit your participation in the course, but to encourage you to think carefully about how you interact with the people around you, and to utilize the best practices we will cover. . On presentation days, I have a mandatory attendance policy (except for instances of actual emergencies, which usually involve a trip to a hospital or jail). Consequently, if you are absent on a speech day – whether or not you are scheduled to speak – you will be penalized 20 points off your final grade and will not be allowed to make up any other missed points for that day (including your own speech or peer and self evaluation points). If you miss a speech day for emergency reasons, please refer to the excused absence policy detailed later in this syllabus.

Scale –The course total is tentatively 800 points; I use a standard ten percentage point scale: A= 90-100%; B= 80%-89%; C= 70%-79%; D= 60-69%; F= below 60%

Rubrics for individual assignments will be provided. Please understand that completing the minimum requirements is considered C work. Earning Bs and As means that you have exceeded minimum requirements.

COURSE POLICIES / PROCEDURES: Expectations - Creating a productive, supportive environment is vital to helping you grow and sharpen your communication skills. Specifically, I expect my students to: • Do all readings and assignments on time – come prepared to discuss! Page 3 of 7

• Check ReggieNet before each class. Changes and updates will be posted there. • Learn and use each other’s names. • Bring your text and notes to each class • Do not plagiarize. I check all of your papers and reference lists so resist the temptation to cut corners. • Be respectful in your communication with your classmates and me: o Please use your best judgment in topics, language choices and humor o Please turn off cell phone ringers o Please do not text or play with your cell phone during my class. o Please do not bring laptops to class unless you’re given prior permission to do so. o Please be attentive during class – do not read the paper, do homework for another class, listen to music, etc. o Please treat course interactions (online, in-class, meetings and correspondence) professionally and respectfully. Use these interactions as opportunities to demonstrate what you’re learning. All emails and discussion board posts should use proper grammar, spelling, punctuation and courtesy. o Please stay awake in class – if you’re too tired to be polite then stay home. o Please arrive on time

Submitting Assignments And Late Work – Unless you’re directed otherwise, all assignments must be turned in to ReggieNet on time in order to receive credit. I do not accept handwritten assignments, assignments via email, and you may not shove an assignment under my office door. Illness or an excused absence is not an acceptable reason to turn in an assignment late.

Problems – Since all work is expected on the date it is due, you should make sure to anticipate those predictable problems so that you can prevent them. Generally, it’s a bad idea to try and finish an assignment the same day it’s due – you end up rushing around, and this is typically when you forget things or problems arise (crashed computers, lost flash drives, forgotten items, etc.). In real emergencies I will make arrangements with individual students but such cases are relatively rare. Like most instructors, I am more understanding if you keep me informed: if you encounter problems, please let me know right away. I may be able to help. A few things to note about tech problems: • With the exception of campus-wide server outages, problems with ReggieNet are not acceptable reasons to submit assignments late. If you have a technical issue with ReggieNet, drop me an email to let me know, and then immediately contact the HelpDesk either at www.ilstu.edu/helpdesk or 309-438-4357. After the HelpDesk has resolved your issue they will send you an email to “close your ticket.” Please forward me a copy of this email so I know your problem has been resolved properly. • There are many excellent computer labs available on campus including 3 in Fell Hall. Problems with your personal computer should not impact your ability to submit assignments on time.

Cheating/Plagiarism – Students are expected to be honest in all academic work, consistent with the academic integrity policy as outlined in the Code of Student Conduct. All work is to be appropriately cited when it is quoted or paraphrased from another source. Unauthorized and unacknowledged collaboration on paper topics, misrepresentation of sources, or the presentation of someone else’s work as your own is considered plagiarism. Students found to commit unintentional or intentional acts of plagiarism will be referred for appropriate disciplinary action through Student Dispute Resolution Services. All papers should have parenthetical citations and a reference list. Missing any one of these is an automatic D for the assignment; failure to cite sources at all is an automatic zero.

Safe Space- My classroom is a safe space. Given the nature of this course, controversial ideas may be discussed in class but only with civility and respect for others. Disparaging remarks toward another's race, Page 4 of 7 religion or lack thereof, sex, socio-economic status, family status, gender identity, mental capacities, sexual orientation, or any immutable trait will not be tolerated.

Special Needs -Any student needing to arrange a reasonable accommodation for a documented disability should contact Disability Concerns at 350 Fell Hall, 438-5853 (voice), 438-8620 (TDD).

Mental Health Resources- Life at college can get very complicated. Students sometimes feel overwhelmed, lost, experience anxiety or depression, struggle with relationship difficulties or diminished self-esteem. However, many of these issues can be effectively addressed with a little help. Student Counseling Services (SCS) helps students cope with difficult emotions and life stressors. Student Counseling Services is staffed by experienced, professional psychologists and counselors, who are attuned to the needs of college students. The services are FREE and completely confidential. Find out more at Counseling.IllinoisState.edu or by calling (309) 438-3655.

Contacting Me – As you will learn, receiving feedback is fundamental to improving one’s communication abilities. In this regard I am no different than anyone else. If you have questions, comments or ideas for class projects I would love to hear them! However, in addition to teaching, I also coach the speech team. This means that I coach many hours a week and travel 2 or more weekends a month (usually out of state). Contacting me outside of my regular office hours can often be a challenge, especially if you have questions between Thursday night and Monday afternoon. Here are your best options for getting answers to any questions you might have throughout the semester (in the order that you should try them):

• Course syllabus / ReggieNet / your email – I spend a lot of time ensuring that everything you need to know is typed out and accessible to you somewhere. Most often, the answers you need are in the syllabus or blackboard. If I make any changes to the schedule or to an assignment, those changes will be discussed in class, noted on ReggieNet and usually reinforced with an email. Check all of these resources before you move to the next option.

• Email me – this will work best for you during the week. I rarely have access to my email when I am traveling (although I do try to check it often). Please don’t depend on a weekend response when stuck on an assignment. I usually ask for a 24 hour response window on weekdays and a 48 hour response window on weekends.

• Call my office – Seriously, if it’s a time-sensitive issue don’t wait for me to email you back! Call me! I’m in and out of my office all day Monday through Thursday and I have voicemail – it’s a blinking red light that I can’t miss or ignore, so you’re more likely to get a quick response. Please leave a message with your first and last name and a call back number because my office phone does not have Caller ID (primitive, I know)

• Visit my office -Too many students discount this as an option. However, if you need to discuss an assignment, a grade, have a personal problem or need to ask me for a favor (like excusing an absence) I am more likely to be sympathetic if you make time to discuss it in person. I will not take up class time to address your personal problems, and I will not be available immediately before or after class for long-ish conversations (I have a class immediately after this one). So, make a point to either come to my office hours or make an appointment. To make an appointment you can either sign up on my office door (appointments are listed in ½ hour increments, and you’re welcome to take any open time slot), or make arrangements with me personally. Because my days fill up quickly, please schedule appointments at least 24 hours in advance.

Thank you in advance for your understanding! Page 5 of 7

Major Assignment Date Material Covered Due

AUG T 18 Course Expectations/ Syllabus/ Introductions

WEEK Reading for Rhetoric ONE TH 20 Assign Progymnasmata 1 Print Readings

Chapter 1 WEEK TWO T 25 ANCIENT RHETORICS Progymnasmata 1

TH 27 Assign Quarter Analysis

SEP Chapter 2 T 1 KAIROS AND THE RHETORICAL SITUATION WEEK THREE Analysis: Flirty Flight Against Cancer TH 3 Assign Progymnasmata 2 Quarter Analysis 1

Chapter 3 ACHIEVING STASIS BY ASKING THE RIGHT WEEK FOUR T 8 QUESTIONS Progymnasmata 2 Analysis: Kids’ Costumes: Too Risque? TH 10 Assign Progymnasmata 3

Chapter 4 T 15 THE COMMON TOPICS AND THE Progymnasmata 3 WEEK FIVE COMMONPLACES Analysis: Zach Braff compares Pharrell to a monkey TH 17 Assign Progymnasmata 4

T 22 Writing about Rhetoric: Best Practices Progymnasmata 4 WEEK SIX TH 24 PAPER MEETINGS

T 29 PAPER MEETINGS WEEK SEVEN No Formal Meeting MIDTERM TH 1 Extra-Credit Assignment ANALYSIS Page 6 of 7

Chapter 5 T 6 Extra-Credit Due OCT LOGICAL PROOF WEEK Analysis: Overrated, Underrated, or Properly Rated: EIGHT TH 8 The ‘Classic’ Films of Matthew Perry Assign Progymnasmata 5

Chapter 6 T 13 Progymnasmata 5 ETHICAL PROOF WEEK NINE Analysis: Who Is Hip-Hop’s Alpha Dog? TH 15 Assign Progymnasmata 6

Chapter 7 20 Progymnasmata 6 PATHETIC PROOF WEEK TEN Pathetic Proof in Spoken Word Poetry 22 Assign Progymnasmata 7

Chapter 8 27 Progymnasmata 7 EXTRINSIC PROOFS WEEK Analysis: Kingdom Came: ELEVEN Notes on ‘Empire’ and the State of Black Television 29 Drama Assign Progymnasmata 8

NOV 3 Research Presentations Progymnasmata 8 WEEK Research Presentations 5 TWELVE Progymnasmata 9

10 Research Presentations Progymnasmata 9 WEEK Chapter 10 THIRTEEN 12 STYLE: COMPOSITION AND ORNAMENT Assign Progymnasmata 10

Chapter 12 17 DELIVERY AND MEMORY: ATTENDING TO Progymnasmata 10 WEEK EYES AND EARS FOURTEEN 19 TBD

TBD Page 7 of 7

DEC T 1 TBD WEEK TH 3 REVIEW FIFTEEN

FINAL FINAL EXAM