Chloe Richey
24 March 2022
Professor Weaver
English Comp 1102.
Richey Major Project 3
Summary:
The University of Tennessee is in Knoxville, Tennessee, which is known as the Big Orange country. The University of Tennessee is a college that is filled with engaging different people from different backgrounds of students doing what they would like to major in. In addition, a college where is full of enthusiasm for having a fun college experience. UTK would also like a student who would have an amusement of a diversified community coming together and being involved in different activities.
Analysis:
The University of Tennessee uses the APATSARC strategy of structure and the Large Rhetorical strategy of Imagining Ideal Readers. The structure of the University of Tennessee website played a huge factor in distinguishing what type of student they are looking for. At the very top of the visiting page, you would see six subtopics split up including “About UTK, Academics, Admissions, Diversity, Outreach, Research” (University of Tennessee, Visiting Homepage). Diversity has its part of the webpage. This part of the structure can catch the eye of people of color by emphasizing how it’s important at UTK. When looking into the diversity subtopic of the website, you would witness different bullet points of plans and partnerships with diversity. The ending of the page presents various activities for people of color and sexuality. Some of them are visiting a black historical museum and producing quilts with the pride center. Because of that structure of having an event with people of different sexualities being up under of the diversity subtopic, indicates that diversity does not only involve race but also sexual orientation tying together as one.
When first visiting the website, you would see a slideshow with a different race of people such as white, black, Hispanic, etc. During the slideshow, the people laugh and smile like they are getting along with one another. Suggesting that diversity does exist at the university, showing that all races can attend the school and get the same treatment. As you scroll down on the visiting page, the pictures would start moving and you would see the scenery of Tennessee downtown at sunset. At the bottom of the picture in white bold lettering, it states “We are Tennessee volunteers. We light the way for others” (University of Tennessee, Visiting Homepage). This indicates that just because a university has a motto of focusing on grades does not mean the University of Tennessee would go by that same motto. Because of the bold lettering of “volunteering” (University of Tennessee, Visiting Homepage), as an activity, it must be a big element that students must have. Scrolling down more of the visiting page, you would see more diverse pictures and students doing different activities such as kayaking, volunteering, and being part of the festival. Encouraging that students can do more than just focus on studies, but also have the enjoyment of being in college.
The University of Tennessee uses a large rhetorical strategy of imagining ideal readers to reach students who would have a beneficial outcome at the college. The readers and viewers that the university is trying to target are students from divergent backgrounds. One of them is people of color of people who struggle with financial problems. There are stereotypes of people of color, mainly black people not being someone who just sells drugs or ends up in a jail cell. On the other hand, the University of Tennessee uses that opportunity to prove those stereotypes wrong by sharing the Kojak Wells story. According to the website of the University of Tennessee, it states “Kojak Wells, the first in his family, to graduate from college, went from the stock room to a Fortune 500 company” (the University of Tennessee, Invest in your future”). Kojak Wells is a young black man who has his own family and was struggling financially. So, he decided to attend the University of Tennessee, majoring in finance, and later graduated. Because of his story being on the university website, many young black men and women would acknowledge it as you can accomplish goals too just like Kojak, who is the same race as you.
Furthermore, women could be a target of the list of ideal readers. Since we are in a time where the world is full of girl power and feminism, the University of Tennessee makes it clear about women can also be more than just people who are responsible for house chores and babies being born. On the University of Tennessee website, there are many pictures of women being in front with different occupations like nursing and majoring in mathematics. Especially, when it comes to so-called “men’s work” like shoveling or doing hard handy work. The university shows that women could be a part of so-called “men’s work” by illustrating a picture of a young woman shoveling with men next to her. Overall, showing that no matter what race, sexuality, nor gender all students are welcomed and unified to be in projects together.
Response
If there were no financial problems or traveling issues, would you attend the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee? The answer to that question is yes, I would attend the University of Tennessee. A life value that I commit to every day is an inspiration. Inspiration to me is someone or something influencing you to not think so little of yourself but bigger than you ever thought about yourself. As a person of color, inspiration plays a huge factor in it. They are many ugly and hateful voices that like to make POC (people of color) people think less of what they truly are. When I read the Kojak Wells story, inspiration influenced my way of thinking because a guy who is black like me was able to walk across that stage and prove so many people wrong. At the University of Tennessee, it is shown that students with the same skin color as me can become anything that wants to as long, they put their mind to it. Making a difference is another value that I reflect on every day. My mom is a nurse at Grady Hospital and every day she makes a difference by helping the patients and doctors. As a result, I consider it to be giving back to the community. For me now, I haven’t participated in volunteering in my life, and attending the University of Tennessee would bring me a good opportunity to be involved in a community with a diverse community.
-Drew Beamer, Unsplash
Citation
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Website. 23 March, 2022. www.utk.edu/.