On Wednesday, Obama spoke to students across America on the topic of school. He stressed the importance of today's students as tomorrow's future. "Whether we fall behind or race ahead in the coming years is up to you." He places a lot of responsibility on students but because of his delivery it does not come off as telling them what to do as much as it comes off as encouraging students to WANT to be the best they can be.
Obama's speech was well-written but it didn't appear as he had rehearsed it over and over so many times that it lost its meaning. Rather than reading off what he had to say, he spoke as if he was talking to one individual person, giving them advice. He chose diction that students would be able to understand and want to listen to. He seemed comfortable, using hand gestures to emphasize his points. His words were delivered with feeling, like he really believed in what he was saying. This all emphasized his credibility.
Obama does a good job of gaining trust with his audience. He relates to all kids and teenagers when he acknowledges that they have "a lot on their plate." He knows that friend, family, and money problems are omnipresent in student lives and the influence of online social networking sites is more powerful than ever. Because of these appeals, the audience is more likely to listen to him since it feels like he knows what else is going on in their lives but is still able to apply his advice.
The logical appeals Obama used his speech strengthened his argument strongly. He brought up the fact that the U.S. went from having the highest proportion of college graduates to the population to be being ranked sixteenth. This creates competition, making students want to work harder to be number one. He stated that in the next decade, more than 60% of jobs will require a college degree. The main purpose of these statistics was to encourage students even more to work in school by showing how it will pay off.
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