Jonathan Basa

RHET 105 Mary Hays

May 6, 2016

Assignment 1

Power of Civility

            The student code and “The Power of ‘Hello’” are two different types of writing, and they reveal their thesis in unique ways. The student code present a thesis, but it uses titles to talk about the main topics of the reading. The student code is about “student rights and responsibilities,” “student rights,” “preamble,” “in the classroom,” and “campus expression” (Illinois). The student code implies the thesis since it implies what the student code is about or what it is going to talk about. The Power of Hello’s thesis is revealed in the first paragraph; “It’s all based on one simple principle: I believe every single person deserves to be acknowledge, however small or simple the greeting” (White). The author of “The Power of Hello” made the thesis clear and gives an idea of what he is going to talk about.

The student code addresses the idea that “affiliation with the University as a student does not diminish the rights or responsibilities held by a student” (Illinois). Therefore, it shows that the student is responsible for his or her actions and should follow all the rules that follow. In “The Power of Hello”, the author says that “I believe every single person deserves to be acknowledged” (White). It shows his own opinion and reveals how a childhood moment changed his future. I felt strong about the statement from “The Power of Hello” when the author said that “I’ve learned that speaking to people creates a pathway into their world” (White). I agree with the statement since I think that everyone deserves to be addressed no matter what, and they should deserve the same respect as anyone else. The essay reminded me of a time when a new friend would never say hi to me; she would just ignore me whenever I said hello to her, but I would still respect her and address her. The most significant change I can make when it came to the essay was that I want to talk to more people in class and address them with a simple hello; it is hard for me to talk to random people in class, but I should at least put the effort to say hello and make small talk. I might even make a new friend.

The big question from the student code and the Power of Hello is “do you respect the people around you?” I believe that the student code wants to make sure that you respect the students and teachers while the Power of Hello wants you to address everyone with respect and at least a simple hello. Can you keep your word to the student code? Can a simple “hello” make a difference in someone’s life? These questions are inside a student’s head when reading the student code or when reading the essay by Howard White.

Sources

“Illinois.” Student Code. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2016.

White, Howard. “The Power Of ‘Hello'” NPR. NPR, 14 Aug. 2008. Web. 25 Jan. 2016.