Kaytlyn Gordon graduated from Moravian College in 2019. She majored in English and minored in both communication and graphic design, and for three years was editor-in-chief of The Comenian. Kaytlyn lives in Harrisburg, PA, where she works as an internet marketing analyst at WebFX. 

The most influential class that I took at Moravian would have to be the “Rhetorics of Everyday Life” course with Dr. Crystal Fodrey. At a basic level, the class focused on rhetoric and the art of persuasive speaking and writing. We explored the importance of utilizing pathos, ethos, and logos in our writing. We were given the freedom to explore anything from TV commercials to song lyrics to determine the techniques that creators utilize to persuade their audiences and advocate their perspectives. 

I took the class during my sophomore year and I believe it gave me the foundational tools that I needed to be successful for the remainder of my college career and beyond. I’ve found that I still think about this course and what it taught me in my professional life now. 

As the title of the course implies, rhetoric is a part of our everyday life, and this course made me hyper aware of it. I find myself considering the rhetoric of emails to colleagues or text messages to friends. I annoy my family by deciphering the rhetoric of all of the movies that we watch. 

After taking this course, I believe it’s so important to be aware of your audience in all contexts to better appeal to them and persuade them to see from your perspective. I’ll carry the concepts and tools that this course taught me throughout my professional life.

I believe it’s made me both a better speaker and writer because it taught me the value of knowing your audience.