obama starts his speech by being introduced at by a student. this helps reinforce his relationship with the audience, because kids can relate to the girl of similar age introducing him. if an old man in a tie had introduced obama, it wouldn't have the same effect, kids wouldn't relate to him. obama wants his ideal audience, students, not to feel inferior to him. this will help get his point across throughout the whole speech.
hey. the first word he says. this is colloquial language among teenagers, his target audience. saying this instead of something like, hello my fellow american citizens, would not put them on the same level. using language like "wanna" doesn't make him seem less educated; i think it's a tactic to use some of the same common language his audience uses. he uses a mild sense of humor to keep the audience reacting with him and to keep their interest.
obama uses pathos when he talks about the different events going on at school. tests, projects, sports...drama, those are things almost every single student can relate to. he uses this to sympathize with the audience, saying they have a lot of responsibility and duties as students. he combines the use of pathos with ethos telling the audience that they're not just kids, they are the future. they are leaders. this builds the trust between obama and the audience further, because he is magnifying the important role they play in the nation, he makes the audience feel equal to him.
he uses the metaphor to color outside of the lines. this creates an inspirational picture in the audience, motivating them to perform to the best of their ability at school.
he doesn't use over dramatic pauses, but pauses regularly as one would when having an everyday conversation with any random person. i think this makes the address seem exactly like he is just trying to have a normal conversation with the audience, which is how his target audience would most likely want to be addressed.
ethos! he tells the audience that he'll let them in on a secret, making it seem like obama is doing something out of the ordinary, and trusting the audience with his "little secret." he gives students something to relate to, slacking in class. we all know what that's like. he also uses pathos here, talking about how his class in ethics inspired him to view everyone equally and ask questions about how every single person should come together as one.
obama uses the claim that we should work hard at school, using the reasons that a good high school education will lead to further education and success, using the warrant that we think being successful and having a good education is beneficial. he uses stats to compare what we used to be ranked in the world as far as education goes, and what we are now. he almost promises the audience that if we work hard and pursue further education, almost all of our problems will be solved. this is an exaggeration of course, but it supports his claim.
he uses different evidence in each part of his speech to support his main claim. he doesn't skip around, so it makes it easy to follow.
obama doesn't have any visuals, but i think the students sitting behind him play a role in the message he is aiming to send. behind him sits various aged students of various races. this confirms that he is targeting everyone at school, not just one age or race.
obama doesn't use the same strategies as MLK, but they are still effective. i know he motivated me to work hard at school, i finished this running on one hour of sleep!
some call it risky, unwise business... but i call it making memories. sometimes making a fool out of yourself (yes, in public) can be good for you. chances are, the people you're with will never see you again, so do what you want when you have the urge to do it. let go.
