Introduction:  Senior year of high school and the four years of college have always been described as “the best years of your life.”  From all the new friends, the parties, and new experiences that awaited me, I held nothing but excitement for the year of 2020.  But in March, Covid 19 hit the United States with force.  After the end of my senior year and graduation being thoroughly less than anticipated, the first semester of college seemed out of reach.  However, an in-person semester soon became a reality, but not without some stark changes.  Before stepping foot on campus, the words “Mask up or Pack up,” have been drilled into all the students heads.  It is the new Penn State student code of conduct, and the words to live by everyday here on campus.

Rhetorical Situation:

• Covid- Explain Statistics; only way to battle the spread is with masking and distancing
• Explain changes that have come into effect (Zoom U)

Claims/ Rhetorical Appeals:

• Kairos: wouldn’t make sense pre-covid; poster placement: found in dorms, commons, basketball/volleyball courts, eating areas –– makes message impossible to ignore and always at the front of students minds
• Pathos: plays on students’ fears of getting sent home early –– now that most of us are here on campus and settled in, leaving is the worst case scenario
• Logos: statistics on how masks reduce spread distance of aerosols (released when you speak/breathe) and particle droplets

Conclusion:

• Case rates spiking in State College –– almost 1000 cases from students now (will include more up to date numbers); masks are more important now than ever to stay on campus or allow for a more “normal” spring semester
• Not just about staying on campus–– about protecting those around you (new friends, family when you visit, or even just the stranger you pass on the street)
• About being civic –– following not only on-campus rules, but following the laws and ordinances in place; about doing your part to help the US get past the virus (or just deal with it a bit better)