Communications isn't what it seems by Alyssa
Alyssaof Boise's entry into Varsity Tutor's May 2013 scholarship contest
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Communications isn't what it seems by Alyssa - May 2013 Scholarship Essay
In my first semester of college, I took a communications class called "Reasoned Discourse". In the class we learned how to bring reason into our arguments and we learned how to use reson and information in our everyday communication as well. During the middle of the semester, the professor was explaing to the class about different ideologies that are common when it comes to people's morals and beliefs. One day, the class got into a dissussion about Americanism (I believe is what it is called, I do not remember the name all that well), and we were talking about the pride Americans have in their country and comparing it to the pride and history of other countries.
The topic of Germany and the Natzi era came up and my professor showed us a picture of young American students back in the 1930s or 1940s and they were doing the Natzi handsign. My professor explained to us that back then students said the Pledge of Allegience using the Natzi sign instead of putting their hand on their hearts. Of course after World War II we did not use that hand sign anymore. Our professor asked us to stand up and say the Pledge of Allegience with the Natzi handsign to see how weird it felt and to see if we still felt the sam pride in America while holding up the Natzi handsign. So without question, the 300 student class stood up and did what the professor told us to do. Right in the middle of the Pledge, our professor stands up on the podeum he was speaking from and takes a picture of the class and starts laughing. A student then asks him why he took a picture of us and why he was laughing. His reply was, “Well I had a bet with another communications professor that I couldn’t get my class to do the Natzi handsign. I guess I’m 30 richer! Thanks class!” That class has been my favorite class I have taken in college so far and that day in class will be with the memories I will hold onto forever from college.