John Stephens

National Eulogy

In 1999 President Clinton gave a speech at Columbine High School addressing the mass Shooting and in doing so created a new Genre called National School Shooting Eulogies. Generic criticism attempts to sort types of speeches into categories in order to either give them new meaning and find what is interesting about them or just organize ideas. Generic descriptions asks if this is a new species, what the style and substance is, and what the organizing principle is. Clinton specifically addresses the people of Columbine  since he is at the high school which is what was unique about this speech at the time. However he also speaks o the entirety of the United States as it is televised. His speech patterns are then more empathetic and personable for these specific small town people. The substance of his speech was story telling that empowers people and he also provides solutions through politics when he says “You have provoked Hillary and me and the Vice President and Mrs. Gore to reach out across America to launch a national grass-roots campaign against violence directed against young people. You can be a part of that”. The organizing principle is leadership and caring. This tactic has been used to rally much of the nation together but what is required in a tragedy in order for a president to visit the town to give a speech? Is it the terror or the political climate?

COMM 441, Rhetorical Criticism

Doyle Srader

Bucher Room

10 AM – Noon

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John Stephens

Applying the Brand Gap

The book The Brand Gap is an excellent example for how good marketing is done. In order to do this organizations must differentiate, collaborate, innovate, validate, cultivate cultivate which are all major terms that are used in this book. Some organizations tend to do these fairly poorly such as a lot of churches. I have attended two churches on the opposite ends of the spectrum that do marketing poorly by either over or under marketing. Some organizations just have not implemented a plan yet such as the Cottage Grove Humane Society which needs a structured plan of establishing a memorable brand, advertising well, and following the principles of this book.

IDS 499, Senior Capstone

James Berry

P114

1 – 1:30 PM

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The State of Teaching at Bushnell University

In the Fall 2023 term, a call went out for nominations of Bushnell students who had demonstrated by their observable behaviors that they were committed to approaching their classes as opportunities to learn, not simply to manipulate the class environment for high grades or other indirect rewards. Those nominees were named Bergquist Laureates. The award is named for Dr. Tim Bergquist, the founder of ACE Day, who loved to encourage students to be scholars. At noon, the Bergquist Laureates will participate in a panel whose topic is the elements of Bushnell classes that help them learn, things that do not help them learn, and things they wish they would see that would help them learn. Bushnell faculty are invited to attend to listen.

The panelists:

  • Ezekiel Aldaco
  • Albert Allen
  • Christopher Kamkar
  • Grace Kitchens
  • Annika Poet
  • John Stephens
  • Matthew Wilhite

L203 (click here to view the live stream)

Noon – 1 PM

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Hana Slayden, Jayden Soriano & John Stephens

Renewal L+L

We are presenting our business as mission idea of Renewal L+L, a laundry and landscape buisness that focuses on hiring homeless or people of low income to get them back into the work force.

BUS 240, Theology and Practice of Business as Mission

Pete Diffenderfer

Bucher Room

10 AM – Noon

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