Research is one of the most beneficial experiences a college student can have.

It helps

individuals develop problem solving, investigative, and analytical skills. For me, I had this

unique opportunity my second year when I adapted the rhetorical criticism speech I had prepared

for the speech and debate team into a format I could submit to a variety of conferences. In this

project, I examined if a performative protest could counteract discursive violence surrounding

gun deaths in the United States. I did so by examining the Lost Class Protest. The Lost Class

Protest was sponsored by Change the Ref, an organization founded by parents of a victim of the

Parkland Shooting. They created a mock graduation ceremony at which they set up 3,044 empty

chairs, representing of the children in the class of 2021 that were murdered by gun violence in

the United States. They invited two pro-gun activists to address the 3,044 empty chairs and

posted three videos to YouTube, creating a viral sensation. Each video covered a different part of

the event, from the speech itself to the reaction from the pro-gun activists after they found out

they had been duped. I analyzed all of this to answer my question and ultimately came to the

conclusion that this viral performative protest did little to impact change in the United States

regarding gun violence. It is critical to note that my research question was written based on my

initial understanding of these events.

To rhetorically examine this protest, I found an academic article titled “The Rhetorical

Contour of Violent Frames and the Production of Discursive Violence” by Michelle Holling, that

provided a theoretical framework. The three tenets that I extracted from Holling’s article to help

analyze the Lost Class Protest were a city of two faces; the victims, bodies, and murdered

women; and grieving mothers. The city of two faces tenet examined the divide between the rich

and poor parts of the community, jumping to the conclusion that violence was inherent in the

poorer areas. Second the victims, bodies, and murdered women tenet focused on the fact that the
media oftentimes will reduce victims to nameless numbers, ultimately ignoring their humanity.

Finally, the grieving mothers tenet centered on the fact that the media only focused on the grief

of the parents rather than elevating their calls for action. I then analyzed this protest through the

lens of the performative protests that were conducted in Juarez, Mexico against the significant

numbers of femicides in the city.

The application of the model to the artifact was a smooth process. The city of two faces

tenet uncovered the fact that many view gun violence in the United States as inherent. Second,

oftentimes news coverage of gun violence dehumanizes the victims and rarely focuses on who

the victims are as people. Finally, while many parents of children who were murdered by gun

violence called for legislative action to help prevent future gun violence their calls are rarely

amplified. Instead, their grief is emphasized and ultimately nothing is changed. My analysis led

me to draw the conclusion that these protests failed because we have become numb to the

overwhelming death associated with gun violence.

In spring 2022 I was able to present this project at the National Conference for

Undergraduate Research and the Posters at St. Paul event. When presenting my research in a

public venue, I learned how important it is to practice beforehand and spend time creating a

strong but brief synthesis. It was very evident who practiced and who did not during the

conference, as those who did not offered drawn out presentations which oftentimes described

details that were not relevant to their project.

Having the opportunity to conduct research provided me with the chance to improve my

writing, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. This was valuable to my personal

development as it allowed me to develop a variety of critical skills that I will be able to utilize

for the rest of my life. As someone who wants to attend graduate school in the future, having
already conducted research can help me set myself apart from my peers and prepare me for more

research opportunities in the future. Over the course of the project, I was able to work closely

with my mentor which contributed significantly to the success that I was able to achieve. I feel

like they were able to guide me throughout and provide me with different tips and tricks as I

worked to conduct truly impactful research. I also learned how to overcome challenges that I

faced. The biggest challenge that I faced was the time constraints of the project as I started much

later than I should have. Because of this, I had to effectively manage my time, splitting it

between my classes and my research. This experience provided me with the opportunity to

further develop my academic writing skills, something that will be useful if I decide I want to

attend graduate school.

As I look towards the future, I know that the opportunities I was afforded by this research

experience will benefit me for the rest of my life. I will be more likely to examine things in life

from a critical lens and consider the perspective of others. I will also make sure to use better time

management when working on important projects that will need to be completed over multiple

months. I will always need to solve the problems that I am facing so this was a good opportunity

to better develop these skills which can be applied to both my personal and professional life.

This experience demonstrated that I truly could conduct research and as I look towards the

future, I am hoping to conduct research relating to food insecurity in the United States. I also will

be able to utilize this experience to ensure that I do not make as many mistakes this time around

and overall produce better and more efficient research.