Lakasha Dalton

Ms. Caruso
ENGL 1101
26 September 2011
Genre Recreation Project
The text chosen Ior the rhetorical analysis project was a guide - on. A guide on was
chosen because many students were uneducated about the appearance oI a guide-on or what it
was used Ior. A guide-on is a symbol used in Air Force ROTC, a program designed to prepare
students Ior a career as second lieutenant in the Air Force. The guide-on is essentially a Ilag
with a Ilight`s letter and the Air Force symbol embroidered on it. Cadets use guide-ons during
class, as well as, training sessions in the morning. It motivates, encourages, instills pride and,
most importantly, is a symbol Ior the Air Force detachment. Overall, the conclusion oI the
guide-on stated, it serves its purpose well aside Irom a Iew complications.
The guide-on requires an individual to carry it around all day and be sure that it is present
during leadership lab and physical training. This becomes very inconvenient Ior the guide-on
bearer, as well as, the wing. II the guide-on is Iorgotten, many will begin to worry and make it
their main mission to have the guide-on present. This causes distraction during class and
physical training and unnecessary drama. Also, given the time oI day that physical training
(0600 AM) and leadership lab (1700 PM) are, it is highly likely that the bearer will Iorget the
guide-on. In addition to carrying the guide-on, the bearer may be required to 'post it which is
essentially a Iorm oI waking up individuals. However, this isn`t really an eIIective method
because the entire wing doesn`t participate. The bearer and the individuals saluting are the only
Comment [BD1]: l Lhlnk you should say l
chose a guldeon because lLs sounds llke you
are more lnLeresLed ln whaL you are wrlLlng
abouL
Comment [BD2]: ?ou need Lo explaln whaL
some of Lhe Lermlnology ls
individuals whom beneIit Irom this. Concluding, the guide-on can become a distraction when
reIerring to the responsibility oI cadets and is not a very eIIective wake up call.
ThereIore, a song would be the best choice to recreate the guide-on into. The song, called
'My Best Friend, will be played on the radio, can be heard on the television, and listened to on
the internet or any other type oI listening device. 'My Best Friend will be accessible to
everyone, not only cadets in the detachment. It describes a guide-on, its purpose, and what cadets
do in the detachment. 'My Best Friend has a catchy hook so everyone remembers it. In
addition to being played on the radio, the detachment will sing this song during physical training
and leadership lab. A song will be more eIIective in terms oI participation, making physical
training more Iun, having non-cadets learn about ROTC, and, most importantly, because music is
very popular with teenagers nowadays.
To begin with, in this current day and time, many people listen to three things: the
television, the radio, or the computer. All three oI these devices are capable oI playing music.
Music is popular with everyone, even people overseas. People use music Ior a variety oI
diIIerent reasons, including helping inIorm others oI a certain topic. 'My Best Friend is
intended to inIorm others about AFROTC, a guide-on, and its purpose. The majority oI the
detachment and people interested in joining are teenagers. ThereIore, to gain the interest, the
wing has to use something that relates to them. Whether walking to class, cleaning the house, or
just relaxing, teenagers cannot be Iound without an IPOD, MP3/MP4 player or some device that
plays music. Because music is a convenient way to remember things and the majority oI the
interest group is teenagers, a song would be the best recreation oI a guide-on.
Also, since the song is will be sung during physical training and leadership lab, this will
be a more eIIective Iorm oI waking cadets. The entire wing will be required to sing and sing the
Comment [BD3]: galn Lermlnology
song with pride. With the current method oI the guide-on, the bearer was the person posting and
yelling. He or she was the only one beneIiting Irom this method oI waking cadets. Replacing the
guide-on with a song will tremendously help the bearer because, he or she will not Ieel as though
he or she is doing all oI the work. In addition to helping the bearer, the beat oI the song could
help the wing during drill practices. Drill practices are occasional physical training sessions
where cadets work on improving their marching and maintaining bearing. The beat oI the song
could help keep cadets in step while marching. 'My Best Friend can help wake cadets, make it
easier on the cadet assigned to be bearer, and help the entire wing with practicing drill.
In addition to participation, a song would make physical training more Iun. Normally,
when people sing, it begins to lighten the mood and make people happier. HopeIully, with this
song, the same eIIect will happen. Early in the morning, not many teenagers are in the best oI
moods, many are ready to get the hour Iinished and returned to their dorms to Iinish sleeping. A
happier mood can contribute to a better perIormance. Cadets will Iocus on giving physical
training their all instead, oI complaining about the time oI day. A lighter mood at physical
training makes Ior a good physical training which, in turn, could help be a good start to a cadet`s
day, which is always best.
Last, but not least, a song can be listened to by people that are not part oI the detachment.
Because the song will be played on the radio, TV, internet and other devices, everyone has the
opportunity to listen to this, which teaches non-cadets about the detachment, guide-on, and other
things used in ROTC. This is a bonus Ior the detachment because cadets work really hard to talk
to students about ROTC and the many opportunities that it aIIords students in college. This song
gives a little insight into what ROTC is about, the selection process, how they can be in it, and
what is expected once they are a cadet. ThereIore, 'My Best Friend will spread knowledge to
everyone because it can be played on the radio, TV, internet and other listening devices which
are very popular.
In addition to the new aspects a song gives the detachment, the song also meets all oI the
previous purposes oI a guide-on. The guide-on serves as a symbol Ior the detachment, instills a
sense oI pride in the cadet, and motivates cadets during physical training. A song can serve as the
symbol oI the detachment because when others hear it they will know whom the song is
dedicated to. It can also instill pride and motivate the cadet during physical training when they
are required to sing at the beginning. 'My Best Friend will cover all qualities the guide-on
serves, as well as, add additional qualities. However, replacing the guide-on with a song will take
away some oI the previous purposes.
To begin with, a song cannot be visibly seen like a guide-on could. ThereIore, when
cadets are running around the track or going through their normal physical training activities, he
or she would not be able to glance over and see the guide-on posted to keep them motivated. A
song also takes away the responsibility aspect given to a cadet. No one would be required to
carry the guide-on around or make sure it is present at physical training and leadership lab.
However, the many great and new purposes oI a song greatly outweigh the negative eIIects the
song does not meet. ThereIore, because oI these new purposes, a song would still be the best
possible recreation oI a guide-on.


Comment [BD4]: ?our paper ls so good l am
havlng Lrouble flndlng Lhlngs Lo commenL on
?ou explaln yourself very well and your paper
flows