The Idea of an Essay, Volume 4

96 The Idea of an Essay: Volume 4 Ross also supports his argument with a great deal of statistical information on the subject, most of it from his own administration and therefore firsthand. These specific details, such as his claim that his university system enrolls 220,000 students and creates the equivalent of 426,000 new jobs, help to add ethos to his argument, especially those concerning the scale and contributions of his own university system (5-6). In providing an impressive set of numbers concerning the operation of the UNC System, Ross establishes himself as an authority on his subject. He uses shock and awe tactics, claiming, for instance, that UNC employs more people in the state than private businesses such as Walmart, to forcefully demonstrate why his audience should listen to his views (5-6). He also provides a large amount of specific detail about the challenges his administration faces and what they are doing to address them, including efforts to increase operational efficiency and improve methods of instruction (9-10). This helps to establish his integrity as someone who is actively involved in the issue that he is calling others to become involved in. In a particularly effective set of examples pertaining to on-campus research, Ross brings his discussion of the benefits provided by universities directly into the lives of his audience by citing ways in which the research at UNC has affected them personally and will continue to do so, namely by the development of fruit preservatives, removal of allergens from peanuts, and the creation of medical nanotechnology (11, 12). These statistics, in addition to providing ethos, help to ground Ross’s argument in the real world by providing solid numeric illustrations for the various points of his rhetoric to create logos for his claim. Due to his knowledge of his audience, Ross is careful not to overuse this aspect of his data, but instead creates a balance between sounding informed and not losing the attention of the crowd by inundating them with technical details. Generally, he uses his logos as a logical framework for his pathos, powerfully combining well- targeted emotional appeal seemingly solid reasoning and numbers. One excellent example of this can be found when he concludes from the state’s reduced spending per student that America is “disinvesting in higher education, and … beginning to pay the price” (4). This statement serves as an emotionally driven rebuttal to those that believe America cannot afford to invest more in higher education. Through the statement, Ross not only outlines the issue