Introduces students to rhetoric, both as a philosophical tradition and as an essential tool for understanding the cultural messages of today - the political, commercial, and artistic "texts" that surround us. Students learn the historical origins of Rhetoric and the main principles of rhetorical criticism. Students then apply that knowledge by analyzing and creating a variety of rhetorical texts, including written, oral, and visual arguments. Prerequisite: 104 or C or higher in 105 or C or higher in 195. WCII.