Program Highlighted | Writing and Rhetoric
Introduction by | Cynthia Messenger
Interview with | Daniella Stern and Steve Lebo
Date | November 2003

Interview | Daniella Stern

[Note: At the time of the interview, the program was known as "Writing, Rhetoric and Critical Analysis.]

Innis: Would you introduce yourself?
Daniella: My name is Daniella Stern, and I will be the first graduate from the Rhetoric, Writing, and Critical Analysis program.

Innis: What attracted you to study Rhetoric, Writing, and Critical Analysis?
Daniella: I was interested in improving my communication skills and gaining a better understanding of what types of communication are accepted in and recommended for the workplace.

Innis: What aspect(s) of this program do you find fascinating or inspiring - curriculum, professors, practical experience, field courses?
Daniella: I would like to focus on one individual in the program- Professor Cynthia Messenger. I took all my courses with Professor Messenger. She is an extremely knowledgeable, articulate, and approachable professor. Her guidance and encouragement throughout my two years in the program inspired me to excel. Many other students felt the same way and concluded that Professor Messenger's excitement about her material was tangible. I will forever be indebted to Professor Messenger!

Innis: What is one piece of advice that you would give to someone who is interested in pursuing this program?
Daniella: My advice to students who are interested in pursuing a career in academic writing is to concentrate on the details taught to you now. When you get to the workplace it is crucial to be thorough and detail orientate.

Innis: Have you considered doing more schooling?
Daniella: Again, I'm really not the average. A lot of people do try to get training in a conservatory program after getting their university degree, in fact many of them are flying to New York and London right now to audition for schools like Julliard or Rada. I would definitely consider that as you can never get enough training, but for now I lucky enough to be a working actor and I'm going to see where things go from here.

Interview | Steve Lebo

Innis: Would you introduce yourself?
Steve: My name is Steve Lebo. I returned to school a year and a half ago and have a paralegal background. I've got my own business, although I'm in school part-time, and currently am taking a Research Opportunity Program (R.O.P) course (INI299Y) under the direction of Professor Messenger, who is also Director of the Writing, Rhetoric and Critical Analysis Program.

Innis: What attracted you to study Writing, Rhetoric and Critical Analysis?
Steve: Critical analysis and reading skills are crucial to all disciplines; they function to sharpen one's mind, so I realized the Program would be an important foundation for almost all of the other courses I am taking at university. With these types of skills I feel I can now focus on any subject and get to the main issues really quickly. Also, the writing component of the Program has helped me to translate a lot of my otherwise "fuzzy" thinking into concrete language. I had been looking for something practical, and the Program has turned out to be exactly that - very useful.
Another thing I like is the mix of people; for example, the INI203Y class I took last year had a range of students from all over the university - upper year business, science, engineering students - quite a range of people.

Innis: What is the focus of the work in your R.O.P course?
Steve: Two other students and I are working on the project, which focuses on the way in which drugs and related issues are portrayed in the Canadian media, particularly the print media. Our goal is to read, critically analyze, and write about drug policy in Canada. The research is very intense. We will be interviewing lots of people in the field, media people, scientists, politicians. Our research has been leading us in quite a few directions, such as the nature of addiction, legal and social aspects of drug abuse, and questions such as: should medical marijuana be legalized.

Innis: What do you like in particular about the R.O.P?
Steve: I really enjoy having a close working relationship with Cynthia Messenger, who is very involved and has brought a great deal of creativity and energy to this project and also to the Program in general. Also, being in a small group is great, and I like the fact that the research is so focused and demanding - you really have to think about what you're doing.

Innis: What other courses have you taken within Writing, Rhetoric and Critical Analysis?
Steve: As I said, I took Foundations of Written Discourse (INI203Y), which is a super course. The focus on writing and thinking was complemented by the interesting, varied subject matter. We were studying rhetoric, so it was possible to look at a huge range of subjects and types of media. We read articles from magazines and newspapers, speeches from political people, some pieces that were politically oriented, many that were not.
However, the subject matter was in a way secondary because the real focus was on analyzing the effect of the text produced by the writer or speaker - did he or she manage to persuade you of a point of view; in other words, did the use of rhetoric succeed and if so, how.

Innis: How would you rate the facilities and opportunities offered by this Innis program?
Steve: I like the smallness, the intimate atmosphere. It's easier for people to get to know one another better at Innis than at some of the other colleges. INI203Y only had about 20+ people in it, I think around 24, which is great. It's harder to get to know other students and professors in the larger classes.
In terms of opportunities, I know that in the business world, for example, you've got to communicate effectively, and do it in a very short period of time - people have to get your point immediately; otherwise you've lost them, so the ability to analyze critically and respond effectively is really important.

Innis: What extra-curricular activities have you been involved with on campus since coming to U of T?
Steve: I'm a volunteer tutor at Youthinc., an agency that works with people between the ages of 16 and 30, helping them find jobs, improving their skills and so on.

Innis: Are there any connections between the extra-curricular activities and Writing, Rhetoric, Critical Analysis?
Steve: Definitely. Youthinc. is a large agency that offers lots of programs. Right now I'm tutoring approximately 10 people who are new to Canada. Most of them are actually post-grads. They need help with their conversational / writing skills, so I'm using many of the concepts I learned in INI203Y to help them.

Innis: Do you have any favourite time management tips you would like to offer?
Steve: I try to prioritize my time, but like most people I think I have varying degrees of success doing it. I prefer to work for short, more concentrated periods of time. When working I like to end the session at a point where I'm feeling good about what I've done rather than just "slogging" through for a set period of time. Also, I really like to change the scenery, so I'll go for a walk or just call people up. Time management is pretty personal I think - everybody's different.

Innis: What is one piece of advice that you would give to someone who is interested in pursuing this program?
Steve: Ask a lot of questions to make sure it's the program for you. Ask for the course material, interview the professors, and maybe read what they've written. I think you'll find, however, that the Writing, Rhetoric, and Critical Analysis Program has a lot to offer.

Innis: Are there any other things you would like to say to Innis students, or to any students who many be interested in Writing, Rhetoric and Critical Analysis? Why do you think people dread writing?
Steve: They probably dread writing because they don't have enough basic, practical skills. They might feel that they don't know where to begin or how to proceed, so they wind up feeling lost. So, it's very helpful to have basic tools to work with, rhetorical, analytical tools - then you can become very effective and confident in what you're doing. Rhetoric is an enormous area that encompasses language, philosophy, cognitive science, and lots of other disciplines. It has classical roots and an ancient history. It encompasses many analytical approaches, and examines the persuasive power of particular types of speech and writing. It's integral to our entire society, everything from media to marketing, so I think it's a really useful and exciting subject.

On behalf of Innis College, I would like to thank you for coming and giving us your time …

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