This document will create a rhetorical elaboration of the letter submitted by members of the Iowa State University chapter of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. Analyzing the different factors that influence this communication, including context, author, audience, and purpose, will reveal background information and ideas that will influence how it was written and how it will be read. This communication was sent in an effort to gain qualified new members into the Honors Society. Background An invitation to join Phi Kappa Phi is sent to seven and a half percent of the top sophomores and ten percent of the top seniors and graduate students at Iowa State University. Despite the narrow audience scope, there are several aspects of the context surrounding this letter. Each recipient can choose to accept and join the Honor Society for a $75 fee, decline the invitation, or defer the decision to a later time. To receive the certificate and pin for the initiation ceremony, you must accept the offer and receive the information via email by March 21, 2011, just under a month from the date students first received the information. Initiates can still accept admission until the end of the current semester, May 6, 2011. If the student defers enrollment this semester, he or she may be invited again next year if he or she still meets the requirements. As the local chapter receives new members, it will benefit their budget and reputation. With each initiate's $75 contribution, the Iowa State chapter receives a portion and can use it to fund more or better events and activities. The national chapter of Phi Kappa Phi will also benefit from each new member with increased funding and additional members… halfway through… the main goal is clearly to gain members. The author wants to communicate the benefits in a way that changes the minds of those who are on the fence about joining, while at the same time informing those who are embracing all the great things they can do through Phi Kappa Phi. Matt needs to grab the reader's attention, with information and a pleasant style. He wants to communicate the goals and motivations of Phi Kappa Phi through the content and features of his writings and to make the reader believe that those goals are worthwhile. Secondary reasons are to promote the company's reputation on campus and gain support. Phi Kappa Phi can gain reputation due to the quality of this letter. The chapter can gain support from those who may not join, but as a result may attend Phi Kappa Phi events or fundraisers because they have now had positive communication with the society.
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