Download Disconcerting Discourse Communities: the CIG

Disconcerting Discourse Communities: the CIG
ERH 101, Section 1
Date Due: 18 July 2015
Date: 17 July 2015
Paper No. 3
Help Received: peer-response with
Austin Hughes and Cole Smiley,
Suggestions from LTC Ticen,
Interview from Greg Hempt
George Hempt
“ ‘Language’ is a misleading term; it too often suggests ‘grammar.’ It is a truism that a
person can know perfectly the grammar of a language and not know how to use that language,”
(Gee, 483). You may know the grammar of a certain group, but it the ability to apply the
language that will make you an effective member of a successful group. Every group you are a
part of, whether it is academic, social, or religious is a type of discourse community. The
Virginia Military Institute is a very unique community with a plethora of discourse communities.
They vary from the honor court to the RDC (Rat Disciplinary Committee) and cadre (teachers of
the “rats” or incoming freshmen). What makes VMI unique is its strict honor code and
unwavering discipline that applies across all of these communities. The different types of
languages you learn are important, but it is how you apply this language that is paramount. In
order to have a successful discourse community, its members must know the language and most
importantly how to apply this language. I will use Swales’ six characteristics of a discourse
community along with Gee’s emphasis of language application to analyze the VMI’s Cadet
Investment Group (CIG) and show why it is so successful.
In Swales work, he brings forth the ideas of many different scholars on the idea of
discourse communities. Swales uses this idea of shared language along with his six
characteristics to describe the aspects of a discourse community. These six characteristics
include: a discourse community has shared and broad public goals, methods of communication
between members, mechanisms for members to get outside information, possess and employ
traditional genres in the communication of their specific aims, a specific vocabulary or lexis, and
regulates number of members and keeps a balanced ration between novice and experienced
members. The opening quote is what I agreed with most from Gee’s work. The use of language
application explained by Gee as well as Swales’ six characteristics embody the CIG.
The CIG was formed in 1986 by the VMI foundation and is “designed to give cadets
hands-on experience with ‘live-money’ in the stock market,” (www.vmi.edu). Members serve as
investment analysts and portfolio managers of the group’s money. The group considers itself a
group of, “fundamental investors, reviewing companies that produce sound financial positions,
strong leadership qualities, and display a competitive edge within their industry,”
(www.vmi.edu). The CIG originally had two groups with $200,000 to invest (www.vmi.edu).
The group has currently expanded to three groups with $300,000 to invest ($100,000 per group)
and each group focusing on small, medium, or large businesses (small, mid, and large cap
groups) (Hempt). Not only is this group challenging to get into, it seems like one of the most
stressful groups as well (a lot of money at stake). This exclusivity is what makes the CIG a
respected group among the VMI community and other discourse communities. This stress and
pressure may turn many potential candidates away, but the group is gradually increasing in
membership each year. Since investing is like gambling, it is important that the members are
educated enough to understand how to handle the large amount of money they are given to
invest.
The CIG, being a prime example of a discourse community, demonstrates effectively all
six of Swales characteristics to define a discourse community. The investment group has shared
and public goals. Their goals include finding, evaluating, and buying stocks that will increase in
value over time. The investment in promising upcoming business that reflect strong leadership
may give the group a profit (group goal) and show to the public that the CIG promotes strong
morals within a certain business (public goal). These goals would not be effective if they were
not communicated effectively.
The most used communication between members of the CIG is through email and Google
Drive, where stock presentations are shared among groups (Hempt). Communication is also
effectively presented in the weekly meetings. The meetings begin with an address from the
chairman (first classman or senior who is elected by group) who updates the group on the current
status of all three portfolios (large, medium, and small cap). He then discusses any relevant news
pertaining to the group or deadlines for upcoming trips (Hempt). The president of education will
then give a brief on a certain topic related to investing to help any newcomers with the investing
lexis or educate anyone else present. The CIG then breaks into their three groups, talk about
performance of stocks, pitch new stocks, and take a vote on whether or not to buy new stocks.
This group requires many important responsibilities, so the exclusivity of the CIG is taken very
seriously.
Cadets are eligible to apply beginning 3rd class year (sophomore year). The interested
cadets are then required to take a challenging test. This test includes some of the lexis that group
uses. Students who are seeking membership are asked to do prior research to study for this test.
If students score high enough, they are then scheduled for an interview. If the student then does
well in the interview and presents themselves to the current members of the group that they are a
likable person, then they are admitted into the CIG (Hempt). As mentioned in Swales’ third
characteristic, the CIG has it’s own Facebook page (a “participatory mechanism”) to provide
information and feedback. This page is open for anyone to view and learn about the CIG, as well
as to provide information to current members. This page provides the pubic with and abundant
amount of information on the CIG as well as informing members of the Alumni Association at
VMI about the current status and progress of the group. VMI has one of the top alumni
associations at VMI as far as endowment. Every year, the members of the alumni association in
New York City sponsor a trip for the CIG. The group attends informative meetings in NYC as
well as visits the most well known investment groups and money managers such as Bloomberg,
Wilkinson O’Grady & Co., and Goldman Sachs. The tight connection of the VMI alumni to the
school and its clubs comes to show that VMI as well as its clubs are very successful discourse
communities. This trip provides the CIG with information and feedback as well as open doors to
possible job opportunities. While all of these potential opportunities seem very promising, if a
member of the CIG does not know how to apply the language of investing in the real world, they
may as well forget it.
The initial exposure to the lexis of the CIG is done through personal and outside research.
Investing vocabulary is very particular and is hard to understand for one not comfortable with
investing. Investing, in a nutshell, is committing capital to money market investments, bonds and
gifts, property, or shares in hopes of gaining a profit (www.zurich.co.uk). The CIG focuses on
shares, which are stakes in companies where the growth of the companies depends on many
factors, most importantly their performance. Members of the CIG will study performance charts
of certain companies’ stock that displays the growth or decrease in value of the shares of stock
over a certain period of time (Hempt). The most important part of the lexis of investing is the
understanding of the chart trends. If you see a certain growth on the performance chart and
understand it’s meaning, you can assess the risk of the investment, and if you will most likely
make or lose a profit (no money in the stock market is guaranteed, just like in gambling). The
most knowledge of the stock market is learned through experience. The CIG provides cadets
with the needed experience to ensure later success in investing.
Among all these characteristics of the group, the initiation is just the beginning.
Newcomers learn through listening to the briefs in the beginning of the meetings given by the
president of education, outside research, talking with the officers who have a more tenured
experience (2-3 years), and most of all the complex vocabulary and chart trends. The
understanding of vocabulary and application is crucial to the group’s growth.
Members, when pitching a stock, are asked to write a presentation on the certain stock
that the group should invest in. I looked through my brother’s past presentation on Disney’s
stock. In it, he points out the idea that successful investors count “bases.” A base is a cup
formation in a stock chart that forms when the stock in a company is initially offered to the
public. This sharp growth in stock value can occur periodically before the stock corrects itself
and starts to decrease in value (mirror the current market). The fact that Disney had still been
experiencing growth suggests that it may be worth investing. The final and most important point
being made, as for the analysis of the stocks value chart, was the accumulation of the stock.
Accumulation points out to potential buyers (ones who are informed enough to notice and
analyze) that most of the stock’s value is held by professional and institutional investors such as
hedge funds, mutual funds and pensions. These institutions hold a lot of money in the stock and
have the ability to vastly fluctuate the value in the stock. The understanding of accumulation and
the spike in the weekly chart, led to the conclusion that the price in Disney will likely increase.
These observations made by the presenter digs up understanding within other members of the
group to persuade them that it is a stock worth buying.
This use of complex language within the investing context is what drove the argument
home and led to a persuasive argument. This understanding of a value stock helped the group
earn a profit from this particular stock. Without this understanding of the language, the group
would not be successful at all. The CIG would definitely not have experienced a profit of
$12,000 in this past year alone (Hempt). This large profit comes to show that VMI’s CIG is a
well-run and very successful discourse community. By the presentation explained above, Gee’s
idea of language application is used to present a very persuasive argument to buy stock that will
lead to the group’s success and growth.
The six characteristics of a discourse community described by Swales embodies the CIG
at VMI. Gee’s idea of language application is the key to successful investing and the continued
growth of this prestigious group. It’s goals are broad, its connections diverse, and opportunities
limitless. As long as it’s members continue to understand the lexis of the trade as well as the
analysis, the CIG will be around for many more years to come.
Works Cited
"Cadet Investment Group." Virginia Military Institute -. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 July
2015.
"Funds and Investing in a Nutshell." Zurich. Zurich Assurance Ltd, n.d. Web. 17
July 2015.
Gee, James Paul. “Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics.” Writing about Writing.
Ed. Elizabeth Wardle and Doug Downs. New York: Bedford/ St. Maritn’s,
2011. 483. Print.
Hempt, Greg. “Information about the CIG.” Message to former member of the
CIG. 15 July 2015. E-mail.
Swales, John. “The Concept of Discourse Community.” Writing about Writing. Ed.
Elizabeth Wardle and Doug Downs. New York: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2014.
220-222. Print