Rhetoric Day

Rhetoric Day at the Great Cities Institute is a dynamic colloquium that brings together emerging scholars and established thinkers to explore rhetoric as more than persuasion—as a force that shapes identity, law, and political life. Taking place on May 7, 2026, from 12:30 PM to 2:15 PM at 412 S. Peoria Street, Suite 400 in Chicago, the event invites attendees to engage critically with how historical and contemporary forces shape the political and social world. By examining rhetoric across different moments in history, the colloquium encourages participants to reconsider what we define as today’s “crises” and to recognize them as part of longer, ongoing patterns.

Rhetoric Day features a compelling lineup of presenters whose work spans rhetoric, political theory, history, and critical social analysis. Together, they bring diverse perspectives on how discourse shapes identity, governance, and contemporary political life.

Jennifer Torres, PhD Candidate
Jennifer Torres examines how collective identities are formed through language and discourse. Her presentation focuses on constitutive rhetoric, exploring how American and Mexican American identities were shaped in the late 19th century through historical tensions, social conditions, and public narratives. Her work highlights how groups come to understand themselves, and are understood by others, through rhetorical processes.

Frida Sanchez Vega, PhD Candidate
Frida Sanchez Vega’s research engages questions of law, power, and the nation-state. Drawing on the concept of nomos—law as both rule and social order—her presentation explores how legal systems are embedded in nation-state formation and how they can produce division, exclusion, and structural harm toward both citizens and non-citizens.

James Sharpe, PhD Candidate
James Sharpe investigates modern political life through the lens of philosophical thought, particularly the work of Hannah Arendt. His presentation draws on Arendt’s concept of “process” in the modern age to examine how contemporary political life is defined by constant change, intensified by technological and economic shifts, and what this means for political action today.

Ralph Cintron, Professor Emeritus
Ralph Cintron brings a senior scholarly perspective to the event, connecting classical political philosophy with present-day ideologies. His talk revisits Immanuel Kant’s Perpetual Peace to explore enduring tensions within Enlightenment thought and how these tensions continue to shape modern political divisions and resurgent forms of authoritarianism.

Together, these presenters offer a rich, interdisciplinary exploration of rhetoric’s enduring influence across historical and contemporary contexts.

Great Cities Institute

College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs

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Great Cities Institute