By focusing on local problems or issues, student writers can craft research essays that exemplify civic engagement, a practice that reaffirms composition's tacit tradition from classical rhetoric and the educational philosophy of John Dewey. Volunteer experiences or local problems that affect students directly allow writers to actively research and reflect on problems within their communities and our democracy. Instructors can help students explore problems and issues within their localities, states, or regions, and this goal can foster greater motivation and a proper focus on being an active citizen within and beyond the composition classroom. The author asserts that these initiatives can reinforce the core values of the profession. This essay provides examples from the author's own teaching practice that show a method to practice civic engagement through the collegial rite of passage--the research-based argument paper. The author connects the reemergence of civic engagement to the traditional yet powerful conceptions of rhetoric and education, providing a civic ethos that represents a return to pedagogical roots. (Contains 3 notes.)