Public Speaking Competition

Today December 21, 2015. A Public speaking competition was held at Asia Pacific College's Auditorium at around 8:45 am. Now there were 30 participants during the competition but only 9 will be left for the finals. Each has their own room to go to for the elimination round. Of course we can't leave the venue coz' we're going to be marked as absent if we do that. So while waiting for the final participant the APC speaks prepared some games related to the event. The game are speed speech, ignite speech with a twist and a block game. In speed speech there will be two participants per section similar with the ignite speech. Now the Block game is obviously a group game now we were aiming to sing as many Christmas song that we know. It was a close game between us the BM students, TM, and AC. Unfortunately we  repeated a song that was given that's why we got out of the game. In the end TM won the game. I know that everyone  was scared to be called as a representative for their block. That's why I even prayed and hoped that I will no be called. According to research that one of the most fears a person could have is the fear of Public Speaking.

Fear of public speaking is the most common of all phobias. It's a form of performance anxiety in which a person becomes very concerned that he or she will look visibly anxious, maybe even have a panic attack while speaking. Over time, people try to protect themselves by either avoiding public speaking or by struggling against speech anxiety. Now after the games. We got back into the event. Fortunately there 9 blessed, lucky speakers who surpass the elimination round. They spoke different examples regarding the topic " The cult of celebrities and fantasies a Filipino Obsession? Some exemplified their life with their parents. Some spoke about fairy tale, past relationship etc... After all the speakers Ms. Tina told us that the awarding will be tomorrow December 22, 2015 the same with the ignite speech and speech choir competition. 

Public Speaking 2: Persuasive speech entitled Marijuana Should not be legalized

Last December 11, 2015, I presented my persuasive speech about Marijuana. Basically it's kind of a debate but we are not suppose to cross the other panelist. I was assigned as the opposition of the topic Marijuana should be legalized. Now what I need to do is to oppose and persuade my audience that marijuana should not be legalized. It's a good experience to talk in front of many audience. My confidence was boosted at that time. Let me share to you speech with.

Marijuana should not be legalized

           

            Good morning I am Leonard Angelo Galang. May I ask who among you here have already tried marijuana? What a silly question, of course no one will raise his or her hands. I myself never tried it. For those of you who continuously smoke please be mindful of your health especially for the chain smokers here. Take coz I care. In addition to what jamilah have said already, let me tell you the reasons why you should stop or not even try marijuana.

            According to Foundation For A DRUG- FREE WORLD, The immediate effects of taking marijuana include rapid heartbeat, disorientation, and lack of physical coordination, often followed by depression or sleepiness. Some users suffer panic attacks or anxiety.

            But the problem does not end there. According to scientific studies, the active ingredient in cannabis, THC, remains in the body for weeks or longer. Marijuana smoke contains 50% to 70% more cancer-causing substances than tobacco smoke. One major research study reported that a single cannabis joint could cause as much damage to the lungs as up to five regular cigarettes smoked one after another. Long-time joint smokers often suffer from bronchitis, an inflammation of the respiratory tract.

            The drug can affect more than your physical health. Studies in Australia in 2008 linked years of heavy marijuana use to brain abnormalities. This is backed up by earlier research on the long-term effects of marijuana, which indicate changes in the brain similar to those caused by long-term abuse of other major drugs. And a number of studies have shown a connection between continued marijuana use and psychosis. Marijuana changes the structure of sperm cells, deforming them. Thus even small amounts of marijuana can cause temporary sterility in men. Marijuana use can upset a woman’s menstrual cycle. Studies show that the mental functions of people who have smoked a lot of marijuana tend to be diminished. The THC in cannabis disrupts nerve cells in the brain affecting memory.

            Cannabis is one of the few drugs that causes abnormal cell division which leads to severe hereditary defects. A pregnant woman who regularly smokes marijuana or hashish may give birth prematurely to an undersized, underweight baby. Over the last ten years, many children of marijuana users have been born with reduced initiative and lessened abilities to concentrate and pursue life goals. Studies also suggest that prenatal (before birth) use of the drug may result in birth defects, mental abnormalities and increased risk of leukemia in children.

            As we all know Marijuana leads to addiction so for the users to not use it frequently why not do things that are useful, helpful to us and things that could make our lives better. Sports are one of my examples because in sports you can develop your skills physically and mentally. There’s no problem if you would be addicted to sports right. Another is reading literary works like novels, poems, short stories or even researches etc. This can help in building your mind. What I mean is by reading, you can expand the capacity of your brain. Moreover, you can also do indoor things for example cooking, watching televisions, cleaning the house if you want, play guitar or even play any instruments you want and many more just for you moved on in using marijuana. Besides, there are no advantages in using marijuana. All you can get is diseases. Diseases that could make your miserable and leads you to death.

            Thank you for listening and have a good day to all.

IGNITE SPEECH: Secondhand smoke

Today December 15th, 2015, I presented my Ignite speech in front of my blockmates and Ms. Agaton, our professor. Before I started something went wrong, the laptop is not working properly. But I survived the speech. I was able to present my powerpoint presentation. In the I got 70/75. I don't know the equivalent yet but I hope it's high. I've learned a lot from this speech. Aside from the information that I've memorized last night. It was a very good experience. Now let me share to you my speech .

Ignite Speech

A pleasant morning to everyone I am Leonard Angelo Galang your 4^th speaker for today. Before I officially begin my presentation, may I ask who among you here are smokers? And who are not smokers?

Well then, let’s begin. Did you know that over 600,000 non- smokers’ worldwide dies each year as a result of their exposure to second hand smoke? This was according to a study published in The Lancet. The study provides the first assessment of the worldwide burden of disease from second hand smoke.

Moreover, a little background information about second hand smoke.  Non-smokers breathe in the same toxic chemicals in tobacco smoke as the smokers do. When non-smokers are exposed to SHS it’s called involuntary smoking or passive smoking.

Now I want to inform you that Secondhand smoke is just as harmful as smoking and leads to a higher prevalence of diseases among children.

These are my Main Points: Definition of Second hand smoke, Secondhand smoke and Nicotine, and lastly Secondhand smoke is everywhere.

Furthermore, Secondhand smoke is a smoke inhaled involuntarily from tobacco being smoked by others. Since my thesis statement is all about second hand smoke and higher prevalence of diseases among children, let me familiarize you from these diseases.

Lung Cancer, Childhood exposure to secondhand smoke raised lung cancer risk, even for people who never smoked. The more secondhand smoke a child breathed, the more likely he or she was to grow up to have lung cancer.

Next Brain Tumors, Secondhand smoke has a direct, measurable impact on the brain similar to what’s seen in the person doing the smoking, according to a new study. The researchers found that about 1 in 5 nAChRs in the brains of both smokers and non-smokers became occupied by nicotine after 1 hour of exposure to secondhand smoke.

Coming after this one is Lymphoma. There are lots of toxic chemicals in second hand smoke. Benzene is one of them. This is a cancer causing chemical and can cause Lymphoma to children.

Let’s proceed to the Long Term effect of Second hand smoke.  Who among you here has heart diseases? Please, stay away from smokers because it has immediate adverse effects on the cardiovascular system and can cause coronary heart disease and stroke.

Children who grow up with parents who smoke are themselves more likely to smoke. Second hand smoke may cause problems for children later in life including: 

• Poor lung development (meaning that their lungs never grow to their full potential)
• Lung cancer
• Heart disease
• Cataracts (an eye disease)

As a matter of fact second hand smoke can also harm our environment. As I have said earlier, there are thousands of toxic chemicals in second hand smoke and these chemicals can pollinate to different places and may cause air pollution. And that air pollution may lead to the depletion of the Ozone layer.

Another thing to consider is being addicted to secondhand smoke not only  

physically but also emotionally and socially. Let me explain this to you much 

further.

A craving can feel like a physical need, and when it does, it is usually a good indicator that you are physiologically addicted to nicotine.

Nicotine produces physical and mood-altering effects in your brain that are temporarily pleasing and highly addictive. The more you smoke, the less your body feels the need to produce those feelings naturally.

Habits are routines or behaviours that are repeated regularly and are sometimes done without thinking about them.

In addition, where is Secondhand smoke a problem? According to American Cancer Society we should be especially concerned about exposure to secondhand smoke in these places:

Everyone can be exposed to SHS in public places where smoking is allowed, such as some restaurants, shopping centers, public transportation, parks, and schools. Public places where children go are a special area of concern.

A lot of students learn to smoke. Why? Because they think it can be a stress reliever. But that’s a big NO NO. For example in our beloved school Asia Pacific College, there’s a designated area for smokers. But do you honestly think that it should be there. Asia Pacific College should not tolerate this kind of matter I don’t care if it’s been there for 3 years or longer. And for Godsake it’s an open area so the smoke or the SHS can be inhaled by a non smoker which is bad.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), federal agencies responsible for health and safety in the workplace, recognize there are no known safe levels of SHS and recommend that exposures be reduced to the lowest possible levels.

In conclusion, we need to be aware of the effects of smoking and secondhand smoke. There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke .And lastly; think twice before you do something that would cause problems or even death to others.

" Mobilizing the Millennials as Socially Responsible Prosumers"

 "  Mobilizing the Millennials as Socially Responsible Prosumers"

Last November 25, 2015 at Asia Pacific College, I attended a seminar about the Media. The speakers are from a television network, GMA. There are three of them, but they shared to us different topics. The Objective of this seminar is to develop sense of social responsibility among APCians in general. And of course to create a discourse on media literacy among APCians. As I have said earlier there three speakers Ms. Edma, Ms. Jan, and Ms. Lian but I'll focus on Ms. Lian's talk.

The Objective of this seminar is to :

a. To develop sense of social responsibility among RAMpage editorial staff and APCians in general; and

b.To create a discourse on media literacy among APCians. 

She talked about on How to effectively write a story.

Ms. Lian encouraged the students to write, but first she mentioned the basic steps in writing a story. Upon listening to her I find it interesting because I already knew some of the steps but of course I should continue listening. I learned form her that in writing a story you should jot down ONLY the important ideas.

According  to my research to have a good interview and thus a good story you to do the following:

1. Do your research

Don’t rely on the subject to tell you everything in the interview. Spare everyone’s time by learning as much as you can beforehand. This will help make your questions more informed (“What was the key to winning player of the week three weeks in a row?” versus “How successful has this season been for you?”)

2. Why are you writing this, and who is it for?

In writing-speak, a goal is an angle. Have a good sense of what you want this story to ultimately accomplish. Where will it be published? Will it be a long feature or a brief? Will it run in both print and web? Who is the target audience? What impression do you want your audience to come away with having read it? What do you want them to do?

3. Location, location, location

In writing-speak, a goal is an angle. Have a good sense of what you want this story to ultimately accomplish. Where will it be published? Will it be a long feature or a brief? Will it run in both print and web? Who is the target audience? What impression do you want your audience to come away with having read it? What do you want them to do?

Pick an interview location you know will be available and relatively quiet. That said, be prepared to go with the flow. I’ve set up interviews in the Campus Center, only to arrive and find the Campus Center randomly closed for construction. Have a backup spot in mind, and don’t get worked up about it—it won’t help the interview if you curl into a stressball.

4. Photo and video

The best location for an interview may not be the best location for a photo or video shoot, and vice versa. Plus, some people get nervous around cameras. If you can avoid it, try to have your interview and any camera action take place separately. Don’t worry about requesting two slices of your subject’s time. Everyone wants publicity, and they will spend the time to get it.

5. Did you get all of that?

In addition to taking copious notes, you should audio record every interview you do, but always ask permission first, both for phone and in-person interview. I let the subject know it’s just for transcription purposes (unless I know that we may be doing a multimedia component, in which case I let them know that, as well).

6. Use your questions as a guide

It’s always good to come up with a list of questions ahead of time, but don’t stick to them rigidly. Be open to where the conversation takes you. Ask follow-up questions. Extract context. Press for additional details.

7. Don’t be afraid of tangents

It’s always good to come up with a list of questions ahead of time, but don’t stick to them rigidly. Be open to where the conversation takes you. Ask follow-up questions. Extract context. Press for additional details.

While sometimes tangents can be dangerous, especially if you’re short on time or end up getting way off track, they can sometimes lead you to places where the subject is more at ease. That can help with the rest of the interview. If you’re profiling a professor of engineering, but you happen to know he is also an avid cook, chat about that for a little while. You’ll likely stoke a passion that will open him up, and you may even find some neat metaphors for your piece.

8. Delve into their background

Whether I’m interviewing a jazz saxophonist or a geneticist, I always ask how they got interested in what they’re doing. The answer likely goes back to high school or college, sometimes earlier, and often makes for a good anecdote that may end up as your lead.

9. Avoid yes/no questions

10. Get the details

Ask questions designed to solicit open-ended, reflective or explanatory answers. “Were you guys excited to win the championship?” gets replaced with “How did it feel to hoist the trophy after you scored the winning goal?”

Years, dates, hometowns, last names—I get as much of this as I can during the interview. You don’t want to rely solely on the…

11. Follow-up

At the end of every interview, I always ask for the best way to get in touch if I have any follow-up questions, because chances are, I will. Don’t be afraid to ask follow-up questions or to get confirmation on spellings, dates, etc. Something that made sense during the interview may make little sense three days later.

12. Always Be Closing

The best way to close an interview is to simply ask if there is anything you didn’t cover. I’m always shocked when I get responses like, “Oh, well, I’m also founding this nonprofit” or “Well, I’m also going to Africa next week to teach English for a year.” Then the interview goes on for another 15 minutes. But that’s OK. That’s the good stuff. And since it got brought up voluntarily, they must be passionate about it.

13. Talk to others

In your interview, ask your subject whom she works closely with, respects or admires, or holds as a favorite professor. Then, go chat with them—they may not only give you additional details or fact-checks, but also supply some great supporting quotes. reference

Healthy Lifestyle

Healthy eating is not about strict dietary limitations, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, improving your outlook, and stabilizing your mood. If you feel overwhelmed by all the conflicting nutrition and diet advice out there, you’re not alone. It seems that for every expert who tells you a certain food is good for you, you’ll find another saying exactly the opposite. But by using these simple tips, you can cut through the confusion and learn how to create a tasty, varied, and healthy diet that is as good for your mind as it is for your body.

We all know that eating right can help you maintain a healthy weight and avoid certain health problems, but your diet can also have a profound effect on your mood and sense of wellbeing. Studies have linked eating a typical Western diet—filled with processed meats, packaged meals, takeout food, and sugary snacks—with higher rates of depression, stress, bipolar disorder, and anxiety. Eating an unhealthy diet may even play a role in the development of mental health disorders such as ADHD, Alzheimer’s disease, and schizophrenia, or in the increased risk of suicide in young people.

Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, cooking meals at home, and reducing your intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates, on the other hand, may help to improve mood and lower your risk for mental health problems. If you have already been diagnosed with a mental health problem, eating well can even help to manage your symptoms and regain control of your life.

While some specific foods or nutrients have been shown to have a beneficial effect on mood, it’s your overall dietary pattern that is most important. That means switching to a healthy diet doesn’t have to be an all or nothing proposition. You don’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to completely eliminate foods you enjoy to have a healthy diet and make a difference to the way you think and feel.

Key to any healthy diet is moderation. But what is moderation? In essence, it means eating only as much food as your body needs. You should feel satisfied at the end of a meal, but not stuffed. Moderation is also about balance. Despite what fad diets would have you believe, we all need a balance of protein, fat, fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals to sustain a healthy body.

For many of us, moderation also means eating less than we do now. But it doesn't mean eliminating the foods you love. Eating bacon for breakfast once a week, for example, could be considered moderation if you follow it with a healthy lunch and dinner—but not if you follow it with a box of donuts and a sausage pizza. If you eat 100 calories of chocolate one afternoon, balance it out by deducting 100 calories from your evening meal. If you're still hungry, fill up with extra vegetables. 

Fruits and vegetables are low in calories and nutrient dense, which means they are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. Focus on eating the recommended daily minimum of five servings of fruit and vegetables and it will naturally fill you up and help you cut back on unhealthy foods. A serving is half a cup of raw fruit or veges or a small apple or banana, for example. Most of us need to double the amount we currently eat.

Try to eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day as deeply colored fruits and vegetables contain higher concentrations of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Add berries to breakfast cereals, eat fruit for dessert, and snack on vegetables such as carrots, snow peas, or cherry tomatoes instead of processed snack foods.Reference