LUNGS

Issue 2

LungsSavonlinna 2011 - Regional session of EYP Finland

Editorial

Contents

Stereotypes 2

Horoscopes 3-4

The city 5

Fancy pants 6

Delegates 7

Waltter’s corner 8

Committee 9-10snapshots

Mr President 11

Eat and sleep 12

Facebook 13

Those round 14 things

Hyperventilation 15-16

When asked by one of the journos about the city of Savonlinna, a delegate was content with using a single word to describe the city: “home”. That got me thinking about home, and the notion whether home is actually a concrete place or is it more a state of mind? An Ameri-can would tell you that home is where your heart is, Beth Orton would tell you its where heart break wraps cold around your skin. Still for most people home is your special place, the place where you feel that you can breathe again, as described in my previous editorial.

I have just recently moved out of my “home” in Kuopio as I started studying politics in Essex. This session is the first time I’m back in Finland after a little over a month of studying abroad. Even though it is admittedly good to be back on this cold, god forsaken, and freakishly shaped like a woman, country I’m at a loss as to where my real home is. When I am in England I am still confused by cars driving on the wrong side of the road and which toothpaste to buy. Yet the people I’ve met have grown on me and the small, slightly stuffy room has become com-fortable. Would I go as far as calling it home? This is where the very heart of my dilemma lies.

Then again is there only one place you call home, or do you simply make a home wherev-er you go? Maybe it’s the people, rather than your state of mind or a specific location. The great thing about EYP is, once you enter, you are welcomed into a tightly knit group of peo-ple whom you quickly become very close with. After a while, going to EYP starts to feel like going home, because these people that sur-round you make you feel like nothing can touch you; you’re safe. At the end of the day, it seems to be that a home exists where you make one, so don’t be afraid to have several. A sense of belonging is something worth cherishing, evenif sometimes found in very unexpected places.

Sincerely, Saga Video and help with editing courtesy of Maria Saraste.

Keep up the Battle

“All stereotypes turn out to be true. This is a horrifying thing about life. All those things you fought against as a youth: you be-gin to realize they’re stereotypes because they’re true.” -David Cronenberg, Director

Stereotypes are a topic that never gets old. It’s like a rolling stone that never stops, not as long as there are people left. Somehow prejudice has become natural to us, and no matter how harsh it sounds, as a result of our own actions.

I believe that everyone who’s capable of think-ing, at this session, in this country and on the planet we call Earth, has at some point encountered prejudice or stereotyping. I think stereotypes are quite a common oc-curence especially in Finland – it seems that we believe even the ones made of ourselves. That Finnish people are rude, cold and emo-tionless. They never exaggerate, take part in small talk with strangers or drink responsi-bly. Talking about feelings is overrated and especially the male population never says the words “I love you”. A true Finn never brags and absolutely loves understatement.

Now – look around you. You can probably see a Finn, hear a Finn or just know that a Finn is somewhere close by. You might even be a Finn yourself. Think about yourself,

your friends and the people you’ve just met. Think about the Finns you know. After do-ing that, take a moment to wonder where stereotypes come from. Are these people re-ally cold, emotionless alcoholics? Do you think the people you have just met, are not capa-ble of small-talk or showing their feelings?

If you think the answer is yes, stop right there. Take another look, but this time, look in the mirror. Why do you think the stereotypical Finn is the most accurate one? Is there some-thing in your own attitude that makes the situ-ation what it is? Are you sure you’re not just go-ing with the flow and at the same time making yourself a bit more like the stereotypical Finn?

However, if you think the answer is no, good. You have eyes, a brain and a heart exactly like everyone else – just with the difference that you can see, think and feel for yourself and you are capable of making your own decisions. The idea in the quote above has been proven wrong: yes, you’re fighting against the stereo-types but guess what? You’re actually winning.

Don’t believe the stereotypes people make you believe, draw your own conclusions. You have your eyes, your brain and your heart: use them. And always, no matter where you are and who you’re with, keep up the battle.

By: Sofia Rostén

A cause worth fighting for

Capricorn:Watch out for people wearing different col-oured socks! They might seem innocent and funny, but they are actually just trying to distract you from their evil plans. Smile and tell them you cannot accept food from strangers. There might be something devi-ous inside the muffins they are offering you.

Aquarius:Work your charm! On Sunday, you will feel more attractive than ever. Make it a goal to talk to as many strangers as possible. Walk the walk and talk the talk, you will be sought after. Try to avoid narcissism, though. Get-ting caught blowing kisses at the mirror is never a good thing. Same goes for ending your speech with “because I’m THAT awesome”.

Pisces:Better sleep with one eye open. The journal-ist of your committee is after your brains. Is it not suspicious that they seem to be incred-ibly interested in your opinion? There really is something unnatural about that. Keep a base-ball bat under your pillow and always have com-pany when visiting the lavatory. Zombies are not as cool as they seem to be in the movies.

Aries:The Coffee Fairies will make General Assem-bly magical for you. People floating around or sparkling is not a good sign though. Maybe you should take a small nap before making a speech. Give every blond organiser a compli-ment, it will pay off in the future. If you receive a hedgehog as a present from your chairperson, accept it only if it has blue eyes. The ones with brown eyes are sneaky and will ruin your life.

Horoscopes

Taurus:Embrace your inner Ginger! Feeling awkward is an integral part of life and should be cherished. If you are lucky a coffee break will unite you with a person who likes you even if you are unable to eat with your mouth closed. That must be true love! Despite being enamoured, try to pay atten-tion during General Assembly. If you fail to do so, your grandchildren will be allergic to potatoes.

Gemini:If you brush your teeth at midnight, you will be hit by a wave of divine inspiration to create a unique piece of art. But be careful! Once you become succesful and famous, do not get ar-rogant. People from your committee will not appreciate it if you start sending them your au-tographed photos out of the blue. Pretend to be a simple mortal and do try to wear regular clothes instead of a toga to General Assembly.

Cancer:That song in your head just won’t drown out. You will go insane unless you give it to every-one else as well – so just go around and sing it from the top of your lungs. Spread the love! Be open minded at the Fairwell Party and give the last dance to Batman. He will help you out in times of trouble at your next session.

Leo: You want to break free. You have a burn-ing urge to take your shoes off, throw them at people and burst into evil laughter. Resist the temptation – others might not under-stand you. Before leaving the session, find an organiser responsible for sandwiches and ask them for fashion advice. With their tips, you can look 44% more appealing in the future.

Zodiac signs

Virgo:Time to shine! You will feel a need for atten-tion and love. When it gets too overwhelming, find a journalist and beg them to have you in a video. It is likely that they will accept. If some-one asks you for a cucumber during General Assembly, be prepared and give them one. This will make the other person so glad that they will share with you the true meaning of life.

Libra:Your secret admirer will wake you up on Sunday morning reciting self-made poetry. How can someone be so fond of the shape of your ears? Still, try to be flattered rather than freaked out. To increase your intelligence for General Assembly, let a Swedish person braid your hair.

By: Madli Kullaste

Scorpio:On Sunday morning, you will lose your fa-vourite pair of underwear. Do not give up – it is possible to find them if you can solve the Mystery of the Goat and the Olive. Good luck with that! If someone starts cracking ‘Yo Mama’ jokes at lunch, challenge them. It will give you the confidence you need to become the President of Finland one day.

Sagittarius:You got the moves like Jagger! To let every-one know, find a random person and propose a dance-off in front of a large crowd. Wiggle it like there is no tomorrow, the Greek gods are on your side. During General Assembly you might suffer from a severe blush attack. To stop feel-ing embarrased, think about gardening tools.

Exploring

By: Henriikka Hannula

Savonlinna, also known as SLN, is a city that is hard to define. It has it’s own magic. Laura, a delegate from CULT, described the city as “differ-ent from any other.” Outi (AFET I) mentions the exceptional beauty of the city. According to both girls, this atmosphere of unique beauty is mostly created by Olavinlinna-castle and the surround-ing lakes. Essi (DROI), born and raised in Savonlin-na, described the city with one word: “home”. She doesn’t consider it as very exceptional or exciting.

“Google maps” describes Savonlinna as an ex-pensive place, where it is hard to find a park-ing spot. According to Laura (EMPL) and Jenni (AFET II) Savonlinna is also “hard to find.” They soften their statement by adding that the city is still nice. One member of the press team de-scribes Savonlinna from an international point of view. In her mind – apart from Olavinlinna-castle and lakes, which no doubt are beauti-ful – Savonlinna is like any other ordinary city.

Savonlinna could also be called a culturally aware city. Saku from DROI emphasizes that feature, and even remembers to mention that Finland’s oldest arts high school is situated here. He is also the only one from the inter-viewed delegates, who actually mentions the world-famous annual Opera Festival. Maybe

most EYPers just aren’t that into opera. World-class performers and a magical setting in the medieval Olavinlinna-castle are unique experi-ences, at least according to the tourist guide. At least for those who can afford it. Maybe Savon-linna essentially belongs to wealthy snobs…

The name Savonlinna in itself contains a contra-diction. In every traditional Finnish film, people from the Savonia region are always presented as a bit simple, although friendly yokels. Still the second part of the city’s name (linna=castle), refers to something more sophisticated, even royal. Maybe these etymological roots can pro-vide us with some clues of the essence of the city. It seems, that the essence of SLN is well hid-den. Not all people are aware of the magical atmosphere, let alone being capable of de-fining it. Savonlinna will remain a mystery.

the essence of SLN

The city

Work it

Fancy Pants!

The dress code at an EYP ses-sion is something that makes us panic and feel like we have nothing to wear. Then again, having the chance to look like a real diplo-mat straight from Brussels is actually quite tempting. But can you be overdressed at a session? Can you wear clothes that make you feel embarrassed? Even though the organis-ers send you information in advance about how to dress, sometimes it’s still hard to fig-ure out what a proper outfit would look like.

The session always starts in the best possible outfit. Opening ceremony is a formal occasion, where we are expected to look like handsome businessmen and sophisticated ladies. Some of us may feel a bit uncomfortable in such a situ-ation, but luckily EYP is much more than that!

Teambuilding is the time for games and getting to know each other. There we can wear “normal clothes” whether it’s joggings and sneakers or jeans and a blouse. Sometimes the games that are played are quite active and may require go-ing outdoors. That’s why the highest heels and the shortest skirts may not be the best choice…

After having fun it’s time to get slightly more serious. Committee work is the time to dress in slightly better clothing, since that is where you’re working on making the best possible resolution. Remember that you have to make a good impression. You can’t wear whatever you want. Leotards and too relaxed clothing aren’t appropriate. You can try to think about what kind of clothes you would wear to school or when you go out to the city. There’s also a dif-ference between jeans that are too big and full

of holes as opposed to basic navy or black jeans. After all the hard work it’s time for the epic Farewell Party. Sometimes there’s a theme for the party, such as Posh here at the Savon-linna regional. Basically the theme can be anything or there may not be a theme at all. Nonetheless the right clothing will defi-nitely help you get your party mode on!

The last day is fully dedicated to the General Assembly a.k.a GA. There you can finally re-lease your inner debater or speech-giver. GA is a formal occasion and usually you can wear the same clothes as at the Opening Ceremony. If you find wearing a tie or a dress uncomfort-able you don’t necessarily have to force your-self into one or the other. There are many ways to dress formally. If your outfit clearly differs from your everyday look in a good way, then you have understood the idea of GA clothing.

The most important advice for you delegates is to use your brains when choosing outfits. Think about when and where the session will be held. If it’s the middle of the winter you have to dress warmly enough. If it’s +30 de-grees, choose clothing that is frothy and light. For example as a guy you don’t always have to wear a suit. No matter how good you look, if you are suffocating in what you are wearing you won’t be able to enjoy the session. Clothes and how you dress aren’t the most important things at EYP sessions. However you can have a lot of fun choosing clothes and later on it’s nice to reminisce while looking at pictures of you and your friends dressed up nicely!

By: Riikka Nieminen

Unity in Diversity

Delegate factoids

As you might have noticed, this school some-times feels like a labyrinth. Finding your way through the complex halls of the building proves to be as difficult as orientating in the convoluted world of EYP. Sometimes you get lost, but eventually you will find your way. And we believe that the delegates will successfully manage both.

We believe they will be able to solve the com-plicated puzzle and tackle the labyrinth. And even though the delegates all share simi-lar interests that unite them, they are all unique and different. We interviewed some of them and thus got to know their specialties.

EYP is an international organization open to people from varying origins. This was proven to us by several people. Some of our delegates have German, Russian, Ukrain-ian or even Chinese roots. Their inter-est in different cultures can be seen in the amount of languages they can communicate in – some of them even claimed to speak six languages including for example Japanese.

We met dif-ferent types of delegates with di-verse in-terests and skills. Some of them are sport-oriented - we have an e n e r g e t i c dancer as well as a girl who likes boxing. We also found

a fearless guy whose passion is to jump from roof to roof. Those who are not that into sports do a variety of other things – some fancy cooking, painting or playing a musical instrument such as the vi-olin or drums. One has appeared in a TV show while another delegate claims to never have seen a Disney movie.

Some of the delegates shared with us very interesting things about their lives. One del-egate told us he had brought a real proper bed to the session with him while another girl ex-pressed her sympathy towards the Greek god of death, Hades. A few delegates confessed their hopes and fears – being afraid of mush-rooms, making stupid noises while not realiz-ing it, or having such a difficult name that your foreign girlfriend is not able to pronounce it.

As you can see, we have a very versatile group of delegates here. Let’s just hope that the discussions will reflect their interesting per-sonalities, small pieces of which we had the chance to discover. And we believe that the labyrinth of EYP will be no obstacle to them.

By: Kate Zejdlova and Lana Blagojevic

Waltter’s corner

Dear delegates, got any questions? Any puzzles conserning your everyday life? Or just about life in general? No matter what it is, Waltter, Lungs’ self-claimed columnist will answers all your questions.

Waltter, I’ve always wondered why there are more chickens than roosters?-Elisa

This is all beans and bacon Elisa. Isn’t there an old saying stating that there’s only a spot for one rooster in a chicken fence. Two machos just can’t cope with each other.

Help me! I’m in a desperate situation. My friend just told me that he always lies, so was he lying when he told me that?-Jussi

Dear Jussi I’m sorry to tell you this, but you’ve been entangled in a paradox, from which the way to salvation is quite a challenge. Just try keeping in mind that actions speak louder than words.

I’m confused, we just arrived here and we haven’t had the possibility to pay our participation fee yet. Where should we do this and when?-Laura

The organisers would be happy to receive your donation for the greater good anytime. So the next time you see one, grab them by the sleeve and hand in the green. No cards accepted!

Mandarin, clementine, tangerine and satsuma; are they all the same fruit? Is there a conspiracy behind all this?-Kati

Yes Kati I’m afraid you’re on the right track. I’ve been suspecting this for ages and after months of research and taste testing I’ve reached the conclusion that fruit sellers made up three additional fruit types just to trick the markets.

I’ve been thinking, who is the best organiser and what are the requirements to fulfill the role?-Orgalicious

Well that is not something easily decided. It’s like making a difference between a crisp and a chip. Every organiser works hard for the session to succeed so there’s no reason for grading. When it comes to being a good organiser, well, it requires a huge amount of dedication and nerves of steel.

Solving your problems

Committees

AFET II“My little pancakes that even Putin must love”

DROI“Epic game playing committee”

EMPL“Enchanted Multicultural Personalities Levitating”

CULT“I wanna be the very best like no one ever was! Dun Dun Dun”

Committees

EMPL“Enchanted Multicultural Personalities Levitating”

AFET I“Absolutely amazing fun fun fun team”

ECON“Down to business”

ITRE“Ninjas fighting against fossil fuels”

LIBE“LIEBE”

FEMM“Small ‘n’ Spicy”

By: Henriikka Hannula

Mr President

Supportive. That’s the first word Johan Wallin chooses to describe a good session-president. After the opening ceremony no one can doubt the fact that he himself is a president who can be counted on, both for officials as well as for the delegates. Because this is his first time pre-siding, he confesses to being a bit excited. His excitement can be seen as a source of posi-tive energy and a sign that Johan is ready to face all the new challenges this session brings.

Presiding a session, especially his first, could be considered the culmination of Johan’s EYP-journey. The first steps of this journey were taken at the Swedish nationals, in November 2008 in Malmö. Johan clearly remembers how he made a point during GA and how wonderful it felt. After that he has taken up many differ-ent roles in a variety of sessions. He knows how heavy the burden of a deputy head-orga can be, especially when you are supposed to feed a con-siderable amount of delegates and officials with microwave food and suddenly the microwave is broken. Obviously this slightly embarrassing experience hasn’t brought Johan down, as he still continues leading an active EYP-life. Maybe the positive experiences are strong enough to balance out the negative ones. As his best EYP memory Johan recalls how he, as a video edi-tor in Leipzig, invented a special session dance, which became a hit engaging all the delegates.

But why does Johan still continue his EYP jour-ney, what is his ultimate motivation? He doesn’t need a long time to answer – it is all about the people, meeting old friends and making new ones. Johan also lists personal development as

one of the best things EYP has given to him. Facing and overcoming challenges, and experienc-ing things you couldn’t experience anywhere else. The personal gains of EYP are a given, but does our president believe that EYP as an organisa-tion could also have some importance in a global context? Is it possible to make a change in the world? Johan is a realist, he doesn’t believe in sudden change. But little by little, involving more and more young people in politics, change is possible. At the end of the interview Johan reveals his idealistic side. He is, after all, a bit of a dreamer. His greatest dream is to create revo-lutionary medicine against cancer for example.

The President doesn’t only create the spirit of a session, he is the spirit. If the president is a huge fan of Scrubs, as he confesses to be, will that somehow be reflected in the ses-sion? That would be a relevant assumption, keeping in mind that he has seen all the sea-sons at least three times. Still, maybe not.

But what is the spirit of Johan Wallin? We will find out during this weekend, he promises.

Presidential spirit -

Johan Wallin

Insom-nom-nom-nia

By: Madli Kullaste

Sleep and eat

Sleep during an EYP session is like a unicorn. Its shiny wonderfulness is talked about end-lessly, but remains out of reach. Some of the delegates are used to little sleep in “real life” as well. Yim from ECON is well acquainted with the sleepless way of life due to study-ing. The baby blue bags under our eyes tell a story of nights filled with something more important than satisfying our need for rest.

When asking an EYPer about whether be-ing awake for long periods of time is a prob-lem or not, you usually get creepy laughter or some unsettling facial twitching in response. Deal-ing with the side effects of sleep deprivation can be a bit of a challenge. To avoid being incomprehendible or just plain grumpy, here are some expert tips for those who are less experienced with insom-nom-nomnia.

Coffee, your best friend, might turn out to be a bit of a frenemy. Caffeine seems to give you superpowers but in actuality uses up your own back-up energy sup-plies. The sneaky bastard can keep you frisky for hours and then leave you dry when you most need to concentrate. To keep from fainting suddenly, limit your coffee consumption to 3-4 cups a day and try drinking something else to avoid dehydration. A good way to stay awake is to always move your mouth. As talking nonstop is sometimes unacceptable, a brilliant alternative is to never stop eating. Midnight munchies are complete-

ly justified and keep you reasonably happy. Cal-ories make you pretty, and constant chewing keeps your eyes open. You can also try to beat-box when someone else is speaking to provide them with thought-boosting rhythm. This piece of advice will probably make you popu-lar too; you will make everyone sound cooler.

A method you might not have thought of, is being as active as possible during General As-sembly. Try and get passionate about every single topic. Imagine yourself as an illegal im-migrant, a person suffering from discrimina-

tion, or a Greek. Make a point whenever you can. Take lots of notes or at least draw a picture of the per-son currently making a point or speech. All of this makes it im-possible to doze off, but also makes your chairperson fall in love with you even more.

Last, but definitely not least, the sneaki-est thing to do is to pretend you are com-pletely alert. Just

tell your committee you entered another dimension – a peaceful one – which actu-ally allowed you to sleep 8 hours last night. Tell them about your splendid dreams about Justin Bieber; use explicit details while you are at it. Annoy them by emphasising how well rested you are, and act the part. If you are convincing enough, even your own body will eventually believe you. Rock on!

EYP vs. Facebook

By: Kate Zejdlova

Lost in Facebook

Have you ever thought about the role of things that influence our lives without us realizing it? They are usually hidden un-der different abbreviations: ‘EYP’ being a perfect example. However the contraction I’m going to talk about is an entirely dif-ferent one albeit related to EYP (although it might not seem so in the first place). FB – Facebook. This might seem like a cli-ché, but this social network has actually had a significant impact on our generation. In fact it influences our way of thinking even when we’re not logged onto that evil blue webpage. You unconsciously transfer the way of “Facebook” thinking into your every-day life. Some delegates’ expectations of the session were to make new friends on Face-book. However there is one crucial difference – the delegates have actually made the effort to come here and meet these people in per-son rather than just sending them a friend request while sitting in front of the screen.

Facebook plays an important role in the life of an EYPer. When the session is over and everyone sets off towards their homes, you may experience a post-session phase known as the P.E.D. syndrome (more on that later though), which could also be called ‘the fa-cebook phase’. The session is gone by so fast that you don’t even realize it and it is defi-nitely not possible to pay attention to eve-rything. Yet you still have the feeling that

you just want to go back and live through it all again. That is why when everyone gets home and successfully overcomes the tiredness, they take a seat in front of their computers, start confirming tons of friend requests, chat with all the amazing people they’ve met during the previous days or skim through the hilarious pictures captur-ing the unique moments experienced with those people. This way, the session virtu-ally continues for another week or two. ‘The facebook phase’ is therefore a natural consequence of every great EYP session.

So don’t blame yourselves when you find yourself immersed in ‘the world under the blue bar’ after the session and you’re not able to think about anything else except EYP. Just make yourself a cup of coffee in order to stay awake and post a status about the amazing session in Savonlinna. Like.

Those round things

Circle

By: Lana Blagojevic

“Let’s form a circle.” Virtually every EYP game is played within a circle: from the very first ones in order to learn each other’s names to the crazy –funky- dancing- singing games purely for the purpose of entertainment.

EYPers confronted with “the circle” for the first time, feel like they have entered a ring of fire. Speaking in public in front of new people causes an unpleasant warmth to creep up on their cheeks making it hard to even pronounce their own names. However, as time pass-es inside the circle the “ring of fire” gradually becomes the “ring of friendship”. This process can be divided into so-called circle-phases.

1. The shy-awkward circle- “Hello ... My name is uh...” During the first game of teambuilding, everyone feels slightly uncomfortable in un-known company. Awkward silence and a feeling of claustrophobia are often hard to avoid.

2. The “Hey you” circle. After a couple of name games, most of the delegates have managed to learn each other’s names. Or not. You may still find yourself in the “Hey you” phase. As long as play-ers are able to “break the ice” and start communicating, what previously seemed inappropriate is now no longer awkward.

3. The “I am special” circle- In this phase, EYPers already feel more comfortable in their own skin, and with each other, so they are not afraid of discovering themselves through more per-sonal games. Some of them feel so relaxed that they even con-fess their biggest fears – such as the fear of mushrooms.

4. The cooperation circle- After sharing more intimate de-tails, people are ready to talk and discuss on more complex is-sues in the aim of finding a common solution. For example: “We shouldn’t burn trees, in order to have a greener future.”

5. The trust circle- Discussing and exchanging opinions can help the delegates develop trust. At the very best, this can lead to a strong bond and an incredible feeling of trust that keeps you safely nestled in comfort throughout the session.

GA. Suddenly you feel the pressure build in your chest. You try to inhale, trying to get that feeling of completeness again, but the air isn’t responding to the plead of your lungs. They aren’t filling up. You start gulping, desperate to get some air into them, but to no avail, each gasp is more rapid than the last, panic ensues. The sound of your accelerating wheezing is the only thing you can hear, it fills your mind and clouds your senses. Your lungs cry out in ag-ony as they are deprived from their only love.

Well little Heartbeats, I might have over-exagger-ated a bit, but you get the gist. GA can be stressful.It’s natural to feel anxious or under pressure, but it’s not as big and scary as it initially seems.The only way to get over your fear is to be men-tally prepared. Different ways of doing this are: reading through the other resolutions and think-ing about points in advance, rehearsing your speech by presenting it to a fellow delegate or if you’re Forever Alone, to a mirror. And most importantly a bit of sleep never hurt anyone.

When the event starts the main activities you will witness are the defense speech, sum-up speech, attack speech, and answering and making points

Hyperventilate

of debate. Here are a few tips to help you with GA:The speeches are a chance to shine and show off your originality. Grab the audience’s atten-tion right from the start. I personally love start-ing off with a terrible pun or joke that relates to the topic at hand, or just quoting something, for example “Material Girl” by Madonna, in your speech (of course it has to make sense in context). Just providing facts in an official manner is fine too, but if you want to be the focus of attention of the more sleep deprived, and those of us with the attention span of a caffeine induced chipmunk, remember to put some feeling into it. Get pas-sionate! Get angry! Get offended! Nothing wins over a crowd better than some good old drama.

And when it comes to points of debate, just re-member the three C’s: Concise, Comprehensible and Constructive. If you can keep the “CCC” in your brain, you’ll do great. You can make points interesting by using the same principals as with speeches. People love emotion, so don’t be afraid to shed a tear over a topic that’s close to your heart or happily congratulate a committee on how much you adore their resolution, just remember: CCC!

Now a lot of us get nervous when speaking in

Short of breath

front of people, which can lead to some unwanted symp-toms such as shaking and trembling. When delivering a speech, don’t be afraid to grab hold of the podium. This will stop your hands from shaking and can look quite dramatic and passionate. When your voice starts trembling there’s not that much you can do about it, just remember to avoid frantically speeding up. If you notice that you are talking too fast, take a deep breath and continue in a slower pace. If you’ve written your speech on paper just remem-ber to keep as much eye contact as possible with the audience. People with long hair might actually want to tie it into a pretty bun or ponytail since whipping your hair back and forth while passionately defend-ing or attacking something can be quite distracting.

For some of us speaking in front of a big crowd can be quite frightening. To others, it can be mortally terrifying, but facing our fears is one of the greatest things we can do in our life, so I encourage every one of you to give it a go. In-stead of hyperventilating as the title suggests, just inhale, exhale, go to your happy place and dive in. Good luck little Heartbeats. I have faith in you all. And if you start stressing;

Just remember to breath.

By: Christopher Proctor

No air

SPECIAL

THANKS