Oral Comm - Spring 2024 Gia leonardis

About Me-

Hi! my name is Gia Leonardis. I am a Freshman at Seton Hall. I am majoring in Business Marketing. I like to go shopping, workout, and spend time with my family and friends! Some of my favorite stores are Sephora, Garage, and Ulta! My favorite TV show is The Sopranos. I am excited to continue my learning journey at Seton Hall!

Benefits of Exercising Speech:

Raise your hand if you work out at least three times a week? Ok great! Today I will talk about the positive effects of exercising. A term that is often overlooked but holds strong power in providing people with a healthy lifestyle. I am going to dive into what exactly exercising is, how exercising affects mental health and my personal experiences.

Exercise is physical activity that is intentional which helps to transform an Indvidual's’ body and health. Some common exercises that might sound familiar are Pilates, strength training, and cycling. According to National Library of Medicine, “Exercise is a subset of physical activity that is planned, structured, and repetitive and has as a final or an intermediate objective the improvement or maintenance of physical fitness.”

Now, let's talk about how exercise has a beneficial impact on our mental health. When we exercise, our brains release chemicals that make you “feel good”. These chemicals are known as endorphins and serotonin. These chemicals help to relieve pain, reduce stress, and improve your well-being.

It has been scientifically proven that exercising has reduced the number of poor mental health days among individuals. The Lancet Psychiatry examined their survey results from 2011, 2013, and 2015. Millions of adults participated in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey. The researchers found that, “on average a person has 3.4 mental health days per month. But among those who exercise, the number of poor mental health days dropped by more than 40 percent”. This research is significant because it points to the fact that our brains respond and work better when we exercise.

In another study, researchers found those who exercise daily were 25 percent less likely to develop depression or an anxiety disorder over the next five years. Exercise has many health benefits in reducing stress, boosting memory, and reducing mental issues.

As someone who has struggled with anxiety, I have realized that exercise has been a huge factor that changed my life. It is a “safe space” for me as I can focus on myself for at least an hour. I have noticed that my mood has changed drastically once I have completed my work out for the day. I feel calmer and more relaxed. I put my headphones on, listen to music, and just focus on working out. Nothing else. I also have noticed that if I do not work out, I do not feel as good as I would if I worked out. I can safely say that working out has greatly impacted my mental health for the better.

To conclude, it is important to understand the power of exercising. It is a powerful tool in not only transforming our bodies but transforming our mental health. The effects of exercise are endless and should be taken advantage of to fulfill a lifelong lifestyle. Next time you're feeling down, grab your favorite sneakers and headphones, and get to it! Thank you!

Podcast Script: Nutella Oreo Brownies

Hey, everybody, it is Gia coming to you from GML Kitchen. On this week's episode of Baked to Perfection, I am going to guide you on how to create Nutella Oreo Brownies. You heard that right, Nutella Oreo! I have been baking these brownies for the past few years and have gotten nothing but great reviews. Let us dive in!

Ok so the first thing you are going to do is a do a quick food store run! The ingredients you will need are brownie mix, eggs, vegetable oil, water, Nutella, and Oreos. Keep in mind you may already have these items in your house so make sure you check before you head out!

For this recipe, you can use any kind of brownie mix. However, I strongly recommend using my favorite, Ghirardelli: Ultimate Chocolate! There is something about this mix that I love. Oh, I know, it is the chocolate syrup that you get to add inside the brownie mix to make it even more delicious!

Okay, so once you have all your ingredients gathered, you are going to preheat your oven. Please check the back of your brownie mix as it will advise you on what to put the temperature to in your oven. For this episode, we are going to make the recipe using the Ghirardelli box. So, I will preheat my oven to 350 degrees. Next, grab a bowl and put your brownie mix inside. Then you will be advised to add your vegetable oil, water, and eggs. Go grab those measuring cups! For those using Ghirardelli, we will be adding 1/4 cup of water, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil, 1 egg, and the package of chocolate syrup included in the box. Once all those ingredients are added, stir them together until everything is mixed.

Next, grab your baking pan! For this part, you have two options. You can spray Pam cooking spray and use a paper towel to spread it out or you can cut a stick of butter and use a paper towel to spread it out and cover the pan. Either option is fine! I personally enjoy using the Pam as it is the quicker option.

Once your baking pan is coded, you will add a thin layer of the brownie mixture. You want to make sure the entire pan is covered. Next, you will add your Nutella. Now, there are many ways you can do this. However, I like to make sure every bite has Nutella! To do this, grab a spoon and scoop up Nutella then use another spoon to help it drop it onto the mix. Continue doing this until each section has a drop. Keep in mind, this does not have to be perfect! This is where you get to become creative! Have fun with it!

After all the Nutella has been added, you can use a toothpick to spread it out if you would like. I typically do this, then it is swirled across the batter.

Next, add the remaining brownie batter on top! Please note, that it is okay if the Nutella seeps into the top layer of the brownie batter. Do not worry! Lastly, you are going to put Oreos into a Ziploc bag. Then you can use a rolling pin or any other utensil to crush the Oreos. Be sure not to crush too hard as the bag will start to break. The number of Oreos is up to you! Typically, I like to crush six. Once the Oreos are crushed, you can sprinkle them on top of the brownie mix. Once the Oreos are on top, you can place your brownies into the oven! Let the anticipation begin! Do not forget to start your timer and read the back of the box for the baking time. Every oven is different. My recipe takes 40 minutes, however, mine are ready in 28! This is why it is important to recognize the idea that every oven is different, and you might want to start a timer for less time and keep on checking.

A common question that is asked is, “How do I know if my brownies are cooked?”. Do not panic, I have you covered! You are going to grab a toothpick and press it into the batter and if nothing comes out on the toothpick, this indicates that the brownies are done! If they are not done, you will see batter on the toothpick!

Once your timer is up and the toothpick is clear, let the brownies cool completely before serving. Indulge in these delicious, chocolatey filled, gooey brownies! Now what do you say? Dig into this delicious recipe for chocolatey goodness! Be sure to tag me @GML.BakedToPerfection on Instagram and Facebook as I cannot wait to see your creations! Remember to use the hashtag #GMLbakedEp! Thank you for tuning in today and I can not wait for our next baking adventure!

Podcast Link (COPY AND PASTE INTO BROWSER)

https://studentshu-my.sharepoint.com/personal/leonargi_shu_edu/_layouts/15/stream.aspx?id=%2Fpersonal%2Fleonargi%5Fshu%5Fedu%2FDocuments%2FAttachments%2FNutella%20Oreo%20Brownies%20%2Emp4&ct=1714489985745&or=OWA%2DNT%2DMail&cid=a070278e%2De9a1%2D847b%2D53cd%2D37b0d3c7cacb&ga=1&referrer=StreamWebApp%2EWeb&referrerScenario=AddressBarCopied%2Eview%2Efba5a4e0%2Ddfdc%2D4028%2Dbd7a%2Da2340b7c8dd5

Ben & Jerry's Group Project (Slideshow & Script)

Oral Communication Script (12-20 minutes)

Click: Slide 1

Gia: Who here has had Ben and Jerrys? Who here knows the origin of Ben and Jerrys?

Click: Slide 2

Gia: Ben and Jerry’s are an American company that manufactures ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sorbet. In 1978, Ben and Jerry’s were founded by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. The two met at a Long Island middle school and bonded over their hate for gym class, then went on to go to high school together. Although they hated running, they shared a common love for food. This enticed them to go into business together! They originally planned to create a bagel company, but they found the equipment to be too expensive, turning them to the cheaper production of ice cream that we all know and love today.

Gia: According to Unilever, “With diplomas from a $5 correspondence course & their life savings ($8,000), they converted an old abandoned gas station in Burlington, Vermont, into the original Ben & Jerry's & started making Vermont’s Finest ice cream.”

Click: Slide 3 before speaking

Mariam: The first flavor Ben & Jerry whipped up was vanilla, one of the original four they sold at their ice cream shop along with chocolate, strawberry, and coffee. They soon started getting creative with flavors like Oreo Mint and Heath Bar Crunch. Thanks to Ben's anosmia—a condition that dulls the sense of smell—they really focused on making their ice cream super chunky and texturally interesting, rather than just focusing on the taste or smell. That's how we got the awesome, chunky scoops we love today!

Click: Slide 4 before speaking

Cassidy: To create their ice-cream, Ben and Jerry use a 13-step process!

Click: Slide 5 before speaking

Cassidy Step 1: It all starts with thousands of cows! At the Co-op , the milk is separated into heavy cream and condensed skim milk, then shipped by a tanker truck to St. Albans and Waterbury Vermont factories.

Click: Slide 6 before speaking

Cassidy Step 2: Once the trucks arrive at the factory, the milk and cream are pumped into four 6,000-gallon storage silos. They are kept cool at 36 degrees until they are ready to be converted into Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream.

Click: Slide 7 before speaking

Cassidy (Step 3): Next, A “Mix Master” performs mix-making procedures at the Blend Tank. The Blend Tank is a 1000-gallon stainless steel mega-blender. A batch of ice cream is then created! The batch starts with heavy cream, condensed skim milk, and liquid cane sugar. The Mix Master also adds egg yolks, cocoa powder, and natural stabilizers which help prevent heat shock and formation of ice crystals. Next, the ingredients are blenderized for 6 to 8 minutes resulting in either a white sweet cream mix or chocolate mix. Lastly, the completed batch is transferred through one of two strainers into the Surge Tank. The Surge Tank is where the mix is stored until it is ready to begin the pasteurization process.

Click slide 8 before speaking

Mariam: (Step 4): During this step, the ice-cream is pasteurized and homogenized. Pasteurization is the process of heating the mix to kill harmful bacterial. During this process, the heat from the hot water is transferred to the mix, heating it to 180 degrees. Before the mix cools down, it then enters the Homogenizer. The mix is forced under high pressure through a small opening so that the fat particles from the cream are finely divided so that they do not separate from the rest of the mix. The cooled mix is then pumped over to the Tank Room, where it is held for 4 to 8 hours.

Click slide 9 before speaking

Mariam Step 5: Once the mix has “simmered”, it is pumped from the Tank Room to the Flavor Vats. Flavor Vats are a series of stainless-steel vats that each hold 500 gallons of mix. Here, the mix is transformed to flavorless to flavorful.

Click slide 10 before speaking

Mariam Step 6: After the flavoring is added, the mix is pumped to the Freezer. The mix is pumped through a long, freezing cold cylinder known as the barrel. As the mix freezers to the wall of the barrel, it is scraped away by revolving blades. When it gets to the front of the barrel, the mix has now transformed into ice-cream!

Click slide 11 before speaking

Cassidy Step 7: After freezing the mix, Ben & Jerry’s has a choice if they are going to make “chunkless flavors”, like chocolate or vanilla. If this is the case, the ice cream is pumped directly to the pint-filling machinery. However, if they are making chunky flavors, the ice-cream, goes through the “Chunk Feeder.” Here, the Chunk Feeder feeds chunks into the ice cream steam.

Click slide 12 before speaking

Cassidy At Step 8, thick, rich swirls are added to the pint of ice-cream. To make this happen, there is a Variegate- Guidance system. Variegates pass through the Contherm, which lowers their temperature just enough to prevent them from pooling. The properly cooled variegates pass through the Variegator, which injects them into the ice-cream stream.

Click slide 13 before speaking

Cassidy Step 9: After the chunks and swirls are added, the ice-cream is ready for dispensing into pint containers. This is done with the “Automatic Filler”. The Automatic Filler fills about 120 pints per minute and performs pre-filling tasks. After the cups are filled, the filler facilitates them towards the lidder which positions and pushes pint lids onto the cups. Lastly, a pint-cup lifter frees the pints from the lidder, where a lever waits to push them out and away on a conveyor belt.

Click slide 14 before speaking

Gia: Step 10: At this point, before the packaged ice-cream can be stored or shipped, it needs to be frozen further. This process is known as “hardening” and takes place in the “Spiral Hardener” .

Click slide 15 before speaking

Gia: Step 11: Once the pints are frozen solid, they are wrapped up for shipment. This takes place at The Bundler. The Blunder is a heat-tunnel which shrink wraps plastic around the bundle of 8 pints. The bundled 8-pack is called a “sleeve” and each sleeve equals a gallon of ice-cream. Freezer workers then stack the sleeves on shipping pallets which are then stored in a 20-below zero warehouse before shipment.

Click slide 16 before speaking

Gia: Step 12: At this step, The Quality Assurance Lab is ensuring that every flavor is meeting the standards of product excellence.

Click slide 17 before speaking

Gia: Step 13: And finally, Ben and Jerrys products are distributed nationwide and around the globe in supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, restaurants, and many other ice-cream friendly venues!

Click slide 18 before speaking

Mariam: Now, you are probably wondering, how does Ben and Jerry's come up with their flavors? Well, Their Flavor Gurus oversees this process! According to their website, “The Flavor Gurus may start with an idea for a flavor profile — like making an ice cream version of one of their favorite desserts (think: Strawberry Cheesecake and Cannoli) — and work backwards to ice cream-ify it.” They might even start with an ice-cream base flavor like chocolate and then add in extraordinary chunks and swirls to create a new, mouthwatering flavor!

Cassidy: Ben & Jerry's now offers more than 50 different ice cream flavors, packing an impressive variety to choose from. You've got everything from their Topped line, which adds a yummy layer on top, to gluten-free and dairy-free options for those with dietary needs. They've also got the Cores line, featuring a delicious core center, and even doggie desserts so your furry friends can indulge too!

Click slide 19 before speaking

Mariam: On top of the already impressive number of flavors available today, there are flavors that have been discontinued. Nestled in the picturesque surroundings of Waterbury, Vermont, the Ben & Jerry's Factory offers a quirky and delightful attraction: the Flavor Graveyard. This playful cemetery is a homage to discontinued ice cream flavors that once filled the bowls and hearts of fans. Each "deceased" flavor has its own headstone with a witty epitaph that recounts its days of glory. Notable mentions in this frosty necropolis include "Turtle Soup," a sweet concoction that didn't stick around long, "Fossil Fuel," which has since become extinct, and "Tennessee Mud," which eventually got stuck in the mud. The Flavor Graveyard is a must-see for visitors, offering a chuckle as they pay their respects to these beloved but bygone treats.

Click slide 20 before speaking

Gia: Ben & Jerry's has a long-standing tradition of creating ice cream flavors that support social and environmental causes. Notable among these is "Yes Pecan!" from 2009, which supported the Common Cause Education Fund to encourage U.S. citizens' participation in politics, and the 2015 "Save Our Swirled" flavor aimed at raising awareness for climate change action during the Paris Agreement talks. More recently, in partnership with racial equality activist Colin Kaepernick, they launched "Change the Whirled," a vegan flavor that underscores the company's commitment to social activism.

Mariam: In 2021, "Change Is Brewing" was released to support police reform legislation, featuring ingredients from Black-owned businesses. The latest in their innovative lineup is "Chocolatey Love A-fair," introduced in 2023 with Tony’s Chocolonely. This flavor not only delights the palate but also supports the mission to end modern slavery in cocoa farming, highlighting Ben & Jerry's ongoing dedication to leveraging their brand for meaningful change.

Click slide 21 before speaking

Cassidy: Ben & Jerry's stands out from other companies not only for its delicious and innovative ice cream flavors but also, as we have mentioned, for its strong commitment to social justice and sustainability, integrating activism into its business model and product campaigns. They are committed to "first-chance hiring" with their Unlock Potential program, aimed at creating real career opportunities for marginalized youth facing systemic barriers. This initiative not only offers jobs but also supports skill development and economic mobility, particularly for Black and Brown communities, helping to disrupt the cycle of incarceration and poverty. Ben and Jerry’s have also collaborated with Greyston Bakery, a New York-based bakery that champions inclusive employment opportunities, since 1987.

Mariam Importantly, Ben & Jerry's is certified as a B Corporation, a recognition awarded to companies meeting rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. This certification underscores their commitment to not just being the best in the world, but the best for the world.

Cassidy: Furthermore, Ben & Jerry's is a pioneer in using fair trade-certified ingredients, ensuring that farmers and workers involved in producing ingredients like vanilla, cocoa, and coffee are compensated. This ethical sourcing reflects their broader philosophy of caring for people and the planet, making them a leader in corporate social responsibility.

Click slide 22 before speaking

Gia: Today, Ben and Jerry’s is worth over 1 billion dollars. With unit sales of approximately 176 million, Ben & Jerry’s was the leading brand of ice cream in the United States in 2023. The ice-cream now sells for $6.99 per every 16 0z carton. 16 oz is the standard sizing you see in stores. Some flavors to look forward to this year are Chocolate and Peanut Butter and Peanut Butter S’more!

Click: Slide 23 before speaking

Gia: So, what flavor does your city love the most? (show chart on slide) Ben and Jerrys offers millions of flavors and different types of ice cream! So what do you say? Indulge in this delicious, creamy Ice-cream and enjoy!

Click Thank You slide before speaking (slide 24)

Gia: Thank you!