Echoes August 2016 by Echoes

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14 22 26 36 46 Ecosoc News

News by the Numbers by Anton Castillo

2016 Olympics Roundup by Katie Abrenica

Press Shift by Anna Pagdanganan

The Permanent New Kid by Carlo Cabato

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Cover Story: On The Rise by Erin Cheng & Nikki Liu

7 Realizations from a Long Term Relationship by Nika Espiritu

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Maginhawa Must-Tries by Maxine Capili

Tweetable Tweets by Pita Ochave

Shit Ken Says by Dominic Carreon

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ECHOE S 58B PUBLICAT ION S e l e n a Ya o Ke l s e y M a r i a n o Dominic Carreon Bianca Ranola Katrielle Abrenica Patricia Isabelle Perez Maxine Capili Maya Paraguya Roland Oliquino L AYO U T E DITO R A l f o n s o P a n i s EDITOR IAL S TAFF G u s t a v o V i t r i o l o Maria Pilar Ochave Antonio Castillo Anna Pagdanganan Vilmar Gayutin III Faulene Manzanilla Paul Rondario

EDITOR -IN -CHIE F ASSOCIAT E E DITO R MA NAG IN G E DITO R CREAT IV E DIR E CTO R FE ATUR E S E DITO R CULT U R E E DITO R NEW S E DITO R PHOTO E DITO R S Echoes is the official publication of the UP Economics Society (UP Ecosoc), a nonstock, non-profit, student organization based in the University of the Philippines Diliman School of Economics. Echoes is released four times a semester and eight times in a year on the months of February, March, April, May, August, September, October, and November. It draws its funding from a subsidy from UP Ecosoc, subscription revenue, and small fundraisers. For this semester, 30 subscription copies, one tambayan copy, one archive copy, and a complimentary copy for our featured member are produced. This publication is printed by Yza Copy Systems and Trading, located at Stall 22 at the Shopping Center, UP Diliman, Quezon City. contact us

upecosoc@gmail.com ecosoc.echoes@gmail.com for more information, visit:

upecosoc.org echoes.ph issuu.com/echoes

All errors are corrected when uploaded on issuu.com/echoes. If you spot an error, please email us.

NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT PERMISSION.

WE B E DITO R C a r l o C a b a t o EDITOR IAL S TAFF R a m o n T i m o t h y B a n t a

TV EXECUT IV E P R O DU CE R K e n R e c a s a t a P R O DU CE R P a o l o Te j a n o DIR E CTO R A l i B a l i n d o n g I I I

E VE NT S DIR E CTO R S A l v a r S a n t o s Miguel Juico K i m b e r l y Te n o r i o Maxinne Mendiola

CONT RIBUTORS Justin Villas Sheena Dy Miggy Villamor Enrique Bautista Benju Evardone LA Manlangit Elle Amaya David Balmes Erin Cheng

Nikki Liu Nika Espiritu Isabelle Cruz Gabe Japlos Renzo Aguillo Alysson Lucas Daryl Fabellon Olivia Solomon Chesca Alba

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ME SSAGE F R O M T HE EDI TOR Isaac Newton once said that an object in motion will stay in motion, and an object at rest will stay at rest, unless acted upon by another force. He called this The Law of Inertia. This law is the foremost axiom to describe motion, and is also the backbone of the Echoes August 2016 issue. Our theme for the month touches on matters related to inactivity (the literal meaning of inertia) - turning points, momentum, stagnation, and sudden changes. Our cover story features two Ecosoc members whose ascent in the organization is unstoppable: Kayla Fabi and Jeremy Gemzontan. Armed with bright smiles and fresh ideas, these two sophomores are changing the way we do things around here. Read their story on page 48. Inertia is also highly appropriate for the first issue because if you haven’t noticed, Echoes looks quite different now after having had the same design for years. Thanks to Anna Pagdanganan, my dream of revamping the publication’s design has been realized and I couldn’t be happier to share it with you all. Do let us know what you think of the new layout! The semester has just begun and we’ve still got a lot of things to accomplish before it ends. Let’s all enjoy the ride together, Ecosoc. Welcome back to school! Cheers, Sel

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C H A S U R DA R L I N GA M ECOSOC MONTH ANNYEONG HASEYO ECOSOC! How are you all? Namiss ko kayong lahat (woah) pati bridge for the past two months! After my internship, the biggest inspiration for me to go to school is MALAPIT NA EM AKA MY FAVE MONTH AND SANA KAYO RIN! We have a lot in store for you guys this September! I hope that you’ll support the events that the different teams are working on. This is the month that we should all celebrate. This is where I hope that you’re all proud to be part of this amazing organization! #NeverForget that Ecosoc Month is created not for the public, but is celebrated every year for YOU, for US ECOSOCERS! To my EM Core, kaya natin to guys! Woohoo. To the EM team, thank you for choosing to be part of EM and doing a great job in your respective departments! To the applicants, enjoy your app process! It’s going to be fun. :) To #12, LAST SEMESTER GUYS! LET’S MAKE IT EVEN GREATER THAN THE FIRST! MAHAL KO KAYONG LAHAT. Let’s enjoy this semester, Ecosoc!

Ecosoc Month

JJ SALLIMAN TASK FORCE School reopening signals the end of another summer vacation. Just when we all feel like curling up and sleeping on our warm beds, it’s time to wake up and step out into the rain. However, contrary to most, the rainy weather actually motivates me to go to school as I try to take it all in. I love the rain. I love the sound of raindrops. I love the grayness in the sky. Back-to-school is often associated with petrichor, that wonderful fragrance of the first rain of the monsoon; of smudged writing on brand new notebooks; of splashing through puddles from the rain. Along with the calming aesthetics of rain, I have my ever so hard-working Task Force to prevent me from stressing out for the months to come. Congratulations for pulling off a successful OrSem for the participating choirs. Special shout-out to James’ officers for treating them with professionalism! To the BOD and the rest of TF, may the force be with you all as we have 3 months left ‘til the big day! Rainy weather

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T R I C I A C A N AV E R A L ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Hello Ecosoc, welcome back to school! It feels great to be back because I have so many things to look forward to this year. I can’t believe my batch is graduating! It’s bittersweet - I know college will soon be over, I’m also very excited to make great memories before I graduate. Over the break, I made this bucket list to help me make the most out of my last days in college (e.g. visit all UPD libraries, go to LIV). It’s a nice way to stay motivated in school! The start of the sem is when Acad is busiest. We hope you enjoyed our academic services so far – Wormy’s tweets, Book-A-Likes, and the Acad Box. Thank you for attending ACDC 1 also. We have so much more in store for Ecosoc, don’t worry! Thank you and congrats to Allen, Rose, and Louis, together with their solid teams, for their successful projects! This September, we award the best of the best of Ecosoc again in the Recognition Day, so see you there! Watch out also cos we will be releasing the sign up for NYC 13 Facilitators very soon. Happy Ecosoc Month! Senior year bucket list

CA R LO S JAC I N TO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Welcome back to school, Ecosoc! I hope the first few weeks of class have been great for you all! I spent majority of last sem using a laptop with a broken LCD, and a broken keyboard. It was a big hassle, and the laptop barely made it to the end of the sem. Right before the start of this sem, I finally got it replaced, and I kind of hate myself for not doing this sooner. But at least I’m motivated to do schoolwork now! Or not. We’ll see. Anyway, I’d like to thank all who helped brighten up the day of our beneficiaries in ACDC and Vendors Elective this month! Shoutout to Kayla the cover girl (grr kainggit) and Team Staples for organizing this. You can also look forward to partnership based CDCs later in the sem, courtesy of Liam and the rest of her team. NOT TO MENTION, SERVICE PROJECT NEXT MONTH! Hope you’re all excited! Big big thank you to everyone in CDC! You’re all so bibbo, and it’s been an awesome ride with you all so far. Keep up the great work! New laptop

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S E L E N A YA O ECHOES Hello Ecosoc! Welcome back to the daily grind of the academe. It kind of sucks, but there is reprieve in all this: seeing college friends whom I barely hung out with during the summer! I actually missed people over the break, half of which I spent moping around and sulking, so I’m just glad to see thy lovely familiar faces in Econ again. Shout out to the amazing team I have this year – Alfonso, Anna, Anton, Bianca, Bruno, Carlo, Chito, Chino, Chili, Dom, Fau, Katie, Kelsey, Ken, Maxinne, Maxine, Maya, Miggy, Monty, Peaches, Pita, Paul, Rolly, Tej, and Vim! You are all so weird and different and I love how everything kind of just works. Echoes is definitely evolving, and to have a team like you guys to #EnjoyTheRide with is exciting beyond words. Congratulations to my Events team for a successful collaboration with the Special Events committee for Spechoes Culture Club! Love you SPEV, I can’t wait to win Grand Trad with you guys! LOL calling it!!! Being with college friends

CHESCA ALBA EXTERNAL AFFAIRS Hello, Ecosoc! It is time yet again to leave the comfort of our warm, cozy beds and enter the real world that is s c h o o l. Yep, time to wake up at 6 for our 8:30 classes and endure the morning hustle and traffic (god what is wrong with the Philippines, seriously???). However, what keeps me motivated to get up every morning is the thrill of learning new things! Yes, I know it sounds corny, but believe it or not, I was actually very excited to go to school because I liked the classes I got this semester (ty crs gods). In other news, NES is happening in less than a month, and I would like to thank my everreliable Externals Committee for working soooo hard since July! It won’t be the easiest thing to organize, but I know that y’all will make it a lot easier and fun! ILYSM @EVERYONE.

Learning new things

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N I K U O TA I FINANCE Compared to most, I was actually excited for this year to start. Well, mainly because it’s my last year in UPSE, my last sem as Fin Chair, and a lot of “lasts” to come including this last first Echoes issue for the semester. And, basically knowing this school year is the start of so many “lasts” and the “end” of so many things that have started 4 years ago, this is exactly the reason why I have to keep myself motivated. There are several things to achieve, dreams to fulfill, and challenges to conquer. To add to that, it’s time to build more lasting memories before time runs out, especially with Fin AAAND Foodgasm! Shoutout to my proactive, bibo VCs — Sol, Blej, and Quincy (Congrats again Quincy for bagging the gold medal in HHI ;) #proud) and of course, my Foodgasm Directorates — Nica, Rizel, Jericho, Lino, Kristine, Erin, Theresa, and Aina (where 7 out of 8 of them are from Fin #soliddd). It’s such an amazing feeling to know I’ve got you guys to pull off this one hella hectic semester. <3 We got this! Making the most of senior year

L E A N C A C AT I A N LIAISON Hello Ecosoc! School is back! Don’t worry, it comes with a special package of sleepless nights and boring classes. Lol. So, how do we go about all of this? One word: MOTIVATION. For me, my motivation for this back-to-school season is the thirst for knowledge that we, as people, are born with. This pursuit of knowledge helps me wake up every day knowing that there is something to be discovered, something to learn. Shout out to my Liaison VCs this semester – Migs, Elle and Karla! To the rest of Liaison 58B – Mae, Howie, Maica, Eryel, Gio, Meeka, Roma, Harriet, Francesca, Koleen, Khy and Karen! To me and Nikuo’s Foodgasm BOD – Theresa, Nica, Erin, Jericho, Lino, Aina, Kristine and Rizel! Also, to me and Fati’s EM Launch Directors – Harriet (again HAHA) and Ann! You guys are all awesome! Let’s make this semester great and together let’s #EnjoyTheRide!!

Pursuit of knowledge

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ALFONSO ROCES MEMBERSHIP It’s the people of Ecosoc that gets me going. Getting to know more about you guys and what’s happening in your lives is one of those experiences I always look forward to. I hope you guys also live that spirit by expanding your horizons and learn something new about your fellow Ecosocer! I would like to give a shoutout to all 30 Memcom members for helping out in the past events. I can’t wait to start a new semester with you guys and I am hoping for a fun blast working with you for Grand Tradition!

Humans of Ecosoc

NIKA ESPIRITU SECRETARIAT Hey Ecosoc! What gets me motivated for school are STATIONERY AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES! I guess the motivation all started during my grade school years. I love staying in the school supplies section of National Bookstore, because in the recent months they have been acquiring new and modern brands to their roster. I also love Muji for their clean and simple stationery. I hope you find motivation for school in shopping for school supplies, instead of settling for Panda ballpens. :( Shoutout to my members: Sam, Sheena, Alex, Maye, Kiss, Tin (TYSM for all the hardwork in our sales efforts and in our fab DPs! <3), Rowell, and Alba! Another huge shoutout to my VCs and Gallery directors: Pat, Arlene, Rella, and Alyssa for being such awesome people to work with! To Ecosoc, we hope you fall in love with the Gallery just as we have poured all our efforts in making it a reality.

Stationery and school supplies

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F AT I M A D E PA N O SPECIAL EVENTS Hey Ecosoc. Welcome back to school!!! I don’t know about you guys but I’m always excited for the first few weeks of school. Other than the fact that there’s barely any school work to be done, one of the things I look forward to is getting to see and hang-out with all of my FRIENDS! But TBH what really motivates me this back to school season (and you might be surprised!) is actually all about the learning. I have always had this undying passion and thirst to learn about new things – whether it is academic, skill-related, political or even trivial. Throughout all the school and org-related stress, the lessons that I get from all of my experiences make everything worthwhile and fulfilling. (naks) (mema ko amp) Thank you to everyone who went to Spechoes #TheCoolturedClub! Special mention to the main Spevie organizers of this event: Justin, Bella, RD, Sofia, Aya, and Jackie. <3 Fati Learning new things

BENJIE GANA SPORTS Motivation is a fickle bitch that comes and goes. The true force that can carry a person is having discipline in life. The discipline to do things we may not want to do but need to do in order to become the best possible version of ourselves. This is what “back-to-school” has given me back from my lazy vacation. Daily grind. Day in, day out. I am not changing much from my previous semesters but rather improving all the initiatives of Sports. It’s not about having extraordinary events that matter but creating these events extraordinarily. This is my rationale for my events lined up this semester! Better workshops, better Joggers Club, better sports trivia, and better tournaments. I don’t strive to be the best because that means I’ve stopped growing. I strive to become better than what I already am. I want to give a shout out to SPORTS 58B!!! Lots of new, young members ready to keep the Sports fire strong. I couldn’t ask for a better team and I am excited for Ecosoc to experience what Sports has in store for you!! Discipline

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First Genmeet For 58B. ACDC Is Back. Upgrade 2016. Satring Into The Future: The Applicantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Orientation. Starting The Semester The Right Way. Eventology 101. Culture Club: Ecosoc Takes Manila. Cleaning The Ecosoc Home. News By The Numbers. 100 Days of Duterte. 2016 Olympics Roundup. Brexit: Blunder of the Century.

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FIRST GENMEET FOR 58B by MIGGY VILLAMOR

Last August 18, the UP Economics Society held its first general assembly. The meeting’s highlights were the discussion of the different committees’ plans for the semester with EM and TF taking center stage. Both committees are preparing for their major events, LIV and Musikapella, respectively. The home committees’ plans were also something to look forward to. SPEV is partnering up with different committees for numerous events; the first of which is Echoes for the recently concluded culture trip. CDC also reminded the members of their civic duties with the CDC orientation. Most members stayed until the end of the session for the Grand Tradition bidding. GT is the most memorable starting

event of Ecosoc Month. Male members from different committees will portray various women of significance. The bidding was conducted by US Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump. He introduced the 5 candidates: Liza Soberano, Candace Swanepoel, Sandara Park, Kim Kardashian and Maria Sharapova. SPEV+Echoes got the star of Dolce Amore, Liza Soberano. Externals+Seccomm will represent the Pambansang Krungkrung, Sandara Park. Fin+Cha will have the tennis superstar, Maria Sharapova, in their corner. CDC+Liai+JJ have the Queen of All Shade, Kim K as their bet. This writer knows that the semester, 58B, will be one of the most memorable ones to date!

AC D C I S B AC K

by BENJU EVARDONE

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The most anticipated college entrance test is upon us once again. The UPCAT challenges thousands of hopeful students for a spot in the country’s most prestigious university. Last August 20, 105 students started their training for a chance to be a part of the UP community. UPGRADE, a fundraiser organized by the Externals committee for the benefit of the National Economics Summit, was a one-day review held in Multiple Intelligence School in Katipunan. The participants were subjected to a mock exam for the

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A bright Saturday after days of rain seems fitting for the debut of the ACDC program this academic year. On the third Saturday of the month, August 20, the first ACDC session was held at Pook Ricarte. Despite being the first ACDC session for the academic year, there seemed to be no sense of discontinuity form last year’s sessions. Kids and Ecosocers alike seemed to be at home with the usual routine. At 9:30am, the volunteers were assembled and headed to the tutoring site. Tutors paired up with the kids and chose their spots. Worksheets were distributed. Then, the tutoring was

underway. To no surprise, the kids were as loud and as restless as can be. One student wanted to stop working after the second page of five pages of the prepared worksheets. This forced his tutor, Jose, into a mental chess game. In the end, the seemingly unrelenting effort of the kid was not enough for the firm resolve of the tutor—an important quality in an instructor, and a commanding technique if coupled with patience. After the tutoring session, the kids were treated to pan de sal and water as a reward for their hard work. Overall, the program continues to shine in its purpose to provide more avenues for learning to the youth especially given the state of public elementary schools in the country and public education in general. Despite the kids’ restlessness, it is evident that there are signs of curiosity and willingness to learn. I believe that the experience of ACDC, for both tutor and student is one that truly encapsulates the soul of Ecosoc. It is not often that we are given a chance to change lives by doing simple tasks. We may take it for granted as it happens, but touching the lives of others is not an experience to overlook.

by ENRIQUE BAUTISTA UPCAT, consisting of the four main subject areas; Math, Science, Language P r o f i c i e n c y and Reading Comprehension. In the latter part of the day, the exam was discussed by three highly qualified tutors, two of which are from Ecosoc, namely, Flora Anne Palabrica and Michael Buenaventura. in the end, the students were given the opportunity to feel what

they would be experiencing on the day of the UPCAT and prepare for one of the most important days of their lives. 15

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S TA R I N G I N T O T H E F U T U R E : T H E A P P L I C A N T S â&#x20AC;&#x2122; O R I E N TAT I O N by LA MANLANGIT

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I’ll let you in on a little secret. In case you haven’t noticed, we’ve used the same program for Apps Or for the past 3 semesters (I wouldn’t know of the previous ones since I wasn’t here). The reason for this? It’s mainly because, well the apps won’t notice anyway! There’s a different batch every semester! Some tweaks on the Human Bingo cards, the videos and program script, and you basically have another program for another batch already. Don’t get me wrong though, it still was a really tiring job to organize it. A lot of attention to detail is needed, and you’ll need a lot of manpower, but trust me, it was all worth it to see the look on the apps’ faces when they opened their blindfolds to see Ecosocers screaming “Welcome to Ecosoc” at them. The bottom line is that these applicants are our future, and I can’t stress that enough.

To put this into perspective, let me take you back to August of 2015, when my app batch and I, the 57B Lego Apps, had our applicants’ orientation. Back then, we knew nothing about the organization we came to be part of, and most importantly, we didn’t know what was ahead of us. We walked into SE 114 blindfolded, and thus began our journey. Fast forward to the time this article was written, and look at where the Lego Apps are now. Twelve of the twenty-eight current members of the Leadership Council were part of the Lego App Batch, including myself. Most of us are part of Adhoc teams. Some are event directors and associates. As an app batch, we have changed a lot since then, and I can safely say that we are as integral to Ecosoc as the juniors and the seniors. But you know who else is important? The applicants themselves.

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Step Right App!: The UP Economics Society Applicants’ Orientation, held last August 20, 2016, was the beginning of that journey for this semester’s applicants. The application process is their experience wrestling in high school gyms and carnivals, their apps’ project is their first match on a B-level pay-per-view event, and their Induction Ball is their debut in the big leagues. Now I’ve probably taken that analogy too far, but still, it is a pretty good comparison, right?

When the day of August 20, 2016 came, I will admit, I was super excited to meet the apps because I knew I would be staring right at the future of Ecosoc. As President Cha said during her speech at the event, “hopefully you’ll be the ones at the back next semester, ready to welcome the new batch of applicants.” As she said that, I looked at the back and saw some of my app batch mates at the back. We were living proof of that statement. As a matter of fact, every Ecosoc member in the room was living proof of that statement. After all, Cha used to be an app, along with the rest of the Executive Committee. All directors of the different Adhoc teams used to be apps as well. It truly amazes me how far they’ve come, how far my app batch and I have come. It is a testament as to how much the application process prepares apps for the work that Ecosoc entails. Cha was talking to the people who will carry Ecosoc when all of us have graduated. There’s a reason why the Execomm takes hours to deliberate who gets in and who doesn’t. They’re literally deciding the future of the organization.

Do you watch professional wrestling? I know, weird way to begin an article like this, having read the title, right? However, please do hear me out, I’ll make this intro short. Usually in professional wrestling, wrestlers travel all around the world, honing their skills in independent shows in high school gyms and carnivals before getting enough experience and fame to garner the attention of and eventually sign with the bigger wrestling promotions, like Ring of Honor and WWE. Think of it as developing talent and watching it progress and improve before taking it in.

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S T A R T I N G T H E S E M E S T E R T H E R I G H T WAY by JUSTIN VILLAS

To start the semester, Ecosoc’s members travelled to Laguna, and spent the weekend of July 22 to 24 planning for the coming months. The days were used productively, discussing, brainstorming and preparing. More than that however, the time was also used by the members to relax and bond. Plansem is used to prepare for the semester to come – it is the opportunity to meet up with the home committee in order to carefully plan out the events, initiatives, and services that will be held in the following months. Each member came with a similar mindset, so discussion flows freely. Apart from this, the occasion gave each committee the chance to easily disseminate information regarding their

agenda to the rest of the organization. To quote Rihanna on how plansem goes, “Work work work work work.” But that’s only until around 5pm. It’s after all the scheduling and preparing that the memories get to form. Some would head to the karaoke machine, and spend hours making birit every tune – from the nostalgic song everyone knew back in 2008, to that hugot one someone happened to come across in the songbook. There are others who would choose to sit around the table and play drinking games all night long, which would usually begin (and end) with everyone trying to get that one person drunk af. It’s followed by people eventually getting tired and choosing to make kwento about life. While

all these are happening, there are those who would choose to take in the dip in the pool for a solid swim throughout the night. Most would choose to just pull a friend over and spend the night having an H-to-H conversation so that they won’t have to bring emotional baggage along as the semester begin. Without a doubt, the UP Economics Society should look forward to an amazing semester. As we celebrate our 58th year, just like a carnival, we will be facing numerous ups and downs as we ride along. These experiences would lead to a stronger organization as a whole. In the end, with more years to come plansem is definitely an Ecosoc event you would definitely not want to miss!

E V E N TO LO GY 1 0 1 by ELLE AMAYA

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Eventology 101 was the first event held for the applicants of the UP Economics Society - with the exception of the orientation. It was held last August 27, Saturday, from 1 to 5 pm at SE 111. An event sponsored by the Liaison committee, it was designed to teach the apps the basics of planning and managing an event. This year, in lieu of 58B’s theme Carnival, the program included interactive questions about planning their own carnival, such as the first ride they would build and what they would use to promote it. Hosted by the charismatic Kayla Fabi and Ann Geron, the main program featured three fresh graduate Ecosoc alumni: Flora Palabrica, former External Affairs Committee Chairperson, Zo Canaria, former Ecosoc President and Josh Siat, former Ecosoc Vice President. Respectively, they discussed Ideation & Event Planning, Advertising & Public Relations and Crisis Management. The event also featured a quick icebreaker wherein apps had to guess another app’s favorite ride. The second part of Eventology began with a working break where apps were divided into four groups and enjoyed snacks while planning an event with their groupmates. They were then asked to proceed to four different stations, each appropriately divided into the topics the alumni had discussed earlier: Ideation, Event Planning, APR and Crisis Management. Each station was manned by Ecosoc members such as the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors of the Ecosoc Month Committee and Task Force Committee. Ken Recasata, the EM Director for Public Relations, thought Eventology was both fun and fulfilling. “Eventology has always been a give-and-

take program where we impart our knowledge to our applicants,” he said, “and in return, they give us fresh ideas that we can use someday.” It was a close race for the points from each station but in the end, it was the second group with an fun run themed event that took the prize of a box of doughnuts. Rio Dayao was also awarded as the Early Bird of the event, taking with him a brand-new GTech ballpen. All in all, Eventology was a success, with the apps actively participating in both the program and the simulation. “Eventology was one of those things that should I not have gone, I probably would have been unprepared for what I have to do,” said the apps programs head Diego Manalastas. “Overall, it was also pretty fun bonding with my app batch!”

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C U LT U R E C L U B : E C O S O C TA K E S M A N I L A by MAX MENDIOLA

Our country’s capital is brimming with Filipino culture. It houses the shrine dedicated to our national hero, amazing masterpieces by local artists, and the oldest known Chinatown in the world. What better place then to hold the first Culture Club--a SPEV and Echoes initiative meant to immerse the members in culture while having fun at the same time. Thus on August 19, Spechoes chose to celebrate Quezon Day by taking some members on a Manila trip: first to appreciate local art scene at the National Museum, then to take a food trip around Binondo, the world’s oldest Chinatown. The National Museum in itself is a work of art. The National Art Gallery, where we toured, had a grand, commanding presence--it lets you know that you are in a place that stands for something special. For two hours, we were lucky enough to see a myriad of local artworks-- from the lesser known sketches of Fernando Amorsolo, to the haunting portraits of Juan Luna’s loved ones (He 20

killed his mother-in-law and wife, whom he loved to paint, in a fit of rage in 1892). We saw an abstract art section featuring National Artist Arturo Luz, Danilo Garcia, and Imelda Pilapil; as well as political and social commentary paintings from the 1970s up until the 1990s. Among the highlights were Juan Luna’s famous Spoliarium; but also Carlo Francisco’s The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines, a massive, four-piece painting specially commissioned for the Philippine General Hospital in 1953. After touring the museum, we capped off the trip with lunch in Chinatown, where members could go around and explore as they pleased. Among the favorites were Wai Ying Fastfood, Sincerity Café’s fried chicken, Café Mezzanine and Eng Bee Tin for pasalubong. Spechoes even gifted all the attendees with free dumplings from the famous Dong Bei Dumplings. Suffice to say the first Culture Club was a success. Spechoes hopes to see you in the next!

CLEANING THE ECOSOC HOME by SHEENA MAE DY

The tambayan is indeed Ecosoc’s home, no matter how temporary it is. How much cleanliness and organization matter in keeping a lively and warm home cannot be emphasized enough. All the members are encouraged to keep supporting Seccom’s advocacy and work hand in hand to make our tambayan the best home it can be.

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Ecosoc’s Secretariat Committee is known for being the creative powerhouse of the organization, but is not only here to serve with paintbrushes, Adobe Illustrator, or any other creative tool. They also maintain the organization’s home: the tambayan. Maintaining its cleanliness and organization is not only part of Seccom’s duties, but also part of their commitment and dedication to the whole Ecosoc. Because of this, they make sure to schedule semestral clean-ups and to plan a daily cleaning tactic. Last August 6, was the first Tambayan Clean-up for the semester. Last semester’s signages and posters were removed and the walls of tambayan area were wiped down. The items stored in the tambayan, such as papers and books, were organized and swept the floor. Cleaning, fixing and storing filled most of the day, keeping in mind how much Ecosoc’s members consider the tambayan another home in UP. Aside from this commitment, the members of Seccom also believe that every member in the organization should play a part in maintaining their home as clean and neat as possible. Last semester, a check-up system began that involved different assigned committees as cleaners of the week. This semester will be continuing the system. Every 12:00 and 5:30 in the afternoon, members from the committee are tasked to evaluate the tambayan based on pre-determined criteria. The committee assigned for the week must ensure that the tambayan remains clean and neat. Should they violate any of the criterium, the evaluator for the day must give them equivalent points that also translate to monetary punishment.

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NEWS BY THE NUMBERS by ANTONIO CASTILLO

7.0%

Courses with no freshmen

Rural banks BSP closed this year

Q2 2016 GDP Growth

39%

20 million

Percentage of voters who launched Du30 into the presidency

Philippine athletes who competed at the Rio Olympics 2016

Active PokĂŠmon Go users

807 UP Diliman Freshmen for AY 2016-2017

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684

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Kill List of Duterte’s War on Drugs since June 30 (as of August 18, 12NN)

9/18 Marcos’ set burial date at the Libingan ng mga Bayani 23

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1 0 0 D AY S O F DUTERTE by DAVID BALMES

On May 9, 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte was elected into office by 16 million voters, hopeful for “change.” You don’t need me to tell you how that change has panned out. Social media, newspapers, and even barbershop and Uber conversations have become inundated with one singular topic: Duterte. Everything this administration has executed has been so overwhelmingly newsworthy that nothing actually is, anymore. As the events become more and more deplorable, our population inexplicably seems to grow even more supportive of the atrocities this administration is committing. In the span of 100 days, we’ve managed to become the laughingstock of the entire world and the 84 million Filipinos who didn’t vote for this farce of a president. And yet it is the remaining 16 million who approve of Duterte’s methods that pose the main problem, and not the man himself. Men are mortal, as the president loves to remind us. It is the man’s demeanor, campaign, barbs at diplomats and threats to suspected criminals, that have provoked this country’s citizens into a bloodthirsty frenzy. One need only look at vitriolic Facebook comments, impassioned yet factually inaccurate defenses of the drug war, and around one’s home and workplace to see a bunch of Filipinos going at each other’s throats. Alternatively, one could look to the streets and see bodies piling up.

Today, I won’t focus on statistics, no matter how horrifying they might seem. Instead I pose a question: how afraid are you?

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It’s been too soon to measure the effects of his major policy changes or his choice of cabinet appointees. What can be assessed at this point, however, is fear. Fear is the most tangible effect of the Duterte administration so far. There is an undercurrent of violence in every Facebook comment, a bolstered sense of confidence in tough “macho” men emulating Duterte’s sexist character, and muted unease at simply walking the streets at night. The president’s promise of impunity for killers of suspected drug users and pushers is essentially a license to kill. I’ve never imagined a man declaring everyone’s life forfeit based upon suspicion to be universally tolerated and even worshipped. Yet here we are.

His immediate actions as the top official as well as his public persona have brought out the worst in everyone: mindless, absolute worship by his followers and frustration and distance from his critics.

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For better or for worse, Duterte will be immortalized by the rabid following he’s managed to inspire. Whether or not the economic growth, safety, vague notions of federalism, and peace platforms the president supports actually push through, his legacy will always be tainted by the blood of the guilty until proven innocent. After all, blood runs thicker than water, and the citizens are thirsty for change.

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On the eve of the elections I wrote a post reflecting on Duterte’s probable win in an attempt to keep a positive outlook and trust in the president. But all I see after 100 days is a nation threatening to tear itself apart to solve a problem that at its core is unsolvable, a nation that is burning its bridges with other countries, and an administration that brings out the worst in every Filipino. And for that, I will forever remember May 9, 2016 as the day this country has turned for the worst.

cat; rather, he used the cat as a bait - he now keeps curiosity forever.

Wake me up when change has come and gone.

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Prior to the event, other issues such as the country’s unstable government and security, performance-enhancing doping of some Russian athletes and consequent disqualification, and the Zika virus which had some athletes fearful of competing in Rio at all, had to be addressed. THE SPORTS

2 0 1 6 O LY M P I C S R O U N D U P by KATIE ABRENICA

Every 4 years, the Olympics is held in a city chosen by the International Olympic Committee. After the 2012 Summer Olympics held in London, the time for competition has come once again. What has happened in the 2016 Olympics? Why is it of any attention? THE PREPARATION Hosting the Olympics is no joke. With roughly 20 venues to be made/renovated, 30 sports, 300 events, 10,000 athlete delegates, and (fun fact!) 450,000 condoms bought just for the athletes, ensuring the smooth flow of the Olympics is bound to be an overwhelming burden. Taking on the responsibility of hosting this year was Rio de Janeiro. Not exactly the most developed of economies, Rio faced constant problems when it came to financing all the grand and unsustainable venues required of every Olympics. It left many Brazilians thinking, “Was it worth it?”

After the opening ceremony of the Olympics was held on August 5th, it was all-out sports from there. Every day, sporting events were being held around and outside the city. The 2016 Summer Olympics sports include: aquatics, archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, canoeing/kayak, cycling, equestrian, fencing, hockey, gymnastics, football, golf, handball, judo, pentathlon, rowing, rugby, sailing, shooting, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling. Think sports are boring? Not in the Olympics. The tournament has leveled up, leaving you with a newfound appreciation for each sport. You’ve got high degrees of difficulty and technicality per event, athletes that have trained their entire lives, intense pressure and one shot at the gold.

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A refugee team took part in the Olympics, breaking boundaries as they compete. Hidilyn Diaz (weightlifting) medalled for the Philippines for the first time in 20 years. Serena Williams (tennis) faced a shocking defeat. There’s Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky (swimming) setting world records left and right. There’s also Simone Biles (artistic gymnastics) being hailed as the “greatest gymnast ever”.

When you gather the best of the best in the world, you’re guaranteed that history will be made. The Olympics only comes around every 4 years, and each time is filled with many record-breaking achievements for the world to witness in awe.

While you may not be wearing a gold medal around your neck, it’s easy to share in the joy of the athletes who are. Win or lose, each of them brought pride and joy to the countries they represent, and inspiration to everyone who watched.

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THE HISTORY

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THE ATHLETES

The Olympics came to a close on August 21st, and it was nothing less than historical. The United States left Rio with a total of 46 gold medals, followed by Great Britain with a total of 27 gold medals, and China with 26 gold medals. The 2020 Summer Olympics will be hosted by Tokyo and anticipation is already in the air.

>> Katie Abrenica is a 2nd year BS Economics major. Her love for sports is inversely related to her athleticism. 27

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The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has voted 52% to 48% in favor of leaving the European Union. This could be the biggest mistake their country has ever made. Here’s why. A BRIEF BACKGROUND

B R E X I T: BLUNDER OF THE CENTURY by PAOLO TEJANO

*This article also appeared on the UP School of Economics Student Council’s blog, The Free Market.

The issue actually dates back to even before the European Union was formally established through the Maastricht Treaty in 1992. In fact, the UK voted to participate in the European Communities (then only a customs union) in 1973. In 1975, a referendum on withdrawing from the said community was held, but quickly quashed by a 67% vote to remain. They no longer held a vote to affirm membership in the newly established European Union in 1992, and no referendum has been held until the one that took place last June 23rd to determine whether or not they should end their membership of the 28-nation bloc. Many citizens have long questioned their country’s membership in the European Union. Many have claimed that being part of the community has led to a deterioration of the political, economic, and cultural conditions in their country. As with the rest of the world,

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Being the seat of the European Commission and the European Council, Brussels is the de-facto capital and thus, the physical representation of the EU. In other words, the rules and regulations that Britons claim to be destroying their economy and restricting their freedom come from the body based in the Belgian capital. It is important to ask, however, what exactly are these rules and regulations, and why are they “destroying” the UK? The most important implication of being a member of the European Union is being part of the single market that it has created. There are no tariffs or quotas for companies importing and exporting goods and services within the EU. This massive stride in trade facilitation has allowed for cheaper goods and services, greater competitiveness, and

that the UK sends 350 million pounds to Brussels every week, and that this money ought to be given to the National Health Service (NHS) instead. That sounds noble and all, except there are a few problems with that claim. One, 350 million pounds was derived by dividing the UK’s total contributions made to the EU in the year 2015 by 52. A lot of that money was spent on nonrecurring payments. Two, the UK’s contributions are exactly that – contributions. The British people do not donate 350 million pounds to the 27 other member states. They get something in return for it. Whether or not what they get in return is also worth 350 million pounds is a different issue. But the fact of the matter is that the UK does not send 350 million pounds to Brussels every week. They will not save 350 million pounds a week by leaving the EU, and more importantly, they cannot give this money to the NHS. Incredibly, Farage admitted that it was a “mistake” to claim that the money could be given to the NHS a mere hour after the Leave vote was confirmed.

WHAT HAS BRUSSELS DONE TO THE UK?

a much faster diffusion of knowledge and technology. UK residents are free to work, study, and live in any of the other 27 member states, and vice versa. Of course, this freedom would undoubtedly be accompanied by certain concessions which allow the EU to regulate its internal market. Measures such as an EU Competition Law, an Emissions Trading System to reduce carbon footprint, a Common Fisheries Policy, and various other rules on public health, transport, and the economy in general which are passed by the European Parliament must also be adopted by its member countries. The strong sentiment from those who want to leave the EU is centered on the lack of political, and economic freedom that the adoption of EU laws creates. Certainly, these EU measures and programs are not going to fund themselves, and that’s where members like the UK come in. They have to contribute a lot of money. This is what Euro-skeptics use as their primary argument. The United Kingdom is giving more to the European Union than it is getting. One of the leaders of the Leave Campaign, former London Mayor Boris Johnson (who was recently appointed as Foreign Minister by new PM Theresa May), has pointed to greater control over the allocation of public funds as something that Britain will definitely benefit from. His colleague and co-Brexiter, Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party, claimed

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these unfavorable conditions were exacerbated by the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, and more recently by the refugee crisis brought about by the turmoil in the Middle East. Britons pinned the blame on two things – Brussels and immigrants. To appease the growing number of Euroskeptics, Prime Minister David Cameron agreed to hold a referendum should his Conservative Party get reelected in the 2015 election. The Tories won by a landslide and a referendum was held. The very promise that kept Cameron at 10 Downing Street has now cost him his job.

WHAT NOW? Now that the British public has officially voted to leave the EU, a large cloud of uncertainty has risen over the future of the UK as a whole. Three areas voted overwhelmingly to remain – Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Greater London. London, being the financial center and business hub that it is, was largely expected to vote to remain due to the

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large number of foreigners and foreign corporations in the city. The Scots and Northern Irish however, realize that the European Union has greatly helped their economy through the vast amount of trade that it has enabled. In fact, in Scotland’s independence referendum of 2014, they voted to stay, primarily because of the UK’s existing membership in the EU. Now that the UK itself wants out, it is very likely that we will see another Scottish independence vote, with Northern Ireland following suit in the near future. The UK, as we know it might very well cease to exist. Leave campaigners have also zeroed in on the idea that they can renegotiate a trade deal which will allow them to experience the same benefits from the free trade agreement without having to adopt EU rules and regulations. The problem with leaving the EU was that nobody knows what kind of deal the UK can cut with the rest of the bloc. German Chancellor Angela Merkel came out saying that she was very disappointed with the UK’s decision to leave. Her fellow European leaders have also voiced out dismay, as they surely worry about a chain reaction of withdrawals. That doesn’t sound like a bunch of people who are willing to welcome Britain back with open arms and zero tariffs, without getting a penny from them. Brexiters have previously pointed to Norway as a model

that they can copy. Norway is not part of the EU but is able to access its single market. Perfect. Well, not so. The Norwegian government conducted a study which found out that, in fact, Norway has already adopted 75% of EU rules and regulations in order to back their free trade agreement with the bloc.

melting pot of ideas and culture is exactly what makes it the great city of London that we know. Turning their back on the EU will do nothing but send the businesses and businessmen packing, and looking for new office buildings in Frankfurt, where the Germans don’t curse at immigrants on trams.

NATIONALISM OR RACISM?

A GLOBALIZED WORLD

Immigration was and is the primary fuel to the Euroskepticism fire. Britons believe that the money they spend on EU membership is nullified by the immigrants who move to the UK and “steal” the jobs otherwise created for Brits. Unfortunately for the Brexiters (and now the entire UK), an LSE study has debunked the myth that immigrants come to the UK and to claim benefits, and steal jobs. In fact, immigrants help create jobs by increasing aggregate demand in the economy. Immigrants even contribute more in tax than they use in public services. Another bullet used by people like Nigel Farage is that Britain is for the British and that they ought to preserve their culture. This is the most hypocritical statement any leader can make. Culture is ever changing. It has evolved through time because of the movement of people. British two thousand years ago is nowhere near what people consider British today. London is one of the most diverse places in the entire world. It being a

It is simply naïve to believe that one person can only do one thing, and one country is meant for one race. Ten blokes from Crewe working for H.J. Mulliner & Co. no longer build coaches for Rolls-Royce. BMW now owns Rolls-Royce Motors and they pay Agnes from Slovakia to stitch the leather on the steering wheel because she’s probably darn good at doing so. Because of the EU, she got a job in the UK that can help pay to send her kids to college back home. In an increasingly globalized world, the challenge is how to make the most out of our relationships with one another. Admittedly, no institution is perfect. The EU has faults and is in need of reform. But the UK cannot completely do away with the EU. In order for them to have a hope of one day recovering from this decision, they would still have to submit themselves to the same body and the same regulations. Only now, the Brits just gave up their voice. Talk about liberty.

>> Paolo Tejano is currently in a loving relationship with Economics.

CULTURE CLUB. Photo by Maya Paraguya.

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Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Home. Press Shift: How I Broke Up With UPSE. Recovering From The Drift. Fresh Out Of College. Why I Filed For Inactivity. The Permanent New Kid. On The Rise. Kicking the Bad Habit. Finding The Why. 11 Things You Should Stop Doing. 7 Realizations From A Long Term Relationship. On Serving For The Last Time.

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I’M HOME by ROLLY OLIQUINO

MY FIRST YEAR IN COLLEGE WAS A MESS. I was majoring in a course that I thought would be the best for me. I barely passed my PolSC 11 class. I was reading tons of stuff that I was slowly starting to dislike. I wasn’t remembering anything that I studied during the semester. In short, I was unhappy. I knew I had to find another course. At the end of my first year in college, I decided to transfer to the School of Economics. Despite my satisfactory grades during the past two semesters, I was unluckily not able to get in. This meant that I had to endure another year’s worth of readings which I swear would have driven me to insanity. I resolved to apply again next year even though that meant shifting out as a sophomore. I carefully planned the subjects which I would be taking for the next two semesters. I still badly wanted to major in Economics. I took courses as if I already were an Econ major: Econ 11, Stat 101, Acctg 1, Econ 101, and Econ 102 so that I could still graduate on time. In fact, my classmates in some of these subjects actually thought that I was a legit student of the college. Enlisting in those courses, specifically in Acctg 1, Econ 101, and 102, however, was a real pain in the neck. I had to deal with the RVC not allowing me to enlist because the subjects were for Economics and Business Economics majors only. I brought my case to the College Secretary and after reviewing my grades, she gave me a letter addressed to the RVC allowing me to enlist under the subjects that I needed without hesitation. There were a lot of things at stake. I did not take a single Political Science course during those two semesters. If I were not to be accepted again on my junior year, I would have to find another course, or worse, stay in my previous course, but graduate at least a semester later than my batch mates. Another problem would be wasting money on courses not credited on my curriculum. Then, Econ 101 came. The course was handled by the daughter of a famous Economics professor, whom I shall not name. This professor is known in the School for being firm in her decisions and strict

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To all those who are still struggling in finding the perfect course for them, trust me, you’d eventually find it. Don’t be afraid to take some risks. If you do not go with your heart’s content then you might regret this for the rest of your life.

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I passed my application, and waited for a couple of weeks. I religiously checked the UPSE website every day to see if there were any updates. Then one day, the results came out. I got in. As soon as I

with her students. I was up for the challenge because I badly wanted to graduate on time. I went to class every meeting. I read all the required readings. I listened attentively during the discussions. For some reason, I still failed some of the examinations. Threequarters into the semester, I reached a point wherein I thought all hope was lost. If I were to fail the course, there would be no chance of getting in to the college. If I also get a low grade, they might not accommodate me because of the shifting rules. The rules on the shifting application stated that “when an applicant has already taken one or more economics courses, he must have a weighted average of 2.25 or better in economics.” It was

After the final exam, I already accepted that I would be failing the course. I had to prepare myself for the worst. I started looking for other courses that would be of interest to me. I checked their curricula if I could still graduate on time. Weeks after, I learned from my classmate that our grades were finally reflected on our CRS accounts. I heard that some of us were not able to pass the course. I wanted to get it over with so I opened my account as soon as I heard the news. I passed. All the hard work paid off.

saw the results, I immediately went to UP from my home in Laguna. I remember getting my acceptance letter which had a pencil writing computing my economics weighted average and included Econ 100.2. I fixed all the necessary paper work to process my shifting in to the college, which thankfully only lasted a day. The final part was to go to OUR and have my new course reflect on my CRS account. There was no turning back. I knew that Economics was for me. It was one of those moments which reminded me that amidst all the hurdles and difficulties that you encounter, there would still be moments of success and happiness.

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unclear if only economic courses credited in the BS Economics curriculum program would be counted or if they would also include Econ 100.2, which I took because it was a required course in the Political Science curriculum. My good grade on this noncredited course would lift my weighted average and may be able to get me into the program.

As I walked to the building of my new college, on the first day of classes as a junior, I knew from my heart that this was it. I was home. >> Rolly Oliquino loves taking photos. He specializes in portraiture and events photography.

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PRESS SHIFT (!!!):

HOW I BROKE UP WITH UPSE by ANNA PAGDANGANAN

THE PLAN WAS SIMPLE. I should be graduating by 2018 with the lines “Sicat Awardee” or “Cum Laude, BS Economics” in my long and inspirational grad pic caption. Ideally, by now, I should be worrying about my 131 prof, or sending out my resume to different banks and companies. However, here I am, rolling my eyes at a notification from the FST (Freshies, Shiftees, and Transferees) 2016 group asking for a confirmation of my attendance in the block’s campus tour. As I’m writing this, I’m scrolling through the class list of my Film 100 class and I’m laughing awkwardly after realizing that I have the oldest student ID number. This situation is definitely far from the scenario I expected to happen. Two years ago, I never thought I would find myself in this position. If you know me well enough, you have probably heard of my “May Balak” folder, which had a lot of detailed plans of all the things I wanted to achieve in college. It had a comprehensive list of electives I wanted to take, my GPOAs and SPOAs for positions I wanted to run for, Gantt charts for events I wanted to handle, and officer line-ups for teams I had yet to lead. I’m the type of person who wants to go by the book. That’s pretty ironic, coming from a creative person. However, I really hate it when things don’t go as planned. I’m not exactly a spontaneous person, and I’m much more comfortable with schedules and time tables. Deciding to shift out of the School of Economics was the most spur-of-themoment choice I have ever made. For the longest time, I was telling myself to give Economics a chance. To say that “Econ

made me unhappy” would be a gross understatement. Being horrible at Econ gave me another line to add to my already long list of things I hate about myself. I hated the fact I couldn’t visualize the story behind all these graphs, but it was significantly easier for me to visualize an event’s entire creative direction. I remember constantly cursing myself for having “useless” talents. At that time, it didn’t matter that I was fairly skilled with graphic design or that I had the singing voice of a Disney princess. What good is being creative when you’re bad at math, right? Sophomore year was a dark time for me. I would be genuinely surprised if you have NOT seen me break down in public. Maybe I’m coming off as overly dramatic, but if you find yourself having a panic attack after every exam or randomly crying to the guard at Starbucks, then you know something’s up. Back then, I was constantly asking myself: “What the hell are you doing wrong?”. Trust me, I did everything I could to meet the retention grade. I met with Ma’am Ho at least once a week, and emailed her nearly every day. I swallowed my pride and asked help from my classmates. I bought all the supplementary readings, and read through every single one of them. I had up to 6 shots of espresso every day. However, if I REALLY wanted to stay up, I would down 2 cans of Red Bull. I even resorted to making pubmat reviewers, because nothing makes sense to me if it doesn’t have any color. Sadly, despite all the effort, I was not getting any return on my investment. I was trying to convince myself to finish my degree, and then try to get a job in the

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THE WRITER IN HER CMC ELEMENT, CASUALLY SERVING THE PEOPLE AND ENLIGHTENING THE ECOSOC APPLICANTS WITH HER LEFTIST IDEALS.

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media industry afterwards. However, one day, I was staring at a blank page of my Econ 106 LE, and I realized I couldn’t lie to myself anymore. I remember crying for hours in the Ecosoc tambayan after this sudden wake-up call. Was I ready for the shift? Was I ready to face the possibility of being delayed 2 years? Was I ready to start all over again in a college that is the polar opposite of UPSE? Ironically, being involved in an Econ org inspired me to shift out. I fell in love with the thought process behind the way we branded ourselves. I fell in love with the idea that you can change people’s perceptions by reimaging and reimagining. A lot of people don’t realize it, but being creative means being strategic. There’s a certain art to getting people notice your work and the meaning behind it. And admittedly, I’m pretty f*cking good at that. Right now, I’m taking up BA Communication Research, but I’m planning to try (again) for BA Broadcast Communication in a year. No matter how hard you try to convince me to settle for my current degree program, I will not listen to you. I made up my mind to do whatever it takes to get into Broadcomm, because I believe it’s the perfect degree program for me. I fell in love with the Broadcomm curriculum because it will give me the flexibility to get involved in other fields I’m interested in. I could possibly get into advertising, sound design or production. Sky’s the limit, and for the first time, I feel like a load inside me has been lifted. And with all honesty, despite the fact I don’t exactly fit in the Maskom community, I’m almost at peace. To me, it doesn’t really matter that I don’t have much friends there or that I have to put up with all this STAND UP bullshit (whoops name drop) on a regular basis. While I’m constantly missing my life in UPSE, the happiness I feel right now in CMC will always outweigh the homesick feeling I get every time I visit the Ecosoc tambayan.

>> Anna Pagdanganan is a third year student and the Ecosoc representative to the College of Mass Communication. She hopes to change the Philippine media, and serve the people. Please appreciate her Photoshop joke in the title of this article, and all her future productions.

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R E C OV E R I N G F R O M T H E D R I F T by KELSEY MARIANO

THE DRIFT

DRIFT noun | \’drift\ the motion or action of drifting especially spatially and usually under external influence, as in: a gradual shift in a ttitude, opinion, or position.

We’ve all gone through it. The growing distance, the empty, unwelcome silence. Or, as Seafret soulfully puts it, the feeling of “oceans between you and me.” The Drift is painful. The distance is unexplainable, and often we struggle to pull through. What makes the recovery even more difficult is the fact that we are creatures of habit. We rely on routine. We get used to the feeling of having someone to talk to at 2 am about everything and anything. Coming home and telling someone about your day. Calling someone up with the assurance that they’ll pick up. We get attached to what we perceive as consistent, constant, and permanent. Thing is, not everything remains unchanging. Not everyone stays. At the end of the day, there really is no assurance that what you have and who you have will always be there. This is when the drift comes in. In the modern age, this means more seenzones, more distant replies. They talk to you less, and pick up even fewer calls. Sometimes, you know the reason why. Most of the time, it’s unexplainable. In Physics, inertia means something will keep on moving lest an external force acts upon it. Simply put, the ball will keep rolling unless you try to stop it. Of course, this applies only to Physics, where they assume that there is an absence of external forces. In the real world, the ball doesn’t always keep on rolling. Sometimes it stops, sometimes it turns, and sometimes it slows down. Most of the time, we don’t know why it stops or turns. The Drift is one of these external forces. It keeps the ball from rolling. It keeps us from moving forward. And it’s hard. It’s hard to break routine; it’s difficult to get used to silence. But you can recover. You can prod the ball and make it start moving. It’ll be a rocky road, and the recovery is timeconsuming, but you’ll get through it. You always will.

THE RECOVERY

people find that not thinking about it makes it easier to recover. The dangerous thing about this is that you never really get closure. In other words, some things will always find their way back to haunt you. But, find what works for you. Not everyone has the same coping mechanism. Find your own way to recover and make sure it’s a healthy way of recovering. The most important thing to remember is that The Drift is just a temporary stop, bump, or turn. In the long run, you always get better. Don’t let a few bumps in the road dishearten you from meeting new people and making new friends. Fate often finds a way to distinguish who truly stays and who will eventually stay for us. Let time run its course. And always, always keep the ball rolling.

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One of the most crucial things to do when recovering from the drift is surrounding yourself with the people you care about. We have a tendency to forget who truly cares about us and who stays through for us when we’re too busy trying to figure out what went wrong. Make plans with them. Go out with them. Meet new people. Make new friends. Don’t let the drift happen again. Lastly, live your life the way you should. Don’t wait around at every turn. Stop wanting to reach out at every possible opportunity. If you see them, be friendly. But, distance yourself justifiably. You’ve made it this far. You don’t want to lose all the progress you just made. At this point, the ball has slowly started to move again. The last thing you want and need at this point is for the ball to stop and turn back. Different people have different ways of recovering. Some find cutting off all contact the best solution, while some

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Silence is hard to get used to. When you first drift, it’s tempting to open up your phone and say hello. Do it. Say hello. Sometimes, you end up fixing things, and sometimes, you don’t. At this point, it’s important not to expect. You only ever get hurt if you do. You’ll reach a certain level of certainty that things are bound to be different from the way they used to be. It’s okay to reminisce. It’s okay to reread old conversations. It’s okay to pull up old pictures. Reliving some memories makes closure a lot easier. It’s almost like putting yourself at ease with what used to be. Going back to how it was, like most things, is healthy only if in moderation. Don’t reread the conversation for the nth time. Stop asking your mutual friend how the person is doing. Stop dwelling on a friendship/ relationship has proven itself to not work out. It’s healthier this way. It’s also important to avoid associating any ill feelings toward particular memories. Always remember that the person was once your friend. Though you don’t talk anymore, it’s important to realize that some people really grow apart. The ball turns when there’s nothing that awaits it in the road ahead. Sometimes, you won’t be able to help but think about it. Take up a new hobby, or run. These things let you refocus on yourself and what you want to do. Propel the ball forward. Gain back the momentum you once had.

>> Kelsey Mariano has a lot of feelings. She would be thrilled to give advice on your love life.

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FRESH OUT OF COLLEGE by SELENA YAO

ADULTHOOD IS NO JOKE. The real world comes with innumerable changes that can scare people sleepless if they don’t find their bearings and know where they’re going. A lot of thought must go into planning one’s career, and more so the mental preparedness needed to face all the changes that will undoubtedly come knocking at the door. To give some insight into the realities of post-college life, I chatted with four Ecosoc alumni fresh out of college who prove that things are going to be just fine, even though they don’t always go according to plan.

KRISTINA VIRAY

former Editor at Echoes

SY: Law school, huh? Tell us all about it.

E C H O E S

KV: You know all the horror stories they tell you? They're real. We're given around twenty cases to read for every meeting. The profs can humiliate and personally attack you if they don't like how you look or if they think you're being stupid. Two of my classmates got kicked out of class during the first meeting. One was accused of sleeping and the other of laughing. I'm averaging three to four hours of sleep these days. It's crazy and definitely not for the fainthearted. SY: Damn, that's some intense stuff. It's no wonder some people don't last. Knowing you, you're probably going to stick it out, right?

KV: I definitely will. I'll work my ass off. Going to law school wasn't really a dream, but I always finish what I started. I get questions along the lines of, "Do you ask yourself if you made the right decision?" I jokingly tell them that I don't have time to think about that. (laughs) But on a serious note, I don't really classify decisions as right or wrong. It's up to you to make decisions right.

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SY: What's the best thing about law school so far? SEL: Hello Kristina! How have you been? KRISTINA: Hi, Sel! I've been tired and sleepless. SY: What have you been up to lately? KV: I've been studying almost all day everyday, no kidding. I barely have time to do anything else.

KV: You amaze yourself. (laughs) Like, "Wow, I'm still here!" SY: Are you leaning towards practicing a certain type of law, or is it too early to say? KV: I think it's too early to say. I'm really a gowith-the-flow kind of person.

SY: Studying for what?

SY: So when you're not drowning in cases, where can we expect to find you?

KV: I'm in law school now, so I need to study cases. Otherwise, I can get kicked out of class!

KV: The gym... (laughs) I can't work out as much as I want to, but I'm trying!

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TIMMY JACOB

former Echoes Editor-in-Chief SEL: Hello Timmy! What’s been going on in your life since you graduated from UP? TIMMY: It’s been pretty chill for the most part. Before August, I was spending a lot of the time going out with my family, Katherine, and both Ecosoc and high school friends before they all went back to being busy. Actually, I’ve been talking to a buddy of mine and we’re working on either producing our own kendamas or bringing in some international brands. I don’t have a job right now, but it seems like it would be a cool side hustle for when I actually have one. I don’t want it to seem like I’m some bum, but I’m not working yet ‘cause I’m still trying to figure out what I want to do. I mean, I’ve done an interview or two, and passed up on some offers that didn’t appeal to me. SY: You seem like a man of many hobbies. Is there something that interests you more than most, professionally speaking? TJ: I would love to be a stand up comedian. Or actor. Or radio DJ. Or pro wrestler. I think that last one is the most unrealistic because of my size and level of physical fitness. I guess the more realistic ones is pro kendama player. It’s sounds so geeky, but I’m legit hooked. It’s so fun and I think more people should be playing this thing. It would be awesome to be a sponsored player. My ultimate dream job is still to play in a band. But the hindrance is I have no band, and I don’t know anyone who’s

into the music I’m into. I would love to play pop punk or post hardcore music… But eh. Oh, I forgot to mention that the hindrance to being a pro dama player is there are way too many beast players overseas. S: Well, you seem like one of the pioneers of the kendama culture in the country! Do you see the local community growing in the future? TJ: Definitely not a pioneer. But I love that I introduced a bunch of people to it. They didn’t all get as hooked as I did, but I’m glad they tried it out and maybe it made them happy for a bit. As for the community growing, I have so many ideas on how to get people into it. But I need to find a way to have kendamas to sell, or at least have a bunch of people willing to help out and commit to going to regular jams and stuff. I guess it’s harder in the Philippines because people aren’t as open to approaching strangers. In other countries, people who are curious can just go up to you, ask you about it and if they can try. Here, my experience is people will look at you and try to watch without getting your attention (but you still always see ‘em in your peripherals). I’ve had kids go up to me though. They’re not as shy to ask if they can borrow or try it out. I’m going to look like a super geek in this interview because I love talking about kendama. I don’t know, I’m just passionate about it. It would be cool to run a store and create a community.

SY: I feel like you’re one of the few people who can actually pull that off actually! Do you see that becoming your main thing? Is it something you’re beginning to work towards at present? TJ: Yeah, for sure. I mean, I would love to have a job that I would be passionate about and not sell my soul to a corporation. I guess you can say I’m working at it ‘cause I’m trying to get more people to discover it. Since I started that new Instagram and post weekly videos, more people started asking me about it and want to try it out. This girl I was into in high school whom I haven’t talked to in forever randomly messaged me about wanting to try out kendama. After I told her where should can get one, she and her boyfriend got hooked apparently. Like I said earlier, I’m also working on trying to sell my own kendamas, whether it’s locally manufacturing some stuff here, or bringing in some international brands. I’ve actually talked to some people and sent some emails and inquired about bringing stuff in. They’ve hit me back but the hard part is that I assume they’d prefer to work with businesses with actual business permits and tax ID’s and stuff. It’s also scary to manufacture locally because I’d have to invest a lot of money. Finding a manufacturer with tools to make ‘em, sourcing materials, prototyping shapes and paints… I’d love to do it but it’s scary without a sure market for it right now. Moral of the story, life is hard. And it’s scary and expensive to chase dreams.

ADRIEL ARGUELLES

former Liaison Chairperson / Central Communications Officer

SEL: Hello Adriel! How have you been since graduation? Been busy with work?

E C H O E S

ADRIEL: I’ve never been better. Life after grad is so different and eyeopening but I’ve learned so much and experienced a whole lot already. Been busy with work since I’m still on the first half of my training – literally selling Ariel and Downy off the back of a truck to almost 300 sari-sari stores.

AA: Super character building! Plus I know how to speak and understand Bisaya now, so more learnings! For next month, I’m moving to bigger accounts, which includes grocery chains. So no more selling off a truck, more me in my car going to all my groceries and making sure they never

run out of P&G products and they have great promos to help sell our products. SY: Wait, Bisaya? Where are you based?

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SY: Wow, that sounds like a character-building job. You mentioned that this is only half of your training. What does the other half entail?

A U G U S T

AA: LOL at roughing it out. Yeah, it’s a physically demanding job. You clock in 6:30AM, so I wake up at 5:30AM and drive to work by 6:00AM. I’m thankful to RVC for teaching me how to wake up early. Once I get to the distributor, I leave my car there and join my selling crew. I’ve met hundreds of new people already, mostly mommy sari-sari store owners whom I’ve become close with over the past two months. I usually overdeliver on my target everyday to make sure na hindi ko na habulin sales ko by the end of the month so chill nalang ako everyday. On a good day I get home by 4:00PM. Most days I clock out 5 or 6. Like today.

SY: What’s it like roughing it out on the streets? Would you even call it that?

AA: I’m based in Central Visayas or basically Cebu. SY: Awesome! You’ve moved around a bit in your childhood, right? Does it still excite you to live in a new place? AA: At first it was really difficult kasi when I move naman I’m always with my family. But living alone in a different city is exciting kasi you get to experience so many things and meet new people. So yeah, every city is different and I look forward to the pieces of myself that I pick up in every place I go to and the moments I get to share with newfound friends. [I’m such a] millennial.

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FLORA PALABRICA

former External Affairs Chairperson / Public Relations Officer SEL: Hello, Flora! How’s life been for you since you graduated with flying rainbows, to say the least? FLORA: It’s going pretty well! Didn’t really get much of a vacation since I was at work one week after grad, but so far, I’m loving my job! SY: Where do you work and what do you do? Please enlighten the uninformed. FP: I’m working as a Management Associate for Bright Research Consulting! Essentially, we provide market intelligence and corporate research for our clients - from the data gathering and methodologies up to presentations and strategy. I’m part of their Management Trainee program so for the next six months I’ll be working on the JFC account, specifically handling Mang Inasal, Greenwich and Burger King. Magpa-deliver kayo please! Masarap crema de leche ng Mang Inasal! SY: Wow, that sounds really interesting! What’s the work environment in a consulting firm like Bright? FP: Well, I think one huge difference between working for a consulting firm versus working for a more traditional brickand-mortar establishment is that we’re a team of 20+ people

in the company, and they’re a team of hundreds, at least. The environment is definitely a lot more close-knit and the mentoring and development is super spot-on. Another key difference is how consulting is mostly output-based. It’s not a matter of clocking in at 8AM in the morning and clocking out at 5PM. You control your time so there’s a lot of trust that’s involved. I’ve worked from home or from coffee shops a couple of times and it’s perfectly fine - as long as I deliver. Bright also does some things differently from other consulting firms. Instead of the usual working on a project-by-project basis, Bright actually builds partnerships with its client companies and works with them for a contract period of 3-5 years. It’s like consulting but with a more personal touch and more accountability to ensure project results. Since you become close to the client company too, it’s sort of like having two work families at the same time! SY: How did you decide on an employer when there were so many job opportunities knocking on your door? FP: Honestly, it wasn’t an easy decision. I think it came down to figuring out what exactly it is that I want to be doing 3-5 years down the road. P&G was offering

me a set track in Finance and it wasn’t the road I wanted to follow. I’ve always been more interested in analyzing data and fixing problems so the job in management consulting seemed a better fit. Plus, the compensation didn’t hurt. Corny as it is, I think I followed my heart on this one. Choosing a young local consulting firm versus an established multinational might not exactly be considered a completely rational decision, but I’m clear about my goals and where I want to be and I know Bright will be the one to get me there. SY: We don’t doubt the places you’ll go, that’s for sure! Do you still have time to sit back and breathe? FP: Aww, thanks! And yes, definitely! I think work life balance doesn’t necessarily have to be a myth if you manage your time well and you’re realistic about your expectations. Consulting gets a pretty bad rep for late hours and crazy deadlines, but it’s really up and down! There are going to be good weeks and bad weeks depending on the client’s schedule of projects, so you just ride through. I haven’t fully transitioned into my role yet though, so I’ll let you know in a couple of weeks if I still feel the same way.

>> Selena Yao dreams of becoming a nature conservationist or a pilot, two unlikely careers given the current trajectory of her life. She simply hopes that her future doesn’t involve a bland desk job.

WHY I FILED FOR I N AC T I V I T Y by Izabelle Cruz

Filing for inactivity was like a breath of fresh air. I could finally have tea and dessert with my parents after dinner. I read books at coffee shops instead of meeting videographers. I had brunch with my grandparents on Saturday mornings and visited kids at a clinic on Monday mornings because I didn’t have events to attend. Being inactive has given me more time to discover new things and realize what matters. Although I may not be able to fill my resume the way my ambitious past self would have hoped, at least I was able to hear the love story of my grandparents and I was able to hold the hand of a kid while he was being vaccinated. These are the moments I live for. Don’t waste all your college years focused on your org or your acads or even your resume. You only have one life to live, so enjoy it.

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This is what happened to me. I was burnt out. Three years through and I finally decided that I was done, not because I was tired per se, but because I lost sight of the important things. I ended up working for all the wrong reasons. The bigger chair blinded me and the moment I got the positions I wanted, I ended up feeling empty. I spent all this time climbing the ladder, only to find it leaning against the wrong wall. (Thank you for that quote, Thomas Merton.)

Admit it, at one point in your college life, naging active ka talaga. Don’t get me wrong; it’s really fun for some time. You meet new people, make new friends, and you discover something new about yourself. At first, this is enough to keep you going but after a while, you start wanting more. You become discontent. You do things for the sake of getting this position or that award. You want to fill your resume so you hatch up a plan so that you can become a vice chairperson or a director or something like that. But then you get tired. You start avoiding Facebook because when you open it, trabaho nanaman. Org work becomes more of a burden than fun.

E C H O E S

“NAKS ACTIVE!” – If you’re part of an org in UP, you’ve probably had someone tell you this at one point or another. I’m sure you’ve heard comments like this when attended commeet because your class was free cut or when you changed your DP to the Roots main poster at 9:30pm or even when you simply shared the LIV teaser video.

>> Isabelle Cruz is not Neena Ame. S/he may be a girl or a boy. S/he continues to loves Ecosoc.

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THE PERMANENT NEW KID by CARLO CABATO

eing the new kid sucks sometimes. You gotta find your way around the new school, introduce yourself to new classmates, try and squeeze yourself into a place at the cafeteria during lunchtime, and many more daunting tasks. On the other hand, it’s not so bad. You get to meet a completely new set of diverse people, learn much about the different cultures and customs in schools, and, most especially, you get to reinvent yourself all over again. A blank slate. You can be the cool kid, the nerd, the jock; anything you want. Now, imagine doing that seven different times. That’s me. Seven different schools, seven different uniforms, seven different rule books, but an infinite number of ways to seriously fuck up (or fuck-all). Now, switching between seven schools wasn’t exactly my choice (except for UP, of course). My dad’s job constantly had him hopping constantly from country to country, and my family sat through the ride. All in all, I’ve lived in about three countries, with seven schools spread out over them; Vietnam, Singapore and of course, the Philippines.

VIETNAM: BRITISH ACCENTS & SERIOUSLY UNPOPULATED SCHOOLS Vietnam was the first country I lived in, and it was also home to the first school I attended. The first school was literally called International School, a really, really small school. It had a student population of around three: me, Matt, and a kid named Zubin. We were all in the same class, and the same year level (kindergarten). It wasn’t that hard to fit in, since we were only three people. It also wasn’t that hard to share the playground with everyone else. The school promptly closed down after a couple of months due to the lack of students (and I’m guessing lack of proper funding). Fortunately, my parents were able to find a promising international school with a relatively larger population. It was a British school, with British teachers, and a mostly British student body. Coming from the small, measly place that was barely even a school, I was so overwhelmed when I suddenly had more than two other classmates; I cried on the first day. I was also overwhelmed by the sheer size of my teacher, who I thought was going to eat me; I cried on the second day. I was also overwhelmed by the weird way they spoke

English; I cried on the third day. This was a lot to handle for a five-year-old, but eventually, things changed. I suddenly became friends with my new classmates. I learned that my teacher didn’t eat children, but she was just really fat. I even developed a British accent, as seen in this conversation with my mom below (who was late in picking me up that day):

After moving to Singapore, I became less afraid of the unknown. I had three schools under my belt, and I felt that nothing could stop me. I’d walk into those school gates with the pride and strength that a first grade B.A.M.F could muster. I’d be the cool kid. The outlaw. The Chosen One. Oh, how stupid and extremely naïve I was.

LA SALLE, ATENEO, AND UP Out of all the schools I’ve been to, the hardest ones to adjust to were probably the ones in the Philippines, most notably La Salle and Ateneo. The language barrier really kept me from learning a lot, they were both all boys schools’, and (probably the most shocking), was a single piece of

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SINGAPORE: MEAN GIRLS JR.

Eventually, I also learned to adjust, get used to it, and move on. By the fourth grade, I was ready to rule the school with my group of friends and our infinite supply of spitballs. That is, until I made my final move to my homeland; the Philippines.

A U G U S T

What wasn’t easy was the fact that I didn’t even finish the school year. I had to move to a whole new country, and in turn, a whole new different school.

I didn’t even know what a report card was until one of my classmates explained it to me. And the reason astounded me: the teachers give you a bunch of quizzes and tests, and based on those tests they give you a percentile to see how much you’ve learned. In my old schools, I those things never even existed. All you had to do in my old schools was attend, listen to the class, and do the activities during class. Never did I hear the words “report card” or “grades’ from any of my teachers’ mouths. As far as I knew, they were just there to teach, not grade any of us. Like all things though, I learned to get used to it. I started studying more. I answered their tests, did their quizzes, and accepted the marks I was given. I took up college entrance tests, and got in to UP Diliman.

After a year though, I had to change schools again, but it was much easier since it was just a different branch of the same school. Easy peasy.

What also scared me was that there were also these distinct groups of people sitting together in the cafeteria (I found out the word was “cliques”). And you might think “Don’t cliques usually start in middle or high school?” Well, in this case, it simply wasn’t true. Imagine first grader jocks, or first grader nerds, or even first grader popular kids. It was like watching Mean Girls Jr. in real life.

paper could define your grade school or high school career: a report card.

E C H O E S

Me: Mummy, I’m very cross. You were late today. Mom: Ha? Ano? Cross? Me: Yes mummy, I’m cross. Mom: What?! Me: Mummy, galit ako! Late ka po!

The new school I went to was a whole new beast altogether. It was an American-run international school, run very differently from the British school I was used to. I had to lose the accent to try and fit in with this new breed of (mostly white) kids. From a confident, strong-willed kid, I became a shy, introverted one in almost an instant.

UP Diliman is probably one of the schools where I needed (and still need) to adjust to the most. Not necessarily because it’s new, but I believe that the school itself is constantly changing and evolving. New buildings, new classrooms, new classmates every semester, new lines to line up to, new friends to make, new orgs to join, new memories, new triumphs, and new failures. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. >> Carlo Cabato is a sophomore in UPSE. You can usually find him jamming around UP.

F E A T U R E S

ON THE RISE words by NIKKI LIU & ERIN CHENG photos by ROLLY OLIQUINO & FAU MANZANILLA

It’s a typical Saturday morning, and KAYLA wakes up early to prepare for the ACDC session of the day. Her bubbly and bright personality makes her an instant hit with the kids, and they have likewise become a big part of her Saturday routine. On the other hand, JEM is always on the go, meeting up with many different people from his organizations and planning and executing all sorts of events. You will almost always never see Jem idle. Despite their busy schedules, we were lucky enough to sit down with the two young but active members of Ecosoc and talk to them about all sorts of things – their lives prior to college, their stay in Ecosoc, and what they’ve got planned for the future.

E C H O E S

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ON LIFE BEFORE UP Kayla Fabi was born on the 19th of April 1998. Growing up, Kayla was a shy kid all throughout grade school, although this changed when she joined musical theater towards the end of grade school. By the time high school came around, she became extremely involved and embraced the active lifestyle. She was part of the student council back in high school, serving as batch representative twice, then as vice president, and finally as president of the student body in her senior year. She was also part of the Model United Nations, the Math club, and the school paper. Despite all this activity, she says that she had no social life in high school, sleeping at 7-8PM every night. Kayla proclaims herself as straight edge and enjoys asking people about their horoscopes to see if she is compatible with them (Kayla is an Aries). Meanwhile, Jeremy “Jem” Gemzontan was born on the 20th of February 1997 (a Pisces, for those of you wondering). As a child, Jem was a crybaby, and he would cry about almost everything that frustrated him. He also says that he was a hopeless romantic in the past. He got into the Xavier School basketball team in seventh grade and played competitive basketball for his school, though he had to stop after dislocating his shoulder (which has happened about nine times in his life). Because of this, Jem started actively participating in other committees in high school such as the Appreciation Day committee and Days with the Lord. Jem likes eating, making fun of people – but he loves everyone – and socializing with friends, although he’s not so much into the party thing.

ON ECOSOC AND FIRST IMPRESSIONS

E C H O E S

When asked about what made them apply for Ecosoc in the first place, Kayla says that it was actually her dad who picked out Ecosoc as the organization fit for his daughter. After seeing all the active members, and seeing that most of her blockmates applied, she too was convinced that Ecosoc was the organization for her. On the other hand, Jem says that he knew of the organization back in high school because of the National Youth Congress. Initially, Kayla was an applicant under the Special Events committee. However, she said that when it comes to work, “Gusto ko ng maraming work, but with Spev, it’s event-based so the work comes around maybe every 2-3 months.” Moreover, she really enjoyed going to ACDC as an applicant, which was kind of like the outreaches she did back in high school. The difference between her outreaches then and now is that the former felt like work, but the ones she attended for Ecosoc didn’t, thus leading her to switch to the Community Development committee. As for Jem, he joined the External Affairs committee because of Josh Uy, his friend back in high school and who later on became his guardian during the application process. He also really enjoys the work that Externals does. “It’s the kind of stuff I like: planning solid events that have a goal at the end like in Rundown, UPFront, and the National Economics Summit.” ON HIGHS, LOWS, AND TURNING POINTS

When asked about their favorite Ecosoc event, Kayla says that her favorite is Roots. She enjoyed working for the event as a Public Relations Officer, as well as the fact that the proceeds go to the scholars. Jem’s favorite Ecosoc event, on the other hand, is UPFront. As the Programs Director, he says that it was the one event that really exposed to him how UP will be like. Kayla and Jem also discovered new talents during their stay in Ecosoc. Kayla has taken a liking to Public Relations work for the various ad hoc teams in Ecosoc, following in the footsteps of her idol, President Cha Surdarlingam. Meanwhile, Jem has also found himself a new talent with Creatives work. “During UPFront, I helped the Creatives team with their videos, with animation and stuff, and I found out I enjoyed it. I’ve been trying my hand at it ever since and committing to that type of work.” However, with high points come low points, and the same can be said for both Jem and Kayla. Kayla says that her burnout sem in Ecosoc is probably this semester. “Ecosoc Month hasn’t started yet and I already feel so tired.” However, she says she will still volunteer for the other ad hoc teams, because although she doesn’t want to be swamped with work, she still wants to be there during the event and get a shirt and a lanyard.

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ON WHAT KEEPS THEM GOING Weirdly enough, Kayla doesn’t consider herself as an active member. She says that she doesn’t think of org work as work, and she doesn’t feel the membership grade where members get graded for going to events. She simply goes when she likes the event, and ends up going to almost everything... Except maybe in CDC where the counts are all noted down. Kayla says that she stays active in CDC because she has to beat Carlos in all of his counts. “What keeps me going? COMPETITION.” Kayla also likes the people a lot and thinks of Ecosoc as one big barkada. Undoubtedly, Jem’s love for Ecosoc is what keeps him going. He says that it probably started during last year’s Ecosoc Month, where he was an intern for Programs. Whenever he attends events, he sees how committed the members are to the thrusts of service, excellence and tradition. Jem says that although it sounds cliche, it’s true it’s hard not to fall in love with Ecosoc. When it comes to their favorite thing about Ecosoc, Kayla and Jem had similar answers: the people, the love, the thrusts, and of course, the profile pictures. ON CURRENT COMMITMENTS

On the other hand, Jem says that his lowest point in Ecosoc was last semester. “Nabigatan lang ako sa work - I had commitments with UPFront, as an Externals Vice Chairperson, and there were other things happening with other organizations and other commitments, so it got heavy. Pero push lang, find a way, keep on keeping on.” Overall, when asked about how Ecosoc was a turning point in their college lives, both of them answered the same thing – “Ecosoc is my college life.”

Currently, Kayla is serving as one of the Vice Chairpersons for the Community Development Committee. “Every Saturday, I’m in school. Every Tuesday, I’m in school until 6PM even though my class is until 12NN lang. We have to scout places for caravans, medical missions. We need to make sure everything is prepared and ready for ACDC’s. CDC is a lot of work.” Aside from her home committee, Kayla is also working for Ecosoc Month as a Public Relations officer, and as a guardian for the Scholarship Committee. Meanwhile, Jem is still a member of Externals. Aside from this, he’s also working for Ecosoc Month as an AdCreate officer, for the National Youth Congress as a Publicity and Promotions officer, and for the Constitutional Committee of Ecosoc.

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E C H O E S

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| A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 ON OTHER THINGS

ON FUTURE PLANS When asked about their future plans, both weren’t able to say exactly where they would be in the future. According to Kayla, “You know we all have ideas and plans, things we want to accomplish and improve in the organization. Like in CDC, I want to change the branding, make it more appealing for both the members and apps. I want more people to understand the true value of attending CDC’s. Overall, to solidify Ecosoc as a socio-civic organization.” For Jem, he says that his future plans are still cloudy, so he can’t tell us exactly where he’s headed yet. “But for sure I’ll be here,” he assures us.

Finally, we were able to ask the two about other things that may or may not be of any concern. Who are their Ecosoc crushes? Kayla’s is Jude Geron whereas Jem’s is Leri Tan. What about their Ecosoc idols? Kayla’s is Cha or JJ and Jem’s is Zo Canaria. Do they memorize the Ecosoc song? Both answer no. EM or TF? Kayla says TF while Jem says EM. Mahal ka o mahal mo? Both proudly answer mahal ko. Pineapples on pizza? Kayla says yes while Jem says saks lang. Kayla’s and Jem’s reasons for constantly staying in motion may be unconventional, but they certainly reflect in their performance in Ecosoc. These two continue to raise the standard of what it means to uphold service, excellence, and tradition through the work they deliver. One thing’s for sure: at the rate they’re going, their college days will never be dull again.

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I STILL GET FLASHBACKS OF THE DAY THAT CHANGED MY LIFE. Back then, it felt like a scientific breakthrough. Like I was Einstein or some shit. I was four when I discovered that you could bite your nails and stay ALIVE. Don’t get me wrong though, I’m not proud of my bad habit. In fact, I hate my nailbiting tendency, how it’s become a part of me and how I can never seem to get rid of it.

KICKING THE BAD HABIT by KATIE ABRENICA

I was asked to write about kicking the bad habit, and honestly, it’s quite inappropriate to ask me of all people. I’m not exactly in the right position given that I’ve never actually stopped with my bad habit. But I AM in the best position to tell you why having a bad habit sucks, in the hopes that maybe you’d get over your own.

It sucks being associated with something bad. I hate seeing people’s grossed out faces whenever they see my nails, all bruised and battered. But I understand their reactions completely and I would react the same way if I were on the opposite side of the story.

When people ask me why I bite my nails, I would tell people that I just bite my nails whenever I feel nervous, which sounds like a legitimate enough excuse. Honest answer? I just do it whenever I’m not doing anything else. YES, I want nice, normal nails like everyone else. But NO, I can’t help myself. Having a bad habit makes you feel like you have no will or determination to better yourself.

Finally, bad habits are simply unpleasant, and being guilty of them makes you unpleasant company. Bad habits aren’t called “bad” for no reason. They are either rude, weird, unhealthy or simply unpleasing to look at. Nail biting is no exception. Maybe the reason why I don’t have a boyfriend is because no one wants to hold hands with me. Who knows?

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And as for me, if you see me in the tambayan or the library biting my nails, feel free to tell me off! I will give you the side-eye, but I will very much appreciate the concern.

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They say that it takes 21 days to break a habit. That is NOT true. Of course, I’ve tried getting rid of my bad habit, and I’ve succeeded for weeks or months but never entirely. I always end up running back to it again. I feel like a child, having to be reminded again and again that nail biting is bad and gross and unhealthy, but it never really sinks in.

With all that being said, stopping your bad habit is a lot easier said than done. I can’t tell you how to stop your bad habit (truth be told, I was biting my nails the entire time I was writing this article...) but I can tell you that bad habits bring about nothing but unnecessary negativity to your life that you’ve got to start getting rid of them. It may sound hypocritical on my part, but we both know it’s true.

Secondly, a bad habit makes you feel like a five-year-old. People usually get rid of their bad habits at a very young age. And then there’s me: 18 years old and still at it.

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First of all, having a bad habit makes you feel like you have no control over yourself. Seriously, before I even know it, my fingers are in my mouth and I’m chewing like there’s no tomorrow. It’s gotten to a point where it’s become subconscious for me to bite my nails.

Third, having a bad habit draws attention to yourself. And not the good kind of attention. For a girl who tries to stay low key and doesn’t like drawing attention in any way, nail biting has definitely done just that for me. I always have to answer questions like, “Masarap ba?” or “Gutom ka?” Like excuse me, nananahimik ako dito. But I know, I know, it’s my fault. >> Katie Abrenica is a 2nd year BS Economics student who thinks that red velvet crinkles are price inelastic.

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FINDING THE “WHY” by Gabe Japlos WHY DO YOU LIKE WORKING OUT SO MUCH? WHY DO YOU ALWAYS EXERCISE? WHY DO YOU CARE SO MUCH ABOUT YOUR FITNESS? WHY ARE YOU DOING ALL THIS FOR? People ask me these questions all the time. They always question as to why I work out so much. Some people think I do this for vanity’s sake or “pogi points”, while others think I do this just to get girls. But that’s not the reason why I love fitness so much. Fitness for me is much more than just getting praises from your friends for how fit or batak you are, or getting girls (even if I don’t). No, it was never about that. I don’t work out because I want validation. I work out for something more. Fitness had such a big impact to me and it changed who I am. And all this was made possible because of my “why”. To answer my “why”, let me first tell you how I started. One thing not everyone knows about me is that I grew up as a gamer. I would spend almost the whole day just to play my PlayStation. I would wake up at 6 am just so I could start playing, and sleep as late as 3 am because I couldn’t stop. I wasn’t getting enough sleep and I wasn’t eating right. Because of this, I was in terrible shape. Despite me playing several sports, my physical condition wasn’t so good. I was a really, really, really skinny kid. I weighed around 90 pounds when I was in 3rd year. I was very weak and fragile. Although this was true, I never really cared about how I looked before and how people saw me, which is why I never really cared about fitness.

was against me, I didn’t ask, “Why me?” Instead, I said, “Try me.” I didn’t need an alarm clock to wake me up in the morning because my desire to work out woke me up. I was working out twice a day. I was working harder than ever; pushing myself every day and every night. But most importantly, I was happy. I was happy because I saw where my hard work and dedication brought me. Where my sacrifices have taken me. I was proud because I know I made this for myself. This is my “why”. This is the reason I do what I do. The reason I get up in the morning. After finding my “why”, everything just kept going up and getting better. I loved what I was doing. This is why you should find your “why”. Finding your “why” is important if you want to see a change in yourself. Finding your why will allow you to push yourself to the next level. You will no longer be ordinary. You will be doing things other people can’t imagine themselves doing. You will find your character and your goals. You will be achieving your dreams. You will look better. Feel better. Be better. But most importantly, you will still be you. No matter how much you grow and how much you’ve changed, remember to keep working harder and always stay humble. Now that you know your “why”, you can ask yourself, “How?”

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out, I actually had a goal. I started taking my workouts seriously. I tried my best not to skip workouts and to push myself to the max. If before I was only doing 50 push ups per day, I was doing 300 by then. I started waking up earlier to work out. I asked tips from my friend on how to work out. I started eating more and sleeping more so that my body could recover from my workouts. I did this every day for the rest of the year. It came to a point that people found it funny how much I worked out. Some even said that I couldn’t do it. But I didn’t let the opinions of other affect me. After a couple of months, I looked at the mirror and saw the difference. I saw my “why”. There was a change in me. At first, I thought it was just my physical appearance, but it wasn’t. It was beyond my physical appearance. I changed completely as a person. I didn’t need to remind myself not to skip a workout. On the contrary, I hated when I had to skip a workout. I was a better person overall. I was more dedicated compared to before. I was able to push myself to do more, may it be in working out or even my acads. I started getting better grades compared to before. I was able to make more friends. I was driven to achieve my goals and I didn’t let anything stand in my way. I had a more positive view in life. My confidence in myself grew. My heart grew. My desire for things grew. My goals grew. Everything about me grew. When I was faced with problems, when I thought life

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But one day the smallest thing changed my life. It was the end of the year of my 2nd year in high school and my PlayStation broke. It was the worst day of my life at that time. I didn’t know what I was going to do anymore. I had so much free time with nothing to do. Given all this free time, I tried focusing on my studies but I just couldn’t get myself to study for that long. Therefore, because of boredom, I wanted to try something new. I was desperate for a new hobby or at least something to do at home. This the reason why I tried working out for the first time. At first, working out was so dragging and every word that is the opposite of fun. I didn’t have a clear reason why I was doing what I was doing. I was just doing it to pass time at home. I hated working out so much because it just made me so tired. I mean, I come home from school mentally exhausted, and now I have to make myself physically exhausted??? It was so hard to push myself to wake up in the morning to do even a couple of push ups. I would always end up sleeping and skipping my workouts. I had no drive or determination to achieve anything. But come 3rd year, one of my friends made an amazing transformation. Like me, he was also very skinny before but he managed to make himself so fit. This triggered something inside me (no homo). I started wondering and thought to myself, “Wow, I wonder if I could also do that?” For the first time since I started working

>> Gabe Japlos arguably has the most defined abs in Ecosoc.

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1 1 T H I N G S YO U S H O U L D S TO P D O I N G by BIANCA RANOLA I mean, you don’t have to stop doing them. Sometimes you can’t help being an annoying prick, and I completely get that. But if you care at all about, you know, not being a disgrace to mankind, or if you have at least a shred of self-respect, then you better check yourself before you wreck yourself. 1) Being passive aggressive. Look, it’s 2016. And by that I mean that if you’re pissed that s/ he didn’t text you back, you don’t subtweet something awful along the lines of “I didn’t need you in my life anyway” thinking that s/ he will come to his/her senses

because of your self-assured wit. Chances are s/he will LOL and you will delete your tweet out of sheer mortification because s/he still didn’t text you back. Boohoo. Dami mo namang time. 2) Taking forever to reply. Wow, you replied three hours after you received my message. I’m sorry you’re so occupied trying to seem like you’re occupied that you can’t answer a simple “Are u done with the hw?” ANG COOL MO NAMAN. BIGYAN NG JACKET. 3) Taking your shoes off in public. Who in the right mind comes

to class and thinks, “Oh I am really enjoying this lecture. Might as well show everyone my feet!” PLEASE EXPLAIN!!! I don’t care if your feet are aching or wet or on fire. News flash, people: This isn’t show and tell. And even if it were, why would you think I would have the slightest interest in your feet? Cover those up. I don’t want to see them. 4) And then touching your feet. Again, why??? Who hurt you??? What kind of evil spirit are you housing in your body??? How dare you suggest that I couldn’t possibly live my life without

10) Saying “Snaaapchaaat” every time you snap something. I know what Snapchat is. I know that you are using it. In fact, I too am using it to view this very story. So I’m gonna stop you right there, sis. Every time someone proclaims this in

>> Bianca Ranola writes to make money and is accepting donations in cash and in kind. You may donate to Bantay Bianca 168 when you see her at the tambs/the streets.

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7) Or not throwing away the trash you see lying around. Even worse than #6. I don’t give a damn if the Chocnut wrapper at your table isn’t yours. It might as well be. Now be a doll and segregate.

11) Being a killjoy. Look, tita, I am fully aware that I don’t have a love life. If I did have one, I’m pretty sure I’d be the first to know. So obviously I am kidding when I reply “Yeah, I have a lot of boyfriends” to your perfectly predictable question. I am sorry that you are incapable of taking a joke. But do forgive me if I am incapable of crying at your funeral.

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6) Littering. How hard is it to throw your trash where it belongs? Very much so, it seems. But can’t you at least try to be a decent human being? Must you be the bane of the society? Kaya ‘di umuunlad ang Pilipinas eh.

9) Cutting in line. I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were five years old and incapable of understanding basic social etiquette. But what an insult to five-year olds out there. You, sir, are trash. If you can’t wait in line for the thing you want, then why are you even here? Go sit in the corner, or drown in a pool of selfloathing like the rest of us.

a snap, a wolf cries to the blue corn moon, and humankind moves farther away from Jesus’ light. (Side note: Follow echoesph on Snapchat!)

5) Leaving the cubicle all messy after your turn. Most basic things parents teach their children: One, don’t talk to strangers. And two, FLUSH THE TOILET AFTER YOU USE IT, DIMWIT.

8) Seenzoning. The highest form of disrespect. It’s a travesty. It’s an abomination. And if you don’t have a legitimate excuse and a med cert signed by the Health Service, then why are we even friends? It’s like, the rules of feminism.

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seeing you run your filthy excuse for hands all over your filthy excuse for feet??? And in front of my pure virgin eyes??? THE AUDACITY. Off with your head.

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7 R E A L I Z AT I O N S F R O M A L O N G T E R M R E L AT I O N S H I P by NIKA ESPIRITU BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE, LET ME FIRST ESTABLISH MY CREDIBILITY IN TALKING ABOUT ~LOVE~: I met my boyfriend during high school, and we have been together for four years. When I shifted to UPD in 2014, this marked the start of our long distance relationship. Contrary to popular belief,

we’re going strong despite the major shift in our relationship (to be honest, this was not easy). These are some realizations I made along the way, and I’m telling you now so that you don’t make the same mistake. 1. Preserve your privacy in your social media accounts.

There will be times when you have to tell them your password because there’s an important pub due at 9 PM and you have no access to internet, and that’s OK. What’s not OK is when your S.O. knows everything going on in your account and he/she takes it as an offense, e.g. your Facebook search history (“Why did you

search *insert hot groupmate’s name from Comm 3*???”). Know that it is fine to keep little secrets. Besides, doesn’t that (having each other’s passwords) mean that you don’t trust each other?

2. 3.

“I’m going to BGC with my friends on Friday.” “I’m going to BGC with my friends on Friday, can I go?” “I’m going to BGC with my friends on Friday, will you be having any plans then?”

7. Keep an open and healthy communication Most of these tips would be based on a weak foundation if you do not have a healthy communication with your S.O. Talk to each other regularly, learn to turn down the volume, learn to say thank you, and give effort on the small things in a relationship.

>> Nika Espiritu is a first time writer for Echoes. She is emotionally and financially invested in stationery, school supplies, makeup, and cats.

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The first statement merely implies informing your S.O. about your plans on a Friday night. In the long run, this will make your partner feel neglected or ignored. The second statement is used to ask for permission. Your partner is not your parent, there is no need to ask for permission. For some relationships, this is the dawn of what will be a manipulative and controlling relationship. In this case, tell your partner immediately that you don’t like this treatment. The last statement means checking in: you inform your partner about your plans to the extent that they’re not left

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4. Compromise. In my case, there were times when my S.O. and I will meet months later due to the long distance and other responsibilities getting in the way (hi Ecosoc). This was met with arguments. Learn to

6. Don’t always listen to your friends. Remember those Pinoy films where you’re given the heroine of the story and her two single friends who are usually comediennes? The advice are usually a hit or miss, either jeopardizing the relationship of the main characters, or strengthening it with the cheesy scene. The same goes for your friends who throw hugot lines and “WALANG FOREVER! MAG-BBREAK LANG KAYO!” to you when you complain about your relationship. Other times, it’s good, solid advice they have learned from other couples and in other forms of media. Weigh their inputs and what your gut tells you. The special case is for Thought Catalog: don’t listen to that bullshit. (Side note: But if your boyfriend hits you, leave! Listen to your friends when they tell you he’s an abusive asshole.)

3. Let out your problems with your S.O. in a constructive manner. When arguing, you can’t hear each other when one of you is sending a string of text messages in all caps, or having a heated argument. Explain what you don’t like in a constructive manner, and listen to your partner’s side. It can go like: “I did not like what you did, because x, y, and z.”

5. Check in on your partner about decisions, even if they seem small. Check in on your partner from the small things (e.g. going out to drink with high school friends) to the big things (e.g. transferring to another campus). The latter example I learned the hard way. To explain what checking in means, here is an example:

out on your decision making. Always have a healthy and open communication to avoid coming off as controlling or ignorant of your partner’s feelings.

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2. Don’t always sweat the small stuff. Also read as: don’t always be petty. Sometimes, being petty is cute (“Aaaaww, cute mo magalit!”). But, there will be times that your S.O. has not texted for hours and not picking up your calls while in school/work or seenzoned you, but you don’t always have to be mad. Your time together is limited (may it be in the nihilistic sense), so don’t waste your time on fighting about the little things. I felt this was the bigger thing that I realized, since my boyfriend and I rarely see each other, and we didn’t want to waste the time spent together in arguing. In contrast, see the next tip.

turn down the volume, and negotiate. Reach a positive compromise by negotiating up. If you both have exams coming up, why not try studying together? If org and school work gets busy during the evening, allot some time in the evening to talk about your day.

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ON SERVING FOR THE LAST TIME by MONTY BANTA AMIDST THE DEMANDING REQUIREMENTS FOR MY FINAL SUBJECTS IN MY UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE, I still signed up to be involved in the UP Economics Society for my last semester at the university. Honestly, after having one year of inactivity in the organization because of my studies abroad, I somehow feel disconnected since my contemporaries all graduated already and I am not even familiar to most of the Ecosocers in the current roster. Although this has been running in my mind, I continuously remind myself that serving the organization - which actually taught me

how to serve in the first place - must not be out of convenience, but rather out of commitment, gratitude, and respect for the cause. Through the several semesters I have been serving in Ecosoc, it is the culture that I love the most. I can say that Ecosoc is a rich mix of individuals with various academic, political, and social perspectives. But with all of the differences, it is interesting enough that most of the people still manage to work in a team because of the high respect in each personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s individuality. And no matter what your

background is, whether you come from a simple family or an affluent one, whether you believe in a certain religion or not, or whether you support certain causes and movements or not, everyone is welcome without stigma and judgment. In Ecosoc, everyone can be anyone as long as there is alignment in the vision of the organization. It is also noteworthy how driven Ecosocers are when it comes to the work in the organization. Almost everyone works without being forced to do so, and I believe that this is one of the greatest strengths of the group.

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Actually, as I look back since the day I applied in Ecosoc, everything has been a great learning experience. From the meaningful events such as economic fora, medical missions, and academic engagements, commendable scholarship programs for high school and college students, down to the casual talks and discussions at the tambayan, and random chill nights with co-members – each and every moment has contributed a lot to my growth as a student and as an individual.

I could have just stayed inactive, but I chose not to - because there is a part of me that is missing, and that is Ecosoc. I want to finish college with a sense of fulfillment of serving (at least for the last time as an undergraduate) the organization as a way of giving back to the longstanding tradition of striving for the excellence in the service of the greater society.

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Arguably, I can really see how Ecosoc becomes a significant factor in the formation of one’s character in the college years. With the exposure to a diverse set of individuals and the building up of oneanother inside the organization, it is truly exceptional to be part of Ecosoc. People bloom from mere followers to great leaders in their own task groups and interest circles. More than a ground for honing skills and gaining knowledge, I consider Ecosoc as a home to express one’s self and character. And I hope other Ecosocers also see the importance of maintaining this kind of environment inside the organization.

>> Monty Banta found love in a pretty hopeless place. If you’re curious, maybe he’ll tell you all about it.

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Maginhawa Must-Tries. Expectations vs. Reality: Summer Edition. How Hamilton Transformed Broadway. 8 Things To Do When You Want To Do Nothing In Scandinavia and Russia. Tweetable Tweets. 6 Must-Haves for Fashionable Lazy Dressing. All Eyes On Kevin Durant. Staff Picks. What Moves: A Series Of Flash Fiction. Shit Ken Says.

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MAGINHAWA MUST-TRIE S by MAXINE CAPILI Maginhawa constantly attracts people because of its charming restaurants and its patrons also being the residents of the area. It has grown from being just a cheap place to eat for the students from the surrounding universities. The wildly successful (and chaotic) food festivals of the past two years prove it. Maginhawa and the streets surrounding it has become a mecca that draws in the foodies. While there are traditional fares, you will spot more than one restaurant experimenting and bringing in new concepts to their menu. Cotton candy and doughnuts on your milkshakes? Been there, done that. Cereal sandwich ice cream? Tried it. Poutine? It is amazing. With new stalls and restaurants seemingly popping up around the neighborhood every week, it’s hard to keep track of the “must-try” places and even more difficult to remember what innovative amalgamation they’ve come up with now (Sushirittos anybody?) It’s always evolving. Because of that it’s easy to get lost and overwhelmed. Seemingly endless choices make it tough to decide on a place to eat. Hoping to make your life easier, here’s a compiled list of pretty awesome places to go.

1) When Uan Met Sally 39B Maginhawa Street (Tuesday to Sunday, 11 am to 11 pm) This restaurant’s exterior paints a charming picture with glass bottles lining the walls and the wood and iron door. Coming in, you wouldn’t even notice the café area right away because of the shop’s selection of clothes and vintage pieces. The word that comes to mind is eclectic and the décor sets the mood. This shop specializes in European fare with afternoon tea from 2 pm to 5 pm. Wine is an art that is consumed with cheese, ham and crackers. Must try: Vodka Spaghetti (240), Truffled Penne and Shiitake Cream (240), Word Slices (350), White Jade Cheesecake (150)

2) 150 Maginhawa Place 150 Maginhawa Street (Tuesday to Sunday, 4 pm to 11 pm) This new food park has a restaurant line up that rivals StrEAT. There’s a selection of Vietnamese fare, Canadian snacks, Mexican bites and artisan shakes. There’s also a good mix of your usual fare (like bagnet) and the more unorthodox (like cheesy tonkatsu pasta). You’ll find hefty burgers and comfort food. Leave your diet in the car. Affordable prices and good food will keep you lining up for more. It’s a great place to stay with a big group of friends. You’ll be spoiled for choice and there’s a little something for everybody. Must try: Bacon chips @ The Piggery (200), Poutine @ Canadian Snack Shack (200), Birthday Shake @ Sam’s Ice Cream and Shakes (135), Classic Buffalo Wings @ Wings Gone Wild (160 for 6 pcs), Jalapeno Cheese Poppers @ Molcajete Mexica Cantina (100)

3) Ahi Hawaii 3 Maginhawa Street (Monday to Saturday, 11 am to 10 pm) Don’t be fooled by its small menu. This place more than makes up for it with great food. It takes you from the busy streets of the metro to the beaches on the other side of the Pacific. The place is already pretty known for its poke bowls which is a beloved Hawaiian appetizer that comprises of raw fish, vegetables and rice. Sushi bowls, in other words. Must try: Ahi Poke Bowl (150), Malasadas (25), Tiki Sinigang (130) E C H O E S

4 ) We s t w o o d 80 Maginhawa Street (Tuesday to Sunday, 3 pm to 11 pm)

A neighborhood with the same name in Los Angeles is the owner’s inspiration for this cool restaurant. White walls that are painted with L.A.’s landscape will greet you as you walk in. The restaurant combines food from our local cuisine as well as those from Japan, Korea and America. It makes an interesting combination in taste. Their leading line up showcases the sushiritto, a sushi in buritto form, that has eight different variations. There’s also their chicken poppers that can be powdered with three different flavors. Their drinks are served in fun flasks with your choice of thirst quenchers and fizz. Ice cream is taken to a whole other level with specialty cones, cookies, beignets and cereal.

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Must try: Sumo Shake Salmon (249), Snowy Chicken (149 with unlimited drinks), Ice Cream Specialty Cone (125, two scoops)

5)The Pilgrim 189 Maginhawa Street (Everyday, 11 am to 12 am) This restaurant’s tagline is “Dine, Travel, and Explore.” Food gives a lot of indications about the people and the place that it’s from. The Pilgrim takes that to heart by making each customer a globetrotter and having them travel a world of gastronomic delights while staying in a little corner of Maginhawa. The food takes inspiration from many different parts of the world. There’s Japanese teriyaki, Cambodian curry, Korean bulgogi and Thai baked packet. The vision is to create a hub for “pilgrims” who would share their experiences and absorb various cultures. Must try: Baby Back Ribs by Mr. T (380), Bacon Wrapped Prawns (320), Chicken Fingers (180) 71

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E X P E C TAT I O N S V S . R E A L I T Y: SUMMER EDITION by CHINO VITRIOLO EVERYONE LOVES THE SUMMER. Unless you’re a workaholic or you live in a cave, a lot of people look forward to summer for their respective RNRs. However, with the academic calendar shift being imposed back in 2014, summer has never been the same. With that, here are some summer musings the average Ecosocer expects and their unjust reality dahil nga sa panahon ngayon, mahirap na magexpect. H OT VS . WET

Rolly Oliquino Summer expectation: Warm, summer days (perfect to landi on the beach). Reality: Harsh, cold winds in tandem with rainy days (perfect for cuddling…myself). Let’s start with the obvious: ever since the academic calendar

shift, a lot of people have been pointing out how June and July, being rainy months, are troublesome for the full enjoyment of the summer break. Moreover, during the final days of each second semester, UP Diliman suffers from the scorching heat and students get roughly affected, while come the summer break, it starts to rain heavily (talk about the weather being really bipolar). UP students even stressed the survival of the University Avenue sunflowers, which are supposed to bloom every graduation during the summer. Since then, we have started to adjust to the weather condition during each summer break, bringing out umbrellas and boots instead of the usual sunglasses and flip-flops. Because of the annoying calendar shift, Rolly may never be able to landi on the beach again. T RAVEL L I NG VS . STU DYI N G Nikki Liu Summer expectation: I expected to travel, maybe visit another country or go on a roadtrip. Reality: I was stuck at home studying Statistics. HAHAHUHU.

Jay Balmaceda Summer expectation: Chill. Reality: Trabaho.

Charlotte Amante Summer expectation: On the way to Palawan, on the way to Boracay, on the way to *insert place here*. Reality: On the way to UP. Went museum hopping too. #Fun Gone were the days where summer was purely a break for everyone. Before, it’s where friends and family get together to enjoy 1 or 2 month long vacations out of town, or just purely bumming around home. But for some college students, summer is an opportunity to take extra credit and catch up on their subjects, or to take internships with various companies. With one exception…

their way to visit the beach or climb a mountain, but family plans, incompatible schedules or having a relationship with your bed gets in the way. Then again, after a tiring, sleep-deprived semester, who wouldn’t want to sleep the summer off? We know Earl does.

Charlotte Amante Summer expectation: Go out and spend more time with friends! Reality: Stayed at home and slept for n hours. With the two months of break, summer is also an opportunity to walwal every week with your friends and barkada, or to go out and save your crumbling social life after continuous weeks of hell in UP. Social circles and cliques plan

Karla Tuplano Summer expectation: British boylet (or any boylet, really), or lose a decent amount of weight. Reality: 5 pounds heavier, 2 times uglier, and still single as fuck. Justin Villas Summer expectation: Become noticeably fatter, fail my midyear classes, find or realize the love of my life. Reality: None of the above. Aside from socializing, some Ecosocers wanted to use the summer to get fit and get them gains from the gym. However, the harsh reality of doing nothing but eating at

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Earl Dumalaog Summer expectation: Umalis with friends every week. Reality: Wala eh, walang nangyari. Puro plano.

Bea Arroyo Summer expectation: Get abs. Reality: Jelly belly.

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BO NDING VS . SLEEP ING

ROC K- HARD AB S VS . B EL LY GAI NS

With all the Ecosocers busy with Midyear and their internships, some of us just decide to screw extra classes and go full wizard at Orlando’s Harry Potter experience. You lucky muggle you, Miggy Villamor.

Summer is also an opportunity to meet new people, whether in Midyear, at work, in Walrus or during your travels. So it’s not unusual to expect to meet that special someone who’ll sweep you off your feet. Unfortunately for Justin and Karla, they didn’t find someone special this summer. Like I said, mahirap mag-expect. However it doesn’t mean that you’ll be single forever. You just have to be patient and willing because you never know, that special someone might just be waiting for you in your class next semester. Hang in there, Karla and Juvi.

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Miggy Villamor Summer expectation: Take Midyear to survive UP. Reality: Go to Hogwarts and cast spells.

home, or stress-eating because of academics and work gets in the way of a healthy lifestyle. It’s just too good to eat your heart out during the summer when you either don’t have to worry about any requirements, or if you’re drowning in the workload. Either way, majority of us would’ve gained a few pounds over the break from enjoying (or stressing) the summer.

With the changing summer feels in UP, it’s easy to say that one should not expect too much and just go with the flow during the break. More importantly, however, one must always enjoy and fully utilize their summer. When we all start working already, there probably won’t be a summer break to enjoy anymore.

>> Chino Vitriolo is a resident tito of Ecosoc. You can find him making tambay at the Econ backparking or at the AS parking lot. 73

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H O W H A M I LT O N R E V O L U T I O N I Z E D T H E AT R E by KELSEY MARIANO

YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD OF HAMILTON. (If not, please specify which rock you’re living under) It’s a multi-awarded musical about the life of the first Treasury secretary of the US, Alexander Hamilton. While it may still seem within the norm of theatre, with it being a biography, what sets it apart is the fact that Hamilton’s story is told using hip hop. Yup, you read that right. Hip hop. Rap.

People in the White House laughed when Lin-Manuel Miranda, the genius behind the musical, mentioned that Alexander Hamilton’s life embodied hip hop. He performed the piece during the White House Poetry Jam, when it was still called “Mixtape” (which was later called “Alexander Hamilton” and served as the opening number) to which he received a standing ovation for. His performance

The diversity in casting has also changed the game for musical theatre. Hamilton enforces a “no-white” policy in casting its leads, save for King George III. This policy has given way to a ton of opportunities for those who often don’t get cast in theatre because of racial discrimination. In fact, it has been an example for many other productions as well. While some find it odd that an AfricanAmerican plays the role of George Washington, a Latino plays the role of Alexander Hamilton, and a Chinese-American plays the role of Elizabeth Schuyler, Lin-Manuel’s simple reasoning is the fact that this is what America looks like today. This kind of diversity empowers people of different races whose race/culture is something people have often belittled in the past. Its inspired many that they can create change regardless of what race they belong it. They are Americans at the end of the day, and they share a history and common Founding Fathers. Some may find all of this a little unrelatable to, Hamilton being about the story of America’s founding father/s. But, the bigger picture is what we need to refocus on. Hamilton has changed the game for theatre, and has used its popularity to promote relevant social issues and encourage learning history. The show leaves us, all the way to the other side of the world, with an example of how we can change the perception of people on history. We’ve done it, just last year with the phenomenal Heneral Luna, but who says we can’t do more? Maybe we can find a way to integrate the lives of our heroes into a musical, complete with indigenous music. We could transform the way history is studied and rekindle the love for Philippine history. If we build a strong enough foundation to support Philippine art, who knows what else we can do? As Burr and Hamilton sing to their children, “If we lay a strong enough foundation, we’ll pass it on to you, we’ll give the world to you, and you’ll blow us all away…”

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at the White House was the basis for President Obama to jokingly take credit as the creator of Hamilton. More than telling the story of the first Treasury Secretary, Hamilton has changed the way people perceive theatre. Many often regard theatre as an art form to be appreciated only by the “cultured and hip” (which is false, by the way—theatre is for everyone) because the plays and musicals they often associate with theatre are the “classical” ones. With Hamilton’s story being told in relatively modern music, it has appealed to the younger generations, making them more appreciative of the art. Lin Manuel, the creator of the show, mentioned how crucial he found the historical accuracy to be. He wrote Hamilton under the guidance of Ron Chernow, a historian who wrote the biography of Alexander Hamilton. In fact, the almost perfect historical accuracy (sans a few details) of Hamilton has led to History classes in the US using the OBC (Original Broadway Cast) Recording as a supplement to the lectures. Some schools even made Hamilton a requirement for the classes to watch. More than an art form, Hamilton has presented itself as to be an educational avenue for not only students, but adults alike. With Hamilton, more people are encouraged to study history and learn about their founding fathers. The show’s musicality vibes with younger audiences, a crucial point in its success as a musical. While hip hop and musical theatre seem to be the most unlikely of partners, Hamilton proves that you can put them together, even winning a Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album while at it. Many note Hamilton to be the first Hip hop Broadway musical, but a lot of other hip hop musicals have popped up. In fact, Lin Manuel also created a musical titled “In The Heights” which featured life in the barrio in Washington Heights, which also made it on Broadway, even winning a Tony for Best Musical (I’d suggest listening to the OBC Recording if you can—lots of funky salsa, hip hop, and rap in this one).

>> Kelsey Mariano is certified Hamiltrash and can sing the entire musical from start to finish. If you’d like to see the one-woman show, tickets are available for her daily lunch performances. Or you could just fangirl with her. DAVEED DIGGS’ ARMS ARE BAE. GROFFSAUCE! 75

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8 B E S T T H I N G S T O D O W H E N Y O U WA N T T O D O N O T H I N G I N R U S S I A A N D S C A N D I N AV I A by PITA OCHAVE WORK IS LIFE IN MY FAMILY. On the weekends, you would be hard-pressed to find any one of my parents in the house. Between juggling work commitments, planning protests, and taking care of other members of the family, my parents barely have time to catch their breaths. That is why my family always makes it a point to travel together when we all have the opportunity to take a few weeks off of work and school, lest my parents run the risk of grinding themselves to the bone. Vacations not only allow my family to regroup and bond over shared experiences, but also allow us to relax a little, to step back from all the buzz and chatter of the real world, and spend some quality time with ourselves and the people we love the most. In contrast to my family, Europeans are arguably the most skilled leisure-takers in the entire world. In Europe, leisure is seen as an essential component of a happy and fulfilled life: The French only have 35-hour work weeks, Norwegians can expect five-

week paid vacation leaves, and the Danish don’t require overtime work to secure the next promotion. Last July, I was able to spend nearly three weeks in Europe with my mom’s side of the family after years of being apart. My aunts, uncles, and cousins, who are all based in California, met up with my family in Copenhagen, the first stop of our seven-country tour around northern Europe. And it was during my stay in northern Europe that I learned the art of doing absolutely nothing— properly. Here are my top eight things to do in Scandinavia and Russia when you want to do “nothing”: 1. Take a boat ride—or better yet, a kayak—around Copenhagen. One of—if not the most— memorable experience I had during my stay in Europe was my hourlong kayak along Copenhagen’s clean waters. The tour is self-guided so you have the freedom to choose which path you want to take.

Since my cousins and I are young and stupid, we decided it would be more fun if we kayaked closer to the open sea, where all of the big tourist boats passed by. We got to see majority of Denmark’s most famous buildings like the opera house and the museums. Halfway through though, our arms hurt and we were already praying for a gust of wind from Mother Nature to save us;; so if physical activity isn’t your cup of tea, you can rent a motor boat with a table and drink some beer while going around Copenhagen or just join one of the generic Copenhagen boat tours. The kayak ride wasn’t exactly cheap, since a two-seater kayak rental cost us about 250 Danish krone or P1,759, but it was a small price to pay for a once in a lifetime experience. Also, it bought us front seat tickets to watch one of my cousins overturn his kayak, fall into the frigid water, swim to the dock, be helped by a nice Danish passerby, get up, and fall into the water again. Iconic.

Choosing a cafe to spend

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3. Eat some open-faced sandwiches in a cafe, wherever.

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When I found out my parents wanted to spend a rare sunny day in a cramped, lesser-known museum, my eyes nearly rolled themselves out of my head. Watching my fingernails would be more of an experience than wasting a beautiful day indoors, I thought. Never was I more wrong. The collection of art in Norway’s National Museum is one of the best I have ever seen. They have works by Picasso, Cézanne, Gauguin, and Courbet;; their collections even introduced me to wonderful artists I had never heard of before like Sohlberg, Willumsen, Kirchner, and Ekelund. The museum didn’t have much on display, but I didn’t mind. Some museums have a plethora of works,

but shitty exhibits. So I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of art in Norway’s National Museum. The choice of works in every room was perfection and of course, the museum’s raison d’être, Munch’s The Scream, was also an unforgettable experience I’ll treasure forever. If you’re more into modern works, I’d suggest you visit the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. Although some of the works were much too conceptual and abstract for my taste, the installations such as Yayoi Kusama’s Gleaming Lights of the Souls and the pyramid-sculptureturned-playground by the water made the experience worth it. Plus, the entire place is Instagrammable.

2. Saunter around Norway’s National Museum in Oslo or Denmark’s Louisiana Museum of Modern Art.

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your precious time in is no easy task. It involves a lot of trial and error, and requires a deep understanding of thyself. What do you look for when you’re alone? The comfort of a busy street or some quiet solitude? How do you like your coffee? Cafes are an institution in Europe and many locals have cafes they patronize. My favourite cafe was in Denmark and it was by the water and a busy shopping district. It was called Cafe Norden and they had a delicious assortment of food, specifically sandwiches. Scandinavia is known for their open-faced sandwiches, which are usually composed of fresh salmon or any other fish and an assortment of vegetables. It would be a sin not to try at least one. 4. Visit the local markets. I generally don’t like to shop when I’m abroad. Firstly, because many foreign brands are already available here in the Philippines and secondly, stuff is usually expensive abroad. I only allow myself to dish out cash for shopping if I’m in a local market or if I know the item is unique to the place. Berries are expensive here so I relish any time I get to visit a country where berries are cheap. In Helsinki, they had an open market by the sea, which sold

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fresh strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and blackberries. Besides rows upon rows of fruit stalls, they also had some great art stalls where I was able to buy a painting of a snowy cottage in Finland for a good price. So if you find yourself in Helsinki or in any country abroad, hit the markets so you’ll have a good idea of how people live, what locals eat, and expose yourself to an entirely new experience you can’t buy at H&M. 5. Have a nice German bratwurst and a cold beer in Germany. While most people dive headfirst into beer when in Germany, I developed a literally unhealthy obsession with Germany’s bratwurst. In one day, I was able to consume around five types from three different bratwurst stalls. I’m no bratwurst sommelier but hands down, the curry bratwurst takes the cake. In addition to the great food, (drunk) locals are also very generous in inducting strangers into their customs. While on the train, a group of drunk German women, celebrating their friend’s bridal shower, asked me to help them complete their tasks for the day. In exchange, they gave me a tiny bottle of what I thought was vanilla and showed me how to drink it: you put the bottle cap on your nose, shove the bottle in your mouth, face upwards, and chug. With the naiveté of a four year old kid who’s just been asked if she wants some candy by a stranger

in a white van, my cousin and I chugged the mysterious drink only to spit it out. Our weak ass tolerance could not overcome the 17% alcohol content, but the women were amused and chugged what seemed to be their fifth one each. If German alcohol is not your style, try some Danish Carlsberg or be a good hipster and try the lesser-known but equally as good brands such as To Øl and Mikkeller whose bottles are pieces of art in themselves. 6. Visit the Church of Spilled Blood in Russia. Russia’s struggle with religion is an interesting, but long story. Being a large land mass placed near both the Byzantine and Roman empire, it absorbed many different aspects of each culture and is home to a diverse number of religions. After the Bolshevik revolution and the installation of a communist regime, many churches in Russia were converted into antireligious landmarks or even horse stables. One of the most interesting places to visit in St. Petersburg is the Church of Spilled Blood. Inspired by Byzantine architecture, the Church’s ceilings and walls are decorated with mosaic tiles depicting traditional Biblical figures, and even a teenage Jesus. It is called the Church of Spilled Blood because Tsar Alexander II was mortally wounded on the spot where the church was built.

7. Take a shot of Russian vodka with your lunch. After a long morning walking around St. Petersburg, you might be thirsty and think of buying a bottle of water. Well, think again sucker! This is Mother Russia and only the weak drink Poseidon’s piss. Find a friend, visit the Hermitage Museum, have some lunch after, and try some Russian vodka with pickles as your chaser. It’s cultural, relaxed, and a fun way to warm yourself in the cold weather. 8. Get lost in your city. Whenever I travel, I always make it a point to get to know the city I’m staying in. I find that this happens best when I get lost. With no destination and no time limit, you could discover the city’s underground art scene, go dancing in a club, find a hidden garden, meet the prince of Sweden...the possibilities are endless. The worst takeaway you could have from this article is to think that you need to confine yourself to the seven other suggestions I gave. No two people are the same and so our tastes in leisure may not be the same either. The best way to do nothing is still to do what you enjoy. Take your vacation time to do what you constantly daydream about at your desk. There is only so much time.

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>> Pita Ochave enjoys reading and watching people eat food on YouTube. She dreams of one day being able to communicate in sign language fluently.

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T W E E TA B L E T W E E T S compiled by PITA OCHAVE

@miggyjuix: anu daw

@shinySABmarine: All this rain but you still can’t make me wet

@_martyrDOM Damn it’s dark af out. Can’t see myself.

@vitriYOLO: Caught you in the arms of another, I’ve been dieting everyday since then

@marANNAthaa i didn’t know what stress was until i was stuck with a bunch of 12 year old boys in the erotica gallery of the bencab museum

@booyanca: educating my mom on the importance of which “haha” to use and she doesn’t believe that haha, hahaha, HAHA and HAHAHA are all different @earlduma: DON’T BLACK NGA DAW EH. buti sana kung iba kulay ng kotse mo

@TheKelseeey u like adventures? pwede ba maging trip mo naman ako pls and thank u @jolozeee: Literally put both my hands up as I entered a store and the alarm went off Fml @david_balmes: Spending 8+ hours editing @upecosoc profile pictures got me realizing: holy shit we’re so attractive

@MiggyVillaLESS: So much rainfall but you won’t fall for me </3 @bambonsol: #DICKSOUTFORHARAMBE at Katipunan Trade. Must resist....

@akometry: Rehearsing my comm 3 speech to my dog. Okay naman daw

@jandmagpantay: me: *orders spiciest thing in the menu* dad: okay good pampa-lalaki yan ugh pepe ka

(Editor’s note: The car is black.)

@nikaespiritu: Please bring Arctic Monkeys, The Kooks, Two Door Cinema Club to Manila @lizasoberano

@_alba_: Akon was the voice of our generation @prenchpries: me: /sigh/ pero ganyan talaga mga type ko eh @mattIKAWpeng: ah, so yung mga mukhang failure? KINGINA LO #accurate @lyonceknowles: i’m a disappointment to fifth harmony

@MICHAEL_bue: so yung mga college ba water-type pokemon???? “@mhmbautista: Quezon City; Classes are suspended in public and private institutions from preschool to senior high school tomorrow (Aug 10 2016).” @niftynieves: this keeps me going <3 thanks fam!!!!

@kiimdiet: The best thing to do is to keep trying

@ManotokAnton: Grabe yung anti-derivatives sa Calculus...We keep using u to find x

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@eriincheng: Wrote 5 pages for a 2 page paper bang #achieve #studious #memaqueen

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@benngggg: ok so she’s interested in dogs time to be cesar milan overnight

@ralph_david: Ofc all the uncommon pokemon near my village are in the pokpok area... (May dragonite daw sa ringside)

@karlakooklano: dad got confused with the time when i came in and got mad cause it was 3 am na daw but i just told him it was 12 and he went back to sleep

@nissinramin: Day 1: SANA BAKASYON NA LANG ULIT

Yup, im gonna die alone

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@akometry: My lola found an Echoes Dec. 1975 issue in our house!! @upecosoc @EchoesPH

@kissaenriquez_: Grandma: It’s nice to have friends, but not BOYfriends

@maxicap98: found them

@theroyalspice: first meeting palang ng saturday class ko nawalan na ako ng pakialam @TinValeza: My sister’s form of blackmail: “Sasabihin ko over dinner yung pangalan ng nilalandi mo tas I’ll just talk about him.” BES @daniellegnzls: the likes of ‘pak ganern’ and ‘edi wow’ will never make sense to me

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6 M U S T- H AV E S F O R F A S H I O N A B L E by ALYSSON LUCAS LAZY DRESSING & DARYL FABELLON

LET’S ADMIT IT, THERE ARE DAYS WHEN GETTING DRESSED FEELS LIKE A CHORE. Whether you didn’t get enough sleep the night before, you’re running late, you’ve run out of ootd ideas, or just tired of life (we feel you, bes), dressing up can be a frustrating thing to do. But just because you’re in a hurry, exhausted, or simply being a lazybone, doesn’t mean you have to look like it (dapat #pakganern pa rin!) Yes, lazy yet stylish looks are totally doable! Here are the 7 basic items you need in your closet that will guarantee you’ll still look à la mode even on your lazy days!

POUR FEMME WHITE T-SHIRT You can never go wrong with a plain white t-shirt. It’s simply the most versatile piece of clothing one can have. Have a plain white t-shirt ready in your wardrobe to grab for when you feel lethargic, pair it with the first bottom piece you see – whether a pair of shorts, pants, or a skirt – and your outfit will still look put together. You can tie a silk or summer scarf to go with the tee to add a pop of color to your look!

LEGGINGS When it comes to lazy dressing, comfort is key. Unlike jeans that you have to squeeze yourself into and limit your movements, leggings screeaaaam comfort and feel like nothing when worn. They also go with any body size and type! Get a sleek, black pair (one that is not see-through!) to cover you during lackadaisical days. Match it with tops such as an oversized statement shirt, a white button-down, a flannel, or your favorite hoodie and you’re good to go!

JACKET: H&M

DENIM JACKET Denim jackets make your look fashionable in a snap. Wear anything you want (even workout clothes), put a denim jacket over it and presto, people would think you spent a lot of time thinking of your ootd but it’s actually the total opposite. #lifehack

SHIRT DRESS Girls sometimes wear a dress not because we like to dress up but because we are too tired to match two pieces of clothing (uy, aminin!) Shirt dresses are easy to put on and are perfect when you’re not in the mood to get dressed. They also don’t stick to your body which make them more comfortable than other types of dresses. Opt for a black one that you can add to your LBD collection. DRESS: DRESSITUP

WHITE SNEAKERS Who doesn’t love white sneakers? This gift from the shoe heaven is a must-have for it goes with literally anything: jeans, shorts, skirt, dress, you name it. When pressed for time to think of which shoes to finish your outfit with, just grab this pair of shoes and tada, problem solved! It’s also weather friendly, so you don’t have to worry if it rains within the day or not. MATCHING TOP AND BOTTOM Be it a floral top and skirt co-ords or a striped blouse and trouser set, these are the fastest and easiest way to look fashionable on a lazy day. With these, you don’t have to stand in front of your closet for 10 minutes thinking which clothes would match and will certainly save you a lot of time and energy (which, tbh, you lack sometimes). #matchymatchy

times better. Wearing boat shoes screams neat and sophisticated. This will give people the impression that you really took time to think about what you’re wearing. BASIC PLAIN T-SHIRT Every guy should own a couple SWEATER/JUMPER of basic plain tees as a staple in Sweaters are good addition their wardrobe. The good thing to your outfit not only for days about clean and crisp t-shirts is when it’s cold or raining but it’s that they can go with absolutely also perfect as a layering piece anything as long as you keep in that can amp up your basic mind the color of your shirt so it plain t-shirt/polo shirt with won’t clash with the rest of what BOAT SHOES shorts/jeans combo. Gray, Blue you are wearing. You can never These classic slip ons will and Black sweaters are your best go wrong with Black/White/ make any guy’s outfit look x bet. Dark Blue/Gray tees. SHORT SLEEVE BUTTON DOWN POLO Wearing collared shirts to school instantly makes any guy’s outfit look well put together. You can wear them with shorts or jeans for that boy next door look. It is easy to wear and very comfortable. Definitely perfect for the climate here in the Philippines. Invest in sufficient number of collared shirts that you can wear in rotation.

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POUR HOMME

CHINO SHORTS Perfect balance of comfort and style. When you feel lazy to find what to wear, you can pick a pair of chino shirts and pair them with anything from t-shirts to polo shirts, and your outfit instantly look well put together. Invest in shades of navy blue, maroon red, black or khaki.

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SHOES: ORCA BAY

CONVERSE CHUCK TAYLORS This timeless classic of a shoe goes with anything. Perfect for those days when you have a lot of things and errands to accomplish. And also, you don’t need to feel bad when they get dirty and rugged because they look better that way.

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COORDINATES: MOTEL ROCKS

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ALL EYES ON KEVIN DURANT by RENZO AGUILLO

KID CLUCH. SLIM REAPER. DURANTULA. Just a few nicknames earned by the man himself, Kevin Durant. Oklahoma City’s favorite son, their prized possession, Durant was the beam of hope for the organization that practically grew alongside him. A passionate fanbase, a bona fide superstar for a teammate, and a solid young core for a supporting cast, all under the excellent leadership of Sam Presti and careful guidance of Billy Donovan, Durant had everything in Oklahoma City. Everything except for a ring. COWARD. Just barely after they could recover from the heartbreaking Western Conference Finals Game 7 loss, OKC fans were dealt another huge blow. Their worst fears were realized. Kevin Durant made the shocking decision to leave the Thunder after another frustrating campaign to bring the championship trophy to Oklahoma. To make matters worse, he chose to join the very team that they were trying to beat just a month earlier and were very close to doing so, the team that also grew to be their biggest rivals in recent years, the Golden State Warriors.

One can be forgiven for thinking that the OKC fans must have felt betrayed. As a hardcore OKC fan myself, I now completely understand how Obi-Wan felt after Anakin’s heel turn to the dark side. Yet after all the outrage has blown over, will Kevin Durant still be seen as a traitor a few years down the road? Will he be seen as a coward who betrayed his team’s loyalty or as a winner who made a brave career decision in his quest for that elusive ring?

On the other side of things, the Warriors don’t seem to be too bothered about how the rest of the basketball world sees them. Frankly, they don’t give a fuck. The Warriors have seemingly embraced their roles as the new villains in the NBA and won’t apologize for trying to increase their chances at winning another championship. After all, they know what it takes to win and are willing to sacrifice for it, even if it means letting go of key players for Durant and fully immersing themselves with whatever role the NBA has for them to play. Perhaps the best illustration of this was displayed during John Cena’s monologue at the ESPYs. Cena had been explaining to the crowd how the WWE, as fake as it may be, was not that different to the “real” sports. And of course, the NBA was not spared. He goes on to say that after the LeBron era in Miami, the NBA needed new villains. To the surprise of almost no one, a picture of Kevin Durant in full Warrior gear pops up on the screen. Steph Curry’s response? He just shakes his head and laughs it off, staying true to character.

Durant’s controversial move to the Warriors has been inevitably compared to LeBron James’ move to the Miami Heat a few years back. Granted, Durant didn’t cause a PR nightmare as LeBron’s The Decision did, but both their decisions shared some similarities. LeBron has been carrying the Cleveland Cavaliers on his shoulders without a ring to show for it, and when he saw the opportunity, he took it. Selfish? Maybe. But fast forward a few years later, and the LeBron James Reclamation Project is in full swing. He is now a 3-time NBA champion, with one of them resulting from his return to the Cleveland Cavaliers. It seemed as if all was forgiven and he was no longer a villain. Durant, on the other hand, has the next few years to prove that he made the right decision. Winning, of course, is the perfect proof of that. However, the NBA, its fans, and its players can be really unpredictable at times. Will Durant pull off a LeBron and return to Oklahoma after finally capturing that elusive ring? Will the drought continue for him? Will he be seen as a failure or a winner? A lot of possibilities, but only time will tell. It all comes down to legacy for Kevin Durant. And like it or not, legacy is mostly measured through championship rings. No matter what happens, one thing’s for sure. Everybody will be watching Kevin Durant.

>> Renzo Aguillo's camera roll is full of dank memes. Feel free to send him some to add to his collection.

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“If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” Needless to say, Durant’s move sent shockwaves throughout the league. OKC fans went through the typical NBA superfan stages of grief and responded by burning their Kevin Durant jerseys. While I too, was disappointed at Durant’s decision, I don’t live and die by Kevin Durant. Sure, my opinion of him has changed, but as a fan of the sport, I respect his decision. Kevin Durant has to do what’s best for Kevin Durant. Others may not agree with me, however. Reggie Miller and Charles Barkley, both NBA Legends turned analysts and both with no rings to show for their stellar playing careers, disagree with Durant’s move. Miller commented that “a king should never leave his kingdom” and Chuck, one of the more outspoken analysts, accused Durant of cheating his way to the title. After all, Durant joined arguably the most complete team in the NBA right now who so happens to also have another MVP with them. On paper, Durant certainly has the look of an NBA villain. Hell, even 2010 Kevin Durant wouldn’t have approved of this move.

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WINNER?

WARRIOR.

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VILLAIN.

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STAFF PICKS compiled by CHILI PEREZ

This song sings of the clockwork in letting go. It speaks of the calmness in saying goodbye to people for the same reasons each time-- their insistence to save you. Chill beats, calm instrumental, and Johnny’s relaxing voice are perfect for days when you just don’t want to move. –Kelsey M.

Y O U C A N ’ T S AV E M E by J oh n n y St i m so n

S TAT I O N S O N G by Lap s l e y

When I need things to slow down, few things calm me more than hearing Lapsley’s subdued, emotional vocals paired with this song’s steady beat. -Maxinne M.

This song is about someone in love with someone whose feelings have run cold. Like most people in one-sided relationships, the person wishes the other would just leave, but also assures that even when that does happen, his/her love will go on and on. –Pita O.

ON AND ON by T h e Lo n g p i g s

Run Dorothy’s EP is a mixture of your teen angst and analytical math rock/post-rock. The vocals alone brings back memories of growing up and at the same time reminds you of the journey that brought you to where you are now. –Bruno S.

SANGUINE by Ru n D or ot h y

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G L AC I E R

by A n g B an dan g S h i r l e y The song is about someone who’s too afraid to make the first move and the cold pain that accompanies this kind of stillness. –Anton C.

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S E Y DA N E E N b y Tom’s Story

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The song feels like a shot or two of espresso. It’s fast and lively, but light enough to be palatable for anyone. Perfect for when you need a midday boost to keep that momentum going. –Dom C.

THE SUBURBS by A r c ade Fi r e

There’s something about this album that reminds me of sticky, pre-internet summers spent just contentedly lying around doing nothing. –Chili P.

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W H AT M O V E S : A SERIES OF FLASH FICTION by OLIVIA SOLOMON

F I R S T He took her hand the way she took his heart, quite surely and firmly. He enveloped her small hands with his, just like the way he hopes to love her. Completely. “Are you sure?” He asks, afraid of what’s going to happen next. He doesn’t recall how they even got here, in this motel room. It stinks and it’s dingy but that’s all he could pay for. She nods meekly, silently. She clutches his hands and he can feel the circulation being slowly cut off by her grip. He’s about to move but she out of nowhere, she cries. In a minute, she’s bawling and he’s sure the people in the next room can hear, some part of him doesn’t care while another part is just panicking. Because well, he hasn’t done anything yet. “I’m not in yet,” he says more to himself than to her. It was more of a question for himself than a reassurance to her. Suddenly, she laughs. Like bells and he’s afraid the people in the next room might hear but he’s tries to memorize the happiness stringing her voice. “Why are you laughing?” He’s starting to laugh as well even if he’s well aware he’s stark naked on top of her and she’s so beautiful just lying there. She stops briefly. “I’m just so happy.”

R E C O L L E C T I O N She’s lying next to her. It’s the first time she notices her eyes, how they’re almost brown. Maybe hazel. And it’s rare. She also thinks it’s stupid that she’s even thinking this. They’re too young to sin this way but she wants to kiss her so much. So she takes her friend’s camera and they take photos of their faces.

“I have a secret.” “Tell me,” she says. “I’ll say it under the pillow.” “Okay.” So she takes the pillow and hides their faces under there. The light filters through the pillowcase and she can see those eyes again. Their light. “Tell me.”

So she brings her lips closer to hers. “I -.” And a bit closer so that they’re only a breath away. “I think -.” “You’re so close,” she says. Her breath getting ragged under the sheets. “I -.”

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How happy and innocent they both are but she knows she’ll take the innocence away from her lips if she doesn’t control herself.

They smile together and she wonders if she’ll still be this happy if she inches closer. Her smile doesn’t falter as their cheeks touch and they see themselves on the viewfinder.

“Me, too.” And she presses her lips against hers, softly like a confession.

S O U T H

She promised herself she’d have a moral code. Don’t ever fuck virgins.

And when he asked her for a quick momol and maybe “more”, she just had to try it. She was so used to want and waste. He was the promised land of fresh, unadulterated Holy Lands that she wanted to lick honey from. But he had his own code of conduct. “No.” He says the night before she was supposed to teach him how to momol. It kind of hurt her because she knew it all along. She knew he was going to say “no.” But she hoped anyway.

Six months pass and she forgets that she told him he can ask her again. When he asks her again, “Does your offer still stand?” her interest has apparently not waned. So they plan on how to get him his first momol. And heck, for her it was just another momol, possibly another blowjob. But she hopes anyway. It’s no big deal for her.

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She knew being a virgin was no big deal and not being a virgin was also no big deal. But she was sort of curious as to how someone who has never been touched would feel like.

A U G U S T

D O W N

“I’m sorry I don’t want to use you.” he’s hurt when he tells her this the night before. She knew he was a really good guy and she was selfish for even wanting to taint him with her lips. But she hoped anyway. S

She’s not even mad or disappointed. She’s just surprised that someone saw her for more than just a body. She was a person to him. She only knows how to thank him with her clothes off but now she knows she’s better than that. And she swears, she won’t touch him because he doesn’t deserve to be tainted by her sinful hands.

C U L T U R E

S H I T K E N S AY S

collated by DOMINIC CARREON

KEN RECASATA IS MANY THINGS. He has a voice deeper than the Marianas Trench. He is charismatic, and he is a man of color (he has a penchant for hues). Ken is a man of many muscles and many words. In honor of this paragon of wisdom, we present to you some of his greatest tenets. ON MOVING ON: “Went grocery shopping to forget about my side mirror and fam 2kg of peanut butter on sale + buy 1 take 1 500mL #yes” ON CHALLENGES: “Abrenica + Navarro + 5:308:30pm class. Ngayon pa lang, nais ko na po magpaalam sa aking mga kababayan.” ON CHILDHOOD: “Dad: You were made in Indonesia. #BatangaLaksa” ON BRANDING: “May difference ba yung buko juice and coconut water? Or may kaartehan lang na ganap?” ON LOVE: “Good luck with your exam later @kencognito luv u #Single #SelfLove # TanginaAccounting” ON RESPONSIBILITIES: “Having lots of Facebook notifications used to mean that u r da shit. Now it just means doing a shitload of work.” ON CHOICES: “Today, I decided not to enroll for midyear. Then I put 3balls of Ferrero in my oatmeal. I wonder what horrible decision I’ll be making next.” ON PHONES: “Nokia lang ba ang nagccrack after years of falling?”

ON SLEEP: “Plot twist: Sleeping Beauty went to college and never slept again. Happily never after, bitch.” ON SNAPCHAT: “I just draw on my face.” ON DRUGS: “A puppy makes everything better and so does cocaine.” LASTLY, ON ANECDOTES: “Most of anecdotes are spoken. Parang parable.”

>> Dominic Carreon is the managing editor for Echoes and a frustrated person. He thinks the world would be much better if it had more Ken Recasatas.

E C H O E S

A U G U S T

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