Echoes June 2013 by Echoes

June 2013

ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 1

2 • JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

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PREVIOUS ISSUE EDITORIAL "Socio-Civic" Members

04 10 56

A Forsaken Force

Derek Parreñas

Remember September Joshua Siat

Celina Crisanto Celina Dayacap Donna Virata

Zo Canaria Kristina Viray

Ecosoc's Finances

Gotham Is Dead

On the Perils of the Printed Word

80 84

tumblr 4 peasants

#TweetableTweets

Jussip G. Jus Nuque

Bruno Santos

The Viper Brian Cruz

Fashown Fashownan

@MarteteKoMaliit

Why Bruno is Sad All the Time

CONTRIBUTORS

CULTURE

Olivia Solomon

Beatriz Bayudan

FEATURES

Kristina Viray

Sam Gonzales

Lerizze Tan

NEWS

24 70

Brian Cruz

Timmy Jacob

Will We Become Corporate Slaves?

COMMITTEE NEWS

Joshua Siat Beatriz Bayudan

Andee Aguila Bruno Santos ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 1

Previous Issue

Editors FEDERICO GERARD PARREÑAS Editor-in-Chief LERIZZE ANGELA TAN Associate Editor

TIMOTHY JACOB Managing Editor

JO BEATRIZ GUERRERO News Editor

MARGARITA “SAM” GONZALES Features Editor

OLIVIA SOLOMON Culture Editor

JUDE BENEDICT GERON Creatives Editor

RAMON JOSE “VITO” CASTAÑEDA Webmaster

CARA GABRIELLE LATINAZO Photos Editor

FRANCES CAMILLE QUEZON Digital Content Editor

ARTHEL “MARTE” CAROÑONGAN Echoes TV Producer

JOAQUIN FERRER Logistics Director

JUSTINE VICTORIA NUQUE Echoes TV Director

Staff VICO UBALDO LISANNE GABORNI BRYAN DOMINGO

Errata

Our mistakes in the Send-off issue The spelling of “Saccharine” in the section-breaker for features was incorrectly written as “Sachcarine” Carlo Magsino’s accomplishments were incorrectly stated There was no picture for Dhiren Karnani Kevin Gavieta’s picture repeats itself as Alex Capulong’s picture

Echoes is the official publication of the UP Economics Society (UP Ecosoc), a non-stock, non-profit, student organization based in the University of the Philippines Diliman School of Economics. Since the 2nd semester of the academic year 2010-2011, Echoes is released four times in a sem and eight times in a year, on the months of February, March, April, June, July, August, September, October, and December. It draws its funding from a subsidy from UP Ecosoc, sponsorships, subscription revenue, and other small funraisers. For this semester, 20 subscription copies, 10 tambayan copies, 1 archive copy, and a complimentary copy for each of our sponsors, featured members, and featured alumni 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 upecosoc.echoes@gmail.com visit for more information

All errors are corrected when posted on issuu.com/echoes. If you spot any errors, do not hesitate to tell us by emailing us at upecosoc.echoes@gmail.com 2 • JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

upecosoc.org Echoes.PH facebook.com/up.economics.society

No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission.

FROM THE EDITOR WELCOME BACK, UP ECONOMICS SOCIETY.

Things look different, don't they? And I don't mean a change of font here and there, but the totality of the make up of the issue is in a different form altogether. In poetry, the form of the piece is, in itself, an extension of the art. The line breaks, the punctuation, and the word choice all have a reason for existence in a poem, which is why you cannot paraphrase a poem, just as my poetry professor said. The same can be said for layout. The form of the article is an art in itself, an extension of the message. The way the paragraphs are cut in its columns to the words that are capitalized and emphasized mid-article, these are all extensions of the art. I must say that the form is less important for essays, compared to poems. But for magazines and print, they are essential. And expect more from Echoes. Because the theme of this issue is expectations.

he semestral theme of this semester is Platoon 55, connoting that we are all soldiers fighting a battle. Personally, I don't really like the name Platoon 55. There's an air of ranks and an implication that there is fighting. I don't enjoy glorifying war. However, for the sake of the theme's essence (see: Solidarity), I shall write a defense of the Executive Committee's choice for the semestral theme. What is a Platoon? No, not the movie starring a young Charlie Sheen. The unit. The organism composed of soldiers under a commanding officer, a lieutenant. Under the lieutenant are the platoon sergeant, and then staff sergeants. The staff sergeants preside over fireteam leaders. It is thus: A platoon is made up of squads, led by staff sergeants, and is then broken up into specialized fireteams, with a designated leader. Within the fireteams are the privates, the rank-and-file soliders. Now the U. P. Economics Society follows a regiment similar to this. The President is the Lieutenant and the Vice-President, as the Platoon Sergeant. The Committee Chairpersons take on the role of Staff-Sergeants, each taking command of their

respective squads. Their Vice-Chairpersons are then the designated fireteam leaders. And then there are the Grenadiers and Riflemen, who form bulk of the Platoon. The Platoon all fall under the leadership of the Lieutenant, who extends his or her power through the Platoon Sergeant and Staff Sergeants. This goes through a whole chain of command, again, similar to how the U.P. Economics Society is organized. The Platoon must move together as one under the Lieutenant (although Echoes, in its designation as an autonomous committee, is untranslatable in this system), for lack of coordination spells its doom. Early entry, misfired shots, and misplaced logistics will all destroy the foundations of the Platoon. Harmonization is the key to moving forward together, and as the Executive Committee saw it last semester, the organization definitely moved forward, but not together. Again, this could be attributed to indifference. Indifference is ultimately the enemy of our Platoon. We must all obey and learn to nourish the Platoonâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;to take care of each of the soldiers, regardless of year level, course, committee, or what have you. We are all soldiers, regardless of rank. We all must seek to hold the line and push forward together. Soldiers do not blame each other for misgivings. What time is there to do so, when the enemy draws near? We must all overlook the failures, big or small, that our fellow Ecosocers commit. They are monuments to backwardness and the inability to progress. Sure, it would be good to evaluate the current course that the Platoon is taking, but do not ever let that hamper the progress of the collective. We must learn to help find ways to assist our fellow Ecosocer and be ready to pick our fallen friends up. A Platoon is not judged for what a single soldier has done wrong, but how the entire unit has performed. And every soldier is responsible for the Platoon. Yes, a Platoon is made up of soldiers. But always remember that within every soldier lies a hero, ready to lay down their life for what they represent. Simply, the most outstanding reason for Platoon 55 is that within each of us lies a hero. Be that hero. ECHOES | JUNE 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ 3

COMMITTEE ECHOES NEWS

Welcome back Ecosocers! Over the summer, I actually have to admit that I missed seeing all your faces. In fact, when I would visit Econ over the summer, things were a little bit too quiet that I realized I lacked a little bit of Ecosoc in my life. Now that everyone’s back, you have no idea how excited how I am for 55B! Yes when it comes to the tambayan, things may not be the same as it was a sem ago. Nevertheless, no matter where we’re placed, what’s more important is that we spend our time in the tambayan with the people we love most. Rest assured, we are doing our best to get the best (living) conditions for the tambayan! Special shout out to the team whom I know will achieve milestones this September. I know I’ve told this to you countless of times, and I honestly will never tire in saying it. You guys are simply the perfect mix of people for the team, and I cannot wait to see how you guys will impress the world. Ecosoc at 55 will truly be one heck of a celebration to remember. (BTW, it’s Ecosoc Month… EM for short, k? :p)

GJ|Ecosoc Month

For those of you who don’t know, our theme for the sem is PLATOON 55. No, we didn’t choose this because we watched some testosterone-filled military movie during pre-plansem. We chose it because we wanted you guys to feel as indispensable to the org as much as soldiers are in a platoon. We wanted you guys to own the things you do. It is and will never be the case that the successes we’ve achieved for this org are all because of the Execom. NO. We’ve achieved what we are today because of YOUR effort, YOUR commitment, YOUR passion. Never lose that friends, because it is this collective effort that keeps us moving forward. Always aim for the best Ecosocers, because this sem we will achieve the unforgetabble! God bless always. Hello, Ecosoc! June is one of those odd months where bittersweet endings and fresh starts mix. For us students it’s a goodbye, summer, and hello, new year – we’re thrown off-balance by this strange pairing. Last sem was quite unmemorable (more of that in this issue – still quite eventful, though), but as much as there was disappointment then, that has been bid goodbye and replaced with much optimism and caution now. You do learn how to take the beating so you know how to attack. Nevertheless, I am quite hopeful for the sem ahead -because Task Force will be bringing you the most rocking Musikapella yet! To the Task Force sexy BODs – hehe I know how much you hate my humor (you guys are so corny too pls) but thanks for bearing with me and more importantly, accepting the jobs you’ve been given wholeheartedly! Gelo, you are insane with all those contacts; Dea, every work of yours is a visual feast; Brian, you’re crazy organized; Botan, how do you seriously remain so… calm ahaha; Miguel, good vibes forevs; Patty, you’ve been bringing a whole new spin to a production; Ramm, you are money tree I swear; and Shanica, charming all the way. Get ready for wilder days to come ahead! To my always elegant and always crazy co-chair, Chello – I know it was the most inopportune time when I asked you, but I was the happiest person when you said yes! (This reads like a marriage proposal, haha) I look forward to being stressed with you and relentlessly texting/calling each other and making the best Musikapella of our lives.

BB|Task Force

Task Force 2013 will be hitting the high notes, because there’s no way to go but up. Always, BB 4 • JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

COMMNEWS

HELLO ECOSOC!!!!! WELCOME BACK! To my members First I would like a shout out to my members: Riel, Nepo, Ria, Hiromi, Vico, Matt, Sam, Ana and Paubau!! I am VERY VERY HAPPY that you guys are part of my team! These past few initial weeks have been bumpy but with what you have shown me I am really inspired by you to make this SECCOM on e of the best ever! Honestly, you guys have helped me a lot. Bonding SOON! :D To ECOSOC: HI! I am very happy to see all of your faces!! This sem will be an amazing sem regardless of our smaller tambayan! We have amazing talents in this organizations that will surely bring ECOSOC to new heights. All we need to do is to work as one platoon , as one ECOSOC.

ARS|Secretariat ECOSOC logo! :D

New 3d ECOSOC logo: The new 3D ECOSOC logo (the one with pictures) is out! All of you are encouraged to add your photos using hot glue or double sided tape! My hope is that we will all be included in that logo!You all part of this organization, and so you all deserve to be in that 3d

PS New Upgrades are in queue for the tambayan, just wait for them! :D

Well, would you look at that, we're halfway through. It's been absolutely amazing so far and I can't wait to take on the last half in stride with one helluva team. Watch out for the continuous fab products from THE 1958 every month, our weekly food sales (Jamby Juice is gonna happen at some point), and of course, I know you love it, Foodgasm, bigger and better. To my savvy ladies Angela, Kamille, and Patmen, you guys are individually awesome and I'm so thankful it's you three leading Finance with me this semester. Kamille, it's been 3 straight semesters getting to boss you around, I hope you ain't tired of me yet. I'm still pretty glad to have you around. You're honestly on of the most talented and promising individuals I've seen so far and you don't cease to amaze me with your determination and professionalism. Angela, I know you had your doubts going into this before you finally filed your application, but I was so proud and relieved when you finally did in the last frikkin minute! You should know that I really believed in you from the start and I know you'll amaze even yourself throughout the semester. Patmen, I'm super proud of you for finally stepping up! 2 months in and I feel like ang dami mong nagawa. I'm sorry if sometimes I'm hard on you, but it's only 'cause I know you can take it and I know we both want the best for our projects. You're gonna do wonders. To the small-scale team, Kristina, Francine, Monty, Brian, Steph, and Jamby, you guys are a competitive bunch. I'm loving your closeness and determination to beat the LS team HAHA. To the brand sale team, Kaye, Migs, Andreana, Pam, and Migs, thank you for being so persistent even when the summer days were still high and bright. To the rest of the large-scale team, JYA, Nikki, Ken, Justine, Alyssa, Ica, Pammy, Bamily, Aeron, and Botan, we've got some work to do, but with you guys, it won't seem like work at all. To V5, I LOVE YOU GUYS. LETS DO THIS. To myself, go fight win mo lang yan gurl!

GELI|Finance

-<3 Geli ECHOES | JUNE 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ 5

COMMITTEE ECHOES NEWS

Hola, Ecosoc! Welcome back to school! First of all, thank you for answering the brand audit last summer. From less than 50 responses when this is first released 2 semesters ago, we now have more than 170 of us who answered it. Yehey! We have move in to RM 127 as our new tambayan and we recognize that it is messy and not as habitable as our former home in 121 but do not worry, we will make mitigation strategies for it to be more presentable (Shout out to Seccom!) As a new semester starts, we offer you new set of services such as the X-Updates 2.0 and the Sabbah Symposium with Academics Affairs as our partner (for life) and a better version of the National Economics Summit.

QUEK|External Affairs

Of course these events will not be possible without the 24 beautiful and fierce people of Externals. Thank you to Flora and Ines for stepping up! Can’t wait to see how you unleash your hidden Madame F and I as we make our events successful. Shout out to Ramm, Porn and Kath for accepting the challenge as my NES Directors. To my apps, Erica, Camille, Rachelle and Aila, who now are officially part of the Ecosoc family, I hope you enjoy your first semester as a member. Chello, Dana, Gio, Jade, Jo, Peter and Red, thank you for being loyal to me and welcome/ welcome back to Externals Brian Cath, Cyril, David, Denise, Louie Shanica and Stef! To V5, four months to go! WOOHOO! We can do this! To everyone, enjoy the rest of the semester! I love you all! PS Let’s aim for zero Madame Q this sem. HIHI! Hello Ecosoc and Acad! I’m back for another sem, whether you like it or not. Hahaha. Hope you haven’t had enough of me yet! First, I’d like to welcome Jean and Toni into the Acad Family! They’re the only ones who haven’t been in Acad before, and, siyempre, I’ll make this special for you. Welcome to the family!! And, for the rest of you in Acad who came back, or stayed: Aileen, Henny Penny, Chelsea, Arbie, Earl, Gelo, Chiara, Cam (kahit inactive ka you’ll be Acad in my heart!), Reg, Mon, Topy, Nikki, Cathy, Bryan, Shirra, Shinichi, Ariane, and Diana (yehes); I’m really happy. You know that. Hello VCs: Van G and Iah! I hope hindi pa kayo sawa sa kin. Hope you’ll enjoy working with me and everyone in Acad. Please watch out for our events this semester: Recognition Day, the symposium on Sabah, the random Quiz Bees we’ll be having over genmeets, the tutorials we’ll be doing over the course of a semester, and our last big event for this semester, the 10th National Youth Congress.

NEIL|Academic Affairs

I’m excited for my 7th semester in Acad, and my last as Execom. Let’s make this a memorable semester! More bonding sessions please Acad. Neil [Editor's Note: Neil, tawang-tawa pa rin ako sa picture mo!]

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COMMNEWS

Did you know that when you add all the numbers from 1 to 10, you get 55? Kinda means that everything that Ecosoc has been through, whether the lowest 1s or the highest 10s, all amounts to this amazing semester before us. Pushing it ba? Sobrang excited lang ako for September! I know you all are, too!!! Hello Ecosoc! CDC has a lot in store for you this semester and the entire team is pumped up to share our CDC swUGHg to all of you! I’m sure you’ve heard about the new PAWS CDC and the Blood Drive! Plus we’re revamping ACDC Tutorials [Editor's Note: WEH Ria. JK] which is something more to watch out for! Of course, there will be Sat CDCs, GK Builds, Caravan, Medmish plus more! Basically, what CDC will bring to you this semester is MORE. For sure magsasawa kayo sa mga fun bonding moments natin while doing CDC! Ay, meron pa palang Eco-Brick Project. Ano ba yun? Eh magpapagawa lang naman tayo ng LIBRARY. Eh sa MOUNTAIN PROVINCE lang naman. Pshhh. No biggie. To my swUGHg-filled CDC members, kahit madalas niyong iviolate yung Rule #7, I’m humbled and happy to be heading such a talented and dedicated group of people. I’m so amazed na hindi kayo nagsasawa and lagi kayong willing to go the extra mile to serve, not only our beneficiaries, but most importantly, the organization. I know we’ll do great things. I just know it. triUMPFh all the way! Kul ko. To V5, daming nangyayari, dami nating ginagawa, tapos dadami nanaman yung nangyayari. Quoting from one of the best movies, “...magiging mahirap at masakit, but hopefully, all the pain will be worth it.”

XP|Community Development

To Clingy, keep me sane. More regular kembs. Less regular pointless walking. SOON: Consummatum est. Every end has a beginning. What you have in your hands is a June Issue of Echoes. I cannot tell you when the last time Echoes had a release for June, but I can tell you that Echoes has never had a June release this good! Currently, we have changed the layout of the magazine. We see this as the next step in the evolution of Echoes, and also the fact that Gotham is used in everything nowadays. So what the heck, let's change it, right? Plus five covers! Heavily linked by all sorts of ways with me, this manifestation of Echoes shall bring you the greatest delights anyone has ever seen. Ever. Echoes is formed by an elite group of thirteen individuals that I am very pleased to introduce to Ecosoc as the greatest Echoes team of young upstarts and zero former EICs to date: Wax, Marte (whom I both voted for as freshie batchreps a long time ago), Jus, Vito (who were both my wards when I was the third guardian for an infernal GW family called Team PRA 2.0), Frances (who was my CWTS classmate in the greatest CWTS LGBT production ever), Cara (who is both son and daughter to her parents), Jude (who comes from the supersouth, just like my parents), Olivia (who has a love for comic book mythos), Sam (who enjoys science fiction things like the rest of the nerd universe), Joby (who has been my classmate twice, despite the fact that she overshadows me in performance), Timmy (who comes from that magical place down south), and Lerizze (who I don't really share anything with; we're just both weird people. And mean. Actually its only her! HEY WE DID IT!). This dream team shall achieve its dreams. Overall, Ecosoc, keep things up. We're opening up the pages of the Echoes site for your creations because we now want the site to be the creative outlet for Ecosoc. If you have something to say about current events, have some literature you want to show, we'll let the world know. Expect great things to come, Ecosoc! We've got a spectacular competitive event in store on July 20 and an Ecosoc Month event together with Spev! And expect regular releases for the site and TV. They're coming back in a big way. Shoutout to Fin for the extra cash!!! Keep it up! Special mention to V5! Ria, Ryna, Ars, Anon, Jing, Geli, Quek, XP, Neil, BB, and GJ! We better own it this semester! -Derek P.

DEREK|Echoes

ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 7

COMMITTEE ECHOES NEWS

Hello Ecosoc! Last semester was an overwhelming fulfillment for Ecosoc. Truly, it was a great time to be an Ecosocer. We have proved that we could be better; that we are more than capable of reaching greater heights. Most of us are probably thinking, now what? As I was once read, “...the hardest step in any journey is not the first one; it’s the next one.” (Hickman, 2003) Now we are faced with an even bigger challenge. But a challenge of which I doubtlessly believe we could conquer. So as the semester opens, may it be a beginning of new hopes and new aspirations, of refreshed spirits and reinvigorated joy. Greater challenges can only mean greater victories: I am looking forward to yet another momentous journey, Ecosoc! To Liaison, I am so proud to be leading an incredible team such as this. We will rock this semester, no doubt! Thank you JM, Christine, Catricia, Ida, Just, Patty, Briana, Anj, Gel, Sel, Iya, Nicolle, Miggy, Trish and Cheska for choosing this committee. To Eina, Erwin and Telle, it’s a privilege to have you as vice-chairpersons. I hope that this experience will help you grow as leaders, and as effective individuals.

JING|Liaison

As one united Ecosoc, and by grace, this sem will be ever-greater! Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things - Philippians 4:8 Cheers! Jing Biscocho Sup Ecosoc! First of all i'd like to welcome all of you to another fun filled semester here in our org. We have a lot in store for you guys and we're really excited to execute all the events and activities we have planned. Sup V5? It's almost the end of our term and I miss you guys already! Joke lang, but yeah, you guys get me. I've learned so much from each of you and it saddens me that this bond that we have formed as execom has almost come to an end. This sem is very busy but I know that we will always have each other's backs. We can do this! Sup Memcom? Words can't express how happy I am with our committee! It's been a great start for us and I know we'll only continue doing a good job. This is exactly how I envisioned our committee to be, and of course I only have you guys to thank for that. We may only be together for one sem, but know that I will remember our committee always. Let's go Memcom!! Strong!

ANON|Membership

Sup everyone else? We hope you guys are looking forward to memcom's events as much as we are. Please continue to tambay! The tambayan may be a bit different but it shouldn't be a problem if we don't make it one. I hope to see you guys around! Also, let's all make our applicants feel welcome in ecosoc! Let's face it, we're all getting older, and we need the young bloods to take over our organization. Let's make them feel at home! Thanks guys and see you around! 'Til my next commnews!

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COMMNEWS

ATTENTION! (Like in a military kind of attention becauseI just always wanted to do that) Hello beautiful people of Ecosoc!! It’s a little late but welcome back to the reality of school, homework, orgwork, etc. Bid summer farewell because it won’t be back till next year!

RYNA|Special Events

Btdubs, thank you all for coming to Mem’s Cookout a.k.a. Pseudo Vice Night last June 14!! Hope your bellies were filled with the finest liempo SPEV could offer you. For those that didn’t go, well boo you whore! I kid I kid! If you missed mem’s cookout, there are other SPEV events for you! This sem get ready for awesome SPEV events like Treasure Hunt, The REAL Vice Night, Tambay week (yes we will tambay in our new tambs), as well as an awesome tie up with Echoes (ehem ehem) for Ecosoc Month! Aren’t you excited for this sem???

Obviously where would SPEV be if it weren’t for my amazing team. Shout out to my fab VC’s Josh and Zo, who have been of great help so far, my amazeballs members, Abby, Adriel, Andee, Ayi, Bruno, Hazel, Issa, Kiele, Loicey, Mark, Risa, and Romano! More chichi commeets my wonderful members. Mwahugs. Omygod, it’s time to get senti because this is the last first commnews I will be writing. HUHU. Obviously, V5 will totally be extra clingy and extra senti this sem. So pardon us if we spontaneously cry together. Love you all to bits V5! Mwamwachupchup Lotsa love!! Ryna

Hello Ecosoc! Yay! Welcome back! First of all, I want to thank everyone who supported our committee’s projects last semester! As mentioned in the first genmeet, we are bringing you more projects to look forward to this semester. Some of the traditional sports events are back such as MBA, Ecosoc Sports Cup, and “Battle Royale” (it’s time to share this extremely fun event to the university), and many other projects are coming your way as well!

RIA|Sports

Hello Sports Committee! Welcome back, Adrian, Astin, Boz, Cesca, CV, Cyvil, God, Janeen, Joseph, Luis, Miguel, Mike, Orion, Rino, and Tracy! Glad that I can have another semester with you all! To AK, Darrell, Justin, and Sarah, welcome to the Sports family! We hope you will all be able to feel at home in our committee! To Jed and Topy, we’re really happy you guys are back in sports! Yay we are one big happy sports family! Let’s go Sports! Here’s to an exciting semester ahead of us!

To my VC’s Boz and Joseph: Though we haven’t had any events yet, you guys have already shown so much commitment and love for the committee. I am so thankful that I have you guys as my vice chairs! I know you guys will be great VC’s this semester! P. S. Thanks so much for taking care of the committee during the time I was gone. To V5, Hey guys we’re on the second half of our term already! Here’s to our last first commnews! Wow! Haha!

ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 9

INSIDE ECOSOC

ECOSOC WELCOMES THE NEW SEMESTER TOGETHER AS ALWAYS, THE FIRST GENMEET OF THE SEMESTER IS A BIT SPECIAL, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT'S THE TIME WE GET TO SEE EVERYONE BACK FROM SUMMER. This took place in June 14, 2013, from 5:00 to 6:00 pm in SE 114, which the members were able to fill up. We also know that its air-conditioning is better than the usual SE 125, and it was even able to get all the members comfortably seated inside. by Vico Ubaldo Ecosocâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s president, GJ Agregado, welcomed the organization. He also showed what happened during plansem in the summer. Afterwards, each committee got to present a creative video about their members, or sometimes about their plans for the semester. Also, representing their committees are the chairpersons who got to greet the 10 â&#x20AC;˘ JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

organization, announced their news, andsay their piece to all the members. One more part of the genmeet is to announce the theme for the semester, which is Platoon 55. As GJ explains, every single person in the team is indispensable, and the coordination of everyone causes the organization to move forward with determination.

The genmeet was overall very good, with lots (and lots!) of cheers for all the execomers, committees, members, and all the events coming up. It was also littered with spontaneous laughs here and there. It started on time and ended on time for the CDC orientation which follows.

NEWS

THE FIRST UP ECONOMICS SOCIETY CUP by Joby Guerrero LAST APRIL 17, 2013, THE UP ECONOMICS SOCIETY HELD ITS FIRST CUP AT THE RIVIERA COUNTRY CLUB IN SILANG, CAVITE. The event was spearheaded by

ECOSOCERS BOND OVER LIEMPO DURING MEMS COOKOUT by Lisanne Gaborni

LAST JUNE 14, ECOSOC HAD ITS SECOND EVER (IN RECENT ECOSOC HISTORY) MEMBERS' COOKOUT AT B.F. HOMES, QUEZON CITY.

the Task Force Committee of the organization. The cup was attended by some Ecosoc members’ family and friends. There were 7 players who participated in the event. After a friendly competition among players, everyone got a prize and trophy. The Ecosoc Cup is a fundraiser for the UP Economics Society Scholarship Fund. It aimed to raise money for the scholars of the organization and socially relevant activities Ecosoc undertakes.

After the first general meeting and CDC orientation, everyone headed to Granwood Villas. At around 8 PM, people already started arriving. Adriel Arguelles, Miguel Andres, Andee Aguila and Jude Geron were the performers for the night. Food, such as liempo, and alcoholic drinks were served. The event hosted by the SPEV committee was an opportunity for everyone to bond and chill (because alcohol brought everyone together lol). Ecosoc members enjoyed the good company and the good food.

RNR WEEK SHOWS GREAT PROMISE by Vico Ubaldo

THIS SEMESTER'S RNR WAS HELD FROM JUNE 18-21, 2013 AT THE SE WALKWAY.

Every semester, Ecosoc has a booth in the School of Economics Org fair, where students, especially freshies, get a chance to apply for the organization. It's also the time for members to reaffirm their membership to the organization, especially if they want to stay active. Other booths also present were SESC, OBEM, ETC, Sidhi, and Debsoc. Ecosoc's RnR booth this time had green and blue cloths wrapped around a column and draped to the side. There was also a new giant Ecosoc logo newly created by Seccom (since the old one got lost). Finally, posters, from the poster-making competition, were displayed These posters had the theme of the semester which is Platoon 55. This

embodies the fact that all members of the organization are indispensable. An online campaign by members was also done. They changed their profile pictures to their photos with the Ecosoc flags. The caption on these photos was "Join the corps. Join the cause." Overall, RnR went well. There were a total of 102 applicants throughout the week.

Also, 123 members reaffirmed their membership. Then, an added part is the election of JPES officer and representatives on June 21, Friday. The voting for the ratification of amendments in the constitution was also done that Friday, both of which went well.

ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 11

NEWS SHIFTEE ORIENTATION Mike Saulo shares his success story in the U.P. Economics Society to the new batch of shiftees of the School of Economics • Photo by Cara Latinazo

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ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 13

NEWS MEMBER'S COOKOUT A show of delight in Ecosocers' faces during the event. Also, JM's face is priceless. • Photo by Cara Latinazo

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ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 15

NEWS ORG WEEK The hectic U.P. Economics Society booth at the recently concluded Reaffirmation and Recruitment week. Note XP's, Quek's, and Geli's faces of stress. • Photo by Arsenio Lukban

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NEWS

ECOSOC BRAINSTORMED TOGETHER FOR A NEW SEMESTER by Vico Ubaldo

NEW CDC ACTIVITIES IN STORE FOR ECOSOC 55B by Bryan Neil G. Domingo

AS THEY HAVE INTRODUCED IN CDC ORIENTATION LAST 14TH OF JUNE 2013 IN SE 125, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE FULLY LOADED THE SEMESTER WITH NEW CDC ACTIVITIES BESIDES HAVING THE STAPLE ONES. 18 • JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

LAST MAY 17 TO 19, 2013 ECOSOC HELD ITS PLANSEM IN COCOON RESORT IN MALOLOS, BULACAN.

Plansem is held before every semester for the organization to look back on what it has done, find ways to improve its performance, and plan its moves for the coming semester. Of course, it is also done to bond the Ecosoc family. Ecosoc was able to take up the entire place of the resort. The facilities were good, with air-conditioned rooms and it was spacious enough for the members to do whatever they want. Most notable, however, was its swimming pool, which is known to be “the only mineral-water pool in Bulacan!” The bulk of plansem was on Saturday. The morning was spent in team-building activities such as “name the cartoon character” and “build a tower out of pasta and gummies.” Then the afternoon was spent doing a SWOT analysis for every committee and Execomer. After this, the different committees met in order to come up with its plan for the next semester, which its members presented on Sunday morning. Of course being tired with all the brainstorming activities, the members were rewarded by being allowed to use the pool the whole Saturday night! A special thank you also goes out to the head chef Miguel Andres and friends for the great food they cooked for all the members!

One of the newly-formulated CDC activities is the Blood Drive, to be held on the 1st week of July. It is a blood donation drive, in partnership with UP Red Cross Youth, for volunteer donors from the Society. Another new activity is the PAWS CDC, spearheaded by Vice Chairperson Rich Espino, where Ecosocers get to feed abandoned and battered animals adopted by PAWS. A huge comeback for ACDC Tutorials is also prepared – ACDC Tutorials Revamp, to be directed by Patricia Tan. The tutorials program is for graduating elementary students of Pook Ricarte who are reviewing for high school entrance exams. Lastly, in partnership with A Liter of Light (Isang Litrong Liwanag), CDC aims to focus the Society’s efforts on making 1,500-2,000 Eco Bricks, made out of non-biodegradable waste, for the building of a library in Mountain Province. The Eco Brick Project shall represent the Service project for the Ecosoc Month on September.

Besides the new CDC activities for Ecosoc, the Committee retained its staple events like the Saturday CDCs, Gawad Kalinga (GK) Build, Medical Mission, and the Caravan for more societal involvement. CDC Chairperson XP Damian strengthened the rules of blacklist and tardiness in its activities and created more CDCs for Ecosocers to help the community more and to uphold even more one of its thrusts – service.

NEWS

SINCE ECOSOC MONTH AND OTHER EXTERNAL EVENTS ARE ALMOST NEARBY,

members from different committees brushed up their marketing skills as they undertook the marketing boot camp offered by Liaison committee last 15th of June 2013 in SE 125. The marketing seminar featured three Ecosoc alumni as speakers: Mr. Benedict Bismark, former SESC Vice Chairperson, Mr. Dhiren Karnani, co-chairperson of Task Force committee 2011, and Mr. Ray Francisco, pricing analyst of JP Morgan Chase Bank. The guest speakers tackled the concept of marketing and the different ways for it to be effective and successful. They also gave tips on how to market events and proposals, and talked about business etiquettes – the dos and don’ts in corporate relations. After the talks about marketing, the attendees were divided into teams and underwent a marketing simulation where they had to sell their chosen Ecosoc event. The simulation had three stations with different undertakings.The first station tested each team’s flexibility and openness to the negotiations by Mr. Bismark and Mr. Francisco regarding the proposal and its sponsorship packages. The second station assessed the team’s skills in decision-making. Lastly, each team practiced marketing through phone calls. Despite having the boot camp open to the whole organization, around ten members only attended the seminar.

SE WELCOMES NEW FACES OF ECON by Lisanne Gaborni

MARKETING BOOT CAMP: POORLY ATTENDED QUALITY EVENT by Bryan Neil G. Domingo

THE SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS HELD ORIENTATIONS TO WELCOME THE NEW FRESHMAN BATCH AS WELL AS SHIFTIES AND TRANSFERIES ON JUNE 1 AND 6 RESPECTIVELY. On June 1, more than a hundred freshmen attended their welcoming orientation themed UPSE Flight 2013. Registration started at 8 AM. The blocks, together with their go-to-guides (GGs), spent the first 2 hours of the program in separate rooms playing icebreaker games. Afterwards,

they proceeded to tour the org booths. Lunch courtesy of Manang's Chicken was also served. At 1 PM, everyone was called to the backparking for a short program. Another icebreaker game was played before the student council gave their opening remarks. Each block participated in the Amazing Race where they had to locate each of the stations scattered around the campus prepared by different Econ organizations. The heavy rain did not prevent the game from finishing. At 5 PM everyone assembled at the SE atrium for the closing remarks and awarding. On June 6, the shiftees and the transferees were also welcomed. The program started at 1 PM where the first part was an icebreaker. Professor Toby Monsod then oriented the students about academics. They were entitled to check out the different booths prepared by the different organizations during the tour. There are around 40 shiftees and transferees coming from different colleges within UPD, other UP units as well as other universities this year. ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 19

NEWS

SINGAPORE HAZE Forest fires from Sumatra, Indonesia are currently shrouding the city in smoke. 20 â&#x20AC;˘ JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

NEWS

NEWS BY

NUMBERS

years is what the court sentenced former Argentinian president for his role in illegally smuggling weapons to Ecuador and Croatia. The 82 year old is currently serving as a senator of Argentina.

the number of first names Ratziel San Juan CCCII has. Both his siblings also have a lot of first names with 25 and 20 each. Their father named them as such to “teach” the bureaucracy a lesson in flexibility.

BY JOBY GUERRERO

Chinese students were attacked by three local men in Bordeaux, France. The attack to the oenology students were declared as a xenophobic (fear of foreigners) act according to France’s interior ministry

20,000,000,000 amount in pesos is the amount invested by a Korean resort group, Resom to build its tourism complex in Subic. The resort will include a hotel, convention center and golf area.

4.4

the magnitude of the earthquake that struck Quezon Province and was also felt by Metro Manila. The epicenter is at 40 kilometers northeast of Polillo, Quezon.

ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 21

NEWS

401

the air pollution level of the haze experienced in Singapore due to forest fires in Sumatra, Indonesia. The measurement of the air pollution index is alarmingly hazardous and can trigger respiratory ailments

died and 7 are still missing as a Roll on-Roll off (Ro-Ro) ferry sinks in Burias Island in Masbate. Poor lashing of one bus made the vessel lose its balance and sink.

have died of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) Corona-virus in Saudi Arabia. MERS-virus symptoms have been likened to SARS.

11,260,000

amount in pesos is what Sandiganbayan ordered retired General of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Chief of Staff Gen. Lisandro Abadia to pay the government. This amount was declared by the court to be ill-gotten wealth.

people are killed with more than 150 people injured with the recent Baghdad bombings. The series of attacks usually targeted camps housing Iranians.

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NEWS

UP Economics Society

105

members attended the first genmeet, meanwhile 93 were able to finish the event until CDC orientation.

NEWS BY

NUMBERS

BY JOBY GUERRERO

205

is the current number of members of Ecosoc as of 1st semester SY 2013-2014 23 are in Acad 25 are in CDC 13 are in Echoes 25 are in Externals 26 are in Fin 23 are in Liai 19 are in Memcom 10 are in Seccom 16 are in SPEV 25 are in Sports

102

applicants signed-up in the Ecosoc booth during the RnR week. On the other hand, 123 members reaffirmed their membership.

scholars are currently being searched for by the Scholarship committee. 3 scholars are in High School while 3 will be College scholars.

143,725

amount in pesos of cash and checks of Ecosoc according to Financeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Statement of Account.

of the 36 Go to Guides (GGs) last Freshie Orientation are Ecosoc members.

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F E A T U R E S ECHOES | JUNE March2013 2013•• 25

ECHOES

"SOCIO-CIVIC" MEMBERS THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE IS THE HEART OF ECOSOC.

In an organization that has “Service” listed as one of its tenets, it’s just appropriate to have a division of the organization dedicated to serving the less fortunate. Better yet, it’s appropriate to require everyone in the organization to participate in this service—four times to be exact (and five for members on probation). Whether it’s playing around with less fortunate children or assisting Gawad Kalinga in building homes, members of the organization take part in showing concern for the community. Service is necessary, since we are “socio-civic” organization—but do people even know what that means? If not, why bother doing something for the sake of a label or purpose you don’t understand? by Timmy Jacob

OCIO-CIVIC”, TO BORROW from Kenneth Reyes’s definition in his article “Socio-Civic 101”, “socio” pertains to service, i.e., CDC events and, “civic” part of our org pertains to the seminars and symposiums we hold (civic, according to the dictionary refers to duties or activities of people in relation to their city). It is a term known even to be loosely defined throughout Ecosoc’s history (refer to old Echoes issues, September 2010 in particular) and it is not an existing word in the English language, so it’s not such a huge fault not to know its definition. Even our Editor-In-Chief mentioned not “believing in the term” in his February 2012 editorial. With all these obvious hindrances to properly use or even appreciate this term, why blindly throw it around? Because it sounds good as a label? Throwing it around like that seems like an attempt to put up an image. An image that we are so relevant because we are socio-civic. No, this article is not a rant about semantics and definitions or being socio-civic. What was previously discussed only forms a foundation for a problem that lies with members of Ecosoc now: how we treat CDC. You 26 • JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

may ask, “How do we treat CDC’s?” Put frankly, it seems as if we use CDC activities to look like saints. You know you look good when someone knows you’re going to a CDC activity. Admit it. You’ve done it at least once or twice. “Hey, man! Do you wanna hang out this Saturday?” “Sorry, I can’t. I’m going to UP to help out at this charity event for kids for my org.” Whether you follow your reply out with an “It’s fun to go,” or an “I’m just going ‘cause I’m required,” you’ve already advertently or inadvertently boosted a positive image for you and our org. Come on! Admit it! You probably don’t like going to CDC but when the opportunity comes to tell people what you’re doing, you tell them what you’re doing anyway. You go to CDC half hoping you get a candid shot of yourself taken playing with some kids or assisting in building a home with a genuinely happy looking face and pose. What’s more? In relation to the previous paragraph, when someone asks why our org does so, you say “Because we’re socio-civic,” in that familiar I’m-so-much-better-than-you tone in your voice. But again, why do you blindly throw around that term that you don’t understand? It sounds excellent. It’s all about the image. How

do we treat CDC’s? Simply as a mere requirement and an image enhancer. After casually interviewing some of Ecosoc’s members a good number of the answers I heard were in favor of the statement I have previously made (to have a decent sample, I interviewed three members who have more than 5 CDC counts, three members with 4-5 counts and one member who has been on probation for lack of CDC’s). When asked how they personally viewed or treated CDC, most saw it as an opportunity to give back to the less fortunate, and that’s definitely something positive. Ayi Dave with 4 CDC counts last semester says “It recenters our purpose as an organization. We’re so busy planning and doing events that [are] for our benefit, [so] we need CDC to balance everything out and make us a holistic org.” When I asked her to further clarify, she replied saying, “We can't be all about fundraising events and parties. We need a different purpose also, which is to give back.” Gel Clemente (5 CDC counts last semester to lift probation status) states “... aside from helping the less fortunate, we do it to live up to the "socio-civic" title of Ecosoc”. They all seem like such appealing answers,

FEATURES GUILT-ERASER? Echoes enjoys Christmas CDCs

but can be interpreted the same way our Ecosoc Month Team Creatives Director Paulo Bautista (5 CDC counts) sees it: “It’s all for the image, man.” Think about it. Though the reasons given by Ayi and Gel both sound like valid and noble ones (and I’m sure that majority of Ecosoc would give similar reasons to them), image is implied through these. “We can’t be all about fundraising events and parties” as a reason behind having CDC events is basically saying “We have to be socio-civic so we don’t just look like a party org,”—and this is exactly how Paubau continued his answer from a while ago. When asked the definition for “socio-civic” as a follow up to Gel’s reasoning, she replied “Basta may service to the community”—quite a lax response if socio-civic is in our organization’s very essence. When asked what they imagine the majority of the org viewed or thought about CDC activities, five (Neil Ong, Joby Guerrero, Ayi Dave, Gel Clemente and Paulo Bautista) against two (Mike Saulo, Jomac Conty) interviewees stated that they were probably seen as just requirements, but acknowledged the fact that some people really want to go. Joby Guerrero (8 CDC counts last sem) said that she herself attends Saturday CDC because she loves the kids, but thinks that the rest of the org views it as simply a requirement. Some, of course, stay optimistic towards the org, as Jomac Conty replies to this question with a “Just like the way I think it... Service oriented. Getting back to the community” and Mike Saulo

answers, “I still firmly believe that majority of Ecosocers give value to CDCs because they can still find time to attend in those sessions even though they have a lot of other things to do. Mike, with a whopping CDC count of 13, had a lot to say about what he believed CDC was, but among other things, he stated, “I think the purpose of CDC is to instill in our minds and hearts as well that we should not be blind about what is happening in the society outside.” This is not an article meant to pick on members who do not know what socio-civic means nor is it an article that says we have no reason to do or participate in CDC activities anymore. Nor was it an attempt to make these interviewees appear as insensitive members who don’t really care about helping out. This article just aims to stress that CDC shouldn’t simply be used as an image enhancing tool, a guilt eraser, or a means to make you look like a saint. If you believe that CDC is a means for you to personally make a difference, help the less fortunate and instill change, then good for you. We need more people like you in the world today. Just make sure you’re not in it just to impress whomever you wish to impress. Simply put, don’t be fake about it—mean what you say. Timmy Jacob was formerly the Literary Editor and is now the Managing Editor of this publication. He lifted his probation last semester and is now a vice-chair. ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 27

ECHOES

WILL WE END UP AS BY LERIZZE CORPORATE SLAVES? TAN WAIT Haven't we used this photo before?

DURING OUR FRESHMAN ORIENTATION seminar last year, one of the questions we had to answer was “Why Econ?”. Our answers were quite redundant. Many were unable to pass their first choice, some want to be lawyers while some had their interest stirred by their high school economics professors. The common trend with our answers was that most of us didn’t make the decision of choosing Economics up until we had to. Given this, do we really know what opportunities our courses would entail of us in the future? Will we be able to maximize the utility of our course? Did we really consider 28 • JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

the tradeoffs of choosing Economics as a degree? Will we be able to sufficiently contribute to the GDP of the Philippines in the future? I’m just forcing the econ terms in, but you get it. Given that we’re in the wee years of our youth, I’m pretty sure that a lot of us have already begun thinking about what we would be in the future. Will we pursue of degrees, or will we become mere slaves of the corporate world? One of my favorite things to ask people is why they chose Economics or Business Economics as their course and why they

decided to pursue it in UP (Actually I only did this twice or thrice) and they often say that it’s because of the numerous free electives. What sets Econ in UP apart (aside from the facilities, the people, the professors and the organizations) are the numerous electives that we have. This gives us the opportunity to become jacks of all trade or at least jacks of two trades (witty!). I randomly selected a few Ecosocers and asked them what they want to be in the future and I was pleasantly surprised with their answers mainly because

FEATURES

becoming an economist was seldom their first option. Well okay, maybe I wasn’t surprised, but I should have been.

was actually surprised that everyone I asked already knew what they want to do in the future because I honestly have The first person I was asked was no idea what path I want to take. The Neil. He was actually the only one who only thing I’m certain of is that I want to mentioned becoming an Economist. delve into the corporate world and what’s Specifically he said that he would want wrong with that? to be either a manager or an economist, mainly focusing on research work and The issue probably isn’t whether or analysis. Next, I asked Jing. Her answer not we want to take this (slavery of a) was fairly specific. She wants to be a path, but instead what we would make general manager for marketing by the out of it. Will we succumb to the easy, time she turns 40, and at the same time monotonous jobs of those who we might she want to own a pastry shop! Cara refer to as corporate slaves? Will we wants to work in an NGO and maybe all end up having the same jobs in the become a teacher when she’s older and similar companies located in Makati? Romano wants to be a brand manager then ultimately, a CEO. Luis, wants to So maybe we would become corporate become a doctor, Jude wants to open up slaves. Surely it’s a possibility for the his own studio, Sam wants one or all of short run, but it’s definitely not an the following to happen: be an economist/ option for the long run. Many of us may ruler of the world, open up her own studio pursue corporate careers, but given the (which will rule the design world) or to kind of upbringing we have in Ecosoc, start something like a Filipino version of in the School of Economics, and in the Time Magazine. University of the Philippines, I’m certain Different. Everyone wanted to be something different—a mix of something traditional and something unexpected, something stable and something that fulfills a creative itch. They want to be something like our organization. Balanced. They want to combine what they need to be, with what they have to be. Suddenly, I got more confused about what I wanted to be.

“

" We are people who perfectly mix passion with professionalism. We do what we have to do by doing what we want to do. "

that we would excel in whatever field we pursue. Although we might begin as corporate slaves, I’m confident that we would exceed whatever limitations are set for us. But then again, even though I want a job in the corporate world, I don’t just want to walk on that concrete path; I want to paint it. Wow, deep! (Although… I don’t really know how to paint). My point is that I don’t want to become some manager or assistant. I don’t want to just type things down. Seriously, writing this made me realize that I really don’t like typing. I want to perhaps bring two paths together. No, not in the romantic way. I want to work with what I’m passionate for and at the same time apply everything I learned in school. I want to conclusively work for a purpose and work in an unexpected way. The UP Economics Society is an organization of visionaries, icons, idealists, thinkers, doers and movers. We don’t just settle for what’s given to us, we strive for something greater and we strive to become greater. I think that the primary reason why we wouldn’t end up as “slaves” is that we are driven by such determination that we don’t let anything or anyone hinder us. We don’t just jump over the bar, we set it sky high. We are people who perfectly mix passion with professionalism. We do what we have to do by doing what we want to do. Lerizze Tan is a FIESTA member and the Associate Editor of this publication. She enjoys painting (that's what she said) . ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 29

ECHOES

ONE OF EIGHT The registration booth, as empty as Rager 30 • JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

FEATURES

A FORSAKEN FORCE BY DEREK PARREÑAS

Last April, the Task Force committee finally held their fundraiser for the ESSF. Designed to tap into wealthy amateur golfers, it was supposed to go off without a hitch. But somewhere along the way, Beatriz Bayudan, GJ Agregado, and the rest of TF, got lost in their simple but difficult plan of reaching a profit of 100,000 pesos.

TASK FORCE (TF) IS THE ARM THAT ENSURES AND SECURES

the service aspect of the U.P. Economics Society. Ensures and secures because, through their efforts, the Economics Society Scholarship Fund (ESSF), the source of funds for Community Development Committee (CDC) activities and tuition support for the scholars, is brought up and kept at a charitable amount. Task Force has sought to find resources for the ESSF in the second semester through a number of means over the years. In 2010, then Vice-President and Task Force Chairperson Laurence Go saved the ESSF from its 14k balance (due to low-profit fundraisers and a cancelled Musikapella for the previous 51st year) through multiple profit-generating activities in the Second Semester of A.Y. 2009-2010, the start of Ecosoc’s 52nd year. 2011 saw Sel Ortiga bring Chrome: Visual Intensity to make a profit of 40k for her 1st Semester as Task Force Chairperson. However, Second Semester of A.Y. 2011-2012 had the ESSF depleted due to a loss in Rager (the benefit party) and a cancelled Special Project called Para kay Paraluman (See Kenneth Reyes’s article on this in the July 2012 issue of Echoes for a more in-depth explanation). And just last semester, Vice-President Beatriz Bayudan, President and Co-chairperson of Task Force GJ Agregado, and the rest of TF believed in a golf tournament, the first of its kind in the U.P. Economics Society, to raise funds for the scholars and the CDC benefactors. ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 31

ECHOES

TASKFORCE 2ND SEM EVENT PROFITS FOR THE PAST 4 YEARS

2010*

142,000

2011 2012**

40,000 -105,165

2013

7,000

*Combined profits of Trance, Sisfire 7, and Sproj earned a profit of roughly 142,000 **Rager lost 105,165 pesos and the Sproj event was cancelled THE EVENT MADE 7,000 PESOS,

not including checks that have yet to be cashed in or x-deals that have to be liquidated. By far, the event ranks the 3rd out of 4 places in terms of profitability, for the trend of second semester Task Force events. With Second Semester A.Y. 20092010 sitting comfortably at the top spot with a profit of 142,000 pesos and Second Semester A.Y. 2011-2012 at the bottom with a negative balance, last semester’s event cannot be called the lowest of the low nor successful. But also, it cannot be said that it was average, since a modest 40,000 profit during Second Semester A.Y. 2010-2011 can be called “average” for second semester events. What it was, simply looking at the numbers, was a failed event. If the goal was to reach 100,000 pesos, Taskforce only reached seven percent of that goal. A passing mark would merit 60,000 for that goal. Alas, even that did not happen. The point of this article is not to lambast Task Force for the subpar performance last semester, nor to embarrass GJ Agregado or Bea Bayudan or any of the Task Force directors. In fact, of all interviewed for this article, only Judith Pascual, the Director for Publicity, stated it was successful. This article is simply here to connect the dots and the statements of some of those involved to bring a bigger picture of what happened to the UP Economics Society’s public 32 • JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

and for posterity’s sake. In fact, when certain members of the committee were interviewed, they all cited different reasons, from the Co-Chair’s absence to lack of coordination between departments, up to even dwindling attendance. There is not one exact reason to be had for the failures. Maybe the reading public could get a better grasp of what went wrong, and would invite discourse. As Marketing Director Janeen Cayetano would have it, “We are not here to pinpoint yung mali sa tao but we are here to help each other for us to reach our mission and goals.” But basics first. How many went to the event? There were eight players, including the Tournament Director, Mr. Rhoneil Cousart—a far cry from their goal of 50 participants. The Publicity Department didn’t have the director show up and the Programs Department only had the director, Carlo Magsino, present, among the other members of the committee who were not present in the event. Where was the event held? Riviera Golf and Country Club in Silang, Cavite. What happened in the event? One Mr. Fernandez won the golf tournament and took home the Grand Champion trophy and all the rest won the raffles. According to one person interviewed, “Nilalangaw nga yung booth.” GJ Agregado called the writer, the Editor-in-Chief of this publication, at around 11:30 am on that day to ask if they could have the camera

that Echoes was selling and it was given to TF for zero-cost. The raffle prize then being given away extended from golf hats to appliances (that would be bought later on) to the camera that Echoes had in its possession for sale. Mentioned before, this was the first time the UP Economics Society held such an event. And yet for such a big event, one made to raise money for sponsors, the enthusiasm for it caused quite a stir early on. “In the initial meetings of Task Force we had this department showdown where they asked us to prepare jokes and they said the departments would compete to be the best,” Director for External Relations Ayla Reyes tells Echoes, “Justin (Cabillos) and Janeen (Cayetano) were very enthusiastic, plus Carlo (Magsino) was always competitive—It was actually their committees that had the best "cheers" in the first meeting.” Suddenly, the programs department was able to enlist the help of a tournament director through the help of Ayla Reyes to coordinate the venue and give advice regarding golf tournaments, since Task Force was treading onto uncharted grounds. Publicity made a video of all the Taskforce Directors and Assistant Directors (DADs) for the Society’s consumption. Things were looking positive for Taskforce, as if the committee had stumbled into fortune with its pick of a golf tournament instead of a charity ball.

FEATURES

TASKFORCE CHAIN OF COMMAND Beatriz Bayudan CHAIRPERSON GJ Agregado CO-CHAIRPERSON External Relations Logistics

Officers

Marketing

Programs

Publicity

Sales

Officers

et they only looked positive, because as the rest of the semester started rolling along, problems began to appear. In the timeline of events that took place, the first problem started when, according to Ayla, “Pub could not deliver on the things being asked of them.” Expounded by Ayla, she cited two things: the quality and lack of leadership, “Initially, they would deliver, but no one liked their output… I would joke that I was the new Pub Director ‘cause I instructed Lerizze, Dea & also Andee (Publicity officers). I scheduled releases & Mariel, the FB page. BB, I think, overlooked it and just let things go it's way. As long as the members worked, she was fine with it.” When asked for comment, Judith does not deny the allegations of her being invisible and goes as far as saying “blame everything on me, pub-wise. I have no problem with that.” Judith expounds: “I tried to be there, but what's the point of being there if you're not really needed. My ideas felt unwelcome, I think that's enough reason to feel unneeded. Creative people, I believe, should have a certain level of artistic liberty, and if people don't respect that, or even acknowledge it, conflicts happen. In the original setup, there wasn't supposed to be any green on the palette. Someone just said something along the lines of ‘gusto ko may green’ then [when] I saw the pub with green, [I] asked my officer why there's green and she said someone wanted it to have green. I know it sounds shallow, but it was the first crack [as] to why I gave up.” And come December 2012, Publicity no longer submitted a revised Marketing letter and the Marketing department went on to use their own, made by Janeen. Publicity officer Dea Villarosa comments on the matter, “Now I can't evaluate just how actively each of us worked, obviously. But a conversation with a non-TF member made me see how our collective efforts reflected on others outside the committee. When the conversation went way too casually—as in, "Oh, the golf tournament's on Wednesday right?" —that was when I realized that we hadn't done quite enough to make the event as big as it could have been, something rooted of course in our mindset facing the event.” “Attendance first in non-important committees. Directors couldn't get their members to attend even if the mems [sic] were right there, like JR Yambao, and marketing kept trying,” says Ayla. Thus approaches the next problem in the timeline: Attendance. As the new year rolled in, numbers in TF general assemblies began to dwindle steadily. Logistics officer, Ryan Pornillos, has this to say on the matter: “Other departments usually had one or two representatives left at those periods [Post-Christmas season].” The cause for this cannot be determined precisely, ranging from a sense of detachment with the project [since the Tournament Director was put in charge of most of the matters, which most of the interviewees cited as a reason for laxity, albeit a needed asset

to the project] to lack of communication, which Ryan expounds on: “The most essential parts were told to us very late and we could have opposed the idea of holding the tournament in Cavite, if we were informed earlier.” Publicity officer, Dea Villarosa, concurs with this statement, albeit adding an insight of her own, “That issue would boil down to lack of communication, which is something that the BOD is in charge of. However, this issue also has to do with initiative in terms of involvement, which has to come from every member, not just the leaders.” And according to Janeen, “I believe sa members ang problem. That’s the number one. Why? Because walang cooperation [and] dedication. Aapplyapply pero wala sa event. I hope those people know who they are. I just wanted to say binigyan kayo ng opportunity sana naman panindigan niyo yung position na yon. You guys are lucky to be part of TF, but did you prove that TF is lucky to have you?” Janeen attributes this lack of involvement to another thing, aside from the nonchalance of the members, which was complacency of Bea, who failed to make the team feel the dire need to step up during months nearing the event. “Masyado [siyang] kampante. Hawahawaan lang.” The response of Bea to these allegations are thus: “I'm not one to scream and shout to get some work done, but in hindsight maybe a little anger would have done some good.” Nevertheless, this failure of attendance extended to the top brass of Taskforce and even to the event itself, as noted earlier. A question that the DADs of TF were pressing even harder compared to before as soon as the Ecosoc Month team started publicizing their openings was “Where is GJ?” Quite simply, the co-chair of the committee hardly ever showed himself to the DADs and at General Assemblies. Distraught with the fact that the September preparations began even before the Task Force event could be called secure, directors such as Carlo, Ayla, and Janeen began to question the ethics with which the co-chair presented himself with. ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 33

ECHOES O.K. Confident for Task Force even with low attendance

“Chair and co-chair, di sila jive. I mean di sila nagcocooperate with each other. He’s the president and the co-chair, he should be there.” When asked about the matter, Bea had this to say: “I was more there than he was, yes. It was kind of a struggle, because you're not dealing with a set committee with super defined roles 34 • JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

and output.” It could be said that one of the reasons why GJ did not show up to the meetings was that his role as co-chair was not properly defined. “Yes, I admit that I was not as hands on as I could have been throughout the entire semester, and for this I am sorry,” GJ clarifies on the matter, “I was absent for several meetings

and GAs, however these were for reasons I have clarified with Bea, some to help manage other Ecosoc events, others for personal reasons. My lack of presence for this project is definitely one thing I know I could have improved on.” When presented as a whole, both failure of attendance from the membership and PHOTOS BY ANDEE AGUILA

FEATURES

top management, the words of Ayla could be apt: “The members invite them since they already had plans for summer.” Ayla of TF didn't take the initiative to ask their parents, sans Jude expounds on her department’s misgivings by stating that she and Marte. I don't know why they didn't ask their parents who had only assigned Joby Guerrero for the solicitations and that it played golf to support. But I knew the second we were having a was just Mariel Quines’s (the ER Assistant Director) signature tournament that my dad though unemployed would spend 4k to sheet requirement for the applicants. “It wasn’t our idea to support my event while everyone else didn't even try. Taskforce solicit,” Ayla tells Echoes, “What went wrong was [we looked at] didn't act as a team; it acted [through] its departments and thus the wrong target market [being actual golfers, not the alumni only a few departments actually worked and that could be pointed out to certain “My lack of presence for this project is definitely individuals. If it wasn't [in] their job one thing I know I could have improved on.” description, they were less inclined to do it and help out the other departments when, in truth, we're supposed to be one Task Force. You don't have that might play golf] and the indirect approach [that was] taken. to wait for someone to ask for help. Out of your own goodness, Emails hardly gave results, personal messages to friends and the members should take initiative in getting everyone's work calling did.” This fault, according to Bea, does not only extend to done.” External Relations, for the pledged participants of Mr. Rhoneil Together with mismanagement, comes the Marketing Cousart also backed out at the last minute and applauds Ayla problem. When Janeen and her team began to market in for her “significant presence” in the course of planning. January, which was to coincide with the newly opened books “I still have high hopes in holding a golf tournament again,” of companies, they were fraught with problems. Ayla tells GJ tells Echoes, “because of the huge opportunities in improving Echoes that Marketing had to get two members of logistics our alumni network and growing the ESSF fund for our to market for them, one of which was Gel Clemente, who was scholars.” Though the event was, in entirety, a communication, able to get an x-deals sponsorship from Myra-E and Bacchus. morale, and fundraising nightmare, the members of Task Force, Ultimately, aside from the two, Marketing was able to get three including the top positions feel that the event could be a reliable cash sponsorships: RCBC [From GJ], Toby’s Sports, and Reyes fundraiser for the second semester. “Sayang,” Janeen muses, “I Barbecue (Both of which came from Ayla). “Well I’d say hindi rin see this event as a potential stable event for us kasi sobrang laki naman perfect yung mga nagawa ko for TF since I had a hard agad ng profit kapag maayos but once na mali agad, sobrang time for marketing,” Janeen reacts to her flaws, “Since it was the laki din ng costs”. first then yung location malayo daw.” So far, the stakes are high for another golf tournament, and But the final and most jarring flaw that appeared for the even higher are the hopes. Will this dream come to wonderful event came as a consensus for most of the interviewees. The low fruition in the future and erase the blotch on this event’s current participation of golf players on the day itself was the harbinger history? Only next semester will that question be answered. of failure for Task Force. External Relations was given three This semester, will our scholarship fund rise above the tasks for the event: 1) Getting participants, 2) Getting cash mediocre profit last semester had? Only Task Force can answer solicitations for charity, and 3) Getting media sponsors (as a that question. The stakes are high, and also high are the hopes. result of the Marketing department having a difficulty getting regular sponsors). “We thought yun pa nga yung pinakahindi poproblemahin but nagkaroon ng problem with ER,” Janeen *The writer chose not to include sales in the storyline because reports, “they focused on solicitations rather than getting the problems and results of sales, he believes had little to do with members [participants]. They thought it was easy to get the event, maybe except with membership morale. members because of "connections". Apparently not, because Derek Parreñas is the Editor-in-Chief of Echoes. His favorite most of the people they invited replied that it was too late to event is Musikapella, which he never fails to attend. A Message from

the Vice-President

"The thing with fundraisers is you can always go either way in the extremes, and I entered second semester on shaky ground, given how past TF efforts have gone. I really hate how this sounds, but I literally spent sleepless nights worrying and panicking if what we were all doing would turn out well. The day before the tournament, Chello, Carlo and Janeen and I were all feeling extremely tense, with all the errands and how it's going to turn out, but over the semester, everyone was seriously optimistic with everything. The TF I know and have grown up in always found a way around things, so I expected that the past semester, but in hindsight, it's better to really tread cautiously and think that you're starting with a blank slate. I guess we didn't do the "hope for the best but expect the worst" thing, but I am truly grateful to everyone who gave their time and effort in making this. It was a mistake of course to trust that everything would go swimmingly, and we all did learn from that. " ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 35

REMEMBER THE VISIONARIES BEHIND THE UPCOMING ECOSOC MONTH 36 • JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

FEATURES

SEPTEMBER words by Joshua Siat and photos by Jude Geron & Cara Latinazo with the assistance of Zo Canaria, Cel Crisanto, Cel Dayacap, Donna Virata, & Kristina Viray ECHOES | JUNE 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ 37

ECHOES SALES

MOST OF US WHO WERE THERE ON THE NIGHT OF THE 22ND OF SEPTEMBER

all the way up to the wee hours of the 23rd of last year, all tired, drenched in rainwater and soluble paint (real paint for a few unlucky individuals like me), footwear covered in mud, shaky vision, foam stuck in ears, and one hell of a time probably asked the ultimate question that should punctuate the end of every Ecosoc Month: “What’s next?” That, is what each year’s iteration of the now-termed Ecosoc Month team aims to answer. September. September. September. It’s almost always at this self-imposed time of celebration, tradition and remembrance where Ecosocers usually become most excited and at the same time, have the highest of expectations. We do have not one, not two, not three, but a whole four months to ourselves, so naturally a lot is expected from whomever will compose the EM team. Passage into the EM team is a very unpredictable process for most, and those who do become part of it make it a point to establish there their Ecosoc legacies. MEETING THE TOP BRASS Since I wasn’t part of EM myself, I was invited to join an EM photo shoot for Echoes, the results of which you see in this issue, and for me to get a better look at the inner workings of EM. It was a small, albeit well equipped studio. As I sat down on a stool, notebook in hand, several things were going on at the same time: Sam was barking orders at one corner of the room. Cel, Zo and the other shoot assistants were scooting across the room getting a myriad of clothes. GJ was awkwardly trying not to look like a model for grandpa jeans. Jude was moving laterally across the room taking test shots. And everybody was talking. It was, simply, controlled chaos, but in a good way. Amidst that chaos though, was ironically a sense of order. Everyone in that room (aside from myself of course) was doing something, even as mundane as tying GJ’s shoelaces. Everyone was doing something, and as a result everything else followed suit. In a sense, that is part of this year’s EM’s philosophy: everyone’s presence in the team is valued and put to great use.

arte Caronoñgan, Sales Director, was first up on the hot seat. Marte always had a thing for Sales. He was an officer last year for EM, again for TF last semester, to which I was a witness to his great enthusiasm for the work involved in Sales. Now, takes the reins this year as director. When asked how he wanted his team to be, he simply said he wanted them to be “close”, “bonded” and more importantly, on the “same boat”. It’s clear that Marte puts an emphasis on making Sales as productive as possible. He wants projects to be more feasible, but at the same time, (and this is one of the hardest goals to accomplish in any sales team of any kind), is to sell products that, when people see them, they’d want to buy it, and Marte adds with a touch of slyness, that if they don’t, they’ll regret having not bought them. He wants to put the focus back on what the consumers want, and not what might look good. It’s a sim-

“

ONE DAY Ecosocers could open up a parlor 38 • JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

“It was, simply, controlled chaos, but in a good way.”

FEATURES CREATIVES

MARKETING

ple take on Sales, but hopefully, it works. This year’s Creatives Director, Paulo Bautista was up next. Creatives, in its very essence is one of the key components of any event team because simply, it’s what the public first sees. PauBau wants this year’s Pub, with a slightly ambitious tone, to be “something no one else has done.” A statement as bold as the leather jacket he was wearing really should be what is expected of Pub. Publicity is the hook to any event. Paubau adds that he wants it to look very “professional” and not look like it comes from merely a student organization. When asked about if he wants it to be similar to last year’s style of Pub, he makes it clear that he wants it to be different this time. “I want it to be more edgy, more artistic than last year” Paubau says. He has high hopes for Pub and the rest of EM, and he expects Pub to set the tone and excitement for the rest of us. Justin Cabillos, at first glance doesn’t seem to carry the personality an individual in marketing usually possesses. She answers my questions in a soft-spoken, even hesitant manner, but despite this, Justin’s marketing resume speaks for itself. In fact, the Marketing directorship wasn’t the first thing on her mind after LIV. It was only later on that fate (and a little push from others) paved the way for her to accept the job. If LIV last year had sponsors aplenty, Justin wants to exceed those numbers even more. She also wants her marketing team to serve as a training ground for her younger EM officers which serves as an example of how she maximizes the opportunity, not only for the benefit of EM but for the benefit of those on her team. Justin modestly tells me what she wants from the membership: to be excited, and things will be “exciting” she says. Lara Rapanan, this year’s Logistics B Director, on the other hand, beamed with straight-up confidence. When asked about how she got the directorship, she had already “expected” herself

LOGISTICS B

to be this year’s director. With regards to her team, the key factor she says in creating a productive team is “each and everyone of the members being comfortable with each other”. One thing Lara wants to change from her experience in Log B last year was how early they started. This time she wants to start as early as possible with her work and it’s clear that there is a good sense of urgency in this year’s Log B. Lara wants us to expect a bigger and better event, both in scale and intensity. When asked about Ecosoc Month as a whole, she simply said that she wanted EM to be “a bigger step for Ecosoc”. Clearly, Lara has big goals and a big vision for EM. External Relations Director Stef Go on the other hand, has stern words for the changes she wants to bring to ER. “Systematic”, she says, when referring to it. In the department that is supposed to be the team’s extension to the public, Stef reiterates now, as director with her own team, the thing she said was lacking in last year’s ER: internal communication. There was a certain lack of it last year in terms of meetings and such, so it’s clear that this is what Stef wants to bring to her team this time around. She has high hopes for her officers. “They’re very bibbo and active”, she says, and they truly make a concerted effort to do their best. As for the EM Party, Stef says the concept of ambassadors will be back. She hopes that the ones they get are “more influential and will really do their part in publicizing the event”. After the questioning was done, her final words for EM were “good luck”. Short, blunt and something they’ll need plenty of in the coming months. Topy Umali, Logistics A chief, was up last for the directors. Topy, as AD last year for the same department he now heads did not have initial expectations of becoming director, but by virtue of doing his very best as an AD, the directorship was the next logical step. Topy’s description of his team could very well be ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 39

ECHOES

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

THE CO-CHAIR

a microcosm of the entire team: a mix of old and new faces. He has positive things to say about them, considering that most of them had Log A as their first choice to begin with. He sees them as diverse and passionate people. Carefully mincing his words, in a rather soft-spoken but stern tone, he himself expects a lot for the EM team. He truly wants it to be a huge success. Finally, when asked about what he wants Ecosoc to expect from Log A, Topy reiterates the EM philosophy of “new surprises, and not being the same old stuff”. Moving on to the architects of this year’s EM, Sam Gonzales, this year’s EM co-chairperson, was very blunt and direct when asked about how she thinks of the team. “Kinda perfect”, she says, in a manner that speaks of the confidence this team has in in their vision and their ability to carry out what they need to do. She has good confidence in this particular team, noting how the older EM veterans sort of serve as an inspiration to those new

in EM, while the newer ones provide a fresh perspective to the team. Sam emphasizes the importance of a collaborative effort in EM. If everyone does their job, everything goes well she says. “Everyone is important” Sam adds. When asked about how she wants the EM team to be seen for the rest of the Ecosoc, she says that she wants EM to “solidify Ecosoc pride”. Finally, GJ, this year’s EM chairperson, wants everyone to see EM in a bigger light. He says that Ecosoc Month won’t just be about the party, but should be seen as a whole package, it is Ecosoc Month, after all, and not one singular event. Continuity is the key here, he says, but not in a way that this year will become a carbon copy of the last. GJ best sums up this year’s EM team philosophy as a whole. It definitely isn’t a “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality but really is about taking what worked for EM last year and then taking enough risks to make it separate and distinct from previous EM themes.

40 • JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

FEATURES BRANDON FLOWERS I didn't know the Killers were in town

“

"It’s going to be an unpredictable Ecosoc Month; Something different, something unique, but staying true to the brand of character those involved in EM over the years have cultivated: being visionaries."

TOPY Too cool for the shoot

EXPECTATIONS AND OTHER INTANGIBLES What is clear from the insight I received from the directors and many others involved in EM is their diversity. It’s not a select few or as esoteric in nature a group of people, as they may first appear. The young officers and experienced directors of EM create an underlying mesh of knowing what works and what doesn’t, and fresh and creative approaches to tackling Ecosoc Month. Everybody has a role, and they know how to work within those specified roles. It’s like the scene I saw earlier: controlled chaos, but controlled chaos running on a well-oiled machine, all for the end purpose of the terrific thing Sam said: “solidifying Ecosoc pride”. Finally, as I watch them take a group shot, the directors, Sam and GJ, all decked in a very sartorially “punk” manner, I can’t help but feel my expectations and predictions put to rest. It’s going to be an unpredictable Ecosoc Month; Something different, something unique, but staying true to the brand of character those involved in EM over the years have cultivated: being visionaries. Get excited, Ecosoc. Joshua Siat is our resident journalist from another committee. In spare time, he is the SPEV VC. He loved LIV. ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 41

F O U R F R O M

JUNE 2013 2013 || ECHOES.PH ECHOES.PH 42 ••March

In t blink of they put their gamef pose in front ofthe cam doing it their whole lives. Wh common? Beauty, tenacity,

B O M T H E

WORDS BY JUS PHOTOS BY J & CARA L

the f an eye, faces on—striking a mera as if they’ve been hat do these four girls have in and a whole lot of potential.

M B S H E L L S E B A R R I O

STINE NUQUE JUDE GERON LATINAZO

ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 43

ECHOES

SET UP A FACEBOOK INBOX

with Kamille Manuel, Iya Mora, Flora Palabrica, and Dea Villarosa asking them for their schedules. All four of them are taking Econ 101, Econ 102, and Acctg 1 – the ones taking Stat 101 and Math 102 vary. Heavy. Deadly. Or maybe I’m just an ignorant sophomore. Despite their academic load this semester, they continually engage themselves in many of the organization’s events and projects. “How do these girls do it?” I ask to myself as I look for a way to transition to the next sentence of this article. Luckily, I was able to sit down with them during our one-on-one interviews. I discovered what makes them fierce, what makes them active, what makes them such valuable members. And they allowed me to share their secrets, considering that they agreed to answer my slightly awkward interview questions for this story. Let’s begin with a brief background. These bombshells applied to the UP Economics Society at the same time – the first semester of AY 2012-2013 (Go Barrio apps!) – and were inducted into the organization at the end of the application process with no problem. Below this paragraph is a short profile on each beauty.

KAMILLE MANUEL

IYA MORA

Full Name: Kamille Francesca L. Manuel Age: 18 Zodiac Sign: Leo Ecosoc Positions (Past/Current): Currently Finance Vice Chairperson for Large Scale; previously Finance Vice Chairperson for Small Scale Motto in Life: “Seize the day.”

Full Name: Regina Victoria S. Mora Age: 19 Zodiac Sign: Aquarius Ecosoc Positions (Past/Current): Currenly an Ecosoc Month Marketing Officer; previously CDC Vice Chairperson Motto in Life: “I actually have no motto in life, for realz.”

44 • JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

FEATURES THREE Where's Kamille?

FLORA PALABRICA

DEA VILLAROSA

Full Name: Flora Anne R. Palabrica Age: 18 Zodiac Sign: Taurus Ecosoc Positions (Past/Current): Currently Externals Vice Chairperson, an EM Sales Officer, an NYC ER Officer; previously NES Director for School Relations, and aTF Sales Officer Motto in Life: “Don’t get pregnant.”

Full Name: Dea Marie Isabel A. Villarosa Age: 18 Zodiac Sign: Virgo Ecosoc Positions (Past/Current): Currently the Task Force Creatives Director; previously a Task Force Publicity Officer Motto in Life: “Do or do not. There is no try. ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 45

ECHOES FIERCE Kamille looks like Camille here

Taughray! For interested men (or women) out there, if your zodiac sign is any of the following: Aquarius, Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, or Sagittarius – then you are compatible with either Kamille or Iya. However, if you are a Capricorn, Pisces, Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, or Scorpio – then you are compatible with either Flora or Dea. I’m just saying. Now let’s move forward!

KAMILLE: NAUTICAL COUTURE “KINILIG AKO.” KAMILLE SAID. SHE WAS SURPRISED that pushed her to be active back in sophomore year. Now, we see this bubbly girl with the drive and initiative to do somewhen Derek asked her to be a part of the cover story through thing more for Ecosoc. Right after being accepted as a memFacebook chat. “Sobrang weird kasi it was four girls and Derek ber, she became the Finance Vice Chairperson for Small Scale. in a Facebook conversation. The first thing I said to Derek when I found out was, ‘You're not my least favorite execommer na.’" “First, I want to credit my guardians.” She was under the guardianship of Gab Sollano and Alex Capulong – both graduates of Folks, that is an inside joke between Kamille and Derek. Yihee. Back in first year high school, Kamille thought that being ac- UPSE Batch 2013. “They weren’t the best of guardians,” she laughs, “but they really pushed us [her wardmates] to do a lot tive in the classroom was enough. "I didn't see the use of being active yet. Even if I wasn't active with extracurriculars, I was of- and to love the org – and we do.” She would also like to thank ten the leader or point person - and I thought that was enough." her past and current Committee Chairpersons Jess Bodo and Geli Medida for inspiring her to take on the role. But once she reached second year high school, she realized she She entered the position doubting herself – doubting if she could do so much more. "I became the batch representative for can reach her quota, doubting how she’ll be able to manage her publicity for the school fair. That's when I really learned how to team. “But I was able to learn a lot,” she says. “I was able to work apply my speaking skills." with great people, and work for great people.” Perhaps we should be thanking whoever or whatever it was 46 • JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

FEATURES GIRL IN THE CITY Kamille's a skyscraper

n the future, she still sees herself in the Finance Committee. “What I like about Finance is the fact that it’s so holistic. There’s Liai work, logistical work, and planning. I learned how to market the organization, how to pitch it to other people. I learned how to be innovative and how to maximize what little capital you have at the moment to earn more profit.” “I enjoy my job a lot. I know that I’m able to help people with my work – whether it’s for the other committees or the beneficiaries of the org.” One reason why Kamille was so participative was because she was influenced by her friends in the organization – but her ultimate advice for being active is to find the place where one is most passionate, and to find the work that one loves. “Even if it’s heavy and stressful, I still love the Fin work.” She also also believes in the ideals and thrusts of Ecosoc. “Learn to love the org,” she says. In a nutshell: "I do what I do because I love it and I know it's for others."

FUN QUESTIONS WITH KAMILLE

Bridge or Speed? Bridge. I suck at speed. Hours of sleep every night? Six to seven hours since it's still the start of the semester. Last semester, five to six hours. Anyone tugging at your heartstrings at the moment? Meron may mga… ay ba't mga. Well yeah... I guess there are guys. OMG. I hate this. Fine whatever, quote me on that. But yeah, there are… yeah. Ugh. Describe your fashion sense. What OMG. I choose the first blouse or t-shirt I see in the closet. It depends. If I have a cute classmate in class, I'd wear something nice. I used to do that in First Sem for Soc Sci 3. What can I find in your fridge? Gatorade bottles, SOLA. Oh yeah, I work out every other day. Jogging lang. If you could go lesbian for anybody, who would it be and why? Can't think of anyone right now. You went to Africa recently, specifically the safari. Did you go WILD? No I was with my family. I can't go wild if it's

with my family. So if you're not with your family, you're wild? Nuuuh… Yeah. Tumatakas ako. What is wild for you? I'm a generally mild person but wild for me is literal na YOLO. You do whatever you want tonight because you know it won't matter tomorrow. Drink the night away kahit na

bukas may pasok, ganun. Have you ever gone wild? No, I have never gone wild. Do you want to? Once in a while. A number of guys are being associated with you, Kamille. Tell me, who is the one? Wala, there's no one. I'm waiting for the one. Malapit na ba siya? I hope so. ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 47

ECHOES

JUST WOKE UP Really dressed in bed

IYA: BOHEMIAN BELLA

ya was shocked when she found out that she would be a part of this month’s cover story. “I was really shocked actually – cause I was like, ‘What? They thought my life was interesting?’” She laughs, “I guess it's a nice opportunity. I get to wear a bohemian outfit, put on make-up, and be interviewed by Jus Nuque.” Well, I definitely found this experience fun because I got to interview Iya Mora. In grade school and high school, Iya was one of those people who you’d pick as your leader. “When I came to UP, I felt kind of pressured because woah, these people are all leaders.” Since she didn’t have a block, she joined an organization because she wanted to have a connection to UPSE. “Being active in extracurricular activities has always been a part of my life. It feels incomplete without one.” And while most of us may think that org activity causes stress, she thinks otherwise. “It’s a stress reliever because at the end of work, you see something concrete out of all your efforts.” She has always planned to be active in both CDC and Marketing. “I saw myself working towards at least those two. I don't really see myself anywhere else.” Actually, CDC wasn’t Iya’s first choice when she applied to Ecosoc. It was SPEV. “But I was so happy because I went to CDC. That’s sort of the direction I want to take in life. I’m taking economics, and hopefully Law, but I’ve always had helping the community at the back of my head.” It’s a first hand experience of what she wants in the future. “It’s so nice,” she sighs, “there’s so much potential in CDC.” Currently, she’s in the Liaison Committee because she didn’t apply for a the sponsors na and we're going to be so leadership position in CDC. “Marketing’s happy.” always been my interest. I think developBut what advice can Iya give to anying this skill can really prove to be an as- one who wants to be as active as she is? set in the future.” The main reason why “You have to find what you love about the she became interested in it is because she org. Cause if you love it, it won’t be work – was impressed with how many sponsors it won’t be such a burden. When you love we have for our Ecosoc privilege card. something and when you put effort into “It’s tiring, but I try to see my future self, it, then it becomes a part of you. It’s not maybe in September, when we have all just you contributing to it, it’s also con48 • JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

tributing to who you are.” In a nutshell: “I do what I do because it’s what I love. Why would you do something you don’t love?”

FUN QUESTIONS WITH IYA

Bridge or Speed? Speed. Cause I don't know how to play bridge. Hours of sleep every night? On average, probably around seven. Last sem, mga seven or eight pa rin. It was so chill,

FEATURES

eh! We'll see this sem. Maybe it'll change. Anyone tugging at your heartstrings at the moment? I really can't define if it's courting… OMG this is so yabang. Ay nako, kung may mag-assume diyan, ewan ko nalang. UGH. Describe your fashion sense. What fashion sense? I'm for what's comfortable and although I like floral dresses, I rarely wear them. Not at all in UP, it's too hot and uncomfortable to dress up. What can I find in your fridge? We always have a lot of food because we're a lot in the family. You'll find milk and some sort of fruits, and you'll find bread… You put bread in your fridge?! We also put our ketchup in the ref, which I find weird. If you could go lesbian for anybody, who would it be and why? Alex Castro. Because she's so accomplished and she's what every girl wants to be. I hear that you’ve caught the eyes of a number of men.

How do you feel about being a heartthrob? First of all, I don't consider myself a heartthrob. Go for me lang if you want. (Interviewer’s note: She's joking, but I think it's half-meant). It’s irrelevant! I don't know it's just really not on my mind right now. I think it's better use of their time to NOT go for me. Why naman? Cause I'd probably say no! I don't have a crush on anyone in Ecosoc or in Econ. Do you ever cringe when you think of the past? Yes. It makes me cringe and laugh! Before, I was nearly suspended – like grounds for expulsion. I was suspended because we brought wine to school and the whole class drank it. But how can you suspend the whole class, right? So I cringe, but they’re good, fun memories. If all the world’s a stage, where does the audience sit? The audience sits in the moon, in the universe, in outer space. As long as it’s not in the world – because the world is a stage. You have to not be on the stage to be the audience. (Oo nga naman.)

BOHEMIA Iya channels her inner Queen of the Spartans here ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 49

ECHOES

FLORA: THE CORPORATE FASHIONISTA A REASON FOR FLORA’S HAPPINESS IS BECAUSE SHE’S BEEN TRUSTED

with responsibility. Basing it from her performance as an applicant, she has definitely proven to many members that she can work – and that she works well. Flora was not that active in high school. Coming from Philippine Science High School, her first (and only) priority were her grades. “The most I ever did then was the class president track. I didn’t even try to run for student council.” However, when it came to filling in her resume after high school, “I realized that gosh, I barely did anything with my high school life other than study. And that was so sad,” she laughs. Flora then entered college with plans of being active. “I wanted to make sure that I don’t spend college with my nose buried in a book like I did in high school.” Ecosoc is her outlet for all of that. “I was already eyeing the events I want to be a part of or the positions I want to have.” She believes that all the positions that she has been trusted with is a step towards what she was planning for. She chose to be active in Externals and Sales because she had little to no experience with them before. She states that the entire point of her joining an org was to push herself to try and learn new things – to broaden her horizons. “For externals, I like being able to talk to new people, send out emails, be all office-y and official,” she laughs, “I just really like the work that I’m doing and the responsibility of ‘representing’ the organization to the world.” “For sales, I like making people buy stuff.” She likes the innovation of it – thinking

of things that people want to buy, getting something at a low price and selling for a profit. “But actually, the procurement part’s the one that I really like.” No one has exactly inspired her to take on those roles, because the push mainly came from her own initiative. “I think it’s not a matter of who inspires me, but just personal drive to learn more and to be a part of events that are bigger than myself.” But – Flora’s only advice for being active is: “Huwag mag-love life,” she jokes, “Just stock up on coffee and start training yourself not to sleep. Love what you do.” Wise words from a wise lady. In a nutshell: “I do what I do because I think I deserve it. Because I think I owe it to myself to learn as much as I can and experience as much as I can – while doing what I love.” CLOSING A DEAL Flora negotiates

50 • JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

FEATURES NOTHING I think Monty did you well already

FUN QUESTIONS WITH FLORA

Bridge or Speed? Speed. Cause until now, I still don't get how to play Bridge. Like I'm just guessing when they ask me to play. Hours of sleep every night? Last semester, since I wasn't dorming yet, I was going back and forth from here to Paranaque. I usually got around three to four hours of sleep every night. As of the first week, I've been getting around six. Anyone tugging at your heartstrings at the moment? Aral muna. Describe your fashion sense. I wear what makes me feel good and I try to match my accessories and stuff. I don't really have a style icon or something, but I wear what I think looks good - even if it's not comfy. (laughs) A lot of the times in meetings, I can't sit down. What can I find in your fridge? Chocolate. Milk. Juice. And leftover salad. If you could go lesbian for anybody, who would it be and why? Eva Green. Cause her eyes are just super "take me." How do you balance your social life and academic life? I think it’s a matter of how I spread out my acads. Whenever there’s a test, I’m often never too stressed about it because I’ve been studying for it the weeks beforehand. As for my social life, I have the number of an ambulance. You're an oblation scholar, an active org member, and a likable person in general. How do you deal with pressure and expectations? The most pressure I get is when people ask me about my scores. If it’s not super high, I kind of feel bad because they always expect it to be high. But I don’t know, I think the whole oblation thing is pretty cool talaga. (laughs) Do you like abs? They’re a bonus. What kind of abs? Yung kumpleto. Describe your ideal man. May kotse. (laughs) Someone who gets me and who thinks I'm funny. Someone ripped. Is there anyone who meets that criteria? Maybe. (Interviewer’s note: Alam na.) ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 51

ECHOES

DEA: EDGY CHIC

catch her in one of the Econ Library cubicles, hard at work with a video (or so I think). Dea is proficient with a number of programs for editing and design! “I’m good. A little stressed but good.” This girl, having to do publicity for both Ecosoc and CAP, has a lot of deadlines to meet. “It was kind of a risky decision taking two director positions at once. But kaya naman.” Dea, like the other three bombshells interviewed, was a little surprised when she was asked to be a part of this month’s cover story. “I didn’t expect to be a cover girl – ever.” It’s her secret dream in life to be a cover girl, and she never expected that it would happen to her – but it did. “Medyo may pressure cause I have to live up to cover girl duties. I think it will be a fun experience.” she states. Dreams do come true! Dea states that she “wasn’t really a leader” back in high school. At that time, she was more active in school papers and other organizations. “I don’t really have an experience that directly relates to making me active now – I think it’s the fact that I want to keep busy.” She likes the feeling of being able to contribute something to people. “That’s what makes me want to be active.” Upon entering Ecosoc, she didn’t necessarily see herself as a director, but in a creatives position. It was also upon her own initiative to take on these roles, and a number of people supported this decision. Dea likes learning new things, and she believes she can get that from creatives. “I feel like that’s the main department where I can give my best contribution to Ecosoc.” She also belongs to the Liaison Committee. “I picked Liai because I wanted to experience the CorpRel side of things. The main process of marketing fascinates me, like how you get to negotiate with other people.” What keeps her in those committees is because she believes there’s always something new to learn. “When you market, there’s a different experience 52 • JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

every time. In creatives, working with a lot of pubmats makes you want to innovate more and experiment with regards to how creative you can be.” For all aspiring to become active members, Dea’s most important piece of advice is to learn how to manage one’s time well. “I won’t say I’m a master of it. But in an ideal situation, you have to manage your time really wisely – especially if you plan on taking a lot of things at once. Also, enjoy what you’re doing. If you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, then what point is it to be active?” In a nutshell: “All for love. With things like this, you have to put your whole heart in what you do. That's the guarantee that you'll be able to produce something really good.”

FISHING The best fish in the sea

FEATURES

I don't really plan my outfits. I'm OC about my color choices but that's about it. And I'm a fan of throwing chill vibes clothing on. What can I find in your fridge? There's ice cream, there's soy milk, there's chocolate, there's ice cream, there's cheese, and there's ice cream. If you could go lesbian for anybody, who would it be and why? Emma Watson. She's everything that I want and want to be. How long have you been designing/ editing? I learned how in grade school. So, I’ve been doing it for a really long time. Part of it is self-taught, part of it is from an extracurricular in grade school. If your love life is a photoshop tool, what would it be and why? It would be a selection tool. Because I have to select who I want to be with. You have a lot of witty tweets (follow her at @whatdeathink!). Do you think being witty is something you are born with, or is it something you can learn? Kaya nga wit eh. Joke labo. It's a creative expression of who you are. You don't learn wit, you have wit. Huh labo. Do you feel awkward when you split? Isn't it awkward to spread your legs like that? Not really. Now that I think of it, it should probably be awkward, but it's not.

FUN QUESTIONS WITH DEA

Bridge or Speed? Well, I'm better at speed. Biased ako doon. But I think bridge is more interesting. Hours of sleep every night? I have to get at least fours of sleep. That’s the minimum amount I need to be sane. Anyone tugging at your heartstrings at the moment? I want my nonexistent love life to be a mystery. Nonexistent ba talaga? Maybe. (laughs) Describe your fashion sense. Chillax. My fashion sense is chillax because

Potential is something inherent in a human being. What each person chooses to do with that potential is what makes them unique. Kamille, Iya, Flora, and Dea are active because they found their place in the organization. This early on, they discovered what they love to do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Never let it go once it’s within your reach. Now go forth and let the world see your potential.Do what you do because it’s what you love. And if you know how to play Bridge, please teach us. Jus Nuque is a fellow Barrio Mem and currently the Echoes TV Producer. She enjoys talking about politics. ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 53

ECHOES WOAH Geli looks at the infographics in delight

ECOSOC'S FINANCES BY BRIAN CRUZ

A look into the current state of Ecosoc’s financial situation, how it manages its money and a preview into the future

I AM SURE MANY OF US ARE VERY OPTIMISTIC UPON HEARING THE NEWS IN THE FIRST

General Meeting that we have 143,725 pesos worth of cash and checks at our disposal. This article aims to explain how exactly The U.P. Economics Society allocates its funds, the sources of the society’s funds, and future challenges it must overcome to achieve financial stability. Before proceeding, I would also like to thank Angeli Medida and Beatriz Bayudan for providing me the information needed in the writing of this article. Thanks to Derek as well for really encouraging me to write this article. 54 • JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

FEATURES

Sports Academics Liaison Echoes

At the start of Angeli Medida’s term, Ecosoc’s general bank account (a separate account from TF’s) had a starting balance of about 17,350 pesos. Revenues reached more than 222,000 pesos for last semester. The major events of Finance, Foodgasm and Bingo accounted for slightly more than 70,000 pesos of the revenue generated. Small scale activities (The 1958, food sales, rummage sales, etc.) generated around 30,000. Furthermore, more than 70,000 were generated from the application process (Applicant and GW fees). Lastly, 18,500 worth of ARs (Accounts Receivable) and 20,800 worth of reaffirmation fees (reaff) were collected last semester. Of the more than 222,000 worth of revenues generated, around 88,000 was the amount used by the committees (excluding CDC and TF). The big spending committees (more than 10k) were External Affairs Committee at 32,880 pesos (UPFront and Rundown), Secretariat Committee with 20,520 pesos (publicity for events and maintenance of the tambayan) and Membership Committee with just over 14,000. Operating expenses (room rentals and other miscellaneous expenses) also accounted for 7,770 pesos of the expenses last semester. Heading into this semester, 143,725 may seem like a huge amount for the U.P. Economics Society. However, it is also important to examine this figure closely. Of the 143,725 pesos, 78,725 pesos is the actual money on hand. Of this amount, 49,855 pesos is in the general bank account and 28,870 pesos is considered petty cash (cash kept for transactions). Sponsorship Checks account for the remaining 65,000. With committee expenditures expected to be a significant expense (during my time in Finance it has been usually around 60-90k), it is important to ensure that revenues are constantly being generated and expenses managed properly. Management of committees’ TF Debt is also a significant issue that must be addressed. Finance, Seccom, Liaison and Ecosoc Month currently have debts *portion is shared by Academics

External Affairs*

The 1958 Bingo Marketing & X-Deals

SPEV

Other SS

GW Fees

EXPENSES

PROFITS

Reaff Fees Foodgasm II Membership Secretariat

6 out of 10 Ecosocers paid their reaffirmation fees last semester 17,347

222,458

BALANCE GROSS PROFIT to settle with TF and the combined debt is very significant, it is in the 80-90k range (once EM turns over a check that has yet to be cashed, their debt will be minimal). There has been a commitment to decrease this debt by at least 50% by the end of this semester. While many may point to the fact that the Economics Society Scholarship Fund has a very high balance in its bank account (currently over 200k), upcoming expenses for Musikapella and its 6 scholars make it important to maintain this high balance in the bank account. The current tambayan issue is also a cause for concern from a financial standpoint. As stated earlier, a significant amount of funds generated last semester (around 70k) came from the Pulse applicants. Funds generated from the applicants go to Finance, which really helps lessen the pressure of constantly having to generate revenues. A decrease in the number of applicants may force Finance to look for other sources of revenue, which can potentially lead to losses as we have seen in the past. Lastly, payment of reaffirmation fees and especially AR fees continues

96,080

EXPENSES

143,725

NET PROFIT

to be a problem. Payment of reaffirmation fees can sometimes be late and the importance of reaffirmation fees can sometimes be forgotten as they provide funds for the start of the semester when fundraising efforts are still being finalized. Payment of ARs still is at a very low level, with less the half of total ARs paid last semester. The U.P. Economics Society’s financial situation seems to be gradually improving, especially when compared to a few semesters ago. However, challenges still await and as we have seen in the past, the financial situation of our organization can plummet quickly with inadequate management of its finances. However, it is not only leaders who must be held accountable but the entire membership. The entire membership must do its part whether it be supporting a fundraising event or paying their AR or reaffirmation fees. Accountability is needed. Problems dealing with both finances and the org in general, are exacerbated by apathy and lack of accountability. Brian Cruz is a former Fin VC and currently the Fin Director of TF. He has never not dealt with money in Ecosoc. ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 55

ECHOES

GOTHAM N

IS DEAD

O, IT’S NOT BATMAN’S

dirty, crime-ridden city (which is very much alive in my imagination), but the one that’s in our consciousness more often than we realize. It’s in advertisements. In films. In TV shows. In print. In Echoes. It’s basically everywhere including, our god, the lord, the Internet. Or was. DING! You guessed it. It’s the typeface. BUT WAIT! Before you dismiss this as An-Article-That’s-So-Fucking-HipsterI-Wouldn’t-Be-Able-To-Relate-To-YouBlasted-Echoes-Editor type of thing, hear me out first because, in the words of Elle Woods, “I have a point, I promise.” In 2000 Tobias Frere-Jones created Gotham for GQ Magazine. Its editors wanted a typeface that was fresh and structured - the very reason Gotham is so popular. I mean look at it! It’s all symmetrical and rounded. Super classy. It has since then been popularized by iconic entities such as Coca Cola, Saturday Night Live, Starbucks, Conan O’Brien, and even the Obama Campaign. If that’s not popular, I don’t know what is. It’s an expensive font family (a group of fonts) that costs something like $300, which in turn is heavily pirated, reproduced, and modified by numerous designers. Maybe it’s not as iconic as Helvetica, God Of All Hipsters, but it’s still one of the most popular fonts out there. If it’s not yet familiar to you, you can

56 • JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

simply take a look at our own posters. We have used Gotham all the time. We have used it in most of our publicity materials and IDs and shirts and certificates and videos and umbrellas and other design-y stuff. Gotham was even the official typeface of Ecosoc Month 2012. (Yes, we allotted a significant amount of time deciding.) But that’s just it. Remember, that was last year. It’s 2013 and Gotham’s glory days are over. Since then, it had become an overused, overrated, conveniently-there font that had been abused by the lazy or clueless. The times had passed and we had not moved on. What was once supercool and trendy had become boring and unoriginal work that had relied on the familiar and convenient. Suddenly, Gotham wasn’t so fresh anymore, and the work we’ve been producing wasn’t what it could’ve and should’ve been. Gotham was classy as fuck but because we hadn’t kept up with the times, it had become passé. Gotham is Dead, and if we don’t move on, we’ll never be able to keep up. And if we don’t keep up, we can say “A-deeyows” to the level of relevance we’ve been wanting to achieve. But how is the death of a stupid font important to our dreams? Is knowing Gotham’s death of any actual significance or am I just nitpicking? Well, since it’s my article, I’d have to say that all of those are important.

BY SAM GONZALES Substitute the usage of Gotham with the selling of any commodity or service or event. It would be safe to say that the thing that sells the most is the one that is at its height of popularity. (In other words, alive and not dead.) To keep things familiar, let’s take two examples: Liaison 54’s Superman Baseball Shirts and Finance 55’s Skater Skirts. First, let’s assume a couple of things: 1. That the advertisements of both commodities are the same - familiar “good-looking” Ecosocers wearing the commodity 2. That the buyers can only see the commodities and not touch them, eliminating the fabric and texture factors since the two commodities were advertised online and both suppliers provided photos 3. That each commodity targeted half the population; let’s face it, traditional gender roles play a significant role in determining how people create and advertise their commodities, and 4. That both men and women make online purchases. (I don’t have the exact numbers because what am I, an institution?!) And then you regress the numbers. Check if your p-values are acceptable. Just kidding. Now

that

we’ve

controlled

for

PHOTOS BY THE INTERNET

FEATURES

advertising, a degree of quality, target markets, and purchasing behavior, what factor is then left to scrutiny? It would have to be the suppliers’ insight into trends. It would have to be how well Liaison 54 and Finance 55 saw into how their markets thought - which influencers affected their market’s consuming behavior.

in late 2012 to early 2013. Now since their commodity didn’t feature any icons, gauging its popularity would be different. At the time, skater skirts seemed unpopular. They hadn’t been seen everywhere online (like other online shops and the hip-est fashion blogs) but they had a steady following. But shortly after this period of seeming unpopularity, skater skirts would become more popular Okay, NOW you can start regression. among young females. Gargantuan stores like Topshop and Forever21 would Psych! I don’t have any numbers! soon carry their own versions of the skirt. Liaison 54 began advertising their You would see cheap versions being sold Superman shirts in the 54th Executive online, and a stream of Lookbook posts Committee’s first semester in late 2011 would feature “fashion forward” people to early 2012. One would have to ask, to wearing the things. I’m not saying that whom did this appeal to? Why would Finance 55 was the trendsetter - not at anyone want a Superman-themed shirt? all - but they had successfully released A quick search would tell us that: 1 the a commodity that was on trend, if not, closest Superman film produced was fashionably early. “Superman Returns” in 2006, 2 there were The real proof however is sales. The no DC Comics or Justice League films Superman shirts reportedly cost a total in production, 3 there were no new and of P20, 000 which Liaison 54 loaned popular TV shows featuring Superman, from Task Force 54. However, according 4 Superman and his universe weren’t to former Liaison Chairperson Mark receiving any particular noise in the Matibag, some pieces they produced had world of graphic novels. Simply put, no not been sold, putting his committee in one was talking about the icon that is an almost 10, 000-peso debt. Finance 55 Superman, and no one was going to until on the other hand, sold a little over 100 2013. pieces making P11, 000, and incurring no In contrast, Finance 55 began losses. advertising their skater skirts in the 55th Other similar situations only provide Executive Committee’s first semester proof: Lia Lontoc’s “Mean Girls” ballers *It's Futura.

made her six figures (she refuses to say how much when asked) in 2010, and TF’s “Everyday I’m Shufflin’” ballers that were sold almost a year after yielded less than what Lia Lontic had made. NYC 2012’s university jackets pales in comparison to NYC 2011’s university jackets that also made six figures. Basically, they were rolling in dough. These things seem to follow a pattern, because there is a pattern. It is a pattern that is not uncommon but seems to be ignored by even some of our more experienced sales teams. This pattern and the numbers don’t lie. Whatever we set out to create and/or sell needs to be both of good quality and sold at the perfect time. So really, it is incredibly important to know when trends die and come to life. The rule is simple: sell when commodity/service/event X is on trend and not when the trend is about to die. And don’t even think about it when it is dead. The rule is simple. The hard part is distinguishing the trend periods from the death periods. Gotham is dead, and if we don’t accept its death, if we don’t learn to find something new, something else*, then we can expect to die along with it. Sam Gonzales is the current Features editor of this publication. She still enjoys rolling down with dogs. ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 57

ECHOES

ECOSOC’S

ELITE EMAILS

BY JUDE GERON REMEMBER THIS ONE DAY MANY YEARS AGO WHEN MY TITA

offered to create an e-mail account for me on Yahoo. I didn't know what I would do with it then, but I thought it was pretty kewl. I would eventually discover that I could use it to fulfill the required email field and verify my other kewl accounts, such as in Neopets and Club Penguin. Later on however, I would have friends. Only then would I find its greatest purpose, Yahoo! Messenger. All the possibilities that YM opened to me deserve their own article... But anyway, at some point, I did not want to use judegeron as my handle anymore. It was boring, and my peers felt the same about making similar usernames. So I decided to stop logging on to it, and instead promote my new account: dennismax_kakashi. The combined kewlness of the names of my TWO goldfish and Kakashi of Naruto fame made me feel very special. I'd have a phase later on where I believed I was a victorious warrior in my past life, and so “destinyblade30” was born. All of this nonconformity with the use of “proper” emails felt very rebellious in the most subtly satisfying way possible. And so, here's to my fellow rebel Ecosocers who made it to arguably the kewlest list in all 55 years of Ecosoc existence: DEREK PARRENAS: platinum_deathraider21@yahoo.com JESSICA BISCOCHO: crazzypink03@yahoo.com KYLA RIVERA: kyla_bear19@yahoo.com MIGUEL ANDRES: migz_andrez@yahoo.com ANGEL ESPIRITU: iloveilong@yahoo.com

58 • JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

VAN GUNO: deathdragonx@yahoo.com ivantherex@yahoo.com darkdragonateus@hotmail.com gigadarknessomega@gmail.com i_hate_******_*****@yahoo.com (The name is censored.) MONINA SANCHEZ: justasimple_gurl984@yahoo.com futurestump_weaver@yahoo.com “kasi sobrang crush ko si Patrick Stump and si Rolly Weaver sa Amazing Race Family Edition HAHAHA” AYI DAVE: ayidave_girlzone@yahoo.com, Skype: gurl_next_door13

JENA FERNANDEZ: jenah_gurl@yahoo.com jena_princess@hellokittymail.com “HAHAHA COOL KO SHET”

VITO CASTANEDA: advocatesaint23@yahoo.com “I'm not embarrassed about this one. I use to this day.” MABEL CORTEZ: blueberry_chick05@yahoo.com “KUL ako ;)" SAM GONZALES: punkfairy051993@yahoo.com “kasi coolgirl aq” NIKKI KALAGAYAN: buchinicole_nicole@yahoo.com “because I was worried that people wouldn't know it was me without an other 'nicole' -__-" FLORA PALABRICA: picklegurl11@gmail.com “still use it to log on to FB HAHAHA” GAB gabbuilder@yahoo.com CHELLO CALIWAN: prettygirl_chelle818@yahoo.com “from Hillary Duff's username ""prince tongirl818"" in A Cinderella Story =))" CARMEL BAQUILOD: glossychix@yahoo.com, charming_baki@yahoo.com “tas laging password ko pa ""glittery""

FEATURES

JOSH MADARANG: fr0st_n0va@yahoo.com “btw this still works HAHAHA but it's now full of spam” inferno_tempest@yahoo.com RICH ESPINO: sharingan_rich@gmail.com ADRIEL ARGUELLES: flamesofpeace@yahoo.com waterofwar@yahoo.com, td_jdrellarg3@yahoo.com.ph ""td" stands for total destruction, which was a crew me and my best friends made up in third grade. ;) Hehe so cool. lol." MONTY BANTA: science_man26@yahoo.com “HAHAHAHA! nerd” RAMM ADVINCULA: ramm_aztig_101@yahoo.com “mas malala is that I'm still using it as my FB email. =((“ FLORA PALABRICA: picklegurl11@gmail.com “still use it to log on to FB HAHAHA”

JESSICA BODO: jeng_cute1018@yahoo.com “it's not yahoo but medyo kakahiya: jeng@hellokitty.com"

CARA LATINAZO: golden_anarchy14@yahoo.com, capriciousmystery14@yahoo.com “LOOOOOLLIN” MELISSA STA. MARIA: mel_blue94@yahoo.com KAMILLE MANUEL: urpetpony.kamille@gmail.com sparklingrainbow_69@yahoo.com BEA BAYUDAN: sparkles_star19@yahoo.com “i think i was inspired by glitter (both the real thing and the awful mariah carey movie when i made this)"

ALAN ORQUINAZA: boyreaper@yahoo.com kilikilibuster@yahoo.com “deleted them before hs"

TRISHA SISON greenangel_addict@yahoo.com

These men and women all had individual reasons as to why they named their emails, which clearly have tons of culture and history ingrained in them, as amazing as they are. Truly, there are an infinite number of paths to greatness, which are now all immortalized in this extraordinary list... or something like that. What am I saying.. anyway, thank you to everyone who shamelessly shared their emails! I am grateful (and have been thoroughly entertained)!

TANYA LARCIA: prettytanyabear@yahoo.com “........... ^_^ I'm pretty yes i know” AK MAPOLON: ak_chocoholic@mail2cutie.com

LERIZZE TAN: baby_hamm831@yahoo.com "Named after my pet bunny that looked like a hamster, hamm"

JUS NUQUE: sogonnaberich02@yahoo.com, just2jus@yahoo.com

SHELLY UMALI: blue_girl1119@yahoo.com.ph

CELINA CRISANTO: pinchingpinkx3@yahoo.com

LUIS PARTOSA: puppyloafer@yahoo.com

XP DAMIAN: ampaubwahaha@yahoo.com

Jude Geron is the current Creatives Editor of the publication and the former Photo Editor. He still enjoys taking photos though, as evidenced by the shoots. ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 59

ECHOES

ON THE PERILS OF THE PRINTED WORD BY BEATRIZ BAYUDAN commentary

60 â&#x20AC;˘ JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

N THIS AGE OF SOCIAL

media, where the popular is accepted as gospel truth, print has little to hold on to. In fact, this generation has been witness to iconic magazines and broadsheets going out of business simply because they cannot keep up with the digital age. However accessible and convenient blogs or websites are today, the edge (however little it is) that print media holds over those is its credibility. Before a newspaper is delivered to your doorstep, every single article printed in there has been vetted and shaped by a team of editors. This is, of course, admittedly more rigorous than publishing a blog entry, where a few clacks of your keyboard and clicks of your mouse are enough to tell the world whatever it is you want to share. We are always cautioned to not believe everything we see or read on the internet, and with good reasonâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; the internet affords each and every one of us an anonymity that we can manipulate to our advantage and be what we want to be. We can claim to be experts, but in reality, we are hacks at it. The perils of dealing with the printed word is such. You need to exercise extreme care over what you print, lest you be slapped with a libel case. Print media banks on its credibility for it to sell. With print media, we are more assured of factuality, and there is substantially more evidence to support whatever it is. It comes, then, that you are held more liable if you print something untrue, rather than having a piece online. With Echoes as the official publication of the Society, there needs to be perhaps a more thorough filtration of what is to be printed. It's not merely an internal publication; those with access to the internet, for example, can easily view a digital copy of the said publication. With every issue detailing the lives of Ecosocers, we are subject to how Echoes portrays us to the outside world.

FEATURES BIASES Makes people weird

THE PROBLEM HERE IS CHARACTERIZED BY THE be the right word, though, but popular— what is controversial will be read, and will be popular. Think of how many times expression "Write what you know", often attributed to the late you have clicked on a link you've seen on your news feed, and great Ernest Hemingway. The same thing happens, yet because it claimed to be something shocking. Tabloids, to there will always be infinite ways to spin the tale, because add to that, are so popular because of its cheapness, and each writer will see it their own way. The writer is the lens because each headline it has is explosive, for lack of a better with which the reader sees the story. If the writer cannot give word. The play on words and playing up an event is the hook as whole of a picture as he can, how can we trust this story? that reels people in. Journalism urges that its purpose is to form an informed With the string of misfortunes that Ecosoc has experienced, public opinion, but if the medium is flawed, the purpose will not have been achieved. We cannot air our dirty laundry— given its recent history, there was material for explosive and the facts need to be dealt with, not simply just the experience. controversial stories. However, credit should be given where it is due. Overall, last semester was a good one for Ecosoc, Echoes has been accused of being cliquish and too yet its success was not celebrated in stories. Rather, the highbrow as a publication. To a certain extent, they are. Every flaws were spotlighted. Echoes is given autonomy to check editor-in-chief takes Echoes in a different direction. There is and balance what is happening in Ecosoc, and last sem, this a mark that the committee imprints upon its members, and it autonomy was wielded not to examine things critically, but as shows in each issue they publish. Its readability is affected it happened, to spotlight what was wrong. However, one must by what path it takes— the publication does not really have a always keep in mind that to critique and to criticize are two standard template, but is remade every single time. very different things, and that there is always the danger with The reason that a newspaper would have so many sections is that for people to actually pick them up and read them, mistaking one for the other. Perhaps Echoes needs to step back and re-evaluate as well, there has to be something in it for the reader. Even tabloids cover numerous areas, from news, to sports, to entertainment, to temper its success of being fun and creative with more responsibility in journalism as well, because of its potent and even lifestyle. Ecosocers clamber to read Echoes; how many times have genmeets actually been interrupted on Echoes release days, to admonish "Journalism urges that its purpose is to form an informed members to wait until after public opinion, but if the medium is flawed, the purpose announcements to read it? Yet not everyone who reads it comes will not have been achieved." out of it with a happy disposition— some get annoyed, some are dissatisfied. It is admittedly role as an archive, and as a tool to shape public opinion. It is impossible to please everyone, but what is lacking here is a more inclusive approach to conceptualizing the issues. tasked with disseminating news about what we do in Ecosoc, as stated in the constitution, and would do well to provide us Perhaps the editorial board had thought that this story would this news in the clearest and most untainted way as possible. be liked by the audience, but it turns out that they don't. You Sensationalism and underrepresentation are the enemies have to find out what they want to read, and if you have to here, and there are always multiple sides to every story. The squeeze it out of your audience, you should. Give them what echo is a reflection, not a distortion. they want and still maintain a semblance of your own mark: it Beatriz Bayudan is the current Vice-President of the is the challenge that is presented. society and a former associate editor of the publication. She Australian journalist Julian Assange said that what is enjoys reading sensual asian literature. controversial is good, in the field of journalism. Good may not ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 61

ECHOES

LESSON#4:

HOW THE VIPER SPENT HIS SUMMER The Viper’s got the goods to make the men find the key to many a woman's heart. He selflessly shares them yet again in his awaited fourth installment of Investment Tips

BY MONTY “THE VIPER” BANTA

NOTE: IT WAS REALLY WEIRD WHEN DEREK ASKED ME TO THIS ARTICLE REGARDING MY SUMMER VACATION. IT WAS AS IF HE LIKES ME OR RATHER HE WANTS TO KNOW MY SECRET ON HOW I SPENT MY TIME THINKING ABOUT GIRLS ALL THE TIME. HE IS HARASSING ME! (AM I REALLY THIS WEIRD?) LAST SUMMER, I DECIDED NOT TAKE CLASSES TO HAVE SOME TIME

for myself and have some rest from my first strenuous (I’m just overreacting) year as a college student. Of course, when the vacation finally started, some thoughts bothered me for a while—thoughts that I should have just taken summer classes instead of bumming around. With that in mind, I eventually felt that I really need to make the most out of my summer and not be guilty of my decision. Anyhow, I just want to share to you my summer and insights about girls, which I always do! You do not have a choice but to know my life!

It has been a family tradition that we start our summer vacation by going to the beach, or if not, in private resorts at the very least. All of us try to soak ourselves in cold water just to keep up with the humid weather. Anyway, last summer, we returned to our friend’s beach resort in Zambales. We had snorkeling, sun-bathing, wading, sand throwing (?), island-hopping, surfing, and crazier stuff with my cute blue swimming trunks on (if only they allowed me, I would have a picture posted here in my space). I know my body is not in a perfectly cut shape but nonetheless, it still caught attention from the sexy babes out there. They let me put some sunscreen on their backs, they swam with me, and made weird 62 • JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

stuff with the sand (lol). With this, I thought that not all girls like Partosa’s abs. Sometimes, girls like boys who are more fun to be with, rather than those who have six pack abs. So, we still have a chance, Joseph…

ple, guyabano, and avocado. With this hobby, I gained a lot of friends, really good friends of mine: the mothers in the neighborhood! It’s quite funny at first but I realized that it is an advantage to have a good shot on your girl’s mom. Sometimes, they invite me in their home to give me some plants, talk with me on how my garden is doing, among other things. They trusted me a lot, even with their cute daughters. Oh la la.

This summer, together with my siblings, we visited Korea for vacation. It was my second time in that country so I already have an idea what to expect— great food and places, and girls in miniskirts. Believe me, there were a lot of Having some spare time at home, in- yummy girls everywhere! I was thinking stead of bumming around and doing if I could just stay there for a while and nothing, I opted to keep up with my lit- swim with those fishes. Their flawless tle babies: my plants, yes, my plants. I legs (they kinda remind me of Kamille’s), know it’s pretty lame for a lot of you, but hourglass body shape, and beautiful faces gardening is a recreation for me. They (even though retoke) just made me very just make me very happy as I see my agitated. I thought, I could die already! plants grow bigger and bigger. I make some topiaries (which are not yet good), And to add to that, summer has also plant frog grasses, herbs, and even fruit been a time for me to focus more on studbearing trees such as bananas, star ap- ying the piano. Once a week for the entire PHOTOS BY THE VIPER'S ENTOURAGE

FEATURES

MONTY'S ABS These aren't speedos?

LOOK OF DESIRE I guess this is how to show interest

TIP 1: NOT ALL GIRLS LIKE ABS

TIP 2: HAVE A GOOD SHOT ON YOUR GIRL'S MOM

year, I had piano lessons but I thought I have not progressed that much. So I tried to study harder because I know it would be beneficial sometime soon! And it all paid off, instant pogi-points to our visitors at home. Every time there’s a visitor at home, my dad always nags me to play the piano for them. Even when he already heard all of my pieces a quadrillion times, he would still insist. At first, I would refuse to play but at the end I would still give in thinking of the pogi-points. So while I was in Korea with my siblings, the places where we stayed at all had pianos in crowded areas. During the times that only few people were around, I would play a piece just to practice my amateur skill and keep my hands in condition. Most of the time, I thought nobody was listening but at the end of it, it was like as if I was a superstar. Some requested another piece, some took photos/ video of me, and some girls sat beside me while I was playing that instrument. It

was majestic—how the girls were attracted to me instantaneously. Truly, music is a universal language and you can use it in fishing some girls!

TIP 3: MUSIC IS A TOOL TO FISH WOMEN

The rest of my summer was spent with my friends and family, watching movies, eating outside and gallivanting to here and there. For some days, I went to the OUR to work as a registration assistant (this is very ridiculous!). There were short trips to some nearby cities like Subic. Anyway, after all of which, there is one thing I always realize and I keep telling it to myself that I should stay cool pa-cool, there are still a lot of fishes in the ocean! Hi Leri! [Associate Editor’s note: I hate Monty] I would never want a year without summer. Editor's Note: No actual women were harmed nor sexually assaulted by The Viper. He apologizes to that Miriam girl.

THE GAME the Korean version ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 63

ECHOES

MGA HULA NI

MADAM ARTING

cosocers are a superstitious lot. I once overheard last semester a couple of new mems in the tambayan planning to offer a tray of eggs in front of Encarnacion’s bust to help them in their Math 17 finals. However, that doesn’t match-up quite well to the planned burning of a professor’s effigy to get rid of a certain returning professor’s habit of making it rain 3s and 5s. There are countless more stories like these (Have you ever noticed the 1x1 pics stuck on the old tambayan’s ceiling? Everyone who’s had their picture up there graduated on time), and though it seems like a good laugh to many, it can be a matter of (academic) life or death to some.

To satisfy the ‘Socer’s craving for the supernatural, I’ve revised the current horoscope to make it more applicable for many of us.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19 Qualities: Has repressed emotions and pent-up angst, probably because Capricorns usually only get 1 birthday present a year Example/s: Iso Garrido (December 24), Vico Ubaldo (December 31)

AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18 Qualities: Innovative and tenacious, Aquarius are hard-working individuals with a knack for outfitting objects like waste bins Example: Arsenio Lukban (February 4)

PISCES Feb. 19-March 20 Qualities: Pisces have a sense of leadership, although may not look the part. Despite that, Pisces leaders are well-respected. Example/s: Neil Ong (March 5), Geli Medida (March 7)

Madam Auring, Madam Tussauds, Madam Levine. All of these Madams famous in their respective fields of work. As titans like them come and go, new ones take their place. I am a silent guardian, a silent protector. I am Madam Arting. 64 • JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

FEATURES

ARIES March 21 - April 19 Qualities: Aries are driven, exhausting all resources to get what they want. It may include giving death stares. Example/s: Queennie Mindanao (April 9)

CANCER June 22 - July 22 Qualities: All-around awesomeness. [Editor’s Note: …] Example/s: Marte Caronongan (July 3)

LIBRA Sept. 23 - Oct. 22 Qualities: Libras exhibit exceptional beauty and grace strong enough to influence people in power. Example/s: Ria Zapanta (September 24), Jessica Bodo (October 18)

TAURUS

GEMINI

April 20 - May 20 Qualities: Taurus are physically-gifted, and members of the opposite sex swoon over you. Sometimes, even members of the same sex swoon over you too. Example/s: Alan Orquinaza (May 20), Derek Parrenas (April 21) (Editor’s Note: WTF MARTE)

May 21 - June 21 Qualities: What Geminis lack in some aspects, they make up for in other areas. Example/s: Jessica Biscocho (June 18)

LEO July 23 - Aug. 22 Qualities: Unassuming, but strikes when no one notices. Treat Leos very well, you don’t know which side you’ll be dealing with! Example/s: Kyla Rivera (July 31), Nikki Bondad (August 4)

SCORPIO Oct. 23 - Nov. 21 Qualities: Scorpios have lots of hidden talents waiting to be revealed, which may come as a surprise to many. Example/s: Maurice Tong (November 6), Nikki Kalagayan (November 10)

VIRGO Aug. 23 - Sept. 22 Qualities: A physical asset is what defines Virgos. Stand tall and proud! Example/s: XP Damian (September 1), Romano Alonzo (September 12)

SAGGITARIUS Nov. 22 - Dec. 21 Qualities: Overly hyper or seemingly silent at times, Saggitarius are a unique bunch. Example/s: Celina Hilario (November 30), Lance Lim (December 11) ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 65

ECHOES

WHY THE HECK BRUNO IS SAD ALL THE TIME

BY BRUNO SANTOS

“HUMAN BEINGS ARE FUNNY.

They long to be with the person they love but refuse to admit openly. Some are afraid to show even the slightest sign of affection because of fear. Fear that their feelings may not be recognized, or even worst, returned. But one thing about human beings puzzles me the most is their conscious effort to be connected with the object of their affection even if it kills them slowly within.” – Sigmund Freud

OU HAVE PERFECTED THE ART OF WAITING—

waiting for her classes to end, the texts and replies, and how she would respond to your attempts on conversing and intellectual stimulation. You have chosen to stay even if you know it’s hopeless and will never happen. You have clung unto an almost-false hope of hugs, intertwining holding-of-hands, and sweet gestures. You have already gotten used to the routine of just-being-there, and remain in a dreadful place I call the “relationship limbo”. In other words, it is a complicated friendship with subtle hints of sweetness and implication. The both of you know it, but decide not to do anything about it. These events in your life would replay—but with different people, and no matter how hard you try, the outcome would still be the same: you achieve nothing. Yes, you perfected the art of waiting, but in the process you have waited for so long that you saw her fall for someone else. Your attachment to that person was all in vain and, now, you pay the price of not having her in your life. Now, you contemplate yourself and your game plan (even if everything is not a game, in the first place), thinking of a bright idea that, you think, would change everything from now on. You actually try and let your intentions be known to her. You still have this good boy/nice guy persona, but you add a hint of mystery and sweetness. From random lunch-outs to jokes on flirting and whatnot, you actually let her know something is up, yet you don’t explicitly say it. You wait for the right time, and when you think it’s now or never, you tell her. Now that you’ve told her everything, being the gullible being that you are from watching your desired romantic comedies, you expect everything to be mutual and to your favor. But no, the universe decides to fuck you over and make the girl friendzone you or worse, eliminate you completely from her life. Was there something wrong that you did? All you wanted was for her to know your true feelings and to be honest to yourself, so why get this in return? That’s life. All you ever wanted is to 66 • JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

LOVE Bruno is awestruck by a woman love and be loved in return. You can’t expect her to immediately like or love you back just because you told her everything. You admitted to her that you have feelings for her, and by human nature, even if you told yourself you didn’t, you expected something in return. At the back of your mind, you prayed to the gods for her to feel the same way. But no, it just doesn’t work that way. Expectation is the root of all heartache, and by confessing, you just asked for a world of hurt. “I mean c’mon, you expect these feelings to just disappear?” She gave you the “It’s not you, it’s me/ You’re too nice and too good for me” cliché. She thought it was a joke, and the only reactions you got were either curses or sarcastic chuckles. You risked everything by confessing, and all you got in return were just uncertain smiles. She just sugarcoated shit and threw it at PHOTOS BY BRUNO'S PHOTOGRAPHER

FEATURES

just the feeling of having someone around? Is it love or lust? Are you truly in love or just infatuated? They said that one must love until it hurts or love like you’ve never been hurt: you have loved and now it hurts, so what do you do now? These are just some of the infinite amount of questions when you ask yourself, “Have I fallen in love?”

N HEARTBREAK You can't see it, but tears are failling

“

“All of us have fallen to the cruelest kind of love, the one that is unrequited.” your face. She doesn’t want you. That’s it? Everything you’ve done, just gone down the drain. What do you do now? Sulk and listen to Skinny Love by Bon Iver or to the ever-reliable tracks of Orange And Lemons? Order a bucket of beer, and drown your feelings with alcohol? Or eat Krispy Kreme, thinking that if your heart stops beating, it won’t hurt as much? Write down your feelings and expect everything to be back to normal? You can, but not forever. Intimacy is a basic human need. It’s to no one’s surprise when you crave sweetness and affection from someone special. But is it the person that you really want, or

OW YOU CONTEMPLATE IF THE PERSON IS

worth your time and effort, and if the feeling is either mutual or just one-sided. This may sound pessimistic and all, but it is the truth: you can never be sure. It was painful when someone special to me had to tell me straight to my face that life is not a romantic comedy or melodrama. It will always find a way to screw you up. Rejection, ignorance, zero communication, you name it. Love is, and will always be, a risk. No loopholes, no shortcuts—it will always be a risk. You cannot calculate it. It makes you irrational and unreasonable. It blinds you and distorts your view on reality. That is its beauty and curse. It is something created by man to escape from the bitterness of reality, even for just a few moments. Consider yourself lucky if the feelings you both share are mutual. But for the majority of mankind, this hasn’t always been the case. All of us have fallen to the cruelest kind of love, the one that is unrequited. It is the feeling of falling in love alone (and will always end up as a one-sided affair) that is most cruel. Is asking for a little hint of affection in return too much? Imagine admiring her from a distance or seeing her fall and be happy with someone else. You gave her everything and she returned nothing. You gave a part of you and she decided to ignore it and tear it to a million fragments. You chose to fall for her and, boy, did you fall hard. Excruciating, right? You have no choice but to just be happy for her. You loved. You risked. It did not pay off. You have been broken. “Do you know the best thing about broken hearts? They can only really break once. The rest is just scratches.” ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 67

GOSSIP G, BACK? Jus Nuque and her Jussip Girls tell you that she isn't. For good. Au couture.

CULTURE

68 • JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

CESCA Here is the active member, present in the Mem's Cook Out, an event organized by the committee in charge of culture, SPEV, and Memcom

ECHOES | JUNE 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ 69

ECHOES

FASHOWN FASHOWNAN

LOTHES CAN MAKE OR BREAK YOU.

Whether you like it or not, first impressions are based on external factors. Being in a university with no dress code, everyday is an opportunity to make a statement and to express your individuality with clothes. In Ecosoc alone, fashion choices are from both ends of the spectrum. Let me break down the trends which I have observed in the School: what I wish to see and what I hope no one attempts to bring back.

CATEGORY: ON THE DEFIBRILLATOR

Aztec Last year was all about Aztec prints. High-street brands, local shops and online stores offered shirts, shorts, skirts, socks, bags and accessories inspired by the tribe. They were everywhere. It was probably because of the supposed end of the world (which, if that was the case, shows ignorance considering that it was the Mayan calendar in question). Suddenly, almost everyone had something Aztec. At some point, it became apparent that the world will not cease to exist and that the trend has been overdone. Hints of it can still be seen every now and then, but it’s probably safe to say that the Aztec mania has waned. Neon Neon was the rage, thanks to the extreme need for color in the runways of S/S 2012. It feels like summer most of the 70 • JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

by Kristina Viray

time in our country, so I understand the obsession with this trend. Neon injects brightness and warmth to any ensemble. Wearing it is a way to say, “Look at me!” Using key neon pieces is more usual than wearing full-on neon, since the former is more wearable plus some colors are simply not flattering in large quantities. Highlighter yellow, anyone? Its range of colors is getting old yet neon is fighting to stay alive. Hints of color are still used to make outfits more interesting, and I will not be surprised if this trend is resuscitated in a few months, although nowhere near its apex. Peplum There was a sudden boom in peplum tops, dresses and skirts. Bloggers said it emphasizes curves which gives the waist a thinner appearance. “Thin? Let me have ten of that, please!” Let me tell you, bloggers do not know your body shape. The shape and size of peplum is also important. This is a tricky, safe choice. Do you hear the unending monotonous beep now? Category: Gasping for Air Skater Skirt The skater skirt is a relatively new trend. It is the more forgiving sister of the bandage skirt. Unlike its tight predecessor, the skater skirt is dainty, flattering and very versatile. That is probably why there hasn’t been a day when I don’t see anyone wearing a skater skirt. Someone hit the brakes before every girl is wearing the same piece.

CATEGORY: ALIVE AND KICKING

CULTURE

Animal Prints Being a recurring theme in recent seasons, animal prints are here to stay. They deliver fierceness when done right. Otherwise, they may make you look like a tramp. Accessories are the easiest way to add animal print to your outfit. Leopard is the print for the season, but who can forget that it's the year of the snake? Black and White It is incredibly difficult to go wrong with black and white. That would take so much effort, because the combo is simple, clean and minimalistic. This is one of the hottest trends, but I have yet to see more of it. There might be a misconception that black and white is boring. The key is to mix and match interesting pieces and consider other elements such as texture and structure. It's all about yin and yang, people. Monochrome Another trend that has potential is monochrome. Just like black and white, monochrome can be considered boring. If an outfit does turn out that way, the problem is not the clothes. There are so many ways to spice it up. Why bother with a monochrome outfit, you ask? It can create a slimming illusion plus it looks polished. Emerald, the color of the year according to Pantone, is a good color to start with. Not only is it the color of the School of Economics but it is also the color of money. I don't know about you, but I love money. Geometric Being a classic, the ever-reliable stripes are always present today. It's up there with skater skirts, but you know this is a different story. Interestingly enough, it has been said that horizontal stripes can make you appear wider while vertical stripes can make you look taller. Experiment away! I know stripes can't get old. I say it can get boring, so why stop at stripes? You can try checks and other geometric patterns for a new take on the trend. Leather Leather can be considered a classic, and you can definitely use more of it. It can add edginess, boldness and character to any outfit. Now, faux leather is being turned into tops, skirts, shorts and pants for accessibility and practicality. Don't push this too much, though. Our weather isn't perfect for wearing leather but hey, feeling rebellious? Leather is perfect. Go ahead and be sweaty. At least you look good.

CATEGORY: BANISHED

Leggings as Pants Everything has a purpose, including leggings. They are meant to be worn under long tops or dresses. Please do not use them as pants, because no one wants to see your ass and camel toe. Really. Spare the innocent and get pants. Traditional Crocs Do I even have to explain myself? Just look at those hideous things. I don’t care how comfortable they are. They do not belong in school or anywhere you can encounter another human being. Crocs started selling shoes which barely resemble the traditional ones. Believe me when I say that there’s really a reason for that.

CATEGORY: NOTABLE NONE-TREND

Basics Anyone can never have too many basics. Tank tops and shirts in solid colors paired with shorts or jeans can never go wrong. If you value comfort over anything else, resort to these pieces which deliver simple, neat looks. Trends come and go, so I suggest that you follow them with caution. It’s better to develop your style and know what you really like, what flatters you and what don’t work. Incorporate trends into your personal style. Own what you are wearing; don’t let your outfit own you. Then again, who am I to dictate your choices? Make a statement or follow the crowd. Dress for comfort or for aesthetics. Just make sure you dress up for no one but yourself. ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 71

ECHOES

8TRACKS: THE MODERN MIX TAPES

by Olivia

Solomon & Alvar Santos

WHAT IS THE VALUE OF A MIX TAPE IN OUR PRESENT AGE?

It is probably rare of most of us to have experienced manually making a mix tape which consists of playing and pausing cassette tapes while simultaneously recording them onto a blank tape. It is a tedious process of making mistakes and accidentally talking while the mix is recording; a collective act of love or a testament of how much effort you are willing to put for the someone you were making the mix tape for.

BUT SCREW THAT.

72 â&#x20AC;˘ JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

CULTURE

8TRACKS These are some mixes by Ecosocers. Ecosocers, meaning Bruno Cassette tapes are now obsolete, iTunes holds the key to your heart, and piracy is every music lover’s best friend. Let’s face it, good records (especially indie records) are hard to acquire not only because of the rarity of their stock in music stores but also the winceworthy price tags on the glorious LPs and records. Who needs a mix tape nowadays, anyway? I do. And maybe, you do, too. There are times when I wake up and I feel really pumped up for the day and feel like I have a 99.9% chance of becoming Beyoncé that day but before I could totally enjoy the day, I realized that there was something missing. Something like Eye of the Tiger by Survivor playing in the background while I got ready for school or Yoo Hoo by Imperial Teen playing while I walked down the hallways. I needed my theme song (or theme songs) for the day but I didn’t know where to look for the song that will catalyze my bad-assery for the day. And this is where this decade’s mix tapes come in. The answer to all the modern mix tape woes is simple: 8 tracks. 8 tracks is a website where users can upload their own mixes. You need at least 8 tracks (hence, the name) for each mix. You can start with the idea of having a mix for a certain mood or activity like chill + acoustic, back-toschool, or study + sleep. For more genre-

specific mixes, you can make an indie pop, experimental math rock, japanoise, alternative, or even metal, or hip-hop mix. And of course, if you belong to a fandom and would want to make a fanmix about your otp or your favorite characters, you can make a feels-laden mix about Daenerys Targayen, Enjolras x Grantaire, or Charlie from Perks. The great thing about 8 tracks is that you get to be part of a big music library where people share music essentials to other people who are just discovering a certain genre of music. You can follow users whose mixes you like and favorite songs in mixes for your future reference in downloading - whether legally or illegally. You have a chance to listen to sythnpop and anti-folk for the first time and have a moment of pure joy when you find the perfect mix that you were looking for. The wonderful thing about being able to listen to other people’s mixes is that you get to have an insight on those really important songs inside their music library. This is where you appreciate a person’s music taste despite how odd the concept of the mix would be at first (e.g. a mix about a gender-swapped female Jose Rizal) and get to appreciate how all the songs in one mix have a sense of continuity and the whole mix tells a story. Plus, it’s really fun to make your own cover art. It caps off the whole audio-visual experience of a mix. When you get fully acquainted with the world of 8 tracks, you would eventually

encounter the “mix staples” also known as those songs that are in every single mix. Examples would be Ho Hey by The Lumineers, any song by Brother, and Little Talks by Monsters and Men. An important part in making your mixes stand-out is to use songs that are rarely used or have never been used in any mix you have encountered so far. This would probably make 8 tracks sound like a heaven for alternative (or indie) music – which it is, praise the indie gods – but it doesn’t mean that mainstream artists are shunned. I have encountered mixes with Taylor Swift and Lana del Rey and there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s still someone’s mix and the important thing is making each song be a relevant part of a mix as a whole so that you get a unified listening experience. The value of mix tapes in our present age is how we get to share a part ourselves to others more easily by bringing out the songs that we have kept to ourselves in gilded cages for so long. We get to pass records to strangers with the intention of making the person better off once they received it. Most of all, this our way of telling our stories, only this time we have room for mistakes and even more mix tapes along the way. Olivia Solomon is a Pulse Mem and she is the Culture Editor of this publication. That's right. She's in charge of all this. Alvar Santos is the resident hipster, if you haven't backread. He also wrote an article on why he's always sad. Someone please love Bruno. ECHOES | JUNE 2013 • 73

ECHOES

TUMBLR 4 PEASANTS

by Olivia Solomon

WE ARE A MESS, WE ARE FAILURES AND WE LOVE IT! – Glockenspiel Song, Dog is Dead THE FIRST THING YOU SHOULD KNOW TUMBLR IS THAT IT IS NOT A SOCIAL NETWORK. This means that the goal isn’t to have as many followers as you can. The goal is to be yourself and if anyone thinks that who you are isn’t good enough, well, then they can just say hello to a new circle in Dante’s Inferno reserved just for them. I’ve been on tumblr since 2009 and back then, there was tumblarity which measured a person’s tumblr activity and popularity yet until now, I am still not sure how the tumblr staff came up with the algorithm for it since my tumblarity was directly proportional to my self-esteem back then. If my tumblarity went up, I was bursting with happiness inside and when my tumblarity went down, let’s say I had a good reason to curl up in ball and cry dry tears. This was when the initial shock and confusion of seeing my dashboard for the first time waned and I kinda/sorta/maybe got the hang of the whole “tumblr thing.” If by now, you are still not so knowledgeable on tumblr things, let me give you a runthrough of tumblr identifiers. In the famous “y u no” meme and other memes popped up and spawned on my dashboard way before 9gag was even a thing [Editor’s note: Memes first popped up in 4chan] Expressions like “what is air,” “UNF,” and “hnng” 1 poplated the tags andexpress their tiredness and boredom. The stereotype of tumblr users is as follows: socially awkward teenagers (or people since there are people in their late 20’s and early 30’s in the tumblr community) who stay inside their bedrooms for about three days straight. These people are—myself,

TUMBLR A species connoted for the preference of the above: dramatics and solitude 74 • JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

included—the ones who feel out of place in society and cringe at every prospect of socialization. And we have found our Mecca, our home, and our sanctuary in the blue-colored confines of tumblr. For most of us, tumblr is an escape since this is the place where all the things we love come together and make beautiful babies in the form of gifs, photosets, videos, etc. Our dashboards are graphic depictions of pop culture getting married and simultaneously divorced to awkward, sulky, depressed teenagers who post/reblog Marvel/nature/grunge/celebrities/ celebrities’ butts/anything seemingly worthless but is important enough to have a blog dedicated to it. You’ll probably think people in the site are weird or that you’re too cool for the weirdness that’s going on but eventually, you’ll realize that these people are like you, too, in some ways or more. People on tumblr aren’t afraid to share what they’re going through because the tumblr community is where empathy finds its home. This is why it is an unspoken rule on tumblr for you to have as less people whom you know in real life follow you as possible. The ironic thing about this is that it is easier to be open with strangers who follow you than people in real life because these are the deepest parts of your being and it’s easier to say it to someone whom you have never met than to say it to someone whom you pass by in the hallways every day. Another thing you should know is that it is a mortal sin to save a picture that someone else posted and post it as your own post. This is why we have a reblog button, folks. If you like a picture so much that you want to save it on your computer, go ahead and do so, as long as you don’t post it without giving proper

1 A tumblr mating call. The noise or word used when something or someone is very very very attractive or desirable. (urbandictionary.com)

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credit. I have had an experience when I caught someone plagiarizing three of stories and I had to call her attention for it because she just copy-pasted my whole work onto her blog without even crediting me. Over the past two years there has been a great influx of new tumblr users which is good because tumblr is indeed a damn happy place but sometimes I get the feeling that these people do not understand what tumblr is about. Again, it is not a social networking site so you don’t have to tweet your tumblr URL or sync your tumblr to your twitter account. But I have to admit the one thing that does make me really angry is the mbf or “must be following” promo phenomenon. The mbf phenomenon is when people rudely put comments on photos in order to publicize their blog e.g. Soft Grunge/Fashion or Indie & Vintage This Way. Take note that these posts circulate to the infinite walls of tumblr and don’t you think it would be annoying to see every single damn post with self-promos? Sometimes, people announce a promo wherein they will promo the first 15 or 50 (depends on the user) people who reblog but they will only do that if you follow them. I can forgive this more because you are doing it in your own post but sometimes, people get rude again and place them under other people’s posts.

THIS IS HERE By demand of the author

Here is a list of examples of the mbf phenomenon with my comments and see for yourself why it is ridiculous and annoying: first 15.3 to reblaawg|mbf thefragilelion roma xx roma (WHAT ON EARTH I‘m ugly, but my blog is cute xx (I am confused because how on Earth ARE ROMA BLOGS?? IT’S A THING new roma/bambi/indie blog can 15.3 people follow a person. May NOW?) indie shit (u got that right) tao bang 0.3?) new followers gain 50+ (I hope you read mobile (No one cares.) My soft grunge brings all the boys to the this article.) i post pretty things yard (Ayla would be very disappointed I dare you to fall in love with blogging Note: There were weird symbols in the with this.) M*dels mbfs, but InDesign could not handle it. MBF These accounts blatantly advertise themselves in an effort to get more followers. Discretion is advised. ’m not saying that all promos are bad. I sold myself to my followers by promising promos if they liked the EM page last summer but at least then, I did it on my own blog and on my own posts. The bottom line is that the number of followers you have doesn’t make or break your tumblr life. Yes, it would be wonderful to reach that first thousand followers or heck, even be tumblr famous but if you go spoil other people’s sanctuary by wiping your shameless promotions all over their dashboards then you have pause and think why on earth are you on tumblr for. You’re not blogging and reblogging for the likes, reblogs, and follows of other people. You are on tumblr because you are a damn fine human being and it is the only place on the internet you can call home.

PHOTOS FROM TUMBLR

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ECHOES

WALL OF SECRETS

Compiled by Derek Parreñas

YOU KNOW, I NEVER IMAGINED THAT PEOPLE WOULD ACTUALLY TELL ME THEIR DEEPEST DARKEST SECRETS. OR JUST SECRETS, AT LEAST. When Trauma YOLO is secretly Añonymous finds was twelve years in love with Jude Olivia hot sometimes. old, she slept beside her She’s a girl too. Geron. parents. Over the course Assumption used to When sleeping, of the night, she woke practice crying in Superman has on up and heard sounds the mirror. underwear only. and felt some movement. San Antonio Spurs On her 18th birthday, Yes, you know what that has an attraction to Batmanisthebest was means. She waited until fratmen. sent a bouquet of flowers her parents finished before Nowadays, PB&OB by the man she caught her she “woke up” and went to is a nice kid. But mom cheating with. Both the other room to reduce back in first year high her parents don’t know that awkwardness. school, he thought he was she caught the cheater and 733445 ended up the most unique person in that she received flowers getting seduced by the world. He was smart from the man. a nymphomaniac in high and he knew it. He’d talk Orangelover has got school. He was then the loudly in class and diss subject of ire of a fake- teachers when he was surot bites. chinese kid in a Chinese called because he knew the Tired is a bulimic. school (who the nympho answers. Long story, short, And she goes on and seduced first) and lots of he was a bully and quite off depression regularly for self-evaluation. A year later, the asshole. He realized the the past two years because the nympho lost her 16 error of his ways when he of a certain life-changing year virginity to a 26 year and his mom was brought moment. She had almost old man and recounts this to the principal’s office for attempted suicide twice tale to him. 733445 regrets allowing someone to cheat already. ever talking to that woman. off him in an exam.

1 2 3

4 5

8 9 10 11

WE'LL LOOK FOR MORE SECRETS, IN A LESS DIRECT WAY. BUT IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SHARE, YOU CAN TELL ME RIGHT AWAY. JUST GIVE ME AN ALIAS, AND I'LL KEEP YOUR SECRET SAFE. SO DON'T BOTHER ASKING ME WHO IS WHO IN THIS THING. 76 • JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

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THINGS I DIDN’T NEED TO KNOW N O I T I D E C T I D HAN BRADLEY

BY SAM GONZALES

It’s a new semester! Honestly, I thought the quality of entries would decrease but y’all have surprised me with some golden tidbits that I Didn’t Need To Know but ironically make my day better. The only conclusion I have:

You people are weird. 1. Sometimes Mark Buenaventura goes home to his province just to have his toenails cut... Because he doesn't cut his own toenails 2. Lyon tries on his mother's heels when she's not at home 3. Van has five different versions of Taylor Swift's Teardrops On My Guitar in his iPod. (Incidentally, He and I are no longer friends) 4. When Andee believes that her shirt smells really nice, she secretly takes a whiff at random times of the day. 5. Rich has an extreme armpit fetish for girls. Now u kno. 6. Paola Villaflores has this 'kati-kati unan' which she scratches before she sleeps 7. When Gel has colds and she's at home, she sticks tissue up her nose and just leaves it there 8. Adriel pretends that he's being interviewed by Ellen Degeneres when he's in the shower. 9. In Mem's Cookout GJ wanted to know if Jude works out... So he asked him... Ok 10. Reg Rodriguez once licked her dog back when it licked her.

11. Orion can't fart in public. Yes he has tried. Lucky bastard. 12. When Carmel can't stop laughing she pees her pants HA-HA-HA 13. Zo has tried tasting his booger once. It was salty. He liked it. 14. Paubau's girlfriend frequently cleans his belly button lint with cotton buds 15. Olivia once put a sachet of McDonald’s ketchup on a banana to see if it tasted the same as bottled banana ketchup. (She didn’t say if it did...) 16. Carlo Fernandez scanned his face with - what else - scanner. (Maybe he needed a 1x1 picture but he was pressed for time.) 17. Frances still plays pretend tea parties with her teddy bears. (Really? REALLY?!) 18. Botan’s feet smell like cockroaches. 19. AND, what I consider to be the cream of the crop: Lance Lim sings the parts of Javert (from Les Miserables) whenever he drives home. (I am now a better person after knowing this.)

I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

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#TWEETABLETWEETS BY @MARTETEKOMALIIT THIS SPACE HAS BEEN TAKEN OVER BY SOMEONE ELSE, IF YOU HAVEN'T CHECKED THE ECHOES WEBSITE (SHAME ON YOU, IF YOU HAVEN'T). IN THE WISE WORDS OF AN ISSUE PAST, LET'S NOT ACT LIKE THIS HAS A THEME AND GET ON WITH THE TWEETING GOODNESS.

@PORNettto Nakopo umuulan at mej malamig, lalong dadami mga tatay neto..

@lyonceknowles aww i feel like i don't belong ngayong Father's Day time to get a girl pregnant

@lyonceknowles ang freaky nung armpits ni Apl De Ap guys

@PORNettto Hirap maging tatay ng pitong anak, pero sarap siguro ng 'in-the-making' phase lol

@famamfa I'm so annoyed by @upecosoc s/he's SF nice UGH nice people make me sick

@beetriz i found one of my old, undeleted blogs and i discover that i apparently have a friend from my math days named shark.

@xpandiknowit Nakakatuwa yung "Related Groups" sa side ng FB. Saya mang judge ng mga tao. BAKIT KA SUMALI NG "PHILIPPINE CUTIES" NA GROUP??? HUHU

@oliviyup i showed my parents Tom Daley's instagram feed and they approve because he owns a cat and a micropig (*^_^)

@camposbriana Sorry, this user has marked HIS profile private' do I look like a guy... @erwinmate Am I missing something? Why is my facebook feed filled with bras, butts, panties and unsaid feelings?? Jeeeeezuz

@MarteteKoMaliit Original One Direction: Jesus, Matthew, Mark, John, Luke. @beetriz thank you modern medicine for making me feel less like i got rammed by a truck @KookieeKrumble feels weird wala na akong nilalaro na balbas :/

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@ayidave Finally after 3 showers I don't smell like liempo anymore. Masyadong clingy @whatdeathink I am pretty, as in. @ChickenBaquilod I miss my forever crush @juanmig @_JoshDoIt Ang gulo ng groupmates ko. I wasn't like this when I was a freshie, hahaha @juanmig Why am i eating a lot recently. Dafuq am i pregnant

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@TheAcadWorm #3words The. Acad. Worm. 'nuff said @upecosoc @TheAcadWorm For someone who wishes to get people to study, you sure procrastinate a lot. Study, worm! @MarteteKoMaliit Nakakainis yung nga naghoholding hands tapos yung isa naglalakad sa main road. Sagasaan ko kayo pareho? @oneDEREKsyon I'm a beautiful butterfly that comes put at night. Watch out @upecosoc @MarteteKoMaliit One of my favorite hobbies this sem is listening to this group of freshies have deep discussions in the lounge @mmmatibag Can we just MOVE ON with our lives. Stop bringing up the past! @tellitotelle @mmmatibag so much conviction! #hugothugot @bozdigay Ah Sunday. Fuck Sunday.

@donelleumali lol watching this ep of PLL where Ezra got arrested omg FINALLY young girls should not be given the idea that boinking your teacher is ok @donelle umali I was forced to download the latest iTunes UGH THIS IS TERRIBLE I HAVE NO TIME TO LEARN A NEW INTERFACE @GaldePugante I don't think that you even realize the joy you make me feel when i'm inside your universe. @lyonceknowles Lol there was this long line at SM North and being the lazy ho that I am I didn't bother asking and there was this dude who said it's the UP line so I was like ok TAPOS WHEN I REACHED THE END IT WAS FOR MUNOZ!?!??!???? @_theonlyMonty wala akong dp na ecosoc huhuhuu #inggit #pakamatay na ako lol @inespagdanganan excited scared excited scared excited scared scared scared scared

@jussipgirl Had a beautiful dream that involved me getting a slot in the comm 3 class that I want </3 sigh @stefffgo pogi ng nasa harap ko @ArisHilton31 hahahahahha #complab #paranghighschoollang @camposbriana *roll call* sir Randy: Briana or Cassandra? Me: Briana, sir. Sir Randy: is your dad's name Brian? Me: no, sir! #ohwell @lyonceknowles People tweeting me to follow them back... no i don't like you @Camille_Cruz IS THAT MOOING I HEAR FROM THE NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE??? ARE COWS EVEN ALLOWED IN THE VILLAGE?? #awkward huhuh @UPCarillon ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding @upecosoc Choose Ecosoc. ECHOES | JUNE 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ 79

ECHOES

WHAT'S IN YOUR BAG MONINA SANCHEZ

4 7 10 3 11

2 1

8 9 1. Notebooks 2. Random pieces of paper 3. Memcom sticker 4. Pencil case 5. Umbrella 6. Pack of tissue 7. Planner 8. Bath & Body

Works perfume 9. Hand sanitizer 10. Cell phone 11. Comb Monina’s bag is full of blue and green thing aka her bag bleeds Ecosoc.

RICH ESPINO

1 2 10

7 5

1. Notebooks 2. Ecosoc shirt 3. Clear envelope with files 4. Angel’s Pizza Flyer 5. School ID

6. Cell phone charger * 7. Sci cal 8. iPad 9. John Varatos cologne 10. Pencil case

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*FUN FACT: If you use the charger inside Rich’s bag to measure his height, you’ll find out that the charger is longer than he is.

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Haven’t you ever wondered what people kept inside their bags aside from their notebooks and pens? Or if they even actually have notebooks inside their bags? We at Echoes took the initiative to look inside random people’s bags and wallets in an attempt to try to get to know these people more through the things inside. We then asked them to describe their bag or wallet or give a fun fact about it. We hope you enjoy your time seeing the unseen side of these Ecosocers. by Olivia Solomon HAZEL LIM

2 3

5 7

4 6

1. Ruler 2. Correction Tape 3. Pens 4. ID 5. Colored Pens 6. More Pens 7. Highlighters, one for each subject.

BEA BAYUDAN

1 3

12 5

6 1. 2. 3. 4.

Jacket Pack of tissue School ID Victoria’s Secret PINK perfume 5. Water bottle 6. Cover girl compact

7. Wallet 8. Burt’s Bees lip balm 9. Umbrella 10. Pencil case 11. Journal 12. Retainers case

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JUSSIP G.

We now have Jus Nuque to create scandal. We laugh at you if you thought Gossip G was back.

DISCLAIMER: ALL REAL NAMES OF PLACES, PEOPLE, AND EVENTS HAVE BEEN ALTERED TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT. NAMELY, ME. IS SHE BACK? I HATE TO BREAK IT TO YOU, BUT THAT FRICK LEFT TOWN A LONG TIME AGO.

elcome to Jussip G—your one and only source to the scandalous (?) lives of certain people in a certain university in a certain city called Quezon. The Jussip G team is composed of dedicated and observant investigators who see the juicy scoop beyond what’s really there. Along with our anonymous friends who are kind enough to send us data, we are always on the lookout for potential issues. June is the month to say goodbye to the sunny skies and high temperatures. We have rainy skies and slightly high temperatures now. It’s the time when summer memories are still fresh from the fabulous beach and trips abroad. A time when we go through that hell called registration, in preparation for going back to school. I’m sure we all had an unforgettable vacation. That’s why I’m not going to throw that away. I only throw away towels I’ve used once.

Little Brown Thing was seen in the grass in front of the UPSE Walkway, with no shame. School barely started, and LBT’s tired already. Partying hard this early on in the game? She was rolling all over the place as if she owned it. But I’m telling you: It’s a ploy for attention.

SIGHTINGS

4DR1 and J00D were spotted enjoying each other’s company in a beach trip with friends. J looked happy rubbing lotion (or is that sunblock?) all over 4’s back. Attached is a picture sent to us by a source. Just look at that giggle.

Must be nice to have lotion put on you Seriously, who does this? SMH. 82 • JUNE 2013 | ECHOES.PH

Spotted: Around 10 testosterone-filled humans were seen singing emo hits loudly in the tambayan last week. Seems like we have a lot of available men in the organization, ladies. We’ll be watching closely.

And who am I? That’s a secret I’ll never tell. You know you love me. XOXO, Jussip G

Happy 55th, Ecosoc!!! from the UPSE Batch 2004 Ecosoc Alumni

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