Echoes July 2013 by Echoes

JULY 2013

Lost In Transition.

ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 1

2 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

02 03 28

PREVIOUS ISSUE EDITORIAL A Source of False Hope

04 10 58

COMMITTEE NEWS NEWS We Ourselves are Obstacles to Unity

26 74 72

Jude Geron

I Want to Kill Myself

FEATURES CULTURE BDSM: Tackling the Taboo Flora Palabrica

You're A Disappointment

Lion's Den: Best Shows of 2013 Lyon Leus

The Innovator and the Polisher

What Good Are Feelings For?

Frances Quezon

Is there Hope for Memcom?

Kristina Viray

Tips From the Python's Pit

The Python Micaela Que Flora Palabrica

CONTRIBUTORS Lyonce Leus Luigi Montalbo

Culture Swag Olivia Solomon

The Python

Josh Siat

Aris Dacanay Martin Consing Joshua Siat

Fashown Fashownan

Tracy Miranda Ryna Claro

Kristina Viray Bruno Santos ECHOES | JULY 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ 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 LISANNE GABORNI

ALFONSO ROCES

BRYAN DOMINGO

MICAELA QUE

MARTIN CONSING

ERIC STO. DOMINGO

VICO UBALDO

Errata

Our mistakes in the June issue In the news article regarding Liaison's Marketing Bootcamp, the number of attendees were not limited to 10, although the exact amount cannot be determined. In the A Forsaken Force article, it was Angela Mantes who got the two sponsors (Myra-E and Bacchus). In the Ecosoc's Finances article, a portion of the External Affairs expenses should have been listed together with Academic Affairs.

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 2012-2013, 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 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

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FROM THE EDITOR "THE GREATEST APPLICANT BATCH EVER," THEN U.P. Economics Society President Paolo Tamase stated once. Former Editor-in-Chief Kenneth Reyes wrote in his August editorial that the enthusiasm of these children were very infectious. A surge of energy coursing through the society. The Power Apps were a hackneyed 'breath of fresh air' for the society. Indeed, when these kids were applicants, they'd chat with all the members that they'd meet. It was a magical time for the Power Apps, when they entered the U.P. Economics Society. Here was a place filled with so much promise and excellence that the applicants were inspired. Each one wanted to run for a chairperson position in the future, if ever they did pass. They had plans to give back to the society, as early on as when they were applicants. They were looking for a family in college, and well, they found it in Ecosoc. Their plans started to take root when most of them took on positions the succeeding semester, some as officers or assistant directors in Taskforce, others as Vice-Chairs in their committees. That semester is infamously known as the Rager semester. What went down in that semester is something that every Ecosocer should know, with those events highlighted numerous times in this publication. What went down in that semester, for the Power Apps, could aptly be summed up with the less-popular quote about the U.P. Economics Society, "Ecosoc will break your heart." We worked, we toiled, we loved, and in the end, we suffered. It did not help that the issues plaguing that semester were never addressed during that same semester through any proper format, be it in general meetings or on this publication. It seemed as if we, at the lowly bottom, could not do anything to address the organization's issues. We turned to gossip. We, as Kenneth put it about two PHOTOS ATTRIBUTED TO A MAGICAL TIME, LONG AGO

years ago, "uncover[ed] tales of bureaucracy, favoritism, and envy, perpetrated by the Jekyll and Hyde's of the org." We focused our attention to other things, be it academics or another organization. We, the Power Apps, were disillusioned. But here is where I will stop using "we". And though there is good wisdom to be found here, if you are lucky enough to not have experienced these events, this is where I tell you that this is for my co-applicants. Rager was almost two years ago. Whatever sins that executive committee we perceive committed against us that semester, they were rectified in the semester after. Sure, the committees are still paying the debts incurred during that period, but Foodgasm, NYC 9, LIV, Musikapella: Isang Himig, Isang Pilipinas were all unprecedented events that brought the quality of Ecosoc back. After which, I expected a lot of you to return. But that was not the case. In fact, last semester, most of the Power Members efforts were turned elsewhere. Last sem was probably a litmus test then. But no, it wasn't. Most of the Vice-Chairpersons this semester came from the sophomores. Yes, some of us are active, but not in the ways that we have been deemed to be. My co-apps, we have faded into the background. Was it not so long ago that, when at an event, all you would see are Power Members? What happened to the dreams of leadership and giving back? If we do take the mantle of leadership in the organization, remember that you too have been pushed in the dirt., shoved aside, and silenced. Use this experience, not as a barrier, but as wisdom. The theme for the issue is hope and I ask thus: will there be hope burning in our batch once more? Come September and the succeeding year, will you live up to the moniker given to us a year ago? "The Greatest Applicant Batch ever." ECHOES | JULY 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ 3

COMMITTEE ECHOES NEWS

It’s that time of the sem where it’s so easy for us to start giving up. Failing results start coming back, org work wasn’t as easy as we thought it’d be, and hours of sleep start shrinking to less than 3 every night. Now this Echoes issue I guess was meant to highlight hope, and we all have our different ways of looking at it. Some people may be very skeptical about hope, but I think it’s a very beautiful thing. We hope for better days to come despite all the *poo poo* we’re going through, and its exactly HOPE which pushes us to keep going, to achieve the things we never thought of achieving. When you climb a mountain, you don’t look up at the long daunting path ahead, you look down and focus on each and every rock you step on, keeping the hope that you can reach the top, and before you know it you’ve hit the summit. My praise goes to each of the officers and directors of EM. Your energy is just incredible and I admire your commitment for the work you do. Let’s keep working for the best September we’d truly #NeverForget, and let’s never lose hope that we can truly achieve that.

Talking to friends lightens his spirrits during sad days

GJ|Ecosoc Month

And of course to my co-members in V5, I know you’ve all gone through your own challenges this entire sem, and honestly your perseverance despite all of it is a real inspiration for me. Don’t give up guys; we’re almost there. Before you know it we’ll be in Cebu by Geli’s beach side resort haha Don’t lose hope Ecosocers, because I know we can achieve amazing things. See you around and God bless always!

I have always enjoyed the rainy season (because my name is Raine joke) despite everything horrible associated with it (heavy traffic, massive flooding, extended bouts of melancholia etc) there's really nothing like the coziness a rainy day brings. Quoting Conchitina Cruz, the enemy is not the rain. However, when those grey clouds start ruining your day, the best way to stay cheery is to surround yourself with sunshiny people! (This explains my commnews picture) But I digress! It's goodbye July in a few days and with it the rainy season peaks. This is only the rising action for TF and Musikapella, with Orsem held just a few moments ago! It was perhaps the liveliest of all the ones I've been to, and I'm especially happy and really proud that this was also the most attended one, filled with both old timers and newbies. I'm so happy that some of them still know us, those who have been with past Musikapellas! We have 17 schools waiting to wow you all, and 42 TF members who are set to make that happen in the most amazing way possible. Aww you guys you impress me with what's been achieved so far!!! I'm super excited for the days to come!!

Happy people maker BB happy on sad days

BB|Task Force

It's almost exactly two months until Musikapella and it's such a long time yet it still isn't enough. There are so many things already done, but of course the to-do list is endless -- and so are the learning experiences and the possibilities. It's starting to feel like crunch time, and as stressful as it gets, the sense of fulfillment in doing your job well and knowing that this is done all in the service of others -- it doesn't really get any better than that. It's unfortunate that I have limited space, because each TF member is deserving of recognition!! Pls know that I love y'all, and pls like my pubmats hehe. I promise to make red box happen when we finish!!! Always, BB 4 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

COMMNEWS

Hello Ecosoc! Yet another month has passed. Time really does fly when you’re serving the organization you love and believe in! To Ecosoc thank you for being there to help use whenever we clean the tambayan. You’re extra hand was very appreciated. In particular I would like to mention Josh, Boz, Mike, Jomac, and all the others. I could actually say that the tambayan is less dirty now a days. Let’s continue to strive to keep the tambayan clean by bringing our trash out. Hopefully we’ll win next month’s cleanest tambayan (even though we’re last right now) Next, though we Seccom don’t have events, get ready for the new couches and the gallery!!! They will be coming this month, So keep the tambayan clean so that way no cats will poo on the couches :S To Seccom: To my VCs Nepo and Riel, thank you so much for being there for seccom. Riel, you have grown so much. Your leadership was really apparent when you took control of seccom when I was sick. You’re relationship with the apps has also helped them get to know the committee more. Nepo, Thank you for being fun and random. You’re random comments during genmeet has surely lifted the Seccom spirit. Furthermore, your never give up spirit is always a treat. I shall be giving you more load this coming month. I know you can accomplish them! :D To my mems, Vico, Ana, Ria, Sam, Himi, Paubau thank you for being there when we have prodwork. Also, I that you guys have not let me down when accomplishing your deliverables to the committee that needs them. You make Seccom the PUB ARM it was meant to be. To my Apps, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CHOOSING SECCOM! I have to say, that you Antonio ,Jessica , Dale, Audrey, Ina, Geneby, Alysson, Yen and Tetet have wow-ed me with your urge to learn. More than that, I would like to thank you for functioning as members this past month. From creating a sigsheet, to having an actual photo shoot and organizing a tambayan clean up, You guys have showed me that you will be great members of this organization one day. :)

Ecosoc makes his despair go away

ARS|Secretariat

Bossing people around, though it's probably just Fin

PS. What makes me happy on a rainy day isn't just the Finance people, it's really the BOSSING them around and telling them to do stuff that makes me happy <evil laugh>. No I'm kidding, I strangely really love you guys. You can see it from the happiness in my face. It's enough to make me withstand all your (failed) cupid attempts and to let Kristina win every Fashion showdown we have and to applaud Pam's every suggestion. I know we're going through a lot now, but it's only because we want to deliver the best (and most $$$$) events and projects Ecosoc has ever since. So let's give them that.

That's right folks, get ready for the last 2 and a half months of the semester cause we're kicking it up a notch. Finance won't only stand for "food" but for "fierce fashion" as well, as The 1958 launches its second and sharpest collection yet in the next week. Don't miss it. Wednesday Food Sales will go on as usual 'cause nothing can stop the Jamby-Steph connection. Look out cause we'll be serving some of your favorites soon (who doesn't love liempo?) But those food sales are just a teaser for the real FOODGASM this August 31, 2013 at Mercato Centrale. Stay tuned for what we have in store for you, including the reveal of our tagline. Will it be Bon Appethree!, The Yummy Climax, or Foodgasm: Again and again and again 30x? Maybe not. We'll also be doing some Foodgasm Invasions in your favorite foodie places so if you wanna join us and gorge on food, just holla at us.

GELI|Finance

On a final note: Grand Trad, Treasure Hunt, we got this. FINANCE. *drops mic and walks away*

ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 5

COMMITTEE ECHOES NEWS

Hi, EcoSoc! Thank you for your unending support to all the Externals services and sharing galore which is happening every night! We will give our best to find the partnerships that suits your preference especially the FASHOWN one since most of you request for it. Also, please pray that we make it to the first screening for TAYO and Coke’s BARKADAHAN! To Externals, it’s less than 50 days before NES! Woohoo! Push lang we can make this happen! To Ines, Flora, Kath and Camille, thank you for sticking up with me until the very end of Start UP. I owe you big time! To Jo, thank you for being my rescue! Even you’re not my VC, you are always there whenever I need help. I’m lucky to have you! (#cheesy) To Aila, Bryan, Chello, Cyril, Dana, David, Gio, Louie, Kamile, Rachelle, Ramm, Red, Porn and Shanica, thank you for being supportive and giving your best to perform all our tasks! To my apps, Annika, Bianca, Chesca, Daryl, Kristian, Mio, good job so far and enjoy the rest of the application process! Special mention to Apa, you will be the most beautiful queen on September 20!

Xian Lim, 'nuff said.

QUEK|External Affairs

To V5, last 2 ½ months na lang! Let’s do this! To everyone, September is coming! Get ready because every night would be the Ecosoc pub night! HIHIHI! But for now, good luck with midterm examinations!

Love, Quek To everyone: I hope you're gonna do okay these next few weeks, just as I try to stay alive studying math for who knows how many hours. Study hard for the midterms.

Studying. Wow.

This month marks the start of NYC Month. Support the team by sharing and liking our team's posts! If you have any contacts from your high school (teacher or principal), just contact any Director or Aris and I! Stay tuned for more Acad Tutorials and other activities this month! If you need to borrow books from the Acad Library, just tell Van or I. We'll arrange a deal with you (sounds shady)... To my apps: Joshua, Irah, Aaron, Miguel, JJ, Allen, Nuie, and Alfonso, good luck in your midsem interviews! To Mon: I am so proud of you. Legit mowdel ka na.

NEIL|Academic Affairs

To everyone else in Acad: stay cool. Get ready for our Acad Shirts! Let's bond soooon. Sincerely, Neil

6 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

COMMNEWS

These people make XP happy

XP|Community Development

When I filed for candidacy for the position of CDC Chair, of course, I knew that the job would be stressful, hassle, and emotionally-exhausting. But I never thought that it would be ten times more intense than what I expected. Talagang napupush yung limits ko. But at the same time, yung support from the general membership was a hundred times more than what I expected!!! And that, for me, is enough to keep me going and give you the best CDC experiences possible. Hello Ecosoc!!! Sobrang dami pang CDC activities coming your way for the last two months of my term BUT what I’d like to really remind you of is the Eco-Brick Project! We are super in need of your help with this initiative. Guys, trash lang yung kailangan namin so we hope that it wouldn’t be so much of a hassle for you guys to bring them to the tambayan, look for any CDC member, and donate it. We’d really appreciate any amount!

To CDC my love, thank you guys for being super reliable and super galing all the time! Alam kong mas madami akong naging shortcomings this semester compared to last sem so I’m really thankful na nandiyan kayo palagi para sumalo. I couldn’t ask for a better team, kahit lagi niyo akong binubully... Love you all 9ever! This is probably the most informal and most melodramatic commnews that I’ve written (and will ever write) Saktong emote lang. Pagbigyan na please. Also, ~(^___^)~.

V5, last 2 months last 2 months then off to Cebu we go <3

Ecosoc, thank you for the support you have given us. With all our online releases, Echoes TV videos, LARP, and publication releases, these would not be possible if we didn't think you guys would enjoy it. Keep with the support, and attend the final event of the semester and Ecosoc Month, the Ecosoc Bonfire! By the way, the theme is hope in the midst of rain, and we all wrote anonymous and emotional articles for you to enjoy! I realized I already have some children to take care of. That's right, that's you, my applicants! I welcome a fresh set of Echoes apps to the greatest committee that releases monthly publications! Welcome to Echoes, Eric, Martin, Mix, and Poncho! That picture on the left... Let's not go through the fromage—Wax, show yourself to the whole committee one time! Marte, who would have known you'd be great in Echoes! Jus, you're my newest best friend!!! Keep your TV efforts up, guys. The TV aspect means a whole lot to me. Cara, you always exceed my expectations when it comes to the photos! Jude, I thank you for your enthusiasm and discipline with Echoes! Vito, I'm really glad you're scheduling the releases much more orderly now, and you're back in the game! To your partner, Frances, you're really organized when it comes to this! Thanks to you two, the website is in better shape than last sem! The three pillars of this publication: Olivia , keep owning this cult thing you have going on! Also, poetry. Sam, your extra efforts are always appreciated! They always add omph to the articles! Joby, let's pray there's nothing wrong with the facts, and keep the quick submissions going on! You know not to cram the most. Timmy, LARP was a success. Let us bask in the joy of that! And endless free you-know-what. Lerizze, you are my side-kick in this whole shebang. I'm really looking forward to the Bonfire and the other things we shall have to do for the sake of excellence! I've said this before, and I'll say it again, I believe in you. And if I work you guys too hard, its because I can see so much potential in all of us. But do tell me when something's up! We double as a support group. Hey, execom, V5, let's own it. P.S. Whoever kicked us out of ABLE, watch out. We are going to own Treasure Hunt with Memcom and Seccom. And well, GJ!!! One man can make a difference!

You know what it is.

DEREK|Echoes

ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 7

COMMITTEE ECHOES NEWS

A big hello to you Ecosoc! We’re definitely back in school mode, aren’t we? Back Praying!!! to exams, papers, complicated Economic theories and mathematical equations that I do hope everyone is holding up well with. Remember, we are students first. Now on the brighter side of being back to school, it’s an exciting semester for Ecosoc! ECOSOC MONTH! MUSIKAPELLA! GRAND TRAD (yes it deserves its own mention)! <3 And from the beautiful of committee of Liaison, we also bring you MORE PRIV CARD PARTNERS, USAPANG KABUHAYAN 2 and an ECON CAREER TALK which is happening very soon. On August 7th to be more exact. It’s a fun-filled semester ahead. In light of which, I’d like to give special mentions to the people who have been making my each day extra special. To the Liai apps: Raffy, Gio, Lean, Paolo, Ryan, Ado, Eduard, Therese and Lora – I AM SO GRATEFUL TO HAVE YOU IN OUR COMMITTEE. I say this with all genuineness. You are all so bibo and so game for everything. Your performance so far are exceeding my expectations, so keep it up! To Gio, you will not regret being our grad trad rep! The other committees can only go so far as wanting the crown but it will stay with us – you have our full confidence. To my VCs and mems: Eina, Telle, Erwin, Iya, Dea, Cheska, Trisha, Briana, Nicolle, Sel, Anj, Miggy, JM, Christine, Ida, Catrice, Patty, Gel and Just – I cannot ask for a better roster. You are the reason for Liai’s continuous drive. I am grateful especially to those who are always willing to give their time to help out and to contribute to the committee’s vision. To V5: Thank you for helping me maintain my sanity. I love all of you with all my heart <3 Happy girls are the prettiest girls (pwede rin for guys, I guess HAHA) – so keep smiling and stay joyful! Lotsa Love, Jing <3

JING|Liaison

Hello Ecosoc!

Umbrellas. We don't get it either.

Another month has gone by! I can’t help but look back at all that has happened this semester, it seems like we have done so much already in such a short time. And yet, I know that there is still a lot to be done, the 2 months left for this semester will surely be tiring, but I look forward to spending each day with the people who have become a big part of my college life. Sup V5? 2 more months, I know a lot of us can’t wait for all this to be over, but know that it saddens me to think that our term as Execom will soon be over. Let’s make the most out of remaining months! Last push guys! Sup Memcom? First I’d like to thank each one of you guys for making this committee as great as it is. I know I have had many shortcomings; thanks for having my back each time. This is exactly how I envisioned memcom to be, and I know it’s all because of you guys. Keep up the good work, we’re almost done guys!

ANON|Membership

Sup Ecosoc? Please continue to support our organization by going to the events that we have planned out for you guys. A special shout out to all the apps! I haven’t gotten to know a lot of you, but I am excited for us to be close! Take note of my requirement! I want to be close with each one, so just approach me if you need someone to talk to. I’m friendly! That’s it for now! See you guys around :)

8 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

COMMNEWS

Ikaw daw.

Hello beautiful people of Ecosoc, MABUHAY! Hope all of you bitches are having a grand time in our awesome school, drinking awesome shooters, and sucking up each other’s awesomeness. (Mean Girls Mofos!) Since it’s been a little bit over a month of being in this hell hole anyway, might as well enjoy it! So if y’all didn’t know, something’s making a comeback and it will be bigger, better and fucking awesome-er! Here’s a hint, Tyra will be hella friggin happy! (wink wink) Another thing, you mofos better watch out, THunt is fast approaching!! And ya know what happens after ;) VICE NIGHT!! So gird your loins, this THunt/Vice Night will rock your socks off!

Let me give a loud and proud holla to my super awesome committees!! You know how much I love you losers. <3 <3 <3 Shout out to my children, Zo, Bruno, my newly adopted son Joshy, to my bitches, Loice, Andee, Ayi, Issa, and Kiele, to my resident partyphiles Abby and Hazel, to the voice of Ecosoc, Adriel, to my resurrecting lady, Risa, and last but definitely not the least, to my boys Marky and Romz.

RYNA|Special Events

Of course I will not forget about my super bibo apps!! Shout out to my grand tradder, and newly adopted son as well, Nico, The beautiful ladies of Spev Apps, Pepe, Panty, Kiki, Kuku, Titty, Kaia, and the gwapo boys, Logs and Kevin, I give my biggest hugs. To V5, I love you all infinitely and I can’t wait for our CEBU trip!!!! Squeal!! I still actually can’t believe that this is our last sem. That’s all for now bitches! See you around. xx

Music.

Hello Ecosoc! Thank you to those who participated in the MBA and in our first workshop for the semester! Good job to the members for keeping the winning streak! Watch out for more workshops, Sports Cup, and the University-wide Battle Royale! Hello Sports Famiily! Thank you for being so hardworking and bibbo for the past 2 months! Let’s go Adri, AK, Astin, Boz, Cesca, CV, Cyvil, Darrell, God, Janeen, Jed, Joseph, Justin, Luis, Miguel, Mike, Orion, Rino, Sarah, Topy, and Tracy! Keep up the energy and enthusiasm guys! Here’s to our upcoming events!

RIA|Sports

To my VC’s Boz and Joseph: Thank you for being so committed and hard working for the past 2 months! I hope I don’t stress you guys out too much haha! Really happy to have the 2 of you as my VC’s in this very busy semester!

To the Sports Cup Heads, Mike, Adri, Luis, and Orion: Thank you for your patience and dedication! You guys have really stepped up as leaders during the past few weeks! Mike and Adri, thank you for checking out every court possible, and for not giving up! Thank you for being super organized in fixing the logistics of the event! Luis and Orion, I’m sorry for the stress I may have caused you guys haha! Thank you for being patient with all of the revisions you had to make! To my apps, Angel, Daryl, EJ, Emira, Gino, Richmoune, and Ronald: Good luck sa app process! I have high hopes for you guys! Pressure! Haha, but really, galingan niyo! The Sports members will always be here for you guys! V5, hello guys! We’re all gonna be competitive again soon hahaha! ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 9

INSIDE ECOSOC

ECOSOC WELCOMES PLATOON 55 “RECRUITS” THE UP ECONOMICS SOCIETY WELCOMED THIS SEMESTER'S APPLICANTS DURING ITS APPS ORIENTATION ENTITLED "BOOTCAMP" LAST JUNE 29 AT THE SE 105. Registration started at 12:30 PM. The apps (with Ayla Reyes), all clad in red, first gathered at the lounge. They were blindfolded and led to SE 105 where the members awaited and cheered for them. by Lisanne Gaborni

Zo Canaria, Lyon Leus and Carmel Baquilod were the hosts for the program. After the introduction of the hosts, Ecosoc President GJ Agregado gave his opening remarks. Each of the 12 committees made their entrance with their respective flags. Membership Committee 10 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

chairperson Paolo Anonuevo gave his opening remarks, which was followed by the video presentation of each committee. The applicants were grouped for an Amazing Race, where different committees prepared their own booths. Food was served after the game. The applicants also voted for the

committee with the best video and the best Amazing Race booth. The best video award went to Echoes while the best booth award went to SPEV-Liaison. The program closed at 5:00 PM. A total of 55 applicants, or “recruits,” out of the 102 sign-ups had attended.

NEWS

EM, TF, ECHOES HOST FIRST SATURDAY CDC by Joby Guerrero

LAST JUNE 29, 2013, ECOSOCERS WERE ABLE TO MEET THE KIDS FROM POOK RICARTE AFTER ALMOST 2 MONTHS OF VACATION. THE FIRST SATURDAY CDC WAS SPONSORED BY THE ECOSOC MONTH TEAM, TASK FORCE TEAM, AND ECHOES.

up and acted as Superman in front of the kids. The kids were fascinated as a Superman story was re-enacted by Ecosoc members. The day care session was filled with different activities which made the kids appreciate Superheroes more. The first activity involved kids making their own name plates. Then, they were taught basic first aid skills. Lastly, they drew their favorite superheroes; This semester, the theme for most of the kids drew their mom. All in all, it was fun for both Saturday CDCs is Superheroes and for the first CDC the super- the kids and members as they hero given credit to was Super- bonded together remembering man. Mark Buenaventura dressed that everyone can be a superhero.

CDC GOES ‘SANDUGUAN’ WITH RED CROSS THROUGH BLOOD DONATION DRIVE by Bryan Domingo

ECOSOC, LED BY THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, PARTNERED WITH UP RED CROSS YOUTH to organize Sanduguan: A Blood Donation Drive, for the benefit of Philippine Lung Center, at Palma

Hall Alcove last July 5 from 9am onwards. Seven members and three Platoon apps were able to donate blood. Though there had been many sign-ups for donation, only few were qualified from all the requirements. Most were not allowed to donate because they have

not met all the requirements, like minimum weight of 50 kg or no extensive body tattoos and/or piercings. Every Ecosocer who has donated blood was given two CDC Counts. The Blood Drive is one of the new CDC activities prepared for Ecosoc 55B.

ECOSOC SHOVELS, BUILDS HOUSES FOR GAWAD KALINGA by Bryan Domingo

IT WAS ANOTHER DUST AND FUN-FILLED MONDAY FOR 25 ECOSOCERS as they went and fun-filled Mon-

day for 25 Ecosocers as they went to their beneficiary for the semester’s first GK Build in GK Telus II. This was an event spearheaded by the Community Development Committee, last June 24. The members shoveled and collected sediments in sacks, bringing them away from the construction site. They also sifted gravel sand that was to be used for the building of the housed. This was then followed by the boodle lunch. CDC scheduled four GK Builds this semester (June 24, July 22, August 19, September 16) and the count of the CDC is still the same as last semester, 1.5.

ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 11

NEWS

PLATOON 55 MEMBERS BERSUS APPLICANTS by Alfonso Roces

ON JULY 6, FROM 8:00 AM-12:00 PM, THE SEMESTRAL MEMBERS BERSUS APPLICANTS (MBA) WAS HELD IN MAGINHAWA COURT. ALL GEARED UP FOR THE EVENT, MANY APPLICANTS FIRST WENT TO THE SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS WHERE A CONVOY WAS SET UP THAT WOULD BRING THEM TO THE EVENT. The contest started off with a warm-up and was followed by an oath-taking where the attendees swore to abide by the rules and practice proper sportsmanship. The first game was a first-to-3 Volleyball match wherein the members won after 4 rounds. Soon after, a relay was done wherein the contestants had to do a series of things such as jumping with a bag sack, using a hoola hoop and also a jump rope. This, and the following third game, basketball, was also won by the members. The mems also had their luck when they won the "Catch the Dragon's Tail" game, wherein two lines from the two teams were made and the first person in the line had to touch the last person in the back of the opposing team's line. Overall, the members won all 4 of the games of the event. However, the applicants won in terms of attendance; there were 53 of them while 50 members came to the event.

ECOSOC CELEBRATES VICTOR -E by Lisanne Gaborni

THE "RECRUITS", OR PLATOON 55 APPLICANTS, HELD THIS SEMESTER'S ACQUAINTANCE PARTY ENTITLED VICTOR-E (THE 'E' SUPPOSEDLY STANDS FOR ECOSOC), LAS JULY 12 AT ECOSOC'S OLD TAMBAYAN IN SE 121. Registration started at 5:30 PM and the event itself started at around 6:30 PM.

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The app batch head, Anton Castillo, gave his opening remarks in his GJ Agregado getup. Kevin Mesa and Nikuo Tai served as the hosts for the program. Ila Pandy, Peaches Tenorio, Gio Perez and Aaron Galano rendered a song performance. Afterwards, a mixture of members and applicants were called to par-

ticipate in a game of Hep Hep Hurray, which Lyon Leus won. After the second game, the applicants served dinner. The recruits were then grouped into their respective ‘GW families’ for the guardian bidding. Each of the pairs of guardians presented and sold themselves to the apps. The event ended at around 10:00 PM. For this semester, there are 11 GW families.

NEWS

AS USUAL, THE APP BATCH FOR ECOSOC IS COMPOSED OF A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE. DUE TO THIS, THE PROBLEM OF MOST PEOPLE NOT KNOWING EACH OTHER THAT WELL ARISES. HOWEVER, ON JULY 5, FROM 4:30 - 5:30 PM, THE CURRENT APP BATCH , PLATOON 55, HAD THEIR FIRSTTEAM BUILDING SEMINAR AT THE SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS BACK PARKING. The event was hosted

APPLICANTS' FIRST TEAM BUILDING HELD by Alfonso Roces

by Memcom members Jomac Conty, Matthew Mercado and Miguel Andres, in order to build a closer relationship with their fellow applicants and create a stronger and more unified group. To start off the seminar, the applicants played a game called, Baby, I Love You, Please Smile" wherein a selected person had to choose a fellow applicant of the opposite gender and attempt to make him/her laugh. If the "victim" ended up laughing, he or she would have his turn of making someone else laugh. Aside from this, another game was played; one of the apps had to throw a ball to his or her fellow app and at the same time, shout out the receiver's name. Soon after, the receiver would then have to give the ball to another applicant and do the same thing all over again. The whole seminar ended with great laughs and a closer, more unified app batch.

RECOGNITION DAY: SWEET SUCCESS SAGA by: Vico Ubaldo

EVERY SEMESTER, ONE GENMEET IS DEDICATED TO ACKNOWLEDGING ALL THE MEMBERS WHO HAVE PERFORMED EXCEEDINGLY WELL IN THEIR ACADEMICS IN THE PREVIOUS SEMESTER. OF COURSE, THE BEST WAY TO GAUGE THIS PERFORMANCE IS THEIR GRADE. THUS, WE HONOR ALL THOSE WHO HAVE ACHIEVED A GRADE OF AT MOST 1.75 WHICH REALLY MEANS ALL THE COLLEGE SCHOLARS AND UNIVERSITY SCHOLARS.

who have achieved College Scholar or University Scholar status for the previous semester are shown in the Power Point, called to the front of Genmeet to receive their certificate and a small package of Flat Tops chocolate, and get their picture taken. An extra touch added by the Academic Affairs Committee is to present summary statistics for the whole organization. Interestingly, at least 50% of all the members have achieved at least College Scholar status last semester. The top two committees with the percentage of College and University scholars are Echoes and Special Events with 83.3% and Recognition Day is organized by the Academic Affairs Com- 85.72%, respectively. Also presented are the ten members mittee and it was held on July 10. The theme for this semester’s with the highest GWA in Ecosoc with the top three garnerrecognition day is “Sweet Success Saga” which uses the pop- ing the same grade (can you guess the grade?) Congratulations to all the members for all their hard work! ular game Candy Crush Saga as its inspiration. All members ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 13

NEWS

AN EVENTFUL EVENTOLOGY by Alfonso Roces

AS THE UP ECONOMICS SOCIETY IS AN ORGANIZATION CONSTANTLY PLANNING EVENTS, THE NEED FOR ITS FUTURE MEMBERS TO BE WELL-INFORMED ON HOW TO PROPERLY CREATE THEM ARISES. THUS, ON JULY 8, 2013, IN SE 125, FROM 8:00AM-1:00PM, 59 APPLICANTS CAME DRESSED IN CORPORATE ATTIRE TO THE SEMESTRAL EVENTOLOGY, A PROGRAM ALL ABOUT PROPERLY PLANNING EVENTS. Opening remarks by the Ecosoc President, GJ Agregado, 14 â&#x20AC;˘ JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

were made and followed by three speakers. The first speaker, Cocoy Vargas, former president of Ecosoc, talked about event management and the "Ecosoc way" of planning events. The second speaker, Jessica Bodo, former treasurer and finance chairperson, explained how to develop ideas into events. The last speaker, Mark Matibag, former liaison chairperson, talked about risk management. Afterwards, a planning simulator was held. Teams were divided and each had to go to different stations to plan out the different parts of their fantasy event. Soon after, the applicants were given free spaghetti and coke. The closing remarks by Bea Bayudan signified the end of the program. Even though the event had exceeded the original 2 hours plotted for it, the applicants learned new useful things.

NEWS

ECOSOC TO BUILD ECO-BRICK LIBRARY IN MOUNTAIN PROVINCE by Bryan Domingo

THE UP ECONOMICS SOCIETY, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MYSHELTER FOUNDATION, LAUNCHED THE ECO-BRICK PROJECT TO BUILD A LIBRARY IN MOUNTAIN PROVINCE. IN LINE WITH THE SAID PROJECT, ECOSOC MEMBERS AND APPLICANTS GATHERED IN SE ATRIUM FOR THE FIRST ECO-BRICK SESSIONLAST JULY 11 FROM 4:00PM TO 5:30PM. The mems and apps shredded non-biodegradable waste, mostly plastic materials, into smaller pieces and stuffed them into a PET bottle, until it weighed 0.5 kg. Fortunately, they were able to fill 1.5 bottles during that session and had gathered extra pieces for the next session. The session was participated by five members and four Platoon applicants, excluding CDC members. Through the initiative of the Community Development Committee, the project needs to generate 10,000 eco-bricks, whereas around 2,000 of those will come from Ecosoc. The Eco-Brick Project is this year’s Service Project for the Ecosoc Month, September.

DC WINS FIRST EVER LARP by Joby Guerrero

HEROES AND HEROINES FROM 7 UNIVERSES BATTLED EACH OTHER LAST JULY 20, 2013 AS ECHOES HOSTED THE FIRST EVER LIVE ACTION ROLE PLAYING (LARP) IN THE HISTORY OF ECOSOC. BOTH MEMBERS AND APPLICANTS HAD A LOT OF ADRENALIN PUMPING AS THEY “KILLED” EACH OTHER AROUND THE SUNKEN GARDEN AREA.

Seven different universes hunted each other down by striking an enemy’s chest or back. The 7 universes were DC Comics, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Nacho Libre, Shadowhunters, Left4Dead, and High School Musical. The goal of the game was to accumulate the most points by killing the members by their rank. Each team is divided by the regular members, lieutenants, captain and bounty hunter. Each team ran around the sunken garden vicinity to hunt the next one to be killed. By 4:30 p.m., the remaining groups were a team by the applicants the High School Musical and Members-filled Lord of the Rings and DC Comics. The three of them battled it out at the sunken garden. The game ended around 5:00 p.m. with DC Comics winning by a lead of 8 points.

ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 15

NEWS EM-TF-ECHOES CDC Kids were taught to dance as a warm-up for CDC • Photo by Cara Latinazo

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NEWS MBA Good old fashioned Members vs Apps basketball . Just look at that app's face of surprise. • Photo by Martin Consing

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NEWS LARP Members and applicants suited up for the first ever LARP. There's no hint of irony whatsoever in their faces • Photo by Jude Geron

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NEWS

SINGAPORE HAZE Forest fires from Sumatra, SONA 2013 IndonesiaAquino are currently President delivers shrouding theofcity his 4th State the in Nation smoke. Address. 22 â&#x20AC;˘ JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

NEWS

the age of Glee Star, Cory Monteith when his lifeless body was discovered in a hotel in Vancouver. The actor died due to mixed toxicity involving heroin and alcohol.

NEWS BY

NUMBERS

BY JOBY GUERRERO

U.N. peacekeepers were killed in an ambush in Sudan. The Tanzanians were killed near their base in Manawashi, Nyala.

asylum-seekers died as the vessel carrying 150 of them capsizes near Christmas Island, Australia. The Australian government has passed a new law stating that asylum seekers are not welcome to settle in Australia unless they have visas.

400,000,000,000

amount in pesos of the estimated government cost of tax evasion. According to National Treasurer Rosalia De Leon, the government is losing about 4% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) every year due to tax evasion.

300

houses and around 1,000 families are affected by the big blaze that happened in Makati, Faulty power outlet was pointed out to be the cause of the fire. ECHOES | JULY 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ 23

NEWS

the number of times the audience, during President Aquino’s SONA, gave their applause. The President’s State of the Nation Address lasted for 102 minutes

5.9

the magnitude of the earthquake that struck Northwest, China. 593 were injured while 89 are declared dead.

are dead while 30 are missing from the explosion caused by the derailment of an oil carrying train in Quebec, Canada.

unarmed bombs were accidentally dropped on the Great Barrier Reef by 2 U.S. Fighters jets. The accident happened when their training exercise near the reef suddenly went wrong.

1,100

the total number of Filipinos affected by the Chikungunya outbreak in Nueva Viscaya and Camarines Norte. The illness is caused by a virus carried by Aedes mosquitoes.

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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.

applicants attended the Applicants’ Orientation, “Bootcamp.”

68.18% of the total Acad Members were awarded 70.84% of the total CDC Members were awarded 83.33% of the total Echoes Members were awarded 75% of the total External Members were awarded 75% of the total Execom Members were awarded 64% of the total Finance Members were awarded 70% of the total Liai Members were awarded 55.55% of the total Memcom Members were awarded 66.66% of the total Seccom Members were awarded 85.7% of the total SPEV Members were awarded 54.54% of the total Sports Members were awarded

NEWS BY

NUMBERS

BY JOBY GUERRERO

139

7 50

143,725

members went to Members Bersus Appamount in (MBA). pesos of and tried checks of plicants 53 cash applicants to get Ecosoc according Finance’sbut Statement of the title from thetomembers to no avail, Account. the Members still won.

the total number of Ecosoc members that are University Scholars and College Scholars last semester. This number is 68.81% of the total membership. The recipients were awarded during the semestral Recognition Day.

members and 3 applicants were able to donate blood during the blood drive last July 5. Though there were a lot of sign ups, only 10 were allowed to donate blood.

applicants attended Eventology and learned new skills in event planning.

teams joined the first ever Live Action Role Playing (LARP) in Ecosoc.

the number of Guardian-Ward Families this semester.

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F EATUR ES

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ECHOES ECHOES| |JULY JULY2013 2013•• 27

ECHOES

A SOURCE OF FALSE HOPE

Lying is something everyone has done at one point in their lives. Here's a pathological liar telling you why you should straighten up.

THERE'S A WHOLE LIST OF "INGREDIENTS", IF YOU WILL,

to telling the proper lie. First of all, you have to be quick. The words that formulate your lie must piece together into an organized and "sincere" sentence - not made of jumbled up words you would never use. Immediately after, you must be wary of the expression on your lying face - are you sweating now? Are your eyes fixated on the ignorant listener? Is your jaw dropped to the appropriate length? Do the wrinkles on your forehead seem too visible as you exaggerate your deceitful facade? When those are all taken care of, the crucial part comes - the ugly words of your lie must leave your mouth with the proper volume and tone and with the appropriate amount of calmness (or urgency, depending on the situation). It takes time to master this process, and there's a special sort of thrill in lying - does dad really believe I'm staying late for school work? Did Derek buy my excuse for not submitting my article on time? When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve mastered it, you don't feel the thrill anymore - it has all become routine. by Pathological Liar For those who do not understand what this feels like, I applaud you. You have some self-respect and that makes me envious. For those who lie too frequently, I ask: What have we become? We have transformed into heartless machines, eager to jump on any opportunity to tell anyone what they want to hear. If you haven't noticed that, think about it. Think about the past week - how many times did you lie? How many times did you tell people what they wanted to hear? Several, I'm assuming. You told your committee head you're missing a meeting because of something important, but in truth you're just lazy. You told your parents 28 â&#x20AC;˘ JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

you're doing okay in school, but in truth you're barely above water. You told your girlfriend you can't talk because you're busy, but in truth you're bored with your conversations. Have you realized it yet? You're a lie-telling machine and you can't stop yourself. It's not much of a big deal to you. You can tell people anything and they won't ever know you're deceiving them. They won't get hurt unless they find out about the truth, and the only thing that would hurt you is guilt, but who are you kidding? You're a pro and obviously guilt isn't for lying pros. Again, it has all become routine - it's easy - but it's all become sinfully easy when you can finally lie to

yourself. This must be such a strange concept to some of you. "You can actually lie to yourself? You're that dumb and gullible?" Yes, I can lie to myself, but no, I'm not dumb and gullible - or at least that's what I tell myself. No, I'm not dumb - I'm just that good at lying. It has become a reflex to tell everyone around me what they want to hear, make promises that they want me to make, and put on a face and tell everyone I'll be what they want to see. I make all these empty promises to try to be what everyone wants but I never follow through. It's gotten too easy to be all talk, and I don't know about you, but I'm sick and tired of it. Aren't you sick and tired of telling yourself that you're going to study, work hard and excel in school but then procrastinate and sleep for every inch of idle time you have? Aren't you sick and tired of telling yourself you're going to treat your girl right and do whatever it takes to make her happy but instead make no effort to see her? Or worse, when you do actually see her, wear a fake smile and think to yourself the whole time, "When did this get boring?" Aren't you sick and tired of promising yourself that you'll cease to

FEATURES JOSH "Silva, I'm also into Star Trek"

“

“It's gotten way too easy to be all talk, and I don't know about you, but I'm sick and tired of it."

be a terrible friend, sibling, son or daughter but never jump on any opportunity to change? I sure as hell am and maybe you should be too. By furthering this habit and disposition, we are becoming false sources of hope to ourselves and others. Sure, your

friends will stick around and put up with you, but that won't last forever. How many times will you allow yourself to be disappointed by others before you lose all hope in them? How many times will you put up with your own broken promises to yourself before you give up on yourself - before you convince yourself that you're a failure that will never get better? It is a difficult thing to lose hope in oneself - you'll never accomplish anything. And it's a vicious cycle from there - less hope in yourself leads to less confidence, less confidence leads to failure, and failure leads to even less hope than before. You're digging a hole that you'll never get out of. So do yourself a favor and save your friendships, relationships, and yourself. Fix yourself up. Get out of that hole. The truth hurts (using this cliché hurts too), but it’s what has to be told. Be a source of hope for those around you and it can do wonders for yourself as well. Everyone out there can get better. I can get better – or maybe that’s just what I’ve convinced myself to think. ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 29

ECHOES

I WANT TO KILL MYSELF I WANT TO KILL MYSELF.

If we’re being totally honest, I’ve wanted to kill myself since before I was a teenager. Looking back at it now, I’m not sure if I was just being dramatic or if I meant it. Maybe sometimes I really did, and sometimes I imagined myself as a character from a film where dying had been romanticized. I’ve never told anyone this, but in the back of my head something tells me that life has no point. From when I was really really really religious, when I believed whatever it was that I believed, to now when I am not religious at all, when believe what I believe, I find myself thinking the same thing I’ve been thinking since I could remember – all of this, this has no point. Some of you who are reading this may be saying, “what a misguided nihilistic bitch.” If I am or am not, it doesn’t change what I think in the hours before the sun rises. And what is its point? To serve a deity? To serve one’s self? To serve the people? To grow up, get a job, preserve our species, and promptly or prematurely die? And then what? What is it all for? I don’t have a fucking clue. But not seeing the point of life isn’t that much of a significant reason for my wanting to die (maybe it’s a supplement). Mostly it’s because of the lack of freedom – in my life, in the decisions I have to face, and the lack of freedom due to the allconstricting, severely crippling hatred I feel for everything. When I say everything, I mean everything. On a shallow level: I hate the bed I am on because my skin gets really itchy due to the comforter’s texture. I hate the color of the walls of this room I am in – a sickeningly tacky purple that clashes with everything else. I hate people who take a million selfies. No one 30 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

understands what the fuck cooking pasta has to do with your face. NO ONE. No one cares about your outfit of the fucking day. No one cares about where you go or where you are or if you appreciate nice shoes. What’s worse is that that doesn’t even bother me as much as the other things. What bothers me is that I experience hate for things I cannot control. I have unhealthy body hate. I hate that I feel like I have to dress up to compensate for its imperfections. For its fatness. For the scratches. For the moles and the cellulite and the hair and the dark areas. I hate that I feel hate towards my body. I hate that generations have been brainwashed to tell me that my body is horrible – that I am not worthy to be loved because I am ugly; that I am not fuckable and therefore inferior. I hate that institutions have shaped our culture to make us believe what they want us to believe, and more so that I am not affiliated with anybody who wants to change this. I hate that my friends dismiss my hatred as lesbian feminist bullshit. I hate that my contemporaries don’t want to do anything for people other than themselves. I hate that sometimes I feel the same way, and that there’s nothing wrong with that. I hate that I have a lot of things to say but am not skilled enough to say them properly. I hate that I’ve been raised to work – to focus on that, and feel later. I hate that I’ve been raised to feel inferior when I have feelings. I hate that I feel embarrassed when I do feel things. I hate that I can’t decide for my life without being antagonized and ridiculed. I hate that we are taught that idealism is a joke and that it probably is. I hate. And I hate.

FEATURES

ND I HATE.

I am furious that my hatred for everything keeps me from just enjoying the pointless life I have. I am furious that I am not free. I am furious that I can’t enjoy the things I love – that I can’t express my love for anything. I am furious about many things. Most things. All things. And I just don’t want to live a life devoid of freedom and love. But the funny thing is, I haven’t killed myself because of love. I haven’t done it mainly because I don’t want to leave the things I love behind. By some miracle, I believe that you don’t just leave the things you love behind. I am in love with my work. I love that there exists a group of people who

believe in the same things I believe in, and that we are willing to work together to make what we want to happen happen. I love that we understand each other. I love that the ideas that didn’t make sense in the beginning are now taking shape. The plans we have for our corner of the universe have meaning, at least to ourselves. I love that I get to be part of their lives. I love that we all agree to soldier on. To create. To sweat. To weep. To celebrate. I am in love with my best friend. Not the mushy brand but the kind of love that stays alive even after hatred seeps in. It is the love that is present in the silence, despite awkwardness, the wordlessness, the distance, the fucking time difference (which, byt the way, I haven’t even figured

out yet). It is the love of the birds for the wind, of the wind for the birds’ songs. I am in love with a boy. I love his soul. His cleverness. His horror. His humanity. His thought process. His anger. I love that he might care. I love the courage I have to have to deal with this love. I love that there is a person this fantastic, this delusional, this ambitious. I’ve reached the point where it’s okay if he doesn’t love me back, as long as he’s alright. I love that he is special, again at least to me. And for now, I don’t want to leave him behind. I am in love with art. I love that it inspires people. I love that all sorts of people relate to it. I love what it can mean to people who don’t see the point of the world. I love that it makes sense. I love that it doesn’t make sense. I love its poetry, its music, it imagery, its colors, its words, its message. I love its freedom and - more importantly - that it is freedom. I am in love with the idea that I can do something with my life that can change someone else’s. Even just a little. Even if it wasn’t direct. I love the possibility that I can inspire. I love that the people I train can be someone who wants to change things for someone, everyone else. I love that even if all that doesn’t happen someone else out there might be that person. I love many things and if I’m not here anymore, I shudder to think what would happen to them. They may move on, they may not be crippled, but everyone who’s ever known me knows that one of the principles I value the most is to never stop trying. To never stop trying to work. Never stop trying to love. Never stop trying to create. Never stop trying to send your message out there. I am still here, failing. Falling. Hating. And that’s what keeps me alive. At least for now. ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 31

ECHOES

"IN THE LONG RUN..."

“

“Death is a distant rumor to the young.” – Andy Rooney

PART 1: THE VIDEO

ne fine evening, I was at home, doing what I do best: wasting time on the Internet. While there was some math test or English paper coming up that week, I was pre-occupied with watching seemingly endless stream of YouTube videos. At some point, I had stumbled upon the “ASAP Science” channel, and their interesting science videos had me hooked. One such video, entitled *“Amazing Facts to Blow Your Mind (Pt. 1),” informed me of several quirky bits of trivia. Not caring one bit about whatever academic duties I had that night, I sat there learning that dragonflies couldn’t walk, cashews grew on apples, and that there were more stars in the known universe than grains of sand on all the beaches of the world (seriously, watch that stuff. It’s pretty mind-blowing). It was all fun and fascinating for a while, right until this part came up: “By 32 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

the time you’re 18 years old, you only day had ended and you’d be going back have about 3200-3500 weekends (and to sleep to start the whole process over 57 summers) left.” The rest of the trivia again? Day in, day out. Sunrise, sunset. were pretty mind-blowing, but that one Each day, slowly ticking away, one by one. factoid really stuck. There I was, killing At some point you realize that the 27,375 time, only to find out how much time I days in a 75-year life are always dwindling, had left. How much time anyone had left. decreasing, falling away like grains of Think about that for a second. 3500 sand in an hourglass. weekends left in your life. That’s… not If you’re still doubtful, keep in mind exactly a big number is it? When it comes that, by if you’re at least 18 years old, to numbers, we’re used to thinking about 6,570 of those days are now over. If you life in terms of years and decades: For have 3500 pesos, break that down into instance, 75 years seems like a long time. 1-peso coins and store them in a big jar. However, multiplying that by 365 days That jar would then contain every single per year gives… 27,375 days. That’s not a Friday night and Saturday morning you particularly “large” figure either, if you have left to spend (that’s assuming you really think about it. even live that long. But more on that Let’s put it this way. Years seem to last later.) All those uncertain years would a long, long time, but days just come and then be visible in a sealed container right go, don’t they? How many times have you in front of you. If you squint hard enough, woken up, gotten out of bed, gone through that jar is going to look a little… small. a daily routine, and realized that, yes, the Long story short, that little bit of trivia

1I’d go into depth about John Maynard Keynes’ quote on economic behavior and how it relates to our fates as human beings, but Macroecon is a complete riddle to me. The title is pretty much the only reference to him in this (mostly) econ-free article. * http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ni5HOdGtzM

FEATURES

reminded me that, yes, life is short and time is limited. People only have so much time to live before it’s all over. To make the most out of what you have, you must… *wait for it* SEIZE THE DAY! (sigh). Honestly, the whole “Carpe Diem” thing has been done to death a long time ago, and yet it still remains relevant. It’s obvious that we won’t live forever, so we have to make good use of the one, single lifetime we have. Some people tried to further popularize this idea with *ahem* “YOLO!!!,” but the live-fast, die-young attitude that hardcore YOLO-ers promote is just an even stupider way to waste time. At the end of the day, ramping a bike off the Grand Canyon while downing 8 Bacardi shots does not make your life more meaningful than the 40 year old who spent his 20s at a boring desk job in the corporate world. PART 2: OBLIVION So there, we all know that we’re going to die. But… what happens after? You see, the hard truth is that, even if you manage to live your life to the absolute full, you will never, ever get to experience everything you want. Thousands of years of human experience had passed before your birth, and humanity’s adventure will continue long, long after you die. I feel a little sorry for the past millennia of human beings never experiencing the wonders of our modern technology. We are incredibly fortunate to live in a time where we’ve eradicated dozens of illnesses and built skyscrapers. We’ve put a man on the moon, telescopes in orbit, and robots on mars. We’ve plumbed the depths of the oceans and gazed out into the vast infinite universe. We live in an age where the wildest dreams of sci-fi fanatics are coming true with each passing year. Still, it boggles the mind to know that we are nowhere close to the greatest achievements our species will ever attain. Inter-stellar travel is possible, but still frustratingly out of our generation’s reach. World peace remains elusive, since wars still ravage the world, killing millions. Life expectancy has increased, PHOTOS FROM WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

but diseases like cancer and AIDS remain a real threat. A better world is always on the way here, but our mortality means that there will always be unreachable places. In the future lie amazing things that are as distant to us as the modern world is to ancient civilizations. One of my favorite examples of this is the theoretical “space elevator.” The current method of sending stuff into outer space, which is blasting into orbit with giant rockets, is woefully expensive. To get any object past the atmosphere, NASA spends thousands of dollars per POUND of substance. However, engineers are working on a solution that is nothing short of incredible. Imagine a thick column of super-strong material, stretching from the Equator to outer space. As the earth spins, centripetal forces whirl it around and around, keeping the other end in orbit like a tennis ball on a string. What you have then is essentially an elevator shaft… to outer space. In the future… people can take an elevator… to SPACE. That’s not even a sci-fi fairy tale; scientists say this is completely possible. One day, human beings will be able to enter orbit with the same ease as commuting. The problem is… engineers are still looking for the miracle material to make it. You’d need insanely strong stuff to build a space elevator, and technology has not quite reached that point yet. Still, the good news is that science might achieve this technological marvel by the next century at least. The next… century. Oh. Even if I were lucky enough to live until my 90s, I’d possess the honor of “dying 25 years before the first Space Elevator opens in 2110.” One generation’s reality is the dream of one that’s already gone. PART 3: LEGACY In our first CWTS lecture, our prof addressed the class, saying that our generation occupied a unique timeframe: the turn of the new millennium. As such, history would know as “Generation M,” otherwise known as “The Millennials.” (Editor’s note: Read Joel Stein’s cover

article from the May 20, 2013 edition of Time Magazine to get a better grasp) That is by far the coolest name for a generation I’ve heard so far. It beats out The Baby Boomers (post-WW2), Generation X (kids of the baby boomers), and their kids, Generation Y (our parents?). Regarding our generation’s name, Prof said that the coming century would be “our time,” when our acts would go to define the times we live in. The past generations have done much (Neil Armstrong, anyone?), but the fact is that the previous one has to go out sometime. It’s up to us to pick up the reins and move humanity forward. As one sun sets, another rises. What does that mean for us? Well, if you consider that our own generation will eventually phase out one day (Generation Z being the kids born in the Information Age), we have, and here we go again, LIMITED TIME to do what we set out to do. The same rules for an individual’s life apply. We won’t live forever, but we sure as hell will be remembered for years to come. What we are remembered FOR is up to us. The things we do, the things we contribute to society and the human race at large will define us as both individuals and a whole. Mankind exists as a long, long chain stretching from the birth of our species to the present day. A lot of what living people can accomplish is only possible because of those who came before. The present may belong to us, but we owe much to the past for getting us where we are now. Long after we are gone, people of the future will build their amazing worlds. We may not make it there, but they will hopefully look back and salute us for being what we were, in our own time. In the end, what humanity celebrates about itself isn’t just what IS, but what WAS and what CAN BE. It’s one never-ending story that we are all a part of, and as long as it keeps going, everyone in it can enjoy the closest thing we can get to being… “Immortal.” 27,375 days. How will you use them?

ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 33

ECHOES

SHADOWS OF YOUR OLD SELF SOME ECOSOCERS (ECHOES) WAY BACK IN HIGH SCHOOL Mixed in with the people they got their pictures with

ONIGHT, I ODDLY FEEL LIKE I'M SIXTEEN

again. I'm in the middle of my metamorphosis again. I've just gotten over this girl I've liked for the longest time. Well, at least I think I did. I'm living in her shadow. I'm at this soiree with Assumption and I'm living in her shadow. My first soiree ever, and I'm living in her shadow. I see my friend, who's a dweeb, actually talking to girls. I can do it. I can do it. I didn't prepare a script for this night. Why didn't you prepare a script for this night? Your classmates know you as that kid that really doesn't care much about putting an effort, and yet you still do exemplary. You haven't put any effort right now, and it 34 â&#x20AC;˘ JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

seems you'll end up looking like a pussy. Nope. You're not a pussy. You take a seat. You take a seat beside some girls your friend was talking to, and wow, you introduce yourself. You've actually fucking introduced yourself. You're killing it. You don't have a Facebook account, you tell them. You're rebellious, you tell them. Let's do this. Oh, and the rest of your friends are joining in. The rectangular arrangement of these couches actually seem to have a purpose. There you are at one end, and your best friend is at the other end. Ebb and flow, the conversation goes on with all of the girls, all ten of them, just you and your best friend handling PHOTOS BY THE INTERNET

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it. And the rest of your classmates just sit beside of you both, in awe. We're not even under the influence of the sharp flavor of alcohol and this night is going down for the books. You're living in her shadow though. All this effort to run away from her silhouette, her figure, her face. They break your little legendary circle up for the real program. Jesus, no one gives a fuck about the program. That's why it abruptly ends in fractured and fragmented scents when the organizers lose their organization. It cuts back to the circle, but instead of the couches, you're outside in the stone and plant garden. The glass room where everyone else is in can be observed from where you guys sit. Oh, there was pizza apparently, but no one told you guys outside. Fuck 'em. We create our own ways to kill time's slow wrath, the eternal enemy of life. We created our own program. Anyway, you see someone in the circle worth your time. You don't really have the courage to talk to her, but it's okay, you're young and you can still disappoint (Editor's note: See that other article on why you're a disappointment). You guys are playing "Baby, I love you". You're it. The girl that talked to you a lot apparently has a heart of ice (Later on in your life, you'll find out she really does). She doesn't smile at all. But what how you got out of this mess is irrelevant. Your little group is inside once more. The raving in the soiree—you're not really sure if it was, you were outside—is over and the lights are on. The other kids are playing "Truth or Dare" with the girls, who apparently aren't from the same class. Someone suggests you do your own version. So you guys sit on the floor by the sliding door, right next to the table with empty pizza boxes, and play. You're elated. You know you're young. Your body finally feels like it fits you. You feel like you've been reborn through the little hole of the bottle in a crowd of strange women. Oh so back to the organized program,

eh? Now, you're doing a little thing called "Suck and Blow". You situate yourself between the girl that caught your eye and the girl in black with scene hair. Then the girl that talked to you the most suddenly goes in between you and the girl that caught your eye. Oh fucking well. Let's eagerly await the card to come

Someone screams, your classmate vomits on a couch. You see your classmate who owns the house, his hands over his head in dismay. That's your cue to go. It was an amazing night. One for the books. And it's a memory you'll forever treasure. Sixteen was, in all its ways, a terrible

“

“What you write are mere profundities now—no longer those intense bursts of feelings, happiness and despair all at the same time.” within your vicinity. The scene girl in the black tank top is going to take it. And she shall give it to you. She's probably more pessimistic about life than you are, and all your attempts at small talk will be met with feelings of pity. But you still go ahead and speak (cause she'll figure in your life, one way or another) and she just awkwardly stares at you. Now the card is there and you get it right. Now give it to this girl. And you're slowly leaning in to pass the card. It’s so near. You feel the pressure and you feel as if you can let go. The card falls, and everyone gasps. You don't remember what you tell her. You just smile, and then when she gives the card to the other guy, they hold on for a long time. A minute probably. You're sure she dropped it but you take the fall anyway. The scene girl is who you'd like to actually kiss, but oh well. You're the guy, you're expected to do those things, though later on you do find out with certainty that it really was her scheme all along. And as the time left for this night is closing, it goes in a blur. You're definitely not intoxicated. People pat you on the back for what you did, both not and because of "Suck and Blow". Your friends scatter and get back together to write Yahoo Messenger IDs on a page of old newspaper to exchange with the girls.

time. Teenagers are at the near-end of their awkward existence. Three more years and you’re not going to feel all those hormones as strongly as before. Yet nights so esoteric and oddly organic, such as this one, would not be in reach again. It’s a bubblegum pop song—it’ll be amazing during the first go, then it’ll lose the feeling for the next listens. Now you're in college. Can you do all those things again? Can you relive a night like when you were sixteen? Where is it, that drive that you felt so long ago? You couldn't understand yourself, and you knew that. You used that. Now, you're not sure if you do understand yourself, but does it matter to you? Not one bit. You're not living in the shadow of anyone anymore. You're living as the shadow of yourself. What you write are mere profundities now—no longer those intense bursts of feelings, happiness and despair all at the same time. You can't long for anything as if the sun would etch itself into your spine if you couldn't have it. You don't suffer like before anymore, suffering like the remnants of your own brain cells seemingly escaping as each moment passes. You're no longer hungry for anything that isn't within grasp. You can't feel. Feel as strong as so long ago. You're not as good as you once were. You're a shell of what you once were. ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 35

ECHOES

I WHY YOU SHOULD BE SAD

IT’S A DARK, RAINY DAY. THE COLD WIND BLOWS ACROSS THE HALL AND GIVES YOU SHIVERS. You walk into the tambayan and you see the silhouette

The very essence of sadness is something extremely difficult to understand. We of someone sitting by the execomm table. His head was down so you couldn’t see his may know why we’re sad, but don’t really commentary face. You approach him. He notices you there and acknowledges your presence. He know how we’re sad or why we feel sad. gives you a faint smile. You know it isn’t a real smile. You then ask him what’s wrong. As contradicting as it may sound, it He shrugs and says “nothing”. You know it’s not “nothing”, but before you could ask makes sense. The concept of sadness is any more questions he evades the topic and asks about your homework. He cracks just too difficult to grasp. We know the a few jokes and you almost believe that there really is nothing wrong with him. He reason for our sadness, but we don’t know smiles with his eyes slightly welled up. He’s hiding his emotions. You move along the exactly what it means to even be sad. We conversation normally. Deep inside you know that something’s wrong. You know he’s don’t know what it is inside that triggers sad. all our emotions. All that we know is that sadness is a horrible feeling. It eats us Was he doing the right thing by hiding his emotions? He’s probably just protecting alive and consumes our spirit. Sadness you right? He probably just wants you to stay happy as you are. Why would he want is contagious. Sad people can drain the to share his troubles anyway? It’d be such a burden if he makes you think about what energy out of happy ones, but sadness, to do it his situation, right? like most of us, is often misunderstood. 36 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

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It’s a feeling often immediately pushed away. It’s a feeling that’s often immediately dismissed. The burden of sadness is so heavy that more often than not we’d rather just pretend to be happy and eventually fool are selves that we are indeed happy. What we fail to understand is how sadness makes us whole. Sadness completes us. Sadness reminds us that we are human, and that we live in a world colored with emotions. When the time of inevitable sadness comes to us, we must learn to accept the fact that it’s normal. That we shouldn’t deny it. That we shouldn’t pretend that we’re happy. As painful as it it to swallow up our emotions and own up to them, sometimes we can't deny that it's better to show how we really feel. Here are some reasons why sometimes, yes just sometimes, being sa is better than being happy:

When you’re sad, people try to cheer you up. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not telling you to be sad just to grab attention. What I’m saying is that more often than not, it’s only when we’re sad that we realize how many people actually care. We don’t need to expose our sadness to have people notice. We don’t need to tell people what’s wrong for them to cheer us up. More often than not, it happens naturally. People approach us when they see sadness in our eyes. Sometimes people even unconsciously cheer us up. When we’re sad, we appreciate simple gestures, we appreciate the presence of people. When we’re sad we realize that we’re not so alone after all. We realize that people care about us and our welfare.

There’s no other way but up.

are. We stop making our insensitive jokes and we start thinking about how our actions may affect other people’s moods.

“There’s a rainbow after the storm.” This is probably one of the most overused Sad is better than Angry. quotes of all time. Yes, it’s cheesy but to a great extent it is true. When we’re sad we could only look forward to what happens Yes you can be sad for minutes, hours, afterwards. After everything, we’ll be years just as long as you don’t hurt okay again. Yes, just okay and at that anyone. It’s okay to be sad. It’s okay to moment we’ll be fine with just being okay. accept that things could be your fault. It’s You’ll be contented, satisfied and later on okay to take the blame for things because you’ll be happy again for sure. blaming anyone else won’t change anything. Now be sad, swallow up that emotions because surely, in one way or Depression makes you another, you deserve it.

think.

Depression makes you think about you actions and your possible resolutions. It’s often when we’re depressed that we have the brightest ideas. When we’re sad, lonely and unable to talk to anybody, we end up talking to ourselves. We end up contemplating about our lives and our actions. Although our contemplation during our moping hours isn’t always optimistic, we often come up with the most genius ideas, the most brilliant realizations during these times.

Having experienced sadness, you become more sensitive to other people’s feelings. Sad people tend to be more understanding because of their ability to put themselves in other people’s shoes. When we’re sad, we start to think about how other people may also feel. When we’re sad we stop being the insensitive person we usually

I’m not trying to give the notion that we should just randomly burst out to people or suddenly cry in the middle of the day. I’m not telling anyone to wallow in tears whenever they have a heavy heart. I’m just trying to give the reassurance that it’s okay. That there’s nothing wrong with sadness, pain, tears or sorrow. We need to learn to accept these things as they come to us, recognize what they do to us and what they can do to us and then afterwards, we make our choices. We shouldn’t make our choices because we feel a certain way or so that we’d feel a certain way. We should make choices because we feel. We should make these choices because we know that consequences that would arise when either choice is made. We should make these choices because we understand the emotions that arise, and we know what these emotions would consequently mean to other people who are affected. Sadness comes and goes. We should allow it to go. We must accept it and let it go. Now go on, be sad. But don’t kill yourself. ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 37

ECHOES

WHAT'S THAT? Y

WHAT'S THAT?

YOU FELL IN

LOVE WITH YOUR FRIEND?!

38 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

OU’RE SITTING AROUND

hanging out with a bunch of people you’ve been spending almost every day of your mundane life with. It’s all cool – dandy even. You’re talking about nothing special in particular – someone’s gossiping, someone’s complaining about whoever professor, someone’s whining about love or whatever Kids These Days are interested in. You’re just observing everyone, and maybe you contribute a witty remark every now and then. There’s that girl who’s complaining about her one million exams and three problem sets. There’s the quintessential coolguy looking at his laptop. You never know what it is he’s looking at, but you just assume it’s cool. There’s your closest friend, who’s yammering about her plans for tomorrow night, and the night after, and the night after that. Your GC friend passes by and then he leaves to study next next week’s lesson. And then there’s that guy. He’s… okay, quite alright by everyone’s standards. He’s not the heartthrob or anything, but he’s always there. Your relationship with him, for lack of a better term, is steads.

Everything is normal today, and then something catches your attention… you look at him again and you wonder, “Is he more handsome today, or?” You do a double take. Did you really just ask yourself that? Ew! You dismiss it as a brain fart, and carry on with your mundane life. Over the next few weeks, as you hang out with these people, you find yourself wanting – but with more intensity – to spend time with this guy. At first, you’re just happy when you see him, but eventually you aren’t when you don’t. You see him practically everyday but it just isn’t enough that you hang out with him with a bunch of other people. You’re now better friends with him – close enough that you just know he doesn’t tell other people what he tells you. You genuinely have a nice time with him. You talk to him and he says things that appeal to you. Shit, he’s funny. He likes

FEATURES the same things you like. (Bonus: he hates the same things you hate.) When you’re online it takes all your self-restraint plus 2 not to bombard him with messages. Better not sound desperate, what with the pressures of society and all that. You tell yourself, this is fucking nothing. NOPE! Not happening. You are a rock. You are Ghandi. You are Burt Reynolds. You are freaking John Mayer. WAIT. Woah. Oh no. You’re not. Shit. You’re Bruno. It’s over. You like him. You undeniably do. And now you’re screwed. Because, I’m sorry, what are you gonna do about it? Find the switch to turn your feelings off? Sorry, guy, that switch doesn’t exist – and your feelings do. It’s such a cliché, but there you are – so close, and yet, so ridiculously far. You are thus left with a choice (inevitably creating four parallel universes where): One, you tell him, he likes you, you’re set. Two, you give up and everything goes back to normal. Three, you give up, your insides rot, and you end up eating 4 cups of fake ramen everyday. Four – the worst – you tell him, he doesn’t like you, your once steads relationship has now turned into a massively awkward, massively quiet fauxfriendship. This choice haunts you. Every. Godforsaken. Day. You feel like you’re going to die if you don’t do something soon. You JUST FRIENDS? They might not feel the same way tomorrow

“

“You are a rock. You are Ghandi. You are Burt Reynolds. You are freaking John Mayer. WAIT. Woah. Oh no. You’re not. Shit. You’re Bruno.” think you should do something soon because he might like you too right? RIGHT??? Yes. No. Probably yes. Most likely not. BUT DOES HE? HE DOES. NO HE DOESN’T ARE YOU CRAZY WHY WOULD HE? COME ON, HE WOULD. NO. NO. NO. Please yes? No. Final answer? You no longer know the difference between obsession and love. You give up one day and have hope the next. Just as along as he gives you a

sliver of semi-attention, you have hope. Disgusting, unhealthy, misplaced, helpless, hopeless hope. You orchestrate an endless debate in your head: But you’re friends! Why would you destroy the peaceful equilibrium of your peer group? You’ve invested in your friendship. Why deliberately destroy everything you have? For love? For companionship? Yes! It’s totally worth it. I mean, come on! You could be happy. He’d be happy. You can be happy… together! You’d be good together. Fuck, you’d be even better than that. Maybe. Probably. It’s just a bunch of indefinites you make yourself believe is true. Moments that probably don’t mean anything from an outsider’s point of view make you feel horrible. Something as meaningless as him talking to you less today makes you question your whole friendship. Shit, he probably doesn’t care about you, does he? You think he might be involved with another girl. Every other girl. Everyone else. The only thing you’re sure about is that it’s not you. It will never be you. The thought seems nice in your head but is ludicrous in his. He doesn’t want you – not at all. He wants that other girl, the one who’s cute and nice and NOT YOU. You’re not even sure if he likes that girl or anyone at all but it doesn’t matter because the most insignificant details exacerbate your insecurity. Everything contributes to your insecurity. He doesn’t want to hang out with you. (You’ve made this up in your mind and the amount of time he spends with you is the same as when you didn’t like him.) He doesn’t want to talk to you. He doesn’t want to share parts of him. He probably does this with someone else. He doesn’t mind you. You’re not in his mind. He knows and he obviously doesn’t like you back. He doesn’t care, you’re only fooling yourself. He doesn’t he doesn’t he doesn’t want you, okay? You beat yourself up and your insides rot and the pit in your stomach becomes deeper and deeper until your rotten insides get sucked up into the black hole that was once your black heart. (Yes, there’s both a pit in your stomach and a black hole in your chest.) Repeat that whole process when he shows you a bit of attention. Life is fantastic. Nothing really changes from then on, just a cycle of hope and helplessness. Okay, so it’s been yea months since that first ever feeling you got. You’re over it. Kind of. Mostly. This time, you’ve chosen universe three because the last time you chose universe number four with your other friend, and universe number two with your other friend. You are now a facsimile of okay. You are the poster girl of recovery. Sometimes you actually believe you’re okay. That is... until you find yourself hanging out with a bunch of new people and you notice that that one guy seems more handsome today than he was yesterday…

It's porn That totally did not go well and now your once steads relationship has now turned into a massively awkward, massively quiet faux-friendship. Good job embarrassing yourself yet again! 1

ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 39

ECHOES

HOW TO AVOID THE

FRIENDSHIP LAGOON Probably one of the most difficult things to do is to forever wade in the friendship lagoon. Good thing this mystery guy has prepared some tips for everyone who fears drowning in the lagoon!

BY LEX AETERNA

THUMBS UP. They're enthusiatic about these tips

THERE WILL COME A DAY, INEVITABLY, IN A MAN’S LIFE WHEN you will meet someone you never expected. You will learn her name, be friends with her, invite her to the occasional lunch and dinner, jog with her, do assignments and schoolwork with her, and eventually, develop some feelings for her. And then, because you’re some valiant knight who wants to get it on with the girl, you admit your feelings for her. You tell her that she’s the one you’ve always been thinking of, that she is the motivation behind everything you do. You tell her that you can be the best man you can be for her and you will always be there for her. Then... she finally speaks out. She admits her feelings. Unfortunately for you, the most that you two can be are FRIENDS. Oh yeah, after months of effort, thousands of pesos, and innumerable times you forsook your friends just to find some time for her, all you can be are friends. So what do you do? You go home, feeling down, looking back at all the things you have done. You reflect on what you could have done better, what mistakes you made. Then you call your friends, humbly request for a night-out where you would probably get wasted. Then you wake up, your mom tells you to launder your clothes, and you are stuck in one of the most miserable moments of your life. Good thing, if that scenario has not yet happened to you. As someone who went through this experience, I think I can give you some tips on how to avoid the friendship lagoon, and this might prove in handy if you want to live a good and stressfree life. 40 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

TIP # 1

NEVER ADMIT. This is always rule #1: If you don’t want to get zoned, never admit. Let her assume to the max!!! It is always imperative that you shush what’s in your mind and let her assume till she goes out of her head. If the girl has some feelings for you, you will eventually know it. Bait her to bite the hotdog. And once she bites, you pounce! Otherwise, if you really think you don’t stand any chance, go find another fish. There’s no point in wasting time on some crappy bullshit who doesn’t give an f.

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TIP # 2

TIP # 4

As a bro, you should learn from these tips. These are tried and tested methods LET HER MISS YOU. EXPLORE. that are empirically proven. However, here in UP, becoming friendzoned has evolved to a subject of pop culture If you want the girl to crave for you, don’t Always look for new experiences and because of Ramon Bautista’s Tales from show up frequently. More often than not, horizons. It is important that you not limit the Friend Zone. Well, Ramon Bautista, I if you are good friends, you are with each yourself to your newfound friendship. If think, has never been friendzoned. Don’t other almost all of the time. Now, I advise there are other girls, befriend them. Get bother, there is nothing to be ashamed you, stay away from this. Sometimes, to know them. Who knows, the real deal about. when she asks you to eat, you reply that might be one of them. Ask them out for Furthermore, I think you should not you have to go with your family, or say some siomai in Arki, or a good delicacy hesitate in asking my friend Monty “The any believable excuse, like you have to in ChoKiss, or a movie in Eastwood. Viper” Banta in giving you some tips on do a reaction paper for STS. This is an Sometimes, all you need is guts....and how to avoid the friendzone. The guy is a artform you have to master and takes a money of course. genius in the subject of love and women lot of nerve and skill. and has been named one of Time’s Most Influential People of 2012. (Editor’s note: TIP # 5 TIP # 3 He no longer shows his Viper persona in public and has been replaced by his rival, the Python.) EXPLORE. SET BOUNDARIES. One last thing, liking someone you’re friends with is a good thing. The thing that makes it bad is if you inject malicious Now this is important. Since you’re good This is the most important rule. Never intent. Especially today, women, I think, friends and you feel like you really trust forget where you came from. These are in my opinion, have an ultrasonic scent each other, the thing you have to do is to the people that will be there for you no when they sense that something is limit what you say to her. Don’t let her matter what. Never trade anything for abound. One skill you have to master is know you full well that you have nothing them. If anything, these are the people avoiding detection. Always keep your left to share. Always keep a check on your you should be hanging out with. If there guard on. Wait for the right moment to friendship boundary. Yes, you are friends, comes a time when you have to choose pounce. but that doesn’t mean she has to know between your girl and your best friends, So there you have it, fellas. The everything, right? Don’t tell her about always choose the best friends. You will friendship lagoon is a very dangerous your latest exploits in Maginhawa, or you never find any more friends that are arena. It is a place of misery, regret, and had a night-out in Katipunan. That’s BS. willing to lend you money, give you a betrayal. But following these tips, along crying shoulder, accompany you in your with some self-confidence and shabazz, hardest ordeals. Remember this rule. will surely help you avoid this place. THUMBSUP. UP. THUMBS HAPPY They'reenthusiatic enthusiatic They're that's what you'll about these tipsbe when about these tips you evade the friendzone

ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 41

ECHOES

42 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

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THE INNOVATOR

THE POLISHER

WORDS BY FRANCES QUEZON PHOTOS BY JUDE GERON ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 43

ECHOES KUNG FU Not seen: How Neil showed his Tiger Crane Style

NYC (NATIONAL YOUTH CONGRESS) 10 IS DEFINITELY GOING TO BE

one for the record books. This coming August 30-31, UP Economics Society (EcoSoc) and the UP School of Economics Student Council (SESC) will once again be hosting one of the largest economics conventions for high school students. On its tenth year, NYC is expected to be bigger, better, and generally more awesome. With an amazing team behind it, and the support of entire School of Economics, who wouldn’t be excited? But, the bigger question would be, who wouldn’t consider it to be special? Considering how large NYC is now, it’s difficult to imagine that it only started out as a small idea between friends. The very first NYC was back in 2004 where Raynalyn Punalan, then UPSE Education and Research Councilor, and Patricia Camua then UP EcoSoc Academics Committee Chairperson, decided that if ever they won their respective positions together, they would create a congress for high school students. They wanted to share their passion about economics with high school students. Thus, NYC began with 300 students from 30 different schools and its first theme being about the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement. The succeeding NYCs only got better with themes ranging from the economics of labor migration to the pursuit of progressive development. This year, the conveners are Aris Dacanay, UP SESC Education and Research Councilor, and Neil Ong, UP EcoSoc Academic Affairs Committee Chairperson. And, the theme would be public economics. They would be focusing on the application of economics to proposing bills and policies in the legislative sector of the government. As evidenced by the recent senatorial election, NYC hopes more than to teach high school students to appreciate economics but also to show them its applications in politics and how the study of economics is not isolated from society. The speakers invited to talk in this event are also experts in their field and the students are sure to learn a lot 44 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

from them. Among the speakers are Ronald Mendoza, Executive Director of Asian Institute of Management Policy Center, and Benjamin Diokno, former Secretary of Budget and Management and currently an economics professor at UPSE. Moreover, this year, a lot of good changes can be expected. Among it would be the size and scope of the event in respect to the number of its participants. According to Neil and Aris, their goal this year, is more than just getting a large number of students, but a large number of schools so that the different provinces in the country can be represented and more students can participate. Among the schools included are Bicol University from Luzon and Ateneo de Zamboanga from Mindanao. The organizers are trying to make the event more accessible for schools outside the Metro Manila area. Another innovation unique to NYC 10 would be the simultaneous seminar of the teachers and students. Former NYCs had students listening to

FEATURES

the lectures while the teachers acted as chaperones, but this year, the teachers will also be listening to their own lecture made especially for them. Ma’am Stella Quimbo will be teaching the high school economics teachers how to teach economics in a concrete manner to how to encourage their students to love economics. The greatest part of this event, however, would be the hardwork of its conveners and officers because indeed, NYC wouldn’t be possible without all the effort they put into it. According to Neil and Airs, they credit much of their current achievements to the work of their officers, whose enthusiasm drives all of them push the event to greater heights. When the officers were interviewed about how they feel about NYC and why they chose to be part of the team, most of their answers revolved around the feeling of fulfillment. Indeed, Yes, NYC is a huge event with a stellar reputation but for these people, it is also about giving back and sharing what

they have and learned from economics. Bryan Domingo shares how a great part of his decision to join NYC as an officer came from the fact that he used to be an NYC delegate and this time around, he wants to be able to share and give back what he has learned to the event that encouraged him to take up economics. Even those outside the organizing team cannot help but appreciate NYC. According to Nikki Kalagayan, it’s about being able to share her passion with high school students and hope that they end up loving it too. Cel Hilario feels the same way, stating that NYC is special because she gets to share the best economics education in the Philippines with high school students and their enthusiasm in return reminds her not to take her education for granted. Truly, NYC has the support of many passionate people whose enthusiasm for the event itself, endears it to the hearts of many other people who are probably just hearing of NYC for the first time.

But really, much the event has been brought to life thanks to the imaginations of its conveners, Neil and Aris. It was revealed that Aris, came into this event as a beginner with no NYC background, but he used this blank slate to his advantage by pushing the envelope and bringing forward the innovations into the programs of the event. Fully supported by Neil, their teamwork has brought this event to life. Jokingly referred to as the Innovator and the Polisher, they assure everyone that NYC 10 will be the best one yet. Surely, despite only the two days that it will be celebrated, NYC’s legacy will still exceed a decade. It takes a special kind of event to teach the youth about economics and how to apply it to the issues our country is facing today. NYC 10 will be awesome: the team, the program and the innovations should speak for itself. But if you’re still not convinced then at least just take my word for it in the meantime, just till NYC happens and it blows your mind.

Frances Quezon is a Pulse Member and the Digital Content Editor of Echoes. Her brother is the namesake of the EIC.

ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 45

ECHOES

SCHOLARSHIP: WHY? BY JOBY GUERERRO

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

ALL OF THE SCHOLARS OF THE UP ECONOMICS SOCIETY GRADUATED WITH FLYING COLORS. As the old scholars entered a new chapter of their lives, the Scholarship Committee searched high and low for the next scholars of our organization.

46 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

FEATURES

This semester, the Scholarship Committee (Scholcom) can help pave the way of a person’s future. Being dedicated envisions a bigger scholarship program by supporting in meeting the requirements of the scholarship, the scholars 7 scholars. The committee awarded the scholarship to 3 will work harder and persevere in doing well and achieving deserving students from Krus na Ligas High School, 2 their dreams. Through the program, we might even shape students from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines people who might be the next economists, doctors, lawyers, and 2 students from the University of the Philippines School teachers, astronomers, business executives, and even leaders of Economics. of our country. Wouldn’t it be fulfilling to see that we were The Scholarship Committee screened the applicants able to help someone reach their dreams? last July 13, 2013. We heard their interesting tales, their Unfortunately, though the program has its good intentions, remarkable experiences, and how important the scholarship majority of the Ecosoc members don’t know the scholars is for them. It took us almost 7 hours before we were able to personally. Yes, we know their names. Yes, we know their reach a consensus on who to choose. But, why in the world did we spend As UPSE-educated individuals, we have the ability 7 hours of our Saturday interviewing to see the bigger picture and recognize the important applicants when we can just stay at role education plays in the development of the home and finish a subject requirement? nation. Why does Ecosoc need a Scholarship Committee? Why do we need to look for scholars? Why don’t we just use the money we raise in Musikapella to fund other Ecosoc number. Yes, we’re making Musikapella grander so we can events? Why are we giving our time and effort to look for support them. But, aside from that, the general membership scholars when we can use that awful big amount of money for doesn’t know anything about their personal lives. What ourselves? Why are we doing this? are their likes and dislikes? What are their dreams and As we all know, The UP Economics Society was founded by a aspirations? Even the president and the CDC chairperson group of academically-excellent students who envisioned an admitted that we, the Ecosoc members, are not that connected organization whose efforts aim to help people in need. Ever to the scholars. since Ecosoc was formed, one of the organization’s goals is This is what Scholarship committee is planning to change to give back to the academe and the community. As early as this semester. We want the scholars to be more integrated 1966, the organization had already established its Economics with Ecosoc. We don’t want to know them just by their names, Society Scholarship Fund (ESSF) to spearhead fellowship but personally and - possibly - as friends. Dinner bonding grants and to donate books. sessions, field trips and making them visible during Ecosoc’s Basing it to our roots, it has already been a tradition of events will be a great start in bridging the gap between the Ecosoc to give back to people in need especially those who two groups. Hopefully, through this, we can appreciate the wanted to pursue their education. GJ Agregado, Ecosoc’s scholarship program, scholcom and of course, the scholars president, agreed to this when I asked for his opinion more. regarding the matter. He strongly believes in the power of The UP Economics Society is considered to be one of the education. He regards the scholarship program as a concrete most holistic economic organizations in the country. We way of giving aid to deserving students who want to continue currently undertake different activities that cater the diverse their studies. needs of the society and the community. But as spelled out In addition to GJ’s statement, Paulo Damian, the Community by the organization’s thrusts, one of the middle names of Development Committee (CDC) Chairperson, believes that it Ecosoc is Service. We shouldn’t forget that the scholarship is only just to have the scholarship program since, “it is our program is one of the more concrete ways of giving back. We responsibility as the scholars of the nation and as the citizens are Ecosoc because we give service to those who need us. of the country to actively participate in responding to the So, why are we doing this? It’s because we are Ecosoc. plight of the poor through investing in their education.” He also said that, “as UPSE-educated individuals, we have the ability to see the bigger picture and recognize the important role education plays in the development of the nation.” In a deeper sense, Scholcom is not just here to give money Joby Guerrero is the News Editor of this publication and has to aid deserving students but, as GJ has put it, it is also a way been since this time last year. She loves anime and manga of building people’s characters. Through the scholarship, we very much and also math, apparently.

”

ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 47

ECHOES

142,000

NOT SURE We don't really know what's happening, but here are pictures of the Platoon apps fooling around

THE CONTEMPORARY APPLICANT OF THE UP ECONOMICS SOCIETY HAS REQUIREMENTS, CONDITIONS HE must fulfill to the best of his ability if he wishes to succeed in the organization. Below is a list of these requirements (as they are found in the Platoon 55 Sigsheet) and the average time it would take to complete them:

• CDC Activities: Each activity lasts roughly two hours, and the Ecosoc applicant is expected to complete five activities. That’s ten hours. • GW Tasks: There are, spread out over three sets, thirty GW tasks in total. Assuming that each task takes a single hour to complete, that’s thirty hours an applicant can expect to spend if he wishes to complete every single GW task. • Sigsheet: Currently, the UP Economics Society has two hundred and twelve members, and each member has a least one signature to give for the Sigsheet. Many have requirements of varying difficulty, from taking selfies at Ecosoc events to collecting the signatures of the entire Execom. Taking into account the time spent fulfilling these conditions, getting to know the members, hunting down the “rare pokemon,” and ultimately 48 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

253 HOURS BY MARTIN CONSING

completing the Sigsheet would likely take up of fifty hours. • While it can’t be determined with much accuracy, it can be safe to assume that the Platoon 55 app can expect to spend seventy-five hours in total for completing a single event internship, preparing and executing his midsem and final interviews, completing his final project, and including his alreadyfinished acquaintance party and the work he does as an applicant for their “home” committee. • In addition to his required tasks, the Platoon 55 applicant must also attend twelve previously-mentioned events, each of which on average consumes roughly four hours of his time for a total of forty-eight hours, and this does not yet even include the time he spends preparing for or working on these events.

FEATURES

aking into account the required thirty tambay hours excluding Tambay Week and the ten hours from Tambay Week itself, the Platoon 55 applicant can expect to commit at least two hundred and fifty-three hours in total for the UP Economics Society this semester if he wants to pass. Two hundred and fifty-three hours is a long time. Yet how is it that we have the story of Aubrey Gloriani, who completed sixty hours of tambay in one week, or of Boz Digay, who officially completed over two hundred hours of tambay (Boz: “I stopped signing in when there was no more space in the logbook,”)? How is it that we hear of Mike Saulo, who completed twelve CDC counts in one semester? And what about the story of GJ Agregado, who became the President of the UP Economics Society after just one semester as a member? The stories of almost-insane commitment to Ecosoc don’t end there. Almost every Ecosoc member I have spoken to seems to be perpetually sleep-deprived. Every night at 2:00 AM, I’ll hear from at least one person who’s “Still working on [my]

costume for LARP,” or “Making the pub mat for Foodgasm,” or “Editing the video for EM.” At any time of the day, even past 8:00 PM, you will find someone at the Ecosoc tambayan. The myths only grow from here. Time and time again, you will hear the stories of those who’ve gone above and beyond the call of duty for this organization. So what is it about Ecosoc, then, that drives so many members and applicants to put their hearts and souls into it? The simple answer is the most common one: the people. One of the members told me, “It’s probably one of the weirdest, loudest, most hipster groups of people I’ve ever encountered. And that’s why I love it.” “It’s family,” another said. “It’s home.” Suddenly, two hundred and fifty-three hours seem laughably short. Martin Consing was the Most Outstanding Student of Muntinlupa in his batch. He is a freshman and is currently apping for the society, if you haven't noticed by now. ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 49

ECHOES

IS THERE HOPE FOR MEMCOM? BY JOSHUA SIAT commentary

here was a period in the inviting atmosphere in the tambayan previous semester where I and in the membership as well. Whatever really didn’t feel like spending that change in perception was, I’m my time in the tambayan, pretty sure some Ecosocers felt the same despite the many responsibilities I took way. Maybe it’s just me, or maybe there on at the time to the organization. It was an external force that changed that seemed like whenever I passed by the old perception. Could it be Memcom? Well tambayan I would seem hesitant to enter it should be. That’s what they’re for, and instead, spent my time elsewhere. I right? To serve as the glue that keeps the didn’t feel the need to get to know most membership from straying away? of the apps, or make my presence felt in This isn’t going to be another article the society’s events. There was just no serving as an outpouring of grievances to motivation behind it. When the summer Memcom. This isn’t going to be an article ended though, the home we called in bashing them for their shortcomings. the form of SE 121 was gone, and the This won’t be an analytical nit-picking irony of the fact is, just when we have of each and every thing that is wrong moved to a temporary, far-less inviting and missing from the often-discussed tambayan, I found myself coming there committee now. Previous articles already every day of the week, even more often took care of that. They’ve heard enough than when I was an applicant. I’m pretty and we’ve heard enough. Instead, let sure it wasn’t the new faces (in the form this serve as an evaluation of sorts for of this sem’s apps), but a better, more Memcom in the present, and for the 50 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

future. Is there a promise of the Memcom we need and should have in the Memcom we have now? The answer to that question, right now, is still pretty hazy, but the path to that answer now is far clearer than it was before. There is.

BABY STEPS

The new academic year certainly brought a different feel to Ecosoc, as it always does, but particularly to Memcom. With a roster shakeup in the summer and with a diverse leadership nucleus in tow, Memcom seems poised to have a different outlook and attitude this semester, as compared to many, many previous semesters. In fact, the whole roster drafting for this semester seemed pretty evenly distributed for most committees, with far less discernible cliques being retained.

FEATURES

This semester seems to have laid the groundwork for a better Memcom for the future. It’s in the execution of the little things: Themed Thursdays, the Memories Wall in the tambs, and other initiatives. Social networking accounts tied directly to Memcom show a farreaching goal to connect with all of the membership. Fresh blood in the form of newer Memcom mems (both from recent applicant batches and standouts mems that came from other committees) has given life to this once-ailing committee. Their members this semester seem to be a tad more visible than last sem. On the other side of the spectrum, more members have been reciprocating the attention Memcom has been giving. Though the interaction could be better, the effort is there, at the very least. With that in mind, the best thing Memcom has done for this semester is the restructuring of its very core: the committee members. It’s a far more diverse group of individuals, and less, as much as it has been said before, “cliquish”. The people there aren’t just there anymore for the sake of trying to hide their inactivity or lack of interest in the org’s activities, or because their friends are also in the committee. The members that comprise Memcom now appear to be more active than ever, and

Jomac’s and Josh M’s omnipresent faces in the tambayan certainly help their cause. It is clear that there is heart in the effort that some of these members put into their work for Memcom. Members like these are a rare commodity, and I’m glad some of them have taken their talents and initiative there. They have done, at present, a better job of convincing members to involve themselves in the organization, which partly is the reason why I became an app guardian despite the heavy academic load I have this semester. Memcom’s members and VC’s have been reaching out to all facets of the membership, even up to the point of being buggy, but in a good way. It feels like all of this should have been implemented a long time ago, but better now than never at all.

STILL SOME GROWING UP TO DO

These small-scale initiatives are all well and good, but Memcom shouldn’t stop there. There is a certain aggressiveness to Memcom this time, and is something they should keep up. Last sem, they were lax and passive; this sem seems to be an improvement. There also needs to be one, committee-wide attitude towards their work. It can’t be only some of the members putting the load on their shoulders; there needs to be a

MEMCOM MONTHLY Timmy, is that you?

consolidated effort from every single one of them. Many problems won’t go away as easily and will keep haunting them back, like event attendance, especially internal ones, so the best they can do is to mitigate them. They know that they won’t be able to please everyone in Ecosoc. It all depends on how willing they are to make that push towards change despite these constraints handed to them. Memcom is in a stage of growing up again, and we have yet to see if the mistakes of the past are fully rectified.

PROMISE

So we go back to the question posed earlier at the start of this article. Is there hope for Memcom? To me, the answer is yes. Is the Memcom we have now the Memcom we really need? No, it definitely isn’t. Nevertheless though, the groundwork has been laid, and let’s hope the next one who takes on the Memcom chairpersonship keeps them on the right track. As for the membership, let’s keep an open and positive mind set. Negativity never helps in the first place. The more we feel confident about what Memcom is doing now, the more we can help them achieve their goals and responsibilities to Ecosoc. It’s a two-way process. It can’t always be one side putting in the effort, though it is Memcom’s duty to give us the push and reason to reciprocate that effort. It sounds a bit all too idealistic, but isn’t striving to the ideal why we’re in UP in the first place? Memcom, in the state it is now, seems poised for some big changes if they stay and improve the path they’re on right now. If there is anyone who can continue to carry them on that path, it’s their members, and their members serve as the most prominent bright spot in Memcom right now. It seems fitting that this semester’s theme is Platoon, because they have finally come out of hiding in their foxholes and seems to be marching on to the end goal of what Memcom should really be. Joshua Siat is a Fiesta Member and still a SPEV Vice-Chair. Also, if you haven't noticed, he's our best contributor. ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 51

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SHEDDING LIGHT ON A MAN OF TRANSITIONS Ryan Pornillos has been a member for over a year now, yet it seems that the man we all have come to fondly calling as "Porn" was not always how he is. •

WORDS BY JUDE GERON PHOTOS BY JUDE GERON & CARA LATINAZO

ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 53

ECHOES THE KNOWING He knows everything.

lton and Myrna Pornillos, Naga City, March 31, 1995. The second of what would be 7 children. Apparently, they almost took home the wrong baby. What a thought. But the mishap was averted, and their true child would go on to be the Ryan Pornillos we are now getting to further know. The Ryan Pornillos we currently know is a man who's filled roles in the logistics committees of the UP Economics Society's different efforts, currently making contributions to the National Economics Summit as its logistics head, and as an officer for this year's Musikapella. Probably of even greater recognition, however, over his skills in turning the abstract into concrete, is his reputation for academic excellence. The marks he gets with each taken Economics subject, to many, seem to reflect a combination of great appreciation for the field, natural intelligence and gratuitous amounts of hard work. And to the applicants who will enter the organization in succeeding semesters, his active presence in the Society will probably make him seem as a long-time, “first year first sem” member. It will thus probably come as a surprise to them that it isn't the case, as is to us the idea that the value he puts in academics had, for a time back, been much lower. As it turns out, the orgmate we have today is the product of many transitions that now have him greatly distanced from his past self. Once upon a time, we had someone who wouldn't have described himself as anywhere near grade conscious, nor “active”, extra-curriculars wise. In fact, we have someone who would spend his lunch periods back in Grade 6 another. “Serious, serious, serious..” playing DotA with friends. We also have It is only natural that a person's full personality is someone who was part of Section 1 for screened according to the people he is around, and the a time but would later get “demoted” to “lower” sections. He also wasn't a member context he currently belongs in. Some have more trans- of any clubs or teams in his grade school, parent screens than others, and have general dispositions Naga Central School 1 (according to him, there is a Naga Central School 2). But in at closer approximations to their "complete” selves. This spite of these experiences, “Porn,” who man's however, based on a bulk of impressions, is more at the time was apparently known as “Pornie,” would go on to graduate ranked solid, more opaque. Let's break some walls down. 17th in his batch of around 600 students,

“SERIOUS,” SAYS AN ECOSOCER. “SERIOUS,” SAYS

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FEATURES PORN Look at how he's working that thing.

and earn a scholarship in Ateneo de Naga High School. At that point, Porn found himself in one major transition: moving from a public school to a private school. A change of that sort entailed many difficult adjustments, as he then found himself in a very different environment and culture. One major difference between most private schools and public schools is the presence of a Religion class. To him, it was not purely just a matter of having new religious experiences, but having to adjust for the sake of graded recitations. He recounted experiences such as having to memorize prayers in 3 different dialects in his first week of school, and learning to attend mass frequently also for recitations. He would not do well in these recitations early on, but these proved to be just minor setbacks, as it was in this new environment where he would begin to take his academics seriously and begin to excel. He described the culture of the students in Ateneo as very competitive one, and he happened to be assigned to the

“

Once upon a time, we had someone who wouldn't have described himself as anywhere near grade conscious, nor “active”, extracurriculars wise.

honors class on top of this. Porn's mindset thus focused towards the idea of being at the top of the academic heap, and on the road to this goal, he became a consistent honor student, almost making the cut for First Honors on several occasions. In fact, he did so well that he was nominated for all of the academic awards for graduating students towards the end of his stay in high school. In the end, however, he did not go on to win any of the awards, on the grounds that he was not a “well-rounded” student, as, just like in grade school, he was not participating in almost any extra-curricular activities. He was a part of the Yearbook team, but that did not turn out too well. There were a lot of other clubs to join, but he was not really interested enough to join in any, and he would hold his academics as his priority. So while his life flourished in terms of academics, at this point, extra-curriculars were a non-factor, of little importance. One of the club options actually available to the Ateneo de Naga students was their ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 55

ECHOES

own Economics Society. But he was not only uninterested in joining it; he was simply not fond of economics as a subject at the time. He did not like how it was taught, as it tended to be dragging such as when they spent a whole week talking about shifts of the supply and demand curves. He did much better in Accounting, and as a result, he would put BAA as his first choice on his UPCAT form and saw himself as an accountant in the future. In spite of his dislike of economics, he placed Business Economics as his second choice only as a “joke”, since he was only really fixated on his first choice and the career path it would entail. As fate would have it, Porn would end up being accepted not in BAA, but in BE, and found himself in the midst of another transition: Entering a university in the heart of the nation as a fresh high school graduate from a far province, much like a lot of UP students. He was once again faced with the challenge of an environmental and cultural

HOME STUDIO This was all done right at home. 56 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

“

He was suddenly thrust into a world of fundraisers and phone calls, and he enjoyed every second of it.

change. Just being in Quezon City, according to him, was an experience in itself, as he had only gone to the capital region a handful of times. And he was immediately faced with the distance from his family, a faster pace of discussion, some financial constraints, and even an age gap from his batchmates, a number of whom were born in 1993, which would all make the transition all the more difficult. But it was here in the State University where we could say Porn's life moved to a greater level of “completeness,” a phase in his life where his intellectual gifts are now matched with a more holistic lifestyle. It was sparked by all the sources of motivation he had that pushed him past any preconceived limits: his Math 17 instructor, John Gabriel Pelias, known for holding the highest GWA in UP history, as his role model; the friendly competition he had with his dorm roommate, as Porn would take his high grades as a challenge

LOOK TO GOD? Maybe Minerva got stuck

FEATURES

did not imagine himself ever applying for the organization, in part due to many of the common notions people outside the org would have towards Ecosoc, such as it being just another “party org” and the expenses associated with being a member. He would even dissuade his friends from joining due to these stereotypes. But as a result of having a schedule full of long breaks and curiosity out of many of blockmates being members, he decided to give the application process a try. And as days in the tambayan passed, requirements were accomplished, and he got to meet more and more members and applicants, he would find his usual 4 pm going-home time turn into 6 pm. In spite of the inevitable interference org time would have on his acads, he would find ways to balance his time and make it all work. He found he had good reason to. These experiences were all new, and to his surprise, a life that made room for extra curriculars would have him much better off, contrary to his original notions, as he was now able to engage in things the classroom could not offer him. He was suddenly thrust into a world of fundraisers and phone calls, and he enjoyed every second of it. He found himself with the opportunity to work for a cause in the form of Task Force, as well as for events big and small. We have said that his foundation as an individual in academics was given then as strong, but there he found himself in something greater than himself. The only thing that keeps him coming back to the tambayan despite the change in location and conditions more than that thought, to himself; and his family in Naga who has grown into what it currently is, as a however, is all the people with whom he held him with high regard as the first in man who excels a step further than the has forged great friendships. His span of connections immediately expanded, and the clan to become a UP student. And, word “excel” alone implies. as a surprise to him, all this inspiration This major point of transition in if we could quantify how better off he is led him to a newfound appreciation for his life would definitely be incomplete, since applying, the greatest portion of Economics. What was originally a joke however, if described only in terms of improvement would definitely have come choice for a course became something academics. It was the 1st sem of his 2nd from the members themselves. Thus, from someone who had almost he is now genuinely passionate about, year in Econ that Porn decided to apply as evidenced by his grades in his Econ for the UP Economics Society. Here was zero involvement in anything outside subjects which, at times, turn out as a man with very little experience in a his books and notes, he has become even higher than his GE grades. And as school organization suddenly engaged someone who goes on to perform key a result, we can now see how his legend in the application process. He says he roles in a large college organization. ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 57

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FEATURES KENNY Ryan does the black version so well

And alongside this, his knowledge has only expanded further, and continues to. Porn has found a field he truly fits in, and continues to keep him interested. Looking back, given everything he has gone through until today, he says he wished he could've taken some opportunities back in the day when they presented themselves to him. Now, he describes himself as an opportunity taker, with all the ones he has grabbed now reaping in benefits, and future ones just waiting to come.

common first impression people have towards Porn is that he's all stern and serious, probably the quiet kind of guy. It's in the looks, maybe. But, as his eventual orgmates got to know him further and spend time with him, these impressions drastically changed. They eventually discovered underneath the exterior whom they now describe as a surprisingly funny guy and a genuinely caring friend. And to some of his closest friends, he is someone they can call a

brother. Maybe this transition from impression to impression is reflective of his history, his being a man shaped by different sets of experiences and different groups of people. And as he eventually pursues a possible career in business, law, or economics, we can only wonder what transition he would make next. Jude Geron was a co-applicant of Ryan Pornillos and the former Photos Editor of this publication. Now he's the creative editor. ECHOES | JULY 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ 59

ECHOES WEDNESDAYS Many bodies in one room, but where are their minds?

WE, OURSELVES, ARE

OBSTACLES TO

UNITY

BY JUDE GERON

Hypothetical Ecosocer 1: “It starts with the members. Not with any of the internal committees, as they can only do so much, but with the members. All of them.” H.E. 2: “But wait, the members are all humans!” INSERT CHORUS OF OTHER HYPOTHETICAL ECOSOCERS WITH A BUNCH OF WITTY, SARCASTIC RESPONSES!

Allow me this chance, however, to defend H.E. Number 2 (with some more obvious facts, I caution). There is, after all, more to being human than just the animal species. (I told you so.) 60 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

FEATURES

HAT ARE SOME QUICK AND EASY

observations to make about the world? It's large (stay with me), and its people are diverse (please). Large and diverse. The UP Economics Society is the largest org in Econ, with 10 diverse committees. It does not immediately follow that Ecosocers are a diverse group of people, but let's shift our minds to the org itself. What are some quick and easy observations to make about Ecosoc, then? There are 250+ members and applicants in an organization that is not for a specific interest, like a sports org. I'd like to believe that the org is structured so that it could cater to all kinds of interests, that we could really do the things we want to do outside the classroom. And to me, it really should be a great thing! Freedom is great (potentially)! But with different kinds of interests comes different personalities. More proof? We tend to hang out in groups; “cliquish” is the oft used term. Ask yourself why you hang out with the people you do, and it probably is because of common ground and similar or complementary likes and dislikes. We talk about the things we can relate to, of course. Besides, is it really feasible to become good friends with everyone given that membership size? Right at this point, it's easy to see that there's potential for a lot of divisions. But like the governments that come to put order to free markets (theoretically), we have a structural solution, in the form of internal committees! You then have a group of people whose primary purpose in the Society is to create opportunities for those lines that divide to blur, in the form of different events, big and small. And a number do turn out successful! Some markers we may have for “successful” include attendance and the expressions of people directly after an event, things we can readily notice. But hold on, we shouldn't stop at what's easily observable. I'd like to believe and somehow prove that each of these events and efforts are huge achievements in themselves, more than we generally give them credit. Think about the general observations I've made of the world (large and diverse), then add a little bit of history, in the form of fights and full scale wars. We've had them of every shape and size, with some even qualifying as world wars. And, fun fact, according to a Population Reference Bureau estimate, there have been 108 billion people who have lived on planet Earth! Imagine all of the crimes that have been committted until today (I now realize how terrible a race we are)! Scale back down to Ecosoc, and we can then also add some more specific obser-

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"Ecosoc simply is faced with the obstacle of thousands of years of human nature development in the making."

MEMS' COOKOUT Could've seen more attendees vations. For one, I can easily bet that both you and I, at some points (or many), have added to the wall of noise that is every genmeet. (Committee-specific GAs are not spared from these walls either!) Also, in spite of a number of successful and well attended internal events, some still have seen opposite fates. I also doubt anyone can deny the interest they have in all the gossip that spreads by word of mouth and many other means, no matter how potentially destructive it may be. And once again, the sheer size of the organization, its diversity as a result of its structure, and the many many personal differences each of the members have all work against anyone looking to bring as many people together as possible. I tell you, it really is a feat in itself. If we add all these constraints together, the concept of genuine unity or, at least, a closer knit org, probably seems farther off from attainable than it may have been prior to these comparisons. It may then seem near impossible, theoretically. Ecosoc simply is faced with the obstacle of thousands of years of human nature development in the making (let's take the explanations behind human nature as given, as exogenous.) The freedom we have to do the things we want in the organization is the same freedom that lets us choose to make noise, to not attend events, to spread gossip and do other things that can leave people worse off. Some of these things may not necessarily be wrong, but they can be bothersome, and in some cases really do turn into creases in the fabric. To put things in perspective, as a comparison: in spite of laws in the country against littering, as long as no one can readily stop us, we are free to do so, and we have, and we all know what effects this has had. So, given the difficulties, are the attempts to bring members together thus devalued? Is unity really then impossible? Well, simply put, I'd like to be proven otherwise. The world surely is not as bad as I've made it out to be, and there are always a bunch of exceptions. It all starts with the members, to go beyond what human nature and what current norms might tell us to do and what can't be done, as the org structure (that we ourselves set) can only do as much as we chose to. In the end, we are the organization itself, and we are free to stay where we are, or choose to do things differently. Does Ecosoc want to be an exception? We, as a whole, decide. ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 61

ECHOES

YOU'RE A DISAPPOINTMENT.

YOU’RE A DISAPPOINTMENT. Yes, you are. “I promise I’d do better next time.” You told yourself the same thing again and again until you actually started running out of “next times”. On the last day, you told yourself “I can do it! I’ll be done by 6pm”. 6 pm came and you haven’t even started. You told yourself you’d be done by 10, but 10 pm came and hey, what do you have? ONE SENTENCE?! Then you cram. You don’t even know what time it was when you slept. Was the sun up already? You were too sleepy to tell. You wake up with a throbbing head and you tell yourself that you’ll surely do your other work in advanced so you wouldn’t have to bear with the same pain, but wait YOU FELL ASLEEP and then the cycle continues. 62 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

PHOTO BY THE INTERNET

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You make promises that you couldn’t keep. You can’t even keep the promises you make to yourself. You tell yourself you’d do it, but you don’t. You tell yourself you’d do better but you don’t. You always fall short of people’s expectations. You tell him you’re coming, but you don’t. Promise is a big word, you know. When you make a promise, you could either lose or gain someone’s trust. Why do you even have to make those empty promises anyway? Why do you have to say you will when in fact you never even considered doing it? You say you’d do it but you don’t. Last month you said you wanted to do things in advance. Last week you said you can still catch up. Yesterday you promised to finish, but now what? Now you’re behind. For the longest time you made empty promises. You blame other people. You blame other commitments. You blame everyone but yourself. You can’t pass on your work to other people. You can’t pass on your faults to other people. You really have to one to blame but yourself. You waste so much time. Again, you delay things so much. One hour, one day, one week, one month—have you ever thought about those people gasping for their last breath? Have you ever considered those people travel across the globe just to speak to some love one for the last time? Have you ever thought about those who barely have months to live? Time is of the essence to these people. To them, every minute means the world. To them, every extra blink, every extra breath and every extra gasp means everything, but look at what you do. You waste five minutes staring at facebook. No, you’re not scrolling. You’re just staring. You’re waiting for a reply. You’re so eager to see a reply and to reply back. The minutes collect and you’ve wasted an hour in total. AN HOUR. You could’ve used that to read a chapter of your book, don’t you think? Now you have an exam. You study for hours and days and at a point you even forgot to eat dinner. You’re desperate for a good score. You ditch your reunion with your friends. You pass an opportunity to go to a huge sale or to see your favorite band, but in the end you get a bad score. No, you don’t even get a mediocre score. That’s when you realize that all our efforts turn into failure. You have brilliant ideas. You’re a pioneer. You sell your ideas flawlessly. You work hard (or at least you seem to), but you end up failing. You always fail. You’re probably not committed enough. Your mind is set, but your heart isn’t. You lack focus. You lack drive. You know you want it, yes; you really want to do it. You really want to be an achiever but you can’t seem to pull yourself together. You have brilliant ideas, but you can’t put them into paper. You can’t put them into words. Maybe you’re not giving a hundred percent? Maybe you’re not really giving your all. Maybe you could do better. Maybe you should stop thinking about “what ifs”. And maybe, just maybe you should stop overthinking and get to work. Well academics aren’t that important right? At least you have your friends, right? WRONG. You’re not doing well holding up

your relationships either. All you really do is whine to them and tell them how much work you have to do. When they start talking, you say something in reply just for the sake of having something to say. No, you didn’t think about that reply at all and now it’s over. You hurt their feelings. Who are you gonna talk to now? You’re tactless. You say things without thinking. You can’t seem to stop talking. There’s nothing wrong with talking, but stop talking for the sake of talking. Some things don’t have to be said. Some words can hurt people. Some jokes aren’t funny. In fact, most of your jokes cross borders. You don’t have to force yourself to make jokes. You don’t have to force yourself to talk. Take a little time to think. Take a little time to reflect. For a moment you could be quiet. You could be alone. There’s nothing wrong with that. You’re insensitive, you don’t care. Do you think it’s okay not to care? Do you think it’s okay to isolate yourself from people? Well it’s not. Have you ever considered what other people feel? Have you ever thought about how they feel? What if things aren’t okay with them? You just keep making decisions without asking people if they’re fine with that. You keep doing things that annoy people and you don’t even realize it. That’s because you don’t think. You don’t think about what you’re doing. You don’t put yourself in other people’s shoes. You’re insensitive and you say things out of context. You’re selfish. All you think about is yourself. You think about how other people might see you. You think about what other people might think of you when you do this or that and when you don’t do this or that. You think of how your actions can change you. You think about how to get yourself to the top. You think about how to make yourself look better in other people’s eyes. You do everything for them to like you even if it means having to make fun of someone else. Now, admit it. You’re a disappointment. You haven’t done anything right in days, weeks, maybe even months. Now, admit it. Admitting it is the first step. You’re a disappointment. You’ll keep being a disappointment if you don’t move now. You’ll keep being a disappointment if you don’t wake up. You’ll keep being a disappointment if all you do is tweet about how much of a disappointment you are. It’s 1:41 and you realize that you are a disappointment, now what do you do? Will you wallow in sadness, delay more work then just go back to telling yourself how much of a disappointment you are? Maybe you would. Maybe you shouldn’t. It doesn’t end with just admitting that you’re a disappointment. Yes, you know you're a disappointment. Every single person, every single event is pointing towards it. D-I-S-A-P-P-O-I-N-T-M-E-N-T. Right now that's the only word that could describe you. For some reason you're okay with it. For some other reason you shouldn't be. But what can you do? You're never going to stop disappointing. All you can really do is stop being a disappointment. ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 63

ECHOES

REGRET A feeling that seats itself deep in Aris's heart. That, or he has no batchmates to talk to.

WHAT GOOD ARE FEELINGS FOR?

IT IS IN THAT MOMENT, WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, THAT YOU SAY

you’ll never love again. When you see her flirting happily and heavily with another boy. When you have her tell you that it cannot be and you watch your friendship crumble. When she suddenly just disappears from your life after some time, traceless, except in your mind and in your chest. When you watch her grind with someone, in front of you, smiling a sardonic smile while looking exactly at you and only you. In these moments, everything is in slow motion. You encounter a nauseating pressure on your nape and you feel the death of your limbs—limp and useless. It’s the end. Stare into thin air, boy: you’ll never love again. by Anonymous 64 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

an’t be over. Not yet. Not now. This is the fall before the rise. The fucking calm before the storm. These are your thoughts. Rumors are rife, they say, and well, fuck rumors. Recall all the times she called you dear or when she said sweet nothings to you. Those can’t vanish so suddenly, can it? Are hearts

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really as fickle as that? Memories flood your brain, possibly rendering you temporarily blind in the thought process. You know that feeling of blankness wherein a surge of thoughts enter your mind? Maybe you’re brain dead. Maybe you should jump off a bridge. Who knows—who cares? Surely, she doesn’t. Not with that track record of observations regarding her disinterest. But why. But how. It was like nothing ever happened between you two. Nay, it is nothing. Not if she could just do that. And a harrowing thought creeps into your brain, no matter how much you try to repress it—was it all in your mind? Possibly. Possibly not. You can’t just ask her these things. But, oh, if only you could. So you fight. You turn. You struggle. The game-changer. The big play. Go home or win big, you say. And fail. Monumentally and decisively fail for the world to see. Well, your world to see. Wait, wait, an intermission. And you know that in Act II is when the universe royally and brutally fucks you and your plans over. It wasn’t cold turkey—what is this, an addiction? (Well, possibly) Steadily, you fade on the shores of her mind. You become a hazy apparition on the beach, running and waving as that ship she is on sails away. Sails to uncharted places. She actually fails to see you. You become part of the fringes of her thoughts, even if you’re so fraught with keeping her. Obsessed, you might actually be in love. You essentially dream about her now. It’s pathetic, but what can you do? Fight your feelings?

Ha! You can try to be a rock, but we all know we’re humans. So keep smiling, kid. Smile big for the cameras and the naysayers and your friends and the people rooting for you in the sidelines. You mean business. You’re a fucking businessman and you’re going to sell your snake oil pretty well. They better watch out. Because there’s a celestial victory on the horizon. Smooth sailing now, hmmm? Keep it up, boy, you’ll never know when you’d find another breeze to sail with. It’s all going according to the plan. You probably passed all her tests and all her standards. Remember that little question she had for you? Aced that little bitch! Smiling coyly, you remember, in that restaurant—you were the captain of your fate and master of your soul. Each little thing you say, she laughs. She gets you, and you get her: you finish her sentences and know when something’s not right. More and more, your heart is falling and falling freely. Because what could possibly go wrong? You are the happiest kid in the whole universe right now. Nothing can get to you. You are invincible. Deciding to court her, you draw up majestic plans of different scopes in order to woo her. Proof-read them, kid. Poke holes at the ideas so they don’t sink. Because, surely, if there are holes, it will sink deep into the sea of failure and desperation. No, not that. Yeah, she’ll definitely like it when I do this. Well, if she says this, I can tell her to pick a better god to love. Write a letter and

leave every single thing you want to say right now—right fucking now—in that shit. Send it through her cousin, yup. Then conjure up: RESULTS. Dream big, kid, this only comes once. Or maybe twice. I can imagine us right now, talking and her playing around with a ball of tissue. Or when she quietly leans on my arm during one hot pre-summer afternoon, exactly when the sun is beautiful and before Helios becomes harsh. Your plans are bullet-proof and stupid-proof. Every single scenario, the action and appropriate reaction accounted for. If this was a course, you’d get the highest mark on it: BS (add her name here). Only the biggest and ugliest imbecile could mess this up. Or fucking Murphy. Fuck Murphy. You see her with brand new eyes. There’s something in her that you haven’t seen before. She’s all you know you want. She’s exactly what you need. Awkward or arrogant, you’ll find it within yourself to talk to her. You need to talk to her, now that you’ve got this emotion within you. You talk to her and you feel it—you feel the endless encompassing beauty of life and the senseless and sensible possibilities of living. The palpitating abundance of feelings begin to come. Everything is colorful and colorful is everything. God is in the rain, the sun, the stars, the plants, even Facebook. The hair on the back of your neck stiffens with excitable excitement and you breathe slow, heavy. Seraphic songs ring in your head—little angelic afterthoughts. They said that somewhere down the line, the pearl would be handed to you: you feel that today is that day. The pearl will be handed from now on, gradually and reassuringly. Courage swells in you. Lose inhibition for a moment, just a slight moment. Dream of the undeniable gasp before the first kiss, the irresolute purgatory of indecision, the inner warmth becoming of the never-ending embraces, the pleasantries of hearing beautiful words meticulously and nervously confessed back. You want to love. Remember this. ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 65

ECHOES

TO I EVERYONE WHO BROKE MY HEART, a letter

66 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

T’S

FUNNY

HOW

everything just happened so fast. We were just friends— laughing at each other’s lame jokes while eating out with our other friends—and next thing I know I’ve already got it bad. It happened so fast I didn’t even realize I already fell for you. I tried not to take notice of this sudden emotion for you because I didn’t really want to ruin whatever we had. I enjoyed staying up late and just talking about nonsensical things that somehow made sense to us. It was a fun feeling to be this way with you. With each conversation we had, I just found myself falling more and more with you. I tried shaking the feeling away, but it just wouldn’t leave me the fuck away. I didn’t want to tell anyone about my situation with you because, FUCK THE UNIVERSE, I always had a feeling that saying something out there in the open makes it more legit and I didn’t want legit. So I tried hiding it, but eventually, I needed to tell someone. And that’s when everything went downhill. Suddenly, you started avoiding me. Our conversations lessened and became brief. I didn’t know what to do anymore. I tried talking to you but I never really got anything out of it. I should’ve known my emotions would lead to me losing my best friend. There’s this one song that goes: ‘If I had one wish, we would be best friends, love would never end, it would just begin.’ That’s what I wanted for us. Quite frankly, I would have chosen the friendzone over the awkward abyss anytime. Like I said, I got sad at the thought of losing you, but at the same time I got angry. I got sad, well DUH, because I didn’t have the person I could run to when life was taking a huge glorious shit on me. I got mad. I REALLY got fucking mad. Mad at myself for allowing me to fall for someone so close to me, not even weighing the opportunity cost (yup that’s some econ for you mofos). Mad at our friends who knew about it and teased, because it made it awkward. Mad at you for not PHOTO BY THE INTERNET

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handling the situation any fucking better. I just didn’t know what to do with all my emotions because it just keeps jizzing out of me, I fucking hate it. I wouldn’t say I’m a lonely person, I’d like to believe I’m the life of the party every now and then. I know I don’t have a shortage of friends but I can’t help but feel I’m alone. You knew me in ways I never dared share with anyone else. I knew I would never be judged or looked down upon by you. I guess I enjoyed that, letting my guard down and finally being myself with someone. My REAL self. I didn’t have to act like I didn’t care about what others thought about me (I do care about what others think, okay). I didn’t have to act like nothing bothered me, because everything bothers me. You just listened and most of the time, that’s all I need. Now that I think about it though, I realize, it wasn’t all bad. Before you knew I had feelings for you, when what I felt was just my dirty little secret, all the time we spent together was my little pocket of sunshine. All our heart to hearts, the little things you confided in me, all my burdens I unloaded to you, were my comfort on a mundane day. I found myself looking forward to everyday because I would get a chance to talk to you, to see you, to be with you. I looked for any excuse to stay a little longer with you. I just found myself wanting to be with you more (without meaning to sound like a total creep of course)

I want to hate you. ALL OF YOU. I had so many fucking emotions I had no fucking idea what to do with it. I swear if my emotions were food, it would be a friggin buffet and it would probably end world hunger. I wanted for my feelings for you to end so badly. I fucking wanted to get over you. I wanted to put you in the deepest, darkest corner of my mind, but at the same fucking time, I wanted everything to be back

"Before you knew I had feelings for you, when what I felt was just my dirty little secret, all the time we spent together was my little pocket of sunshine." to normal. I want so many things. Fuck my short attention span and infinite wants. Now, we barely talk, we barely acknowledge each other’s existence. I have no idea how you are and here I am doing all the shit necessary to forget about you and that awkward time in our lives. When I remember you, I just want to remember the good times, before I fucked up and allowed emotions to complicate whatever relationship we had. I want to remember the joy you made me feel, the way you never made me feel like I was alone. When I remember that time, I’m happy. I know at one point in my life, I was not alone. I had you, my best friend. Love, The Girl Who's Letting Go

BEST FRIENDS You never know if she also likes you more than just a friend ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 67

ECHOES

LESSON#1 (5): TIPS FROM THE PYTHON'S PIT

BY PONCHO A LESSON ON LIKEABILITY "THE PYTHON" ROCES REALLY, DUDE, YOU'RE IN F*CKING COLLEGE ALREADY. BY NOW YOU SHOULD ALREADY KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH GIRLS. AND "HOW TO GET CHICKS"? COME ON MAN, WHATTA TITLE. THAT'S SEXIST AND OBJECTIFYING. MY GOD. OOH, or maybe you just got carried away by the beautiful, sophisticated ladies (e.g. Ayi Dave) of SE (wink wink, hi to the wonderful girls reading this article; it's dedicated to all of you). Or, maybe you're really shy (come on man, being shy in college is really the worst time to be shy). Okay okay, whatever, dude. I'm writing this ‘cause I'm such a nice and friendly guy who wants to share his "knowledge" of "how the world works". I'd like to stress out the fact that not everyone really is handsome (handsome in the sense of Gio Perez-handsome). But to tell you the truth, that's alright when all you need to do now then is to be likeable, in the sense that you are generally well-liked by almost everybody. You see, you can modify physical appearance to some extent but likeability is something you can create and form without limits (unless a douchebag blackmails you). Likeability in the long run, I believe, is what makes someone truly "attractive". So here, I shall impart you with the knowledge of being truly likeable.

1. BE OKAY-LOOKING Like I said, you don't need to be "handsome" but you can modify your appearance to some extent. If you don't play sports, then at least, jog in the oval, watch your diet, use the treadmill, etc. At least, look healthy. (Side note: if you want to look "incredibly" healthy, don't ask me; go ask Raffy Arcilla or Luis Partosa for tips) Also, hygiene is important. If you don’t wanna smell too good, don’t smell like anything then. Shave, brush your teeth, etc. If you are someone who is capable of caring about yourself, then you show the world that you’re capable of caring about others as well (Alright, too much but you get the idea)..

68 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

2. DRESS WELL ENOUGH

3. BE UNIQUE

For some unknown reason, most women have that extra gene that makes them so interested in something most men are such strangers to, a thing called “fashion” where color coordination, all of a sudden, has never been so unnecessarily necessary in one’s life. Don’t be like most men then; I’m not saying you have to be a “fashionista” but at least, give a damn about what you wear (for example, don’t ever wear Crocs outside the house unless you’re a chef or a surgeon). Most women, then, would respect that and admire you for being a man who understands something we usually do not. But, if you wanna be “stylish” or even create your own style, then go for it; that’s even better. Plus, it will add up to your uniqueness, which I will talk about later on.

The last thing you wanna be is be “yet another guy”. If you wanna be extra-likeable (you can still be generic and likeable though, like those kids from Chicser) or at least memorable, you have to make a name for yourself. You have to find yourself. You have to look for something that makes you positively different from everyone else and that makes you stand out from the crowd. Be the “skydiver guy who can speak 4 languages and can shred a guitar” or “the gnarly dude who can skate a vert ramp without wearing a helmet cos he’s so cool” for example.

FEATURES WTF Poncho, you're probably going to die soon.

4. BE SWEET AND BE FUNNY

Compliments will never hurt anyone as long as you mean them. Just make sure they’re said on the right person at the right situation. It’d also add extra points if they were unique and funny. Here are some original examples: "50% Chinese? 50% Filipina right? May I add 100% beautiful though?" "Someone dared me to hit on a random girl. But, I can't. You're not random; you're one-of-a-kind." “Do attractive people know they’re attractive? Parang no, cause you’re clueless.” Remember, too, that you don’t have to take everything too seriously. Make sure you’re someone who can take a joke and laugh at himself. You’ll appear too boring and someone who’s not really worth having fun with if you don’t have some sense of humor.

6. BE A LISTENER

Most women love to talk about everything and anything unlike men who talk about basketball, girls, basketball, etc. When I mean everything and anything, it includes stuff men don't even get no matter what (nose jobs, pilates, Zumba, liposuction, etc.) Even if you'll never understand, just listen. Most women want to be heard, and you can be their listener. Remember, when everything’s only about you, you appear as someone who’s selfish and self-centered. But when you listen and give your attention to someone else, you appear as someone who’s worth trusting and selfless, and that is something likeable about a person.

7. CONFIDENCE IS KEY

Man up. Be confident with yourself. Don’t let anything pull you down. BE MOTHERF****** RAMBO. If something does, talk to someone you confide with about it. If one person doesn’t like you, 5. BUT NOT TOO SWEET Okay, okay slow down. You don’t have it’s alright; you can’t please everybody. If to remind someone’s beautiful everytime most people don’t like you though, that’s you see that someone or else those com- a different story; there must be somepliments would lose their meaning (see: thing wrong with you (maybe you’re beEcon 11 Lessons on Marginal Utility). ing too douchey, you douchebag) and Tease every once in a while. But don’t go there’s something you have to change. too far and end up being douchey – be a Do things that personally build up your mother father gentleman. confidence even if they are simple; be it

like taking mints after eating (LOL) or maybe even going to the gym. Remember, when you are not confident with yourself, you create an image that you are insecure and unsure. And, that’s not really something likeable. But, when you are confident, you create an image that someone is worth being admired, pushing up your likeability.

ONE LAST THING

Girls are only ONE thing in your life so DON’T MAKE GIRLS YOUR LIFE. People like people who enjoy life for all that it is, and not just one part of it. Also, be YOURSELF. Don’t be someone else. People will appreciate you for being YOU. You will not be truly happy if people admire something that you really aren’t (You DON’T have to pretend to own a private jet and a beach resort in Baguio, although that’d be really cool if you did have one). Just follow these rules, and yes, you’ll be more likeable. Members of the opposite gender will definitely be more attractive to you then. Also, if you ever are going to make an article helping your fellow bros about how to be better with the ladies, don’t be sexist and name your article “HOW TO GET CHICKS”. That’s just dumb. ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 69

ECHOES

MADAM ARTING’S

GREAT

COSMOLOGY QUIZ

Ever wondered what the things you do mean in this world? How your decisions impact the lives of others? Wonder no more because I have made a simple but accurate quiz to aid you in your self discovery.

1. YOU ARE LONELY ON A FRIDAY NIGHT, YOU: A Whip out your phone and text your crush “Hey, wanna come over?” B Whip out your phone and text your ex “Hey, wanna come over?” C Study for next, next, next Thursday’s Econ probset D Go to sleep after “choking the chicken” or “poking the tangerine”

2. YOU ARE WALKING AROUND THE ACAD OVAL WHEN AN OLD MAN STOPS YOU AND ASKS FOR YOUR HELP. YOU: A Offer to accompany him the whole time until he’s done what needs to be done B You allocate 30 minutes in helping him because you have to do other shit C Give him your wallet and run away D Fantasize disturbing images involving the old man and the lamp posts around the Oval

3. YOUR CRUSH IS DRUNK AND HAS NO MEANS OF GOING HOME. MEANWHILE, YOU HAVE A CAR WITH AN EMPTY PASSENGER SEAT. YOU: A Bring her home, and even carry her to her room B Bring her home, then shove her off your car and speed away C Bring her to the nearest public transport terminal, shove her off your car and speed away D Bring her to the nearest public transport terminal bathroom, then molest her

4. YOU’RE DRIVING ALONG ON A ROAD, ON A DARK STORMY NIGHT. UP AHEAD, THREE PEOPLE ARE HUDDLING IN A LONELY BUS STOP. THERE IS ONLY ROOM IN YOUR CAR FOR ONE MORE PERSON. WHO WILL YOU BRING WITH YOU? A An old woman, very sick. B The prettiest girl you’ve ever seen C Your best friend who once saved your life D Speed off 70 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

FEATURES 5. YOU ARE IN A PARTY AND THE HOST OFFERS YOU A PLETHORA OF DRUGS. WHICH DO YOU TAKE? A Marijuana, because it’s safe and fun B Ecstasy, because you want every touch to be pleasurable C Cocaine, because you need the happiness D Rum and coke, because you’re a FAG

6. YOU SEE A MISPLACED HANDBAG ON THE FLOOR IN SCHOOL, YOU TAKE THE WALLET AND: A Look for contact details so you can return the bag to its owner B Take all the cold-hard cash C Quickly put it back and make a run for it D Look for pictures for “future reference"

7. YOU GO ONLINE ON YOUR SMARTPHONE AND THE FIRST APP YOU OPEN IS: A Facebook, so you can chat with friends you just talked to 10 minutes ago B Instagram, so you can upload all your selfies and #ootds C 9gag, because it’s your only source of happiness D Grindr

RESULTS: Each A answer is worth 4 points Each B answer is worth 3 points Each C answer is worth 2 points Each D answer is worth 1 point Discover your personality type using the table below:

POINTS

PERSONALITY

16-20

You are a very eager beaver. You also emanate confidence and the “good boy” aura which will aid you in layf. Get aid and get laid!

11-15

Your self-centered righteousness will cause your imminent downfall. And loss of sex life.

6-10

You are very weak, anti-social, and unsure of your social and emotional welfare. You will end up as a cat man/woman.

7 AND BELOW

You need to seek psychiatric help immediately. Or be baptized. ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 71

ECHOES

IS THERE HOPE FOR LOVE IN ECOSOC? PAKIPOT Gusto naman nila.

BY BRUNO SANTOS YOU SPEND YOUR EARLY MORNING BLUES OR AFTERNOON BUM TIME IN THE TAMBAYAN

by either playing bridge or hogging the one and only electric fan. Although there’s something more than losing trump counts and cooling oneself that makes you go back there. You subconsciously stay there, waiting for that small chance of seeing someone that would complete your day. You do your best to chance upon that person, but more often than not, it’s either you don’t or instead you see him or her with someone else. The universe has again foiled your plan of finally talking to that person of your interest. You’ve planned this up to the tiniest detail, and it all came to waste. Now you change your plan and grab on every chance you get just to get closer to the one who interests you. But, as Murphy’s Law states, life will fuck you up and shit will indeed happen. The person ended up being just a tease and disappeared like a bubble. Do you still wait or do you give up? Is there still hope? Is it still possible to find your better half in Ecosoc? 72 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

FEATURES

“

“It is a risk to love. What if it doesn’t work out? Ah, but what if it does.” – Peter McWilliams

rom rumors, constant teasing, the dreaded logbook gossips, to actual sightings of unconfirmed dates and couples, I say there is still that tiny chance of finding the one here in our organization. It may be slim, but it is still out there. She can be your lunch buddy or your walking companion going to Palma Hall. He can be the boy who would always tease you about another boy in your committee, or the person you are always studying with in the library. She can be your boss or your officer, an applicant or a member, your friend or your enemy, a new-found friend or an old acquaintance. It could be anyone. It could happen anywhere too: running into him by the AS steps, having a brief eye contact with her across the room, or when he sees you struggling to eat your noodles. These series of events are unpredictable, and the best way for you to be ready is to just expect the unexpected or expect nothing. Just go with the flow, and I guess everything else will follow. Personally, I have yet to find love in my beloved organization, and despite all of the things that has transpired over the past semesters, I guess there is still hope. There will be that one person who is an exception to your preferences and shares the same sentiments that you have. From similar music tastes to hating the same things, that person would eventually grow on you, and before you know it,

you’ve fallen for him or her. Are you ready to risk it all for love? Do you look for it or do you wait for it? Love in itself is a risk, and it’s either you go big or you go home. You put yourself in danger of having to face rejection, the dreaded “friendzone”, and even having to end friendship ties and communication. That’s the beauty of it: you learn from past heartaches and heartbreaks and know the do’s and don’ts of it. It’s no perfect art, but it’s something innate in all of us and we would always end up making it work. Looking for love can never be as easy as it looks in the movies, unless you’re one delusional individual who likes to be a melodramatic wreck and picture yourself in a romantic comedy. Fear is part of the process, and there is no way of avoiding it. Would you rather grasp on that uncertainty of success, with a bigger chance of failing, or instead just live your life wondering what could have been, and live off countless “what-if’s” in your mind? Have you decided to just ignore your feelings and try your best not to feel or entertain these emotions that you have? I say otherwise. If you can teach the heart who and how to love, then it would be too easy, it wouldn’t be so dramatic and exhilarating. One way or another, even if you say you don’t want it to happen, he or she will come and find a way into your life. What if you decide to wait? Can you bare the pain and regret, and seeing the

would-be love of your life become happy in the arms of someone else? Waiting is the rust of the soul, and if you just sit there and just wait, nothing will ever happen. It’s true that it is better to wait for the right one than go looking for him or her, but up to what extent? Just pass on every chance you get to know someone new? If you keep on waiting, you will indeed wait in vain for love. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. The heart wants what it wants, and it will find a way just to get closer to its goal. The both of you can be either in the same committee, the same project the organization is working on, or simply just the two of you having the same schedule of breaks or the same professors in subjects. From small talks to deep turns in conversations, life will find a way to bring the two of you together. There’s still that one person out there who is the same as you, waiting to meet you, or to meet you again. That person may just be a glance away from captivating your heart. It can be the other way around though, that you may have captivated someone else’s heart, and you have yet to know who. Your only enemy is self-doubt and fear of rejection. That certain spark might just be there. But the question is, would that spark be strong enough to start the flame? Bruno Santos is the quintessential sad man in Ecosoc, and the world knows that his loves are many. ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 73

WALL OF MEMORIES Here, Ecosocers place their favorite experiences from Ecosoc

CULTURE

74 â&#x20AC;˘ JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 75

ECHOES

TACKLING THE TABOO

by Flora Palabrica

DUE TO POPULAR MEDIA, MOST PEOPLE’S INTRODUCTION TO THE TERM “BDSM” CAN BE BLAMED

on Ms. E.L. James, British author of the international bestseller “50 Shades of Grey”. (Who, with one series, has me doubting everything said about the English and their corresponding sexual repression.) For those who haven’t heard of the book, “50 Shades” is about a cynical cold-hearted businessman named Christian Grey who falls in love with the naive post-graduate student, Anastasia Steele. Now if you think, hey I’ve seen this plotline only around a million times before, what sets the novel apart is the sex, or the copious amounts of it to be more exact. Commonly referred to as “mommy porn”, this set of novels has educated women all over the world on the BDSM lifestyle. 76 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

CULTURE TAPED TO A CHAIR How thrilling, no?

owever, James’ portrayal is far from accurate and in fact, tends towards the extreme. Her portrayal of Grey as a sexual predator that prowls around his dungeon (aka the Red Room of Pain) as he preys on innocents, and her insinuation that Grey’s sexual preferences are a result from childhood abuse and psychological illness, come dangerously close to undermining the BDSM community’s efforts to remove the bias and disgust associated with their lifestyle all these years. Granted, the series has made great strides towards generating public interest in the lifestyle, but her depiction of it is a skewed one and should be corrected. So let’s strip things down and discuss the bare facts of BDSM as well as the common misconceptions. BDSM stands for Bondage/Discipline (BD), Domination/Submission (DS), and Sadism/Masochism (SM). Colloquially, it is referred to simply as “kink” or “S&M”. There are many varied aspects to the lifestyle such as bondage, roleplay, domination and submission and although different and interdependent from each other, they share a single focus. The complete consensual control of one person over another is the primary appeal of the lifestyle, which can be achieved with or without sexual contact. Typically, there is one dominant and one submissive in the relationship. The “dominant” or “top” is the person directing the activity and providing the sensation while the “bottom” or “submissive” is the person following the direction of the dominant and receiving the sensation. Considering the disparity in power dynamics, it’s quite understandable how the safety of the submissive might be put to question. Upon closer inspection, however, both participants have nothing to fear. The three basic tenets of every Dominant/ Submissive relationship are: safety, sanity, and consent. Safety means that before the BDSM scene starts, there must be an open and honest communication between the two parties. Each participant’s limits and expectations are thoroughly discussed. The agreement on a safe word is necessary before they proceed since this is of paramount importance when it comes to the safety of the relationship. A safe word is a word or phrase that once used by the submissive, completely stops the BDSM scene. The existence of this completely abolishes the myth that PHOTOS FROM THE INTERNET

the submissives are being taken advantage of or abused and in fact, they are actually the ones in the position of power for they decide just how far a scene can actually go. When the bottom invokes the safe word as a stop signal, her top will obey immediately. As such, BDSM facilitates an environment where both parties are given the chance to experiment with taking and surrendering power, while always feeling safe and secure. The value of consent cannot be stressed enough in this type of relationship, for it is what draws a definitive line between domination and abuse. Domination in this scenario is always consensual, while abuse never is. Neither can it be said that BDSM promotes a culture of violence since violence is characterized by the actual intent to do physical or psychological harm. Although some aspects of BDSM might include what is termed ‘impact play’ or spanking and whipping, attitude and intent will always distinguish fantasy punishment from real retribution. Through the years, the depiction of the lifestyle has evolved from something dark and dirty to something that’s simply risqué. It’s even been portrayed as funny and romantic in various sitcoms and TV commercials. Once again, the most recent and sensationalized example of society’s acceptance, and even fascination, with the lifestyle is the success of the “Fifty Shades” series. And although it doesn’t quite do the BDSM scene justice, it still serves a part in propagating knowledge about the lifestyle. Reef Karim, a board-certified psychiatrist as well as the founder and medical director of the Control Center for Addictions, says that this novel is possibly changing people’s minds about the definition of normal and abnormal sexuality. He promotes experimentation with BDSM in a relationship by adding that, “Many people in our society have hidden (or not so hidden) fantasies involving kink, S&M, or altered sexual behaviour. ‘50 Shades of Grey’ has opened up the conversation of previously hidden sexual desires and fantasies of many women. Life isn’t always black and white; sometimes it’s fun to live with a little grey.” Flora Palabrica apped for Echoes a long time ago, maybe even ancient history for some. Then she went to Externals and became a Vice-Chair. ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 77

ECHOES

ON A SCALE OF L HOW HAPPY

by Samanth

THERE’S NEVER AN INFORMATIVE ANSWER WHEN P TO MAKE A SCALE FOR YOU TO USE AS COMPARISON SAY: “I’M LIKE MIKE SAULO HAPPY RIGHT NOW.” “I HATE THE WORLD LIKE BOZ HATES WEAR

Cause he got Derek as his bestfriend awwwwww (Editor’s note: For the record, he’s not my best friend...)

Swear walang time na pupunta akong tambayan na di siya nakatawa

She's like the freaking singing sun!

She's like this in-extinguishable ball of bubbly cuteness and joyful energy, despite being busy in so many activities and her acads...

78 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

Happy and loud personality that radiates to a lot of other mems!

He loves to speak english lol Eh siya si Mike Saulo eh

Never frowns, always smiles, never gets pissed off, curse her and she'll probably just laugh it off...

Lagi siyang may joke sa lahat ng bagay, he doesn't take things too seriously (not that it's a bad thing!)

Like they don't know what sad is

Tangina marunong ba yun hindi ngumiti

Damn she laughs and it's like rinig hanggang sa Econ 101 class ko

In a "I care wh think I w hi to ra strange make one m friend ' wanna my hap way. Sh like Adv Tim She l defau

CULTURE

LYON TO BRUNO, Y ARE YOU?

ha Gonzales

PEOPLE ASK US “ARE YOU HAPPY?” SO I’VE DECIDED N SO THAT THE NEXT TIME SOMEONE ASKS YOU CAN

” RING THINGS THAT AREN’T BLACK!”

I don't hat you will say andom ers and everymy best 'cause i spread ppiness" he looks venture me. looks ult sad

She's always stressed?

Lungkot niya tignan haha

I'm really scared of him esp. when he stares.

Always hates on the world like mayroon siyang pinagdadaanan.

Based on how I know her, the things she's told people and the things she posts online, she seems to have problems

Even though he laughs all the time, I see him looking sad when no one is looking.

His happiness is a facade. He's just so sad

When he keeps quiet out of nowhere, he has that certain look of dismay just like how a fat kid finds out there's no more OBEM J.Co Donuts.

I can't feel any happy vibes from this guy. One of his favourite songs is about suicide.

He tweets emo things Listens to emo things Does emo things

Is this supposed to be a fucking rhetorical question?

ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 79

ECHOES

THE MODERN MASTERS by Olivia Solomon

WE AT ECHOES TRY TO BE CONNOISSEURS OF THE FINE THINGS IN LIFE AND WITH THE

constant flooding of our timelines of pubmats of this event and that event, I have been tasked - with my somewhat passable knowledge about “art” (or Art) thanks to Art Stud 1 and 2 and a few trips to the Vargas Museum, the J. Paul Getty Museum, The Museum of Contemporary Art, and to the AS bulletin boards – to analyze Ecosoc’s own pubmat makers and how their works figure-in in the world of art. And obviously, this is a very pretentious dilettante-esque article because even the concept of art itself is arguable. Let us operate on the notion that our pubmat “artists” have risen from a pen-and-paper world and have been catapulted into a world where photoshop skills reign supreme. Swag.

SAM GONZALES

ARSENIO LUKBAN

Muse: Sam begins her creative process by getting inspiration by looking at anything trendy - music, film, tv, graphic design and uses what works for her current project. Art theory that can be related to her works: Constructivism encapsulates Sam’s trendy style with a heavy usage of geometric patterns.

Muse: Ars explains that when he was starting out in making pubmats, he drew some of his inspiration from Sam’s works. Now, he likes to look at whatever looks nice before he starts with a new work - nature, photographs, different types of pubmats, internet sites. Even people’s criticisms contribute in his artistic process. Most importantly, the want to change things not be just normal is a driving force for his works. Art theory that can be related to her works: He says that his works are very formalist because of his use of solid lines, although he's trying to venture out from his formalist phase much like how Picasso shifted from his “blue” phase. Masterpiece: For the Gossip G. cover, Kenneth told him to create a silhoutte so he used household materials for the shoot and he feels accomplished that his “struggling artist” moment has produced very commendable results. For the Yasmin cover, He recalls that it was one of the first few times he felt like a fashion photographer. For Foodgasm, Sam gave him the concept for the pubmat and he liked the process of making it and the cleanliness of it.

CONSTRUCTIVISM Back in the U.S.S.R....

Masterpiece: Sam is really proud of the product of what people learn from her tutorial sessions.

ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR We don't condone piracy 80 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

ARS Before Echoes had GJ, Jude, and now, Cara, we had Ars.

CULTURE

DEREK PARREÑAS

Muse: He first said, “Pictures of naked women.” (Editor's note: WTF, Olivia...) But after a week, he said his inspiration was nature and architecture. Art theory that can be related to her works: “Neo-constructivist.” Masterpiece: He’s very proud of his fifth baby, the June Issue.

PAULO BAUTISTA

KYLA RIVERA

Muse: Kyla takes most of her pubmat inspiration from that certain graphic design website that’s really awesome. Art theory that can be related to her works: Impressionist because her color palette is a nice mix of bubblegum colors. She generally goes with a happy and kiddie feel but since Musikapella, her works have had a more serious tone in them. Masterpiece: Fun fact: Kyla is a hustler.

MONINA SANCHEZ

Muse: He likes to look at pretty things that he appreciates in the hope that other people will appreciate also. Art theory that can be related to her works: He describes his works as modernist - things that look like they were made from a computer. Masterpiece: This man is the Creatives director for EM.

Muse: Her muse depends on from project to project since and she looks at whatever is suitable for whatever she’s working on at the moment. She likes to look at the NYC and CAP pubmats as her inspiration in terms of design and style for more serious projects. Art theory that can be related to her works: Classicism. Mon likes to keep her serious pubmats clean-looking but for her other projects, she likes to make things appear as real as possible. Masterpiece: The newly released NYC pubmat is what she considers as her best work to date.

THE FORCE Paubau says this is his masterpiece.

NYC Even here, you guys get exposure!

OTHER PHOTOS FROM THE INTERNET

ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 81

ECHOES

JUS NUQUE

CHIARA BUERGO

Muse: Jus finds her muse by looking at a lot of “creative stuff” Muse: Chiara gets her creative process going by looking at the online like images and things that people did. previous pubmats of the project and looking up things on the Art theory that can be related to her works: She describes her internet by searching for key terms related to it. Her creative style as minimalist and flat because she doesn’t like clutter in process is often based on the theme of the project or event she her work. is currently working on. Masterpiece: The NYC primer. Art theory that can be related to her works: She says her style varies per event but generally, her style is modernist. Also, she usually prefers to mix pictures together instead of making things from scratch. Masterpiece: She is most proud of her work in the theme video for Musikapella and because technology hasn’t allowed me to print the video in this issue, I present to you a screenshot. (I have yet to find this video, apparently it’s the one with the jeep)

RIA TENSUAN

Muse: Ria says she gets inspiration from the previous works she has seen but in general, she gets ideas from the internet and from her friends who share things to her. Art theory that can be related to her works: Her style is more on the minimalist side since she doesn’t like her work to be too over-the-top. Simplicity is very important in her creative process. Masterpiece: The Battle Royale pubmat last semester is her choice as her best work. She did this pubmat with Boz who sketched some parts of the pubmat.

BATTLE ROYALE Seems like a motto for all seasons 82 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

DEA VILLAROSA

Muse: Her answer is simple, “I have to out-do the last pubmat I did.” Art theory that can be related to her works: She describes her style to be modernist with a neo-classical side.

Masterpiece: Referring to the to-be released TF pubmat for this sem, “Wait for it.”

CULTURE

WALL OF SECRETS

Compiled by Derek Parreñas

I ASKED, AND YOU SUPPLIED! HERE ARE THE LATEST GOSSIP-WORTHY TIDBITS THAT YOU'LL NEVER ACTUALLY GUESS RIGHT!

1 2 3

Poop is afraid of the escalator. She doesn’t know why. JMA has a crush on Derek.

Charlie Brown used to inflict injury upon herself in all sorts of means because of her mentally abusive father.

Bubbly personality wants to rape this person that they think would be noisy in bed.

Other Half sometimes randomly thinks of people and how they would be naked. She doesn’t will it but it happens.

Coin Toss liked a girl who definitely friendzoned him. And when she got a boyfriend, he had to sit through all her tales about him. It’s been 2 years, and he hasn’t gotten totally over her.

Loser had a big crush on this girl who he was too shy and nervous to talk to. He later found the courage to talk to her when she became one of the girlfriends of his best friend. The three of them would hang out together sometimes, but neither of them found out he was ever interested in her.

Rainman wants to know if his girl friends masturbate and how often they do it. Included in that is what they imagine when doing it. ”Such a taboo thing self-pleasure is when it comes to women.”

Foursquared met a girl in his freshman year that almost turned lesbian the summer before college started. She told that to him in confidence and the idea of making out to make her lose her feelings for the girl arose. Foursquared didn’t say if it worked out for her.

Grant’s left foot got run over by a school bus while playing jack split when he was in grade 1. I didn't feel it until everyone else was screaming already. “No fractures, thank goodness.”

Hopeless Dreamer was "enchanted" to meet and get to know this person who she has been admiring for more than a year now. She thinks that he/she is clueless about how she feel. Samantha Baker threw a major tantrum on my 16th birthday because my family wanted to go somewhere she didn't want go to. All because they forgot about my birthday.

When Arthur was a kid, he'd hate it when classes were cancelled. He'd always wish that the rains would go and that he could go to school. He wanted to be with his friends. He just didn't want to be alone at home.

YOUR SECRETS ARE FOREVER SAFE WITH ME. UNLESS YOU WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE. THEN ITS NOT REALLY A SECRET. TILL NEXT TIME. ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 83

ECHOES

LION'S DEN: BEST SHOWS OF 2013

by Lyon Leus

APART FROM BEING A FIERCE CELEBRITY WARRIOR WITH AMAZONIAN ROOTS, I’M ALSO A TV JUNKIE. I spend way too many hours of my time in the land of make-believe, indulging myself in the problems of people who don’t even exist. But lately, I have been plagued by pangs of guilt – for I have been keeping the secret to my infinite wit and animated personality from my peers. So here I am, bestowing upon the rest of you what makes my life worth living.

BATE'S MOTEL A “contemporary prequel” to the 1960 film Psycho, it depicts the life of Norman Bates and his mother Norma prior to the events of Hitchcock’s film in a modern setting. ‘Intense’ is the perfect word to describe the show created by co-executive producers Carlton Cuse (Lost) and Kerry Ehrin (Friday Night Lights). It’s a compelling show – every episode gets you hooked, whether it’s the thrilling scenes or the brilliant acting. Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore breathe new life to the iconic roles of Norma and Norman Bates in 21st century prequel. The first season was good – with references to the 1960 film and with other things that is very much its own; like the introduction of Norman’s brother Dylan (portrayed by Max Thieriot). Although sometimes the pacing felt too quick (sex slaves, pot fields, and murderers all in half a season!), the 10-episode season of the A&E drama didn’t fail to please and ended with a bang. Bates Motel returns for its second season on 2014.

84 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

TEEN WOLF Now on its third season, the show is centered on Scott McCall, a high school student who is bitten by a werewolf while looking for a dead girl in the woods with his friend Stiles. With his new powers, Scott is forcefully thrust into the world of the supernatural. People tend to ignore MTV’s scripted shows because of its atrocious amount of reality TV. The network, however, shines when it comes to their scripted shows. Teen Wolf is a supernatural drama re-created by showrunner Jeff Davis (Breaking Bad) from the 1985 film of the same name. The show may just be the gayest show currently airing on television – and I mean that in a good way. In this series, homosexuality isn’t simply tolerated, it’s absolutely normal. This approach is monumental for television and is highlighted by the friendship between the out gay teen Danny Mahealani (Keanu Kahuanui) and Jackson Whittemore (Colton Haynes). Even though it had a slow start, Teen Wolf’s penchant for witty dialogue, vibrant characterization and shirtless scenes made it a solid show on the network. Teen Wolf is currently airing the first half of its third season, with episodes until August. It’s set to return on January 2014.

CULTURE

THE FOSTERS

UNDER THE DOME

Lena and Stef Foster, a lesbian couple decide to take-in Callie, a troubled teen with an abusive past. In a new environment, Callie tries to live her life with Brandon, Stef’s biological son and the adopted twins Mariana and Jesus.

Under The Dome tells the story of the residents of Chester’s Mill, who get cut off from the rest of the world by an impenetrable barrier that surrounds the town.

I love Jennifer Lopez, I really do, but her recent attempts at harnessing her talents haven’t really been fruitful (a three-peat collaboration with Pitbull reeks of desperation). However, her foray into producing brought forth one of the most heartwarming and moving shows in American television today. It’s easy to criticize the show for cramming in too many “controversial” topics in its one hour run, but keep in mind: seeing a lesbian, biracial couple on a family TV show is a big deal. It’s not done for comic relief, unlike some of the shows out there. It shouldn’t really be a big deal at this point – shows should offer diverse casts – but if you scrutinize the demographics of TV shows, the importance of this decision shows itself. Unlike “The New Normal”, The Fosters isn’t here to preach or screech at its audience. It simply aims to paint a picture of what ABC Family calls “a different kind of family.” The Fosters is currently on its first season.

A book-to-TV adaptation of the Stephen King novel, Under the Dome is a suspenseful TV drama along the vein of Lost. The pilot takes a moment to introduce us to its characters and to the drama surrounding them, before detonating the main storyline on our faces like a volatile bomb. What makes this series tick is its uncanny premise and its repercussions to the characters. In every episode, you can feel the paranoia growing in the hearts of the citizens of Chester’s Mill. This brings about the worst in people and causes them to turn against each other. The protagonists’ struggles to find order in the middle of the chaos makes for very entertaining television. Under The Dome is currently on its first season.

AND THERE YOU HAVE IT, MORTALS. FEAST YOUR EAR AND EYE-TONGUES ON THESE TV POPS AND GET ONE STEP CLOSER TO BECOMING A WITTY SUPERSTAR DIVA LIKE ME. PHOTOS FROM THE INTERNET AND ARIS DACANAY

ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 85

ECHOES

A GUIDE TO OUTFIT EXTRAS I ONCE HEARD THAT SOME STORE ATTENDANTS JUDGE CUSTOMERS BASED ON THEIR FOOTWEAR. I don’t blame them. Shoes and accessories can be the difference between a fashion disaster and a great outfit; more importantly, what you wear with your clothes can tell a lot about you. I shall help you decide what to wear with your clothes tomorrow.

SHOES BALLET FLATS:

“I’m girly. I’m sort of lazy. Do I look dainty enough?” Ballet flats come in different designs and textures, from patent to cloth, which make them incredibly versatile. They can be worn when you are going for a basic look or even when you simply don’t have anything else to wear. I won’t judge anyone who opts for this one, but maybe try something more adventurous next time?

WEDGES:

“I want to be taller!” The answer to petite girls’ problems, wedges can deliver additional height with less (or almost no) pain. They can make an outfit look polished without trying hard, so I think it’s safe to say that most styles are perfectly acceptable for school.

by Kristina Viray

Just in case you’re still confused, brogues are simply oxfords with perforated detailing. They were more popular in the past years, but thankfully they haven’t disappeared. Admittedly a safe option, you can pair them with a girly outfit to temper things down. I doubt you’ll get judged for wearing this even though it’s totally outof-season.

PUMPS:

“I want to feel sexy.” A pair of pumps should be one of the shoes that every woman has. They are basic heels, but traversing in school in pumps can be really tricky. Yes, they make your legs and ass look amazing, but they probably aren’t worth the hassle. Save them for a place with better flooring, yeah?

JELLY SHOES:

SLIPPERS:

“I’m so prepared for the

“I’m chill yet classy.”

rain!”

No, I do not mean Havaianas and Islander. If you know what I’m talking about, good for you. If not, are you sure you haven’t been living under a rock? Usually embellished with studs or stones, they rank high in the versatility scale as well. They are almost like flats without the overly-girly vibe so go for it; they aren’t overrated yet.

SANDALS/FLIP-FLOPS:

“Is it summer yet?” Sandals and flip-flops are the ultimate summer footwear. Newsflash: it’s not summer anymore. They aren’t the smartest choice now that it’s the rainy season. They can be worn with almost anything, but do you really want to have dirty feet at the end of the day?

BROGUES/OXFORDS:

“This is my attempt to be slightly androgynous.” 86 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

Made famous by Melissa, jelly shoes are perfect for the weather now. They also come in several designs, so you need not worry about looking terrible. They look fine, rain or shine. I suggest you invest in one of these babies.

VANS:

“I like it simple and comfortable.” Vans are the ultimate college shoes. They are comfortable yet stylish, thanks to the various available designs. Both men and women wear them and are perfect for any weather. I hope you get the appeal now.

CULTURE Now that you want them, I want you to know that Vans are sold several colors and patterns, it can be difficult to spot the same bag twice in one day. They are convenient to use, thanks to for almost twice the price here in the Philippines. its structure. I understand the popularity. I don’t suggest using one everywhere, especially the mall, though. The security guard will probably ask you to open each compartment, and it’s KEDS: really not worth the hassle. Besides, why would you bring one “I don’t want to wear Vans.” to the mall? Keds are like Vans’ babies. Both can be functional, but the former look, for a lack of better term, soft. I don’t mean the texture, by the way. Go for this if you think Vans are too strong for your taste or just because you think everyone else is wearing Vans.

MESSENGER BAGS:

“I value my education, but I refuse to carry a backpack.”

SUPERGA:

“My shoes are Italian. Fuck you.” Superga shoes are Vans’ less popular competitor. The usual styles come in solid colors. For overall quality, there aren’t a lot of differences if you ask me. It has yet to gain popularity, so go ahead and get one. They can handle rain and UP terrain well, trust me.

BOAT SHOES:

“I am preppy and classier than all of you.” Ah, boat shoes are the unofficial conyo shoes. They usually go together with the rest of the conyo uniform which includes a polo shirt and chinos or shorts. Anyone who wears them is tagged as the rich kid with great style. That is not always the case. That kid might be the caretaker of the yacht.

Messenger bags gained popularity a few years back, and they are still prevalent today. Usually made of durable, waterproof materials, they can be the perfect alternative for the backpack.

SATCHELS:

“I’m trying to balance style and function.” Necessities and books will barely fit the small ones, but bigger satchels can be the answer to your bag needs. The hype has declined, but they are still perfectly acceptable to use. After all, they can make you look like you mean business without sacrificing how you look, plus points if yours is Cambridge.

HOBO BAGS/BUCKET BAGS/DOCTOR’S BAGS: “I don’t really care about my books. My bag goes with my outfit.”

BASKETBALL SHOES:

Hobo bags, bucket bags and doctor’s bags may not the best option for school. The larger ones may be able to fit your school needs, but your bag might not be able to support the weight. Basketball shoes are, well, for basketball. They are great to look The thing is they look good. I say screw your books and use at, but they can be a waste if you wear them for show. Inside and them anyway. outside the court, they make the wearers look sporty, obviously. I just hope you think about the underpaid workers who made your shoes while you’re taking that winning shot. CHOOSING BAGS AND SHOES TO GO WITH YOUR “I

swear I’m not a poser.”

BAGS BACKPACKS:

“I value my education and comfort.”

OUTFIT CAN BE TRICKY. You might want to consider your

itinerary and the weather. Ask yourself, do you want them to complement what you’re wearing or should one be the pièce de résistance? Or whatever. We won’t be the ones carrying your bag and wearing your shoes anyway.

Backpacks are the Vans of bags; almost everyone has one. With PHOTOS FROM TUMBLR

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CALM DURING THE STORM

by Mix Que

S THE RAINY SEASON COMES ROLLING IN, SOME OF US CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL AS GLOOMY AS THE

the weather. The dark skies coupled with back-to-back exams aren’t exactly what I’d call the makings of a perfect day. Maybe some of you are thinking, well, this is the perfect weather to get my cuddle on and maybe even get some MOMOL action done BUT if you’re one of those unlucky bastards like me who were friendzoned (Editor’s note: So it IS true.), cuddling is clearly out of the picture. So what exactly can a lonely angsty college student do this rainy season? As cliché as it sounds, the only thing you can do is listen to music and watch some movies. Of course, you can go do these things with your friends. Assuming you have some. In that case, you guys can bond over these songs and movies; maybe even learn a thing or two about each other and… (dot dot dot)

LISTEN TO MUSIC: Mix's For A Rainy Day Playlist

I don’t care what kind of fancy crap they tell you in class but music is the universal language. Nothing and no one can change that. Because of its universality, we have songs for any and every occasion. Now here’s a personal list of my favorite “rainy day” songs plus the lines that really made these songs crack my top ten.

1) Taylor Swift - All Too Well "And I know it's long gone, And that magic's not here no more, And I might be okay, But I'm not fine at all."

6) A Rocket To The Moon- Like We Used To "Can you do all these things? Will you do all these things Like we used to?"

2) Adele- Don’t You Remember "Why don't you remember? Don't you remember? The reason you loved me before Baby, please remember me once more."

7) Andrew Belle- In My Veins "Oh, you run away 'Cause I am not what you found Oh, you're in my veins And I cannot get you out."

3) Aerosmith- What Could’ve Been Love

8) The Eli Young Band- We Could Be Forever

"Didn't know, couldn't see what was right in front of me. And now that I'm alone all I have is emptiness that comes from being free. What could have been love will never be." 4) Matthew Perryman Jones- Only You "I could start it over and find somebody new A beautiful distraction, just a hand to hold on to But if you ask me, would that love be true?" 5) Ed Sheeran- UNI "And I don't get waves of missing you anymore, They're more like tsunami tides in my eyes Never getting dry."

"You may never think about me 'Cause you'd find somebody new And he would say all those things that I wanted to." 9) Pink ft. Nate Ruess- Just Give Me A Reason "I never stopped You're still written in the scars on my heart You're not broken just bent And we can learn to love again." 10) Carrie Underwood- Wine After Whiskey "Now everything after you Is like having wine after whiskey It went from do anything for you babe To you don’t even miss me."

SILVER LINING: Now I’m just going to assume that you guys are wondering why I chose these songs because I can’t hear you over

the sound of my heart breaking into a million pieces. But really, when you think about it, these songs are perfect to help you get over the weather. Because as you’re singing your heart out in the showers to that overrated Taylor Swift song, you won’t be thinking about that dos you desperately need to raise your GWA, the only thing on your mind is “Thank God my ex didn’t write a song about me.”

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CULTURE

MIX AND FRIENDS Enjoying the storm

WATCH MOVIES:

This is probably the most cliché thing to do this rainy season but it’s cliché for a reason. But you can’t just watch any movie, you have to watch the best of the best. Lucky for you, I’m a self-proclaimed movie junkie with no life. These movies I’m gonna give you are the best of its kind and are a sure way to brighten up your life. If you don’t believe me, I’ve included critic reviews and its IMDB rating for good measure.

1) Batman and Robin (1997) [IMDB RATING: 3.6] Many of us know the Batman series from when Christopher Nolan was at the helm and Christian Bale was our dark crusader watching over Gotham. But a little over a decade ago, Arnold Schwarzenegger traded his Ithaca 37 (huge ass shotgun from Terminator) for a freeze gun when he played Mr. Freeze in the 1997 installment of the Burton/Schumacher Batman film series alongside George Clooney and Chris O’ Donnell as Batman and Robin respectively. WHY IT’S ON THE LIST: uhm. BAT NIPPLES. GEORGE CLOONEY IN A SUIT. ALICIA SILVERSTONE’S IN THE BATGIRL SUIT. Need I say more? 2) Gigli (2003) [IMDB RATING: 2.4] If Brangelina happened because of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Bennifer happened because of this little movie called Gigli. Originally intended to be a black comedy, studio suits decided to change it up and exploit the then sizzling Bennifer romance. So from a mob comedy to a romantic comedy involving a lesbian and a lowly mob goon, we find ourselves blessed with a lot of J.Lo butt cleavage and some Christopher Walken action. WHY IT’S ON THE LIST: All I have to say is there’s a reason Jennifer Lopez turned straight in this movie and it sure as hell ain’t the plot. [clue: BEN FREAKING AFFLECK] 3) Movie 43 (2013) [IMDB RATING: 4.4] A movie so big I didn’t even bother looking through the entire IMDB cast list. With stars like Hugh Jackman, Dennis Quaid, Emma Stone, Kate Winslet, this movie was expected to be the SNL of all movie comedies. To its credit, it did manage to squeeze in three subplots in to one…err…plot, for lack of a better term. WHY IT’S ON THE LIST: As a movie junkie, I’ve seen a little over a thousand films and I’ve got to say, I have never seen anything like Movie 43. EVER. 4) Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (2004) [IMDB RATING: 1.9] Words can’t even describe how I feel about the babies in this movie. They’re completely adorable AND they’re geniuses. What an awesome way to boost the self-esteem of a bunch of awkward college kids, right? But seriously speaking, this is one of the few movies I’ve watched that actually had me rooting for the bad guy played by Jon Voight. That counts for something…right? WHY IT’S ON THE LIST: Jon Voight in a movie with a bunch of adorable babies? How can anyone say no?

SILVER LINING: Now before you guys hunt me down and call me a liar, I’d like to point out that I did not lie. These movies are

in fact the best of their kind. They are the best of the worst. So why did I suggest these movies to you guys? A) I watched them and sat through these movies so you guys should too! It’s life experience. B) These movies are so freaking bad, they’re just good enough to make you forget about your problems. Half these movies, I recommend watching while drunk. The other half will get you so freaking messed up you might as well be drunk. Either way, the weather will be the last of your worries as long as you’ve got these movies rolling. Trust me. With the rains expected to continue throughout the rest of the year, I suggest you buy a copy of these songs and movies (or as my sister suggested, you may also pray to the glorious internet gods to bless you with a free copy) and hold on to them for dear life. One last piece of advice: as cliché as it sounds, we have to realize that there really are some storms that we cannot weather. Sometimes, we have to realize that it’s not about waiting for the rain to pass but about learning to dance in the rain. ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 89

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THINGS I DIDN’T NEED TO KNOW BY SAM GONZALES Does this even need an intro still???

CURLZ MT EDITION

1. Rich watches porn every day. No, not the member. 2. Angela Mantes has never actually cut her own toenails. Her mommy does it for her. 3. Lyon keeps all his nail clippings in one box! So does Angela’s mom...probably. 4. The first thing Pam Ramos does when she wakes up is to pick her nose. 5. Kristina needs to stop herself from licking shapely arms. She succeeds to this day but is bound to crack. 6. Coleen Villaluz really loves singing when she’s alone to the point of looking for karaoke videos and lyrics to songs all the time. #DamingOras 7. When Jessica Biscocho was 3 years old, she forgot that she was holding a blade and scratched her head. Aruy! 8. When Martin Consing is alone, he pretends to be in Helm’s Deep with Lord of the Rings characters. GJ probably does this too. 9. When Miguel Rey Ramos is alone in his dorm he sings and dances in front of the mirror. If he’s naked while he does it, we’ll never know. 10. Ars shouts like a crazy man when “[he is] home alone without anyone to judge [him]” 11. Mark Buenaventura’s mom judged him for screaming like a girl when he saw flying ipis. 12. Derek once copied Bane and Joker and proceeded to have them converse with each other 13. Ines used to see how long her pet fish could stay out of the water by taking them out of their bowl with a plastic spoon. That’s not scary at all.

14. Lerizze used to watch "My wife and Kids" and there's this one episode where he says "this is a dictatorship and I'm dick" and she didn't know what that meant so she kept saying it then she told a frienda number of times then the friend totally judged her. 15. Ayi hated the smell of other people's feet except her own. One wonders how she has tested this. 16. At one point in Klaud’s life, she ate popcorn for a whole week. On the seventh day, she couldn’t process it anymore so she barfed into an empty tumbler. The tumbler got filled with vomit to the brim. Y U M ! 17. Brian Cruz only learned how to commute in college! 18. We don’t know the scientific basis of this but: Hazel Lim needs to tuck her shirt in whenever she sleeps so that she doesn’t get LBM when she wakes up. We don’t really need the scientific basis though. 19. AK once left her retainers in Jollibee so the crew had to dig it up from the trash. I’ve been there, AK. I’ve been there. 20. Did you know that Timmy actually has a unibrow but he just plucks it regularly? Now you do. 21. And our winner: PatMen has a thing for Daniel Padilla. So much so that she went to his concert and mall show. AND: she’s part of a Daniel Padilla online group “pero hindi ako active at all okay...........” Sure you aren’t, PatMen. Sure you aren’t.

I FEEL LIKE WE’RE ALL BETTER FRIENDS NOW.

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CULTURE

by Olivia Solomon

CULTURE SWAG

IN A WORLD WHERE NESCAFÉ COFFEE IN A CAN FROM ATE LEONIE’S HAS REPLACED OUR REGULAR 3-IN-1 NESCAFÉ COFFEE BOUGHT FROM THE SUPERMARKET NEAR STARBUCKS, THERE IS A GROWING NEED TO PRESERVE THE CULTURED UNICORNS OF ECOSOC. WE HUNTED DOWN THE MOUSTACHIOED AND EXTRA SWAGGILY CULTURE-PERFECT ECOSOC MEMS WHO PUT THE “CULT” IN CULTURE AND HERE THEY ARE IN THE MOST CULTURED WAY YOU’VE EVER SEEN THEM.

TEA PARTY WITH THE BARAKO BOYS Jose Miguel Alcaneses and Godfrey Cabrera had a nice afternoon tea with their guest Jose Marella (aka Taking aka GJ’s thesis partner). They sipped their carefully prepared Earl Grey tea whilst eating Dewberry biscuits imported all the way from France. (Please notice how prettily their pinkies are raised in a very gentleman-like manner.) ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 91

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STARBUCKS FROM ATE LEONY’S WITH RYNA The back-parking Starbucks umbrellas are back and Ryna was spotted having a nice cup of Caramel Macchiato from Ate Leony’s. This beats all the pretentious hipster fiends who take pictures of themselves smoking while drinking Starbucks because Ryna’s class will whoop yo’ li’l ass. 92 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

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ECON WANDERLAND 2013 Mabel, Loice, Pau, and Klaud were spotted going all music festival yoloswag mode in front of the Lounge. Their outfit choices were A++ hippie and they were standing on organic floor tiles (aka grass) while enjoying listening to the cathartic noise from the Econ tambayans. All of this happened under a slight drizzle of rain. Intense. They are rumoured to be preparing to go full-on groupie mode during the xxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s concert here in Econ.

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#TWEETABLETWEETS BY @MARTETEKOMALIIT #SWAG.

@lyonceknowles on a scale of one to having Ryan Gosling as your dream husband how delirious are you @kylasagna "Buti pa si Sleeping Beauty, patulogtulog lang, nagka-lovelife. Eh kayong mga gising?" - Huhu :))) @hazelmadiLIM Me: Hi can I order an Iced Coffee with no ice. HAHAHAHAH wtf @simplycatriz Cancel my subscription, I'm over your issues. @ecanamixx Navarro gonna give you up, Navarro gonna let you down... @PB_andGeli can i report on the sona 2013 gowns tomorrow, instead? i have a lot to say about maam quimbo just demolishing everyone.

@bozdigay my roommate is humping his girlfriend.. uhm, hello.. i'm still here.

@rynaclaro Holy Guacamole. My mom's got a Twitter account..... What do I do???

@oliviyup nakaka-unf yung unfiness mo @zaynmalik

@ayi_dave Sobrang affected with the Nikki-Billy breakup ok. Lost all hope in love kami nalang ni shawarma rice

@_Derelicte Di Ko Kayang Tanggapin by April Boy Regino #FaveHugotSong @Musikapella @_JoshDoIt #DearEx What's this? @lyonceknowles i don't feel productive i feel reproductive @alanorqui Nakakabulag na ang bangs. Had to borrow/steal le sister's headband at pantali. #samuraimode

@_Derelicte Cute small squeaky thing. Two weeks old! 96 â&#x20AC;˘ JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

@famamfa JOMAC MAKES FUN OF FAT PEOPLE UGH!!!!!! @famamfa "I'M A FAT MAN I CAN DO THAT!!!" jomac @MarteteKoMaliit Waking to my classroom and the girl in front of me is moaning....... ?????????

CULTURE

@kylasagna Forever gutom or excuse ko lang iyon para tumigil magbasa sa 162 hahaha

@donelleumali what about us people on Twitter, PNoy? SONA ko rin ba to :(

@xpandiknowit Feel ko naman unanag tatawagin si Charles so safe ako sa unang question. Or pwede ding si Mike Saulo kung late si Charles. #Econ191

@xpandiknowit #pushmoyan Kate

@Jomicmac Shet. Yari. Nasa banyo ako at walang tubig! HAHAHAHAA =))))

@badjojoseph Is the increase in GDP felt by the poor and the unemployed?

@andeeaguila My (Sims') baby is now a teenager #tears HAHAHA

@EnzoPlurps Under DPWH ba yung new Tambayan... So dapat mabilis na yung Tambayan

@oreomcfLERI Sana naging cake nalang ako kanina

@erolmiranda Aquino: Napakasarap maging Pilipino sa panahong ito....kasi dumating na si LeBron #WitnessGreatness @bruyes_mars Most Romantic Destination ang Pilipinas? Malamang, nandito ka eh.. HAHAHA

@Monina_Sanchez Echoes ibalik nyo ako sa TweetableTweets ninyo pls @beatriz I gave my beagle a bath and it's like I ruined his life :(

@MarteteKoMaliit #OneBigUPFight #notsure

@donelleumali my Sundays are solely dedicated to studying for 131 and crying @bruyes_mars Sinamahan mo siya manood ng Twilight #ThatsLove @PORNetto chem 1 sarap mo ka momol all night hhhmmmm #notsure

@_JoshDoIt @_Derelicte I immediately assumed you were talking about your lovechild or something.

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WHAT'S IN YOUR BAG EXECOMM EDITION NEIL ONG

1 3

9 6

FUN FACT: Neil keeps the movie tickets as souvenirs whenever he goes on dates.

(1) Boarding passes to Taiwan’s bullet train (2) Internet usage card (3) Ecosoc priv card (4) Metro Rail Yellow Line card (5) School ID (6) Ayi Dave’s 1x1 picture (7) Band aid (8)Ecosoc sticker (9) Letter from Ines Pagdanganan (10) Credit card (11) Driver’s license (12) Mabuhay Miles card

RIA TENSUAN

2 6

FUN FACT: Ria has a card from the cruise she was on. She got to visit Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia during that trip.

7 3

(1) Plane tickets (2) School ID (3) Driver’s license (4) Ecosoc priv card (5) ATM card (6) Martin Tensuan’s calling card (7) A pair of keys with a Guam keychain (8) Card from Star Cruises 98 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

CULTURE We’ve always wondered what the leaders of this organization are cooking up in their heads but we’ve decided to do something better: to find out what their deepest darkest secrets are by taking a look at their wallets. (Plus, well, we were really concerned about what GJ is planning in his pseudo-Legolas world and now we are quite afraid that he might start World War III or something close to that.) by Olivia Solomon GJ AGREGADO 6 7 2 4

1 q e

3 FUN FACT: w q “When I was watching "Suits" with my mom one time, I said that I liked how Mike Ross would carry his letterman bag around because he looked like a young corporate cool kid. Next thing I know it she buys me a letterman bag for Christmas.” (1) Rexona Swiss army knife (2) Pencil case (3) Notebooks (4) Gift (5) Econ book (6) Pen (7) Rosary (8) Pack of tissue (9) School ID (10) 2 copies of Sun Tzu’s Art of War (11) Echoes March Issue (12)Hard drive

GELI MEDIDA w

FUN FACT: When Geli was a dormer, her landlady gave her and her dorm mates wallets for Christmas. They all have the same wallet but in different colors. It is the same wallet she has with her in the picture. Her landlady also happens to be her tita.

7 8

(1) Debit card (2) Jollibee coupons (3) Cheque book (4) School ID (5) Driver’s license (6) Prom picture (7) Photo with Execom (8) Calling cards (9) Ecosoc priv card (10) MRT passes (11)Tickets ECHOES | JULY 2013 • 99

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JUSSIP G.

Jus Nuque is back with even more scandalous whatnots. Seesh, she says no one knows who she is down there.

DISCLAIMER: ALL REAL NAMES OF PLACES, PEOPLE, AND EVENTS HAVE BEEN ALTERED TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT. NAMELY, ME.

SIGHTINGS

What causes sadness? Issues. Whether it be issues with yourself, issues with your lover, or issues with your iPhone 5 not fitting in the pocket of your jeans – you can’t live without them. And that’s because I won’t let you. I won’t be saying much this month. I’ll just let the evidence speak for itself.

Comac Jonty and Erich Respino were seen attacking each other in the back parking after a CDC session. Showing violence to the innocent kids, I see. Tsk, tsk. I wouldn’t be surprised if these two have a MOMOL session right after. After all, the more you hate, the more you love. WTF is happening in this fight?

There is a new snake in town, and it ain’t the Viper. Newcomer Python has just entered the Econ building… Literally. Around two months ago. He is on the loose, admiring a number of women in Ecosoc – perhaps even all of them. Now readers, who do you think will be the Python’s next victim? Look at that proximity.

BLOSSOMING LOVE TEAMS

Spotted: Seven potential couples were caught on camera this month. To these lovebirds, think twice before making your moves. We might catch you all over again.

Study Dating

Intimacy

Lovers (?) holding hands

1 inch apart

And who am I? That’s a secret I’ll never tell. You know you love me. XOXO, Jussip G 100 • JULY 2013 | ECHOES.PH

This should be a back hug next time

I won't even attempt to hide their faces

Someone looks like they're having fun

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