ECHOES July 2009

what’s inside 3 Editorial 4 Commnews 10 Harder, Better, Faster, Higher!: CDC with Alumni by Irene Arzadon Fear Factor: Kids Edition by Myra Olaso 11 Ecosoc Gives R&R Week a Brain Boost by Jau Azis Applicants Begin Ecosoc App Trek by Paolo Tamase 12 Ecosoc Premieres “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” by Dominic Garcia “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”: Box Office Hit! by Kenna Barit 13 Feelin’ Below 17 Again by Mhela Calugay 14 Ecosoc Meets Atang by Leslie Octaviano All Events Go! by Steven Hotchkiss 15 Gossip Go Season 2: Guess Who’s Coming? by Reuel Realin Economists Indulge at JPES Acquaintance Party by Reyneil Go PhilCES Update by Ria Sibulo 16 Junior Philippine Economics Society: Empowering the Youth Through Economic Excellence 18 Advertisements 21 How this Pseudo-Article About the Electricity Rates Failed to Buy a Filipino Family One Kilo of Rice by Sieg Alegado 22 Benefit-Cost Analysis of a Tambayan Aircon by Raphael Fulgar 24 The Green Knight by Kenneth Reyes 26 Cartoon Shock!!!: Characters That’ll Electrify Your System by Avril Bries 27 It is Raining as I Write This by iwrotethisforyou 28 Q&A with Q&A: TOP 5!!! by Angelo Quintos and Aaron Aw 30 Spark Notes: Signs Your Relationship is Up for an Upgrade by the Jwill 31 About to Be Unplugged by Ben Bismark 32 When Harry Met Optimus by Vina Salonga and Josh Coquia 34 A Spark-tacular List by Jes Manipon 35 The Economics of PET Bottles by Geoff Bautista 36 Livewire of the Party: 5 Things Losers Should Do to Win by Jamoy Jampac 38 Currently Hooked on Micro Blogging by Karen Orticio 39 Go with the Flow: An Amateur’s Guide on How to Blend in with Ecosocers by Irene Arzadon and Kevin Estopace 40 Fashion Watch: Fashion Wars by The Fashion Police 42 Look Back at the Logbook: Branded 2nd Sem 0506 43 You’re Nothing Until You’re Talked About: Episode 1: Lovegame by Gossip G. Staffbox 48 MemSearch + Comics

semestral theme Today, the UP Economics Society remains true to the young, idealistic vision that created it and to the collective sense of service and camaraderie that sustains it.

The Society has always been proud of its large membership that recognizes their role as agents of societal advancement. Guided by the standards set by previous generations of Ecosocers, as an organization, we maintain this flow of fiery passion for involvement that runs inherent within us, giving power that keeps our goals alive.

This semester, we improve on the things that we presently have by stirring member involvement and igniting everyone’s energy as we fulfill our social responsibilities.

Feel the dynamic energy of Ecosoc vigor set free. Get ready to be zapped by Ecosoc’s contagious enthusiasm!

Let this day be the starting point of another 50 great years in the making.

Be electrified by Ecosoc’s livewire as we, together, intensify the current!

EDITORIAL FIFTY-FIRST YEAR On the first year on its past achieveEcosoc is live. ”Live” Ecosoc is alive and has different life to the painful econ life. For in a large memberthe U.P. community thrusts that it is able but to the community

of another 50 years of service, excellence and tradition, Ecosoc does not dwell ments; instead, it excels real time. has a lot of meanings, but all these apply to what Ecosoc is and has been. the power to touch lives. On a lighter note, Ecosoc has the power to bring a haunting world of college. For Ecosocers, it is a refuge to the demanding, almost the unrelenting, it is their life. Ecosoc is abounding with life and energy, as seen ship and exceptional participation in events. It is of current relevance, especially to and the communities it reaches out to. It is fully charged and energized with its to create something useful, something of high value not only to its members, as well.

Ecosoc is a wire – it serves its members and, in turn, passes it with a cornucopia of members, who are our the best out of themselves and binds them into a As members, we have the responsibility to never the next generation of who will inherit our power line of hundreds of Ecosocers of to serve the community, live out excelwhy Ecosoc has lived for 51 years now.

Finally, Ecosoc is a livewire. We now current, still standing up to what it has never been this charged, this energized, history.

as an instrument to conduct energy, letting it flow from on to create milestones. Our organization is blessed driving force. Ecosoc pushes its members to bring single cord directed towards upholding its thrusts. let go of this cord, to be the primary connectors to organization. At the same time, we are only part of a the past and the present, brought together by the desire lence, and cherish and develop tradition – the core reasons see an Ecosoc still carrying the energy, still intensifying the worked hard for 51 years. We see an Ecosoc that has this excited and this ready to make another 50 years of

We were all astonished by how grandiose the 50th Officially, Ecosoc is now gold-plated, harnessed and molded in genuine gold, sincerity of its ideals and its commitment to its thrusts. We, today’s generation of have seen the last of the first 50 years and the first of the next 50, shall, with all our this gold plate from being soiled.

year of Ecosoc was. shielded with the Ecosocers, who might, protect

Please allow me to first and foremost welcome everyone back to the new school year. It’s exciting to see the many different changes in the school and in the organization. Along with these changes, ECOSOC will rise up to challenge of being home to the smartest, most athletic, and most active students in the University. With our three goals in mind, ECOSOC will arm its members with the necessary tools they need in the university, and in life.

Livewire: Intensify the Current is an exciting new theme for us. After the success of the first 50 years, we are already looking forward to the next. And if this semester is any indicator of our future, then we are definitely in good shape. With this theme, we want to make sure that the things we live for: Service, Excellence and Tradition are evermore embodied in all ECOSOCers.

karlo for taskforce Raymond for adhoc Hello Ecosoc!

Last Semester, The Executive Committee wracked their brains to come up with a fun and active theme that will encapsulate all our goals for the semester. As a result, the theme for our final semester as the Executive committee is Livewire. Expect energy and passion this semester - we are going to intensify our passion of service, excellence and tradition.

The theme was conceptualized under the notion of fulfilling our objectives this semester. For you to easily remember our three goals just remember the following keywords: attitude of service, environment conducive for learning, and common factor. I will not explain these anymore since I have been explaining them during our Genmeets. As members of this organization, let us go the extra mile in achieving these goals for our organization. Let’s continue intensifying the current as we enter Ecosoc’s next fifty years.

Now on to other things…

This semester, I am more than excited to head the Adhoc Committee! If you may have noticed, the Adhoc Committee has a new logo. (Thanks to Econ’s National Artist, Anday Pua!) The logo looks like a hand gesturing the number 1. It’s kind of prone to misinterpretation; it makes it look like Adhoc is the number 1 committee of Ecosoc. Of course, that is not the case. The logo reflects what we want Adhoc to be. The number 1 signifies our drive to make this committee the best that it can be. We are not competing with the other committees of Ecosoc, nor committees of other organizations. We are competing against ourselves. To make it clearer: we would like this Adhoc to be the best ever.

I would like to end my commnews by giving a big shout out to the Adhoc Committee! Chesca, Janna, Joy, Laurence, Sel, Bianca, Mia, Aaron, Rox, Geoff, Archie, Race, Josh, Faye, Ray, Reyneil, Jamoy, Cheska, Therese, Kimmie, Cocoy, Jeanne, Menay, Kim, Ella, Leila, Reg, Reinoso, Sushi, Vina, Patrick, Andre, Wil-J, Mela, Car, Paolo, and Van! Yours Truly, Raymond

And to make it possible, Task Force will definitely do its part. We are already looking for ways to strengthen our financial position with regards to the Economics Society Scholarship Fund (ESSF). This semester, we also welcome one new scholar to our organization.

Plans are already in the drawing board for the 5th annual Musikapella. Together with my co-chair, Jessyka Santiago and our directors, Jo Gamos, Lia Ame, Maiko Okada and Jes Manipon, Task Force is already hard at work at making this annual event bigger than ever.

Finally, I wish to welcome all the applicants. It is definitely a good time to be in ECOSOC. You definitely made the right choice and if ever you doubt it, just remember that people don’t make the right choice, they make the choice right. Congratulations to everyone for all the hard work they’ve done so far.

Hello Ecosoc! OMG It’s my last first commnews. Time flies by super fast!

Anyway, I want to welcome all of you to a super electrifying semester! We as an execom prepared a lot of super fun things so watch out J Hello super sexy seccom mems!

Sel and Chrissa, no one can be better vice chairs than you.

Len, welcome to Seccom! You found the light after spending your whole Ecosoc life in Externals. Hahaha JOKE! Geoff, Mela, Lia, Jeanne, Jau, Monique, Pakaye, Gene, thanks for staying in the best committee ever!

Seccom is lucky to have hardworking and talented members like you.

Welcome back Ecosocers! Welcome Livewire Apps! :) Let me start by congratulating my team for our two successful major events – Transformers Revenge of The Fallen last June 26 and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince last July 17.

I would like to thank our sponsors – ADP Industries, Inc (Mike and Ike, Orion Choco pie, Gingerbon), Universal Robina Corporation (Envidia Green Tea, C2 Green Te, Jack ‘n Jill Potato Chips, Jack ‘n Jill Dynamite, Nissin Yakisoba, Nissin), Cerealicious, Code-limited and Wendy’s Hamburgers. :) To the team behind the successful screenings - THANK YOU. Kudos to my VCs Lia and Pat, my members Kenna, Niki, Gilbert, Jenny, Kim, Archie, Car, Dom, Horace, Rox, Kester, Lianne, Reg and Sam. To the finance applicants: Khen, Hazel, Elwin, Ica, Trixia, Bettina, Simone, and Kevin – thank you and welcome to finance! Good luck on the application process! Finance, tayo cleaners this week. Let’s maintain the cleanliness of the tambayan okay?

Congrats to Ravenclaw (Acad, Echoes, Seccom) for winning the House Cup during the genmeet sponsored by Finance. Yay! And sa lahat ng Ecosocers (and friends) na nanood ng Transformers and HP6, super thanks. Despite your busy schedule, you still made it and supported us. Salamat!

cj for finance triszh for secretariat

Welcome seccom apps: Gab, Thea, Patty, Mareca, Rehi, Tiptip, Louise, Angelica and TJ! I’m looking forward to an exciting sem working with you.

Have you seen the theme board? OMG It’s so nice right? And did you go to the org fair? The “Who has the biggest brain” booth was the prettiest! Who could deny that the sigsheet is super extra cooler this sem? All of these were brought to you by Seccom! So, what else does Seccom have in store for you this semester?

Photoshop Workshop + This semester, we took the PSWS to the next level. We tied-up with UP AdCore and Ako Mismo to make the bestest workshop ever!

Ako – On August 8, attend the Photoshop workshop to learn the basics of editing photos and creating digital art/pubmats Ikaw – Ano ang magagawa mo? Join the print media competition, applying your Photoshop skills!

Tayong Lahat – Let’s all go to the gallery and admire the pretty artworks!

Lots of freebies will be given away! OMG super level up right? :D 1. Clean App Apps, this day will be a super fun day for you because you’re gonna do something nice for our beloved org. You will clean the tambayan! YAY! Isn’t that super exciting?

2. Ecosoc Merchandise We’ll continue to bring you quality Ecosoc merchandise. Watch out for this sem’s “Livewire” shirt (and maybe even a new Ecosoc Jacket!)

3. Gallery Since we like taking things to the next level, the September exhibit won’t be just an exhibit. Together with Echoes, we will create the first (and therefore, there greatest to date) gallery! Wee! 4. CDC Art Workshop Join us on September 7 and let’s all make wonderful art with the Monday CDC kids. This semester will be great. Let’s all work together and INTENSIFY THE CURRENT! Love and Sparkles!

Mag-collect na kami ng A/Ps nyo starting this week so better prepare! :) The Finance Committee will be having UPCAT food sale on August 1 and 2. Our booths are located near the College of Engineering. Lastly, we have BINGO! on Tambay Wednesday in September. See you there!

I would also like to grab this opportunity to thank my family for supporting several Ecosoc events like Transformers and Atang. Speaking of Atang, thanks to those who watched the play. Special thanks to Mr. Butch Ibanez for giving us this opportunity.

To the execom, great job! This is an understatement, I know. It’s our last sem as officers, 3 months na lang. :) We can do this! Love you guys! Let’s altogether intensify the current.

“You don’t raise heroes; you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they’ll turn out to be heroes, even if it’s just in your own eyes.”

-Walter Schirra Sr.

Hello EcoSoc LIVEWIRE! Are you ready to INTENSIFY the CURRENT? Well I hope you are because there are lots in store for you, especially as we turn 51 this September.

Welcome the best team ever! Hello TEAM EXTERNALS! My Vice-chairs Ella and Wilj, and of course to my whole team: Audrey, Bj, Crisan, Cheska, Janica, Josteen, Kimmie, Leila, Menay, Raffy, Ray, Reg, Sarah, Steven. This is my last sem with you, I hope we all have fun and bring out the best this team has to offer. I’m super happy that you stuck with externals. J Our first event is done and I’d like to say that EVENTOLOGY101: UP, All Systems Go! was an ultimate success. Good job Team Eventology. APPS who attended, I hope you learned a thing or two that you could use throughout your application process.

Don’t forget to get your sigsheets validated by me.

To the externals babies: Jeje, Kacel, Kendrick, Tikay, Tobie and Vic. Welcome to EXTERNALS. I don’t get to see some of you during commeet coz you guys have class, but let’s just try and catch up at the tambayan. Don’t hesitate to contact me or approach me if you have any questions about events or the app process or if you’re just super bored and have no one else to talk to.

maui for

external affairs

Hello Ecozzzocers! A new semester has again started… Grabe time flies so fast talaga! Almost kakastart lang ng classes tapos parating na naman ang mga hell weekzzzzzz… On a good note, magfifityone years na pala tayo, yey! Welcome to a very electrifying semezzzzzter! Yeah!

This sem, Acad will be louder, grander and better than ever! Guys, if you want to rent a book just look for it sa napakagandang bookshelf and tell me. We also accept sample exam donation kasi nawawala ung sample exams natin :( lets donate!

Syempre, zzzzuper welcome sa mga members of the best ever Academic Affairs Committee! I’m super happy kasi this time itotodo na namin ang pagka-active at pazzzzionate… My VCs: Cocoy and Dean, thank you for being there kasi lagi kayong maaasahan… Sa mga new members ko na sina Cheenie, Marian, Mashee at Nikko, thank you for choosing Acad! I hope ineenjoy niyo ung stay niyo sa committee. At sa mga returning members ko – Aira, Anjo, Cathy, Cheyence, Inna, Nads, Reuel and Ria, you don’t know how thankful I am kasi nagstay kayo sa Acad! Magcommeet tayo lagi kasi I’m super happy pagnacocomplete tayo *teary eyed*. I will make sure na magiging zzzzuper fun ng sem na ito for all of us!

Abangan natin ang pinakapinagkakaabalahan na event ng Acad, with council, this sem! *zzzzaaapppp* The 6th National Youth Congress entitled, “Lego Economics: Piecing Together the World Factory”.

Wohhhoooot! If you want to be a volunteer, just approach me. You can help us in so many ways! I know you’re also very exzzzzited para sa Jologs Quiz Bee, manalo kaya ulit ang Spev? Abangan sa Tambay Week Wednesday! At sa pagtatapos ng semester, let’s honor the SE staff once again through the Alay-sa-Personnel. *zzzzaaapppp*

roda / liaison

Super daming appzzzzzz pero natatangi sila Chila, Chrissie, Diana, Dianne, Joe, Kenn, Mike, Norika, Pat, Sol at Zim dahil nasa Acad sila! Good luck sa app process! Execom, good luck to our last sem as a team! We can do this!

Yey! Sana ay ilive up natin ang theme and goals natin for this sem by intenzzzzifying our service to the community and love for our dearezzzt org! Go Ecosoc Livewire!

To all applicants, you are one heck of a big batch! Enjoy the app process, introduce yourself to people and to me also. Haha. I’d like to get to know all of you.

Did all of you INDULGE last July 18? Well if you didn’t, then you missed one hot party. Good job Jamoy, Darrel, Dean, Ray, Cheska, and Cheenie! The JPES Acquaintance Party was packed.

SNAPSHOTS, the photojournalism competition is already ongoing.

If you know any photographers out there, ask them to join; submission of contest entries until August 14 only. This event is in partnership with PhilCES, UP Photography Society, UP CAST, CSB Optic View Photography Society and UST Mediartrix. See posters for more details.

Execom! Last hurrah! We survived each other the past sem, wow. Haha. One more sem, let’s go all out okay! I love you guys!

Seniors, we have less than a year to spend in this beautiful building, let’s make the most out of it.

Mean Girls (K, L and P), its about time for that sleepover, don’t you think?!

You, thanks for sticking around.

nandz for academic affairs

Hello ECOSOOOOC! : ) Welcome to LIVEWIRE: Intensify the Current! Sana lahat tayo mag-enjoy sa sem na ito!

Ayan, first of all, hello to CDC! My apps! Ken, Bryanne, Mhela, Mikh, David, Pers, Jade and Myk- welcome to the CDC family! Hello to my new mems, Faye, Hannah, Gelo and Carole, CDC is very lucky to have you guys. To my old mems! Kat, Matel, Totoy, Terry, Iyam, Gen, Demet, Mel- thanks so much for staying with CDC. Mag super bonding na tayo bago matapos ang term ko.

gel for

community dev’t.

What you’re holding is solid proof that we, Ecosocers, are more than just about graphs and regression models.

Once again, thank you to all the writers, artists, layoutists and photographers who shared their talents in helping us come up with this issue. Super favorite moment ko talaga pag inaassign ko na yung mga articles or artworks tapos may sarili kayong input about it :D Para sa darating na Agosto, nais kong hingin muli ang inyong pakikiisa.

Abangan.

To my editors: Tin, Kim, Reyneil, Paolo, Mia and Patrick – all of whom I adore deeply – nagkaroon ako ng epiphany last Sunday night. I will share it with you during our last commeet. But for now, THANK YOU :) From the bottom of my stressed-sa-layout heart, thank you. One down, two more to go!

To my Echoes applicants: Avril, Kevin, Irene, Ben, Sue and Kenneth, I have high hopes for each of you. Do your best sa app process, ok ok? Just tell me how I could help. But I do hope you’re enjoying getting to know Ecosoc. Promise, walang tatalo dito :> Execom, thank youuuu for being cooperative with our commnews pictures. As you could see, we all look like crap. (Except si CJ. Tignan niyo naman, goddess talaga.) But, seriously. Would you look at that smile?

And of course to my VCs Darrel and Jay! Thanks for everythiiing.

Oh and everyone, greet Ate Cherish! Birthday niya July 22. Happy birthday Ate Cherish! : ) Execoooom, it’s so much fun working with all of you. Tapos through time we’ve become really friends na rin. Aww last term na natin, I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished last sem. I will miss our sabaw moments during our meetings. Doggie, did you eat it? (Roda voice) Hahaha nag-senti na, tapusin muna natin lahat ng work for this sem! Let’s do this guys!

Okay serious stuff na. For our Monday Tutorials, we now are tutoring grade 6 students, instead of last sem’s grade 3. We got 30 students, and we’ve moved the CDC schedule from 12-2:30 to 1-3 because their dismissal is at 12:30. We also removed the values/games part since it won’t be that effective for grade 6 students. Ang ginagawa na ngayon, nagtuturo ng Math and English based sa lessons nila sa school. We also assist the students with their homeworks, or if may quiz sila ganon. In between, we also have games, prepared by CDC mems, para di sila ma-bore. So I encourage you all to be involved in this program and attend. Yung kids ngayon, excited matuto so sana makilala niyo sila.

For our Saturday daycare, we still have our usual kids from Ricarte. Konti lang yung Saturday CDCs this sem, so attend na kayo! Fun yun, puro games, arts and music. Bond with the kids guys!

Med mission na sa August 8! It’s quite near na, and we really need your help with medicines. Apps may bonus kayo if you bring! If you have contacts, just tell me, kahit kami na mag-send ng letter. Thanks!

Ayun guys, sana mag-attend tayo ng CDCs not only for attendance, pero sana nakikita niyo yung purpose ng ginagawa natin. : ) Yung simple things na nabibigay natin sa ating mga tinutulungan means a looooot to them promise.

Sige goodluck to all of us for this semester! See you around!

leslie for

echoes

I would like to apologize for the absence of the screenshot of the ymecosoc in this issue. Technical difficulties. But it will be back for August, don’t worry.

ZIP ZAP ZOOOM BZZT. Get ready to feel the current this semester! Welcome back Ecosocers! I hope you all enjoy our labor of love. http://upecosoc.org - WATCH OUUUT. Diba Bianca? ;) http://ecosoc.multiply.com

HELLO ECOSOCERS!!! Welcome back especially to the fabulous and supernova-HOT Liaison members!

“There’s nothing half so pleasant as coming home again.”

Maiko & Jes, thank you in advance for another wonderful semester (yown, pressure’s on you girls! Haha!) Pael, you’re back! We missed you! Jorell, don’t forget our CME you’re stuck with us forever. You’re the best! Sushi, you make life easier. Kash, you know more alumni than I do. Good job, good job. Kat Catral, I know I can always rely on you. Thank you. Ainna Anglim, tama na aral. Party muna. Carl, I didn’t take you seriously last sem, you brought something new in Liai. Chase, competitive much? The spirit is what we exactly need. To all of you guys, this is yet another time to shine. So let’s do this and rock the boat house tambayan!

OMG I was overwhelmed with the number of applicants this semester and lucky Liai coz we got the best among the apps. Kris, glad to have you back. Nadine, you’re so amazing. Super productive! Gian, stay sweet and perky. Mads, thank you for always replying to my messages. Justin, you’re surprisingly super kind. Camille, I’m so happy you’re with us. I hope you’re happy, too. Avery, hope to see more of you. And Phillip, don’t defer na ah!

Thank you to those who attended the CDC with alumni! I hope you had fun.

I know I did. :) Please be reminded that we will be holding a Career Talk this August 10 about Entrepreneurship. I expect you all to be there. And most especially DO NOT FORGET the Alumni Talk this September, this is where we would finally bury the time capsule! Yay! To those who haven’t put anything in the capsule yet, well, what are you waiting for?

Execom, I love you all. I’ll forever treasure our times together. Let’s make the most out of this semester. Thank you Chloe for the company, love and friendship. I love you forever. And Jamoy, thank you!!

If I may quote Kash Salvador:

-lots of love Roda.Cris

“If not for Liaison, Ecosoc is just another line in your CV, Ecosoc would just be a moment in your life. It is because of our committee that Ecosoc becomes a lifetime experience. It is our committee that the breaks the barriers of time allowing our alumni to re-live their experiences and once again be part of the Ecosoc family.”

Roda for liaison

sieg for

membership I’ll make this committee news as short as I can. ‘Cause I know we’re all in a hurry.

First, I’ll greet my members Carlo, Donna, Jamoy, Jasper, John, Laur, Madel, Misha, Paolo, Regi and Yka. I’m all proud of your contributions, small or huge, in our past events and endeavors. I know all of you are great members of Ecosoc and that’s why you’re in Memcom. Being consistent with that idea, I believe that you’ll all be great guardians. Share your time and what you know about the org to the apps.

Second, I thank my VCs Janna and Chesca. It’s been a stressful month for everyone but we’ve pulled it off. Good job!

Third, the Membership committee thanks all members who supported all events. Please support Membership committee’s next events which are the second episode of Gossip Go this August 7, Grand Member’s TBS this August 22 and the Tambay Week this September 711.

Fourth, Apps be active and stay active. I congratulate you for a successful Acquaintance Party. And I’m very excited for the Challenge Night this August 20. With this, I hope to see all of you be inducted as members. So, tambay more, try attending more activities, review for the Mid Semester Checkup this August 3-7, participate in app projects and ask your guardian’s help. We all know why.

Fifth, great job so far Sexycom. For most of us, it’ll be our last semester being part Ecosoc’s Executive Committee. Good luck to us! I love you all.

Lastly, everyone let’s all drop our predetermined notions of each other.

Remember what’s good and bad is relative and arbitrary.

Stay perky everyone!

Sieg

Helloooooo ECOSOC:) WELCOME BACK! Ayan, first of all, I want to greet the very SPECIAL members of SPEV. Hello Cole, Jessie, Jo, Josh, Joy, Mocca, Myra, Noreen, Reine, Ryan, Vina and my super huggable vice chairs—Aaron and Andre! Most of you are new to SPEV so welcome, and I hope you will have a very fun, enlightening, and electrifying semester. I would also like to welcome SPEV applicants—Angeli, Ann, Carrie, Chello, Cid, Enrico, Innah, Keith, Kevin, Mark, and Ralph. Enjoy and good luck to your application process.

Hello Ecosoc! Welcome to livewire! The most energetic, electrifying and exhilarating semester yet! First of all! I would like to greet the greatest team in ecosoc! GO SPORTS! My vice chairs – Van and Bianca and of course my members: Annika, Chiara, Dave, Jana D., Jes M., Joshua, Q, Rj, Therese and Trixie! I would also like to welcome the most hyped up apps! Alex, Gab, Enzo, Henry and Perry!

Are you guys excited to know what we, SPEVERS, have in store for all of you? Well, first is the Acquaintance Party, a tie up with Memcom. It was held last July 10 at the Atrium. Mems, sana marami kayong nakilalang apps. Apps, kayo rin, sana nameet nyo yung mga mems. Too bad, umulan.

The party could’ve been a lot better kung di umulan. Anyway, still a good job for you guys. This is your first event, it’s okay to make mistakes and take this as a learning experience.

So what do we have in store for you this semester? In line with Ecosoc’s theme, Livewire, Team Sports will be bringing you amped up events that will surely get your adrenaline pumping! Aside from the staple events of sports, MBA and ROT, sports will try to get the members of ecosoc to live healthy! We will be implementing a once a week “No coke day” to promote health and well being. We will also be providing hand sanitizers in the tambayan to combat diseases that can be passed by hand contact. Sports has already started to facilitate Sports cup ’09! Get ready to sweat and have fun! I would like to thank all those who have participated in the games, though the weather may have not been cooperative as of late. Watch out for more sweatenducing and heart-racing events brought to you by Team Sports.

Next up is the CDC Mini Treasure Hunt called “Fearr Factor: the kids edition” last July 20. The SPEV apps will take care of this and it is a small-

marianne for

special events

In living up to its theme as THUGS, Team Sports will continue to exemplify the values of teamwork, heart, unity and guts in every endeavour this semester. We will continue to provide avenues, for members and applicants alike, to showcase not only their talents in sports but others like leadership, competence and discipline.

scale foot race around Econ with the members and Monday CDC kids as the participants. Most likely, the kids will be given physical and mental challenges.

Our third event for this sem is the Grand Mems TBS! It’s on August 22 (Woot! Woot!) and again, it is a tie-up with the Membership Committee. Get ready because this will be so much fun. More awesome than the TBS last semester, so watch out! :) Our fourth and fifth event is *drum roll* the TREASURE HUNT and VICE NIGHT. Treasure hunt is a foot race around UP which will end with the VICE NIGHT where the members and apps will get to relax and have fun all night.

Lastly, and this is a new event, we have the SOCIALS WEEK. This is a tie-up with AdHoc and will serve as the launch of the ECOSOC MONTH. See! We have so much in store for you. So don’t miss any of our events!

LIVEWIRE: INTENSIFY THE CURRENT. Have an electrifying semester! :)

ogie for sports

10 HARDER, BETTER, FASTER, HIGHER!: CDC WITH ALUMNI

by Irene Arzadon

Saturday’s CDC became more special as alumni of the UP Economics Society joined the members and applicants in entertaining the CDCsponsored children.

This semestral CDC event was made possible with the cooperation of the Liaison Committee. The event, themed “Harder, Better, Faster, Higher!”, was held at the UPSE back parking lot last July 11, 2009.

The program started with a prayer, followed by a series of games: Hep Hep Hurray!, Biggest Plastic Balloon Game, Pop the Dragon’s Tail, and the Water Balloon Pass. The competitive kids played with the equally competitive applicants and members. The games developed the children’s attentive, physical, and cooperation skills; it also provided a venue for the applicants and members to foster friendship and camaraderie.

with the alumni. They encouraged the apps to do their best as they accomplish their requirements and to be dynamic in all of Ecosoc’s endeavors.

After the program, there was a pakain, care of the Liaison Committee; there was also free taho for the children to enjoy. This was

Marj Villanueva (’08), Cherish Olanda (’09), Jared Callueng followed by a picture-taking session to immortalize the momentous (’08), and Lia Veneracion (’09) were the alumni present in the said event. event. In between segments of the program, each of the alumni gave a short speech about their experiences in past CDCs.

Indeed, the Community Development Committee strives to work harder, better, faster and set the standards even higher with the

The Ecosoc applicants also had a chance to meet and talk CDC kids at the heart of their socio-civic undertakings. • completed the challenge at each station, they were given math and science questions that should be answered correctly so that they could go to their next destination. The main objective of the mini treasure hunt was to successfully accomplish the six challenges. The first team to finish all the challenges will be declared as the winner.

The fastest team to complete the tasks and also the winner of the race was Adhoc-Taskforce-“Echoes” Committee. The students of the winning team received notebooks and pencils as their prize. But all the kids enjoyed snacks and drinks after the race.

Although there was only one winner declared, you can see from the happy faces of the kids that they enjoyed the activity. Not only did the students have fun playing the games, they also enriched their knowledge. Also, the members and applicants had a great time bonding with the Grade 6 students. •

FEAR FACTOR: KIDS EDITION

by Myra Olaso

Last July 20, 2009, the Grade 6 students of Balara Elementary School, together with the members and applicants of UP Ecosoc, enjoyed the different challenges in the CDC Mini Treasure Hunt. Entitled “Fear Factor: Kids Edition”, the event was spearheaded by the ingenious SPEV applicants. Before they started the race, groups were formed. The teams were CDC-Sports, Liaison-Externals, Adhoc-Taskforce-”Echoes”, Acad-Seccom and Finance-Memcom. After the grouping was done, the teams enthusiastically went off to face the different challenges that awaited them.

The mini treasure hunt consisted of six stations that were designed to challenge the participants’ physical and mental strength.

An example of it was the finding of two ribbons at the five boxes with slime. Another challenge was the trust fall, where one student allowed himself to fall and was caught by his groupmates. After the students

11 this semester’s organization fair at the Econ walkway last June 23-26.

The Secretariat Committee (Seccom), the aesthetic arm of the UP Economics Society, showcased the creative talents of its pool of members as they successfully turned the Facebook application “Who’s Got the Biggest Brain?” into a fully interactive sign-up booth. A week was spent making the playful backdrop, the column containing the different visual, logic and memory challenges for everyone to try, the podium of the main character in the game, and the “biggest brain.”

Several members of the Society dressed up as level characters from the game for the colorful launch parade participated in by the most of the Econ organizations. Triszh Hermogenes, Ecosoc Secretary and Seccom chairperson, had the honor of wearing the papier-mâché brain, and was awarded “Best in Costume” during the college Acquaintance Party held the week after the Org Fair.

Throughout the week, the Executive Committee and some members--with some guidance from the Membership Committee--eagerly entertained students who were interested in becoming part of one of the largest and most accomplished organizations in the university. This semester, around eighty students signed up during the Org Fair. “It’s very overwhelming, makes us really proud of Ecosoc,” said Expanding the social network of students just got easier when the Janna Ong, Membership Committee Recruitment Officer. • various college organizations offered a real-life Facebook experience in

ECOSOC GIVES R&R WEEK A BRAIN BOOST

by Jauhari Azis

APPLICANTS BEGIN ECOSOC APP TREK

by Paolo Tamase

More than forty Economics and Business Economics majors began their application process for the UP Economics Society by attending “App Trek: Enterprise”, this semester’s Applicants Orientation (Apps Or), held on the morning of Monday, June 29, 2009 at SE 105.

The semestral event, regularly prepared and hosted by the Membership Committee (Memcom), followed a sci-fi theme and carried the tagline “A new age of discovery is about to begin.” Jamoy Jampac and Carlo Go shared hosting duties.

After a five-minute video that presented last semester’s application process, an opening prayer was led by Regi Li, which was followed by a short icebreaker hosted by Jasper Chua.

Members of the Executive Committee and the ten Ecosoc committees were then introduced. Afterwards, Memcom chairperson Sieg Alegado gave background information regarding that morning’s Committee Presentations (ComPres), which were supposed to help the applicants choose their Ecosoc committees. Unlike in previous semesters, the applicants were asked to pick their committees after the Apps Or.

The ComPres followed the opening remarks. Due to the theme of the orientation, the participating committees were assigned specific sci-fi movies for their particular ComPres. The External Affairs and the Secretariat Committees teamed up for their “Terminator” and “Watchmen”-themed presentation, while the Community Development and Liaison Committees attempted to wow the applicants with an out-of-this-world “Star Wars” and “Wall-e” themed performance. The Academic Affairs and Finance Committees dubbed during their “E.T.”“Transformers” ComPres, while “Echoes” and the Special Events Committee joined forces for their “Power Rangers” and “Iron Man” parody.

Ultimately, the Membership and Sports Committees’

“M.I.B”.-“X-Men” skit was voted “Best Committee Presentation” by the applicants.

Ecosoc President Raymond Zabala and Vice-President Karlo Patron, concurrently chairpersons of the Adhoc and Taskforce Committees, also introduced their special teams, as both committees are accepting applicant-interns for this semester.

The elections for the app officers happened towards the end of the program. Zim Kho was voted app head; Patty Bucao was elected assistant app head, and Gab Roque was chosen by his co-apps to be their batch’s creative officer. Due to an unbreakable tie in the finance officer elections, both Simone Carpio and Rehi Dimayuga were elected to the said position.

While only around forty applicants were able to attend the orientation, the number of applicants for this semester peaked at more than eighty just before the Acquaintance Party. Memcom officially accepted applicants until July 4, 2009, five days after the Apps Or. •

12 ECOSOC PREMIERES “TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN”

by Dominic Garcia “The Fallen shall rise again.”

These spine-chilling words echo through one’s mind as one sees previews and trailers of this upcoming film. Last June 25, 2009, the wait was finally over and the second installment of the “Transformers” films finally arrived. “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”, which revolved around the aftermath of Transformers, introduces an ancient evil that will threaten Optimus Prime, and Earth as humans know it.

Hordes of “Transformers” fans waited eagerly outside Trinoma cinema 2, and when they saw the double doors open, the fans stampeded towards the movie entrance, anxious to experience the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons

The said event was organized by Finance Committee chairperson, Christine Joy Villianueva, along with her committee members as a fundraiser for the current semester. The movie had proved to be a huge hit at the box office, garnering $60.6 million on its opening day alone.

Upon entering, gift packs were given away courtesy of Nissin Yakisoba, Nissin Mami, Potato Chips, Dynamite, Choco Lava, C2, Envidia, Gingerbon, Mike & Ike and Orion Chocopie. The event was also sponsored by Code-Limited, Wendy’s Hamburgers and Cerealicious.

The Finance Committee did an excellent job in making this event possible, leaving a lot of Ecosoc members and audiences very happy with the experience. Now, the Finance Committee is looking forward to their next movie screening, which is “Harry Potter and the HalfBlood Prince.” •

“HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE”: BOX OFFICE HIT!

by Kenna Barit

Amidst typhoon Isang lashing its fury in the Metro, which caused suspension of classes last July 17, the “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” screening of the UP Economics Society Finance Committee pushed through at Trinoma Mall Cinema 5.

The “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”, the second movie premiere for the first semester of the Finance Committee after “Transformers”, caused much panic and anxiety for Christine Joy Villanueva, Finance Committee chairperson. She confessed that at first, they were worried that the tickets might not be sold out, but it turned out to be the exact opposite. In fact, the 440 seats of the theatre were all filled up, with disappointed bystanders even waiting outside.

Moviegoers received freebies from sponsors as they entered the cinema at around six in the evening. While waiting for the movie to start, Karlo Patron, the host for the night, facilitated the raffling of Cerealicious and Wendy’s Hamburgers gift certificates. At exactly 6:30 pm, the movie started.

“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” is the sixth film in the Harry Potter film series based on the novels by J. K. Rowling. Set during Harry Potter’s sixth year at Hogwarts, the novel explores Lord Voldemort’s past, and Harry’s preparations for the final battle amidst emerging romantic relationships and the emotional confusions and conflict resolution characteristic of mid-adolescence.

The movie ended around nine in the evening. Favorable remarks were given by the audience after seeing the film. “I’m super thankful kasi may profit pareho (HP6 and ROTF) though bigger yung sa HP6. Of the three movie screenings I handled (HP6, ROTF and “Twilight”), HP6 is the best. In general, pinakamaayos ung HP6,” CJ mentioned. “I want to thank my team, all the sponsors and viewers. I also want to thank ‘you’ kasi you’ll pay your A/P after reading this,” she added lightheartedly.

The movie screening was co-presented by Mike and Ike, Orion Chocopie, Gingerbon, Envidia, C2, Potato Chips and Dynamite; also brought to you by Cerealicious, code-limited.com and Wendy’s Hamburgers. •

13 FEELIN’ BELOW 17 AGAIN

by Mhela Calugay

The acquaintance party organized by the applicants, entitled “Below 17 Again” was a smashing success. It was held along the SE corridors last July 10, 2009.

Headed by Zim Kho, this batch’s acquaintance party head, the applicants began preparations early in the morning and worked non-stop until late in the afternoon.

They posted tarpaulins and banners that really stirred up the excitement of the members.

However, nature did not share the same sentiment. Originally, the party was planned to take place at the SE atrium but the organizers decided to relocate along the SE corridors since rain began pouring down.

Since it was a high school-themed party, everyone was dressed according to their high school stereotypes: preppy, nerdy, jock and some just out-of-this-world renditions of the said stereotypes. Some proudly wore their high school uniforms.

Registration started at 5:30 pm with members walking along the candlelit pathway. Here, they were grouped according to the colors assigned in their nametags. The hosts welcomed the members and the applicants to the party followed by the opening remarks of the app head, Zim Kho. Afterwards, everyone was asked to group themselves according to their colors. Each group had to come up with their own cheer and a short skit. In true competitive fashion, the cheering team who got the most raves, the Green team, got to eat first.

Food was served by the Food and Finance Committees of the applicants. It was a scrumptious combination of pasta, pizza and party cupcakes! While dining, they were serenaded by the applicants. This was anteceded by the guardian-ward bidding. Everyone was given quality time to get to know their respective guardians.

Everyone had a great night and this semester’s applicants definitely proved that they could organize such an event.

Surely, everyone felt like they were “Below 17 Again.” •

14 ECOSOC MEETS ATANG

by Leslie Octaviano

The UP Economics Society sponsored the final run of Floy Quintos’ “Atang” last Sunday, July 12, 2009 at the Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater in Palma Hall.

“Atang: Isang Dulang May Musika” explores the story of National Artist Awardee “Atang” Dela Rama, the wife of labor union leader and also a National Artist awardee (for literature) Amado V. Hernandez.

The play features a rising movie star, Gia Almonte (Ayen Munji-Laurel and Kalila Aguilos) visiting Atang (Shamaine CenteneraBuencamino and Frances Makil-Ignacio) in her home in Tondo in order to ask Atang’s permission to allow her to to portray her life in the big screen.

Upon meeting Atang, Gia travels back in time and discovers Ka Atang’s life as the queen of Tagalog sarsuwela and kundiman as well as her role in Philippine history.

The Executive Committee would like to thank Mr. Butch Ibanez, an Ecosoc alumni, for this privilege. Proceeds of the show would go directly to the Ecosoc fund. •

ALL EVENTS GO!

by Steven Hotchkiss

domly and each group was tasked to come up with an event and to report the framework by the end of the seminar. As the groups reported one by one, they were criticized and judged by the Executive committee, who, by show of tally favored the red group. The red group, facilitated by Steven Hotchkiss and Leila Rahnema, came up with the event “SCREAM”, which is to be a Halloween party that caters to the “after-finals” crowd. Their report showed impact and included a good feasibility check, which was a great factor in judging the presentation.

Hopefully through this event, the Livewire applicants will be able to use these basic planning methods in future ECOSOC events.

The Eventology for this semester was a great success thanks to the External Affairs Committee with Kimberly Lazo as the head of the event, Steven Hotchkiss for logistics, Regina Reinoso and Janica Magat for external relations and Crisan Sabado for sales. The event was made possible by raising funds from selling Stick-o’s by the stick – eventful indeed. •

Eventology 101 is a semestral event of the External Affairs Committee that serves as a tutorial in events-planning for the applicants of the Economics Society. This semester’s theme was “Up: All Systems Go!” The seminar was held at SE 105 from 9 am to 2 pm and hosted by Ecosoc’s very own DJ, Wil-J Sarmiento. The applicants were able to learn much from the four speakers who tackled the four main aspects of organizing an event, namely logistics, marketing, external relations, and publicity & promotion. The speakers were Mr. Timothy Zarco, Ms. Alma Santos, Mr. Pierre Martin Reyes, and Mr. Donald Lim, respectively, all distinguished members of their various fields.

The applicants gained a lot of fresh insights from the wellprepared speakers and they engaged in an activity that enabled them to apply their newly found tools. The applicants were grouped ran-

15 GOSSIP GO SEASON 2: GUESS WHO’S COMING?

by Reuel Realin

The mini-TBS series that swept the tambayan last semester once again returned for its second season last July 10. “Gossip Go Season 2: Guess Who’s Coming?” is the first of the series of mini-TBS for this semester. It was facilitated by the Taskforce committee. Karlo Patron, Ecosoc’s Vice-President and chairperson of the Taskforce committee, was the mini-TBS’ game master.

In the first game, which took place along the School’s corridors, teams randomly composed of members of the different committees were lined up along the corridor. Then, the game master chose two players from opposing teams and at the count of three, the teams would have to face each other and give out non-verbal clues about the other player to their teammates. If their teammates successfully guessed the identity of the opposing player, the team gained a point. The groups employed different strategies in order to win. Group 1 strategized by assigning corresponding group members for each member of the other group while Group 2 employed a charade-like strategy. In the end, Group 1 won by breaking the tie to 5 – 4.

For game 2, the members formed a circle and had to memorize the sentence “One frog jumped over the pond, kerplunk.” Each person would have to say, in correct order, one word from the sentence. After the sentence had been said completely, the word “one” will change to “two” and an additional kerplunk is added. The members who failed to continue the sentence was removed from the circle. Those who were removed were tasked to perform at the acquaintance party, which was also held on the same night.

Indeed, Ecosoc members can’t wait for the next episodes of Gossip Go Season 2. •

ECONOMISTS INDULGE AT JPES ACQUAINTANCE PARTY

by Reyneil Go

Junior Philippine Economics Society held its Acquaintance Party at Prince of Jaipur, The Fort, Taguig City last July 18 with the purpose of promoting positivism amidst economic crisis.

The party was wittily entitled Indulge as a guilty pleasure where students would just simply quip, “No to inhibitions! Let go,” a perfect and fun way to show youthful positivism.

Indulge was well-attended by its many member organizations all over Metro Manila including economics organizations from UP, Ateneo, UST and FEU, among others. Aside from the usual games, the party also showcased an all-girl dance crew from Ateneo and a fortuneteller. •

PHILCES UPDATE

by Ria Sibulo

Last July 11, 2009, the Philippine Council for Economics Students (PhilCES) met at My Place dormitory, Katipunan for its first general assembly.

PhilCES representatives from each organization were present together with their respective org president and external relations officer. Ecosoc’s president, Mr. Raymond Zabala, presented Ecosoc’s theme this semester as well as the calendar of activities.

The events of PhilCES this semester are as follows:

July 26 – Econverge: Teambuilding at St. Scholastica’s College August 18/25 – First NEDA Seminar at St. Scholastica’s College September 12/19 – Second NEDA Seminar at UST September 26 – Ecolympics: Sportsfest at the DAR Gym October 3/10 – Debate Series TBA •

The Finance Committee would like to thank:

The Finance Committee would like to thank:

The Finance Committee would like to thank:

MI Ame Acctg Office MGM Food and Commodities Mr. Ariel Bez Mr. Ralph Villanueva Mr. Reuter King Bernardo Ms. Pat Garcia Ms. Marj Villanueva

Benefit-Cost Analysis Of A Tambayan Aircon

by John Raphael Fulgar

Holy Guacamole! Have you heard the news lately? You haven’t?! Would you believe it, they’re talking about putting an aircon in the Ecosoc tambayan. Kinky, right?

There’s nothing concrete yet, but hey, baby steps. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Or something like that. The point is, this writer’s been put to the task of determining what good or what bad an aircon would bring us, and since studies show that people are generally happier when the good things come first*, let us hypothesize first on the…

Benefit$

Benefit$

Benefit$

• A Cooler Tambayan – Listen up kid, if you don’t know what an air-conditioner essentially does, maybe UP isn’t the right place for you. If you do, congratulations! You’ve won the common sense award for guessing ahead of time that we’ll have a cooler tambayan.

Cooler, both in the sense of being cold, and being Aaron Aw. I mean seriously, an org tambayan with an aircon?

Now where else can you find something like that? The only things conceivably better are daily free food *ehem ehem Ecosoc execom are you reading this?* or an HDTV with a PS3 (which actually came into being once, care of Cole Diomampo). Which leads us to the second point…

• More people coming (back) to the tambayan – Don’t be surprised if members now suddenly come much more frequently to the tambayan. Further more, don’t be surprised if that person sitting on the couch turns out to actually be a member, only you’ve never seen him/her. This spells benefits for everyone; applicants because hunting people for signatures will be way easier, members because more of their friends will start hanging around, and leaders because both the number of applicants and the visibility of seldomseen members (like yours truly, I’m afraid) will start multiplying like Finance or Adhoc members trying to sell you something.

•

Y o u can show off! – In fashion, I mean.

Since there’s already a bunch of people around, and most likely more… ehem, cute prospects, and it’s cold anyway, you can wear that spankin’ leather jacket you’d never wear on a hot day! Of course whether that will actually score you points or not is not guaranteed by this article. The point is, you can finally wear that cute pink jacket or whatever thick article of clothing you’ve been meaning to wear. This author doesn’t really get much of the actual point of such fashion, though, but the many fashionistas in our roster might have something to say about that so okay I’ll just shut up now.

• It’s Cuddling Time! – I did mention prospects right? “Ah, but Raffy, what’s the point if there are lots of prospects if I can’t make a move? :(” You might ask. Well, have no fear! With an aircon, you can finally play that oh-so-overused line of “It’s so cold noh?” or “Giniginaw ka ba?” to justify the fact that your arms that are now sliding over her shoulder. Wait, what? That’s sexual harassment? You’re kidding me. You’re not? Darn.

•

No More Electric Fan Agawan – Well since *someone* blew the romantic mood, we’ll have to talk about this. But what is this?

Electric fan agawan? Is that something I invented just because it rhymes? Oh heck no. C’mon man, admit it. There have been times when you edged the fan “just a little” more to your side when you thought no one was looking. Or locked it in place altogether. Or at the least eyed the fan with envious eyes while you melted in nonfan land. Well no more! Heck, if the aircon is as cold as the one in room 111, you’d expect people will start pushing the fans away from them.

22

Of course, if everything was free in this world, then maybe you’re using one of them Utopian assumptions economists like to make when theorizing or justifying whatever advocacy they believe in. Unfortunately for you, this isn’t one of those. This article is about an air conditioning unit, and air conditioning units in our grim reality world come with price tags. Thus we come to the…

Cost$ Cost$

Cost$

•

Installation costs – Obviously, we’d have to pay for an air conditioning unit and install it in the tambayan. AC’s normally reach the four- to five-digit range, and the installation would require carpenters and a couple of days when we’ll have to close the tambayan. Since we don’t usually keep a momentous sum of reserve money, we’ll have to come up with the moolah somehow. So ask yourself, is an aircon worth having more finance members trying to sell you something? Is it worth the barrage of text brigades that advertise movie screenings you already know of? Is it worth the blood and sweat of selling more darn tickets? (kidding, finance :D)

• Electricity – Of course, if there are costs, electricity will also be a factor. Currently, the School of Economics subsidizes most of our everyday costs, but there’s an unspoken limit to how much it will cover us. After all, UP can hardly pay its professors so why pay for a lofty organization’s air conditioning consumption?

Expect the SE to charge us for the use of an aircon, which brings us back to the finance-members-trying-to-sell-you-something problem. (really, I’m kidding. peace tayooooo) •

Environmental externalities – OMG. Did I just say externalities? Application of economics principles for the win! Ahem. Anyway, air conditioning units pump out a lot of heat and gas to the outside, in exchange for cooling in the inside. This is a big no-no to our already fragile environment, and God knows we don’t need any more holes in the Ozone. Didn’t we learn anything from the Al Gore video they keep showing in GE classes?

•

Attack of the Bums – Expect a lot of lazy butts on the couches, and maybe a couple of sleeping faces just ripe for a Kodak moment. Coldness always brings along its cousin, Laziness, and we really don’t want to transform the tambayan into a boarding house.

In summation, (since I’m getting way past my maximum word limit) the number of benefits outnumbers the costs, but most of the costs in having an air conditioning unit are fiscal in nature. This may pose a bigger problem than most of the abstract potential benefits. After all, everyone wants to eat the pie, but very few wants to help bake it. If anything, I can only see the Finance team ready and willing, stalwart and noble in their cause to sell tickets and everything, in the name of improving the org. (Forgive me now?) So, if we’d ever want to have a cooler and colder tambayan, it’d only be through the collective fiscal effort of the org.

* I just made this up. Ha ha. Don’t sue me.

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25

“Otaku culture is the wave of the future,” or so it says in Genshiken, a popular anime/manga about (guess what?) anime/manga fans.

And it’s true; otaku, or people with obsessive interests in manga and anime, have been growing in numbers. Moreover, Japanese comics and cartoons have covered nearly everything not only under the sun, but above and beyond it as well, including fictional characters that have literally electrifying personalities. Here are five otaku heroes who definitely supercharge our everyday TV screens (and glossy sheets).

2. Ginji Amano: While not quite in the mainstream, old school anime Getbackers has a healthy following and is far above the underground. One of its main characters is “Lightning Emperor” Ginji Amano, the former leader of a gang called “The VOLTS,” whose members can generate huge amounts of electrical energy.

1. Killua Zoldyck: This HunterxHunter character may look like a typical bishounen (roughly, “handsome boy”) at first glance. In reality, he is the middle child of a family of renowned assassins.

However, while he is exceptionally skilled as a killer, he chooses to turn away from murder. As a Transmuter, he transforms the composition of his aura into electricity to use attacks such as Lightning Palm, Thunderbolt and Godspeed — an ability he gained through years of electric shock torture from his older brother.

3. Static Shock: Old Cartoon Network viewers will remember this American animated television series and its black hero Virgil Ovid Hawkins or Static. After being exposed to an experimental mutagen in what is known as “The Big Bang,” he gained the ability to control and manipulate electromagnetism.

He uses this to fight “Bang Babies,” who were also exposed to the mutagen and typically use their powers for crime.

4. Hatake Kakashi: If you haven’t heard of Naruto, then you’ve probably been living under a rock. Though most viewers know him more for his Sharingan or Ninken, Kakashi has a variety of lightning-based abilities, such as Lightning Blade, a collection of lightning chakra in one hand, and a clone that can act in his place and paralyze opponents simple by touching them.

5. Pikachu: This adorable little rodent (and Pokemon protagonist Ash Ketchum’s favorite partner) was voted fifteenth in TV Guide’s 50 greatest cartoon characters of all time, eighth in an Animax poll of favorite anime characters in 2002, and is a household name all over the world. Pikachu store electricity in its cheeks and, upon squeezing them, can discharge sparks, lightning bolts or other forms of electricity. A group of Pikachu can even occasionally use an electric shock to recharge weak fellow Pikachu. Now that’s teamwork.

26

After one summer of facing separation anxiety from the Ecosoc that we love (super cheesy talaga!), we, Q & A, decided to find pleasure in other things. One of these things was Facebook (not to be confused with FaSEbook). Pagbigyan nyo na kami. Inosente pa eh! Facebook seems to be the biggest fad in recent history and as we are trendy people ourselves, we decided to keep up with the times and offer a Facebook-inspired release of Q & A with Q & A! Now from Facebook to Echoes…we bring you our 100% serious (as usual) TOP 5!!!

Top 5 Presidentiables Q: #1: Ping Lacson: Very special outstanding person and super cop siya. #2: Joseph Estrada: Swabe ‘yun, eh. #3: My Mom: Super bait ‘yun, eh. #4: Cathy Alcantara: Solid gold ‘yun, eh. #5: tie between Carlos Agassi and Edu Manzano: Solid bunch of guys.

A: #1: Chiz Escudero: Tight siya kay Vega. #2: Josteen Vega: Firm handshake. #3: Willie Revillame: Kaya bayaran ang utang ng Pilipinas. #4: Justin Batocabe: Kamukha ni Barack. #5: Hayden Kho: Marami nang nakain… na bigas!

Basketball Starting 5 (from Ecosoc) Q #1: Paolo Tamase: Have you seen Pao? He’s huge. Haha! #2: Car Sta. Maria: Galing magbasketball kuya nun eh, sure ako na nagmana siya. #3: Angelo Calabio: No explanation needed.

Note: 2 ½ si Pao, ½ si Car, parang 2 player si Calabs.

A #1: Angelo Calabio: Every team needs a Calabs. #2: Carl Assidao: Every team needs a Carl. #3: Cathy Alcantara: Solid gold sya, eh! #4: Ryan Villanueva: Para masama sya sa Q & A. Note: Calabs plays for 2.

Top 5 Movie Quotes Q&A #1: One More Chance: Popoy: “Malaki nga ang katawan mo, pero hindi mo ako kayang patumbahin.” #2: One More Chance: Popoy: “Not so nice to meet you, pare.” #3: One More Chance: Popoy: “You had me at my best. She loved me at my worst.” #4: One More Chance: Popoy: “Mahal na mahal kita, kahit ang sakit sakit na.” #5: Apoy sa Dibdib ng Samar: Mark Lapid: “Saging nga lang kami. Pero maghanap ka ng puno sa buong Pilipinas – saging lang ang may puso!”

Top 5 Good-Looking Mems Q #1: Q #2: Q #3: Q #4: Q #5: A A #1: A #2: A #3: A #4: A #5: Q

Top 5 Ecosoc Look-Alikes Q&A #1: Jasper Chua & Elwin Ramos #2: Jasper Chua & Elwin Ramos #3: Jasper Chua & Elwin Ramos #4: Jasper Chua & Elwin Ramos #5: Jasper Chua & Elwin Ramos

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By: The JWill TV is not pure bull. You do learn a lot of stuff, even from the shows that seem to be geared towards pure and plain entertainment. Not too long ago, I picked up a life lesson that went something along the lines of “within the first few minutes of being with someone, you pretty much know if you’re going to get along with him or her”. In How I Met Your Mother, this was termed the “Lemon Law”. I’m not saying it’s totally factual, but it somewhat makes sense.

Developing a chemistry with someone can be easy or difficult depending on what kind of person you are, but finding someone you share sparks with is pretty darn hard! There are no sure steps in determining if there will be a spark between you and another person, but being comfortable with each other from the get-go does help. It doesn’t have to be perfect. I mean, you can’t expect to already know how to finish each other’s sentences, but surfing on the same wavelength is helpful.

There are anomalies to this phenomenon though. There are some über friendly people who are already so used to being with others that it’s easy to develop a chemistry with them. These people suck! Don’t be fooled by these people! If you think that you guys might have something special going, odds are, you don’t. Sounds cruel, but it’s true.

Another sign that you guys are jiving well (did I just use “jiving”?) is if the other person is laughing. Yes, the other person! If you’re digging that person, then you’re probably already laughing at whatever lame joke he or she cracks (“Why didn’t the skeleton go to the party? Because he had no-body to go with!” – goodness that’s lame!) But if the other person is laughing with you, that’s a pretty good sign!

Still, perhaps the most important sign that determines whether or not there’s a budding relationship appears after you guys part. Correct me if I’m wrong, but you have a certain warm, fuzzy feeling after being with him or her. It’s similar to the feeling you get when you stand up too fast and become a bit light-headed, or that buzz when you’ve had too much yummy, fizzy soda to drink. It’s when you can’t help but smile a bit and laugh a little. What’s tricky about this is that these feelings are yours alone, so there’s little telling the other person felt it too.

What I’ve mentioned above are just some signs that could potentially (I cannot stress it enough, POTENTIALLY) point to something. The fact of the matter is it’s absolutely nothing at all. It’s undeniably awesome though to have some sparks flying between you and whoever it is you desire. Just remember that there is a world of difference between a few sparks and a full-blown electric current, which is the relationship you want to have.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though. You may find that after a few sparks, you’ve already burnt yourself out anyway.

Have a good one, all!

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When it comes to describing verve in just about anything, nothing better illustrates it than a ‘spark’.

Sparks are flickers or quick flashes of light we often see when we, for example, switch on a lighter, insert a high voltage plug into a socket, or ignite firecrackers. But, since humans have imaginative minds, we liken sparks to more than just that flicker of light. We use it to describe energy seen, or to describe something associated with elegance and beauty.

My own imaginative mind says sparks can be associated with so much more. I present some famous sparks.

Spark Plug: A car junkie or anyone with interest in cars knows what a spark plug is – it is an electrical device that fits into the cylinder head of some internal combustion engines and ignites compressed fuels such as aerosol gasoline and ethanol by means of an electric spark.

Why include this in our list? Spark plugs revolutionized the way engines work. I just hope, in a few years time, we lessen our dependence on gasoline as an energy source – hence my resultant hope for the demand for spark plugs to gradually disappear.

Nicholas Sparks: He is the man who made us cry with his novels, such as A Walk to Remember and The Notebook. More than just a bestselling author, Nicholas Sparks also owns a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, a track and field record at the University of Notre Dame, and the distinction of being a high school valedictorian. He also owned the title “Sexiest Author,” given to him by People in 2000. Suddenly, nobody could tell that books really were before boys.

Sparknotes: This is probably one of today’s most popular study guides. Any student who has had a difficult time with a classic novel has heard of (and used) Sparknotes. It has study guides for a wide range of novels. Not only does it help you with book reports, it can also assist you in other subjects such as chemistry, philosophy and even economics. Check out their website, sparknotes.com, to avail of more cool features like articles and sample tests.

All Spark: Due to the success of Ecosoc’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen special screening last June, the All Spark has made our list! In the movies, the All Spark was the huge cube with symbols engraved on it, had the ability to give life to any electronic appliance, and was also the source of life for any Transformer.

Quick trivia: It was originally known as “The Matrix” in the series, but was changed to “All Spark” to prevent confusion from the popular movie franchise of the same name.

Sparkle Club: Last but definitely not least on our list is the Sparkle Club, which was organized by the Secretariat Committee last semester. Seccom encouraged members and applicants alike to join them every Wednesday afternoon in making bracelets, trinkets and other accessories that would have been sold at the Charity Bazaar. I am sure everyone enjoyed their time at the Sparkle Club, and have had their works appreciated by other members. Maybe, sometime in the future, we can have more Sparkle Club sessions!

That’s my list, but I am sure there are plenty of other sparks you can think of (such as Jordin Sparks, the upcoming sparkling vodka, or even the sparks found in relationships.)

Have fun with sparks, and sparkle up your life. Just like what our most sparkling member,Trizsh Hermogenes, would say, “Have a sparkling day!”

TH

E

EC

ON

by Geoff Bautista

OM

ICS

OF

Got that smooth, shiny, thick thing on your palm? Or is it in front of you, staring and waiting to be grabbed? Can you just leave it without hesitation, or without any kind of regret – that smooth, shiny, thick preserver-of-thirst-quenching-liquids thing?

Well don’t you leave it, because I won’t!

PET

BO T

TLE S

The research on Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) began in the late 60’s and intensified in the early 70’s.

This research was carried out by several plastic container and can manufacturing companies in the U.S. and Europe, including the Continental Can Co. (CCC) and Owens-Illinois (O-I) cans and glass bottle manufacturing companies, which were both based in the US.

In the hopes of recouping the investments in their R&D, the CCC and O-I led the commercialization of the PET bottles, especially for carbonated beverages, e.g. soft drinks. The PET bottle was a highly economical intermediate good that it caught the attention of several cola companies. Lightweight and cheap, it was used by companies to reduce their production costs. In the 70’s, 50 billion bottles of soft drinks were in sale. However, the CCC and O-I created too much of the PET bottles at its infancy. Hence, instead of guaranteeing a return on investment, companies concerned had a major business setback: due to the oversupply, PET bottle prices fell and the can and glass bottle industries faced a severe competition with the plastic newbie. Because of that, the CCC and O-I sold their PET bottle business, and refocused on their more established products.

Several companies continued the endeavor of developing the PET bottle in different ways. One of these companies was the Coca-Cola Bottlers, which aimed to save money by creating its own bottles, instead of sticking with the old bottles. Other companies chose to manufacture PET bottles, while most soft drink companies bought from them.The industry for the PET bottles even grew larger as more competitors and consumers played in the PET bottle market (since a higher bottle supply meant lower bottle prices, lower bottle prices meant cheaper bottled drinks, and cheaper bottled drinks meant more affordable meals.)

Today, the production of PET has grown to around 50 billion pounds, and PET used for packaging is at around 17 billion pounds a year. To meet the growing demand for PET bottles, an increase of around six million bottles per year must be produce. Of the six million bottles produced each year, around 36 percent have less than 500 ml capacity.

The PET bottle is a win-win product – both consumers and producers benefit from it. As statistics show, producers of PET bottles gain a profit margin of almost 96 percent. Meanwhile, buyers of PET bottles as intermediate goods face lower packaging costs since PET bottles costs are only 10% of those of glass bottles. Obviously, the profit for the PET industry is more than enough to recoup capital in a year and provide greater supply. As for the buyers of the bottle as an intermediate good, their savings are also increased, allowing an expansion in production.They can even actually lower the prices of the goods they sell, and thus increase the demand for their own products.

That won’t stop there. Our smooth, shiny, thick thing waited for a few decades before it penetrated our Tambayan – and it shall persist on different levels.

Believe it or not, the PET bottles can provide for the materials used to prettify our Tambayan. Every week, a certain manong visits SE 121 to collect our precious PETs. Of course, this bad of ours is sold to him at around 30 pesos per garbology-bin-volume. (That’s just an estimate though, because he actually weighs them. That is also why we should drain the bottles’ contents – should we be honest enough.) Therefore, the P240 income per month (this is only a portion of the Sparkles’ profits) of the sparkling Secretariat committee is actually gained from the sale of the PET bottles.

By the way, U.S. recyclers were able to collect more than a billion pounds of PET bottles in 2006.The whole process of collecting and recycling PET bottles in the Philippines provide thousands of jobs. Finally, PETs don’t pollute the environment, whether you burn them or bury them underground. (Editor’s Note:The personal views and opinions of the author do not necessarily reflect those of the publication.)

So, Ecosocer: Are you ready to grab that smooth, shiny, thick, preserver-of-thirst-quenching-liquids PET?

35

5 THINGS LOSERS SHOULD DO TO WIN Almost had that most-coveted first kiss in his car — or perhaps 38th? Almost had but never had because, well, you puked? Been cursing that cheap bottle of beer for the longest time? Loser much?

So you were a fail — get over it. Read on and learn from the pro.

1. Have you heard of the rule, “party starts at 10 pm?”

Honey, it doesn’t mean you come at 10 when the party starts, say, at 6 pm. It simply means you don’t go to a party too early (if you’re the party organizer, of course you should come early!) and exhaust all your energy even before it starts. Too late and miss out on the fun; come right on time in your fiercest attire ever and do the grand entrance — the winner way.

2. If you’re not going to pull off a backless or “frontless,” then don’t wear it. You don’t have to wear skimpy clothes to be noticed; and NO, you don’t have to be just yourself either. Black clothes are always the safest to wear, and not just for aesthetics. Black conceals spilled drinks, lipstick marks and random dirt. It would make you look sexier, too. But of course you could always go for red or purple if you want the hot-and-cool look. (You don’t say HOT-AND-COLD because that would be like a Katy Perry song or a water dispenser.)

Make sure your makeup matches your dress, or at least your eye shadow. The 10 pm rule applies to your makeup, too — don’t wear too light nor too dark, makeup should be just enough. The basics: eye shadow, eyeliner, cheek tint, lipstick and lip gloss.

If you think your dress looks too plain, accessorize!

You could go for gold, silver, bronze or all three. I don’t suggest fancy because they might offset the glam that’s written all over your dress. If you’re wearing huge earrings, don’t wear necklaces anymore. Just go for bangles and minimal hair accessories. If you’re wearing something “plunging,” wear a long necklace to conceal the cleavage — unless you really want to show it off, like someone I know.

3. THE RULE on the dance floor: interpret the song.

No, I don’t mean you go “quit playing games with my heart” when the DJ plays Ne-yo’s Mad. When the music’s house or reggae, lift your hands and sway, a bit faster for house and slooow for reggae. (Like

you’re on a high. Yes, it’s wrong to think that when you’re on a high, you’re hyperactive, because things actually go very slow when you are. But you don’t want to prove that, really.)

When the music’s R&B, which is, like, the most common music genre in bars, you could go for a sexy dance, or you could break dance, well, without really breaking it — consider space. When you’re too drunk to function and you simply can’t pull yourself together anymore, don’t dance.

Sit down and act sober. (Read on for the rules of drinking.)

4. Ah, we’ve finally come to the most important yet neglected rule of all time. DRINK MODERATELY. Guys, it’s written in TV ads and posters, even in bars, so read it – it’s not there for nothing. Read and do it because you don’t want to puke a second or two before a kiss, right? You don’t want to sleep in a bar, or do push-ups there. You don’t want to do “quit playing games with my heart” or any Backstreet moves on the dance floor. And you don’t want to not stay sober because things happen when you’re drunk that you’d totally regret the morning after. Trust me, we’re supposed to know these things by heart already. I know someone does.

Also, make sure you’re aware of your allergies. Some people actually get rashes when they drink hard beer.

Some people, like me, get ‘heart burns’ when they drink vodka. And most people puke when they drink too much of these. That’s a given.

When you’re a minor, try juice. It tastes a lot better.

5. Don’t kiss or make out with a random stranger — he might have gingivitis. Seriously, I learned this in Biology.

And when someone asks for your number and he’s goodlooking, you say, “if you want it so badly, you’d look for it” (this should challenge him.) But when the dude’s not a dude, you say, “0917.968.9474”. That’s the numeric symbol for 0917.YOU.WISH. The bottom line is, you don’t give him your number because he might just be a stalker who calls you 24/7 and gets super mad when you don’t answer and then calls you again later. You DON’T want to have a stalker. Trust me, again, on this.

For boys who’d like to ask for a girl’s number, here’s the thing: if she answers 0917.968.9474, at least now you know she finds you un-hot. BUT if she answers, “look for it,” then, dude, look for it. (Or you could buy her a margarita or a Jose Cuervo and then ask her again, when she’s tipsy, you might just win her right number. Make sure though that you ask for the cell phone number because she might give you her student number instead. Seriously.)

So the next time you go to a party, remember these rules — and win. You go, loser! :) Your fellow loser (who says all pros are winners?), Jamoy Jampac

Photos featured in this article are from http://aosolistice. multiply.com.

FASHION WARS

by: The Fashion Police

Hey Ecosocers, Fashion Police here, and I have super hot news straight form the hallways of SE. A wise woman once said that in fashion, one day you’re in, the next day you’re out. July 10, 2009 made a posh mark in history when war broke out in style, and everyone was in.

Spotted: The Nerd Squad

Sel, Mela and Janna in fabulous science geek outfits Whoever said that geeks are losers haven’t seen these three girls. Yellow rubber gloves? So fetch! :P They definitely bought geeky back!

Fashion Police Tip: Black nerdy glasses add sexiness to your outfit. Not a lot or people are vocal about it, but nerds turn a lot of people on ;)

Spotted: The Preppy Girls

Ann and Tiptip in a polo-shorts-and tie outfits Hello Serena van der Woodsens! The preppy look never goes out of style. Accessorizing with gold chain brace lets made the outfits even better.

Fashion Police Tip: You’re never fully dressed without a smile, so don’t get caught wearing a frown!

Spotted: The Fashion Clones

Annika and Leslie wearing their high school uniform Gone are the days when having the same outfit as someone else is your worst nightmare. Twins are in! Or is it?

Fashion Police Tip: When faced with a fashion clone, the first thing to do is relax. You can make your look different through your accessories, put something on and take some things off. Overall, how you carry your outfit determines who’s wearing the better one.

Spotted: The Afro Kid

Myk with an afro Fashion sin? More like fashion win! The ‘fro do is nothing new, but it’s really rad. Like, way different from the bald trend going on.

Fashion Police Tip: If you want to get this look, braid your hair overnight and sleep on it. When morning comes, undo the braids and comb your hair upward, (use some hair mousse) until you get your desired look. You could also just wear a wig like this dude.

Spotted: Little Miss Schoolgirl

Ave in her Japanese school girl uniform Konichiwa! Cosplaying? SO IN. Dressing up like a Japanese anime character is so fun (see the look on Ave’s face).

Fashion Police Tip: In dressing up, it’s always all out or don’t get out (of the house.) Don’t be scared to be overdressed because it’s always better than being underdressed.

In a fashion war, many will try to rock their styles in the hopes of making it to the top, but like any other war, only one can win. Who could it be? Fashion police gives the seal of approval to Ave! Your outfit was really nice and should be a model for everyone.

‘Til next time! Always stay fabulous because I’ll be watching. ;)

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staffbox Leslie Anne O. Octaviano Editor-in-Chief Kristine Joy D. Cunanan Associate Editor Karen S. Orticio Managing Editor John Reyneil U. Go News Editor Paolo Emmanuel Tamase Features Editor Ma. Carmela Astudillo Layout Editor Patrick Allen Santos Photo Editor Andrea Bianca Alvaro Webmaster

Irene Jo Arzadon Jauhari Azis Kenna Barit Mhela Calugay Dominic Garcia Steven Hotchkiss Myra Olaso Reuel Realin Marianne Sibulo Paolo Emmanuel Tamase News Staff and Contributors Irene Jo Arzadon Jauhari Azis Leslie Anne O. Octaviano Selena Monica Y. Ortiga Kenneth Anthony Luigi S. Reyes Paolo Emmanuel Tamase Layout Staff

Antonio Siegfrid O. Alegado Irene Jo Arzadon Aaron James Aw Geoffrey Bautista Benedict Bismark Avril Bries Joshua Coquia Kevin Adrian Estopace John Raphael Fulgar Patricia Mae I. Hermogenes Jeanne May Jampac Jessica Manipon Karen S. Orticio Angelo Miguel Quintos Kenneth Anthony Luigi S. Reyes Vina Salonga Eugenio Andre Sarmiento Willie Sarmiento Jr. Features Staff and Contributors Andrea Bianca Alvaro Ma. Angela Kristina I. Ame Gilbert Bueno Jr. Joshua Coquia Kevin Adrian Estopace Jerico Ray Francisco Patricia Mae I. Hermogenes Leslie Anne O. Octaviano Karen S. Orticio Gabriel Luis Roque Photographers