Post on 03-Feb-2016
description
Absolute advantage – one’s capability to do more than others with a
fixed amount of resources
In the weeks leading up to the intercollegiate competition last Janu-
ary 28, 2012, the four colleges (College of Architecture, School of
Statistics, School of Economics and College of Business Administra-
tion) that would participate engaged in a simple voter’s competition
– whichever of the four achieved the highest turnout would get a
bonus percentage added to their score. The results of the Voter’s
Army Competition were as follows – BA with 333 votes, Arki with 425
votes, Stat with 937 votes, and our own Econ with 1021 votes. Com-
ing from a victory streak of overall champion for the past few com-
petitions, many Econ students were eager to see the record remain
unbeaten, and a mood of confidence seemed to suffuse online Face-
book groups even as some fought off the apprehension that they
just might lose. The words “we have the absolute advantage” that
were proclaimed on posters displayed around the School of Econom-
ics seemed to galvanize many into looking forward to BEAST with
much excitement. (Continued on page 2)
by Ryan Sy
Bring It (BEAST 2012)
Our very own team wears a game face as the members warm up for
the much-awaited competition. (Photo by GJ Agregado)
Giant green letters and tarpaulins in front of
the College of Business Administration (CBA)
announced the week-long Career Fair orga-
nized by the UP Career Assistance Program.
Despite being made especially for the stu-
dents of the College of Business Administra-
tion and the School of Economics, the career
fair was also open to UP students from other
colleges.
From the 17th of January to the
20th, students flocked to the
ground floor of the CBA which
had been transformed to ac-
commodate more than 85 com-
panies and institutions which
participated in the event. UP
CAP and P&G, in cooperation
with Nestle, brought this year’s
Career Fair with the tagline,
“Because your future is not
about just finding a job, it’s
about building a career!”, fea-
turing a diverse variety of com-
panies and institutions from sectors such as
banking, IT, research, accounting, real estate,
telecommunications, and many more.
Students looking for internships and employ-
ment flocked the event armed with their résu-
més as they checked out the booths that
packed the venue. The Career Fair launched
on Tuesday at the SE walkway with a ribbon-
cutting before the pathway lined with tarpau-
lins. There was also a buffet lunch and spon-
sors, organization heads, and top students of
CBA and SE were in attendance.
Diane Vitriolo, the Assistant Director for the
Externals of UP CAP shares that, “Compared
to the previous year, we made a bigger effort
to tie-up with non-corporate partners such as
education, GOCCs and NGOs to cater to the
diverse interests of our students, particularly
the Economics majors.” Examples of these
non-corporate partners include the British
Council, UKEAS, IDP, Campus France Manille,
Canadian Embassy, London School of Com-
merce, Hero Foundation, World Vision and
IDEA. (Continued on page 3) Students heading to the College of Business Administration
to join the Career Fair (Photo by Dana Tan)
by Meg Romarate
Career Fair 2012
NEWS
January 2012
by Fiel Batobato and Pam Corpuz
Econ Week, January 30 to February 3, 2012
It is a week to look forward to for the UP
School of Economics as it celebrates yet again
the Econ Week from January 30 to February 3,
2012, with the tagline, “It’s more fun in Econ!”
Organized by the UPSE student council, vari-
ous activities are lined up for the said week
and giveaways await the students of the
School.
To jump-start the week, Econ students are
invited to participate in the painting of the
front parking lines and murals along the SE
Walkway. More than just a bonding event for
the students of the School, this also helps
hasten up and finish early the repainting of the
SE front parking.
On the 31st of January, the Econ week will be
formally opened through a Grand Launch at 12
noon followed by an Ultimate Pakain. This will
take place at the UPSE Back parking area.
For the two succeeding days (February 1 to 2),
SESC prepared a line-up of talks for students
who are interested in taking a glimpse of their
life after graduation or simply want another
dose of that familiar
caffeine. On February
1, a career talk entitled
“Suiting Up” will be
held at 4pm at SE 111,
whi le another
Kapekonomiya entitled
“Coffee Breaks” is here
to stimulate the School
of Economics once
again through lectures
on February 2, at the
same time and venue.
Despite the very short span of this celebration,
the week still ends with fun and excitement as
the Student Council roams around the School
handing out freebies to the students anywhere
at Econ, from 8 am to 5 pm on February 3.
(Photo by GJ Agregado)
SESC holds the first National Economics Challenge this February
As though to balance this confidence however,
there were still those among us who displayed
cautious optimism. “Trying to win” was as much
as could be summarized – victory would neither
be easy nor assured.
Competing teams, however, may well have been
the smallest threat, comparatively. Originally
meant to be held on an earlier date, BEAST was
instead moved to a Saturday(Jan. 28).
The day before BEAST itself, there was a much
stronger sense of competitiveness among the
colleges, and that it had heavily suffused the
atmosphere of the University – while several
Business Administration students wearing jerseys
seemed to show unified college support, one
could also feel a sense of tension emanating
from some Economics students, one of whom I
saw seemed to be stressed to the point of jumpi-
ness, although it may have been for different
reasons.
After all the results were in, our own Economics team was declared
1st runner-up in the competition, coming in after the Business Admin-
istration team and
barely leading the teams of Architecture and Statistics. Having proved
their strength before, the school has faith that our Econ team has done
a good job and will be pushed to constantly achieve in the future,
Through time, the study of economics has
evolved into a crucial understanding of how
certain systems work in the country. Eco-
nomics has paved way for us to have a bet-
ter grasp of knowledge on how money
works within these systems and how our
resources are efficiently allocated to suffice
our needs. Hitherto, we must be imbibed
with the importance of economics for us to
be able to comprehend on the existing
economic problems the country is currently
beset with,
In line with this, the UP School of Economics
wants to partake in augmenting our under-
standing of economics. Thus, the National
Economics Challenge (NEC) is the first aca-
demic tri-event tournament of the UP
School of Economics to be held on February
25 to 26, 2012 at the University of the Phil-
ippines, Diliman. This event opts to call
forth academically competent students
from all over the country, proving them-
selves worthy for the tile of supremacy, as
they compete in the NEC Quiz Bee, NEC
Essay Contest and NEC debate,
Spear-
heading this event, the UP School of Eco-
nomics Student Council (UP SESC) aims to
found a common ground on economics-
related topics such as macro and microeco-
nomics for students from different universi-
ties and organizations to contend and share
their knowledge with.
With the university’s values of Honor and
Excellence, the SESC hopes to hone not only
excellent economists who will contribute
greatly in supplementing our knowledge of
economics but more importantly, distin-
guished student leaders who will not only
uphold academic excellence but also give
honor to this country.
To inquire for further information regarding
the registration of the aforementioned tour-
nament, interested students may con-
tact the SESC Vice Chairperson Henryson
Tan or any of the External Affairs Directors
of the National Economic Challenge
(Isabella Javier, Miko de Dios-Gloria, Ica
Ducanes, Pamela Corpuz, and Samantha
Sundiam) through e-mail at natio-
naleconomicschallenge@gmail.com.
by Samantha Sundiam
BEAST (from page 1)
2
armondelacruz
She also shares that the event aimed “to provide an
easier opportunity for CBA and SE students and compa-
nies/institutions to connect, discuss and plan ca-
reers. It’s a wonderful opportunity for companies to get
the best of the best students of the Philippines and for
these students to begin their dream careers.”
Student who missed out on the first three days were in
luck as Friday coincided with the ACLE in the afternoon
and gave them a last chance to attend the Career Fair.
In the evening, the CAP mixer at La Piazza, The Events
Village, rounded up the week where CAP registrants and
the top students of CBA and SE got a chance to mingle
with company representatives in this exclusive event.
Career Fair (from page 1)
OBEM Talks Entrepreneurship The UP Organization of Business Eco-
nomics Majors (OBEM) joins the Alterna-
tive Classroom Learning Experience
(ACLE) with Entrepreneurship: Age Does
Not Matter last January 20, 2012 at the
School of Economics. The event aimed to
enlighten students that corporate work is
not their only option after college, but
that they may enter in entrepreneurship at
any stage of their lives as it does not require much money or a high
degree but rather ideas, associates, and opportunities.
The invited guest speakers were Thysz Estrada (marketing manager of
Moonleaf), Hector Yuzon (owner of Second Wind Running Store), and
Jojo Hizon (owner of Sole Academy). The event included talks from the
guest speakers, an open forum after each talk, food, games, and givea-
way items.
UP OBEM president, Allan
Claridad, gave the welcom-
ing remarks, thus triggering the
start of the program. The floor
was then handed to Thysz Estra-
da, representing Moonleaf. Estra-
da spoke of the owner of Moon-
leaf who went to study at Taiwan
and came upon milk tea. He,
then, brought it back to the Phil-
ippines, where it gained a follow-
ing among UP students. At the
end of his talk, Estrada gave out
free Moonleaf planners to those
who participated in the open forum.
(Continued on page 4) Writers
Joshua Ahyong Fiel Batobato Pam Corpuz Miko Gloria Giselle Jose
Jose Marella Rafael Mirafuente Agbayani Pingol II
Issa Poco Frances Quezon Meg Romarate
Samantha Sundiam
Layout Artist
Armon De La Cruz
Graphic Artists Carlos Chua Ariane Tan
Photographers GJ Agregado
Camille Maala
Contributors Marco Romero
Dana Tan
Visit SIDHI online: www.issuu.com/sidhi/docs www.schoolofecon.weeb
ly.com/
For questions or com-ments, contact SIDHI at: sidhi.upse@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/sidhi.upse
For solicitations or spon-
sorships, contact the Managing Editor:
Juliet Laguda 09097314577
Editorial Board 2011-2012
Editor-in-Chief Pamela Jean P. Corpuz Associate Editor Louisa Camille R. Poco Managing Editor Juliet Fe J. Laguda News Editor Rafaello R. Batobato Features Editor Giselle C. Jose Graphics Editor Anton Miguel P. Ragos Layout Editor Joana Rizza A. Bagano
An active member of Solidaridad:
UP Systemwide Alliance of Student Publications and Writers Organizations
by Frances Camille Quezon
(Photo courtesy of Marco Romero)
UP SIDHI gives back through Brevity: SIDHI Week 2012
For over 25 years of providing relevant and up-to-date
articles, UP SIDHI, the official student publication of the
UP School of Economics, celebrated the first ever SIDHI
Week entitled ‘Brevity’, on January 24 to 27 in its home
college, UPSE, with the tagline “It doesn’t have to take
long to feel the impact of something great.” This is to
mark another year of success in upholding truth, service,
and excellence to
the students and the
administration.
To kick off the week-long celebration, SIDHI launched
the occasion with the unveiling of the mini gallery dis-
played in front of SE 101, followed by a pakain at Ate
Leony’s. (Continued on page 4)
UPCOMING EVENT
by Pam Corpuz
3
It’s that time of the year again
when hopeful candidates for
graduation look forward to life
after school- no more assign-
ments, no more exams, no more
projects, no more allowances,
and less time to goof around.
It’s time to put all those years of
college to the test as the gradu-
ates turn to face the challenges
of a very chaotic world. Now, it’s
time to grow up. As Economics
students, we often aim for what
is optimal using the assump-
tions governed by economic
theory. However, it is not always
wise to assume too much in the
world today. Econo-
mies are volatile, jobs
are scarce, and the
risks are higher than
ever. Simply put, things
do not always go as
planned. College de-
grees don’t guarantee
jobs anymore. “Should
I play safe, or go for
it?” is a question that
many of us will have to
deal with in the near
future. As the resumes
pile and the race be-
gins, which path are
you going to take?
Don’t Employ. Start
your own business. As
incoming graduates of
the UP School of Eco-
nomics, you (should) know the
patterns of the economy. That is
why starting your own business
should not be that hard for you.
No bosses, no promotions,
starting from scratch- that’s the
way of the entrepreneur. How-
ever, things don’t always go well
for new businessmen. It’s a
whole new battlefield out there
but if you survive then in ten
years time, you will be the one
offering jobs.
Go Corporate. The corporate
world is harsh, political, and
merciless but more often than
not, it pays well. New Grads who
go for private companies, banks,
and business institutions, often
get pumped by the high salaries
and the amazing perks that go
with it. Keep in mind that if you
choose this route, then you
must learn to play by the rules.
With the knowledge of how
firms act and decide, economists
will adjust to the corporate sys-
tem easily. However, you must
be prepared for a life that is not
as exciting as starting your own
business. Remember, you may
be intelligent but you are still
just an employee. Company car,
anyone?
Study More. If you feel like the
four years of college wasn’t
enough to shape you to the
person you’ve always dreamt of
becoming, then you should take
this route into consideration.
Whether it’s studying for your
Masters degree or studying
abroad to further hone your
economics skills, being more
prepared always gets you better
results. Usually, companies hire
the most experienced candidate;
thus, having another degree up
your sleeve is always a good
idea.
(Continued on page 5)
On the 26th of January, the Editorial
Board of the publication organized an
internals event entitled ‘SIDHI-nthesize’
at SE 123, to foster unity and camarade-
rie among the writers, artists, and pho-
tographers behind the monthly news-
letters released in the School. The pro-
gram consisted of games and a lot
more bonding activities for the mem-
bers, while food was served, courtesy of
Brothers Burger (Macapagal Branch).
To cap off the entire SIDHI Week, the
publication organized a cultural night
entitled ‘SIDHI-mphony’ on the 27th of
January at SE 111, hosted by their news
writers Benedict Bismark and Samantha
Sundiam. It featured budding poets
from the UP Writers’ Club (UPWC) and
from UP SIDHI itself. Aside from the
poetry reading, there were special per-
formances from artists like their very
own Managing Editor, Juliet Laguda,
and a rising band from the UP Music
Circle, which closed the event
through their song number. The event
was attended by the School of Econom-
ics Student Council (SESC), other Eco-
nomics majors, and students from dif-
ferent colleges
Winners from the “SIDHirit: Say it your
Way!” contest instituted by UP SIDHI,
which ran from December 2011 to the
first half of January 2012, were also
announced in this culmination night.
Reyber Ian Yturiaga from the College of
Engineering ranked third in the essay-
writing category; Avril Bries from the
School of Economics (UPSE) ranked
second; while, Raymond Rodis from the
National College of Public Administra-
tion and Governance (NCPAG) bagged
the first place award. The first, second,
and third place winners will receive
2,500 pesos, 1,500 pesos, and gift packs
respectively.
Through the beginning of this annual
tradition, UP SIDHI promises to contin-
ue its unwavering service to the School
of Economics and hopes to inspire oth-
er college publications to fight for their
freedom of speech and their responsi-
bility to accurately inform and promote
awareness to their people.
Even non-Econ majors lined up and
enjoyed the free siomai from UP
SIDHI. (Photo by Camille Maala)
Sam Sundiam and Ben Bismark
hosting SIDHI-mphony, the finale of
the SIDHI Week celebration (Photo
by Camille Maala)
The second speaker was Hector Yuzon of Second Wind
Running Store. A man with more than one hundred pairs
of shoes, Yuzon talked about his life experience, how the
break-up with his girlfriend led to the opening of the
specialty store using his wedding savings as capital.
The final speaker was Jojo Hizon of Sole Academy. Hizon
spoke of his years working at Nike and the hardships he
endured. He related how he gave up an offer in America
to instead start his business. He gave out free shoes to
those who would be the first to answer his questions, as
promotions for his store. The program ended with OBEM
Director for Academic Affairs, Jan Nicole Adriano’s closing
remarks.
SIDHI Week 2012 (from page 3) OBEM talks (from page 3)
FEATURES
What Happens After College?
by Agbayani P. Pingol II
4
“If all economists were laid end to end, they
wouldn’t reach a conclusion.”
–George Bernard Shaw
Often, economics has come under fire for be-
ing too esoteric, to the point that a vast major-
ity of people can only understand until “supply
and demand;” for messing up the economy,
rather than fixing it up; for assuming too much,
to the point of “distorting” rather than ab-
stracting from reality; and the list goes on.
Economics, just like any other discipline, has its
own idiosyncrasies, its own nuances and limita-
tions. Here are a few defenses in response to
the incriminations posed against economics.
Economics is a tool. The discipline is not a
stock of answers to our problems. Economics
never claimed to be the answer to our prob-
lems. It is left to the discretion of the econo-
mist to diagnose a certain malaise of the econ-
omy.
Which brings us to our next idiosyncrasy:
Imperfect judgments. Just like doctors, econo-
mists may ‘misdiagnose’ their patients. Unlike
doctors, however, economists need no licen-
sure exam and thus cannot be disqualified
from their trade. Unfortunately, economic mis-
diagnoses, on the other hand, are met by pro-
tests, lobbying and political flak.
Accountability. At least from my Public Eco-
nomics class, most of the topsy-turvy econom-
ic conditions characteristic of the Philippines is
not the fault of economists. The legislature, as
the law-making body, does not always base its
economic statutes on economic theory. At
times, the expertise of economists is even by-
passed.
Lastly,
It’s the economy. As with the weather, the
cycles of an economy may be very erratic.
Once a certain program or policy has been
implemented, the economy may have shifted
its orientation before the program takes effect.
In a very broad sense, economic decision-
making can be a ‘hit or miss’. Especially now,
with a technologically advanced age, change
comes at a very fast rate and the world is bare-
ly keeping up with the turn of the tides.
All in all, I would say economics has proven
itself in its goal. No matter what criticism one
may give of economics, it still stands that it has
brought us much wealth, satisfaction and pro-
gress. No science is perfect and neither are its
interpreters. But what would the world be with-
out economists? Definitely worse off.
Give Back (Work for the Gov-
ernment). One day, your
conscience will come back to
haunt you. Remember about
the money you owe the gov-
ernment for the semesters
they have subsidized for your
education? Returning favors
is always a good thing, but it
doesn’t always pay well.
Working for the government
is fine and it does help the
economy in a lot of good
ways. For the government, it
will be the cultivation of a
valuable asset they have
invested into. Being econom-
ic advisors for the country
will save you from years of
being tormented by the con-
science inside your head and
also help the country in its
development. It won’t guar-
antee a prosperous develop-
ment in your bank account,
though.
The choice is yours. With a
little benefit-cost analysis,
you can choose your route
easily. As economists from
UP Diliman, you clearly have
the advantage in landing
jobs as well as pursuing the
field of your choice. Skills in
analysis that you have mas-
tered and the UP seal will
help you get the jobs you
want but will not guarantee
them. In the end, it is up to
you to grab the opportunity.
It is up to you to weigh the
risks and to determine the
optimal choice. The route
you take will determine your
future, and what that future
holds will be determined on
how you take that route. May
it be success or failure,
choose wisely.
What Happens After College (from page 4)
If All Economists Were Laid End to End by Jose Marella
Embracing The Internet by Giselle Jose
ECON STUDENTS spend so much time
trying to understand concepts like
optimization, game theory, and equi-
librium. Or not. Well, ideally, this is
how we should be spending our time,
right? But we’re faced with the oh-so-
challenging dilemma of living in the
21st century, also known as, the age of
Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and 9gag.
The worst part is, deactivating Face-
book isn’t even a good idea anymore,
because we’ve integrated our groups
with our Facebook account, making it
impossible for us to stay updated with
our orgs, our acads, and our teams
without logging onto Facebook. After
checking for updates and announce-
ments, we squander the rest of our
time waiting for notifications to come
in, stalking our crushes and comment-
ing on photos we aren’t even in. While
self-control remains a pipe dream for
most of us who can’t seem to escape
the online world, there are many other
ways to embrace the digital era, with-
out feeling guilty. So many websites
that many of us fail to explore can
actually help us optimize our lives, up
our games and live happily ever after
in a stable equilibrium, minus the
mess of procrastination, distractions
and non-productivity. Let me intro-
duce my favorite websites geared
towards making our lives as students
so much easier:
1. Workflowy.com – This is my fa-
vorite project management web
app. You can make endless lists,
mindmaps and plans, all on an
interface that’s easy on the eyes
and works just like Microsoft
Word on steroids.
2. Teuxdeux.com – I’m a big fan of
simple interfaces, and if you
check out teuxdeux.com, you’ll
see why it’s so effective. It looks
and works just like a regular
planner, including the great
sense of satisfaction you get
when you cross out a to-do item.
(Continued next page)
5
After 3 months of being
nerdy on my own, alas, the
Nerdy Corner is back! The
new year means new oppor-
tunities to let the inner nerd
in you come out! So I guess
it is timely that I fulfill my
promise of an Economics-
inspired playlist. I have
nothing poignant to say
about this playlist except for
the fact that if you want to
seem gripping to some
people by expressing your-
self through music in the
language of Economics,
then go ahead.
I present nine generally
modern and upbeat songs
to liven up your wonderful
Economics-centric day!
Money by The Drums
I want to buy you some-
thing but I don’t have any
money.
This line is literally the story
of our lives as budding
spirits in college. Money is
what makes the world go
around. They’re pretty
chirpy singing about being
broke, but are clever
enough in saying that they
need to do something to
get that money.
Gold Digger by Kanye West
Gold is precious. Central
banks and nations keep
gold bars for various rea-
sons. Need I say more?
Second Chance by Peter
Bjorn and John
Choices are important when
making an economic deci-
sion. We might not be able
to count on a second
chance, especially when a
whole country depends on
it. Analytic tools aid us (and
the government) in making
the right decision.
Technologic by Daft Punk
As discussed in my 191
class, Technology drives
growth. Maybe, if we sing
this song, we can encourage
a more technologically ad-
vanced environment in our
country.
Billionaire by Travie McCoy
featuring Bruno Mars
Everyone in the English
speaking parts of the world
knows this song. Why? Be-
cause we all want to be on
the cover of the Forbes
magazine. You just want to
hate this song for being so
hopeful, but darn, it just
captures everything you
want but can’t seem to
have.
The World We Live In by
The Killers
This is the world that we live
in. Economics is what quan-
tifies what we should do to
make it work. Yup, we play a
big role.
Do You Want It All by Two
Door Cinema Club
We’re low in our hearts,
we’re all in our heads. All in
good time.
The existence of market
failures creates slumps and
surpluses here and there.
Indeed, all in good time.
Don’t Fuss With My Money
by the Penguin Prison
In response to the Occupy
Wall Street Movement, the
song captures the essence
of what is happening. Great
rhythm + meaningful lyrics
+ Econ concepts applied in
real life = this is it!
Price Tag by Jessie J
The price system is what
makes the competitive sys-
tem work. But then again,
Jessie J sings that it ain’t
always about the cha-ching
and the ba-bling. We can
really learn a thing or two
from her.
Also, if you’re feeling excru-
ciatingly bored, I suggest
you troll the internet and
search the Keynes vs. Hayek
rap on Youtube which is the
most hilarious Academics-
related video I have ever
seen in the history of time
(next to I Will Derive!).
It’s quite ironic (and annoy-
ing) that I start by saying
money is important and
ending by preaching Jessie
J’s lyrics that you can’t put a
price in life. It’s not entirely
my fault; the artists can’t
seem to make my mind up
about Economics… Either
way, I guess it’s all about
perspectives. I hope you
find this article the least bit
useful in furthering your
knowledge as an Econ ma-
jor. If not, just sit back, relax
and enjoy the good music.
The Nerdy Corner by Issa Poco 3. Sleepyti.me – Being in college
makes it almost impossible to get 8
hours of sleep, but that’s okay! Sleepyti.me gives
us a simple solution for waking up after pulling an
all-nighter without feeling cranky or groggy. Just
input the time you plan to wake up and the web
app will list the times when you should try to fall
asleep, calculated by sleep cycles. Waking up
between sleep cycles decreases the risk that you’ll
wake up in a bad mood, and this website helps
you do the math!
4. Rezscore.com – 3rd year students will know the
stress and panic that comes with writing and
sending out resumes for the first time. Rezscore
helps you breathe easy by allowing you to upload
your CV and using a brilliant algorithm, gives you
a ‘grade’ (ranging from A+ to F), and tips that
help you improve your CV before you send it out
to companies.
5. Self Control – Selfcontrol isn’t a website; it’s actu-
ally an app that’s available for Mac users, and is
used to block out websites for a specified period
of time. In other words, use this app to block out
Facebook for 2-3 hours a day, and you’ll marvel at
how productive you can be, with or without a
computer. For Windows users, try ‘Freedom’. Just
Google “Self Control App” or “Freedom App”, and
you’ll find them for sure.
Embracing The Internet (from page 5)
UPCOMING EVENT
6
Since celebrating my first Valentine’s Day with
someone special, I’ve only ever celebrated it
again alone once. The strange thing is, of all
the Valentine’s days I’ve ever had, that was
the only one I remember how I spent! Oddly
enough, it was a night that I barely have any
recollection of (I passed out from all the fun I
was having). I’m not saying that celebrating
Valentine’s day single is more fun than spend-
ing it with a darling (it’s not called V-day for
no reason). All I’m saying is, being single is
not the end of the world and there are a ton
of things you can do to wash away all your
bitterness and loneliness and grief and inse-
curity and whatnot:
1. Treat yourself. If you’re a guy, you would’ve
spent the money anyway. If you’re a girl, you
would’ve gotten a gift anyway. Splurge on a
new wardrobe or hit the spa. Buy yourself
chocolates; no one will judge you. Remember
that gadget you’ve been eyeing and didn’t get
on Christmas? Looks like we’re going to have
a Christmas take two!
2. Prank calls. Because I was just watching
them on Youtube and it looks like a ton of
fun. Get all your single fellas and have a few
drinks and call up the friends you know would
be on dates. You can even set up goals for the
night. Say for a certain friend, your goal is
he’d get a make-out, while you try to
get another friend a bouquet of roses.
Of course you could be mean and
cock-block instead of guide-cock.
3. You could simply forget about the
prank calls and just have a few drinks
with friends! Of course you’re not
limited to just a few. Hell you’re not
even limited to staying at your own
place, just go out with friends. Go on
a road-trip. Strip down to your finest
swimwear and have a dip in a pool
with your friends. Show the world
what it’s missing out on ;)
4. Be a bum. Or a cook. Or a gamer.
Or a footballer. Do whatever it is that
makes you you on Valentine’s day.
Use the day to celebrate yourself and
what you love most about life. Give
some time to your favorite hobby.
You could run, or roller-blade, or read comic
books and make model planes all day! You
can do your nails or watch the whole season
of your favorite TV show. The best part is, you
won’t have anybody nagging you to do what
he or she wants to do.
Being single on Valentine’s Day doesn’t call
for any distress in life. The only person who
cares that you’re single is yourself (and maybe
your mom). You should spend the Fourteenth
of February by having the most fun you could
possibly have. In fact, you should spend every
day having the most fun you could possibly
have. If you think about it, there’s nothing
special with the day itself, it’s just another
arbitrary point in time in the vastness of the
universe. Before I get any more philosophical,
if you’re reading this with the person you love,
Valentine’s day can’t get any better. And if
you’re not, at least you can make-out with the
hundred other single students who are read-
ing this and are feeling a little bit lonely as
well.
Know Your Editors!
Celebrating Valentine’s Day Single by Rafael Mirafuente
Question:
If you were stuck in a desert island, who would you want to be with (preferably
an Econ major)? Why?
Editor-in-Chief
PAM CORPUZ:
“I’d like to be
with Jigsaw
from the Saw
franchise. A
secluded place
as immensely
lifeless as a desert island would
need a little mind-blowing chal-
lenge to make the experience
worth it and the ending so much
more exciting and unpredictable
than just finally getting rescued by
some compassionate helicopter.”
Associate Editor
ISSA POCO:
“If I were stuck
on an island, I
would want to
be with Yoda
or Zachary Levi.
The former so
that he may bring me wisdom and
teach me the ways of the jedi, and
the latter, so that we can pretend
to be like Chuck and Sarah (I can’t
believe it’s over *cries*), and we can
occasionally duet the song Terrified
while we die slowly. Either way, I’m
satisfied.”
Jumping Off A Plane in the New Year
by Joshua Ahyong
Remember years ago when Senator Miriam Santiago
went mad and promised to the masses, then supporters
of former President Joseph Estrada, that she would jump
off an airplane if the ex-president was convicted? Turns
out he was convicted and some official actually bought
her the airplane ticket. When the media asked her
whether she would fulfill her promise, she was famously
known for replying, “I lied!” I know this is quite off but I
just wanted to show you how not to make commitments.
Offering to jump off a plane is one example. Many com-
mitments are broken partly because of lack of discipline
although sometimes, it is because the commitments
were already impossible to achieve in the first place.
(Continued Next Page)
Artwork by Ariane Tan
7
Managing Editor
JULIET LAGUDA: “Haha! Sorry, but I would want
to be with Mike (my boyfriend). Sa arte kong ito,
di ako magtatagal sa desert island. Sa mga huling
saglit ko, siya pa rin gusto kong kasama. Cheesy
and corny, but hey, this is love. <3”
News Editor
FIEL BATOBATO: “I’d probably want to be with
someone who can keep up with my stories. I love
to talk a lot but it doesn’t mean I want to be
partnered with someone as noisy or someone
who complements my personality--a quiet one,
that is. I’d choose to live on an island with some-
one like Pam Corpuz or Ariane Tan (my close
friends in Econ), or someone that I really like.”
Features Editor
GISELLE JOSE: “It would be his hotness, James
Franco, whose many talents will help us survive,
‘cause let’s just admit, the only thing Mr. Franco
can’t do is bear children. With the mega-survival
skills he obtained from 127 Hours, we could live
forever in that lush tropical paradise.”
Graphics Editor
ANTON RAGOS:
“I want to get stuck with Kelly Brooks. It’s self ex-
planatory.”
Layout Editor
JOANA BAGANO:
“With Ralph Santiago, ETC’s heartthrob. No
explanation needed.”
Jumping Off A Plane in the New Year It’s January already which means two things. Firstly, it’s the start of the
new year -- everything is fresh like that pair of clean underwear you
picked up this morning from the clothesline, which God knows what
endured the day before. Secondly, it’s the usual time to break those
New Year’s resolutions. Yes. So soon, but so true. In fact, according to
the New York Times, 3 out 5 of resolutions don’t even last beyond
January and 4 out of 5 people who make resolutions eventually break
them the next day. Well, if it’s so breakable, how do I not break them?
To start, don’t
make resolutions
that go beyond
your means. Like,
don’t go vegetar-
ian and expect to
keep your resolu-
tion when Bon
Chon opens next
to your house.
Soy Garlic Chick-
en is what hap-
pened. Set your
expectations low
and to a manageable level - like don’t expect vegetarians to be nice to
you if you mess with them. Why? BECAUSE THEY’RE ALWAYS HUNGRY
(Just kidding, I love them vegetarians!). Keeping it real is what you call
it and that’s as real as it can get. It’s not about how high you can get
but more of whether you can make it consistent. In the world of busi-
ness, would you rather have a company that posts a double digit
growth one year and then downsizes greatly the next? Or would you
rather have a company that grows slowly but steadily
each year? Resolutions are like businesses. They have
to be manageable – small yet effective.
If your resolutions seem do-able, your next problem is keeping it. We
all have many resolutions that are breakable like promising to “not get
my girlfriend pregnant”, “become active in my org” or “get higher than
a 2.0 in Econ 131”. But, the discipline to maintain these goals is more
difficult than you imagine (actually, I imagine you already know this
considering how many resolutions you’ve broken already, assuming
you are a normal person). That’s why it’s important to put in mecha-
nisms or devices to help you keep those resolutions in place. One way
to do it is to reward yourself. I’m not talking about awards like “most
number of hotdogs eaten in a minute” or Latin honors but rewards like
getting the things you love for doing the things that you may hate or
get tired of doing. For example, if your resolution is to drink only 1
bottle of beer a month. Reward yourself every 1st day of the next
month with something you like – like a glass of that Moon Leaf tea or
a movie date with friends.
I’m not one to butt in to the fact that is said that we mostly break our
resolutions, but in fact I have to say that we have to at least try. We
only have a few new beginnings every year and sometimes they’re not
really new. But to not try would also be a lie – a lie to yourself that you
couldn’t do more when you could have. Bottom line is to make those
resolutions and try, try, try your best to keep them. If you fail, learn
from your mistakes. Who knows? It could make you do many great
things like become President of Tuvalu or become voluptuously thin. Is
it a challenge? Yes. Is it hard? Maybe, but it’s all part of the plan to
become better and we all will… eventually.
(from page 7)
Artwork by Carlos Chua
Know Your Editors!
8