January 2012 newsletter

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-

[email protected].

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: [email protected]

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