Echoes December 2019

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The Battle of the Bands

by Gia Jovellanos

The 16th NYC

by Jego Agabin

Cover Story: V for Vendetta...and Vina

by Mia Cruz

Existentialism

by Bel Bernardo

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Ghostology

by Cielo Verzosa

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Taking Art to The Streets

by Bel Bernardo

Homegrown

by Poch Villadolid

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The Dark Side of Kpop

by Mikha Ladaga

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Bon Appetit

by Alexa Bulatao

Annyeong ASEO 2

by Mia Cruz

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W H O

W E

A R E

ECHOE S 61B PUBLICATION

E DITOR-IN-CH IEF AS S OCIATE EDITOR STAFF

Echoes is the official publication of the UP Economics Society (UP Ecosoc), a nonstock, non-profit, student organization based in the University of the Philippines Diliman School of Economics.

COMMUNICATIONS E DI TO R IAL ASSISTANT STAFF

Echoes is released two to four times a semester and six times in a year on the months of March, May, September, October, and December.

It draws its funding from a subsidy from UP Ecosoc, and small fundraisers.

One copy of the issue is produced to be read freely by the members of the organization.

This publication is printed by Yza Copy Systems and Trading, located at Katipunan, Quezon City. contact us upecosoc@gmail.com ecosoc.echoes@gmail.com tweet us @echoesph for more information, visit: echoes.ph issuu.com/echoes All errors are corrected when uploaded on issuu.com/echoes. If you spot an error, please email us.

NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT PERMISSION.

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Meira De Luna Mia Cruz Alyanna Basbas Maxine Capili Paolo Jorge Joseph Marasigan Javi Vilchez

Andrew Banaago Jego Agabin Jabby Aurelio Joaquin De Guzman Glenn Guy Harvey Sañga

CONTRIBUTORS Paolo Jorge Jego Agabin Ya s B a s t i d a Gia Jovellanos Je Magpantay Mikha Ladaga Alfonso Laureta Mia Cruz Marcus Fontanilla Bel Bernardo R a m o n Te n a

Poch Villadolid C i e l o Ve r z o s a Emil Apostol Robyn Sason Bernice Henson Jabby Aurelio Harvey Sañga Andrew Banaag Fides Morales Alexa Bulatao

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EDI TOR’S LE T T ER

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Ah yes, an issue in the middle of the holidays. During my unaffiliated days, I always assumed that December issues always had to be Christmas themed, or holiday themed, if we’re going to be politically correct. They could be, but it apparently gets old at some point so the time to get creative was nigh.

Last year, the December 2018 issue’s theme was rebirth, which is quite fitting; who wouldn’t want to be reborn in the next year? New year, new me, as they say. This time around, however, is a little bit different. This year, the decade is ending.

2020 is just around the corner, and so much has happened.

If you’re frequently on Twitter like me, your timeline must have encountered at least one “Me at the start of the decade vs. Me at the end of the decade” tweet. Some people have gloed up within the span of the decade, and that’s good for them.

Others may not have changed much physically, but mentally, emotionally, or even spiritually, they may have gone through a lot. Who knows how many rebirths people have had in ten years? I don’t know.

ZEITGEIST serves as the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time. You might wonder what Vina Mengua has to do with being a ZEITGEIST. True, she is no spirit, because she has not passed away yet (hopefully this will only happen when she is of old age). Instead, she feels and interacts the spirit of the current times. While I believe that we all do this in our own unique ways, Vina is one to look out for.

Most of us watch events and trends come and go. In a sense, this is what Echoes does. To take part in them on different levels might be a new year’s, or new decade’s resolution to try out.

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C O M M I T T E E

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Hey, guys! Here we finally are, at the end of the line. A huge thanks to everyone who helped keep this org alive and who worked with us to make it great.

Here we are 2 sems, 10 genmeets, 50 Team Heads, 11 Execommers, 6 Adhocs, and a hell of a ride later. Thank you. To each and everyone of you. The success of this year is all because of your support and hard work.

To Jano’s Angels, being execomm was definitely difficult and sometimes thankless, and yet you were able to lead the org with such love and grace. Without you guys, none of this would have been possible. From inumans, to meetings, to video calls, and to everything in between, you guys have made this year worth it. I’m so thankful to have had you guys by my side through it all. Ily all alam niyo na yan!

To Ecosoc, it has been a pleasure to have served you. Thank you for giving a shy girl a chance to lead and step up. The growth i’ve experienced is unparalleled, and because of this opportunity, I will always love this org.

To the future president, Ecosoc is in good hands. Love this org and cherish every moment with it. Try and give back everything it has given you. Keep the org going, and take care of yourself! You’ve got this <3 <3 Man, who would’ve thought we could have made it here. This is Bel, 61st President, signing off!

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A LYA N N A B E R N A R D O ECOSOC MONTH

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NYELLU ECOSOC First off, SIGN UP FOR CAROLING !!!!!!!! fun bonding experience and perfect way to feel the christmas spirit :3 Second, congrats to the NYC team!!! Rain or shine talaga ang galing niyo!!! To the apps reading this, congrats as well on Homegrown!!!

Our goal of having the app project level up was definitely reached, and tbh that live Moving Closer under the rain >>> HAHAAH A VIBE Third, I’d like to thank and congratulate all those who stepped up and answered the call to serve as execom!!! WOO I’m sure deciding to take the leap of faith wasn’t easy, and now your year (or sem) is gonna be crazy, but it’ll be one full of growth and one of the most memorable years you’ll have, no doubt.

To the future EVP, as cheesy as it sounds, never forget to find joy in what you do, even just a bit, and to know your Why. Even when making the smallest of decisions, make sure to look for a reason as to why you’re still there — be it because you love your execomm, want the org to be greater, love the scholars, genuinely enjoy the event itself, or even just want to do it for yourself. It always helps to know your goals and have some motivation :3 also, don’t forget to talk with the scholars!!

Sobrang daldal nila HAHA all you need to do is ask how they are and they’ll tell you about their departamentals, crazy school rules, newborn chicks and literally anything LOL (di ka makakaaral minsan dahil dito) then you’ll truly understand why we do it for them ^___^ dat’s all wOOOO MERRY XMAS MY FAVE SEASON luv, Gail

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SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE

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GAIL GIBE

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J O S H UA AG U ST I N ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Hi Ecosoc! ty for supporting our last statement pub during the end of nov :> hehe Josh signing out For my successor, I hope that by the end of the day you would remember that what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done was for the betterment of ecosoc :> continue striving for greatness :> as being vp for acad you already took the first step :>

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E C H O E S

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We only have ACDC Recognition Day/ Christmas Party left on Dec 7 so let’s celebrate at McDo #LoveKoTo #LoveKoKayo #LastNaTo chz To my team heads from 61A & 61B, thank you for sticking around and always going out of your comfort zone to make sure every event goes smoothly. I’m so proud of every one of u!

Your efforts have never gone unnoticed.

To CDC, thank you for choosing to spend your sem at the Heart of Ecosoc. I hope it has been a worthwhile experience. You all have contributed to filling Ecosoc’s heart and mine.

To Ecosoc 58-61, not sure if this will ever reach past batches but in case it does, thank you for making Ecosoc an org I’ve come to love and call home since day 1. It’s because of this org I have made some of the best memories and found people I’ve come to call my family. Serving for Ecosoc has been a craaazy ride, but I was blessed enough to always find reasons to keep going.

To my successor, I can’t wait for you to experience all the heart-warming moments that come with being CDC VP. It may seem overwhelming at first, but that goes with all things! Never question your capabilities because as long as your heart is in the right place and continues to beat with purpose, there is nothing you cannot achieve (always along with the rest of CDC and Ecosoc of course!) Always take care of your CDC family and most importantly, yourself. Much love!

Salamat, Ecosoc ♥️ *high five, handshake, fist bump, hugs* Heart, Bets

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COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

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BETINA SALES

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MEIRA DE LUNA ECHOES We’ve gotten through 2019 with seven issues. 61A brought the Woman Issue, the Chaleur Issue, the Bloom Litfolio, and the Senior Send-Off. 61B brought the Cadence Issue, the Ecosoc Month Issue and finally, the Zeitgeist Issue.

Seven truly is a biblical number, because these issues went through hell to be born, and that wouldn’t have been possible to accomplish alone. I’d like to give my deepest thanks to a lot of people.

To the 61A trio: Kyla, Julia, and Fides, thank you. I looked up to the three of you for your capabilities and your passions. Thank you for believing in me, especially during a time when I genuinely believed that taking up this position was a huge mistake. We actually made it!

To the 61B duo: Mia and Banaag, thank you. I looked up to you two for your wit and creativity. It wasn’t easy juggling Echoes work with other commitments, but goddamn did you guys come through. We only had half a braincell (with Mia being the owner of said braincell), and we made it, yet again!

To Jano’s Angels, both 61A and 61B, thank you for tolerating me in the group chat. You made me feel validated with my thoughts and ideas.

Julia, I know you’ll do great next year. Don’t worry about what Echoes should and shouldn’t be. The beauty of Echoes is that it craves change and unpredictability.

Ecosoc, say goodbye to Tyrone. Just kidding, feel free to drop by when needed. You guys are family after all.

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H E AT H E R TA B L A N T E EXTERNAL AFFAIRS thank you, jano’s angels. thank you, exte. thank you, ecosoc. it’s been my greatest pleasure serving you. <3

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C O M M I T T E E

N E W S

heylo for the last time ecosoc!! so for the past couple of months, a big surprised happened for Fin — This Side UP. We relaunched our old design as a project for three fin apps but it unexpectedly blew up. From the projected 20-40 orders, we got over 400. From projected profits of 5-10k, we are currently at 60-70k++. From the team of 3, we became a team of 22. We got orders all the way from Cebu, Iloilo, Davao and more. We even got orders in places where our coureir can’t reach kasi as in isla na mga yun ajsjkaak I’m really proud of the This Side UP team and am so grateful for those that volunteered even if they didnt have to. It was a tedious process of dealing with orders, especially since it was nearing finals. However, the team managed and they managed super well! It was such a pleasant surprise and a great final fundraiser project for my time as VP On the management side of things naman, they r keeping the hussle going hehehe and are working on the last piggy b update for this sem as well as the year ended fin report! So stay tuned for that (if it hasnt been released yet) For my THs this whole year — Joan, Josh, Ian, EJ, Jan, Yas, and Maui, THANK U !! i will forever be grateful for all ur support and ur help! we’ve been through so much lam niyo na yan but you guys powered through it!! ily all and am proud of u always To the 18 apps of Fin 61 (2 nung 61a, 16 nung 61b), thank u as well!! whenever i’d get tired and so done with fin work, you’ve always made it enjoyable again for me.

You’re a big part of why I kept going.

For the Fin 61 mems, thank you for all your contributions!! fin is better with you all. fin would be nothing without u all. oki haba na nito di na kasya sa space ko but yay das all mwa

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NICOLE FORMOSO FINANCE

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LIA QUERIJERO MEMBERSHIP

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Minamahal q0ng Ecosoc, Sa nakalipas na dalawang buwan, tayo’y nakaraos sa huling Tambay Week, Game Night, App Project, at Genmeet Attendance ng buhay ko bilang Eksekom. Wala ako masyadong masabi ngunit pasasalamat sa lahat ng naging parte ng mahabang taong nagdaan. Una, sa aking Team Heads—Hazel, Nica, Ramon, Steff, Jiggy, Abec, at Anton. Maraming salamat sa walang sawang pagsunod sa mga arte ko.

Pangalawa, sa aking matatalik na kaibigang naging karamay ko sa kahit anumang ganap ng buhay ko na sina Heather at Betina. Hindi ko ‘to kinaya nang wala kayo. Isa ring malaking sigaw sa aking mga aplikante, Kapamilya at Unbound. Mahal na mahal ko kayong lahat.

Huli, sa lahat ng pumili ng Membership bilang kanilang komite sa organisasyong ito, lalonglalo na kay Josh na sinundan ko. Salamat sa walang palyang pagbibigay ng gabay at suporta. Pagpalain kayo lahat ng Diyos. <3, Lia

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C O M M I T T E E

N E W S

Heyyy Ecosoc! This would be my last comm news for my term as Secretary General! Instead of updates, I think it would be better to give my farewell and thanks to all of you.

Thank you to all who supported, believed and gave me a chance to serve the organization for 1 year. This has been my 1st time holding a big position and I never really expected that I can fulfill all of my duties. After 1 year of serving you all, I learned so much and I also met new people that became my family within the org (61A + 61B labyuu all talaga!!). There were struggles but there was also happiness.

For the next Secretary-General, I hope you also serve the organization well and I hope you would do your best and love all the people in the org. I also hope you can make me proud and make other past Seccom VPs proud of you! <3 For my Seccom 61A and 61B mems + apps, thank youu so muchh kahit paulit ulit ko ng sinasabi ito. I am proud to each and one of you for fulfilling the duties of this committee. Salamat sa pubs at pati na rin sa letters na binigay niyo sa akin. Salamat rin sa kwentuhan at sa tawanan naten! <3 Thank you Seccom!!

Love, Jano :)

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JANO DELEĂ&#x2018;A SECRETARIAT

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N NEWS

News by the Numbers. Liwanag: A Lifestyle Bazaar.

Final 61B Genmeet. Homegrown: The Battle of the Bands. The 16th National Youth Congress. CBA Community Demands Deanship Reconsideration in BOR Protest.

The Dark Side of Kpop.

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N E W S

NEWS BY THE NUMBERS

by PAOLO JORGE

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P7 B

Nations participating in the 30th SEA Games to be held in the Philippines

Sports will be played in the 30th SEA Games to be held in the Philippines

Worth of funds were allocated for the 30th SEA Games to be held in the Philippines

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P50 M

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Athletes will be competing at the 30th SEA Games to be held in. the Philippines

Is the reported cost of the SEA games cauldron designed by the late Francis Manosa

-peat is what the Ateneo community celebrates this Christmas as their basketball team win their 3rd championship in a row

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Year anniversary of the Maguindanao Massacre

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P15 T Is the average Christmas gift budget for Filipino Millennials

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115 f t Is the record for the tallest Christmas tree in the world to be found in Los Angeles, California

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N E W S

liwanag • adj. maliwanag (ma-) bright, clear, distinct It was a crisp afternoon on the first day of Liwanag, and the bazaar was bustling with activity as employees came over during their breaks to peruse the various items sold at the center of Technohub. The addition of the bazaar to the otherwise dreary setting added a dash of excitement to these people’s mundane working day as it offered something new to look forward to in the middle of the work week grind. The bazaar truly did justice to its name simply by providing an avenue for Technohub visitors and regulars a fun way to spend their time.

Every year, the UP Economics Society holds a bazaar in order to generate funds for the organization’s various endeavors.

This year was no different, as last October 7-11, 2019, “Liwanag: A Lifestyle Bazaar” was held in UP-Ayala Land Technohub.

There were 20 concessionaires present at the event, each bringing something different to the table. Visitors could choose from a wide array of products, from food and drinks to clothes and accessories. The standout booth of the bazaar by far was Missy K. Corazon.

Buyers enjoyed her delectable pastries, with her macarons and muffins being a smash hit among customers. Honorable mentions would have to be Mango Madness, which sold fruit shakes, and JM Sarte, which sold ready-to-wear apparel.

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L I WA N A G : A L I F E S T Y L E BAZAAR b y YAS BAS T IDA

As much as the bazaar benefitted the handlers of the event, it was also a great opportunity for local start-ups to network with their fellow entrepreneurs and gain more exposure in the community which is why it was an extremely humbling and meaningful experience for everyone involved despite the various challenges that arose leading up to the event.

It was definitely an event that would be fondly reminisced about, what with all parties gaining some form of good from it, monetary or otherwise. Needless to say, Liwanag was a success.

FINAL 61B GENMEET

by ALFONSO LAURETA

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The final genmeet for 61B was held last November 6. This also marked the the final presentations of Ecosoc’s 61st Executive Committee. Member and applicant attendance for this genmeet was considerably more notable as the room quickly filled up.

The respective vice presidents of each home committee became sentimental as they spoke and gave recaps of their team’s milestones and achievements for the sem. But unknown to them, Bel and Gail, together with the council of team heads for each committee, had something in store for them.

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The team heads prepared their own tributes including video presentations and gifts as proper farewell and tokens of appreciation for the time and work each VP had to put in. To conclude the genmeet, the candidates who ran for the general elections of the 62nd Executive Committee were allowed to campaign to the members and present their platforms. This included Gab Rivera for President, Hazel Syhongpan for Executive Vice President, and Ramon Teña for Membership Committee VP.

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HOMEGROWN: T H E B AT T L E OF THE BANDS

by GIA JOVELLANOS

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The hottest retro event in the Metro, The Ecosoc Unbound 61B Application Batch App Project, Homegrown: The Battle of the Bands, took place on November 16, 2019, at Mandala Park, Mandaluyong.

It was a night of free-flowing drinks, great music, and even greater company.

Out of many participant-hopefuls, only 7 bands were selected as finalists. The finalists were as follows: Area 5, Bone-A, Lucy Dee, Paint It Black, Sana Tutti, Seizure Salad, and This Is Z. These bands battled it out for the chance to win PHP5,000 and the opportunity to play a set at a 2020 UP Fair Night.

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The event started off with a bang as hosts, Gab Rivera and Ramon Tena, greeted all the attendees in a lively manner.

They had reminded everybody of the eventâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s purpose and the prizes at stake, and introduced the judges who would ultimately decide the fate of each band.

The performances of each band were judged by four prominent figures in the Philippine Music Industry: Tommy Tanchanco, owner of 12 Stone Records and an artist himself, Carlos Calderon, a MYX digital director, Peachy Policarpio, owner and producer of Blaster Studio, and Cyra Jureidini, a Cornerstone artist and qualifier for Idol Philippines and Pilipinas Got Talent.

Without much ado, the performances by each band had begun. Each band was to perform two OPM songs, being either covers or originals, within a span of 10 minutes. The order of performances was as follows: This Is Z, Bone-A, Paint It Black, Lucy Dee, Sana Tutti, Seizure Salad, and Area 5.

While the judges were deliberating and the attendees were voting, OPM band, Never the Strangers, kept everybody company. They had graced the stage and performed a set, giving the attendees a good time, and also igniting a spark in the eyes of the young bands who hope to reach heights as high as they had reached.

Later on, the winners were announced and awarded, and all finalists would receive prizes from Blaster Studios, too.

After much deliberation from the judges, and based on the results of the live voting, three bands had been announced as runners-up and winners.

The second runner-up, and additionally, winner of the Blaster Studio Award, was This Is Z. Coming in second, the first runner-up was Area 5. Last, but not the least, the Winner of Homegrown: The Battle of the Bands, was Paint It Black; as winners, they had been awarded with the PHP5,000 cash prize and the opportunity to play a set at a 2020 UP Fair Night. The band then performed a final song on the Homegrown stage.

Of course, the event would not have been a success without the help of the event sponsors.

Homegrown: The Battle of the Bands was proudly presented by MG Motors and Blaster Studio, in partnership with the Joy Nostalg Foundation, brought to you by Playnation and Bacardi, with special thanks to RCBC and MPIII Lights and Sounds, with official media partners Inquirer.net and DZUP 1602.

For the Unbound 61B Applicant Batch, the event would be a symbol of the start of their Ecosoc journeys. The event would serve as a reminder that with Ecosoc, the impossible could be made possible, and that through hard work and dedication, one may break free from oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s limits. With regards to Ecosoc App Projects, this event was the first of its kind; the Unbound 61B Application Batch would leave this event as its legacy.

Surely, for all the organizers, participants, and attendees of Homegrown: The Battle of the Bands, the event is, and will always be, a night to be remembered for many years to come.

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T H E 1 6 T H N AT I O N A L YO U T H C O N G R E S S FOSTER IDEAS, INSPIRE PROGRESS

by JEGO AGABIN

Technology today has a big role in society. We see it used in our phones, cars and even in places such as banks and shops.

It makes everyday life easier and more convenient for a regular person. But what more can it offer to us? In what innovative ways can we use this in order for society to grow and develop even more?

This is the theme the 16th National Youth Congress (NYC) wants to delve deeper on together with the high school delegates coming from around the country. We wanted to expose the delegates more on the big role technology has on different aspects on society and how it can be set-up and be used as building blocks to further improve society as a whole, hence the title The PH Blueprint.

Just like the past NYCs, the main goal is to always Foster Ideas, and Inspire Progress among the delegates joining the event. And with the theme and this goal in mind, the 16th NYC plans on doing just that.

All three days of the congress were filled with talks and activities that helped achieved this goal. Speakers such as Dr. Justo Ortiz, the Chairman if Union Bank, and Reina Reyes, an astrophysicist and data scientist, shared their knowledge and insights on the potential of technology to improve society.

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together and share their own ideas and opinions. Those who were able to join the field trip were able to go to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas , Launch Garage, and SEAMO Innotech. The visit to these places allowed them to listen and interact with people from banking, entrepreneurship, and education.

At the end of the day, all these activities were catered for the delegates to be able learn as much as they from the speakers and fellow delegates and to be able to use this knowledge to make a change in the society we live in today. In other words, may they have fostered ideas and be inspired to start progress in the country today.

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CBA COMMUNITY DEMANDS DEANSHIP R E C O N S I D E R AT I O N I N BOR PROTEST

by JE MAGPANTAY

The College of Business Administration (CBA) faculty and students held a protest last November 28 at Quezon Hall, during the Board of Regents’ (BOR) 1349th meeting.

They demanded that the BOR explain the recent appointment of Joel L. Tan-Torres as the new dean of CBA. The BOR’s controversial decision goes against the university’s deanship selection process stipulated in the UP Charter (RA 9500), according to CBA faculty and students, as well as UP Chancellor Michael Tan. The document states that college deans are elected by the BOR upon the UP President’s nomination and Chancellor’s recommendation, after a consultation with the college’s constituents. Such search process began as early as July 2019, when the search committee headed by CBA Department Chair Dr. Ma. Gloria Talavera conducted consultations, interviews, and a public forum to scrutinize the nominated candidates.

The search committee’s report was later submitted to Chancellor Tan on September 11, which he based upon to recommend Dr. Lorna Paredes as the 1st choice and Dr. Regina Lizares as the 2nd choice for CBA Dean.

Results from the search process show that Mr. Tan-Torres was the leastfavored candidate by the constituents.

According to the students and faculty, he lacks the academic credentials and

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professorial experience. Moreover, he is considered by students as a candidate who is an outsider to the current context of the college, compared to the other candidates who are all professors in CBA. Dissenters also question the additional interviews conducted by the BOR on October 11, despite the search committeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s findings and the Chancellorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recommendation, which eventually led to a 6-5 vote in favor of Mr. Tan-Torres. Following his oath

taking as CBA dean on October 21, the CBA community filed a petition to the BOR for a reconsideration of the deanship selection. In addition, Dr. Talavera, along with other professors part of the CBA Executive Committee have resigned from their positions last November 28 as an act of protest. While the petition remains to be pending with the BOR, UP President Danilo Concepcion assured the UP community that the BOR will review the case.

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T H E DA R K S I D E O F K P O P

by MIKHA LADAGA

K-Pop - bubblegum, colors, glitz, glamour, depression, prostitution, corruption. The year 2019 was riddled with controversies in the K-Pop industry. From sexual assault scandals to members leaving groups, fans were left devastated but were also ultimately forced to face the truth: their idols aren’t perfect.

BIGBANG, YG, and Burning Sun

Arguably the biggest controversy of the year, the Burning Sun scandal shook the whole industry as multiple huge artists got involved.

Seungri, BIGBANG’s youngest member and co-owner of Burning Sun nightclub, was accused of being a pimp and allowing drug transactions in his club. Besides the nightclub issue, police also reported that Seungri was part of a Kakaotalk group chat with 7 other members including singers Jung Joonyoung and Choi Jonghoon, Yoo Insuk, a Burning Sun employee, a relative of a girl group member, a former YG entertainment employee, and a friend of Jung Jooyoung. It was revealed that members of the group chat shared videos of their sexual acts without the consent of the women they were with.

Just last November 19, 2019, Jung Joonyoung and Choi Jonghoon were found guilty of gang raping drunk unconscious women. The case against Seungri, however, has not progressed since early this year.

The Burning Sun scandal uncovered huge corruption that protected artists like Seungri and Jung Joonyoung. If it weren’t for this issue, men like them would’ve continued breaking the law and getting away with it.

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Vote Manipulation

Survival shows in Korea involve trainees aspiring to debut and getting their shot at fame. Sometimes, it’s all about pure talent and skill. Often, it’s about their looks.

The most popular survival show series would be the ‘Produce’ series. There have been 4 seasons so far: Produce 101 (Girls), Produce 101 (Boys), Produce 48 (Korean and Japanese Girls), and Produce X 101 (Boys). Trainees from different companies compete until they’re down to a certain number. Fans play a huge role in rankings so it goes without saying that those who are popular make it to the end.

This year’s season, Produce X 101, raised a lot of eyebrows. Final votes during the last episode were so obviously manipulated that officials had to launch an investigation. Upon questioning the PD or Program Director, they found that he accepted sexual favors from certain companies in exchange for their trainees being included in the final lineup. At first, the PD only admitted to manipulating the votes for the latter two seasons but officials discovered that all 4 seasons were manipulated. As a result, the two groups that were formed from Produce 48 and Produce X 101 are now in danger of being disbanded.

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Mental Health, Depression and Suicide

Last December 18, 2017, Jonghyun of SHINee was discovered dead IN his home. He committed suicide through carbon monoxide poisoning. The industry grieved his death and fans promised to be more considerate of their favorite artists’ mental health. Around two years later, just last October 14, 2019, Sulli of f(x) killed herself. Fans were shocked and they blamed malicious haters and cyberbullies for how Sulli’s life ended. Before her death, Sulli was reported to have been suffering from severe depression. A little over a month later, fellow K-Pop star and Sulli’s best friend, Goo Hara, was found dead in her home. Police found a suicide note and did not proceed with an autopsy as per her family’s request. Both female idols were victims of harsh criticism by netizens and showed suicide warning signs. Unfortunately, fans were too late.

Recently, news of members leaving their groups or taking a hiatus from activities have shed light on how, at least in some way, companies and their idols are striving to take care of their mental health. Issues like anxiety and depression have been treated as a stigma in the K-Pop industry for the longest time but with more people opening up and asking for help, cases like Sulli’s and Hara’s hopefully won’t happen anymore.

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F F E AT U R E S

Doing Good while Doing Well: Youtube as a Career. V for Vendetta...and Vina. Mga Demonyong Dapat Mong Iwanan. Fantastic Spirits and Why You Should Try Them. Ghostology. Karen. Existentialism. Classic Blue.

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E C H O E S

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F E A T U R E S

DOING GOOD WHILE DOING WELL

YO U T U B E A S A CA R E E R MARCUS FONTANILLA

If you would have told me 5 years ago that I’d be starting my own YouTube channel today, I’d think that you were out of your mind. Coming up with a YouTube channel wasn’t any ordinary random idea. It all started back in 2017 when I was browsing through the website, looking for a simple outfit idea. Of all the videos that I watched, there was one channel that resonated with me the most – teachingmensfashion. It’s managed by an American-Mexican national named Jose Zuniga whose videos primarily talk about men’s fashion, grooming and dating tips. For almost two years straight, I’ve watched every single one of his uploads, and in a span of those two years, I’ve felt much better about myself as compared to how I did back then. Only recently did I start to ask myself: why not do what he’s doing? To answer this question, let me share three key points that jumpstarted my YouTube career – my passion, my goal to help others and YouTube’s HUGE potential to make money.

After watching thousands of videos about men’s fashion, I’ve grown to

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fall in love with the idea of always dressing sharp. In fact, my reasons aren’t exactly rocket science. Doing so simply helps me be my best whenever and wherever I may be. Ever since then, it has become my passion to consistently make an effort to improve the way I look. Up to this day, it’s the simple joy of standing out and being the best-dressed person in the room that keeps me going. With all the knowledge that I have accumulated over the past couple of years, what better way to give back and spread the joy than to share it through one of the biggest digital platforms in the world. Thus, the creation of The Gent Vibe.

Perhaps one of the implicit reasons why I started a YouTube channel is my constant mission to help other people. I believe that Jose Zuniga became one of the biggest fashion influencers in YouTube because of his ability to connect with his viewers and inspire them to be their best.

On my part, I’ve always known how it’s like to hopelessly struggle with having to build my personal appearance from

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nothing. Using this as my daily motivation, The Gent Vibe is committed to helping other people avoid doing my mistakes by preaching the very principles that made me overcome this difficult hurdle.

My final key point and primary reason for pursuing YouTube as a career is the financial gain. In this age of technology and information, utilizing YouTube gives you vast opportunities to earn chunks of income and the capacity to reach a great number of people. The best thing about this platform is that I am able to do ALL these with nothing but mere ideas, hard work and spare time. The Gent Vibe is a win-win situation for me as it contributes to both my own personal and financial growth while helping other people in the process.

Only six months into this journey, yet I still have an endless list of things to figure out. As great as this career might sound, nobody has ever said that it would be easy. However, every successful YouTuber up to this day has claimed it to be worth it. With this, I believe that there is nothing more rewarding than doing something that revolves around your passion and has a positive impact on your personal growth while trying to make a difference in other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives. And if YouTube can provide all these for you, then who knows? We might just be entering an era of Jose Zunigas.

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V FOR VENDET TA

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Interview by Mia Cruz Photography by Jabby Aurelio E C H O E S | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 9

... AND VINA

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UP School of Economics Student Council Education and Research Councilor.

16th National Youth Congress Convener.

Resident lesbian.

Cover of Zeitgeist.

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When was the first time you felt strongly about a social issue that you had to speak out or do something about it?

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Entering an all girls school in the Metro opens your world to rainbows and raised fists. Hearing their stories changed my perspective in more ways than one. I was appalled by the discrimination they face every single day—from parents being disgusted of their sexuality to being looked down upon by male superiors. It shouldn’t be that way, and I had to do something about it. Being the “makata” that I am, I used the power of words to champion my advocacy. Every speech I had to share, every piece I had to write, all points to one conclusion—women are fierce and strong, and we have the capacity to bring about radical change..

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F E A T U R E S

How did it make you feel to put yourself out there for the first time?

Going out the streets is always an exhilarating experience.

I remember shouting out our School’s calls in the Martial Law mob last year—it was fulfilling, at that moment I felt that I was in the right place.

That was my first time, and as they say, nothing can top the first. Well, fighting against the atrocities done by the Marcoses is always a good time :> My favorite part was when we sang our univerity hymn.

Proudly singing “UP Naming Mahal” with my fellow Iskos at the AS Steps became my emblem, my motivation to keep fighting the good fight.

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Before anything else, do you consider yourself an activist?

Why or why not?

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I think we all should consider ourselves activists, as we all fight for or stand up for something.

Activism is not necessarily joining rallies or raising placardsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;it is a mindset to help correct a societal irregularity. Activism takes many forms, you just have to pick your poison. As for me, I use social media to champion my advocacies.

I think we just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t consider ourselves as activists because society puts a negative connotation towards the concept. As Iskolars ng Bayan, we ought to rise above such misconceptions.

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We both know that there are designated s t e r e o t y p i c a l appearances and attitudes of activism.

Are there certain stereotypes that you embrace?

I don’t stick to the status quo (pun intended), so there aren’t any stereotypes that I embrace. The typical image for activism combines people raising their fists, placards, megaphones, and policemen with their shields. But I think we should steer away from that stereotype.

In the first place, there shouldn’t be a stereotype in activism. We all practice it in varying ways. As I’ve said, activism is also diverse, it goes with different cultures, traditions, but most of all, choices.

We choose our own platform, our own voice.

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Alternatively, what sets you apart from this mold?

As I’ve said, every activist is unique as we utilize different platforms to raise our calls. As for me, I use the power of social media, like other millennials these days. I lean towards issues that zero in on human rights, particularly women’s and LGBT’s, as it is my main advocacy. However, I aim to understand more economic theories to connect both worlds. It is my lifetime goal to study about women and Econ, as they are the love of my life. Hehe

Looking back at past issues and advocacies that you’ve dealt with, how would you describe the spirit of the current times?

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The spirit of the current times fears no man, no tyrant. It has already impeached an orange-skinned President, put the Ampatuans behind bars, and it won’t stop here. It also has the capacity to remove a misogynist and murderer from Malacanang. With its unwavering drive, more can and will be achieved. Witness as it changes the world—soon, no dictator will be in power.

This fight is gonna be legendary, it’s never too late to join it.

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The spirit of the current times fears no man, no tyrant. [...] This fight is gonna be legendary, it’s never too late to join it.

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What current advocacies that you support can you name off the top of your head?

How do you continue to support these?

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Human rights as well as economic and financial literacy! For the former, I mostly write pieces that center around such topic. I’m particularly proud of the one I submitted for Echoes last sem, the Queen and the Iron Fist, as it relates Queen Cersei of House Lannister (I’m a GOT nerd) and Tyrant Rodrigo Duterte—if you analyze it closely, they actually have same characteristics which isn’t surprising.

One can say that Westeros is a microcosm of the Philippines. As for the latter, the main reason why I ran for Edres Councilor of the SESC is to forward the economic principle. Most of my initiatives involve these advocacies—I believe that the discussion of Econ doesn’t stop inside the classroom, its main purpose can be found in the streets.

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Why do you think these issues exist?

These issues exist because the people in power only care about their self-interest. Their position is only meant for their hefty bank accounts and other manipulative agenda, contrary to what it should be, an honor for the people. This is an injustice that only collective action can cure. This is why now more than ever, we ought to set aside our differences and fight against the real enemy, the ruling class.

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What do you like most and least about being active regarding these issues? Are there any approaches, methods, or skills that help you maintain this energy?

The people inspires me to move forward— seeing how passionate they are to fight for what is right keeps the fire burning inside.

It has ignited my spirit to continue, even though hope is somewhat blurry these days.

Their determination makes me feel that I am in the right place, at the right time.

It also gives me the confidence that I am fighting the good fight. On the other hand, I dislike those family dinners when it’s as if it’s a wrong thing to go out the streets and help others raise their calls. Being an Isko in a traditional family who hates activists lets you be equipped for weird debates— tbh, I’m always ready with my stats and reliable data to win the argument as they always resort to “mas alam namin kasi wala ka naman non” or “mali naman turo diyan sa UP wag ka maniwala.” The downside, however, is that our dinner turns into a heated argument, which shouldn’t be the case. But in the end, I make my own choices. I know I’m in the right path in this fight, so I will continue raising my fist, despite my loved ones disagreeing with me.

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Lastly, how would you encourage others who feel strongly to stand up for what they believe in or against injustice?

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Do what you can to help—it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to join a rally or shout in Mendiola, what’s more important is that you don’t stop at being aware, you do something about it. Utilize the power of words through social media, utilize the power of time through listening to their stories, utilize the power of actions through volunteering. In the end, utilize the power that you have. Choose a platform that you are most comfortable with—what matters most is the purpose, and that purpose is to help correct the societal irregularity.

Make use of what you learn in the classroom to solve a societal issue. I believe that our education’s aim is not to get that 5-digit salary, but to help bring about radical change our world desperately needs.

The world is calling you, it is time to stand up and fight.

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F E A T U R E S

HOMEGROWN POCH VILLADOLID

“Homegrown”. Unbound’s very own app project. More than just an event, I’d say that Homegrown was more of a journey. It was full of many ups and downs, numerous hurdles that the batch overcame. The experience of planning “Homegrown” actually stayed true to its name, because I got to see my batchmates [or appmates(?)] grow in one way or another. What other way to show this then by taking you behind the scenes, showing snippets of the journey that is Homegrown, moments that exhibit how Unbound as a whole has grown so much from this app project.

B AT T L E O F T H E B A N D S When plans for the app project started, the first challenge we had was deciding on what kind of app project we would have. Originally, the app project was supposed to be a food fair that featured different global cuisines. I recall having a 2 hour vidcall with the other app officers, trying to figure out how to pull off a food fair. We ended up deciding to change the project into a battle of the bands because the food fair did not seem “legit” enough (imagine paying for entry and then having to pay for the food on top of that). Bigger than this tho, this was the first time I realized that we had a solid af Homegrown OB. Despite this big change, the OB was able to adjust to the changes really quickly.

Like in Promo, they were able to quickly change the pegs from global cuisine (food fair) to retro vibes (Battle of the Bands).

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VENUE

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We couldn’t push through with the original venue (big oof). This was the first “big” hurdle we had to face.

Despite being a “logistics” problem, the other committee heads asked their respective committees to help find a new venue. Homegrown as one OB working together on a single issue (bigger oof). For me, this was the first sign of how Unbound was “bound” (punny) to grow as one united batch (aww).

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F E A T U R E S

DPs The DP shoot originally had a significant budget, but to lessen costs we had to cut said budget. Despite this, we worked around this challenge and were able to make a sleek af dps with 0 (accounting) costs.

Need proof? Check the DIY ring light we made from scratch and used for the dps. Regardless of the low budget, I got to see my batch work together with gvs all around. A challenge turned fun for Unbound.

HOMEGROWN So much things about Homegrown I can choose to talk about. Since the news article is talking about Homegrown itself, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll talk about the hours leading up to Homegrown itself. During ingress, we were kinda undermanned-ish, because some apps had BA at that time. Even tho we were undermanned, ingress went super smoothly because the apps present were all working together, regardless of committee.

Progs people helping with log stuff, things like this show how much Unbound has grown together from the App Project (yieeee). What started to show back in the venue problem was in full display during ingress: Unbound, not working separately according to committees, but working together as one Homegrown OB .

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THE END

At the end of Homegrown, seeing my batch just have fun, be it dancing, taking pictures, etc. was really heartwarming-ish to see (hehe). From the laughs and smiles Unbound had, you could say that this was a perfect ending for the Homegrown journey hehe <3

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MGA D E M O N YO N G D A PAT MONG I WA N A N

ROBYN SASON

(not pictured on the right)

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MULTO

Ghosting doesn’t just exist in romantic relationships, even friendships are vulnerable to the phenomenon. Limits are healthy, so you have to know yours––at what point does your unresponsive friend stop being someone who’s “busy” to someone who no longer gives a fuck about you.

SHAMER

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All the types of shamers: skinny-shamer, smart-shamer, party-shamer. People enjoy different things and no one should ever have the authority to police that. Let’s stop boxing people into a stereotype and start letting them live beyond it. Drunkards can be responsible leaders, models can be summa cum laudes, druggies can know more about God than you do––the list is endless but the point stands that just because they’re one thing doesn’t mean they can’t be another. We’re operating in a positive-sum reality not zero-sum.

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NEGA

a. Lahat nalang negative b. lahat nalang di kaya c. lahat nalang bawal

CHISMOSA

Simple lang ‘yan mga tol. Kung ‘di ikakaunlad ng buhay mo, edi ano pake mo?

The age-old adage says “don’t do unto others what you don’t want others to do unto you” so kung ayaw mong ipinagkakalat yung kalat mo nung naka-anim na empi shots ka, edi wag mo rin ikalat yung kanila.

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F E A T U R E S

F A N TA S T I C S P I R I T S A N D W H Y YO U S H O U L D TRY THEM: AN ALCOHOLIC’S GUIDE TO THE KINDS OF HARD LIQUOR

by EMIL APOSTOL

insert any drunk ecosoc pic here lol VODKA - The purest and cleanest spirit.

Before I get on to the meat of this article, let me start with a disclaimer: liquor, like anything involving your senses of taste and smell, is subjective. What I might like in a spirit may be different from what you prefer, and that’s perfectly fine.

Furthermore, appreciating Spirits is something that is best done through experience, so I encourage you to take my words with a grain of salt and go experience Spirits on your own so as to form your own informed opinion on the matter.

Finding its origins in Eastern Europe (some say in Russia or in Poland), Vodka is a kind of hard liquor that can be made from any substance that produces sugar upon fermentation; most commonly used are potatoes or various kinds of grains like wheat or barley. Upon distillation of the fermented liquid, it is filtered several times to make a spirit that is clear as water. Its defining characteristic is that it is “tasteless.”

More accurately speaking, Vodka tastes like alcohol without any other funky flavors or aftertastes, unlike its other counterparts which may have predominantly herbal or fruity flavors.

With this caveat out of the way, let us first define what hard liquor is. Hard liquor, also known as a “Spirit”, is a form of consumable alcohol with a high level of Alcohol by Volume (ABV), being usually found to have a strength of 35-50% ABV. The process of making hard liquor actually starts the same as wine and beer, but what distinguishes the former is the use of distillation to concentrate the alcohol and flavor of the liquid into a highly potent form.

Because of Vodka’s reputation as a clean and tasteless Spirit, it has become a favorite spirit for use in mixed drinks, acting as a “chameleon” of sorts and adding alcoholic strength while not imparting any unpleasant flavors to a drink. Furthermore, because of the lack of aftertaste, it is also often served chilled in the form of shots.

We can then ask: why do certain spirits taste different from one another? What processes distinguish one kind of hard liquor from another? The purpose of this article is to run you through the major categories of Spirits that you may find on the grocery or liquor store shelves, as well as their usual characteristics and distinguishing features. I will discuss them in order of my familiarity with them, from least familiar to most familiar.

Personally, I use vodka as my default spirit for mixing and shots when I have friends or guests over. My favorite Vodka to use is Stolichnaya Russian Vodka, but my advice when buying vodka is to not break the bank as they more or less all taste the same.

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BRANDY – More than just Emperador Light

Yes, Emperador Light is NOT a good representation of Brandy. Don’t let badly-made Empi Lights ruin the name of Brandy for you. Also, Brandy should not be limited to its reputation as the low quality hard drink you reach for when nothing else is available or when you have no money for anything else.

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Brandy is a kind of Spirit distilled from Wine, made from Grapes or from other fruits (Calvados, or Apple Brandy, is a good example). All the goodness that one finds in Wine, like flavors of oak and fruit, are concentrated into a strong alcoholic drink through distillation. The age, and some would say the quality, of the Brandy is usually indicated in the form of the letters that you see on the label. In order of age, from youngest to oldest, brandies may be labelled as VS (Very Special), VSOP (Very Special Old Pale), or XO (Extra Old). VS Brandies are usually used in cocktails, while VSOP and XO Brandies are sipped neat.

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Arguably the most famous form of Brandy around the world is Cognac. Cognac is a kind of brandy made exclusively in the Cognac region in France, which is also famous as a prominent winemaking area of the country. Well-known Cognac brands include Hennessy, Martell, and Remy Martin. In the Philippines, Spanish Brandy from the Jerez region, or Brandy de Jerez, is more ubiquitous, with famous examples being Fundador, Emperador, and Carlos III.

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Traditionally, Brandy is served warm (unlike other spirits) and drunk neat as an after-dinner dessert drink. Recently, Brandy has also been used in Cocktails like the Sidecar. Personally, I’m not too much of a Brandy person, but I do enjoy it warm every now and then.

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F E A T U R E S TEQUILA/MEZCAL - Mexico’s national treasure.

Full disclosure: I am biased against Tequila because Jose Cuervo and I don’t get along very well. This being said, Tequila, and by extension Mezcal, should not be discounted as the college drink which causes hangovers; behind Tequila’s reputation as the drink that your demonyo friend gives to you to chug is a depth of flavor that should be explored.

In getting to know tequila, we first must define the umbrella group of drinks of which Tequila is a part of: Mezcal. Mezcal is a kind of Spirit made exclusively in Mexico through the fermentation and distillation of the Agave Plant. The Agave is harvested, then mashed up and fermented, then distilled into hard liquor; it may then be bottled immediately (as a Blanco Tequila/Mezcal) or aged in oak barrels for extra flavor and mellowing (as a Reposado or Extra aged Añejo Tequila/Mezcal).

What distinguishes Tequila from other forms of Mezcal is the region where Tequila is made: Tequila is a Spirit that is exclusively made in an area centered around the town of Tequila, in the Mexican region of Jalisco. The Agave plants grown is well known for its quality because of Tequila’s proximity to Volcanoes, and by extension, rich volcanic soil which produces exceptional agave. Hence, because of these conditions, Mezcal made in Tequila is distinguished from all other Mezcal by taking the name of the town where the Spirit is made.

Like Vodka, Tequila and Mezcal can be drunk in a number of ways. Most popularly, Tequila is taken as a shot with lime and salt, or as the ubiquitous Margarita cocktail.

However, I would also suggest drinking Tequila or Mezcal as a Paloma Cocktail (Tequila mixed with Lime and topped with Grapefruit Soda) or sipping Tequila neat (especially if you can get your hands on some Aged Añejo Tequila).

Always remember, however, that the best Tequilas for any purpose are those that are made with 100% Blue Agave. Unfortunately, Jose Cuervo Gold is not one of those 100% Blue Agave spirits, but other brands like Patron, 1800, and Jose Cuervo Tradicional will do you just fine. You find that Tequila/Mezcal has a particular flavor that you either love or hate, and if you love that flavor, you REALLY love it.

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GIN – It’s all in the botanicals.

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Gin gets a bad rep. For most of us, Gin is associated with thoughts of bad times with alcohol. Specifically, Gin is the name given to a locally-made Spirit known as Ginebra San Miguel, aka Gin Bilog or Gin Bulag. For others, Gin just flat out tastes like you shouldn’t be drinking it; some people state that Gin puts them off because it smells like Hairspray.

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This being said, why drink Gin? Gin, in my opinion, is a complex spirit that can’t be appreciated easily, but if you give it time, you find a flavor profile that is unparalleled in its complexity. Gin, like Vodka, can be distilled from anything. However, as distinguished from Vodka and other spirits, Gin makes use of ingredients in its distillation process to add certain flavors to the Spirit. These flavoring agents are called “Botanicals,” and they function much like salt and pepper act with respect to food.

Botanicals used in the distillation of Gin can be anything under the Sun. One requirement of Gin is that it be distilled in the presence of Juniper Berries, but aside from that, Gin makers use a wide range of herbs and spices to flavor their gin. Some examples of Botanicals that are typically used in gin are Ginger, Lemongrass, Orange peel, Coriander seeds, and Cinnamon bark. To give an example of how diverse botanicals can be, Filipino gin distillers are currently seeking to add their own uniquely Filipino twist to Gin. Crow’s Gin, a locally distilled Gin by Crow’s Craft Brewery, uses Calamansi Peel and Siling Labuyo as botanicals to give their gin a distinct taste.

How, then, does one drink Gin? Personally, I don’t drink it neat because the smell puts me off, but I do appreciate Gin in a cocktail. The herbal quality lends itself well to many drinks, including the classic Gin and Tonic and Martini cocktails. Even a bit of gin in Sprite helps to elevate the soda into a more complex, flavorful drink.

If I were to recommend Gins to buy, I personally use Larios Spanish Gin or Beefeater London Dry Gin in my drinks, but if you want something a bit more high end and flavorful, look for Crow’s Gin, Suntory Roku Japanese Gin, and The Botanist Islay Dry Gin as possible options to get you started on your Gin journey.

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G H O S T O L O G Y.

F E A T U R E S

CIELO VERZOSA

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“I-download promise.”

mo

na.

Fun-fun

lang,

You shake your head and softly say “no”, but you see that yellow square with the white hexagon on the App Store, and like science dictates, the obnoxious yellow catches your attention and next thing you know, the App is on your dock. Whatever, you say, I’m not even going to open it.

It’s late at night and you’re in bed, your thumb hovering over the App, fighting the urge to click, and by some odd twist of fate your muscle spasms and oh my god it’s open.

You say you’re only there to see what your city offers and you’ll get rid of the app in the morning.

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First, it’s just one text that goes unanswered. Baka busy. Demanding ang thesis.

Then, it’s 10. Okay lang kaya ‘yun? So you check his social media and he has an Instagram update showing that he was at your school, training with his fellow athletes, at the same time you are held up in the library to finish a paper. Bakit di siya nagtext man lang?

You’re starting to scare yourself when you think about calling him, in fear that you’re starting to and like an obsessive girlfriend (nevermind that he doesn’t answer; let’s face it: that’s only secondary).

Your friends say the same thing and you all try to pick his messages and his actions apart. Your friends hold their tongues and keep you from hearing what you know is true but not prepared to hear.

A few more days pass and you lose hope he’ll ever reply. You already have that sad Spotify playlist on repeat, asking yourself what’s wrong with you and would it have ended differently if you’d have been easier to get.

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Suddenly a guy comes on view and you think twice. He seems less sketchy than those before him, so you swipe right. A new window pops up. It’s a match! As a Yellow virgin, you settle with a lame “Hey :)”. Kung interesado talaga ‘to, magrereply pa rin ‘to. Your phone lights up and it’s him and he said “Hey!” And that starts weeks of “good morning/ good night” texts and plans to meet (to which you say no because by some twist of fate, something always comes up—he says he understands, and you’re filled with relief), and when you finally say yes so he can fetch you from school to watch one of his games, he cancels last minute. You’re disappointed, of course, but he makes up for it by calling you on the phone and asking about your day. He’s interested to know, he says.

He starts getting more persistent to meet, but you’re neck-deep in midterm exams and deadlines so you politely decline and apologize profusely. Again, he reassures you he understands and you sleep better because you know he understands how your studies matter to you. So you make the first move and ask him out to dinner to make up for your no’s.

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Smoker? Left.

Shirtless pics? Left.

Taga-[redacted]?

Left.

F E A T U R E S

It’s official, hun: You’ve been ghosted.

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You’re angry. You’re sad. But you don’t know how to react, so you do what you do best: Share depressing memes and rationalize. You re-trace your steps and revisit the messages the two of you exchanged. You think there’s something wrong with you and how you screwed up what could have been a potential relationship. Of course, your friends say no, and despite knowing better, you don’t believe them.

No surprises there, hun. You’ve always been the best at self-sabotage.

But, as if a switch suddenly clicked in your head, it all makes sense to you. You two met on the App and were acquaintances at best. What exactly did he owe you when you knew what you were getting into once you downloaded that App? When we speak about emotional debt in the context of ghosting, what we actually mean is the totality of actions not taken, words left unsaid, unfulfilled plans, questions unanswered, and ugly confrontations never had. These factors leave those ghosted to

navigate through the ugly emotions without the ability to obtain closure. Unlike the death of a loved one, where you can see a lifeless body at a funeral, ghosting halts the grieving process. This makes the whole idea of ghosting painful because social media platforms allow you to take glimpses of your ghoster’s life, even if there exists no more contact between the two of you.

Some endings may just end up with a simple apology text, and in other qualified scenarios, we may even deserve an actual face-to-face sit-down. Regardless, people often believe they are owed some degree of emotional debt. It’s not unreasonable to expect an explanation for why things ended—it is basic human decency to explain yourself instead of disappearing without a trace, after all. But in the field of online dating, this isn’t a novel discovery. It’s normal.

There’s an abundance of people to meet and talk to. When you use the app, you go through so many people in your area. Even if you enter into the online dating field with plans to actually make life-long and meaningful connections, you’re presented with too many choices. How can you expect people to be emotionally accountable to so many people at once?

For a platform designed to provide you with an abundance of validation and ego-boost, it sure as hell makes rejection sting a lot, too.

Another ugly truth about online dating is the fact that it’s hard to find someone who’s looking for the same kind of connection that you seek.

There are those looking for hookups. There are those looking for a life partner. There are those who just got out of a relationship and are looking for a rebound. And then there’s you: looking for a decent partner you could eventually bring home to meet your parents.

Far-fetched, but believe me, there’s nothing wrong with that.

F E A T U R E S

But that’s what makes it off to some people.

Online dating gives us unwarranted expectations from a potential partner while reinforcing the fact that we don’t owe shit to anybody.

Ready to feel more like shit? Check all the message threads you’ve had with people you’ve met online. I’m willing to bet everything in my wallet that a good number of those people, you’ve resolved not to talk to anymore. Be it because you’re not interested in them, or you just don’t have the emotional capacity to entertain them anymore, there are people in your inbox that you’ve intentionally left unread.

Does this make you an evil person?

Have you become like the people you’ve vowed never to become?

Impulse would probably lead you to delete your App, swear off online dating, and return to the old-fashioned ways of dating. But is traditional courtship the only way to find love? It would be easy to say yes, judging by how the married couples in your family found their beaus.

But as times and customs change, it would be better to think that overdependence on technology and the shiny opportunities it offers actually changes our behavior in harmful ways. So, how do we stop ourselves from giving into the selfish ways that technology conditions us to think about the world? Maybe, just maybe, by paying off some of the emotional debt we owe to those we meet online.

As in normal, face-to-face conversations and personal connections, when someone cannot pay us the respect we are owed, we

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either drive ourselves to lose our sanity trying to figure out why people would do us dirty, or we can accept the fact that what we seek is not what they can gives us and move on without ill feelings. As someone with experience of being ghosted, it places us in a better position to actually understand what runs through someone’s mind when they ghost another person. Whether they don’t have the emotional capacity to pay off emotional debt, or they simply are asses who get off to leaving people hanging, it’s a matter of how you choose to protect yourself from getting hurt. And perhaps, the more important thing: It’s a matter of how you choose to treat other people. That, you still have control over.

It’s important to always remind yourself of what you’re looking for—be it a casual hookup or a life partner—and clearly state this and your intent, to allow everyone getting involved with you to know they’re at. The moment we stop thinking of things as unpaid debt is the exact moment we free ourselves from getting hurt. And the moment we stop trying to evade ugly conversations and confrontations is the exact moment that we cease to hurt people who may emotionally invest in us more than we in them.

Small voices in our own heads would always bug us to lie to or ghost people so it softens the blow, but most often, it’s being honest about how we feel that makes everything better.

Not every end to a fling needs a proper “breakup”, but really, what’s the harm in letting the other person we’re not interested before cutting them off? How do we demand basic human decency from others if we can’t give them the same?

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F E A T U R E S

KAREN BE RN ICE H E N S ON

We have all craved for that one moment when you have the perfect response to a conversation. The perfect one liner, the end-all-conversationline, the one line that can end the conversation with either laughter or a shaking head but one that would make you feel like you won it all. Except when it does come, you’ve delivered it perfectly, but you’ve forgotten one thing; the person you’re talking to is from an entirely different generation and thus humor seems to not have existed yet (or well your type of humor anyway) and the entire experience falls flat.

The perfect opportunity came to my sister over dinner while we lightly discussed the 66

recent Joker movie. It was just a normal conversation; how it was dark, a surprisingly good movie, should be kept away from my baby cousins, and so on and so forth. Then my mom, with her nose scrunched back in disdain, said that the movie was to justify everything Joker’s done. We countered that what she said is literally not the point and soon it became a debate. After a while we saw that she really wasn’t changing her mind as she explained for the 10th time what she already explained, my sister (bless her) said two powerful words: “Ok boomer.”

Me and my youngest sister were practically on the floor, laughing and giving her hi5s. We thought it was all

good until we saw my mom looking very far from amused, “Ok first of all I am not a boomer-” it somehow became a lecture where she was defending herself as a Gen X and us, saying that it wasn’t literal and you don’t have to actually be a boomer. For some reason she and my dad, who at one point joined, could not understand no matter how much we explained. But really, there are a lot of things we don’t understand about each other.

The tension between Baby Boomers and Millennials is more than evident with its numerous articles and twitter rants but Gen X and Gen Z are fairly civil with each other. I say fairly because Gen X is basically our parents’ generation and how civil you

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to the same place as usual they would still ask me for all their details and don’t even get me started when the other person was of the other gender. Good luck if you’re still in the closet and resisting the urge to come out right there and then with only the dire consequences of being possibly shunned keeping you from doing so. Then the next day they’ll make a passing comment about the current generations being whatever fault they want to complain about now. Their humor isn’t bad, who doesn’t love dad jokes? But they just don’t jive well with Gen Z humor, they like cat memes though so I guess we have that in common. Just try not to push too much of sarcastic,

dark humor too much or they’ll start asking, not so subtly, if you’re in a good state of mind.

It does seem like I went off to rant about my parents but sometimes you can only take so much of those habits that you need to let it out. There is actually a petition going around to start calling Gen X the Karen Generation. Your typical white suburban soccer mom with a bob who wants to speak with the manager and knows what’s best for her child which may or may not include vaccines.

Gen Z is far from perfect, definitely, and we all got flaws. But in the end, if there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that Boomers are still the worst of them all.

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can get with your mom and dad is entirely up to you. But there are cases where butting heads is absolutely inevitable and boy is it like talking to a brick wall.

Gen X will deny constantly of any association with Boomers (but can you blame them?) while recalling their childhood just like a Boomer would. They would nag you on how to do something the way they did and then scold you for doing it wrong. Talking about politics is like walking on a minefield, one wrong comment and you could be facing an uncomfortable and even tense situation. They’re also somehow overprotective and yet critical about our lack of independence.

When I go out for nth time with the same group of friends

F E A T U R E S

EXISTENTIALISM AS TOLD THROUGH THE EYES OF A STUPID 20 YEAR OLD BEL BERNARDO

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As the new year enters and we find ourselves a year older (but maybe none the wiser), we are inexplicably changed by the things that have shaped us, and what we’ve experienced along the way. From disappointment, to heartbreak, to great success and triumph, each human experience molds us differently. Personally, this year has meant hell for me.

I’ve shed more tears than I thought humanly possible, and fallen flat on my face when I needed most to succeed. More than ever, the world was a strange and cruel place, giving me the type of unfortunate events that people write about. In such a world that makes no sense, a world that has more twists than turns, it is up to us to find meaning and purpose of our own, shaping it into the world we want it to be.

Maybe it’s human nature, or our irrational sense of optimism, but new years mean new starts. Nothing really changes in the grand scheme of things, but an opportunity to change yourself and to do something different can mean a lot. It’s a reminder that some things stay, but you can choose to let go of the things that hurt you. I’ve always been a big believer in new year’s resolutions, as a kid born on New Years day. It’s a huge part of me, and subconciously, it’s been a reminder to keep moving forward and to keep aiming for growth. This year has been both the worst and best year of my life, helping me realize contradictions are real. They’re stupid, but they exist. Despite me trying to get my life together and forging a path for myself to get everything in order, the universe does the opposite.

It’s absurd, and messy, and it never acts in the ways that it should.

Many times, we feel alienated in the world.

Despite the many people surrounding us, the universe has a way of making you feel alone, isolated in your struggles unable to concretize what you’re feeling.

Despite every human feeling every emotion, going through the same familiar patterns, each experience is unique.

This may be why it’s so hard to reach out and talk to someone about it, because the world has made it so only you are the master of your fate, that only you can understand the depths of your world’s problems.

But we exist, and with existence, comes purpose.

Existentialists believe that humans come first. We arrive in the world bare of any preconceptions, any notions of truth and belief.

As we move along in life, we define ourselves by the things we connect to— the movies we watch, the music we listen to, the things we go through, the people we love. We are products of an ever changing world, one that confuses us and frustrates us to no end, but helps us find meaning and purpose. Humans define their own meaning in life, and try to make rational decisions despite existing in an irrational universe. It’s an ever-repeating process, and we might not ever find the answers to what we’re looking for. But as the year enters, we try again.

F E A T U R E S

CLASSIC BLUE

RAMO N T E NA

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Greenery. Ultra Violet. Living Coral. Classic Blue.

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It is the tradition of the color company, Pantone Company, to release a color every year to represent the year. This year, the Pantone Company has chosen the color of Classic Blue to represent the incoming year of 2020. For the world of art, the Pantone Color of the Year usually sets the main color to be used throughout the year, with palettes being created around this color and subsequently, these palettes are used in many forms of art, both tactile and digital, ranging from the fashion industry to the furniture industry.

However, if one examines the previous Colors of the Year released by the Pantone Company, they are clearly sending a clear message: the colors we find in nature are fragile. Climate change has become a pressing issue that has garnered intense discussion on the world stage, with governments drafting international agreements and businesses increasing their investments into cleaner forms of energy and other various environmental technologies.

This is in the face of several catastrophes wreaking havoc on the world’s many ecosystems: the Great Barrier Reef, the home of marine biodiversity, has reached 75% bleaching meaning that the 75% of corals in the Great Barrier Reef are already dead, the Amazon rainforest, named as the “world’s lungs” for its role in producing most the world’s oxygen supply, has burned for months, and large swaths of the outback in Australia, natural habitat of the koala bears, has also succumbed to wildfires.

Perhaps this is the Pantone Company’s reminder for the world to focus on issue of climate change because the radiant and beautiful colors we enjoy now can only found in this Earth.

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C C U LT U R E

Hoeroscopes. Zeitgeist Playlist. Scoville. The Appeal of Bon Appetit. My Favorite French New Wave Films. The Economics and Ethics of Sunshine Production. Tweetable Tweets. Annyeong ASEO 2.

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C U L T U R E

01000110 01101001 01110010 01110011 01110100 00100000 01101111 01100110 00100000 01100001 01101100 01101100 00101100 00100000 01010000 01100001 01110000 01100001 00100000 01010011 01101101 01110101 01110010 01100110 00100000 01100100 01101001 01100100 01101110 00100111 01110100 00100000 01100011 01110010 01100101 01100001 01110100 01100101 00100000 01010011 01101101 01110101 01110010 01100110 01100101 01110100 01110100 01100101 00101110

You must know how to decode binary, or find a decoder, to read this.

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01000110 01101001 01110010 01110011 01110100 00100000 01101111 01100110 00100000 01100001 01101100 01101100 00101100 00100000 01010000 01100001 01110000 01100001 00100000 01010011 01101101 01110101 01110010 01100110 00100000 01100100 01101001 01100100 01101110 00100111 01110100 00100000 01100011 01110010 01100101 01100001 01110100 01100101 00100000 01010011 01101101 01110101 01110010 01100110 01100101 01110100 01110100 01100101 00101110 00100000 01000111 01100001 01110010 01100111 01100001 01101101 01100101 01101100 00100000 01100100 01101001 01100100 00101110 00100000 01010011 01101000 01100101 00100000 01110111 01100001 01110011 00100000 01110011 01100101 01101110 01110100 00100000 01101001 01101110 00100000 01100001 01110011 00100000 01000111 01100001 01110010 01100111 01100001 01101101 01100101 01101100 00100111 01110011 00100000 01100101 01110110 01101001 01101100 00100000 01110011 01110000 01111001 00100000 01110111 01101001 01110100 01101000 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01101001 01101110 01110100 01100101 01101110 01110100 01101001 01101111 01101110 00100000 01101111 01100110 00100000 01100100 01100101 01110011 01110100 01110010 01101111 01111001 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01010011 01101101 01110101 01110010 01100110 00100000 01110110 01101001 01101100 01101100 01100001 01100111 01100101 00101110 00100000 01000010 01110101 01110100 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 01110111 01101000 01100101 01101100 01101101 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01100111 01101111 01101111 01100100 01101110 01100101 01110011 01110011 00100000 01101111 01100110 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01010011 01101101 01110101 01110010 01100110 00100000 01110111 01100001 01111001 00100000 01101111 01100110 00100000 01101100 01101001 01100110 01100101 00100000 01110100 01110010 01100001 01101110 01110011 01100110 01101111 01110010 01101101 01100101 01100100 00100000 01101000 01100101 01110010 00101110 00100000 01000001 01101110 01100100 00100000 01100001 01110011 00100000 01100110 01101111 01110010 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01110111 01101000 01101111 01101100 01100101 00100000 01100111 01100001 01101110 01100111 00101101 01100010 01100001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01110011 01100011 01100101 01101110 01100001 01110010 01101001 01101111 00100000 00101101 00100000 01001001 01110100 00100000 01101010 01110101 01110011 01110100 00100000 01100011 01101111 01110101 01101100 01100100 01101110 00100111 01110100 00100000 01101000 01100001 01110000 01110000 01100101 01101110 00101110 00100000 01010011 01101101 01110101 01110010 01100110 01110011 00100000 01100001 01110010 01100101 00100000 01100001 01110011 01100101 01111000 01110101 01100001 01101100 00101110 00100000 01010100 01101000 01100101 01111001 00100000 01100100 01101111 01101110 00100111 01110100 00100000 01100101 01110110 01100101 01101110 00100000 01101000 01100001 01110110 01100101 00100000 01110010 01100101 01110000 01110010 01101111 01100100 01110101 01100011 01110100 01101001 01110110 01100101 00100000 01101111 01110010 01100111 01100001 01101110 01110011 00100000 01110101 01101110 01100100 01100101 01110010 00100000 01110100 01101000 01101111 01110011 01100101 00100000 01101100 01101001 01110100 01110100 01101100 01100101 00100000 01110111 01101000 01101001 01110100 01100101 00100000 01110000 01100001 01101110 01110100 01110011 00101110 00100000 01010100 01101000 01100001 01110100 00100111 01110011 00100000 01110111 01101000 01100001 01110100 00100111 01110011 00100000 01110011 01101111 00100000 01101001 01101100 01101100 01101111 01100111 01101001 01100011 01100001 01101100 00101100 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01101011 01101110 01101111 01110111 00101100 00100000 01100001 01100010 01101111 01110101 01110100 00100000 01100010 01100101 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01100001 00100000 01010011 01101101 01110101 01110010 01100110 00101110 00100000 01010111 01101000 01100001 01110100 00100111 01110011 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01110000 01101111 01101001 01101110 01110100 00100000 01101111 01100110 00100000 01101100 01101001 01110110 01101001 01101110 01100111 00101110 00101110 00101110 00100000 01101001 01100110 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01100100 01101111 01101110 00100111 01110100 00100000 01101000 01100001 01110110 01100101 00100000 01100001 00100000 01100100 01101001 01100011 01101011 00111111

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C U L T U R E

R m l y c 3 Q g b 2 Yg Y Wx s L C B QY X BhIFNtdXJmIG Rp ZG 4 n d C B j c mVhdGUgU211cmZldHRlLg==

This is the same message as the one in binary. You must know how to decode Base64, or find a decoder, to read this.

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R m l y c 3 Q g b 2 YgY Wx s L C B Q Y X B h I F N t d X J m I G R p Z G 4 n d C B j c mV h d G Ug U 2 1 1 c m Z l d H R l L i B H Y X JnY W 1 l b C B k aWQ u I F NoZ S B 3 Y X M g c 2 V u d C B p b i B h c y B H Y X J nY W 1 l b C d z I G V 2 aW w g c 3 B 5 I Hd p d G g g d G h l I G l u d G Vu d G l v b i BvZ i B k Z X N 0 c m 9 5 aW5 n I H R oZ S BT bX VyZ i B 2 aWx sY Wd l L i B C d XQ g d G h l I G 9 2 Z X J 3 a G Vs bW l u Z y B n b 2 9 k b mVz c y B v Z i B 0 a G U g U 2 1 1 c mYg d 2 F 5 I G 9 m I G x p Z m U g d H J h b n N m b 3 J t Z W Q g a G V y L i B B b m Q g Y X M g Z m 9 y I H R o Z S B 3 a G 9 s Z S B nY W 5 n LW J h b m c g c 2 N l b m F y aW 8 g L S B Jd C B q d X N 0 I G Nv d Wx k b i d 0 I G h h c H B l b i 4 g U 2 1 1 c m Z z I G F y Z S B h c 2 V4 d W Fs L i B Ua G V 5 I G R v b i d 0 I G V 2 Z W4 g a G F 2 Z S ByZ X By b 2 R 1 Y 3 R p d mUg b 3 JnY W5 z I H Vu Z G VyI H R o b 3 N l I G x p d H R s Z S B 3 a G l 0 Z S B wY W 5 0 c y 4 g V G h h d C d z I H d oY X Q n c y B z byB p b G x vZ 2 l j Y Ww s I H l vd S B r b m 9 3 L C B hYm 9 1 d C B i Z W l u ZyB h I F N t d X J m L i B X a G F 0 J 3 M g d G h l I H B v aW 5 0 I G 9 m I G x p d m l u Z y 4 u L i B p Z i B 5 b 3 U g Z G 9 u J 3 Q g a G F 2 Z S B h I G R p Y 2 s

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HOEROSCO

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compiled by Andrew Banaag

OPES

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ACAD You’ve helped countless lives academically, and probably saved their sems! Time to help yourself to some downtime without academics. Say goodbye to those numbers and graphs and a big, warm hello to your bed!

Song: Slow Wave Sleep by Slow Magic

CDC The Heart of Ecosoc. You’ve given your heart out the most this semester and it’s only right that it should rest. Listen to what your heart and go for it, all out as you have constantly been!

Song: When I Need A Friend by Coldplay

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ECHOES This semester has been a creative dumpster fire for the most part.

Why not take it upon yourself to express yourself creatively in stress-free environments? Do what you like to do and actually create, if you catch my drift.

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Song: Patiently by JMSN

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EXTE Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done your part externally way above and beyond what was expected, but have you stopped and looked within? Treat yourself this time around! You know you want to.

Song: Above Water by Allen French

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FIN The bread? Gotten. The bag? Secured. The dough? Oh it flows, and the universe dictates that you too should be overflowing with joy. Put your worries aside and take this time to look back and thank yourself for never giving up.

Song: Congratulations (feat. Bilal)

by Mac Miller

MEMCOMM Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done well! As the organization grows ever larger, you are time and time again to thank. Your hard work does not go unnoticed -- take it all in. Be proud!

Song: Proud Of U (feat. Young Thug) by EARTHGANG

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SECCOM

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Rest easy. Work has come and gone, and so has your time and energy. It’s about time you sat down and gave yourself a breather; read that book you’ve been planning to read, watch that movie, hang out with that friend! It seriously is about time you did.

Song: Restless by Robotaki

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ROOTS As the sem comes to a close and Christmas draws ever closer, remember to give what you can the best way you can: to your friends, family, commitments, and most importantly yourself. Only great things are coming!

Song: If You’re Going To Break Yourself by Unknown Mortal Orchestra

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ZEITGEIST PLAYLIST Daybreak // Anomalie Get Bigger / Do U Luv // Nxworries, Anderson .Paak, Knxwledge Tear It Apart (with Kenny Beats) // James Vickery, Kenny Beats Caught Up (feat. Khalid) // Majid Jordan, Khalid Intentions // Charlie Burg, Daniel James, Eddie Codrington Buying Time // Lucky Daye Change (with Kehlani) // Arin Ray, Kehlani 20 // Blue Nude Khlorine (feat. Smino) // Sango, Smino Mama Danced on Soul Train // SO.Crates Los Angeles // Robotaki, Maiah Manser Them Changes // Thundercat Act of God - Robotaki Remix // Tyler Touché, Jason Gaffner Lookin 4 (Feat. Joyce Wrice, Devin Morrison) // Crush, Joyce Wrice, Devin Morrison Playground // More Giraffes, Sweater Beats Oui ou non // Angèle Flight 99 // Masego, Ta-ku, matt mcwaters, Please Wait

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https://tinyurl.com/zeitgeistplaylist

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compiled by ANDREW BANAAG

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SCOVILLE

C U L T U R E

H A RV E Y SAÃ&#x2018; GA

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One of my favorite people to watch on YouTube is Adam Neeley. He’s a professional musician who likes to associate songs with food, especially in terms of spice. All songs can be likened to different types of peppers ( Jalapenos, Bell Peppers, Ghost Peppers, etc.).

Each song has its

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I’m not much of an explorative listener. In fact, it’s weird that my being a musician has led me to the point where I only listen to songs if I have to perform them somewhere. Although sometimes I randomly stumble upon a few tracks which catch my attention.

Those few tracks manage to have me play them on repeat.

Usually, what attracts my ear are things that are so simple yet sound so profound and memorable. How can someone make a song with just three or four chords (with the simplest of rhythms) and manage to deliver such a powerful piece?

But this time, I stumbled upon something a bit different. After listening to 3D’s rendition of “Burnout”, one of the members, Bullet Dumas, caught my attention. His singing in their rendition wasn’t exactly what one would call “appealing”, but it definitely delivered the emotion of the song. It made me realize that he was singing like that on purpose.

The brokenness of the song was excellently captured by the way he sang. I gave in to my curiosity and searched for Dumas’ most streamed song on Spotify.

On top the list was “Tugtog”. Boy, I was in for a treat.

During the first three seconds, you would expect it to be your typical pop song, but then you suddenly hear a certain chord that doesn’t sound all that well.

That ugly chord is repeated every time. It’s ugly, but in a good way, and it certainly got my attention even more.

I got to the chorus which consisted of just one or two lines (I think), but he sings it in a ton of ways.

You’ll definitely get lost in the song. It was as if I was lost in the pages of a good book.

You get a bunch of weird parts, a bunch of jazzy sounds, a lot of tension and release.

Through my years of playing I’ve come to realize that music isn’t all about putting together stuff that just sounds good. It’s about effectively using the things that sound “good” and “bad” in one piece that will convey a particular emotion. This piece highlights that fundamental characteristic of music.

It launches you somewhere up there then suddenly brings you down then brings you up again. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions, all while envisioning the character of the song with a poker face because that’s the picture that Dumas’ singing gives us. It’s as if he’s in the corner of a room with his guitar, singing to his heart’s content, all while maintaining a straight face, confused on how to feel.

own level of spice, and each person picks a song according to the amount of spice that they can tolerate.

Bullet Dumas’ “Tugtog” is definitely one of the spicier pieces out there. If you’re in for more interesting stuff in its subtleties, take some time to listen to his other works as well.

Let’s lose ourselves in the curiosities of his works.

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THE APPEAL OF BON APPETIT

by ALEXA BULATAO

Molly Baz is almost your free-thinker friend who sticks to her chops, which translates even to her cooking a good plate of pasta. All of them bring something different to the table while having a harmonious blend of flavors when put in a pot together. And that’s what sets BA apart from other cooking channels; the personality, the banter, the pseudo-conversation! Every video feels like you’re watching a friend make food, all while learning something new and having fun.

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Bon Appetit is a food magazine with a YouTube channel with its niche being cooking, producing a variety of online series showcasing different aspects of what makes it so exciting. A few examples are It’s Alive with Brad Leone focuses on fermentation and Brad’s inability to English (adorable by the way, no hate), Gourmet Makes documents a pastry chef’s mostly stressful journey on recreating popular snacks in the kitchen, and Making Perfect, a video series on taking a single food or course and each chef tasked to design their best version of each component. I can only vaguely describe the content, but it’s a different experience to really watch chefs break down over committing accidental recipe plagiarism, or witness Claire Saffitz staring into the void after numerous attempts of making the jelly casing of a Gusher.

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I started cooking last year, which is honestly my proudest venture in a while. It’s transformed my picky self to a better foodie, and my life’s better for it! YouTube plays a huge part of how I’ve gotten obsessed with it as well, with amazing food recreations from Binging with Babish, warm home cooked meals from the eccentric Chef John of Food Wishes, and informative and amazing food studies from Adam Ragusea, there’s a lot to love in the Cooking side of YouTube these days. One last aspect I personally love, is enjoying good food with people you know and love. And I think that’s something Bon Appetit emulates.

Videos on cooking are always a treat for me, but Bon Appetit gives me something different. The cast of the Test Kitchen continues to serve information, character, and just dang good food.

While the BA series are a fantastic watch and sometimes good comedy, even their simple stand-alone recipes are amazing. Just watching Chris Morocco explain the science and logic behind age-old techniques in the kitchen feels like your favorite mentor gently explaining the techniques of your craft. Gabby Melian simulates the experience of a warm gentle lady who cooks food close to her heart and culture.

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M Y F AV O R I T E F R E N C H N E W WAV E F I L M S

by FIDES MORALES

Disclaimer: I am no expert on films, just sharing some titles that I personally enjoyed and hope to inspire more appreciation for.

French films taught me to love cinema. Really love cinema, even in the strange forms that it can take.

Specifically, it was the eccentric pictures of the French New Wave and the Left Bank that opened my mind to what film truly represented. It propelled cinema into a profound questioning of itself. Like all revolutions in art history, the Nouvelle Vague and la Rive Gauche films were borderline sacrilegious to the traditional conventions of filmmaking at the time, which were dominated by the rituals of Hollywood’s golden age. All the possible boundaries were challenged by a handful of young auteurs who decided that filmmaking can be an extension of the self: political, existential, imperfect, and sometimes ridiculous. Films no longer served entertainment in exclusivity: they became vehicles for thought and rebellion. One of the New Wave’s pivotal personalities, François Truffaut, described it not as a movement, but as a quality. I completely agree. I see it as an unrelenting freedom.

This is why I fell in love with this genre. Not instantly - I do admit that the unusual styles of these directors may take a while to get used to. They may seem too arthouse, too kooky, and at times, too dull.

But that’s life. It can be stunning or aimless. These films taught me that there is meaning in both.

If you do end up liking the nuances in these films, I promise that the insights are very rewarding. So, here are some films that made it to the top of my list. (Also, it might be better to view these by director due to their unique styles.)

Note: Most of these are drama / romance.

VIVRE SA VIE [My Life to Live] (1962) Jean-Luc Godard This was my introduction to the genre. Left me curious for more.

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PIERROT LE FOU [Pierrot the Madman] (1965) Jean-Luc Godard Absolute visual treat. Poetry disguised as a film.

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LE MÃ&#x2030;PRIS [Contempt] (1963) Jean-Luc Godard

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HIROSHIMA, MON AMOUR (1959) Alain Resnais My favorite to date. Too beautiful. Made me cry.

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UNE HOMME ET UNE FEMME [A Man and A Woman] (1966) Claude Lelouch

L’AMOUR L’APRÈS-MIDI [Love in the Afternoon] (1972) - Éric Rohmer

MA NUIT CHEZ MAUD [My Night at Maud’s] (1969) - Éric Rohmer

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LA PEAU DOUCE [The Soft Skin] (1964) François Truffaut

LES 400 COUPS [The 400 Blows] François Truffaut EE CC H HO O EE SS

À BOUT DE SOUFFLE [Breathless] (1960) Jean-Luc Godard

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CLÉO DE 5 Á 7 [Cléo from 5 to 7] (1962) - Agnès Varda

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Arguably, the most iconic film of the New Wave. The introduction of many into the genre. Godard pushed the rules of filmmaking with his debut picture, disrupting audiences with bold experimentation that made an incredible impact for years to come.

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THE ECONOMICS AND ETHICS OF SUNSHINE PRODUCTION

by MIA CRUZ

Spoiler alert for all you weebs that haven’t watched the movie.

Makoto Shinkai’s latest hit, “Weathering With You,” is an economist’s nightmare. But don’t take this statement the wrong way - the film effortlessly delivers on everything his movies promise: godtier animation, bittersweet romance, open endings, and a head-banging soundtrack. Its plot takes on the Japanese concept of the weather maiden - a girl who can control the weather at will - and the implications of its folklore in a slightly more modern setting, a Tokyo where every day is a rainy day.

With this, one of the things the movie explores is the monetization of the ability to produce sunshine.

The protagonist, Hodaka, helps the weather maiden Hina make money out of her ability since they have both fallen on hard times. Their business model is sound - they are price-discriminating monopolists, and thus generate more revenue the more people they serve. But there are a few glaring issues about the nature of sunshine that the two do not take into account in their pricing scheme. Sunshine in is nonexcludable - people who did not pay for it can also consume it, thus increasing the incentive to free ride.

Their model only works as long as few know of the business, as clients with higher incomes would have less incentive to pay a higher price knowing others pay less.

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While the movie easily gets full marks for every other aspect, it fails in terms of plot simply for the lack of verisimilitude. It’s hard to suspend disbelief of the events that take place on the basis of the illogical decisions made by the characters. It’s even harder to root for them precisely because of these illogical decisions. But that might just be the over-analyzing econ major talking, now that their knowledge of economics is ruining their enjoyment of an otherwise amazing film.

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Hodaka makes a morally questionable decision when he chooses to save Hina. He has no obligation to do so as it risks his own life, and he shouldn’t do so at all because it offsets the effect of her sacrifice and costs the lives of the urban poor living in Tokyo in the long run. Yet he does. So they die. But hey, at least Hodaka gets some.

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The other issue raised by this arrangement is the presence of asymmetric information. Hina does not disclose to Hodaka that her sunshine production ability is a double-edged sword. The more sunshine she is asked to produce, the bigger the toll it takes on her body. When faced with the surplus of rain, the weather maiden’s death is the invisible hand that drags the weather back into equilibrium, and the conflict of the movie thus arises when her life is forfeited following too much sunshine production.

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To be fair, you cannot expect teenagers that haven’t finished high school to have a basic understanding of environmental and microeconomics. But Hodaka’s decision to stop the business once Hina becomes popular is the only sound decision he makes in the whole film.

C U L T U R E

T W E E TA B L E T W E E T S

Compiled by JABBY AURELIO & MIA CRUZ

@alienatedgrace: i hope that this is gonna be my last math exam then goodbye imath bldg for realz na

@JanoDelena: so akala pala ng ibang apps na ka-app ko sila nung time na toh AHAHAH

@agalau_: opened up abt internships and job stuff, suddenly theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re kinda in support of my org shiz for credentials daw

@almaidajohanna: CURVE NAYSHE

@giaraffes: GUSTO KO NA LANG MAGING KUTSARA PLS SKSKSKS

@ramontenaa_: mga usapang ganito

bs org it is

@BetinaSales: kapit lang @julliaq_: 11.11 pero extended until Nov. 12 tamabayon

@jmr59n: No panic attack November so far so good @jmr59n: UPDATE: HOLY SHIT I SURVIVED WOAHHHHH (What a shitty month tho but HEY FUCK I MADE IT) @shaiiraliim: i hate u econ but i have bibingka so ok na rin

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@_imacactus: which came first: the gc or the barkada

@booyanca: OFC i get called to recite the ONE CASE i wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t prepared to recite :) :) :) @ramontenaa_: lmao all the tweets saying that college orgs can do better than PHISGOC haha ........its so funny...........cuz its trew............... @ronicabrito: my class ends at 8:15 and i got there 8

@Potchi_V: #61B <3 <3 @memecosoc: A unanimous decision on the Most Outstanding App for 61B has been made. This ends our deliberations. Thank you all!

@almaidajohanna: got 13 hours of sleep but 0 progress on anything @colleenchua: perpetually tired

@ChelDiokno: Sa 16th Annual Youth Congress noong November 10, pinag-usapan natin ang disinformation at fake news, at kung paano dapat nating gawin para labanan yan.

Ang paalala ko sa kanila, na sana tandaan din nating lahat: freedom of speech is the freedom to spread the truth.

@JanoDelena: Thank u seccom! <3 @memecosoc: “Bakit? Ano grade niya?”

“69” “Nice.”

Starting today, I’ll be going home to Fairview everyday to be with my family. Sana sa pamamagitan nito ay mahanap ko muli and purpose ng buhay. Salamat sa lahat ng nagparealize sakin na kailangan kong gawin to ^_^

@kristianafabria: ORGMATE KO NA CRUSH KO YIEE <3 <3 #TrustTheProcess

@AndrewsonPaak: The days are still hard and I am unmotivated but always striving to see the good!!!!! @eirenegillian: alcohol to cleanse my soul @camicuaresma: me and @ericaxflo tonite :P #ecosoc #mems #we

@jarogaba: Everything will be over soon ugh I can’t wait!!!!!!! @RuthLingat: TAMBS GC THE SUPERIOR GC @markorano12: Mami wala pa akon ginagawa ayoko na PAANO

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@raphsingson: Yay ecosoc!!! ROOTS IM COMING FOR U

@jabbyaurelio: di mo ba alam na mahal kita lol woops will delete

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@haqqthehuman: maybe the reason why im keeping myself busy with all of these work is because its the only thing that keeps me from missing you

@vinaomi_: Self-love starts today

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@jabbyaurelio: we’re all clowns in our own little ways

@memecosoc: “Pass pero kailangan ng GMRC seminar”

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@booyanca: maybe emptiness is a construct

@acecajayon: glad to see you smile again, even if it’s not with me <3 tyL

@tagleicon: saktong 4 counts nako bets @joshquimboo: All is well. Tiwala lang tayo na everything always always always has a reason. Nothing worth it comes easy. @RellaDenisse: hay the only thing making me happy right now is iced coffee :(((

@jabbyaurelio: some people are really just walking red flags

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ANNYEONG ASEO

by MIA CRUZ

# 2 : D E B S O C G E T S A TA M B S

This premise comes from certain personal events that happened in my life recently lol.

The lack of a comic ETC comes from the fact that acads happened around the time I made this and I got super lazy to draw the rest, so literally just take these aaaaaaa.

The image below is a thing I drew for a Psych homework and in the page after are some selfindulgent doodles and concept art I made because feelings.

Better content in the next issue? Maybe so.

Obvious Inside Out reference lol. Ecosoc is Happiness, OBEM is Sadness, ETC is Disgust, Debsoc is Anger, and IC is Fear. I just used the characters bc I wanted to portray diversity for this art, the stereotypes arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t actually that indicative of the people within the orgs (I think?).

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Riding that Debsoc x Ecosoc ship HAHA. Might use this sketch for the next issue, if Anneyong ASEO will be allowed to continue next issue!!

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Most of my character notes compare them to other characters from franchises I like (aka Good Omens, NGE, and Bandori). One of my friends likes to think of the concept art of Debsoc as “freshie Debsoc.” Only major changes from then and now I think are Debsoc’s appearance and IC’s character, but otherwise it’s obvious that all of them are pretty much the same as their current incarnations. “Gijinka” is the Japanese word for “personification.”

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Disclaimer Echoes does not own some of the images used in this issue. No copyright infringement is intended. The images are copyrighted and courtesy by there respective owners. Its use is for a non-profit magazine for private use and entertainment purposes only, and is not intended for sales of any sort.

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