The Insider April 2020

THE INSIDER

THE INSIDER

General partners

Special thanks to

Morten Hansen, Xavier Landes, Nicolas Gavoille, Konstantīns Beņkovskis, Inga Gleizdāne, Tālis Putniņš, Anete Pajuste, Ksenija Sunepe, Kasparas Rutkauskas, the Creative Mind Behind the Poster, Katrīna Ciniņa, Marketing Committee, L’Oreal, SEB

Printed by

BalticPrint

CONTENTS 5

ASSOCIATES OF THE MONTH

6

CORONANOMICS

7

PROCRASTINATION

8

DRAG QUEENS

10

COMFORT ZONE

12

OMG, YOU’RE SO ~BASIC~

13

THE HARRY POTTER SAGA IS OVERRATED

14

L’OREAL TALENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

18

SEB

20

FALSE MEMORY

22

ONLINE TRENDS THAT ARE NO LONGER RELEVANT

24

WHERE TO GO WHILE THERE IS A GLOBAL PANDEMIC

25

QUARANTINE STORIES

26

IF YOU COULD TRAVEL BACK IN TIME...

27

THANK YOUS AND SCREW YOUS

..

THE INSIDER / 3

The Insider team Editor-in-chief Una Narnicka Designers Darja Sediha Elīza Ozola Editors Veronika Morozova Madara Buša Laura Kamergrauze Sāra Zdanovska Ioana Vataman-Margineanu Petro Semenikhin Ksenija Sunepe Amanda Zvaigzne

Dear readers, This spring is definitely much more different than others. Nevertheless, excitement is the first association that comes to mind when thinking about the season. Therefore, we’ve created an Insider that captures that feeling for us.

Self-isolation has become our everyday lives.

By no means is it supposed to be easy. A lot has changed, indeed. Morten also has a view on the matter, so make sure to read it.

During this time we’re faced with a challenge of coming up with ways to spend our free time. Surely, our screen time has increased, therefore, the Marketing Committee wants to make sure that we’re careful about what we put online. Apart from technologies, take a look at what your fellow students have been up to during quarantine, and take inspiration from our suggestions.

Certainly, there’s enough time for selfexpression, if you dare to step out of your comfort zone. At some points, we may wonder about various subjects which haven’t previously crossed our minds. There’s surely enough time.

Perhaps, your mind has wandered along the lines of job or internship opportunities.

Get inspired by our lovely sponsors L’Oreal, which tell you about their Talent Development Program, through SSE Riga graduate experiences. Additionally, SEB has raised interest in its internship program by sharing SSE Riga student stories.

Nevertheless, some things never change.

Procrastination should be a very familiar activity, especially nowadays, when you can attend lectures in your pajamas. But somehow, it is necessary to find that balance, so read more about it in this issue. What also doesn’t change is the gossip and meme pages ;) We truly hope that during this time you have managed to stay safe, as well as keep your spirits up. All of it will certainly pass, therefore, let’s just enjoy today and hope for the best.

Love, the Insider

4 / THE INSIDER

N

TH ANK YOU THA NK Y OU Associates of the month Ioana Vataman Margineanu

BUS COM Has been doing great with supervising communication with one of the SA’s partners :)

Kristers Bauers

SPORTS COM Took initiative, came up with the plan to keep the SSE Riga students physically active

Evelīna Valtere

ALUMNI COM Responsive, super quick with getting tasks assigned to her done :)

Daria Shepetko

ALUMNI COM Most responsive associate, thank you very much for your proactivity :)

Given the circumstances of the quarantine, the SA Board acknowledges that some committees did not have the possibility to accomplish their goals. However, we still appreciate everyone for their job and thank you for your unwavering help! Stay safe and let’s meet again soon!

Mihaela Ciornenchi

INFO COM Actively participates in the making of the Yearbook :)

Diāna Zariņa

Una Narnicka

Saba Jagmaidze

Kitija Rulle-Titava

EDU COM Very responsive and self-motivated, Edu Com can always count on you ;)

INFO COM Shows initiative and is very responsible for the tasks assigned

MARKETING COM Facebook babe, thank you for FE support and all the creative posts!

MARKETING COM Facebook babe, thanks for your help with FE, fast replies and posts!

THE INSIDER / 5

CORONANOMICS My full sympathy if you are sick and tired of this subject but The Insider asked for an article about the economics of corona. OK, that was a few weeks ago, i.e. what feels like an eternity these days. But here it is, in short, and using as many of our concepts as I can.

At first, a breakdown of supply chains happened – the sole of a shoe came from Indonesia, was stitched in China, put together in Vietnam and sent to Europe. This was production at lowest MC. Not anymore; this works as a decrease in the “a” parameter in the production function and the AS curve shifts up and to the left.

Then a demand shock – a forced lockdown of all sorts of firms. When we cannot spend, we are forced into savings. MPC down, MPS up. But the Paradox of Thrift shows up, too: I cannot spend money for a haircut and must save instead – but that means no income for my hairdresser and thus nothing to save from.

Here, it is an ultra-sharp shift to the left of the IS and AD curves. Combined effect of AD and AS: GDP down, price effect uncertain but in the short run most likely down due to the massive impact on AD. With GDP down, unemployment skyrockets, of course.

Happy days for firms? Nope – investment, I0, sinks like a stone. And corona is a so-called symmetric shock; hits all countries similarly so

6 / THE INSIDER

by Morten Hansen when GDP is down in Russia, Estonian exports to Russia will be down. Put this together and we have that in the formula Y=C+I+G+X-Q, C, I, X, Q are all down and drag down Y with them in a multiplier process.

Appropriate policy response: A massive boost to G to shift IS and AD to the right. 750 bill.

EUR bond buying by ECB to shift LM and thus AD to the right. Inflationary? Certainly not right now: In MV = PY we have, with forced savings, that velocity is reduced considerably, putting a downward pressure on prices. ECB should later raise interest rates if prices should start to grow too much. Long-term headache: The massive build-up of government debt from fiscal policy, especially in poorly prepared countries (Southern Europe, again, again…).

Only when the tide recedes, you will see who was swimming naked, as I think Warren Buffet once said.

Will we return to some sort of equilibrium again? Sure – but it may be very different from the one we left. Cruise ship vacations may never fully recover. Summer holiday in Lombardy, anyone? In our own world, online teaching may become more common. In short, hysteresis will prevail.

That said, I am sure macro will return in 2021 – some things just don’t change…

Procrastination - the act of delaying something that you should do, usually because you do not want to do it. Aah, music to my ears! When The Oxford Dictionary defines it, they make it sound oh-so-simple.

But it does pretty much describe it all, right? «Yeah, I still have some time before the deadline, why not watch some YouTube instead? Who cares if by the end of my descent down the rabbithole I will end up watching interviews with Justin Bieber’s mom at 2 a.m, at least it’s more fun than drafting that loathsome 20-page report due in 5 days.

Moreover, if I have 5 days left until the deadline, I can just start doing 4 pages a day and I’ll finish it in time without breaking a sweat.»

«to postpone ‘till the morning».

«But Petro!», you might say, «I already know all of this stuff, and who even cares about the etymology?

What I wanna know is how one beats this thing!» Well, fellow procrastinators, I’m here to give you the sad but pretty obvious truth, to which we’d honestly rather stay oblivious: the only way to stop delaying doing something is to actually do it, rather than say you will or plan to. There is simply nothing else to it. There is, however, a light at the end of the tunnel, as there are different ways to go about doing stuff, and I’m ready to share some advice I have learned during my 2 month long, ongoing war on procrastination.

PROCRASTINATION

...or how to live your life in a tomorrow that never seems to come.

by Petro Semenikhin The first way is a no-brainer and a must, really: become the master of your own time through scheduling.

Easy enough, right? If you have a schedule or daily to-do list to follow, life suddenly gets much simpler and easier. It does get tricky once it comes down to telling yourself that «there’s a time for leisure in my schedule, I have to focus on work now» or «I’m not even halfway through my to-do, I have to focus on work now», but determination trumps all. As you get more and more used to it, usually within 3 weeks to a month, procrastination eventually starts to feel like a nightmare somewhere in your distant past. The main setback for most people, really, is putting off the scheduling to tomorrow out of habit.

Well, I’m not sure about everyone, but these are the words that usually lead me to pulling all-nighters chock-full of stress and self-hatred, accompanied by a variation of «alright, next time I’ll start in advance for sure.» And the funniest (or saddest, however you want to look at it) thing is, this generally is how the «next time» will go. And the «next time» after that. There will be one odd deadline that I will deal with in advance and manage my time properly, but it will be swiftly followed by another postponement to the Now the second piece of advice morning. Hell, even the original Latin can be used separately, but is inverb «procrastinare» literally meant tended as more of a complement to the first. It goes as follows: all

tasks can be divided into two types by productivity: productive and unproductive. Furthermore, each of those can be split in two again, resulting in these four categories of jobs: the ones you want and have to do, i.e. productive and attractive, the ones you have to, but don’t want to do, i.e. productive unattractive, and so on and so forth, until you finally reach those you don’t want to and don’t have to do - unproductive and unattractive. Once you filter them, it’s obvious which ones are going off the schedule first. After you throw out the unproductive unattractive, or time-killers, you can rank the remaining productive ones in order of urgency or otherwise. However, a common mistake on this step would be to limit the unproductive and attractive tasks, or the “Netflix binging”. These are important, and to find out more about anxiety and relaxation feel free to refer to the previous (Feb ‘20) edition of the Insider, namely “The psychology of anxiety and relaxation”.

Rewarding yourself for a job well done is crucial for any victory, but especially for the triumph over procrastination. The very essence of postponement is instant reward over a delayed, usually greater reward. The recompense itself can be anything: a muffin, a 15 minute power nap or a walk outside. Essentially, whatever you might feel like doing that will help cement the feeling of accomplishment. These things are highly individual, and only through trial and error can one determine the perfect reward for himself. But do not fret, for it is simpler than it sounds (as long as you start)!

So then, to those plagued by it I wish a swift and effective recovery from procrastination, while to all the others I say this: count your blessings and keep up the good work, but also don’t forget to help out those around you when you can!

THE INSIDER / 7

Drag Queens

by Ksenija Sunepe

Ah, yes, the wigs, the outfits and the overthe-top makeup that stands out even in the dimmest of lighting is what we associate the drag culture with. Aside from the bold fashion choices and incredibly sassy attitude, for me drag queens, drag kings and everyone in between these terms are the absolute epitome of self-expression and love of the stage.

Drag is not a 21st century trend that millennials have popularised in their spare time, in between ruining the diamond industry and choosing terrible baby names, of course. It has deep roots in the Western theatre culture, starting off when women weren’t allowed to perform and therefore men had to dress up and play female roles.

Drag themes can be found in ancient Greece and even Shakespearean times. Later evolving as performance art itself, drag became tied to the LGBTQ+ community and lost its mainstream entertainment appeal by the early twentieth century.

Now probably everyone has heard of RuPaul’s Drag race and the many performers that it has brought out in the spotlight. They have had their second wave of popularity, becoming as mainstream, or even more, than before. Well, at least that is the case in America. The once glittery subculture has 8 / THE INSIDER

become a pop phenomenon, moving itself from sketchy back-alley bars with a disco ball, to high-fashion runways and the pink carpet of Met Gala (just a quick note on Met Gala 2019 itself – Queen Elizabeth would have done a better job of honouring Camp than half of the celebrity elite, but that’s a bit off-topic).

You don’t have to be queer, white, black or anything to like drag. You don’t even have to be half of that to do it. It’s a form of art that can transform yourself into someone else and at the same time express exactly who you are. It helps you to look at everything with a sense of humour, often at your own expense. The acceptance that comes from people who do drag is unexplainable unless you’ve experienced it first-hand. And no, they are not trying to deceive you or hide who they really are. No one is born with glittery eyelashes and heels higher than the glass ceiling, it’s a part of a performance and self-expression.

Have you ever been to a place where drag queens are performing? My white, straight, middle-class, basic ass had never been as self-conscious as before I entered one. That place turned into my hang out spot for the summer. Was I called out for wearing “Jessica attire” by a 2.10-meter-tall drag queen with hair the colour of one of those bright blue slushies that tint your whole tongue?

Yes, of course, but I would not expect anything less, it’s part of the experience, isn’t it?

in a drag show, so an open mind to a fun night might be the best attitude when being at one.

Drag shows are loud, they are full of energy, good outfits and strong personalities.

Yes, there is lip syncing, but there also is a lot of stand-up comedy elements, so if going to one, leave your ego at home because you might become a part of the show. Drag queens can dance, they can outperform everyone and often strive to do so. There aren’t really any rules to what can happen

Perhaps, when entering the world of mainstream, drag lost a little bit of its identity.

Constantly being in the eyes of everyone can make overthinking things too easy. The audacious and over the top nature of drag might withstand the pressure of public eye, continuing to throw a bright, glittery middle finger to everyone who’s willing to look at it.

We’re all born naked and the rest is drag! / RuPaul

THE INSIDER / 9

An opinion on the whole ‘Get out of the comfort zone’ concept: Apparently, there is a universal 5-step guide to ‘magic’

by Amanda Zvaigzne This whole lockdown has been going on highlights the whole concept of what the comfort zone even is, and this situation is not happening there. To a great extent ‘getting out of the comfort zone’ is probably as glorified as cigarettes and long, brown, wavy hair in teenage romance books. There’s supposed to be this ‘unexplored horizon’ behind getting out of the comfort zone, that should hold the answers of the infinite space-time, and open our eyes to the truth. And there’s barely any.

‘Experts’ say comfort zone is where it all stops: both the need for achievement and growth, cultivating the idea that ‘the grind’ never stops. Maybe this idea worked back in the days, when people were not used to such liberal circumstances, and needed the push to break them out of this mindset. But to still be cultivating the grind mindset now? To say ‘every day you spend standing still is a day you fall backwards’ is still relevant, especially considering the digitalization of our generation.

But that is not ‘outside the comfort zone’, that’s just keeping up with life. And trying new things isn’t exactly a way of saying ‘getting out of the comfort zone’. The whole idea is that the wider your comfort zone is, the more you can do comfortably. And while most of us can agree with that, it is not like a single time of doing something will make you comfortable in that environment. Knowing what to expect is the real benefit of it all, but sometimes it’s really not worth the price. That is just called ‘trying new things’, it does not always align with leaving the zone. It’s really about escaping a mindset, rather than actually trying new things.

As we’ve all been stuck in a lockdown, there has probably been some time to just think. After all of this ends, do we just go back? Do we go back to our comfort zone, or were we in the zone all along? Will there be personal lessons coming out of this experience? Sure, as the lectures have moved to e-platforms, we will now

10 / THE INSIDER

be more accustomed to learning in this format. But there will not be a lot of that ‘I used to not study, but this experience helped me to realize how to fully manage my skills’ situation going on. There will be some changes, but most of them will simply be the result of people being off a leash: the overall society will overheat, a lot of mistakes will be made along with the feeling of liberation. And that would mean we have been out of our comfort zone for this whole time. And I’m not particularly sure this has been an incredibly pleasant experience for each of us as individuals.

Sure, the ‘out of the zone’ situations help in gaining experience, and preparing for future turmoil, but the whole concept is not made for experiencing failures, rather than for gaining a level of agility, and losing some awkwardness. But I think we can all agree that acting against our moral standards would not classify as a great way to overcome internal barriers, I am not even quite sure if that helps anyone in the long run. Then what is it that the world has intended by ‘out of the comfort zone’? It’s like we all have a gut feeling what that means, because it’s definitely not doing things that make you uncomfortable. It’s just saying ‘yes’ in situations where you could also say ‘no’ for the sake of your comfort or vice versa. Or being forced to say ‘yes’, as you don’t really have a choice.

From a personal perspective, it’s really just about making everything your comfort zone, but it comes with the price of cringe. Sometimes getting out there is a question of not feeling embarrassed. For extroverts, it’s easier to handle these situations, because we are used to quickly getting over things.We feel and learn as we go, and a few moments of cringe once in a while is just something to laugh about, not something to recall after 5 years while laying in bed and thinking where it all went wrong. For introverts, however, it tends not to be the case. Sure, apathy is also a state of mind providing the same level of comfort with cringe, but introverts in general are more likely to listen, to think about their decisions on a more personal level, and to handle these situations worse. People are different, and do different things. And while it’s important to know your way around, being authentic to yourself is no less important.

And this picture is the problem. That just cannot be ‘it’. Supposedly, whatever it is that you are, that’s not it. Unless you are not out of your zone, there’s no magic. And that’s the issue of the concept: you are living a life out of someone’s comfort zone, and their comfort zone is out of yours. Somehow, if they were to get in your zone, magic should happen. While those living in that same comfort zone are told that unless they get out, there will be no magic, whatever is meant by that. We are simultaneously living in our own comfort zones and outside someone else’s. Sure, what they have is different, but that doesn’t make it magic. In the end we perform the best when inside our environment, but that is just called letting ourselves be challenged and taking risks.

With regard to getting out of the zone, most articles preach about levels of optimal anxiety, healthy stress, and how it’s good for possibly anything, starting from creativity to aging slower. A lot of it looks similar to a telemarketing ad. Promising eternal growth, offering very vague steps. And, sure, while there is a certain truth to the process of looking beyond yourself, it has a lot to do with personality.

The people achieving the most are usually not those who we’d call “Jack of all trades”, it’s not people who are always outside of the comfort zone, as they are in the place where ‘magic happens’. They’re usually people who have found elements in their comfort zone that they have managed to challenge. And while it may have taken time for them to arrive at that zone, it just displays that the grind does stop at some point.

The circle of knowledge has to be wide enough to not make us delusional, at the same time personal enough to make us happy. It’s not a ‘the more the better, the most-the best’ situation.The concept of comfort zone is directed more towards personal happiness than anything else. While seeing what the world has to offer is an integral part of growth, your comfort zone is where you are most likely to reach the top.

TL;DR Choose to invest in stocks while skydiving and see ‘magic’ happen. It’s this or no magic.

THE INSIDER / 11

OMG, you’re so ~basic~

by Una Narnicka When there’s such a wide variety of words, one of the easiest ways to offend someone is by using the word basic. All-the-more, telling someone that they are not basic can serve as a compliment.

Now – this doesn’t apply to everyone. We all have our own opinion and attitude towards things. Nevertheless, I think, that this word shouldn’t have such a bad association. At least it shouldn’t be considered basic when a person does one little thing, regarding a new trend or something along the lines.

It is interesting that this one word can have the power to totally change the way people perceive themselves. Contrarily, it is not curious at all. Apparently, many people hear basic as mainstream, unoriginal, predictable – you get the idea. It is like a label that people want to get rid of, just as it is with most labels. Each of us is a personality. We don’t like it, when we’re told otherwise.

Nowadays, there are so many possibilities for people to express and show themselves. Take Instagram, Youtube or now Tik Tok, for example. Generally, anyone can do it. You just need to think of something that you want to show. With so many people using social media, it is difficult to think of something new and original.

The way to stand out is to put your own spin on it. That is how trends are created – recreating ideas and customizing them.

Following a trend shouldn’t be such a bad thing. It doesn’t necessarily mean that a person is unoriginal, they just simply happen to like the same thing as multiple other people. In fact, people might avoid something they enjoy just because they are scared of being called basic. It’s like a trap. The only way you can express yourself is by doing the things you like, but you won’t, because it might be considered basic. And basic is not gOoD (that should be read with a tone of sarcasm).

People should be allowed to follow trends if they wish to do so.

Wearing specific clothes or trying out a popular haircut shouldn’t be a guilty pleasure. I’ll do me, you do you.

12 / THE INSIDER

The Harry Potter Saga is Overrated

by Petro Semenikhin I would like to preface this little piece of amateur literary critique by stating that I have read every single (parts 1-7, since part 8 would probably warrant an article of its own) Harry Potter book at least 5 times around the age of 11. I wasn’t one of the people wearing round glasses and Gryffindor scarves for Halloween, but you could certainly call me a fan.

ly travel to other places (Voldemort is in Albania before being resurrected, for God’s sakes), or Sirius being sentenced to life imprisonment without a trial in a world that has a Truth Serum, are proof that Rowling was pumping out these books without giving them a proper thought beforehand. And if that wasn’t enough, the character writing itself is plenty flawed, too: Ron and Hermione seem to be there only to showcase how great Harry is, while he never has a clue of what’s happening and still ends up a hero, when other people (e.g. Severus Snape) clearly contributed more to his cause. He is also positioned as an underdog with something to prove, while is clearly more privileged and talented than anyone in the series (he speaks Parseltongue from the get-go, is born to play quidditch, has tons of money and is the most famous kid in the magical world). These writing flaws are a dime a dozen throughout, and aren’t hard to find when you look into the story properly.

However, that was 7 years ago. Now that I have achieved a certain level of general literacy and have read most of what people would consider “timeless classics”, I have changed my stance on the Potteriana. And while one may argue that these books are purely entertaining in value and shouldn’t be compared to Moby Dick or Orwell’s Animal Farm, I would say that even in the shed of entertainment literature, they’re not the sharpest tool by far. Thinking of books like The Hobbit, Narnia or even Percy Jackson just puts it ever more into perspective. While those books also share the wonderful worldbuilding of Harry Potter (the one thing I will commend J.K. In conclusion, even though it’s by far not the Rowling for), they manage to keep the quality up worst series ever, Harry Potter is definitely, in throughout the entire saga they are part of. my opinion, valued way too highly in this world of “kids’ books”. And while it claims to have some The stupid plot holes arising in The-Books- moral message to deliver, it ends up contradictThat-Shall-Not-Be-Named, such as the appar- ing itself too much to properly do it, reducing it ent uselessness of a miniature time machine to just another imperfect escape from the real (the “Time-Turners”), the location of every Hor- world. crux being in England, when mages can clear-

THE INSIDER / 13

About L’Oréal Talent Development Program

with Babkina Anastasija, Polkovnikova Jekaterina and Solomka Alina, SSE Riga Alumni Can whatL’Oréal L’Oréal Canyou you briefly briefly explain explain what Talent Development Program and Talent Development Program is andishow how did you get there? did you get there?

Talent Development Program consists of 2 main steps: graduate and management trainee. You start from the position of Graduate usually, which is an internship in a way, which lasts for 1 year in total and is a full-time job. This year is further split into 2 periods, where you have to work on assigned projects and present your work to the board of managers. Afterwards you have a chance to be promoted to Management Trainee position, which is very similar, but includes more responsibilities and more independent work.

I got into the program through Assessment center in L’Oréal where around 10 people participated. We had to present our solution to a case study and afterwards we also had some group tasks.

TalentDevelopment DevelopmentProgram Programis isa atwotwoTalent yearProgram Programduring duringwhich whichyouyouhave have year amazing opportunities work a very amazing opportunities to to work in in a very dynamic FMCG industry, learn about Beauty dynamic FMCG industry, learn about Beauty industry, interesting events, trainings, industry, visitvisit interesting events, trainings, client meetings course, show your client meetings and,and, of of course, show your capabilities start your career at L’Oréal. capabilities andand start your career at L’Oréal.

During year of studies at SSE Riga During mymy 3rd3rd year of studies at SSE Riga I I started searching a job found Talent started searching forfor a job andand found Talent Development Program’s offer cv.lv.

It was Development Program’s offer on on cv.lv.

It was very appealing I applied went very appealing to to meme so so I applied andand went through several rounds of application process through several rounds of application process to get there. to get there.

Talent Development Program is a first career step in L’Oréal family. It gives the participant a full picture of L’Oréal. In parallel with your work tasks, you get a 1-year project, that will test your ability to execute and manage. My path to L’Oréal started with Brandstorm.

Two of my coursemates and I took part in the challenge in 2018. Our idea was interesting enough to get us to Warsaw to semi-finals.

After the semi-final, I fell in love with L’Oréal and decided to apply to the program, which I saw on cv.lv. coursemates and I took part in 14 / THE INSIDER

What betweenapplying applying Whatisisthe thedifference difference between inina astandard to work workatatL’Oréal L’Oréal and standard way way to and applying at this Program, which also applying at this Program, which also includes working full time and getting paid? includes working full time and getting pad?

I would say that you should have quite a lot of experience already to apply to permanent positions in L’Oréal. Many employees started their path in a company from Talent Development Program, so it’s a great opportunity for a “fresh” university graduate to start working with no or very little experience.

I think Talent Development Program is the I think Talent Development Program is the only way how a recent graduate or a student only way how a recent graduate or a student a job L’Oréal.From From very cancan getget a job at at L’Oréal. thethe very beginning, graduatesarearegiven givenimportant important beginning, graduates tasks which they responsible. tasks forfor which they areare fullyfully responsible. advantage of this program is that during TheThe advantage of this program is that during these 2 years graduates have an opportunity these 2 years graduates have an opportunity work different projects, with different to to work on on different projects, with different brands what they really brands andand seesee what they really like.like.

The program allows learning and shining in the company, so it is your first step to your career in L’Oréal. The greatest advantage of the program is that you are challenged and respected from day 1, you get your project and other duties, which is your scope of responsibilities and that is your way to show your knowledge.

As far as I know, in the second part of As far as I know, the second part your of the Program youin should launch the Program shouldexactly launch your own project.you What wasown your project.

What exactly was your idea hat idea and what happened to it later? happened to it la

How was it at the beginning? Could you give some advice to the students who are about to graduate and for those who How was itfor at the beginning? Could you are looking internships? give some adviceto the students w

For was own a bitproject different, I didn’t launch of Youme haveit your from the beginning my own project.

From the beginning I was the program, so you get to know the processes responsible for merchandisng first, start doing routine tasks materials in parallel production andyour during the process I was is (according to position).

Your manager finding to optimize it. with So, my managerand helpingways you along the way everything decided that for my project present with implementation of yourI will project too.

My project was related to launch of the product, however, it is now moved a little bit due to the virus outbreak and its impact. I now have another project related to social media marketing and education.

For me the transition was smooth as I already had an experience in very similar position. However, going back to my first job experience, I would say that you need to ask for some tasks to learn quicker, don’t be afraid to clarify things if you’re not sure, as everything (at least in the field of marketing or market analytics) is quite far from what we studied in university. Hands-on experience is very important. Be proactive and seek for as many job offers as you can, go on meetings, ask questions and try to find the job and company that “catches” you the most.

For me it was a bit different, I didn’t launch my own project. From the beginning I was responsible for merchandisng materials production and during the process I was finding ways to optimize it. So, my manager decided that for my project I will present merchandising cost saving plan for Baltics.

Actually, at the moment of presentation my project was already partially implemented in real life, which was very motivating and rewarding.

The project depends on the department you are in. For example, I work in the Category Management, so my project was to create a compelling trade story for a new line of products and present it to the client. For me, it was really scary to present it to the client, in my case Maxima LV buyer. However, it turned out to go well and I felt that this push was beneficial for my personal development as a presenter. My manager was not a micromanager, but mentor. That is also an advantage of my experience in the program.

Also, L’Oréal gives you access to data, so it is really up to you whether you dig into it and use it wisely or just do something basic.

To To be be honest, firstfirst halfhalf of the yearyear waswas very honest, of the very stressful time for for me.me.

It was notnot easyeasy to grasp stressful time It was to grasp thethe amount of of information I had to to know. amount information I had know.

It comes with practice.

I would advise thethe It comes with practice.

I would advise students to think in advance about what theythey students to think in advance about what like.like.

Think about what subjects youyou liked at at Think about what subjects liked SSESSE Riga.

MyMy favorite waswas Retail Management Riga. favorite Retail Management Specialization course, thatthat was was very very related t Specialization course, related to what I am doing now. If you don’t have your favorite one think about companies and industries you like and their values. Both of those matched for me in L’Oréal. And be brave to apply to the positions of your o what I am doing now. If you don’t hav dreams!

L’Oréal is a good place to start your career, as the amount of responsibilities and trust that this company gives you, will be beneficial for you. I recommend you to be open to new opportunities and programs like that are the way to experiment and find yourself. After studies, it can be challenging to understand the sphere you want to work in, that was my case, too. Theory and real-life experience are different; however, two skills that you learn in SSE are vital for the workplace: timemanagement and working under pressure.

THE INSIDER / 15

Becoming an intern is all about getting out of your comfort zone and

into the real world. Having to apply your classroom knowledge in real business tasks may seem daunting at first, but it is a great opportunity to learn professional skills that books can’t teach you. If you plan to embark on your internship journey, test the waters first and hear the experiences of fellow SSER students Dmitrijs and Katsiaryna – who have done their internships at SEB Global Services in Riga.

What doing an internship is really like Hi, Dmitrijs! So you’ve interned at SEB during the summer of last year. How did you find out they had an open position?

I was looking for an internship in finance and found an ad online. SEB Global Services stood out, because they’re an international organisation and they had no strict requirements in terms of working experience. To be honest, I wasn’t very confident I’d get in – I felt I was an average student at best. And what do you know, my motivation seemed to be enough and I was invited to be an intern in Reconciliation Services department.

Do you remember your first days at SEB? How were they?

I was shown around and got to know what my new team did in general. I was also assigned a mentor, who I immediately flooded with questions – “What’s this? What’s that? Why do we do this?”. Once the first week was over, I was already feeling at ease with my new role. My mentor encouraged me to spend my free time doing self-development activities, so I took some courses on cryptocurrencies and script-writing.

16 / THE INSIDER

mate some processes. I had full liberty to spend time on writing a script rather than doing repetitive tasks by hand over and over again, which was great.

Dmitrijs Ļivinskis

Former intern in Securities & Wealth Operations, SEB Global Services

And how did your new team treat you?

I was personally introduced to every single member and I was a little bit shocked by the atmosphere in the office. It was kind of different from what I expected. Everyone seemed quite laid back and not stressed out at all! My colleagues would always invite me to go for lunch together and I got to learn about them and their interests.

I’ve learned a lot from them.

Was there something you’ve learned in your internship that you still apply in your life today?

Mostly technical tricks. I’ve learned to write scripts in Excel and Autolt and this really helped me when I had to automate data gathering for university projects. Some parts of my work were quite repetitive, so I used coding in Excel to auto-

Has your internship helped to change your view about working in a financial organisation? Were any myths or stereotypes broken?

Working in finance is not as boring as it may seem, that’s for sure. The people I’ve met were not uptight and had many cool interests aside from their work.

And there were a lot of celebrations – fikas and birthdays. A lot of opportunities to eat cake!

Any advice for your fellow students who plan to search for an internship?

Don’t be afraid to apply. Even if you feel like you’re an average student, an internship in an established organisation is your chance to uncover your potential.

Katsiaryna, how did you end up doing an internship at SEB Global Services?

My major obstacle when searching for a summer internship was the requirement of Latvian language knowledge. I am from Belarus and after two years of studying in Riga, the only words I knew were paldies and nākamā pietura. That is why the international environment of SEB Global Services and their English-as-a-working-language policy attracted me the most.

Do you remember your first days at SEB? How were they?

The first days were spent in a bit of a rush since I was combining an internship with studies. However, I was surprised by everyone’s willingness to support me and their patience in explaining something to me several times. I was also provided with the possibility of flexible working hours so I could attend SSER lectures. In the end, the only thing I had to worry about was remembering the names of all my team members!

What personal qualities made juggling studies and internship possible for you?

Good time management skills and the ability to prioritize are very important here. In our department, we had several daily tasks that needed to be

And how was your experience different once you became a permanent employee?

Katsiaryna Savetnikava

Reporting Analyst in Finance Operations, SEB Global Services, former intern and SSER student

performed before 2 pm while the lectures were in the morning as well. I was running (in the real sense of this word) to the bus stop from the school to get to work and perform my tasks before the deadline. It was not always easy but it was manageable. The good thing is that I always knew I had my back-up person to fall back on if I really couldn’t make it.

What were some myths you believed about being an intern? How were they denied after you’ve joined SEB?

I always thought that working in a bank is quite boring and the people working there were very reserved. My team has broken these stereotypes completely. I guess my team is not an exception, I think it is SEB policy to employ people who are open-minded, outgoing, very supportive and dedicated to their work.

The main difference is that I have more responsibilities now.

As an intern, I knew there was someone fully responsible for the process and I was just helping this person with their daily tasks. Now I am the one taking full ownership. It’s challenging, but it’s exciting at the same time.

What do you like the most about SEB as an employer?

The thing I like most about SEB as an employer is the feeling of security. You can easily plan your long-term goals and be sure that you will still be needed in your current position. I started to really value this considering current events as many smaller companies are now massively laying off people because of COVID-19.

What advice would you give to those who are now looking for an internship?

Always try something new and challenge yourself. Only then you will understand what is “yours” and what is not. SSE Riga students have always been valued by employers for our sense of responsibility, strong dedication and high ambitions. I have told you about my personal experience at SEB, now the choice is yours.

SEB Global Services Riga provides world-class services for the SEB Group customers and business divisions, supporting SEB on the journey of becoming a leader in efficiency and innovation. If you are motivated to get a head-start in your career in Bank Operations, Finance Operations, Risk or Compliance Monitoring, contact SEB Global Services HR team via cvriga@seb.se For more info please visit www.seb.lv/global-services

THE INSIDER / 17

By Una Narnicka

False memory

Our memories are a massive source of infor-

sic Disney movie ‘Snow White and the Seven

mation, both useful and amazingly random.

Dwarfs’ is subject to this phenomenon of re-

Sometimes you remember things you didn’t

calling something that hasn’t actually hap-

know were stored in your mind, which might

pened. If you watched the movie, you might re-

come in useful when participating in a game

member the Evil Queen saying ‘Mirror, mirror

of trivia or trying to impress friends with vari-

on the wall’... However, it may be astonishing

ous facts. Furthermore, trying to recall some-

to learn that the actual line was ‘Magic mirror

thing you actually need to know might be a

on the wall’. The most disappointing example

bit challenging now and then. A tricky tool

would be the song ‘We Are The Champions’ by

indeed.

Queen. The actual final lyrics of the song are

We’ve all played Monopoly at least once in our

‘we are the champions’ without the continua-

lives. What if I asked you – does the Monopo-

tion – ‘of the world’. Nevertheless, people like

ly Man have a monocle (a single eyeglass)? It

to add it themselves.

might take time to remember how did he look

This phenomenon is called the Mandela ef-

like, but eventually some of you would proba-

fect. The name comes from Nelson Mandela,

bly say ‘yes’. As a matter of fact, many people

who was a political activist and philanthro-

would, however, they would also be surprised

pist. It is named after him because many peo-

that he actually doesn’t. Sure, you could have

ple believe that he died in prison in the 1980s,

been mistaken – who cares? What does it mat-

however, he actually passed away in 2013 af-

ter?

ter having served as president of South Africa

Here comes the tricky part of it all. Many peo-

among other things.

ple around the world share the same false memory and it doesn’t stop with the Monopoly Man. Another bright example is one from the movie Star Wars – The Empire Strikes Back (1980). A widely popular scene is when Darth Wader says ‘Luke, I am your father’, except (you guessed it) he doesn’t. The actual line is ‘No, I am your father’. I will allow myself to try and surprise you with another one. A clas-

18 / THE INSIDER

suggest, that a false memory in one universe could be accurate in another one. I can’t prove that this theory is wrong, however, I can’t exactly confirm that there are multiple dimensions. Such expertise is beyond me.

Another possible explanation could be piecing together. It means that similar or related The term arose in 2009 after Fiona Broome

pieces of information intertwine, given that

created a website with the intention of reveal-

additional memories are provoked, when

ing her observance. While attending a con-

recalling something. Around the same time

ference, she noticed that people had contra-

as Nelson Mandela’s imprisonment, anoth-

dicting beliefs regarding Mandela’s death. It

er South African activist – Steve Biko passed

seemed intriguing to her that a large number

away. Possibly, these events have been mixed

of people were confident about the same mat-

up, leading to the misconception of Mandela’s

ter when it was, in fact, false.

death.

There are multiple theories as to why these

Many other theories try to explain this phe-

false memories occur. Firstly, the effect could

nomenon, including glitches in simulation or

be explained by confabulations. They are

the argument about how people simply don’t

one’s made-up memories, which fill in gaps

pay attention to detail. Additionally, some

in memory, without purposely being false or

could try to explain it by fake news. Meaning,

misleading. ‘Honest lying’ perfectly sums up

that one misinterprets something, posts about

a confabulation, since the person itself is un-

it and others just accept it as the truth.

aware of imagining information. This seems a

In the end, maybe we should not try to read

bit odd, in my opinion, given that many people

into it too much and just enjoy the occasion-

should imagine the same false information. It

al confusion, since no one truly knows the

just seems a bit unlikely.

real explanation behind the Mandela effect.

Secondly, a popular theory has to do with al-

Nevertheless, it is interesting to contemplate

ternate realities. It is based on the belief that

about it.

there are parallel universes in which different versions of the same event exist. For the effect to take place, these realities would have to overlap. If that miraculously happens, these simple yet confusing differences occur. It does

THE INSIDER / 19

1. Mickey Mouse doesn’t wear the suspenders.

2. Monopoly Man doesn’t have the monocle.

3. Pikachu doesn’t have the black line at the end of the tail.

Which of these are correct?

By Marketing Committee’

Online trends that are no longer relevant Captioning every picture with motivational/inspirational quotes “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow”. As cringy as it sounds in Instagram, you should definitely learn from yesterday and think again when you write an inspirational quote next to your post. Honestly, social media is full of those things, we’re getting tired of reading sentences you just googled to sound more intelligent/thoughtful/whatever. Instead, write something from yourself!

Use the platform to express your thoughts! Be funny, creative, write down your conspiracy theories about coronavirus, you have freedom of speech, so use your own words!

thing else for a couple of minutes, return to the picture and see if it looks natural. You can also compare your original with edited version and see if it has changed a lot.

Okay, we all know that the photo can never be fully perfect. But just as with make-up, too much is too much. Try to stop messing with your picture before it becomes more filtered than real. Golden rule is not to spend too much time on editing - increase/reduce brightness, saturation, highlights if you need, and you’re good to go! Think about it - why would you post a picture you like but take enormously long time to edit it?

Pro tip: if you are not sure wheter you have overedited, put down your phone/computer, do some-

22 / THE INSIDER

This is simple. Nothing is wrong with throwbacks. But why would anyone post “Throwback Thursday” on a Monday? Yes, people do that. Don’t be like them. Just write “throwback” or “tb” and be cool.

You know how weekdays work, right?

Excessive use of hashtags

Who uses hashtags anymore? Businesspeople, photographers and bloggers. Period. There is no need to use hashtags just for the sake of it. We left this trend in 2015, let it stay there. Certainly get rid of #like4like and #follow4follow on your page, think about what your future employer would think about you if he/she saw how much you like hashtags.

Overediting photos

Throwback Thursdays on not Thursdays

Putting an emoji over your face on your post in stories.

This is a funny one. You scroll through stories and bump into the “New post” story with the picture they posted but the face is covered.

Admit it, in 90% of the cases you actually know how that person’s face looks like. Unless the face has changed, you won’t be surprised.

So, if you are one of the people who makes stories like that, either think of a surprise behind the covered area or consider not covering it at all.

Group photo where everyone looks bad except you

This is just sad and selfish. NEVER do this to your friends. Trust us, they won’t be happy.

Organized item shots on a white furry background Photos like this still look good on Pinterest, though. If you really can’t resist and feel nostalgic, you can post it there. But not anywhere else. It’s 2020 now. You legally can’t go anywhere much further than your countryside (or your fridge), so don’t pretend you’re a busybody.

Posting on ig snapchat filter pictures (dog face, flower crown) Snapchat filters are for Snapchat, Instagram filters are for Instagram.

Do not mix things up, ok? Otherwise, the world will once again get mad about dog faces and fower crowns on their feed.

Sharing giveaways on your stories

We get it. Your favourite shop/blogger has posted a contest, you have to repost it on your Instagram stories to be recognized. But is it really worth it? More like low-key embarrassing…

Generally speaking about any

kinds of lotteries on any social media - just think of how many things these things are asking you to do.

Like their page, like their partner’s page, like their cat’s page, tag a friend in comments, repost on your page, the list goes on! And in the end, have you ever won anything? Sure, you have chances. But the pages who make those contests make money on your engagement because you make their page more popular. And you (almost always) get nothing.

Putting wrong locations on your posts/ tags

Come on, we know you can’t be in heaven. As if heaven had a location… Sure, it is fine to sometimes “mix things up” and pretend you’re in another place, just don’t make it so obvious. If you’re taking pictures near sakura, you most probably are not in Tokyo. At least now you’re not...

Weird angles on your photos

“What do you think about me?” question in stories

When have these kinds of questions outperformed an actual talk?

Admit it, if you have ever asked a person in their stories what they think of you, you are fishing for compliments. If you really want to know how the other person feels about you, talk to them! You can identify the clues from their body language quite accurate. And if you’re just chatting - if the person takes too much time to respond, maybe that is not a good sign for your relationship.

People who post pictures with weird angles just want to mess with our necks. That’s it. But if you genuinely care about your followers, don’t make them feel miserable and post a straightened picture.

These are tips for you not to drown in last decade’s trends. We, the Marketing committee, can say that many of us have done many of these in the past years, and you shouldn’t be discouraged either!

Just remember, it’s a new year, new tendencies will come and go, don’t get stuck in the past and move forward!

Where to travel while there is a global pandemic

By Ksenija Sunepe & Madara Buša

Had you already packed your suitcase when the whole world suddenly shifted and the furthest journey you make now is the route bedroom-kitchen-bedroom (drinks included, extra legroom and all the extras you can imagine)? While travelling is not an option right now, it does not mean that exploring the wonders of the world has to stop. Here are some of the places that we've managed to visit in the past few weeks.

Paris, France Eating croissants and munching on baguettes while a moustache-clad gentleman is singing soft tunes somewhere nearby has never been easier. During this time Paris is looking exceptionally empty, without huge crowds gathering around the main attractions, so no social distancing rules have to be broken and you can finally snap that picture without an American tourist wearing socks and sandals in the background.

Sandy beaches of Spain Whether you are missing driving to the closest beach and basking in the sun for hours or dreaming of sunshine turning your skin tone bronze in a private beach in Tenerife, it can all be achieved even in isolation. It is the best time to remember your childhood, because the nearest sandbox has every beach day essential: sand getting everywhere, annoying children and on good days even a little bit of sun.

Amazon Rainforest The daunting experience of spending some time in absolute wilderness has been made a hundred times easier. While going around to explore the exceptional flora and fauna that the jungle has to offer, do not fear an attack from mosquitoes or getting lost and dying of starvation, as the fridge is mere seconds away from you and in order to get lost in four walls your navigation skills must be remarkably bad.

Rome, Italy The soft breeze of Italian summer air and the smell of a freshly baked pizza hasn't gone anywhere during these times. Travelling to every single “perfect vacation” tourist attraction has never been so easy! You can still watch the sunset’s reflection in the windows of the (very instagram-able) colorful houses in the seaside cities or enjoy the view of the Colosseum, you just have to leave the nighttime wanderings of the streets of Rome for the next time. On the upside, without the judgy looks of the waiter, you can now drink twice as many bottles of wine than during your regular holiday.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands Solo travel seems too daunting? Grab a friend and take a trip to Amsterdam, where the nightlife never stops and everyone's sleep schedule is as messed up as ours right now. Don't forget that with Zoom airlines there are no extra fees or prohibitions for bringing liquids, so pack some snacks, stay safe and let's keep in touch! <3 Best part about it - you don't even have to wear pants.

24 / THE INSIDER

QUARANTINE STORIES ENROLLED TO "UNDERSTANDING PROSTATE CANCER" COURSE ON COURSERA. I AM A GIRL AND HAVE NO RELATION TO ANYONE SICK OR IN DANGER OF GETTING SICK WITH IT WHATSOEVER. VERY INSIGHTFUL, BUT CAN'T THINK OF MALE REPRODUCTIVES IN A NORMAL WAY ANYMORE, I KNOW AND SAW TOO MUCH...

EXPLORED A NOVEL WAY OF CELEBRATING BIRTHDAY: PARTYING WITH MY PHONE THE WHOLE DAY:) QUARANTINE HAS MADE PEOPLE MORE WILLING TO DO VIDEO CALLS INSTEAD OF SIMPLE TEXT MESSAGES, SO I WAS ANSWERING THOSE CALLS FOR 2 HOURS NONSTOP..

TRIED TO LEARN A SPLIT... GOT A MUSCLE INJURY MAN, I JUST MISS THE GYM NOTHING NEW. JUST STUDYING AND GETTING ANNOYED

BY THE UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION THE SSE BINGO CAME OUT, COULD LOOK AT THOSE FILLED BY SOME PEOPLE I'VE WONDERED ABOUT. ALL OF THEM HAVE MADE OUT WITH ANOTHER COURSEMATE DURING AN SSE PARTY. YIKES, KILLED ALL THE MOOD. DURING FE I PLAYED VIDEO GAMES 150 HOURS, WATCHED 3 SEASONS OF A SERIES AND ABOUT 10 MOVIES. IN THIS QUARANTINE, HAVEN'T WATCHED A SINGLE MOVIE. I NOW WAKE UP AT 7AM, DO MUCH MORE SPORTS, WORK OR STUDY ALL DAY AND EAT MUCH HEALTHIER. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? I PRESENTED MY FE TERM PAPER TO TÄ&#x20AC;LIS IN MY UNDERWEAR DURING QUARANTINE, I'VE STARTED PLAYING XBOX GAMES WITH MY 11-YEAR-OLD BROTHER. FAMILY BONDING AND POSSIBLY LEARNING A NEW SKILL? SEEMS LIKE A WIN-WIN SITUATION TO ME (PLUS IT'S KINDA FUN :DD)

THE INSIDER / 25

WHERE WOULD YOU GO IF YOUR TIME MACHINE ALSO ALLOWED YOU TO CHOOSE A LOCATION?

S

Secatibe runtum earum sincilla velenimus auta nobit raecus di omniet

o then, the largest worldwide lockdown ever caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, also known as COVID-19, or coronavirus. Everyone in their homes, Google Meet-ing with their coworkers wearing lounge pants and classy shirts after cancelling their long-standing plans to go to Sicily or Malta. Grocery store runs straight out of a Hollywood movie, and, most importantly, to-watch and to-read lists that are finally beginning to shrink.

If you are lucky enough, you might even be allowed to go outside to walk your dog every now and then.

But in this article, I am going to focus on two of those things: travel plans and book/movie bingeing. Seeing how all airports are closed for an indefinite time period, the only way for us to travel right now is by using the endless power of our imagination (and, in this case, an imaginary time machine). There are substances that may facilitate such endeavours, but I do not condone their usage, and dissuade anyone from taking them. After all, the amount of time most of us have been alone may be the best possible catalyst for inducing hallucinations on its own.

Allow me, then, to invite you on a journey back 35 years (1985, for anyone too bored to count) to the Land of the Rising Sun, also known as Japan. Many would say that “if you have a time machine, why not travel to, say, the Renaissance in France or the Middle Ages in good old England?” And to that I have a simple answer: think about technological advancements, stuff we take for granted today: sewage, showers in everyone’s homes, TVs, easy access to most of medicine(!) and much more. Also, the Renaissance was a period of time where people thought showering caused bacteria, so they used perfume, wigs and make-up to hide the fact that they didn’t wash, and the Middle Ages were simply a dirty and foodless time, where your main meal as anyone but a landowner was beer soup, onions and an undying faith that God loves you. In the end, everyone is free to choose where they want to go, the following is simply a suggestion.

And even in the 80s there are many places you could travel to, the US being a prime example. The emergence of disco and synthpop, Miami cops in aviators driving Lamborghini Countaches and, of course, cocaine pretty much everywhere are some of the first things that come to mind. But that has been explored many times before. Japan, however, is no less fascinating

26 / THE INSIDER

By Petro Semenikhin

and may prove to be an even more interesting journey.

Now, imagine this: you wake up one morning and its 11 a.m. on April the 30th, 1985. You look out of your window and see that you are on the 20th floor of a luxury apartment building in the Shibuya district of Tokyo, with a view stretching over the entire south-eastern side of the city, towards the ocean. You see a myriad of colourful, small cars crossing the famous Shibuya diagonal intersection, people wearing spring clothes and the newly introduced Walkman is on everyone’s hip, connected to a pair of orange headphones. You turn on the radio, and Toshiki Kadomatsu’s “If you…” begins playing. You quickly wash, get dressed, make breakfast, and go outside, grabbing your own Walkman with you. The weather is a breezy 20 degrees Celsius as you turn on the music and walk towards the beach. You sit down and start to think about all that’s around: everyone’s happy, construction is everywhere, and the streets are clean enough to not remove your shoes when going into your house. Why?

The simple answer is that, after 40 years of US occupation, Japan is starting to gain its own identity back (or losing it, depending on who you ask) while incorporating elements of Western culture brought ahead by the Americans. At the same time, the country’s economy was booming as demand for microelectronics blew up. Panasonic, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm and many more brands became billion-dollar industry giants seemingly overnight. Car production was at an all-time high, with exports of Nissans and Toyotas going everywhere there were people willing to buy them. All of this contributed to a rise in the level of culture, with music, animation, film, photography, and other arts all experiencing the effects of becoming the world’s second largest economy. It is precisely because of all these factors that I have chosen Japan as a place to go to using this time machine.

Nowadays, Japan’s once jaw-dropping growth has been reduced to stagnation and debt accumulation, with most people being somewhat disillusioned about the 80s dream of a technological utopia and endless economic growth. Said dream, however, lives on in the Japanese city pop music genre and movies of the era, remaining as a beacon of hope long lost, but not forgotten. And, if ever given the chance to use an actual time machine, it would no doubt remain my top destination for years to come.

Thank yous

• Quarantine for letting us be present in a lecture while sitting in pajamas and drinking our morning coffee • Zoom • Sports bra • Joggers • Wikihow - ‘how to cut your own hair’ • Youtube fitness videos • That one friend who pays for netflix • TikTok • Alcohol deliveries • Hand sanitizers • Green eyes • Puzzles • To those people that, when you go to the supermarket rimi to buy a pack of chips, allow you to stand there and choose for 10 minutes, since they can’t really go past you, because they want chips themselves, so you both stand there while you can’t decide whether you can finish an entire party size or you have to buy a small one and pretend like you care about your diet • Friends that keep in touch • Very much

Screw yous

• My attention span • Good weather • Razors • Bat diet • Public transport • Travellers • Old gossips • Sleep schedule • Screen time reminders • New clothes and shoes • Pre-bought festival tickets • TikTok (again) • Counting calories

THE INSIDER / 27

28 / THE INSIDER

THE INSIDER / 29

they say that...

Can we all agree that L.S. (Y1) and that Latvian guy from y1 are just the cutest couple in SSE? Like, he puts his watch in front of the desk for every lecture for them A.S. is the cutest thing Sending much kudos to both to see when it ends, if ever when she is drunk. Madara for splendidly or- that’s not goals, idk what is Honestly, we love her! ganising her first SSE ball and keeping it at the same FE people from dorms Kasparas is the best very high levels as the oth- studied really hard and litmatchmaker er ones! Girl your’e amaz- erally 24/7... Guys, I hope you’ll all pass - you defiing <333333 nitely deserve it <3 E.A. should not hide her relationship with R.L., Yupu became very relaxed you’re cute and should not after the FE exam, and by Lithuanians and Estonitake it out of gossip forms that I mean he took so ans back at it again many Jager shots nobody Nice to see Sorina being else had the chance to, Kink dungeon was the fucking bestttt a fun careless summer thanks child again Why are the two smartest Someone went to the airusually after parties i want and cutest girls in y2 feel- port with roses to pick to forget what i’ve done, ing sad again :( i swear someone else up to work but this time i’d like to re- girls, i write a gossip for a “project” member about you in every issue, because nothing changes Jejoue saved the party WHAT was this 18 - party? and that makes me mad at the injustice of the world I wish I had P. B. (Y2) confidence Finally, FINALLY the big trash can on the first floor K.E. (Y1) is such a sungot replaced by *only* recy- shine! Thank you for your i will fail macro because of valentine’s day cling ones... somebody heard beautiful words <3 my prayers The Valentine’s day party FE is almost over and “global virus: spreads valeria: was way more tame than i damn im ready to get my life back here’s 3738376362 pictures of expected my face & *i’m a deep person* quotes, ya welcome” L.V. (Y2) and M.Č. (Y2) seem “too friendly” lately, going on exchange is like say- looks like FE might have ing that you don’t give a f*** brought something good about your closest people to you two :) Ukrainians are the best Damn, am I the only one kissers who regrets not going to Je Joue activity? All the K.H (Y1) It’s not too late to stories the next morning apply to a music school. sounded like A LOT of fun

The VP partymaking tra- FACT: The administration dition has been maitained makes decisions based on with grace <3 how many people they need to graduate in a year

30 / THE INSIDER

Georgians + Ukrainians = Shpilivili Seems like the old international couple is not a thing anymore other schools close because of the virus, while sse hosts more and more international conferences. wow, Anders are we gonna be able to afford both a therapist and the virus treatment?

FE is making me scream harder than any boy has ever made me R.K. is the og of all TAs when it comes to Macro. Only ever see him during seminars, but he’s the main reason why the seminars are good A.B. & V.C. (Y2) look pretty cute together

The kink dungeon was amazing, E.A. parents are terroists, but sadly the glory hole was not thats why he is such a BOMBA implemented, there’s always next year I guess...

D.Š. Y2 was so drunk on the Valentines looked like he was on The cutest thing you can ever drugs see is Ukrainian Y1s hugging each other<3 So many couples seen on Valentine’s Day <3333 SSE So I.H. and A.C. making out in Rigans are so coool!!! all SSE parties isn’t a thing anymore? :(( The new washing machines in dorms are a rip-off. Expect Georgian Y1 and Ukrainian Y1 smelly people around. should really get a room next time instead of doing it on the I swear FE breaks friendships couch in the middle of the party ;) Next year we should encourage new Y1s to make big party a few A.T (Y3) is a true romantic days after FE. and top chef

THE INSIDER / 31

#stayhome movement drives businesses to find new ways of reaching the customers and creating meaningful connections by building digital platforms to support and extend consumer experience.

In the times of such dynamic transformation of the market and consumer behavior there is the inevitable – to adapt, be agile and operate in the unknown with courage.

L’Oréal – one of the biggest advertisers in the world, a heavyweight in beauty tech, and Facebook – providing a digital platform for already over 140 million businesses to reach and connect to their customers will shed the light on their ways of adapting during COVID-19 crisis.

Join this exclusive digital meet up to get inspired and learn from the industry experts!

MAY 7, 2020