The Insider December 2025

Special thanks to

Nicolas Gavoille, Xavier Landes, Anna Ģērmane, Elīna Bībere, Marta Ciema, Raimonds Vilcāns, Roberts Kamols, Mareks Ulmanis, Moldir Anuarbek, Rūdolfs Miks Jordans, Elza Pilāne, Daniela Martinsone, Ilze Rasnača, Anna Gogebashvili, Elza Kate Užāne, Anna Marta Ozare, Lotte Tonupart, Alikhan Daulet, Adomas Cvilikas, Ieva Grundmane, Paula Kovaļevska, Markuss Zvirbulis, Arina Hakele, Reinis Andersons, Roberta Treija and all the gossipers ;) and the beloved team of Insider.

In case of any queries, contact insider@sseriga.edu or zkalnina@sseriga.edu (Editor-in-Chief)

HO, HO, HO, SSE Rigans - we finally made it to December!

This time of the year, academic life slows down just enough for us to notice the small things: the extra five minutes spent chatting after the lectures, shared mittens because someone “forgot” theirs again, and the way gnomes in every corner suddenly make even the lobby feel a little bit magical.

But before the year officially collapses into a blur of deadlines and dubious life choices at corporate Christmas parties, the Insider is here one last time to wrap 2025 up in something shiny

This time, our theme is SILVER - the color of second places, almosts, and “not quite how I imagined it” But silver is also what comes after that - the “okay, what now? that keeps you moving.

And then there’s the other side of silver: disco balls, glitter eyeliner, and laughter when someone yells that this is literally the best night ever ”

In this issue, we re putting all that silver energy to use. You’ll get stories from four Event Com chiefs sharing their funniest, messiest, most iconic party moments they have experienced during their time as chiefs, as well as Christmas waiting-time recommendations for what to do while you count down to the magical holidays

Continuing on the festive spirits, our dear associate Paula has prepared 5 drink recipes to upgrade whatever’s in your glass this season We re also finally looking back at the legendary Boat Trip 25 that still lives rent-free in everyone ’ s mind, and introducing a “Would you rather?” to test your priorities, your dignity or your sense of humor…

Just like every year, we are crowning our Associates of the Year, where not only committee members, but also dear organisation elves finally get their time to shine

Let this issue be your little pause button before everything speeds up again Read it on the train home, between parties, or hiding from small talk at a Christmas family reunions - we don’t judge.

See you on the other side of the calendar!

xoxo, The Insider

Associates of the Month

Thank you for always being responsible and jumping in to help whenever it was needed! By now, you ’ ve basically become a pro at creating Anonymous Surveys and leading focus groups, truly a skill level of its

Embodiment of 67

Raimonds

Chill Guy

Marta

committee thrive

If you ever have an emergency and need help right now, right here, call Liva She will always be there to help no matter what

Task assigned – task done! Literally I could barely blink an eye, when a sponsor had been acquired – done and delivered with no hustle All respect to Sofija!

Eliza contributed a lot to the Halloween media and was a huge help in editing the pictures Her work made sure all the visuals had a consistent, polished style and really brought everything together

Vlada created designs for the chess tournament posters, Maxima stories, and now the Christmas Formal, always bringing fresh, creative ideas Her work is thoughtful, high-quality, and has been such a big help to the team

Amanda is like a machine that just never stops – with no hesitation, taking up one task after another and bringing the results with her Great working with someone as enthusiastic about what they do as Amanda!

And why did we make a statue for him? WHO IS MORTEN HANSEN

Some teachers don’t just teach, they leave a mark. For almost all generations of students at SSE Riga (he worked here basically from the star t – almost 30 years), Mor ten Hansen has been one of those unforgettable people. A legendar y lecturer known for his never-boring lectures, good humor, and deep love for microeconomics, macroeconomics, and statistics And if you were ever in his class, you probably heard him say it himself – he wanted a statue to honor him after he retired Half-joking, half-serious, he’d bring it up now and then Over time, it became one of those iconic “Mor ten things”, funny and ver y Mor ten So we decided: why not make it real?

THE IDEA BEHIND THE STATUE

The inspiration came from conversations about equilibrium: a topic that Mor ten constantly returned to in his lectures Like all economists, he loved talking about the “magical point ” where ever ything balances out in the world of macroeconomics, but he also reminded us how rare (and even impossible) that point really is in the real world So we star ted thinking: what if the statue could reflect this idea? Not only honor Mor ten as a teacher, but also say something about what he taught us?

So we made Sisyphus, the Statue – not just as a tribute, but as a symbol

To tie it all together, we needed Mor ten’s own words. We asked one of our fellow students, Ansis, to ask him a simple question: “Do macroeconomics ever reach equilibrium?” We recorded how Mor ten replied: (sorr y for your rights’ violation, Mor ten) “Macroeconomics never reaches equilibrium, and if it does, then it will most likely be kicked out of it ver y quickly…”

That quote captured the humor, the realism, and the constant tension between theor y and reality that Mor ten taught us. And right below it, we added: “From ever y student you taught ” Because this wasn’t just from one person or one class – it was from ever yone who ever sat in his lectures and walked away a little wiser.

MORTEN’S EXAMPLE OF EQUILIBRIUM

MAKING THE SCULPTURE A REALITY

Ideas need people to bring them to life That ’ s where Pauls Jaunzems came in – a brilliant sculptor whose works can be found around the world. Thanks to him, we now have two nearly identical sculptures of Sisyphus. One is right here at our school; you can come see it on the second floor The other was sent to Mor ten himself, now in Denmark, as a gift from all of us.

Pauls didn’t just create a statue, he brought an idea to life His attention to detail, his understanding of the stor y behind it, and his skill turned our idea into something real and lasting.

And if you ever want to see more of his work, you can visit his sculpture park in Vakarbuļļi. It ’ s open to ever yone, and if you leave a small donation, he’ll personally walk you through the stories behind his ar t It ’ s a hidden gem, and well wor th the visit

That ’ s when the idea of Sisyphus came up: the myth of the man doomed to roll a stone up a hill forever, only to have it roll back down each time he got close to the top It felt like the per fect metaphor for the concept of equilibrium in macroeconomics: a point that we are always tr ying to reach, but never quite get to

To understand Mor ten’s way of explaining equilibrium, here’s the example he gave: Imagine a labor market in per fect balance, the exact number of people and the exact number of jobs Now imagine one person dies. Just like that, the whole system is out of balance

In the end, this wasn’t just about building a statue for a beloved professor It was about capturing an idea – the reality and the struggle behind the theor y, and the voice of someone who taught us how to think, not just memorize.

That ’ s how fragile some theories can be when faced with real life In theor y, equilibrium is neat and clean In practice, it ’ s messy and impossible to maintain Mor ten had a talent for showing the gap between models and reality in a way that made sense, and made you think

Mor ten Hansen now has the statue he once joked about – a reminder that while equilibrium may never be reached, the journey toward it is what truly matters

Ar ticle by Arina Hakele

Associates of the Year

Alumni Committee - Raimonds Vilcans

you it would have been impossible to get through

Thank you to all of you for persistent support and being the best team I could have wanted!

Raimonds

Romija has been the apple to my pie, the straw to my berry, the yin to my yang and any other corny expression that one can think of But truly, the one who has brought the best support through the toughest negotiations, the loudest cheer for any achievement, however big or small, and the one to bring in the sanity at times where there seemed to be none Had the best time, doing this silly little thing called buscom with Romija by my side! A huge, huge shoutout to Ruta & Ricards for taking on the extra challenge of communicating with their represented partner companies! They were the ones to make sure that everything runs smoothly and held the standards high Be it joining in on meetings (even during the summer break!) or sending all those follow-up emails just to get a reply two weeks later – these guys did it with great dignity! Like the calm waters, Rolands took on a lot of responsibility of sponsor acquisition this year – but never did I hear from him that something is not possible One of those rare people whose word you can really trust – if he says he’s going to get the work done, he will, trust me

Truly appreciate the dedication a lot!

The big, big shoutout however goes to the whole team – looking back, it feels so great to know that every single one within the committee has contributed their time and effort! Let this be the loudest THANK YOU (picture me blasting this through a megaphone) to the bestest buscom team ever!

Cheers!

Every member of the Education Committee has made a meaningful contribution this year, and I’m truly grateful for all the work you ’ ve done A few associates especially stood out they were there at almost every event, always ready to help, always making things easier and less stressful just by being present and supportive

From creating the Anonymous Survey and planning the focus groups, to organizing events for our exchange students and helping them feel at home, to taking initiative and setting up fun activities that brightened students’ daily lives you ’ ve all gone above and beyond

I feel genuinely lucky to have such people around me Without you, EduCom simply wouldn’t be what it is Each of you contributed as much as any leader could, and your dedication is truly appreciated Thank you, Education Committee team, you made this journey special!

Education Committee - Moldir Anuarbek

This year has definitely been full of adventures While there have been both ups and downs, this year has been mostly filled by amazing experiences

This would, of course, not have been possible without the absolutely amazing Eventcom associates that are always keen on making decorations and activities no matter how close an exam is or how many hours have already been spent :)

While there are only a few of you on this list that have helped out tremendously during this year, nothing would have been possible without all of you, my dear, creative, hard-working, and amazing associates!

Thank you!

Event Committee - Mareks Ulmanis

RLIS B

Information Committee - Daniela Martinsone

Firstly I want to say thank you to all Info com associates During this year many have helped me through the ups and downs of managing tasks and time accordingly, but some (a lot of) people stood out

Thank you to Matas - you are the one person who always offered help with every task - I wish every chief an associate like you Thank you to Karlis - you have supported me massively during this year, by just being there for me - it is super important to have that one person who will give you advice on the day-to-day stuff I have to also greatly thank the ones who helped me with the making of Yearbook. Although some of them are not even associates, I think they deserve an even bigger recognition for stepping in and devoting their time for this task That is why I say thank you to: Eduards, Zane, Madara, Patricija, Kristiana and Rebeka and many more Thank you for being there for me and for our association

IEVA GRUNDMANE

ARINA HAKELE

ĒRIKS DUKAĻSKIS

D

VIDS RIMKUS

We started the year off with many plans, but time quickly became limited In all of this, these three gentlemen helped me keep the IT committee running in every situation and even covered for me when I could not be there

We did not manage to build everything we imagined at the beginning, but together we still pulled off some things I am proud of We launched SA Tinder, which kicked off the year with energy; We made all event tickets including the boat trip available for online purchase; and we added an ecommerce section to the SA website for the new merch Shout out to all active IT Committee associates, none of this would have happened without you

IT Committee - Roberts Kamols

Marketing Committee - Elza Pilane

The Marketing Committee's work this year has been unforgettable, and I want to thank all of our associates for bringing creativity, effort and great ideas to everything we did I’m truly grateful for what we achieved together

I also want to give a special thank-you to a few people who were especially supportive throughout the year Our photography team, Eliza, Agnese and Zane, consistently delivered amazing work that brought every event and moment to life

Rebeka contributed fantastic design ideas and helped with the merch, adding so much to our visual identity Arina always came with inspiring ideas, musical input and incredible support whenever I needed it, especially during creative or merch-related moments And a heartfelt thank-you to Elina, who has been by my side through everything, always ready to help and someone I could always rely on

Thank you all, and the entire committee, for making this year truly memorable Your dedication and teamwork meant so much

Sports Committee - Rudolfs Miks Jordans

To start off, I would like to thank all the associates Even if you didn’t make it into the “Associate of the Year” selection, I value each of you immensely, and this committee would not be what it is without your contributions

I want to give a special thank you to Romija and Roberts, who supported me throughout the year by managing tasks, giving honest and helpful opinions when it mattered, and coming in clutch countless times

However, the biggest thank you goes to the associate who stood out the most this year, Peteris He helped me tremendously during my very first event, the hockey game, at a time when I had almost no idea what I was doing From that moment on, at every event, he became essentially my right hand For that, I am truly grateful

REINIS MIKUS VEINBERGS

ZANE KALNIŅA

AGNESE KRŪMIŅA

ARINA HAKELE

ELĪZA KRISTIĀNA KOZULE

REBEKA RUMBĒNA

ELĪNA BĪBERE

TE KEINA BALODE

Black Ducky - Anna Marta Ozare

Hey, Duckies,

EDUARDS ETKINS

ULDIS TILGASS

You are all immeasurably cool! However, there have been a few ducklings who have truly stood out with their energy, proactivness and willingness to help, whenever need be. Firstly, Ricards, who helped us land our first project as the new board, Alberts, who was there when creative juices were low last year and Eduards, without whom associate interviews would have been much more grey Additionally, Beate, Marta and Luize, all of whom have been super forthcoming and have consistently kept up the good vibes that a creative organisation needs! Without all of them, we, Black Ducky, would not be the same As a fairly new organisation still, it brings us great joy to see associates being invested in the success of it!

To many more quacks, Your Black Ducky Board 2026

Our associates have proven that even the most packed calendar still has room for a good cause To everyone who contributed this year: whether through time, energy, ideas, or simply showing up when it mattered, thank you for making our work possible Your commitment has shaped a year we can genuinely be proud of With so many amazing charities this year, picking our associates of the year felt like choosing a favorite child, but some people’s enthusiasm made them impossible to miss. Let’s give it up for the Deposit Committee: Peteris and Valters – the pair that made sure no bottle or can was left behind Their work may not have been glamorous, but it has absolutely been essential for the school We cannot forget Dominika – our creative force and the mind behind our new logo She’s never said no to a single request and is always there with a helping hand or last-minute advice, no matter what Last but definitely not least, kudos to Anastasia, our first-year associate, who jumped in to help from her very first day. From writing emails and setting up decorations to running errands, she’s shown there’s nothing she can’t handle We made this year count, and next year, we ’ re ready to do it all over again, bigger and better!

ALBERTS

LUĪZE REINŠMITE

MARTA VOICIŠA

Charity Club - Anna Gogebashvili &

DOMINIKA IGNATJEVA

ANASTASIA KIKALIA

Je Joue - Paula Kovalevska & Markuss Zvirbulis

Through storms, through pale nights and mornings that felt too heavy, it was them the seven, the unshakeable ones who carried Je Joue on their shoulders like a vow. In sickness, in strength, in madness, in fire, they kept going, again and again, burning with a passion almost unreasonable They gave everything, maybe too much, but always with that flame that shakes the walls and makes you believe that anything is still possible.

REINIS ANDERSONS ELĪZA BETA KALVE

DĀVIDS RIMKUS

KRISTERS MEIJERS

IEVA GRUNDMANE

LĪVA LĪPACE

ARINA HAKELE

our job has just begun, some associates have already left their mark on IFund Whether aking sure that the biggest team building went smoothly, creating posters and content er our guests, or writing amazing articles and showing exceptional financial knowledge, ociates went above and beyond These guys ensure that the foundation of IFund stays r years to come

thank you to each one of you You motivate us to go over and beyond, by doing so s

lting - Alikhan Daulet

zations o tons of i out of ushing th e membe

RCUS PAAS ELIĀNA MEIERE ANASTASIA KIKALIA

AMANDA GRAUDIŅA AMANDA SALIMGAREJEVA

PATRĪCIJA PAULA LINDE JĒKABS LEONS PODNIEKS

I have had the pleasure of being an associate with some of you and the chief for all of you over the past year. It has been wonderful to see how much love you all have for a hobby I care so deeply and passionately about

I want to thank everyone who has made this year as lovely and unforgettable as it has been, and offer a special thank you to our amazing associates Anna-Liisa and Artis, thank you for your support, consistent attendance, and the spirit you have kept up for a second year in a row And thank you to the newcomers: Jekabs, for always

almost every workshop in high spirits and always ready to debate; and Luize and Particija, who have put exceptional

ARTIS VILKS LUĪZE BEĶE-BERGA

Thank you, everyone, and I’m really looking forward to another wonderful year together with you all :))

MAKSIMS TIHONOVS ANNA-LIISA SAAR

Debate Society - Lotte Tonupart

EMĪLS JURKONS

Days of Opportunities - Ieva Grundmane

As much as I would love to act nonchalant and select two or three people, I would simply be lying to myself and everyone else We have some great, incredibly active, and responsible associates this year who have put in genuine effort to ensure that DoO ’26 will exceed expectations!

Each of them deserve their faces displayed here, even if they end up taking half a page

ARINA HAKELE JORIS JALOVECKAS ELIĀNA MEIERE

The Insider - Zane Kalnina

This year has been a roller coaster, and I am sure the next half will be just as wild The team of The Insider might change, but one thing never does: without all of you, none of this would be possible. So I want to say a huge thank you to every single one of you for helping when I message you last minute, for coming up with fun articles, and for creating amazing designs But there are a few special people without whom I would be completely lost

Let us start with Anna, who has taken the weight of cover design off my shoulders I send one message, and she is already on it, turning every idea into something real Who would have thought we would get this lucky? Annija, our cover and color lifesaver: the amount of times she has received the message “what do you think about this?” cannot be counted Yet she always gives helpful, insightful feedback and is constantly there to rescue us Elina, the fact that she made six designs for the August issue speaks for itself She jumps in wherever needed and is the definition of dependable And on top of that, she is the girl behind our meme page. So if any memes feel a little too relatable, Elina might be spying on you. Then there is another Anna, who writes amazing articles, especially about sports And if there is one person to thank for us having the Nicolas&Xavier playlist, it is her And turns out she can also design Arina brings fun, interactive article ideas to every issue, and can switch to writing about money just as easily She is also our most dedicated writer, averaging one and a half articles per issue Next, Sadris I have to admit, the most asked question at the beginning of the year was: “Is Sadris staying in The Insider?” And let me tell you, everyone was thrilled when I said “ yes ” I don’t think much more needs to be added And then Marta, who introduced our new poem section Even before joining officially, she had already been the long standing anonymous critic of covers and posters

Finally, I want to give a huge thank you to my board members Without you, I have no idea what I would do well as we have learned, The Insider text would probably be full of grammar mistakes, and the team pages would definitely be missing questions.

ELĪNA BĪBERE

ANNA GOGEBASHVILI

ANNA ĢĒRMANE

ANNIJA GAILE

KĀRLIS ŠADRIS

MARTA CIEMA

ARĪNA KOSMAČEVA

THE ROAD TO SUCCESS: ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENTS OF 2025

As the end of 2025 is quickly approaching, it is the perfect time to reflect on the achievements of SSE Riga Alumni Their inspiring and unexpected accomplishments remind us that any SSE Riga student can someday follow in their footsteps. The alumni accomplishments include everything from starting the process to buy a bank, to finishing a movie. Here is a small look back:

NORMUNDS STANEVICS EMBA‘17

Took on the role as the Chief Executive Officer of the Amber Beverage Group

AIGARS KESENFELDS

'06

Acquired the largest ownership stake of INDEXO bank

DZINTARS DREIBERGS ‘02

Completed a film

ANASTASIA OLEINIKA KAMKALOVA ‘12

Has served as president of the Fyul, the merger between Printful and Printify

ČULKSTĒNA '03

Organized The first international contemporary art fair 'Riga

Contemporary' ZANE

MARTINS VEISS '09

Stepped up as the director of Seabury Airline Strategy Group

EGLE EIDUKEVICIUTE ‘11

Became the product director at the LEGO Group

IEVA JANSONE BUKA EMBA'13

Started the position as the interim Chairperson of Supervisory Council at ALTUM

JANIS BETHERS '07

Started the position of VP at an international green tech company Rando Energy

ANDRIS RUBINS ‘97

Organized the most significant marketing event in the Baltics "Baltic Brand Forum 2025"

THE ECONOMICS BEHIND Monopoly on booze

Sweden’s alcohol policy

After the first night of Boat Trip 25, as students wandered around Stockholm looking for food, ibuprofen and possibly a place to stock up on alcohol, many ran into an unexpected problem. It was Sunday. Systembolaget was closed. Since it is the only retailer in Sweden allowed to sell anything above 3.5%, there was nowhere else to go. For anyone coming from Latvia or most other EU countries, the idea of an alcohol store with such strict hours and a single retailer is the kind of concept that makes you raise an eyebrow.

Systembolaget is a government owned chain of liquor stores and the countr y’s sole (legal) seller of stronger alcohol. It operates as a state run monopoly with no private competition. Since we have delved into microeconomics and market models like per fect competition and monopoly, the whole setup raised a simple question:

go back more than a entieth centur y Sweden drinking levels in Europe ccidents, public disorder es. After several failed the state introduced a em that operated without tried lowering alcohol ing it completely.

Since the introduction of the monopoly system, Sweden has seen real shifts in drinking behaviour. Total alcohol consumption dropped from roughly 10.6 L of pure alcohol per person in 2004 to about 8.4 L in 2024. Registered consumption now accounts for about 87% of total use which means unregistered impor ts and smuggling have become smaller. Socially this translates into fewer alcohol related problems such as injuries, accidents and hospital visits. Younger adults are also drinking less or choosing not to drink at all. The monopoly with its tighter rules and limited access appears to have helped reduce harmful drinking and the social problems that come with it.

Since Systembolaget removes profit incentives and competition from the retail market, the usual forces that push prices down do not apply. Instead, alcohol is kept intentionally expensive through taxes which shifts most of the burden onto consumers. Since demand for alcohol is not per fectly inelastic, higher prices lead to lower consumption, especially among heavier drinkers.

The downside is that this comes with real costs. Consumers face higher prices and less convenience since you cannot buy strong alcohol in supermarkets or on Sundays. Private firms lose out because they are fully blocked from market entrance which means no competition or innovation on the business side. Cross border shopping also becomes more common with many Swedes going to Denmark, Germany or even Estonia to buy cheaper alcohol which sends potential tax revenue out of the countr y.

Another par t of the system that rarely gets discussed is the convenience cost. There is an obvious deadweight loss from keeping prices high, but what is more interesting is that there is also a hidden one created by inconvenience. Swedes pay not only more money but also more time. Systembolaget has limited hours, no Sundays and often long queues which forces people to plan their purchases instead of buying something on the spot. This loss of time is a real welfare cost even if it is hard to estimate.

Sweden’s market model is a trade off. It raises prices, limits choice and loses some tax revenue when people cross the border for cheaper alcohol. The strict hours and inconvenience also create their own deadweight loss. On the other hand, casual and heavy drinking is lower than in many EU countries and younger Swedes are drinking less than previous generations. That matters because a countr y that drinks less tends to be healthier and more productive. Sweden seems to be one of those cases. Even if the system is imper fect, it has managed to cut harmful consumption and nur ture a more productive economy.

Written by Bruno Dumpis

by Patrīcija Paula Linde

Design

F r a n c e ?

However, DP (in comparison, Latvia: 46 8%); this year the budget deficit in France U’s 3% ceiling (Latvia: 2 9%) Annual interest payments on the debt are ely large public debt and its budget deficit France faces serious fiscal Europeans cannot afford to ignore it W h y E u r o p

France is a leading founding member of the European Union and one of the "engines" of the EU

ance came close to

y in the countr y has increase ministers in the last two years tions in 2024, President r ty received just half of the nal Rally, thus prompting M ections Unfor tunately, the ne gmented; the National Rally n more influence This politi harder for any government .

Ar ticle by Krišjānis Kristaps Kapustāns Design by Sofija Muižniece

As these problems continue, there is a serious risk of necessity for external suppor t such as loan from the International Monetar y Fund if borrowing conditions continue to deteriorate drastically According to the OECD, France has the highest social spending and overall government spending percentage of GDP in the whole European Union Pension system looks unsustainable; benefits are often higher than lifetime contributions To stabilise public finances, recent prime ministers Michel Barnier and François Bayrou proposed spending-reduction reforms, such as reducing the number of public holidays and increasing the retirement age, but parliament rejected these proposals, and both primeministers were forced to resign. New prime minister Sébastien Lecornu will tr y again to reach a compromise with left wing socialist groups in parliament for the second time (October 22, 2025) However, the widespread protests and opposition from both the far-right National Rally and left-wing par ties mean the budget is unlikely to be passed

What this situation means for Europe?

France is the second-largest economy in the Eurozone; a crisis in France, in turn, would hur t the whole Eurozone’s financial stability. France has deep trade and financial ties with other EU countries, so problems in France could spread across the Europe There is a risk that such shock could affect the other EU countries Therefore, some exper ts expect that EU has to respond, but the ECB’s mandate prioritizes price stability and direct fiscal rescues would risk its independence and credibility From a market perspective, the clearest global effect would likely be a weaker euro, raising impor t costs

Unfor tunately, France has not reduced its budget deficit to the levels agreed with the European Commission, which undermines its fiscal credibility comparing with other member-states. As an impor tant trading par tner, a weaker French demand would lower growth and expor t revenues for its EU par tners. French political fragmentation and fiscal strain will increase the possibility that anti-establishment forces will gain influence, which would make EU decision-making more difficult and thus slow down the impor tant decisions in the EU Council Because France plays a key political and militar y role in the EU, a weaker France will not be only a Paris problem; it will reduce the bloc’s capacity to respond to major global challenges as well

The widespread uncer tainty has increased as investors have become more cautious in France’s financial markets French medium- and long-term government

THE NORTH STAR AND THE MICHELIN STAR, AT FIRST GLANCE, BELONG TO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WORLDS – ONE SHINES IN THE SKY, THE OTHER AT A RESTAURANT’S ENTRANCE. THE FIRST GUIDES THOSE WHO WANDER IN THE NIGHT; THE SECOND GUIDES THOSE WHO WANDER IN THE WORLD OF CUISINE. TRAVELERS WHO LIFT THEIR EYES TO THE SKY USE THE NORTHERN STAR TO FIND THEIR WAY HOME. THE FOOD LOVERS, ON THE OTHER HAND, OPEN THE GUIDE TO FOLLOW THE MICHELIN STAR IN SEARCH OF A PLACE WHERE FOOD BECOMES A TRUE EXPERIENCE. BUT THERE IS A SUBTLER LINK AND HERE IS THE INTERESTING PART: THE PATH TO EITHER ONE IS NOT ONLY AN ACHIEVEMENT BUT ALSO A BURDEN.

Sometimes it is precisely those who have reached the star who long to walk without it once more - freely, as in the old days, getting lost, wandering, and finding themselves again and again.

AND RATHER THAN OFFERING YOU YET ANOTHER GUIDE TO THE BRIGHTEST MICHELIN STARS STILL SHINING ON THE MAP, INSTEAD, THIS STORY IS ABOUT THOSE WHO REACHED MICHELIN GOLD, AND THEN, VERY CONSCIOUSLY, HANDED IT BACK.

A FRENCH RESTAURANT THAT DIDN’T JUST EARN A STAR OR TWO, BUT CLIMBED ALL THE WAY TO MICHELIN’S HOLY TRINITY – THREE STARS – HELD THAT RATING FOR 18 YEARS UNDER CHEF SÉBASTIEN BRAS. THEN BRAS DID WHAT THE SYSTEM WASN’T PREPARED TO IMAGINE: HE DROPPED THE TROPHY AND STEPPED OUT OF THE GAME BY VOLUNTARILY GIVING UP ALL THE STARS. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME IN THE GUIDE’S HISTORY THAT A RESTAURANT WAS ALLOWED TO WITHDRAW FROM THE RANKING BUT SURELY IT WAS FAR FROM THE FIRST TIME SOMEONE HAD WANTED TO

HOWEVER, THE FIRST CHEF TO REALIZE THAT MICHELIN STARS CAN CAUSE MORE HEADACHES THAN HAPPINESS WAS JOËL ROBUCHON. IRONICALLY, HE WAS ALSO THE ONE TO SET A WORLD RECORD FOR THE NUMBER OF THEM: ALTOGETHER HIS RESTAURANTS HELD 32 STARS, FIVE OF THEM HAD THREE EACH. THE CHEF ALWAYS STRIVED FOR SIMPLICITY;

perhaps that’s why his most famous signature dish wasn’t some hautecuisine invention, but mashed potatoes so exquisite they became a global benchmark.

A MODERN ANALOGY, I ASSUME DEEPLY FAMILIAR TO SOME OF US AT LEAST IN THEORY, MIGHT BE THIS: YOU’RE JUST LIVING YOUR LIFE, AND THEN, BOOM, YOU SEE SOMEONE WHO’S A SOLID 10/10.

A MICHELIN STAR IN THE FLESH, TO KEEP OUR METAPHORS ALIGNED. TYPICALLY WE’RE SUPPOSED TO BE THRILLED. THIS IS IT. BUT FOR SOME REASON, THERE’S THIS HEAVY FEELING INSIDE: DAMN HE DEFINITELY WON’T BE EATING THE PORK RIBS I LOVE COOKING SO MUCH. IT IS NOT ABOUT THAT YOU CAN’T REACH THE STAR – IT’S THAT HOW A STAR CHANGES THE RULES OF THE GAME: YOU STOP BEING JUDGED FOR TASTE AND SOUL AND START BEING JUDGED FOR HOW WELL YOU MATCH THE IMAGE OF MICHELIN-STAR CUISINE.

HERE’S ONE MORE EXAMPLE: IN 2014, BELGIAN CHEF FREDERIC DHOOGE SAW HIS RESTAURANT RECEIVE ITS VERY FIRST MICHELIN STAR. HE NOTICED THAT ONCE THE STAR ARRIVED, A CHUNK OF GUESTS CAME IN EXPECTING SOME ULTRA-FORMAL FINE DINING. IT IS NOT HARD TO GUESS THAT, INSTEAD OF CELEBRATING, HE PUBLICLY ASKED MICHELIN TO TAKE IT BACK. FREDERIC FRAMED THE ‘IRRATIONAL’ DECISION IN PERFECTLY RATIONAL TERMS –SAYING THAT A MICHELIN RATING IS LESS A REASON FOR PRIDE AND MORE A SET OF OBLIGATIONS THAT COME ATTACHED. HIS COOKING WAS GROUNDED IN CLASSIC, AUTHENTIC BELGIAN CUISINE AND IF, ONE DAY, HE FELT LIKE SERVING FRIED CHICKEN OR PORK RIBS, HE WANTED TO DO SO WITHOUT FEARING THAT THE RESTAURANT WASN’T LIVING UP TO EXPECTATIONS OR STANDARDS.

DON’T GET ME WRONG, MY POINT IS NOT TO DIMINISH THE VALUE OF MICHELIN STARS. THEY’RE A FORM OF PERFECTION, AND IF I WERE A CHEF, I’D PROBABLY BE CHASING ONE MYSELF. THE THING ABOUT GOLD IS: IT’S MUCH EASIER TO GIVE IT UP ONCE YOU’VE ACTUALLY HELD IT. WHEN YOU’VE BEEN THERE, WORN THE CROWN AND FELT THE WEIGHT, CAN YOU RETURN WHAT FOR SOMEONE ELSE WOULD BE UNIMAGINABLE. IF YOU’VE NEVER REACHED THAT LEVEL OF PERFECTION, IT SOUNDS ALMOST ABSURD TO TELL ANYONE, ‘DON’T GO FOR THE MICHELIN STAR, IT’S NOT WORTH IT.’

That sentence only really belongs to the people who’ve been to the top and decided consciously to climb back down and say they’d rather choose silver.

FOR THIS EXACT REASON, IT'S MY OPINION ONLY AND VERY MUCH FROM A DISTANCE: I’VE NEVER ACTUALLY BEEN TO A MICHELINSTARRED RESTAURANT – THOUGH I HAVE, FOR THE RECORD, MET A REAL-LIFE 10/10.

WHILE THE NORTHERN STAR SERVES AS A GUIDE FOR TRAVELERS, THE MICHELIN STAR GUIDES CHEFS IN THE WORLD OF FINE DINING. ONE SIMPLY SAYS, ‘HEAD NORTH.’ THE OTHER DECLARES, ‘YOU HAVE ACHIEVED EXCELLENCE.’ ONE KEEPS YOU FROM GETTING LOST; THE OTHER CAN, PARADOXICALLY, MAKE CHEFS LOSE THEIR WAYS IF ONE BEGINS LIVING FOR THE STAR INSTEAD OF FOR THE FOOD ITSELF. THE NORTHERN STAR GUIDES ONLY THOSE WHO MOVE, WHO SEEK, WHO ARE WILLING TO WANDER – AND OFTEN, IT IS WHEN WE LEAVE THE USUAL PATH THAT WE STUMBLE UPON DISCOVERIES THAT NO MAP, AND PERHAPS NO STAR, COULD HAVE SHOWN US OTHERWISE.

TIK TOK TOLD ME I LOOK BETTER IN Silver

Sometimes, I think about one of the turning points in my life: deciding what typ jewelr y suits me more – silver or gold. It all began with multiple experimentations: at first, I was convinced that gold suited me best, since I have bright eyes and bright hair Later on, however, I star ted to reconsider wearing golden accessories. The thing is, yellow color

Silver aligned per fectly with my pale skin: it highlighted my features and my naturally cold tones This was the moment I understood that colors and under tones really matter when choosing how you dress and style yourself And of course, I’m not the only one: nowadays, ever yone suddenly cares about under tones and what color type they are.

Even though color typing sounds like a shor tlasting trend, it didn’t actually star t with TikTok influencers waving silver and gold necklaces at their phones The idea goes back to the 1980s, where consultants introduced the color typing theor y to help people “image” themselves (or “dress better ”). Back then, people were carr ying small swatch books in their purses and proudly identified themselves as Winters or Springs. For some time, this tendency faded and color consultants disappeared. Suddenly, however, ring lights replaced salon mirrors, and the trend “ What season are you?” became a new personality quiz

TikTok turned under tones into enter tainment: filters, quizzes, dramatic before-and-after reveals, and countless fights about whether someone is really a Soft Autumn or just standing near a warm lamp And somewhere in the middle of that chaos, silver made its comeback as the cool-toned badge of honour (a surprisingly dramatic role for a humble metal)

Why are we obsessed with our season? From my side, I’d definitely say that color typing give some sor t of new identity. It ’ s funny how choosing a “ season ” suddenly feels as official as filling out a passpor t form. Being a Winter makes me feel calmer, colder, and more composed; if I were a Summer, I’d probably consider myself more energetic and active. Another reason is the upgrade in your wardrobe, makeup, and accessories – basically, a small glow-up For me, choosing the cool color palette and silver under tones makes me feel that my face simply looks better than when I wear warm colors or golden tones.

On the other hand, this whole color-coded chaos has its own disadvantages

Firstly, it is really difficult to approximate your exact color type since your result depends heavily on light illusions. One slightly yellow lamp and suddenly you ’ re a completely different person Even if you generally look better wearing cool tones, a weak analysis might suggest that you ’ re a Light Summer.

Then, even if the precise color type is determined and you ’ re given a “ season ” , you’ll inevitably star t over thinking your wardrobe. Even more time (and money, of course) will be spent on deciding which clothes suit you the best; your wardrobe uniqueness might shrink because of your picky choices of clothes and, therefore, outfits.

Finally, I would say that owning a “ season ” should not be considered too seriously, since it would erase your choice in styling yourself, as well as reducing the joy of tr ying something new You can freely wear golden under tones and bright, warm colors even if you ’ ve considered it to be a Winter! Just never let silver earrings dictate your whole personality ;)

In the end, color typing is fun but it ’ s not fate. Silver, cold, cool, warm… they’re tools, not rules. If knowing your “ season ” makes you feel confident – great. If not, ignore it and wear whatever sparks joy. Trends come and go, but personal style doesn’t have to. After all, no swatch book knows you better than you do.

THE SILVER VARIABLE:

A HORRIFYING FINANCIAL METAPHOR

Article by Amanda Graudina, design by Patricija Blumentale

THIS PAPER, WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY PEER-REVIEWED BY MY GROUP CHAT, SEEKS TO INVESTIGATE A GROWING CULTURAL PHENOMENON: THE ACCIDENTAL CONSUMPTION OF SILVER AND ITS SURPRISING PSYCHOLOGICAL SIDE EFFECTS, PARTICULARLY THE SUDDEN URGE TO THINK IN FINANCIAL METAPHORS. WHILE TRADITIONAL SCIENCE CONTINUES TO FOCUS ON FRIVOLOUS TOPICS LIKE MEDICINE AND CLIMATE CHANGE, WE BRAVELY ASK THE QUESTION SOCIETY HAS AVOIDED FOR TOO LONG: WHAT HAPPENS IF A PERSON SWALLOWS SILVER? AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHY DO THEY IMMEDIATELY START UNDERSTANDING CAPITALISM?

ABSTRACT

REPORTS, MOSTLY ANECDOTAL AND OCCASIONALLY

INTRODUCTION: WHY SILVER?

HISTORICALLY SILVER HAS PURPOSES IT RY, CURRENCY, HAT ONE RING RGETTING TO T SUPPOSEDLY OUR AURA IT CLARITY, AND SECOND E OLYMPICS, L IMPRESSIVE Y’S ONGOING ARD GOLD.

SHOULD NOT THAT SILVER, WED, REFUSES LY. INSTEAD, IT CENIC ROUTE DIGESTIVE OFFERS FINANCIAL HE WAY

METHODOLOGY

TO STUDY THIS PHENOMENON, WE CONDUCTED EXTREMELY RIGOROUS RESEARCH CONSISTING OF: THREE GOOGLE SEARCHES ONE PANIC TEXT TO A COUSIN IN MED SCHOOL SEVERAL TIKTOKS WHOSE CREDIBILITY IS QUESTIONABLE BUT ENTERTAINING A REFLECTIVE MOMENT STARING INTO THE REFRIGERATOR FOR ANSWERS NO LABORATORY AGREED TO HOST THE STUDY. IT WAS DISAPPOINTING, ALTHOUGH UNDERSTANDABLE.

BASED ON A STATISTICALLY INSIGNIFICANT SAMPLE SIZE, SUBJECTS WHO HAVE REPORTEDLY SWALLOWED SILVER EXPERIENCE THE FOLLOWING COGNITIVE SYMPTOMS:

ECONOMICS FLUENCY

SUDDENLY, INDIVIDUALS CAN DEFINE INFLATION WITHOUT CRYING THEY SPEAK CASUALLY ABOUT SUPPLY AND DEMAND THEY USE THE WORD “FISCAL” CORRECTLY AND WITHOUT IRONY THEY BEGIN NOTICING SUBTLE PRICE INCREASES IN VENDING MACHINES AND FEEL PERSONALLY BETRAYED

THOUGHTS WITH INTEREST RATES

INTERNAL MONOLOGUES DEVELOP APRS. A SIMPLE IDEA, SUCH AS “I SHOULD BUY A MUFFIN,” GROWS INTO A MULTI-YEAR FINANCIAL PLAN. DAYDREAMS AMORTIZE. REGRET COMPOUNDS DAILY.

VALUATION OF EVERYDAY OBJECTS

A CHAIR IS NO LONGER A CHAIR IT BECOMES A DEPRECIATING ASSET FRIENDSHIP BECOMES A LONGTERM EMOTIONAL INVESTMENT A NAP EVOLVES INTO A STRATEGIC ENERGY DEPOSIT YIELDING HIGH RETURNS

INCREASED GENEROSITY SURPRISINGLY, SILVER CONSUMPTION DOES NOT LEAD TO HOARDING INSTEAD, PEOPLE BEGIN GIVING AWAY GUM, ADVICE, SNACKS, AND EMOTIONAL REASSURANCE AS IF PARTICIPATING IN AN INFORMAL STIMULUS PACKAGE. ECONOMISTS ARE BAFFLED BUT SUPPORTIVE.

POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS

SEVERAL THEORIES ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN WHY THE MIND BECOMES FINANCIALLY ENTHUSIASTIC AFTER SWALLOWING SILVER:

1. THE SHINY OBJECT HYPOTHESIS: HUMANS, LIKE MAGPIES AND CERTAIN TODDLERS, ARE ATTRACTED TO SPARKLY THINGS PERHAPS THE BRAIN SIMPLY WANTS TO IMPRESS THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM BY PERFORMING CAPITALISM

2. THE HISTORICAL MEMORY THEORY: SILVER ONCE FUELED ENTIRE ECONOMIES PERHAPS THE BODY ABSORBS THIS LEGACY IN THE SAME WAY IT ABSORBS HISTORICAL DRAMAS SUDDENLY, YOU POSSESS KNOWLEDGE YOU NEVER ASKED FOR

3. THE PLACEBO EFFECT: IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE SWALLOWED CAPITALISM, YOU MAY START BEHAVING LIKE AN ECONOMY, COMPLETE WITH EMOTIONAL RECESSIONS AND UNEXPECTED BULL MARKETS.

LIMITATIONS

THIS RESEARCH, WHILE GROUNDBREAKING

STRANGERS REQUEST INVESTMENT ADVICE AT BUS STOPS TEACHERS WORRY THEY MAY UNIONIZE

PHYSICAL OUTCOMES

MEDICALLY SPEAKING, THE SILVER WILL EVENTUALLY EXIT THE BODY THROUGH PERFECTLY NORMAL AND SHOCKINGLY UNPOETIC BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES. NOTHING, NOT EVEN CAPITALISM, CAN OUTSMART THE GASTROINTESTINAL SYSTEM. DOCTORS ADVISE STAYING CALM, DRINKING WATER, AND NOT ADDING ADDITIONAL CURRENCIES “FOR BALANCE.” THE HUMAN BODY IS NOT A PIGGY BANK, NO MATTER WHAT INSPIRATIONAL POSTERS IMPLY.

CONCLUSION

CONSUMING SILVER WILL NOT MAKE YOU WEALTHY, WISE, OR MORALLY SUPERIOR IT WILL NOT GRANT YOU THE KEYS TO WALL STREET OR THE ABILITY TO PREDICT THE STOCK MARKET WITH TAROT CARDS WHAT IT MIGHT DO, HOWEVER, IS TEMPORARILY SHIFT YOUR AWARENESS IT MAY REMIND YOU THAT VALUE DOES NOT BEGIN OR END WITH BANK ACCOUNTS VALUE OFTEN APPEARS IN SAVED SEATS SHARED FRIES INSIDE

Born To Gossip

Insider is known for its gossip page, and I would even dare to say it is the star of the show People have very different feelings about it. Some rush to be the first ones to read the newest rumors, others secretly write gossip about people they know, some are scared of bad karma points and would not dare to post anything, and, of course, there are the ones who gossip behind everyone ’ s backs but never actually make it onto the page.

All this raises a simple question:

WHY DO WE EVEN NEED GOSSIP?

WHY DO PEOPLE ENJOY IT SO MUCH? AND ISN’T IT… A BIT UNETHICAL?

During the pandemic, when the world slowed down, I picked up Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari, and the things it said about language and gossip have stuck in my head ever since Later, when I got familiar with our university’s gossip page, it struck me that it feels like a tiny, chaotic reflection of something much older and deeper in human nature. This made me wonder why gossip has been such a consistent part of human life.

When Homo sapiens went through the so-called Cognitive Revolution and developed language, something became clear very quickly Our language was different from the communication of other animals, like monkeys. It was not just a tool for warning each other about danger. It allowed us to explain things in small details and create an almost endless number of sentences We could store and share large amounts of information, which helped humans coordinate and survive more effectively.

Article by Marta Ciema

Design by Elīna Bībere

The first theory suggests that human language evolved mainly to share practical information about the world. But the second theory, which is even more interesting, is often called the gossip theory or the gossip hypothesis. Since humans are social animals, language may have developed to help us share information about each other For early humans, it was extremely important to know who could be trusted, who lied, who was loyal, and who might be dangerous. Social information was just as important as knowing where to find food Even in a group of only fifty people, there were already hundreds of relationship connections, which could easily get complicated but were still essential for survival Gossip became the tool that helped humans form larger groups and maintain complex social networks. It allowed people to build more stable, closer relationships and cooperate in ways other animals could not

And honestly, not much has changed. Gossip is still everywhere. You can see it in the yellow press, in every classroom of teenagers, at office desks, and in WhatsApp group chats Talking about other people has become a natural part of human life. In some ways, “gossip girls” could even be seen as a strange type of journalist, pointing out controversial behavior and who to watch out for It is very possible that both theories are correct, or that there are other explanations for why our language evolved the way it did But one thing is clear: our language is not unique only because we can describe what we see or hear. We are unique because we can talk about invisible things - feelings, intentions, relationships, social rules - all the complicated interactions that shape human life.

Furthermore, Sapiens are special k ly

These invisible ideas became crucial in our evolution. They helped us connect in large groups, gave us shared stories, and made it possible to cooperate in teams far larger than anything other animals could manage.

And maybe that is the funniest thing about gossip The tiny, silly, secret stories we share about each other might actually have played a role in making our species so powerful At the same time, gossip is not always harmless Talking behind people’s backs, spreading half-truths, or exaggerating stories can hurt feelings, damage reputations, and create mistrust It can divide groups instead of bringing them together Still, it is fascinating to look deeper and try to understand why we behave this way, and what it reveals about human nature, our relationships, and the social glue that binds us together

IN THE END, GOSSIP IS BOTH A MIRROR OF OUR SOCIAL INSTINCTS AND A REMINDER THAT THE WAY WE COMMUNICATE SHAPES THE WORLD AROUND US, FOR BETTER OR WORSE.

The “poet guy” is the The “poet guy” is the

NEW BA D BOY OF 2025 NEW BA D BOY OF 2025

The rise of popularity in “poet guys ” among young women is a disturbingly unsettling phenomenon We argue that these, as they say, “deep thinkers” who really feel the world's pain are the new “bad boys” of 2025. These modern time amateur philosophers will light you a cigarette and read out a segment of an intellectual book, found through one ’ s daily Instagram reels’ session.

WHAT IS A “MANIC PIXIE DREAM GIRL”?

WHAT IS A “POET GUY”?

A “poet guy” is a young man idealized for his intense sensitivity, brooding charm, and outward display of intellectual depth He often presents himself as a reflective, wounded thinker as someone who carries the weight of the world with a cigarette in hand and a line of philosophy ready to recite His appeal lies in a crafted aura of ar tistic suffering and emotional complexity, positioning him as a modern counterpar t to the classic “tor tured romantic” To many women, he functions as a modern version of the “bad boy”

A “manic pixie dream girl” is a female figure (real or fictional), who is idealized by men as a quirky, emotionally unpredictable, or even unstable “ muse ” She is objectified as a source of inspiration or escape, with her eccentricity or mental health struggles treated as an aesthetic or fetish rather than as real traits. Her own inner life, needs, or growth are sidelined, as her primar y function becomes catalyzing the male character ’s/protagonist's emotional journey

We can draw a small parallel with the “manic pixie dream girl” trope

This wonder ful archetype is so beautifully, romantically “mentally ill” that it inspires a man. A man who finds it hard to score someone with a secure attachment style, a man who himself has not found the piece that would fill the void. As a result, he needs our “manic pixie dream girl" in order to complete himself, ignoring the fact that this woman has a stor yline of her own, besides simply healing a man ’ s soul

ARTICLE BY ANNA-MARTA OZERE AND MARGARET KARTUSOV DESIGN BY TIMURS RAGOZINS AND MARGARET KARTUSOV

“Poet guys ” are also quite similar to the “per formative male” , yet they differ in one vital aspect - they do not always adhere to the strict constraints of the Labubu, tote bag, matcha aestheticism. They are underground, which is where the allure comes from. The targeted woman feels that she has found what other ladies have missed, or that she has broken the unavailability aura of the “poet guy ” .

An additional problem - many women love drama It gives spark to life, it makes ever y day more interesting and creates something to live for. What else does a girl need? As Carrie Bradshaw puts it, “ When things come too easy, we're suspect. (...) We're raised to believe that the course of true love never runs smoothly. There always have to be obstacles in Act Two before you can live happily ever after in Act Three. ”

BO OHO O... SO WHY IS THIS BAD?

The “bad boy" trope of the last centur y transparently por trays why it never works out. The romantic, sexual appeal, the twin flame sensation and seemingly instant connection are all signs of danger. The bad boy is a bad boy for a reason. They struggle with existing in this world, and, quite logically, struggle in relationships Most impor tantly, this “poet guy ” is nowhere near what a woman looking for a deeper intellectual connection needs A “poet guy ” , the modern “bad boy” cannot be trusted with building a healthy, secure and solid relationship.

HOW TO WEED OUT “POET GUYS” FROM A GENUINE MAN?

TALK TO THEM WHEN SOBER PERFORM DUE DILIGENCE AND IF A MAN MENTIONS NIETZSCHE, ZIZEK OR JORDAN PETERSON RUN!

WHAT TO DO IN DECEMBER TO CATCH the f estive spirit

1. RIGA CHRISTMAS MARKET IN DOMA SQUARE

By now, a must-see when in Riga during Christmas time Beloved by both locals and tourists, this market combines tasty foods, aesthetic houses, magical lights, and moody music Wear your warmest gloves, grab your friends or significant other, and visit the most festive place in the city! The market opens on November 28th and lasts until Januar y

2.

ADVENT SUNDAYS AT ANGĀRS CONCERT HALL

3. MULLED WINE

“Silent Transmission” is a musical project together with multiple Latvian choirs such as ''Konvents'', "Balsis", "Amadeus", the youth choir of the foundation "Nāc līdzās!", and the band "Rusted Wheel" Channel your inner culture-guru, and experience a journey of sound across four Sundays - November 30, December 7, December 14, and December 21 at the Angārs concert hall! All concerts are free, so do not miss the chance to reminisce about the unforgettable summer nights in Tallinas kvartāls

Winter is not winter without a good old warm cup of mulled wine. It also happens to be that Riga is one of the best places to taste a wide range of this festive drink. For starters, tr y the Old Town Christmas market, which offers gingerbread, cherr y or even clementine flavored drinks Non-alcoholic options are also available of a wide variety For a quick mulled wine run, pick Caffeine or make one yourself by buying the premade drinks sold in almost any grocer y store!

4. THE “LAIMA” CHARITY HOUSE

For the 14th consecutive year, the “Laima” Charity House invites the people of Latvia to participate in a charitable initiative that fulfills children's dreams during Christmas This year, the house returns to its historic home by the “Laima” clock in Riga, once again becoming a place to meet for kindness and warmth The house will be open from November 20 to December 19, and during this period, ever yone will have the opportunity to choose a card and make a dream come true

CABARET FABULA RASA IN PALLADIUM CONCERT HALL

During the darkest time of the year, the Palladium concert hall glows like a brilliant pearl of the night, transforming into a musical restaurant On stage, musical and visual stories come to life - performed by the jazz orchestra, soloists, dancers, actors, mimes, and DJs And for a glamour feeling, a Cabaret-style dress code is highly encouraged, as the boldest and most creative outfits will be awarded.

6.

MINI ZOO “BRIEŽI”

A great place to relax with family or friends and imagine being surrounded by Santa’s helpers – reindeers The zoo includes decorative birds, peacocks, Dutch dwarf goats, Shetland ponies, and many more animals! Here lives the oldest deer in the world – Munžaks, and on Saturdays and Sundays, there is an opportunity to ride a pony or a little donkey

8.

7.

HUSKY SLEIGH RIDES

Craving an adrenaline rush? Or maybe just time spent with cute dogs? Tr y husky sleigh rides offered by Dodkepu lv, where their huskies are active athletes and even regularly participate in World Cup events. The rides are organized around Āraiši Lake Castle, along the Green Railway sections, near the Zvārta Rock, and on the trails of Gauja National Park During a sled dog ride, there is the option to either drive the sled yourself or have one person ride in the sled Rides are offered in various formats for individuals, families, or groups

ICE SKATING RINK IN ESPLANĀDE PARK

Surrounded by fair y lights and beautiful architecture, this ice-skating ring is THE activity for weekends in winter season Although small, the rink is decorated festively to set the holiday mood to the max You can bring your own skates or rent them on the spot, and the prices are super affordable. So, get ready for a different kind of physical activity that comes in pair with pretty Instagram pictures

From low-effort, comfy activities to little adventures that get you out of the house, you can mix and match whatever fits your mood (and budget) Hopefully this gives you a bit of inspiration to make this Christmas season feel warmer, closer, and a little more memorable :)

Article and design by Kristiāna Labanovska

Boat

trip

Written by: Paula Esmeralda Deksne

Designed by: Elīna Kičigina

Ingredients (6-8 servings):

475 ml milk

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2½ whole cloves

1¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

6 large egg yolks

150 g white sugar

475 ml light cream

300 ml light rum (optional)

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

but maybe the hate comes from never having tasted a truly good cup Creamy, spiced, and just a little indulgent (especially with a splash of rum), it’s the kind of drink that makes winter evenings feel warm, festive, and a little magical.

It is one of those drinks you either love or hate but maybe the hate comes from never having tasted a truly good cup. Creamy, spiced, and just a little indulgent (especially with a splash of rum), it’s the kind of drink that makes winter evenings feel warm, festive, and a little magical

Ingredients (2-3 servings):

480 ml milk

2 chai tea bags (or 2 tablespoons loose-leaf chai)

2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey

1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Whipped cream (optional, for topping)

No matter which drink you choose, each of these recipes is an invitation to slow down, take a deep breath, and truly savor the season. Use this moment to spend time with the people you love, share warmth with those closest to you, and step away from the rush of deadlines even if only for a few cozy sips.

Silver Springs

Time cast a spell on you but you won't forget me I know I could have loved you but you would not let me

Sounds familiar? Consider yourself lucky if not, because these are lyrics from a classic situationship crashout song. Anyone who has been blessed with the opportunity to experience a soul-crushing, “is it ever casual”, playing pretend boyfriend-girlfriend humiliation will understand But as the cuffing season is approaching, this feeling tends to only become worse…

I am not here to tell you how to get over it Because realistically – you won’t Possibly, like EVER So, buckle up, because this is your sign to haunt their narrative.

But there is another side of the stor y. The Cheshires cat. This character represents the “What if you start from Rome?” side Showing that the “universal truth” (“All roads lead to Rome”) depends on where you ’ re standing Hence, if you ’ re already in Rome (goal, happiness, success, etc.), then ever y step you take might actually be taking you away from it. So, the rabbit’s principle isn’t absolute, it depends on your starting point

If you have watched Alice in Wonderland, or just been chronically online recently, you might be familiar with the white rabbit who is reminding that “All roads lead to Rome”.It has been used quite often on social media in relation to situationships as a reminder that no matter which path you take, you’ll eventually end up at the same place Meaning that all situationships are the same, and that ever ything comes to an end Since there is no such thing as original experience online, it has been a quite effective method for some, reminding that it is not just a stupid internet meme, but rather reality.

Clearly, it is how each person interprets it, aligns with their current situation, or past experiences (since that’s what we, people like to do, especially with any form of art – song lyrics, poems, stor ylines). I’d like to think that in this case, you cannot reach the end, if you already started from the end. Meaning that when you signed up for a situationship you should’ve known (and deep down, if you have been through situationships before, you KNEW) that it will end up just like always… so there is no point in tr ying to change the unchangeable.

It can be hard to forget about something that could have turned into a relationship, and the full range of emotions is flowing when you cut ties with them But you can use those emotions –anger, confidence, jealousy into something less soul-crashing than cr ying and desperately texting them again ever y time you ’ re on a night out. Like…haunting their narrative. Some people might think it is just bragging, and tr ying to make the other jealous, some – being a creepy stalker who cannot let go.

In reality, it means continuing with your life, being the coolest version of yourself, and using your emotions wisely For example, whenever you start feeling like you lost a good potential relationship or that the other is probably doing better than you – transfer the anger into the mentality that you are doing you. Because exactly THAT, is what is going to bother them. It is something similar to already popular “I don’t chase, I attract” mentality Absurd or not, it is ver y often that love (or honestly anything else desired) comes when we expect it the least

I'll

So, staying unbothered will either make them go absolutely crazy or simply make your life significantly easier by tricking your brain into thinking that you have stayed constantly in their mind by just being unbothered Even if you have been way too bothered. Actually, now looking back to this method, I start seeing some patterns of gaslighting…but I assume it’s fine if used for good purposes?

Anyways take care, explore your options, but be careful with your feelings x

follow you down 'til the sound of my voice can haunt you oh, give me just a chance you'll never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you oh, was I such a fool

“ E V E R Y T H I N G ”

“The more you know, the more you realize you don’t know.” - Aristotle

Since ancient times, philosophers have tried to figure out the mystery of human knowledge and its limits. More than two thousand years ago, two Greek thinkers, Socrates from the fifth century BCE and his intellectual descendant Aristotle from the fourth century BCE, explored one of the deepest paradoxes of wisdom Socrates, who never wrote down his teachings but shaped Western philosophy through dialogue and questioning, famously claimed that his wisdom lay in understanding that he knew nothing A century later, Aristotle, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great, expanded this insight, suggesting that the more we know, the more we realize we don’t know.

Of course, they were not the first humans to recognize this truth Similar ideas appeared in other ancient traditions, for instance, in the East among Taoist and Vedic thinkers, who also spoke of the wisdom found in not-knowing

But let's now move on from ancient philosophy to modern life The paradox that Socrates and Aristotle once explored feels even more relevant today, in a time that rewards arrogance and loud statements more than depth and reflection Confidence (or fake confidence) feels like currency.

We tend to trust those who sound sure, and not always those who have it thought through.

What inspired me to write this was an observation I have made repeatedly throughout my life, especially lately I have met many people who radiate confidence in their ability to understand others, their motivations, feelings, and behavior. They speak with conviction about what people are like, as if the complexity of human nature could be generalized by their personal experiences, which can never be enough to capture the true population mean as statistics theory would say to us

The problem I see with this kind of thinking is that it makes people dangerously sure of themselves The more confident you become in the belief that you know, the more fragile you become, and the more likely you are to fall into a trap, the more likely your real capability is narrowed down Overconfidence blinds us to our biases and makes us more open to manipulation and oversimplified truths. Certainty may feel like strength, but it’s often a weakness in disguise

The more convinced people are of being right, the less likely they are to listen because they already know everything, right?

This might sound philosophical, but psychology actually confirms it The Dunning–Kruger effect, a cognitive bias identified by psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger, shows that people with the least competence in a field tend to overestimate their knowledge and ability The less you are capable of really understanding, the more certain you feel and the more you learn, the more you realize how extensive your ignorance is

However despite all of this, I feel like there is one very important distinction to make Embracing “not-knowing” does not mean giving up on curiosity or learning. On the contrary, it means approaching the world with openness rather than authority Knowledge should make us humble, not arrogant

For example, the feeling of “knowing a lot” often arises not from deep understanding, but from knowing too little to recognize the complexity. When you first study a subject, everything seems simple and obvious because you look at the basics first But as you go deeper, the boundaries disappear, which means that you will most likely discover exceptions, nuances, and contradictions.

The danger lies not in ignorance itself, but in the “illusion of knowledge.” The moment when we start to

What

feels like universal truth may simply reflect the limits of your own experience.

believe we already know enough.

Where lies true knowledge and freedom?

True freedom is to get free from the ego of knowledge It’s the fragile ego that makes people suffer It is the part of humans that clings to being right, to knowing better (than others), to appearing wise for the audience The solution can be found in humility. It can teach us to listen more and claim less

There is a reason why the most confident know-it-alls tend to be fresh high school graduates, who think they know everything about how the world works, rather than accomplished individuals, who are often older and have actually seen the “real world” and its imperfections.

So dear reader, learn, read, explore and continue conducting your own personal anthropologic research of the world. However, take the time to notice the moment when you start to think that you have it all figured out

When we can admit that our understanding is limited, we can become capable of seeing more True wisdom lies not in having the final word, but in staying endlessly curious about what might be missing. That is something I personally believe in deeply, but of course, I could also be wrong :)

Article and design by Margaret Kartusov

Be hi nd the sce ne s of pa rty ha rd

Study hard, party hard - if anyone in SSE Riga lives religiously by this motto, it’s the Event Committee chiefs They’re the ones behind the packed dance floors, chaotic coat lines, legendar y themes and… the occasional total disaster. Celebrating the end of 2025, we asked current and former event chiefs to share their most memorable party moments So here are the stories from the people who learned the hard way - so the rest of us can just enjoy the party

The party is calling

ent committee chief in 2021 felt a bit like hosting a party ed house – plenty of enthusiasm, questionable , and ever yone attending from different corners of the in-person fun on hold, we turned to themed online events ws, trivia nights, and whatever else Zoom could tolerate I hey offered at least a sprinkle of joy, or at minimum a m staring at the same four walls

ally managed onsite activities, they were creative The asked me to help with the graduation ceremony, and it alist it practically qualified as performance art No party, s, and an atmosphere that said “histor y is happening, your distance ” But then came Pub Tour – a collective ottled-up chaos Ever yone unleashed their inner social al beast? whatever had been brewing up inside, and not died of neglect.

2021 wasn’t glamorous, but it was absolutely

ever yone! It’s been a while - two ars, to be exact, and looking ck, our events have been nothing ort of colorful We’ve had oments that were memorable for the right reasons, and others that allenged us in ways we definitely dn’t expect

ne incident that still makes me ugh (now that the panic has faded) was the night a radiator broke in the middle of a party Water streamed across the dance floor while we desperately tried to stop it - with scotch tape, towels, and anything else we could grab. It didn’t work, of course, but the teamwork and shared confusion were unforgettable.

Another moment etched in my memor y is the time I found one of my associates passed out in the bathroom with his pants down, and had absolutely no idea how to handle the situation. Thankfully, he recovered quickly, but the absurdity of the scene remains legendar y

And then there was the winter event when one of our key organizers was injured by falling ice, a reminder of how unpredictable the season can be

As we head into another cycle of university events, let’s look back on these stories with humor, and stay safe, especially during winter walks to campus.

ARINAHAKELE SA ‘ 24

Alright, here goes a little stor y from my eventcom chief era - something not even the president or the chief accountant know, so… surprise for them too.

So, you know how at your ver y first NCC event you pay the entrance fee and the bus fee, and all that money goes into that tiny metal box? The precious SA box Well, guess who slept for two hours, got handed that box with words “ARINA, KEEP IT SAFE” from the VP, and confidently threw it into the van? And guess who, somewhere on the way back to Riga, suddenly realized that the van door WAS OPEN? FOR WHO KNOWS HOW LONG?

Anyway, I get home, stretch a bit, and then it hits me: Where Is The Box So I call my friend, who has the van and is unloading it right then He checks ever ywhere, no precious box Completely gone At this point, my soul has left my body, no jokes

And here comes the best part: guess who called the police, cr ying, ready to authorize a full-on highway raid to find that metal box? Yes, me Then, a ver y k d f he Cēsis police station asked, “Do you accept that we start literally RIGHT after that I get a message from my friend: as in the van Ever ything’s fine ”

I think Eventcom is the place where almost anything can be done or seen In each event there is something that you previously would not know could even happen But here are some moments from the things that I am ready to admit really happened

Along the way I have learned a lot - how it is possible to fix/do a lot in the last few hours; how easy it is for a person leading an activity to become more drunk than the people playing it; how it is possible to dance and work all night long with a leg so messed up that in the next morning I was barely able to walk; how fun NCC can be for compadres; - as well as many other things that are more practical or I just don’t have the space to list here.

broken inside of restrooms

So in order to stick with the theme, I thought I will share a quite recent stor y where that happened. It is Halloween, people are having fun, some people are more drunk, some people less Yet, besides ver y minor inconveniences, nothing bad has happened, and the event has already been going for more than 3 hours - ever ything is good, right?

Well, not really, suddenly something is flooding from the toilets - somebody had broken the water tank behind one of the toilets, and it is filling the floor with water. Eventually, some associates manage to balance the water tank so that no more water is coming out, and the door

n: maybe… close the van door properly next time haha

gets locked. Yet, while there is no new water pouring on the floor, there is a new problem

The whole area in front of the restrooms is now flooded with water, so people get to cleaning it up, but there are not enough paper towels What is there to do now? The only option now is to find a new use for the decorations that conveniently involved a lot of fabric So frantically, associates had to start ripping the fabric from multiple decorations just to tr y to get rid of some of the water It is a pure mess, but at least it is enough to keep the water from spreading further until the event ends and the janitor arrives

So, in essence, Eventcom is definitely something that I do not plan to forget any time soon

Mareksulman

Why Being ‘Almost the Best’ Feels Like Failure?

Article by Paulius Pupka Design by Simas Karnyšovas

Do shadows get paid to follow us? That is a question that, frankly, has nothing to do with this article, but it does make for a dramatic opening, so I decided to keep it. Still, it raises an odd truth: some things trail behind us whether we want them to or not and while shadows are harmless, expectations are not

And the thing about expectations is that they don’t just follow us, they crowd us. The moment we start aiming for something meaningful, they multiply and suddenly being “almost the best” becomes a strangely uncomfortable place to stand.

Why does being second, third, or nearly-great feel worse than simply being average? Why does proximity amplify pain instead of pride? Perhaps because being almost something invites our brains to complete the missing pieces and our imaginations tend to be crueler than reality ever could be.

People love saying, “Do your best ” It sounds wholesome, encouraging, supportive.

However, tucked inside that phrase is a small, sharp condition: Your best should be impressive to me I didn’t learn this through sports, trophies, competitions, or anything that requires a stopwatch. I learned it in my own living room, while showing a project I had poured days into It was one of those rare creations that actually mattered to me. When I finally shared it, there were smiles, nods, a polite “This is really good,” the kind that lands softly but feels suspiciously generic Then came the turn

Someone pulled up another person ’ s version of a similar idea “Look,” they said. “Theirs is even better.” Two words, even better, and suddenly my creation wasn’t a creation anymore, it was an almost, a shadow of something superior My entire effort shrank like a sweater thrown in the wrong wash cycle I realized then that I wasn’t grieving the loss of being “the best ” I was grieving the humiliation of being “almost.” It wasn’t jealousy, it was disappointment mixed with embarrassment, as if being close to excellence but not touching it somehow exposed me more than failing outright ever would If I had done badly, I could’ve blamed low effort, but doing well, almost exceptionally well, meant I had no excuse I had simply not been quite enough

Where does this fee as a straight ladder: but ladders also ha more pressure The small slip feels catas wide, when you ’ re almost the best ope habit we have: imagi

“If I had just worked a bit harder…”

“If I hadn’t been tired that day…”

“If I were as talented as them…”

It becomes a private autopsy of your own effort

The sting is the evidence of ambit

The disappointment is the sha of potential And the frustrat

That’s the part of you that kn you ’ re capable of more When I think back to that project now, I no longer remember the comparison first I remember the hours I’ve spent working on it, I remember creating something that deserved to be measured. The other version may have been better, but it didn’t erase the fact that mine existed, that it reached far enough to cast a shadow worth comparing.

And yet, society rarely talks about this. We celebrate victories and So, maybe we should stop thinking of “almost” as an insult, maybe we should see it as a checkpoint, a sign that you’re not delusional for aiming high, you’re simply not finished. And if you’re still wondering why the opening line asked whether shadows get paid to follow us… well, I am not sure myself, but as long as I gaslight the reader long enough, I'm certain I can convince them it all makes sense.

SILVER ARROWS: WHEN SILVER WAS THE GOLD

Last year this time, I gave you an article about Mercedes boss Toto Wolff; and this year I thought –why not go down the Mercedes F1 team rabbit hole once again? Dear reader, in this article I will reminisce on the times that Formula 1 enthusiasts either look back at with aversion, or yearn for. The title should have been the hint, we will dive into the Mercedes domination era as well as some Brocedes lore.

Silver Arrows has been the nickname for Mercedes-Benz racing cars for nearly a centur y The name comes from their distinctive silver liver y In the 1930s, German racing cars were meant to be painted white, but Mercedes removed the white paint to reduce weight, revealing the bare silver aluminum underneath. And that silver surface is where the name Silver Arrows came from.

Mid and late 2010s proved that silver does not always mean missing out on the first place.

Following Sebastian Vettel’s four world titles in a row, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team said, “hold my beer”, and claimed recordbreaking eight consecutive constructors’ championships, six of which happened with their famous silver cars

It all started in 2014 when Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg managed to stay victorious in 16 out of 19 races in the season, with Hamilton topping the drivers’ championship table.

The 2015 season delivered the same outcome: nobody stood a chance, not even Sebastian Vettel with his brandnew red racing car – the Ferrari driver managed to win the three races the Silver Arrows failed in, but it obviously was not enough to disturb Mercedes’ hegemony

It all got extra interesting in 2016 when we got the iconic Brocedes title fight, also known as the Silver War

Article by Anna Gogebashvili

Design by Dominika Ignatjeva

Brocedes – Lewis and Nico have known each other since childhood, from their karting days, and they had been best friends… until this battle for the championship A tight friendship with shared vacations, parties and dreams shattered at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona when the two crashed into each other and officially declared the rivalr y Nico and Lewis went on to create an unforgettable season where the champion was decided in the ver y last race of the season in Abu Dhabi – Nico claimed his first and only world championship after which he retired from the sport.

Rosberg engraved his name in the histor y of F1 at the cost of losing a friend Although Lewis said that they are not friends anymore, Nico has admitted that, in his heart, Hamilton is still his best friend The legendar y F1 commentator David Croft has even called Lewis and Nico “friends, teammates, childhood buddies, rivals –ever ything but lovers”.

After Rosberg’s retirement, Valtteri Bottas joined Merc’s drivers’ lineup. People often refer to him as the greatest wingman of all time as he was the perfect second driver and teammate to Lewis Hamilton and made sure to give his all for the Brit to break all the records in the sport In the year 2017, half of the season had the of the fans convinced that Seb ould end Mercedes’ dominance the title, but the Silver Arrows n clutch after the summer break wis claimed his fourth world onship.

The first couple of races of 2018 again gave false hope to Ferrari fans and then Hamilton dominated the rest of the season

The next year was without any false alarms for the rivals’ fans and it was an easy ride for the Silver Arrows

In the new decade – 2020s, Mercedes changed their liver y into black, but that did not stop them from winning. 2020 was the year when Lewis Hamilton won his seventh title and equaled Michael Schumacher for the most drivers’ championships. In 2021, another iconic title fight happened: between Lewis, and this time, Max Verstappen – this time the Mercedes driver could not stay superior, however, the constructors’ title went to Mercedes, for the last time so far In 2022, Merc went back to the silver design, and since the beginning of this season they have a fresh drivers’ pairing, but they cannot find any luck – Red Bull and McLaren have been much better and dominant for a few years now.

SPANISH GRAND PRIX 2016

Before I wrap this up, I wanted to throw in a fact about this eight-year-long dominance that I find quite cool: The Russian Grand Prix in Sochi was held only for eight years, which happened to be exactly 20142021 and Mercedes has a 100% win rate on this circuit Moreover, Lewis Hamilton won his 100th Grand Prix exactly there in 2021 after the remarkable rainy race and the Lando Norris tire catastrophe.

So, now that we ’ ve looked back on either the dullest or the most incredible dominance in the histor y of the sport, it is up to your judgement to decide which title it deser ves Love it or hate it – Mercedes showed the world that the color does not matter and the gold medal and the first place is for ever yone; especially as the team that housed not only iconic liveries in different colors but also the only black driver in the histor y of the sport

Article by Arīna Kosmačeva

give up coffee for exam prep

OR OR

accidentally send a photo of yourself to your year’s group chat

OR OR

have unlimited better cafe food

OR OR

have your phone battery at 10% when you leave the house

OR OR

sit through a 3-hour lecture

OR OR

December is a tough month for everybodystudents, professors, the employed, the unemployed (also, Santa Claus). Which is why, my little gift to you is this spread - the game of “Would you rather?”. Grab a friend, choose one of the two options (NOTA is NOT an option), discuss, maybe argue and have a great time.

. Grab a friend, choose one of the two options (NOTA is NOT an option), discuss, maybe argue and have a great time.

Love you all!!!

Love you all!!!

give up all social media for exam prep

accidentally submit the wrong file instead of your assignment

unlimited 8:15 AM lecture skips (without consequences)

have your laptop at 5% during a lecture

3-hour group project meeting with no goal

OR OR

binge-scroll TikTok Instagram Reels

be banned from Narvesen become lactose intolerant

OR OR

have a Labubu a lifetime supply of Dubai chocolate

OR OR

ace every exam but forget everything after barely pass but remember every single fact forever

OR OR

find a free parking spot in Klusais Centrs every day

have your favourite celebrity teach one guest lecture

OR OR

never wait in line for coffee ever again

OR OR

take a final exam worth 100% of your grade on Respondus

OR OR

write a 20-page research paper be randomly asked, during a lecture, to explain a concept you’ve never heard of

Get an in FE

OR OR

have them sit next to you for one cafeteria lunch

have weekly quizzes and no exam

OR OR

OR OR

When was the last time you went outside without your phone? A question which unexpectedly arrived from my sister this time. She had forgotten her phone in her classroom and had gone to the Cadets de Cascogne next to Bastejkalns. She had bought a cinnamon roll and a coffee, and had asked the cashier for the time. The whole endeavor had probably only taken about half an hour, yet she had felt uneasy and anxious, and I could feel the same nervousness within myself from just listening.

When was the last time you went to the restroom without your phone? When did you last eat alone without checking it? When did you take a walk without looking for messages or listening to music? I genuinely cannot remember. I can more easily recall trying to do these things and failing than ever succeeding.

Most of us are spending our lives online. Now, it doesn’t necessarily have to imply a 12 hour average screen time, even though with work it often does. It could also allude to the constant need to check your devices, e-mails, calls and messages. One’s relationship with their phone is like a toxic, anxious attachment relationship. Not being able to spend a day without feeling nervous about missed notifications portrays just how hardwired the connection with our phones in our brains is.

Which brings me to the lovely online trend of “rawdogging” to fix one’s attention span. It can be sitting and staring at the wall for an hour, it can be reading nonstop for three, and it is there as the ultimate form of dystopian entertainment. You can watch people try to fix the problem created by the thing they are posting it on while feeling like you’re gaining motivation and then never acting on it. I mean… it doesn’t get much better than that! Such trends are a wondrous example of how intertwined our lives are with the digital world. At times, it feels like unless it has been documented somehow on one’s social media profiles, the thing did not happen or at least it was not significant.

T

THROUGH A SCREEN

WHY DO WE FEEL THIS ATTACHMENT AND WHY IS IT SO HARD TO BREAK OUT?

THE FEAR OF MISSING OUT.

Let’s be honest, all of us have FOMO, and it sucks. As a wise Estonian some time ago put it, “there is no good outcome, either I’m tired or I’m missing out”. This feeling extends to phone usage. The need to check notifications so that one does not miss out on an invitation, on a post by someone or anything else is simply another form of FOMO. One that may be even harder to overcome.

PRACTICAL NEED.

Not being online is a privilege that most of us cannot afford. Our work, studies and entertainment are deeply intertwined with the digital world. There is no escape. There is no escape because one cannot work offline, one cannot study without a computer and one cannot be unavailable - one is not considered as a functioning human being unless they are online. We are expected to be perpetually “on.”

NUMBING ONESELF.

The world is f *cked, and the two screen method is more than effective in making one forget about it.

WHAT SHOULD ONE DO TO ESCAPE?

Go outside, detox, fight the algorithm, be aware. On a larger scale though? I do not have an answer. No simple way out exists. One has to be online to make money, one has to be reachable to maintain personal and professional relationships, and one is dependent on their online presence. So, really - we as a society and as individuals are stuck.

ARTICLE & DESIGN BY ANNA MARTA OZARE

Beer, straw YouTu Beer, straw YouTu

Public places offer a unique opportunit mostly keep to themselves and are q Nevertheless, observation of strangers c it takes little to no effort.

Recently, while riding the tram to meet up with some friends at a cafe, I decided to leave my headphones in the bag and listen to the raw sounds of the world. Along the route, the tram passes a large cemetery, which means that usually a couple of senior citizens get on the tram to go home from their cemetery visit.

Writtenby:JEkabsRusis

Looking partly at my phone and partly at the surroundings, I started to notice that a couple seats apart from me, a group of three elderly ladies who got in at the mentioned cemetery stop had just sat down next to each other and started talking to one another with their purses and plastic bags in hand.

eir first interaction was when one of them asked another to register r “e-talons” since she couldn’t reach the card reader from her seat. though I did not hear much of what exactly they were talking about, became clear that two of them knew each other and the third just ppened to sit beside them. I’m guessing that their conversation was t about anything amazingly interesting, but the thing that caught my ention was the overall manner of the conversation.

Firstly, they did not talk continuously; the conversation spiked here and there, but was nothing close to a heated discussion - in short, it was small talk. Ladies number 1 and 2 were the ones who knew each other previously and were exchanging some words with one another. Lady 3, who was a stranger to the other two, seemed the most talkative since she used every chance to squeeze in a sentence related to what the others were talking about. Despite her almost childish eagerness to add to their talk, Ladies 1 and 2 did not seem to mind at all and the overall atmosphere was friendly yet politely reserved. The conversation naturally continued until Ladies 1 and 2 had to get out of the tram.

When getting out, I noticed that Lady 3 had a slight smile in the corner of her mouth with an expression of fulfillment - she had let off her ‘talking steam’. She looked like she would carry that same expression home, and it would stay with her until the end of the day.

I got out of the tram and went into the cafe. Since I was the first one there, I ordered my glühwein and waited for others to arrive. While the drink was cooling down, I became aware of the busboy, who was wearing a blue apron, a red sweater underneath and a newsboy cap, which all summed together made his appearance very similar to that of Super Mario.

He had just f inished cleaning a table so that the state of the cafe was presentable for a little while and after wards went into the storage space and came out with a beer can and a straw. Surprisingly, the straw was meant for his beer, and after putting his cleaning cloth to the side, he sat down at one of the tables, opened the beer, inserted the straw and started to drink the beer in this totally unusual manner while watching a YouTube video.

Despite being a bit shocked by his way of enjoying a break, I came to the conclusion that, in a way, he is no different than Lady 3 from the tram - both of them had their own way of finding the silver lining in the grey clouds of ordinary and uneventful daily routine. Chatting with fellow cemetery-goers or drinking a beer through a straw helps both of these people in making their day lighter and easier to get through.

I THINK WE ALL HAVE SOMETHING TO LEARN FROM THEM AND USE TO OUR ADVANTAGE, SINCE FINDING THE THING THAT HELPS YOUR DAY BLOOM IS MUCH EASIER THAN IT SEEMS

There are fingers crawling in the back of my thoughts, pulling me by the hair, leaving red scratches on my skin, forcing another line out of me with your name again and again Sometimes I swear I’m possessed. Like a voodoo doll filled with cursed words and all the thoughts that have been poisoning me from the inside.

There are things that shouldn’t be real But they are For example You.

I used to talk to you when I was alone. Sometimes I still do, when my heart forgets how to be strong, how to move on, how to breathe without you.

I have loved you for exactly 519 days, and somehow it still isn’t enough I still can’t forget how you made me feel. And now I want to run away from myself and all the thoughts that won’t leave me alone I want to breathe, just once, and be free from the poison that keeps holding on to me I want t o run away from the thought of you, but before I do, I need to know, where have you been all this time?

My body learned you. And it hasn’t unlearned you since.

Every other touch feels wrong, Like it doesn’t belong on my skin. I reach for hands that aren’t yours and they feel like strangers. Cold and empty against me.

But at nights I remember the temperature of your fingers, the small lines in your skin that pressed into mine, leaving marks on my skin long after you were gone. Sometimes I can still feel you, like electricity running through my nerves, a spark where there should be none

Missing can be that simple. Without thought Without explanation Without words or syllables

Like a primal instinct that trembles through my nerves, setting fire to everything inside

01/12

Yesterday you said to me: “Your worst enemy is your own nervous system ” But that nervous sys who was experienci This is the body I lea That nervous system before I even knew w It taught me how to while I tried to find p So my fear is coming deep in my stomach where trauma likes t My fear is rooted be Beneath my skull. Beneath every neuro And before you talk remember that my e are still the same on They’ve seen everyth And they know you h That nervous how to prote and how to k when needed

By Rūta Švarcbaha and Kristiāna Labanovska

Cr SSWORD puzzle

4. 8 1. 2. 7. 3. 6.

Across

3. Made them sing, dance and arm wrestle

8. He's gonna find out who's naughty or nice

9. Always in short supply once coat season begins

10. Those Y2s bombarding with … every other day in November

1. When we heard pitches, ate too many sweets and casted our votes

2. Top 1 meal in Better Cafe

4. What arrives each Friday to feel the Christmas magic

5. The silent contender that still gets your vote

6. Soft newcomers in the fridge

7. Those who make the season bright

CROSS ACROSS AC

XAVIER Playlist by

Interpol opens with an angr y tune perfect for giving some energy in the cold December morning light. It is followed by a song that has been on heavy rotation over the last couple of months from Toronto-based TRAITRS. Then, a more classic tune from a more classic band: Pearl Jam. The Australian synth-pop band Cut/Copy is next, with some dancy grooves. It is not because the weather is often gloomy that we should carr y that all day long inside us. The next three songs are a bit more experimental Battles is a great band (check the video clip of Tonto and the song Atlas). Collapse Under the Empire is offering the traditional instrumental post-rock tune of all my playlists Next, you can appreciate Silver Mt. Zion from Montreal They belong to the first wave of post-rock bands along with Godspeed You! Black Emperor (which will play in Riga on 03.03.26) or Fly Pan Am (from my playlist, two months ago). I could have put another song from the same album ("13 Angels Standing Guard 'round the Side of Your Bed"), but I preferred something less "contemplative" and more "rhythmic" The closing piece is Icelandic composer Ólafur Arnalds (whom you heard in my ver y first playlist with his project Kiasmos). Here, it is a duo with Nanna, Of Monster and Men's vocalist The song is part of a musical, collaborative, trip Arnalds took across Iceland. The result was a documentar y and an album (Island Songs) Check them out

Design by Elīna Bībere

In a small house at the edge of a dark forest lived a woman who loved silver more than sun-light Each evening, she placed a silver ring on her finger, then a necklace about her neck, until her shoulders was shining like moonlit snow The neighbors warned her, for tales said that too much silver invites the shadows that walk between worlds But she would not listen. One night, when the wind cried at the windows, she hung so many chains upon herself that she fell to the floor In that moment, a cold silence filled the room, and the woman was gone. Only the silver lay scattered across the wooden boards, and if you pass the house at night, they say you can still hear them softly clinking, as if someone were putting them on again

For halloween you should dress up as a serious relationship, because everyone seems afraid of it.

Turns out “nonchalant” stops working right after the first drink for some estonians.

hen a blue-coloured y1 aced EventCom interviews, a certain Black Ducky boss took notes and maybe a number?

IK thinks he is mr beast

Certain black ducky chief and certain Y1 dude have found their chemistry ;)

Obsessed with DI Y2 phone case

I P S I P S

Sharpen AI guy (R.A.) who hasn’t been n on campus since September suddenly ears at night… waiting for his braluka’s ntry girl. I.D. really needed that Tesla ht drive, huh?

tain y2 might have left the party, but his called girl y2 certainly didn’t. All this ma for so long only for the girl to act like t the moment it actually mattered… maybe t time choose not so public place

ctions feel so weak this year, campaign k consists of yap and snacks, posters are small you can’t even see them. Feels like y ’ re not even trying.

and his little friend should stfu during lectures

o flooded the toilet tho

OTE NOTA

on thing is so cringe, it was kind of funny en Tuskens did it but now its just sad

tain info com candidate with yet another L please stfu.

t infocom candidate…..honestly needed some time to recover after that presentation

She stands on stage with “VISION” bold, But nothing real, no plan is told. Just empty words in shiny gloss, Like PowerPoints that say “be boss.”

I’d rather hear a concrete plan, Than vibes and mist in all that span

So vote for brains, not just the scene ’Cause “vision, vision” lone is cringe and mean.

re-elections it is.

MF Y1 better at spelling than last year ' s educom candidates

VD practice your English first maybe before running as the educom chief

Going to have to vote NOTA for marketing… don’t want a person who has such an interesting digital footprint to be the face of marketing committee, but yk they say all exposure is good exposure

There are tons of creative students at SSE Riga, why don't they come up with something more creative and less toxic, gossiping is not only unethical but also waste of time

speaking latvian loudly as an audience and as presenters - that is just disrespectful. first, that is simply not nice. and second, are the future "chiefs" not comcerned with our status as an international school and not your average business college shame on you

does the friendgroup know that LPV is NOT presenting on 20.11?

Certain math TA’s went at it after the elections - could it be that ends started or ended at the IFund TB?

certain sports com candidate, how do you plan to stay committed to your duties as a sports com chief if you lack commitment in other areas....?

Whoever stole my slice of pizza at the ifund team building, look both ways when crossing the road

y2 B B was getting active during IFund teambuilding

Is R.R. and R.M.J. Official?

Toast com waffled HARD after a three week break in presentations boriiing

EO font blindness?

H

O R O S C O P E S H O R O S C O P E S

Feeling a little behind with work-related stuff, you will find yourself questioning your capabilities to keep going. But December will open a new window in your life That will be an important factor why your gift giving skills this year will be immaculate Buy yourself an advent calendar – it will make your days go easier

Saggitarius Saggitarius Saggitarius

You have been living the lush life so far: dinner dates, SPA breaks when it got too much on your plate and even splurging Level down for the upcoming winter Focus on your health and immune system because next year won’t be as relaxing Take a walk on a snowy day to silence the voices in your head

Aquarius Aquarius Aquarius

Dear Aries, your life has been fast-paced for the last couple of weeks In December, you will start to slow down, but do not relax entirely! Better try occupying your mind with mindful activities, something that fills your cup Keep your heart open and expect passionate upcoming months

Aries Aries Aries

You tried to romanticize autumn, and you failed now you will be attempting to romanticize winter Just don’t do that thing where you cling to people only because you ’ re feeling lonely in the cozy season Start planning your birthday mash early – because it must be outstanding!

Capricorn Capricorn Capricorn

You have been missing someone or something so eagerly recently Think twice, if it’s really what you want or just a moment of weakness Write a wish list for Santa – this is the time to speak up on your wishes and needs (and no, it is not selfish or obnoxious to ask for something!)

Pisces Pisces Pisces

The end-of-the-year reflections got you being too harsh on yourself Yes, maybe this wasn’t “ your year”, but spend the last month of it like you wanted the whole year to go Visit the Christmas market, bake gingerbread cookies with your friends, and even go clubbing (because it is never too cold for dancing!)

Taurus Taurus Taurus

You have been tied up in your mind too much recently actually for the past months But in the upcoming month, devote time to music – a concert you have been thinking about? Definitely worth going Keep your focus for the last meters in school and then reward yourself

Gemini Gemini Gemini

Shocking! But in December, you will be the embodiment of calm You have entered a flow – without major crashouts, just you doing your own thing It’s good to achieve inner peace, just don’t forget about your sparkle, too! Next year, your sense of fashion will lead you to something exciting

Cancer Cancer Cancer

The sparkle, glitter and shimmer season –made just for YOU! This month you might be intertwined in some unnecessary drama, but your patience will get you out of it quickly Expect the itch for end-of-theyear hustle or inspiration to create an explicit mood board for the next year Believe in yourself!

Leo Leo Leo

December is not only the month of festivities, but also deadlines coming to an end so you will be caught up in finishing projects at the last minute But for the upcoming year? An urge to have a fresh start Releasing old habits, mindsets or even people The holidays might bring some exciting adventures for you

Virgo Virgo Virgo

This December, you will be the most festive person known to this world Hanging Christmas lights, making paper snowflakes, singing carols It is nice to have the Cindy-Lou Who spirit in a world full of Grinches, but do not lose your focus on the important Nevertheless, during these holidays you will receive a long-awaited gift

Libra Libra Libra

For the past weeks you have been feeling just meh It doesn’t mean good or bad Just meh Therefore, you are in need of a December reset In the upcoming year, your past financial decisions will pay back (quite literally) Write one thing to forgive yourself for before starting 2026 and settle for the party mood

Scorpio Scorpio Scorpio

Ch ristma s tree decoration?

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see you in January!