The Insider February 2025

PARTNERS

GENERAL PARTNER

GOLD PARTNERS

Special thanks to

Citadele, Moody's, Morten Hansen, Talis Putniņš, Marius Raugalas, Pēteris Kloks, Armands Broks, Kristaps Siliņš, Gatis Eglītis, Corina Safaler, Markuss Baltais, Kristine Polija, Sāra Zdanovska, Lauris Zalva, Dainis Bass, Ingus Zeļenkovs, Diāna Lāce Davidova, Henrijs Jansons, Harro Rannamets, Eiko Kivisik, Jūlija Dziguļska, Kārlis Sproģis, Raiko Uri, Zane Čulkstēna, Pavils Jurjans, Aleksandrs Tralmaks, Tīna Kukka, Kārlis Caunītis, Matīss Paegle, Nicolas Gavoille, Xavier Landes, Oskars Majevskis, Daniels Krists Dzirnieks, Anete Tīkmane, Agnese Krūmiņa, SSE Rigan Cupids, Daniela Martinsone, Dominika Ignatjeva, Anna Gogebashvili, Zane Kalniņa, all the gossipers and memers, and, of course, the Insider team

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

Agh, January and February the most BORING months, in our opinion The weather is bad, the workload is high, and everything just feels meh We slip into this small routine until the end of March, when the weather finally gets a bit better So, we wanted this issue to be all about that life beyond the routine

But that’s not all We just celebrated Valentine’s Day, so of course, we have some stuff about love as well For example, if you ’ re not familiar with Gen Z’s dating dictionary, don’t worry we’ll teach you! And don’t forget to check out the WORST date stories from our students aaaaaaand the love letters. So, even though we ’ re stuck in a routine, there’s still a little love in the air <3

What else? Well, this time, we wanted to introduce you to Tālis (the guy who teaches Y2s Financial Economics a boss, if we do say so) and Marius (the marketing guru at SSE Riga also a boss) Y1s, you ll meet Marius very soon, and Tālis not so soon, but he’s on the horizon

Speaking of Marius and his course he and his lovely TA team have put together an article for you! Fear not, it’s not about gambling (this time), but about academics They’ll tell you all about the big prize in the Marketing course. Veryyyy exciting.

Remember our playlist of the issue? Yeahhh it’s not where it should be, right? That s because we didn t make it this time Instead, we asked Nicola and Xavier to put it together, as they know a thing or two about music We gave them the theme of the issue, and they curated the best tunes for you We already checked them out, and yeah, the taste is exquisite

And of course, don’t forget to check out the memes and gossip as always We wish you luck in breaking out of this routine and making the most of February and March

xoxo, The Insider

T H E

E D I T O R I A L

F e b r u a r y

20 MEET TĀLIS

This is the man who teaches the hardest course at SSE RIGA If you did not know, Talis lives in Australia and there is a rumour that he came to Latvia without a winter jacket quite bold, if you ask us

22 INSIDER SPECIAL

Speaking of FE, Peteris Kloks, from now on, will be teaching the first part of the course And in this INSIDER SPECIAL, we ask him about life when he was a student at SSE Riga and how did FE go for him

Our beloved Student Association life without it would be SUUUUUPEEEEER BOOOORING Who would make the fun parties, who would give the students shots after FE exams? Happy birthday, beloved!

Associates of the Month

She is a very hard-working person that is always responsive and ready to spring into action when needed during the planning process

Arina is an awesome person who always shows interest in the work of the committee She handles every task responsibly and delivers highquality results I am very grateful that she is an associate of the education committee!

Davids stood out as a really reliable associate this month I always felt like if I had any uncertainties, he would be able to clear them up

Zane was working with Elina on the hockey tournament posters They came up with so many great designs, it was hard to choose just one!

I feel like no one is better at keeping up the mood than Markuss Always cracking jokes while also doing his best makes him a truly unforgettable associate

Elina Asare was the creative force behind the hockey tour poster! With Zane they created multiple amazing hockey tournament posters!

As the previous chief, she has helped me greatly over the past month, and I truly appreciate it, definitely a “guiding light” when it comes to creating events

Elina Bibere was a big help with Valentine’s Day marketing, she created the poster and helped with the promotion video filming!

Shout out to my guy Oskars, as he came up with, in my opinion, the best feature suggestion for the SA tinder – random pick up line generator

Madara is truly an amazing associate She helped me more prior to this month, but her support was invaluable Being with her makes the workload feel like a fun activity, and her energy and passion just makes you happy too

Thank you so much for helping to navigate the committee's work - you have been a real life saver!

If anyone ever needs advice in the middle of the night or a helping hand, call Alise

Nice information on chief duties

HAVE I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE IN THE ECONOMICS FIELD, THE INSIDER ASKS?

01 01 02 02 03 03

No, I have had two other interests. Once upon a time I would like to be a driver of the truck that sucks up sludge from the sewers. I guess that was motivated by my age (about five) and the sight of the immense truck. Let’s just say that I am happy I never went in that direction Later, in my teens, I thought about becoming a dentist Certainly, an infinitely more clean business but I am also happy I did not end up there.

BUT WHY DID I END UP IN ECONOMICS, THEN?

When I grew up (1970s) my native country, Denmark, was plagued by serious economic problems such as high inflation, a high level of unemployment and a soaring current account deficit. I wanted to understand why this was so and what to do about it – and then at university they started with microeconomics, which does not answer such questions. I was at times actually unhappy with my studies and only when I came to some serious econometrics – we had a great lecturer who was doing world-class research with people who later received the Nobel Prize in economics – did I realize that I was in the right place. Later, I then specialized in monetary economics and EU economics.

HOW DO I KEEP MY ENTHUSIASM IN CLASS, HAVING TAUGHT FOR SOME 30 YEARS, THE INSIDER ASKS?

Well, perhaps I don’t. I shall admit that when, in September 2024, I saw the list of Y1 students, more than 160 of them, I thought “how on Earth am I going to manage this?” I still like to come to Soros, I have never regretted coming to Latvia back in the previous century and I will forever miss Soros, students, colleagues when I quit but it is the right decision. If lecturing is like a hill to climb, then the hill has just become steeper for me. :)

The Insider has, as always, given me The Insider has, as always, given me The Insider has, as always, given me three options to comment on – for once I three options to comment on – for once I three options to comment on – for once I will try to address all three. will try to address all three. will try to address all three. S T U D Y I N G E C O N O M I C S S T U D Y I N G E C O N O M I C S S T U D Y I N G E C O N O M I C S

EVERY SUCCESS STARTS WITH CURIOSITY, PERSISTENCE, AND THE SUPPORT OF A STRONG COMMUNITY. THEREFORE, I’M HAPPY TO JOIN THE BOARD OF ALUMNI TO CONNECT WITH INSPIRING MINDS AND GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY THAT ONCE FUELED MY AMBITIONS. MY GOAL IS TO INSPIRE YOU TO THINK BIG, TAKE RISKS, AND HELP YOU BECOME FUTURE LEADERS AND INNOVATORS OUR COUNTRY NEEDS.

Meet new Meet new ARMANDSBROKSEMB

A ' 1 3

THE ORGANISATION NEEDS A STRONG FOCUS ON FUNDRAISING FOR THE UPCOMING YEARS, WHICH IS A PRIORITY TO SECURE THE SCHOOL’S COMPETITIVENESS AND SUPPORT TO PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS. OTHER FOCUS AREAS WOULD INCLUDE COMMUNITY BUILDING AND CONTRIBUTING TO THE SCHOOL’S STRATEGIC VISION. THE JOBS TO BE DONE REQUIRE A BOARD THAT INVOLVES PEOPLE WITH A BACKGROUND IN LEADING ORGANISATIONS AND DEVELOPING STRATEGIES.

KRISTAPS SILIŅŠ'12

THE PRESIDENT

Board Board

I'M THRILLED TO JOIN THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD AT THE STOCKHOLM SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS IN RIGA! I'M MOTIVATED BY THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING NEW PERSPECTIVES, EMBRACE EXCITING CHALLENGES, AND ADD DIVERSITY TO OUR BOARD. I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTRIBUTING IDEAS, TAKING ON NEW PROJECTS, AND CONNECTING WITH ALL OF YOU. LET'S MAKE THIS JOURNEY TOGETHER INSPIRING AND IMPACTFUL!

THE SSE RIGA ALUMNI COMMUNITY CAN HELP THE SCHOOL BECOME THE BEST BUSINESS, ECONOMICS, AND PUBLIC GOVERNANCE INSTITUTION IN THE BALTICS. MORE ENGAGEMENT OF SUCCESSFUL ALUMNI IN THE SCHOOL’S LIFE AND A RECALIBRATED RELATIONSHIP WITH SSE IN SWEDEN IS THE WAY FORWARD.

GATISEGLĪTIS ' 00

CORINASAFALER ' 16

Gen AI adoption at

With Rokas With Rokas With Rokas

Siderkevi

čius Siderkevičius Siderkevičius

Senior Financial Da Analyst

at Moody’s Capability Center in Lithuania

What are some specific use cases of AI that have been explored in your organization, and how have these use cases optimized tasks?

AI is becoming an inevitable part of our everyday life. How has AI affected Moody's operations?

In today's ever-changing technology environment, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) has become a key factor in driving innovation and efficiency across various industries. At Moody's, we have wholeheartedly embraced this transformation, recognizing the immense potential that AI holds to improve our operations and deliver greater value to our clients.

In order to foster innovation, our Data & Analytics team established a task force with members from Lithuania, Costa Rica, and India to test various use cases of generative AI and explore how we could leverage, optimize, and automate our analytical tasks. I personally worked on Earnings Summaries projects and found ways to optimize the data extraction and summarization process.

Over the past year, we have been on a journey towards integrating AI into our daily lives, fundamentally changing the way we work and interact with data. We integrate AI tools in a few primary ways: first, by using AI to better navigate our company’s rulebook and branding resources, and second, by changing the way we work with data and day to day tasks in collaboration with AI tools.

This includes adoption of MS Copilot, which is available to all Moody’s employees as a result of our partnership with Microsoft. Our teams globally explore its use cases in data extraction, summarization and mailing activities and look for ways to enhance analytic task completion with the CoPilot add-in in the Microsoft Office package (Excel, PowerPoint, Word).

Another tool, which is available internally and to external customers via moodys.com is Moody’s Research Assistant. This tool leverages AI and our vast research database to assist us in locating specific data and making informed inferences. It also helps us with charts, tables, and entity comparisons. For example, it has significantly reduced the time required to compile complex reports, allowing our analysts to focus more on other tasks.

At Moody's, we have wholeheartedly embraced this transformation, recognizing the immense potential that AI holds to improve our operations and deliver greater value to our clients.

How can specialized courses or training programs benefit employees in their roles, particularly in the area of AI?

Although I have learned a lot during my time in the task force through raw testing, there is still much to learn. With my employer's sponsorship, I have successfully started a programme at Turing College, a well-known course provider in Lithuania. There, I will delve even deeper into AI and its use cases in the “AI for Business Analytics” course. At the moment, I am studying prompt engineering, which will be incredibly beneficial for me in the future.

To sum up, AI is transforming the day-to-day work of an analyst like myself. It makes mundane tasks quick and easy, and it opens up a lot of opportunities. I am excited about where this venue will take me personally and Moody’s in our digital transformation journey.

Insider trading refers to the buying or selling of publicly traded stocks or other financial securities based on material, non-public information Obviously, this practice is strictly prohibited to maintain fairness and integrity in financial markets At the same time, politicians in the United States don’t face the same restrictions when it comes to financial markets. Basically, this means that politicians, who often have access to sensitive information about new laws or regulations, as well as those who approve government contracts, are still allowed to trade stocks I asked Gints Roberts Berzins, a former Wall Street investment banker, what he thinks about this during his guest lecture From his point of view, "the fact that the same politicians who are responsible for approving or rejecting government contracts also have access to publicly traded stocks is deeply concerning."

POLITICIANS’ POLITICIANS’ POLITICIANS’

In today’s digital era, information is more accessible than ever before The Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act, enacted in 2012, was designed to combat insider trading among U S government officials It requires government employees to disclose their financial transactions promptly One notable platform that provides detailed data on such activities is Quiver Quantitative, which posts about new disclosed trades, lobbying news, etc on X (Twitter) and the website

It enables users to track stock trading by U.S. Congress members, view recent trades, search by politician or stock, and identify the most active traders in both the Senate and House of Representatives. Quiver Quantitative also offers a subscription-based service featuring exclusive strategies, such as “Congress Buys” or “Top Lobbying Spenders”, which ease the process of following or even copying politician’s portfolios

Nancy Pelosi serves as a vivid example of a highly successful trader among government officials. In 2024, her stock tracker, showcased on the Autopilot trading platform, achieved a remarkable 70.9% gain outperforming nearly all hedge funds (Yahoo Finance, 2025) For context, the S&P 500, which experienced a bullish year, rose by 25% over the same period

According to Quiver Quantitative, Pelosi’s portfolio has surged by an extraordinary 795 46% since 2014, vastly outpacing the S&P 500’s 223 30% gain during that time Among her most notable recent moves, Pelosi sold 31,600 shares of AAPL (Apple) for Nancy Pelosi serves as a vivid example of a highly successful trader among government officials. In 2024, her stock tracker, showcased on the Autopilot trading platform, achieved a remarkable 70.9% gain outperforming nearly all hedge funds (Yahoo Finance, 2025). For context, the S&P 500, which experienced a bullish year, rose by 25% over the same period. According to Quiver Quantitative, Pelosi’s portfolio has surged by an extraordinary 795.46% since 2014, vastly outpacing the S&P 500’s 223.30% gain during that time. Among her most notable recent moves, Pelosi sold 31,600 shares of AAPL (Apple) for $7.91 million and 10,000 shares of NVDA (Nvidia) for $1.34 million on December 31.

Apple has fallen 8 2% since then, highlighting Pelosi's welltimed decision In January 2025, she also acquired stock options in major players such as Alphabet (GOOG), Amazon (AMZN), Palo Alto Networks (PANW), Tempus AI (TEM; has risen by 50+% in one week after the trade) and Vistra (VST).

Recently, President Trump has announced a private-sector $500 billion investment in AI infrastructure, with Arm, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Oracle, and OpenAI as the key initial technology partners. The buildout is currently underway, starting in Texas. Why should this capture our attention? The lady has purchased 50 call options (a bet on the price going higher) in Vistra (VST), a leading energy (including nuclear energy) company based in Texas, with a strike price of $50 and an expiration date set for January 2026.

Goldman Sachs stated that nuclear energy is positioned as a key solution for the growing energy needs of AIdriven data centers due to its ability to provide consistent, large-scale power with near-zero carbon emissions. The investment, estimated to be worth between $500,000 and $1 million, is a clear reflection of confidence in Vistra’s strong performance this year, marked by a 24% surge in its stock and likely involvement in this ambitious AI project

While this strategy might seem like a money glitch, it’s important to emphasize that not every politician’s trades turn out to be wildly successful. Financial decisions always carry a level of risk, and they should be approached with responsibility and a cool mindset. Keeping an eye on newly published trades can offer interesting insights and inspiration, but it’s crucial to remain a rational investor.

INSIDER TRADES INSIDER TRADES INSIDER TRADES

Blindly following moves without understanding the broader context or your own financial goals can lead to unfavorable outcomes.

Always do your own research, weigh the risks, and invest wisely.

Article by Kirills Rubans

Design by Dominika Ignatjeva

GGolden olden ''s s

PProducts roducts

The American technology business Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., or AMD for short, was established in 1969 and is mostly recognized for its graphics processing units (GPUs) and central processing units (CPUs). One would assume that the business is doing well given its 18% year-over-year sales growth in 2024 (it generated $6.8 billion in Q3 2024) and the almost overwhelming approval of its increasingly tech-savvy customer base. The market, however, has a different perspective; since early March of 2024, AMD's stock value has been declining. This article provides a more thorough examination of this phenomenon, examining why it occurs and what lies next

FEven though enthusiasts praise AMD's products in the gaming industry, AMD's position is rather bleak when we look more closely at its client-side segments. According to the Steam Hardware & Software Survey from November 2024, AMD's GPUs make up just 16.24% and CPUs make up 36.68% of all respondents' computers. The general public still favors the products of other businesses over babet

irst, we should look at what segments bring in the most revenue for AMD Out of the $6 8 billion, Data Centers bring in $3 5 billion, which is up 122% year-over-year, guidanceing

whilst their client-side CPUs, primarily the ‘Zen 5’ processors and some other embedded chips and GPUs, bring in the rest.

AMD, asseen by the 75.76% market share of Nvidia's GPUs and the 63 32% market share of Intel's CPUs

However, it's worth mentioning that if we look at Steam’s survey from 2020, AMD took a share of 13.38% and 18.75% respectively, meaning that there could at there could be a slight shift in trends AMD’s products. This, however, doesn’t big picture.

e look at the global trends of personal it did not come as a surprise that hipments saw a drop in year-on-year ng the pandemic. Only since Q1 of 2023 tal amount of shipments seen any hatsoever, experiencing YoY growth lame

B A D B A D S T O C K P E R F O R M A N C E S T O C K P E R F O R M A N C E

The AI market has grown at an estimated CAGR of 30 3%, while the PC market has been declining relative to that. With an anticipated CAGR of 24%, the data center accelerator market is showing a similar trend. We can now understand why AMD's stock may be underperforming given that the PC market, which accounts for roughly half of its income, is at best stagnant. This leaves less opportunity for AI and data centre businesses, which are expected to develop at extremely high rates.

So, what’s next for AMD? Their situation in the AI market is comparable to that of the PC market in that they release their products too late, although offering the best value Recent releases of AMD's MI325X and Nvidia's H200 serve as excellent examples Because of their respective delivery schedules (the H200 will be launched in Q2 2024, and the

To put things in perspective, AMD and Nvidia have very different market segmentation strategies. For Nvidia, data center revenue accounts for 88% of overall income, but for AMD, it makes up just slightly more than 50% People are therefore more inclined to invest in the business since their money is more exposed to a thriving industry

MI325X in Q4 2024), Nvidia's product is still outperforming AMD's despite AMD's product being more powerful and offering superior specifications This gives Nvidia an advantage when it comes to getting orders from major cloud service providers

However, there is a possibility of AMD breaking this constant cycle of releasing a better product at a later date and as a result, taking a bigger share of the respective market - just like they are doing in the PC market

Design by: Ieva Grundmane

Patriks Pauls Kalejs

The Latvian Group

300 Million EURO Scam Responsible for a

During the past year or two, a group of people calling themselves Karību Fondi gained popularity among Latvians. The group itself consists of multiple people, with the most notable names being Valdis Spurķis, Kaspars Kazanovskis, and Rolands Milllers.

Now one may ask: “How could someone blabbering foolishness of this sort attain any kind of fans or popularity?” Well, perhaps it was because they were not just some crazy guys on crack one encounters on Latvian TikTok lives; rather, they were, or at least appeared to be, genuine businessmen earning serious cash.

What sets Karibu Fondi apart is that they openly state that their main goal is to embody corruption and evade taxes.

They flaunted their extravagant lifestyles on both Telegram and TikTok, driving luxury cars such as Bentley, Lamborghini, Mercedes, and even a Bugatti, shopping at high-end stores like Fendi, and going on lavish holidays.

Most notably, they explained their luxury spending with a simple phrase: “We are paying the good life tax.” All this certainly stirred up a mystery about how successful men could boast that everyone who pays taxes to the Latvian government is dumb.

Surprisingly, they aren’t just all talk, as most people on social media tend to be. One publicly known example of their schemes is how they avoid any kind of parking or speeding tickets in Latvia. They achieve this by simply registering their cars to a Lithuanian or Estonian company, making it extremely difficult for the Latvian government to track down who should be charged for the ticket.

Even when the government somehow managed to track down that K. Kazanovskis was responsible for a ticket and made him appear in court, the tickets were dismissed, allowing him to walk away without spending a dime.

Not only did their schemes catch people’s attention, but their unique connections with well-known individuals also contributed to their mysterious rise in popularity. They posted videos with the Latvian “Tesla guy,” a.k.a. Raiders Raitis, riding in his new Tesla Plaid model. Moreover, they shared videos with Thomas Kralow in Dubai, cruising in his new Bugatti.

Article by Roberts Kamols Design by Lenija Laura Liepina

A memorable moment was him explaining that research is like a drug for him. Whenever he discovers something new in the fascinating world of financial markets, he feels as if he is standing on the edge of a cliff and jumping into the unknown.

Zone of potential acquisition - žopa.

I have never laughed as much in a lecture as I did in his.

Tālis is that lecturer that gets you really interested in a course. Before FE, I wasn’t interested in FE at all, but after, it turned out finance is somewhat interesting.

“Cut the chitchat, guys!”

When he said "I didn't know what to do, so I took a double bachelor's degree in finance and engineering" ... the most unrelatable sentence ever.

Don't be surprised if he shows up with something broken. He has a extensive history of hurting himself during FE.

I love how genuinely excited Tālis gets about being back in Riga.

with PĒTERIS KLOKS

Please introduce yourself and your background at SSE Riga.

Most people, year 2s, know me as a lecturer in Financial Economics this year and I'm an SSE Riga graduate myself I graduated more than ten years ago, and I had great memories at the school I made some of my best friends here: the people that I now go on vacation with; right now we will be going to India Those are the people with whom I was sitting at 10 PM on the first floor solving colloquiums in FE 10 years ago So, I think the friendships that you develop here are going to matter in your life That’s one of the nice

things about the school, what I really enjoyed is

this – being so close to each other, getting to know each other; it's a personal environment And this is why I also returned when I was offered to teach, and because Anete wanted to step back to other duties that she now has, including teaching in the US So I couldn't say no to this offer

Were you a part of any organizations or committees?

Yes, I was involved in two main organizations: one was the Debate Society, and the other one was the Insider I was actually, at the time, the chief editor of the Insider magazine, which was very exciting because it was the first year when we reached out to an external graphic designer We rebranded the Insider quite a lot in 2013-2014 I really enjoyed working at the Insider because I liked talking to people and I think one of the nice things about the Insider is that you can get to talk to former graduates of the school in person

What were your favourite courses and why?

I always prefer interviews in person because this is how you get the most benefit as an interviewer – the other person remembers you, and you have established a kind of a connection. I was also a part of the Debate Society. The Debate society was even more fun: a lot of parties with people from there, a lot of traveling. At the time it was very popular to go to the UK for different debate tournaments. We had a lot of drama in the debate society about who was able to go to these tournaments and who was not; I've seen some big fights there

I really liked econometrics and international finance. And, incidentally, those are the two topics that now I use on a day-to-day basis for my research Econometrics – I'm an empirical researcher, so I'm not so smart to do theory My approach is to find empirical support for theories or explain why some theories don't work in the real world settings To do that, you need to be an empirical economist, you need to have a very good understanding of econometrics because that's the thing that you're gonna be working with the most And, international finance is what my research is actually mostly about In my research, I look at the demand and supply for the US Dollar globally between different agents such as the demand for US Dollar from non-US banks and how this demand can induce deviations from well known arbitrage conditions. This is also what's known as demand based, asset pricing.

How was the FE course back when you were a student, and did you enjoy it?

I did enjoy FE back in 2014, but I have to say that at the time, there was a lot of drama in the circle of my friends about how to form teams for the term paper. We were a group of 7-8 friends and it wasn't clear-cut how to form two groups. Looking back, I would have done a thing or two differently because, I cannot say that I lost some friends in that process, but the whole drama did certainly induce a lot of emotions that still affect my relationships with some of these people even today. So FE was certainly memorable – that would be the word that I would use rather than something that I necessarily enjoyed.

Why did you decide to come back to SSE Riga as a visiting lecturer?

I think a nice thing the students in this school don't realize is that the school has this way of working that each course has a maximum length of maybe one or two months. This is very good because it allows this school to attract people from other countries; because for me, it was much easier to find three weeks of time to come here in person than it would be to come here for the whole semester. This is, I think, the strength of this school – the model of how studies are structured.

Why did you exactly take the finance route out of this school? Why exactly finance?

After year 2, I went for an internship at the Central Bank of Latvia. And on the first day of this internship, I had two people to choose from, which would be my supervisor in my internship. One was Konstantins, who's a macro guy basically, and a research economist, a macroeconomist. And the other guy worked in the financial markets department. I knew Konstantins, so my first inclination was to go and work for Konstantins. But the other guy – Ivars, offered me a project for this internship to work on something related to extracting the sentiment from news articles. You would look at the sentiment of the language used in the news and construct an index of whether people like something or not. Because I was in the Insider, I was somehow really interested in the role of media and economy, and I ended up going with Ivars for this internship, which turned out to completely change my career because I was then into the financial world of financial markets, and this is where, fast forward a few months later, they called me up and said that there is an economist position available in the in the financial stability department of the Central Bank. This came out of the internship, and I got into Financial Stability, that's a department that deals mostly with banks and financial markets, and this is how it all started.

If you had to take another route, something that's not finance related, what would it be?

I would probably go into media, but I wasn't able to find a nice role in the media for myself. Now, I think ten years later, it's a bit easier to find roles for people who are good with numbers in the media. There are a lot of open positions for data journalists. Back in the day, it wasn't like that; I couldn't see myself immediately in the media, so I didn't go there. If not, I would also like to work somewhere related to sports, maybe related to either ice hockey or basketball, maybe working for one of the local teams here in Latvia in their business or marketing department would have also been cool.

Lastly, what advice would you give to the students trying to pass FE?

When I went into the FE exam, I had a clear strategy of what type of questions I would try to answer and what type of questions I would just leave because this allowed me to focus on the part of the material during my studies and leave the other part out. This was ten years ago, now I'm not sure the strategy would work anymore because we have two exams. So for the exam one, you need to basically know a little bit about every topic, CAPM options, readings, and ethics to be able to pass. So, today I would not do the thing that I did back then. The best advice would be to always look for easy points on the exam. You only need 100 points to pass. A lot of the questions are gonna be nasty, but there's also a huge part of the exam that’s relatively straightforward; so focus on just getting the easy points, and this is going to be always enough to pass. Just don't panic and lose points on the easy questions.

by Anna Gogebashvili & Eduards Skudra

Many exciting things took place 30 years ago. The Macarena became an international hit, DVD’s were first introduced, the first Toy Story movie was released.. But perhaps the most significant event for SSE Rigans was the establishment of the SSE Riga Student Association on March 16th, 1995. The SA began its operations consisting of the Party (now Event), Education, Business and Sports Committees and the Presidential couple, and only later introduced the Alumni, Marketing, Info and IT committees, as well as Chief Accountant. Since then, our amazing chiefs and associates have organized countless events and activities for the student body, forging unforgettable memories and ensuring that we not only study hard, but party hard as well. Let’s look back on the magic we’ve created.

“I think "study hard, party hard" could be a motto for almost all the years, but I definitely remember that we embraced it wholeheartedly Our SA Party Committee chair, Daina, was often obliged to make regular visits to the administration, explaining and settling all kinds of issues before and after our events Daina recalls the time when a decision was made to forbid bringing in personal alcoholic beverages, stipulating that only the local bar could supply drinks Well, that opened a Pandora’s box of creativity in coming up with all kinds of hiding spots where drinks could be stashed before the event dug into flower pots and who knows where else. The initiation party we organized was one of the wildest; the newcomers were subjected to some seriously messy ordeals. The "path of trials" took place in the secondary stairway, which had just been recently renovated Although we covered the walls with protective material, the amount of mess was pretty astonishing Around midnight, the school's administration paid a visit, and the sight was far from pretty However, the SA board and many others were well aware that there would be no more parties if we didn’t return the stairway to its original state. So, we undertook an industriallevel cleaning of the premises until morning, earning just some intense eye-rolling from the admin ” Pavils Jurjans '00

SA BOARD 1995 ULDIS KALNIŅŠ (PARTY)

(EDUCATION)

SS PAEGLE (PRESIDENT)

PLATAIS (VICE PRESIDENT)

“Reflecting nearly thirty years later, three thoughts about the time leading the SSE Riga Student Association stand out: the invaluable lessons we get a chance to learn beyond academics, the crazy but still rewarding balancing of SA work with studies, and the surreal feeling that some of the initiatives we started – The Insider, career day, investment fund, debate club, and the yearbook – still thrive today!” Kārlis Caunītis '98

Matīss Paegle

Kārlis Caunītis

Tīna Kukka

Aleksandrs Tralmaks

Pavils Jurjans

Taavi Einaste

Zane Čulkstēna

Raiko Uri

ārlis Sproģis

Eiko Kivisik

Ingus Zeļenkovs

Dainis Bass

Ričards Kraupša

Lauris Zalva

Sāra Zdanovska

Kristīne Polija

Harro Rannamets

Marius Raugalas

Henrijs Jansons

Kristaps Silinš

Rolands Mesters

Rihards Strenga

Kristaps Bošs

Toms Niparts

Ernests Bordāns

Diāna Lāce Davidova

Markuss Baltais

Oskars Valdis Kalnozols

Filips Andrejevs

HOW TO WIN 1000?

Written and designed by Oskars Majevskis and Daniels Krists Dzirnieks

The coffee you drink, the clothes you wear, the phone in your hand - it’s all been sold to you long before you ever thought you needed it Think of Apple doubling the price of the iPhone overnight, do you think sales would drop? Your economics knowledge so far might tempt you to say yes, but don’t judge so fast, you have yet to learn how mysterious and tricky marketing is. So we say, why not delve into this sophisticated world of influence, consumerism and art, that allows you to manipulate people legally? With the Marketing Course launching this March, we ’ ve prepared an article to give you a glimpse into what awaits you in the real-life scenario marketing project designed by Marius Raugalas.

What to expect?

What matters the most in this course project is making the most out of this experience and step into the shoes of both strategists and creatives, creating a real ad It won’t be easy - but you will manage, and believe us - enjoy the process

What is it about?

According to credible sources: Marketing is the activity or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising, or as Marius puts it: produktų ar paslaugų reklamavimo ir pardavimo veikla, įskaitant rinkos tyrimus ir reklamą

Jokes aside, we are here to introduce you to one of the best course projects that you’ll have the chance to participate in. In short, you’ll be exposed to a real-world situation, where you and your team have limited resources and have to come up with a clever yet catchy ad campaign for one of the multiple companies With the theory and metrics that you’ll learn in the lectures, you’ll have the chance to apply them in a real-world situation

At first, you might think ads are just catchy words and fancy designs, but Marius will make sure you don’t overlook the strategy behind every tiny detail. Coming up with an idea is easy, but what matters is coming up with a clever idea that fits your strategy Here the course materials will save you, even though it’s not always mandatory to use them, don’t think you are too fancy for frameworks

After you decide on the strategy, comes the part where you can put your creative ideas into reality Guest Lectures by the various professionals from L'Oréal and White Label will not only enrich your skills but also help you find that perfect spot where everything comes together Remember, everything is subjective, so don’t hold back on great ideas, even most random ones might just do it when you inevitably stumble upon the paradox of choice Remember to find the right audience and pray it works

After you have a great idea and visuals, that’s not it The course dives into analytical part of marketing, to determine how to get the maximum out of your 100 EUR ad budget.

Add all of this together, and you may have just secured your chance at winning the grand prize. Good luck!

Marius Raugalas - Marketing Course Director

SSE Riga alumni with 15 years of professional experience in Marketing Has experience working with Apple, Meta and Lloyds

Banking Group and passion for teaching SSE Riga students

"Teamwork was the most challenging aspect, but at the same time, it made this a valuable and practical experience It was also extremely satisfying to see our ad take shape in real-time Loved it!"

"Finally having the chance to create something on our own was an incredible experience It not only pushed us to collaborate but also motivated us in the marketing course "

The most exciting part? Our main project sponsor, White Label, led by alumnus Kristaps Siliņš, will help grading the projects and will award €1,000 to the best performing team

f MAS Once upo a Time a e a A i

CHRIst forMAL on on on CH n L

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS OUR PERSONAL LIST AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU GUYS ENJOY SHOULD BE IN THIS AND EVERY OTHER YEAR, AND EVERYTHING THAT HURTS YOU SHALL BE OUT FOREVER XOXO, ANNA, ARINA & REBEKA.

A NEW FRANK OCEAN ALBUM

“LET'S

LOCK IN”

TAKING A BREAK

ACTUALLY STUDYING IN THE LOBBY

EXTRA KEYCHAINS

WINNING AN OSCAR GOING TO BED EARLY (EARLY IS A CONCEPT)

BALTIC DOMINANCE AT EUROVISION

BREAKFAST

CHECKING THE FLOOR NUMBER BEFORE EXITING THE ELEVATOR

“FLOW”

CAFFEINEADDICTION

RE-EXAMS SHITTY* MUSICALS

in 2025 in 2025

12-HOUR SCREEN TIME

NARA SMITH

VAPES

OVERSHARING

YAPPING INSTEAD OF STUDYING IN THE LOBBY

FEEDING INTO THE DELUSIONS

Dear Valentine... Dear Valentine...

RJY2, The things I want to say to you, if only you felt the same as me. The things I would like to do to you, if o ly you felt the same as love :(

DM y1

Do you believe in legends? Because I think we are about to make one together. Xoxo

To RMJ y1

I love smelling your hair when I’m behind you in soros.

D A YEAR HAS PA REMINISCE ABOU MINUTE TALK WE STATISTICS EXAM AN WAS .

RRy1 Are you a river? Because I got carried away thinking about you. Xoxo

KBy2

Everytime u come to university is like a holiday. I know that u act like you don't care but when our eyes meet I feel a real spark.

AĶy2, I went to maxima and there was no kefīrs, please stop!

P.S I know u have someone else, but we can keep it lowkey.

KŠ y2, U have a big muscle I want to touch.

Dear Santa, I just got robbed of 5+5 in novus.

RMJ is is a cheater!

To: Chief

You are the chief of thr Insider, but do you also want to be the chief inside me? Love, xoxo

Azy2, Whydidyoustopcallingme?Iwant you!

Saw

you

onTinder , can'twaittotouchthatbody .

RK y2, You smell good, everytime I sit next to you! Please take your shoes off more often. You know where I am… K y1

RB y2

I am straight 4 you. <3

To the guys from y2 who look like they have stepped out of the 70s. I am sending my love to all of you.

JM y2

Please show up to the novus table more often, but with naked feet if possible Maybe also without a shirt, if you want, bet you are pretty fine either way

RK y2, You are my sunshine on a winter day. My A/R to my A/P

RK y1

Lemme jiggle yo balls in my hand like

To RMJ y1 I

smelling your hair when I’m behind you in soros.

To MP y2

This man is majestic but he loves Liverpool. Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda

We would have NBA babies, me n you… Be my head TA. Always yours.

you use calc.

RKy2 Uactsmart, butwe allknow

(calc shortforcalculator)

Dima? Are you free? I've seen how you graciously carry yourself around school with your beha keys in your pocket. Can we share a ride perhaps? Plz… I will give you a surprise.

AL looking so tasty everyday, it’s been hard keeping my hands off of you. Been missing a while, really miss you

To W32 U are not verywelcoming. -From VP I love when we finish eachother

KL y1 Love you pookie bear. Nice back side. <3

To P y2

Sometimes I feel sad. :( But when I look at you :) But I feel even sadder. Because I know I can never have you. <3

Situationship 1.

Article by Arina Kosmaceva Design by Dominika Ignatjeva

A "situationship" is what happens when two people have been casually dating whether it’s a whirlwind fling or a series of on-again, off-again hookups and start catching feelings. But, plot twist: neither of them is ready to put a label on it. Expect a whole lot of confusion, mixed signals, and emotional roller coasters because let's be real, things rarely end without some

bombin

If you ' re dating right now, keep an eye out for love bombing. It’s a sneaky, manipulative move often used by narcissists, where someone floods you with over-the-top affection and compliments, all to gain your trust and control your emotions. The really bad ones will start pulling back on that affection once they’ve got you hooked Psychologists have even flagged love bombing as an early red flag for relationship abuse

A Gen Z 2025 dating

dictionary

e term that not ever rt for charisma At its e knows how to flirt. A escribe guys trying to

n A modern classic

ng seas

It's that time of the year when the temperature drops, and single folks kick off their quest for a partner, hoping to find someone to cozy up with during the chilly, snowy, and somewhat gloomy months ahead. These months usually stretch from October to March though, of course, it depends on your personal timeline—and the season is often seen as reaching its peak with Valentine’s Day.

5. Red Flag

6. Green Flag

lags might look like but they're actually ju not match your perso hey're a total snooze-fest to date... though, ometimes it does

8. Ghosting

t of vanishing without a trace, usually when during a talking stage are going just fine hey’re not. It happens when someone you ' ve om a

This one ' s for all the Discord die-hards! Edaters are co first crossed paths while gaming online or texting on like Discord or Twitch They keep the relationship goin chats and emojis instead of face-to-face hangouts

WORST DATE STORIES

She was a man

Presented by SSE Rigans

From: Underage tinder consequences

So this happened back when I wasn't even of the legal age, so I had to use this messed up "kids’ tinder" called Yubo. I matched with this one girl who looked really fine and thought and we texted for quite a bit. It seemed like our interests were quite similar and so I was really excited about our date. So a few days later I am coming to the date meeting spot, hands sweating, heart beating, because I have never went on a date with someone who I haven't talked to irl before. I sit there on a bench patiently, and then some random girl who I have never seen in my entire life just approaches me and says my name n stuff. I get super confused, because I've never seen that person in my entire life...

...And then the reality sets in and I understand that I got catfished real bad. Like I wouldn't say that she was bad looking, but certainly not even close that how she looked like in the pictures. Like it was a completely different person. And that just hit me completely off the tracks, because I couldn't believe my eyes. We walked in the park for a bit and then went our separate ways. I scrambled to check the app to check if I was tripping and maybe I just remembered the face wrong. But nope, it was a completely different person. I quickly deleted the app, never to use it again. I have never been on a date that resulted from a dating app match since and I advise you all to stay away from these apps too.

From: The yap machine

Could not shut that man up. I think I didn’t say more than 3 sentences the whole date. He just kept on going about himself. On and on and on. And believe me some details could have been left out.

To: Luis Figo transfer to Real Madrid

It was not supposed to be a date but a girl asked me to come study to her place. She was not doing well with the studies, so I thought I would be a nice person and help. When I came there she was there with her friend but she was sent away to get “some wine” and then I understood I am in trouble. Haven’t talked to her since. You should not put me in situations like these.

From: No head for you then I guess

Went on a date with a guy, spent approximately 2 hours with him. At the end of the date he said "you're a 10/10 when you don't talk but when you open that mouth it drops to 6/10"

I told her I hate men and she thought I was gay

Did not know it was a date. We were friends so I taught it’s normal to just do smth together when there is free time BUT NO. It took me 4 months to find out (from his 2 friends) HE SAW IT AS A DATE. And mind you I had not given him any signals. Like NOTHING. It was a simple: “Hey wanna see the new expose that everyones talking about?” and all of a sudden it is considered a date???

From: WTF

Went on a double date with my "boyfriend" at the time and my bestie and her bf. Vibes were good, everything was nice, we sat at a coffee shop and then went to the cinema. After the date my friend's parents pick her up to go home and I'm left with my "bf" and her bf. At this point I think that her bf will leave because why would he stay...

... Jokes on me, turns out he had a crush on me, so all 3 of us start walking home until my "bf" has to leave and I'm left with my friend's bf. I didn't know he had a crush on me then, so I just keep walking home, he follows me. During the 10 minute walk, he tries to grab my hand, wrap his hand around me and also kiss me???? From the shock, I fainted and he had to pick me up and take me home ON HIS HANDS. When I woke up, he said "you're so beautiful when with your eyes closed". What. Bye. Broke up with my guy, my friend broke up with that loser. 2/10, wouldn't recommend.

From: No beard = baby face

Found out he was 31 (I was freshly 19)

To: Came for a free meal

Long story short - only talked about himself, smoked non-stop, asked me to buy him a pack of cigarettes (didn’t have a card, BUT transferred me money), then suggested going to McDonald where he proceeded to get the most expensive meal (ofc the one WITH a card paid☺ he never transferred any money here), didn’t ask me a single question about me but DID ASK ME ON THE SECOND DATE. In fact several times through the next month even after re-posting another girl’s story which she captioned as «I love you bunny ❤ …» Truly exceptional experience!

From: Forever c*****g long

This one's a little NSFW. It ended up as a one-night-stand, but we met up, had dinner, went home and did the deed. Except the deed was like 5 hours. She wanted to cuddle for 5 minutes to a movie then f*** for a few and again. Repeatedly until like 4AM, that my downstairs buddy was so over-edged that it just gave up and never finished. Dropped her off at the mall the next morning.

To: Lost my mind

Once I decided to go to Africa with my friend...

...At some point I got quite bored in the hotel and when a man asked me out I decided to go to the city centre with him for drinks. Turns out it’s not easy to go out for drinks in a muslim country during Ramadan. So he brought me to his apartment and pulled out a stolen bottle of whiskey. How do I know it was stolen? It said “property of X hotel. Not for sale.” Whatever. By the end of the night we ended up in some ghetto where I was hearing gunshots and was surrounded by a few men wearing huge chains and sunglasses (at night).

When I got home I was so grateful I am still alive. I was 17… he was 32…. we went on a second date after this….

To: My first date ever

He wanted to meet me at Origo. This should have rang a bell. Not for me. To the date he brought his friend, so it was 3 of us. Both of them didn’t speak to me and sometimes it was just awkward silence for 5-10 minutes. His friend left and we went for coffee. I bought myself a coffee, he didn’t buy anything. I was fed up with him and said I have to leave.

From: Knowing that he wasn’t a smoker, wanted to light a cig just to get rid of him

Felt like i was talking to myself but he asked me on another one the next day

...Then he started writing me from his real account, and from the looks of it, he seemed like a cool guy, so we decided to meet up and jokingly suggested bringing a dog leash and a dog ball to the meet-up. Fast forward, we meet up at my apartment. He brought wine and ordered food for us, and we were actually having a super nice conversation

From: Kinky link

Mind you... this was my first date ever. We met on Tinder at first, he was writing me under a fake account. He opened the conversation with, "Can I be your slave?" and I went along with it for fun, replying, "Sure, I can take you out for a walk on a leash." ...

... Although at times, he would randomly ask, "So, when do we take out the leash and the ball?" and I would just laugh it off thinking he was just taking the joke further. But then he got really persistent suggesting we actually try it (i still thought as a joke) and so we did and it was VERY awkward. Afterwards, he would offer to massage my feet and then he started kissing them (I was still not taking any of it seriously). We repeated this three times until I finally realized that all of this was not just a joke to him...

The manifestation

craze: DOES IT REALLY WORK?

During the last couple of years, manifestation, a New Age phenomenon, has taken over the social media landscape. From eating twelve grapes under the table on New Year’s Eve to visualizing your ideal partner while listening to the so-called “love frequency” of 528 Hz –there’s little people won’t try in order to attract their dream life Skeptics wonder, is this simply a get-rich-quick scheme or is there some truth to the act of manifestation?

Manifestation is based on two pillars, the first being the Law of Attraction It is the spiritual belief that everything in the universe consists of energy and that whatever energy we put out with our thoughts will come back to us as either a positive or negative experience – like energy attracts like energy. It is easy to see where this belief falls apart, though Apart from lacking scientific evidence, the Law of Attraction is ignorant towards the instances where people are met with disease, accidents or trauma, things that they’ve hardly manifested for themselves. It can also inflict danger on those who suffer from severe anxiety, depression or OCD, as they might believe that intrusive, negative thoughts are true simply because they’ve entered their brain

The second pillar of manifestation is the Law of Detachment

To achieve your deepest desires, you must let go of the outcome and trust that your intentions will eventually come to fruition It is true that sometimes we become too focused on a specific goal that keeps us from noticing other positive ‘wins’ along the way However, completely letting go and relying on a mystical force of nature to grant us the life we want encourages passivity, a lack of actionable steps towards achieving our goals.

James R Doty, a Stanford neuroscientist, provides a more grounded approach to manifestation: “It’s not about asking the universe to reward you; it’s about rewiring your brain to reward itself.” Simply put, manifestation is similar to cognitive restructuring Thanks to neuroplasticity, replacing negative thoughts with more positive ones trains our brains to create new neural pathways that allow for a more balanced and productive mindspace free from stressful and obstructive thoughts This, in turn, enhances confidence and self-efficacy, which is arguably the most important factor when it comes to achieving your goals.

Text by Gunta Kroiča Design by Eduards Skudra

How we view ourselves and others is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Walking into a social setting with sagging shoulders, second-guessing everything you say and believing that you ’ re unworthy of success will likely leave the impression of an unconfident person and strip you of potential connections and possibilities. Entering with a smile, knowing your strengths and taking a risk, however, might result in your aspirations coming to life.

Ultimately, the effectiveness of manifestation depends on your approach. Daydreaming about living in a villa near the seaside and waiting for a million dollar check to appear on your doorstep won’t get you far. But building stronger self-belief, cultivating a positive mindset and putting in actual work might just get you what you want.

If you are “looking for a man in finance, with a trust fund, 6’5, blue eyes ” , firstly, SSE Riga is the right place to be. Secondly, here are some manifestation techniques you can try:

---Scripted journaling aka narrative conjuring ---Vision boards ---Affirmations

---Sensory anchors

AS A FINAL DIGRESSION, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT MANIFESTATION IS A PRIVILEGE.

A PERSON CAN ONLY AFFORD TO DIRECT THEIR MENTAL ENERGY TOWARDS BEING MORE POSITIVE AND ACHIEVING FINANCIAL, RELATIONSHIP OR CAREER GOALS IF ALL OF THEIR BASIC NEEDS ARE MET.

THOSE AFFECTED BY POVERTY AND CONFLICT DO NOT HAVE THE SAME LUXURY. THUS, I INVITE YOU TO VIEW THIS AS A TOOL TO ADD MORE TO NOT ONLY YOUR LIFE, BUT THE LIVES OF OTHERS AS WELL.

I attempted Andrew Huberman’s daily routine

Here’s what I learned

Prioritize a constant

I decided to stick to going to sleep at around 22:30 and waking up around 6:30. Moving from such a hectic sleep schedule to something so strict wasn’t easy at first, but you definitely get used to it. You just may need to set around 10 alarms the first couple of mornings.

Ensure proper hydration

ID ID ID ID D D DEAL DEAL DEAL DEAL

Article by Gunta Kroiča Design by Kristiāna Labanovska

As I’m sure many fellow SSE Riga students can relate, the last couple of months of 2024 really…messed up my sleep schedule. Late night study sessions, followed by scrolling on my phone in a failed attempt to quiet down anxious thoughts. Catching a few hours of sleep before waking up for an 8 am lecture. Still finding myself in bed at 1 pm after a night of partying. My body was probably more confused than Y1s are after an ME lecture. To remedy the obviously unhealthy situation, at the beginning of 2025 I decided to try out the science-backed daily blueprint created by Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist and associate professor at Stanford University School of Medicine. Here are some of my reflections on the suggestions provided in this blueprint. Huberman recommends going outside within one hour of waking up and looking at the sun for at least 15 minutes, as it increases your daytime mood and energy. Unfortunately, in the Latvian winter this would mean stepping out in the cold and staring into empty darkness. Therefore, I stuck to turning on the lights in the room and recreating a sense of daylight artificially. L i

During the morning period, you should aim to drink around 1 liter of water, which does feel really replenishing, but is probably not advised before a 3 hour exam if you can’t leave the room. In addition, you could add a pinch of salt as a source of electrolytes. I made the mistake of doing so with warm water – and warm, slightly salty water is vile.

Huberman’s daily blueprint suggests doing quicker, more rapid breathwork in the morning to increase alertness and energy, and deeper breathing exercises in the evening to promote relaxation. I found this to be really grounding and an easy way to get high on oxygen. If there are others around –warn them that this is you meditating, not having a panic attack.

A

timely dinner

According to the guide, it’s best to eat a carb-loaded, starchy meal 3-4 hours before going to bed to replenish glycogen stores and not to overburden your stomach. This calls for careful meal planning throughout the day and unfortunately means you have to say goodbye to late-night trips to the refrigerator.

Optimal sleep

Dimming the lights, turning off the computer, TV or smartphone screen and lowering the temperature in the room is necessary to promote relaxation before sleep. Reading a book is also recommended, preferably something light, not too riveting. The Macroeconomics textbook, perhaps? The exam is near…

DEAL DEAL DE DEAL DEAL

As the title of the guide suggests, this is merely a blueprint for how an ‘’ideal’’ daily routine might look like. Some people might feel more productive during the late hours of the day and thus choose to push back their sleep schedule. Apart from this, my main takeaway is that being consistent with your sleep schedule and giving yourself time to both fully wake up and fully relax before going to bed is crucial. There is no point in pushing yourself past your limit when the law of diminishing marginal returns tells us that there comes a point when solving that extra task just isn’t worth it and resting would be much more valuable. Good luck and no more dark under-eye circles in 2025!

Identity Interrupt

Written by Kristiāna Labanovska, designed by Patrīcija Blū

Did you have a sudden urge to change your whole lifestyle and aesth break, but ended up confused from all the infinite rebranding possi you watched an inspiring movie and decided to embody a certa situations are endless, but I am 100% sure that in the clurb, we all ha crisis at some point. But don’t be ashamed because it is CRUC development. It doesn’t matter whether you are an inexperienced los professional aesthetic hopper; I am here to help you navigate thr period of searching for your real self

New era of identity crisis?

To begin with, I must say that it is very normal for teenagers and young adults to develop an identity crisis, as “identity” itself is only created during the ages of 12-18, which is known as the time of mood changes and uncertainty However, in the last 5 years, especially with TikTok being so popular, these identity crises have become more frequent for many people. First, the overall number of trends has increased, making it hard to follow them along. Secondly, these trends are not only clothes, hairstyles or make-up looks. They come in a package with a certain lifestyle. For example, a clean girl aesthetic.

It could be a representation of slick back buns and Lululemon sets, however, it also includes Pilates every morning, 3L of water per day, and just a clean, balanced diet. It makes people believe that they must accomplish all the checkpoints of an aesthetic to be a real “clean girl” So, they change so many aspects of their life that they gaslight themselves into enjoying it, but soon after, commit to another aesthetic. And just like that, they have completely lost themselves.

Simple in theory, tough in reality

Sometimes an identity crisis comes simply when you feel insecure, discontent with your wardrobe or when a glow down is cases like media pla tend to and mo what oth It is no because, brands, hobbies, discovere rush to ge of real leads to c personalit influence or just a receive complime bravery o but in the long term, you start feeling like this new aesthetic does not fully represent you. Back to square one…

mentāle

you really are, and what aesthetic/look fits you the best.

what hair color makes you feel the most natural, and so on!

An identity crisis might not always seem like an enjoyable process, but it’s an opportunity to find the best version of yourself rather than settling for discomfort. Embrace the power of change, knowing that who you are today may not be who you are tomorrow.

Kisses, The Identity Insider

BELOW 35 EUR BELOW 35 EUR BELOW 35 EUR

Deep in Chocolate

Price: €27 00 per person

Language: English

Duration: 1.5 hours

Organised by: CAPS!

This hands-on masterclass invites you to explore the delicious world of chocolate, where you'll paint your own chocolate bar and a selection of truffles Get creative as you coat freshly made fruit, berry, and nut truffle balls in your choice of white, dark, or milk chocolate, then decorate them with an array of toppings - from fresh fruit and candied berries to nuts, seeds, or a touch of edible glitter. You’ll also have the chance to decorate your own chocolate bar, just like truffles, by toppings or sprinkles to complete your creation.

Make your own Plate: Glass Workshop

Price: €30.00 per person

Language: English

Duration: around 2 hours

Organised by: Glass Point

Discover the art of glass painting in a one-of-akind workshop where you’ll create your very own decorated plate. Learn time-honored techniques passed down through generations of artisans as you paint your design in just a few hours Get creative, unwind your brain after long days of stress or monotonous work. Also, after a relaxing and creative masterclass, your masterpiece will be ready for pickup in just a day or two, offering a truly unique souvenir to cherish

35 EUR - 70 EUR 35 EUR - 70 EUR 35 EUR - 70 EUR

Puppy Yoga in Riga

Price : €35.00 per person

Language: English, Latvian or Russian

Duration: 1 hour

Organised by: puppy yoga lv

Puppy Yoga is known as the ultimate combination of relaxation, movement, and puppy cuddles. Once you ’ re comfortable on your mat, a certified instructor will guide you through a series of gentle stretches and poses. Throughout the session, you’ll have the chance to interact with the puppies, showering them with love and affection between poses

Whether you ’ re a seasoned yogi or a beginner, our sessions are suitable for all levels This might be a good way to get a mix of both - physical activity and relaxation You’ll leave feeling happier, cuddlier and deeply connected to both yourself and the sweet puppies that surrounded you

Try real weapons in Riga

Price : €55.00 per person

Language: English or Russian

Duration: 40 minutes

Organised by: Walters Shooting Range Riga

Ready for an adrenaline-packed adventure? Head to Riga for an unforgettable shooting experience with expert instructors You’ll have the opportunity to fire iconic weapons like the Glock, Kalashnikov, Winchester, and Beretta Plus, you’ll leave with your own targets as mementos and plenty of pictureperfect moments to capture Safety and fun are guaranteed with instructors ensuring your time at the range is both exciting and secure If you ’ re looking to break free from the usual routine and try something new, this could be your choice! Whether you ’ re a first-timer or an experienced shooter (which, how are you?), it’s a unique and fun way to challenge yourself. So grab your friends, strike a pose, and prepare for a true routine breaker!

What

What do I do instead of scrolling ?

do I do instead of scrolling ?

The gloomy winter months and the muddy spring beginning might get exhausting sometimes, and many people tend to rely on the routine to get through them. For most of the time, it works, but there are moments when one wants and should add a splash of colour into their life. Try a new recipe, a new hobby or attend a masterclass to find a new passion.

I have found some options for the activities that most have never tried and that could serve as a splash of colour in the greyish day-to-day life. The list below is in no way an advertisement or a promotion. If none of these fit you, then find your own way to break out of routine!

Article by Arina Kosmaceva Design by Timurs Ragozins

THE EMPIRE THE EMPIRE CHORDS OF CHORDS OF

SSince leaving the movie theater after watching Gladiator II, I have started to understand why some people’s Roman Empire is the Roman Empire Having my social media flooded with Geta, Caracalla, and other Roman Emperors, I have discovered the Emperor Nero whose routine was more artistic than an average Roman ruler's. Aside from engaging with casual emperor activities such as colonization, homicide and incest, Nero’s daily life spanned to enjoyment of art and culture, especially music

He indulged in playing the lyre, even having hired professional musicians to tutor him; and of course the emperor sang along with the melody of the instrument According to the historians, his abilities never met his passion for music; unfortunately for the citizens of Rome, his obsession would not get left behind in his residencies, as he used to give public performances. «Public» is a strong word in this case because nowadays we get to walk by without paying attention to performers; but in the first century Rome, right during Nero’s reign, the emperor would make sure to lock all the doors and punish those who had the audacity to escape so that everyone would hear his magical chords

If hearing his music was a hell-like experience for the Romans, I can make it worse by telling you that Nero was fiddling with his lyre while the city of Rome was literally burning – basically making his citizens live through hell, and giving himself the title of Antichrist among Roman Catholics. In 64 CE when the Great Fire of Rome happened, Nero was singing about the fall of Troy as he watched the disastrous scene unfold from his residence After the fire Nero used an opportunity to build the Golden House where he set up a stage and performed frequently. Some historians even blame the emperor for the fire All the claims may or may not be fictional, but they undeniably make Nero more interesting (to me at least) Although, there are no sources that deny those theories either. The infamous story has even inspired William Shakespeare: he mentioned Nero playing the fiddle “as the cities burn” in his play “Henry III”

Another thing to add to Nero’s side activities is him being an Olympic athlete The emperor was generally obsessed with Greece and its culture, and he used his influence in order to insert himself where he did not belong - the Olympic games. It all started with moving the games from 65 CE to 67 CE because Nero wanted to participate in and win all major chariot racing competitions in one year. He participated in seven different races at the Olympics – winning all of them, and then getting all the wins annulled after his death because apparently he had bribed the judges. Besides ruining the games for the actual athletes, he added singing, lyre-playing and dramatic performances to the events Of course, the audience in Olympia had to listen to his performances and cheer as he collected the winner's wreaths. Throughout his life he obtained over 1800 wreaths being the victor and charitable person he was as he would give the Roman citizenship to the judges for appreciating his talent.

WWhat would you do as your pastime activity if you ruled the Roman Empire (extra curiosity if you are a sagittarius just like Nero)? I personally would not turn the Olympic Games into real life EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony), or allegedly burn my city down Finally, this is your sign to watch Gladiator II (yes, I know how busy you are but you deserve a 2-hour and 28-minute long break) and I guarantee that its soundtrack is much better than the one in Rome in the first century, no offence to our now beloved Nero.

Article by Anna Gogebashvili

Design by Timurs Ragozins

Love at First Woof Woof

I d o n o t b e l i e v e i n l o v e a t f i r s t s i g h t w i t h i n h u m a n s b u t w h e n i t c o m e s t o d o g s, I e x p e r i e n c e i t e v e r y d a y

What’s a casual stroll like for you? Every time I leave the house to walk to university, or just walk around, it is all the same –my beloved wired earphones in, a heavy bag (stuffed with everything possible) and the good old resting bitch face. There’s only one thing that makes me break the character during each walk: a dog. I can’t help but smile and say “ aww ” each time I see someone walking their furry friend.

For each dog owner, walking their dog is a chore (I am not a dog owner, so I may be wrong), but for those like me (avid walkers with no pets), seeing a puppy is usually the highlight of the roam. This blissful experience has been much different in Riga than back in my hometown, though. Fortunately, there are no homeless dogs here, and I have not seen a single cat besides the one in our university’s neighborhood. If we go back to my life a year ago, every morning would start with feeding my local stray cats – a mother and her kitten who would meow outside my windows until I provided food with the biggest smile on my face

Now I miss cats in general but random people’s dogs come close to filling the void (dear reader, if you have a cat, feel free to send me her/his pictures or invite me to your house). Another difference I have noticed between Riga and Tbilisi is that here people tend to have tinier dogs. Back home I would mostly run into humans walking their German Shepherds or Huskies but I literally have not seen any of these two breeds since moving here in August Most times the dog is too petite to even be noticed which makes it extra amusing, even when I am on my way home from SSE Riga at 9pm

Top five dog breeds to spot

They are tiny, chunky and cute. Allegedly they are problematic to have because they need to be constantly taken care of due to their genetics but it is iconic – they are high-maintenance princesses (or princes) Did you know that French bulldogs do not even originate from France? They’re actually English.

The Wiener Dog song plays in my head each time I see one Funnily enough, sausages are among dachshunds’ favorite foods

This dog is so loved and popular that a dachshund called Waldi was the first ever mascot in the history of the Olympic Summer Games By the way, shout-out to the most famous Dachshunds Leo Leclerc and the dog out of the homophobic dog memes

C O R G I D A C H S H U N D S H I H T Z U F R E N C H B U L L D O G

I would argue that I like Corgis more than Queen Elizabeth did Not only do they look like they come straight from cartoons, according to the Welsh folklore, they were fairies’ pets and helpers. And, in Welsh “corgi” stands for a dwarf dog, which may or may not make sense.

B O R Z O I

Also known as Russian Wolfhound. I have been obsessed since the day when my dad was trying to introduce me to dog breeds and told me that this is his favourite one I have seen a couple of them in real life and have been left fascinated by their lankiness A Borzoi called Lapsha from Canada holds the world record for the longest snoot (nose) – it is over thirty centimeters long

Honestly, I did not know these existed until my best friend adopted one. I had never known dogs could show off their character and attitude until I met that Shih tzu – according to veterinarians, this breed is indeed quite stubborn and hard to train In addition to all their blessed traits, they were the biggest enemies of the communist regime in the 1900s China due to their association to wealth and were almost wiped out.

NICOLAS’ & XAVIER’S

Boredom is not the end; it is the starting point of many roads Some are bumpy, some are muddy. Some are dreadfully straight, some others are on a slippery slope But all can carry you far away.

This playlist tells a story of boredom a collection of repetitive patterns and haunting melodies, converging toward the point of rupture. Will it ever reach that breaking point? Let’s see how far it can bend

Those songs are drawn from diverse genres (jazz-rock, electronic, post-rock, doom jazz). Some are energetic, others are calm, even meditative. The idea was to cover a broad spectrum of emotions. Morphine offers a groovy start, with slide at the bass Tasteless is the straight-in-your-face rock song of the playlist I had a lot of options here, but I went for a fairly recent band.

Then Future Islands helps to keep the energy flowing without the raw rage The band has very catchy compositions, with dancy basslines and an unbelievably energetic singer. The Cure is one of my favourite bands, so it had to be on the list. The choice was not an easy one I went for a classic: A Forest, in a live version Lost in Kiev is a French post rock band, in the same vein as Nostra. Insomnia seemed an appropriate choice for students who have sleepless nights, prepping for exams and reports. Then, the intent was to offer a small break to the ears with two quiet pieces. White Lake is a pure, beautiful, composition, a bit away from the usual darkness of the music style it is associated with (doom jazz)

The next song (Kodomotachi) is as simple as it can be and acts as a transition The closing tune is from Kiasmos (Faroe Islands-Iceland), which is known for melodic techno work Their self-titled album (Kiasmos) is simply brilliant

PLAYLIST

Design by Ilze Rasnača

G O S S I P S G O S S I P S G O S S I P S

Our beloved PS back at it again, showing off his signature moves on the dance floor. This time with none other than one of the election candidates

Y2s being absolutely scandalous by getting involved with Y1s

This party was insane. I woke up and every known IF topic has gone. Jejoue spirit for ever

after results were announced bitcoin dropped sharply, is it saying something to us about the new SA board?

Ex sports com chief getting cozy with our newly elected president RR Y1

RR y1 was too happy the entire party and was noticed tightly dancing with a Y2 who allegedly has a girlfriend

certain graduate P.S. still tries his old trick of dancing with all the y1 girls and hoping that one sticks

Bro who tf stole all the coats and left mine on the floor??!? Not nice

What was wrong with the alcohol at the bar???? At least 3 of my friends were feeling sick. Can’t we even afford a proper bar now?

chipi chipi getting that chapa chapa on the dance floor

SA 2024 Board had the best chiefs and the best board overall. Thank you guys!!

there is a house in new orleans, they call the hahahaha

K.T. Drunk his pain away because of not winning the presidency and got sent home

I do not understand the hate on our new P, she is really genuine and cares for the school, she will make it as a good president

Romija Roze will exceed expectations, she actually has what it takes (just a chill girl)

Miss Year 1 for the second time (soon third?;) didn't want to sell tickets at the door to the half empty party. Still got in though. Next time take the money and spend it on a math tutor

To all the dudes – please stop randomly grabbing girls by their waist when you pass by

the new board looks like a big disaster

Are the two lithuanians with glasses brothers? They look really alike, just saying

A lot of “bigfoots” spotted when they leave the soros auditorium loudly during a lecture/seminar. Really annoying.

Can someone tell me what is up with AV and IS?

we approached them with nothing but RESPECT. 070 was so sweet and willing the big headed bitch on the right had the craziest attitude nd she grasping onto shake like somebody tryna snatch her. girl relax. and bitch you ’ re not even fitted. like yk your new show just came out, you ’ re trending, your dad was just in court don’t walk around soho looking this crazy. trench coat buttoned to the TOP and these ballerina ass slippers. what’s going on? idk is she was coked out or what ????

a gentle reminder to y2's to let at least the majority of y1's leave Soros before you enter pls

a gentle reminder to y1s :) you ' re no better

not to be rude... but why can't we have all the formulas?

a bit random, but today I looked at the calendar and saw that the name day is for Dravis and Tenis. I first looked at it and read 'Davis Teteris' and thought, ‘wtf is going on??' seems like FE is kicking in

overanalysing 3 dec gossips for 7 hrs was hella exciting

Board of 2024 truly outperformed themselves!

Just looked through the SSE official IG stories No way that the biggest NPC was asked to talk about his experience.

And here we go, another year with an absolutely overrated com chief people really don’t know who they’re voting for

QA about interest rates felt like blind leading the blind

Someone whispered that MM has his eyes on one of the new librarians. Meanwhile, she handed E L a calculator leaving little room for doubt.

insider chief lowkey has a PHAT bunda

Bus Com chief has really stepped it up this year, awesome job, thank you!!!

BJJ lover permanently moved his seat in Soros, I guess he found a new hotter boyfriend

I.C. (Y2), stop gambling your tuition fees on NVIDIA stock Learn and apply some CAPM finally

RGSL president knew the answers. Not a birdie, that’s a fact

sse board got soooo cooked at the family feud, it was painful to watch, where was all the wit?

THE BIGGEST PROPS TO THE NEW BUSINESS

COM CHIEF!!! ILZE, COFFE IS INSANE, YOU ARE DOING AMAZING <333

dear students, if you go to the quiet library then shut the fukk up

Can the girl who puts her feet on the chairs in front of her stop doing that? Please have some manners

RK why the random girl? Should have been with me instead;;

D M quit the act everyone can see how fake you are.

FA Y2 was goiiing suuper crazy at the Valentines party He had immensible presence around him, so when he left, the party basically ended.

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

It's time for a change Want to throw out all the old stuff from your room? Throw it out, it will become easier to breathe Want to go to Paris for the weekend? Go Even if it's not Paris, you can just go to the sea in Jurmala

Everything will be fine, collect yourself, but moderate spontaneity will be exactly what will save you this month That way you will always accidentally end up in the right place at the right time

Aquarius Aquarius Aquarius

How to make this month not as hot as your mood? The stars told us that your abilities as a natural leader this month will be exactly what will save you so don t be afraid to use them

Responsibility this month will unexpectedly make your ardor subside and help put everything in its place What about conflicts?

Take them philosophically, you will think about the best solution tomorrow Love? Will come righ t after philosophical conflict-taking

Creativity is yours, pisces This month, self-expression in any form will be what saves you from the constant hustle and bustle around you Maybe drawing in the margins of a notebook isn’t such a bad idea if it calms you down? We think so too You ll feel very inspired, don t be afraid to express yourself the way you want

And here are the first lucky ones - the stars promise Taurus inevitable luck in studies and work in March, though you will have to really work your ass off to get all this, but if you invest properly - you, fucking lucky bastards, are simply guaranteed success

What can we say about love you don't even have to try what you need is already waiting for you on the doorstep with a bouquet of flowers

Dear Gemini, strength and intelligence in solving important issues is certainly wonderful but what can bring you real trouble this month is selfishness

No, it is not always healthy

Do not forget to be patient with the people around you, be it friends or loved ones

Sensual Cancers in March may face an extreme situation Everything can be overcome if you remain calm, and do not rush into anger and do not cry into your pillow under a tearful movie with snacks as the only solution You are stronger than you can imagine, show these bitches how it's done!

Pisces Pisces Pisces

Power and leadership - this is all yours this month, dear Leos One way or another, it is worth remembering - if people follow you, then this is not only a reason to be proud of your success but also a reminder of the responsibility that lies with you Be careful, because someone who is supposedly following you is a real RAT!!!

Leo Leo Leo

It's not typical for you, our beautiful pedantic Virgo s, but a lot of things have been put off until later In March it's time to get your ass out of bed and clear out that shelf of unfinished business

Whatever it is - work, study, personal life; if you calmly sit down and sort everything out and put it all in its place - you know yourself, your inner perfectionist will be as happy as if you just found the coolest vacuum cleaner in your life and vacuumed every corner of your room ;)

Virgo Virgo Virgo

In March Libra we expect a full-on dili dali and emotional swings There will be a lot of emotions, both good and complete shit, and sometimes it will feel like the fulcrum has disappeared somewhere In fact, many problems are imaginary, so if you analyze the situation thoroughly, you will understand that everything is not so scary, there is no need to burn bridges or tear and throw

This month, you will have a lot of energy, we don’t know maybe you drank too much Red Bull but the point is - there is a lot of strength but this does not mean that you need to do everything at once in one evening Save this energy for consistently goal achieving and do not waste your energy in vain, and then everything will work out

The same goes for your personal life - do not scatter yourself on everything around, even if you want to Do everything thoughtfully and calmly and then everything will be fine

In March, some kind of locomotive and a small cart of long-forgotten problems may pile up, you will need to strain yourself to settle everything But here's some advice from the stars - try not to strive so hard for perfectionism this month You don't have to always bring everything to the purest ideal, there's no point in that Sometimes you just need to relax and watch a series with your cat or whoever you live with

Dears Capricorn, we (kindly) ask to stop taking so much on yourself Take at least a little rest Nothing is going to be f*cked up without you on permanent duty You're good And fix your sleep schedule, please

Libra Libra Libra

Scorpio Scorpio Scorpio

W H A T I S Y O U R B E S T W H A T I S Y O U R B E S T

P I C K - U P L I N E ? P I C K - U P L I N E ?