The Insider October 2025

Special thanks to

Nicolas Gavoille, Xavier Landes, Morten Hansen, Elīza Beta Kalve, Elīna Bībere, Anna

Ģērmane, Katrīna Zingule and all the gossipers ;) and the beloved team of Insiders.

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

Hello, SSE Rigans! The leaves are turning colorful, the coffee is getting stronger, and your Google Calendar has just switched from “maybe to “maximum But no matter what, the Insider is back and ready to brighten your life up once again!

Talking about brightening up, this issue, we acknowledge the season of darkness, therefore, the theme is SHADOWS

Inspired by the eclipse season which challenged almost every aspect of our lives, we are ready to defeat all the shadows (a k a exams and truly terrifying schedules)

So do not fret, there will be some vulnerability, just for that little moment of weakness when you just want to feel understood But the best way to defeat seasonal depression approaching? Romanticizing it

In this issue you will get to know our dear librarian Dace, perhaps find a new favorite color (hint: think mustard), and even embrace your inner poet with our very own – Marta’s written poems.

As always, Morten has prepared a little something for us, too, and a new crossword puzzle is ready to get filled out! Associates of the month spread is back and do not forget to check out an exchange story from Katrīna or finance bros (and girls ) beloved articles from iFund! And, of course, we couldn’t forget about the most anticipated part of the Insider – gossips A little birdie told us they’re extra juicy this time :)

Enough talking about the issue, let it speak for itself. So remember - this autumn, do not hide in the shadows read the Insider hihi

Associates of the Month

Krišjānis Tamužs

Thank you for always being helpful Even though you are the Chief Accountant you have always been there to help the Alumni Committee In just a month you have proved to be an associate I can count on

Patrīcija Paula Linde

Without you the Alumni Insider would not be possible

Thank you for always being helpful, supportive and sharing fresh ideas and initiatives!

The GOAT

Bruv had beef with his tooth but still pulled up and backed the mandem man ’ s built different, real soldier ting!

Arina Hakele

Also GOATED

Margarita Harbachova

She was a big part of our Halloween video making and helped with the Boat Trip as well

Paula is the stepmom of exchanges, always making sure every exchange student feels at home

Elīna Kičigina

The Halloween promotion wouldn’t have happened without her She helped shape the video idea and brought it to life through design, editing, and a lot of creative energy

If there’s a quiz night, you’ll find Rudis there, the self-proclaimed guru of trivia and fun facts

She’s been a major creative help with designing the new basketball uniforms

A truly loyal associate - i wish every chief such a little worker - thank you Karli

When you get a call in the middle of Saturday from Davidsworrying that the B-Class Cabins are approaching a sold-out, you realize that there might be someone who possibly cares about all this just as much as you do Truly appreciate to be sorrounded by such caring and sensible people!

Romija

A FUTURE WITH NOcash ?

by Mor ten Hansen

a n s w e r. A n d I c a n p ro v i d e a “ n o” t o t h a t

q u e s t i o n w i t h t h e h e l p o f M i c ro e co n o m i c s ,

B e n j a m i n Fra n k l i n a n d V l a d i m i r Pu t i n .

But first a little stor y of the type that Y2 and Y3 were used to in my days.

I n t h e l a t e 1 9 9 0 s I w o u l d a s k : “ D o e s a n y o n e h a v e a p l a s t i c b a n k

c a r d ? ” A f e w h a n d s w o u l d b e r a i s e d . Ye a r s l a t e r I w o u l d a s k : “ D o e s

a n y o n e N O T h a v e a b a n k c a r d ? ” A f e w h a n d s w o u l d b e r a i s e d . M o r e

r e c e n t l y , I c o u l d a s k : “ W h o u s e s b a n k c a r d s m o r e t h a n c a s h f o r p u r c h a s e s ? ”

A l s o h e r e , t h e r e h a s b e e n a s h i f t f r o m c a s h t o c a r d s – f i n a n c i a l i n n o v a t i o n , a s w e

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

f o r a n o t h e r d a y .

B u t w i l l t h e u s e o f c a s h g o t o z e r o ?

N o ! A n d t h i s i s w h e r e m i c r o s t e p s i n U s i n g c a s h , a b a n k c a r d , y o u r t e l e p h o n e , R e v o l u t o r B i t c o i n

a s a m e a n s o f p a y m e n t a r e s u b s t i t u t e s b u t i m p e r f e c t l y s o C a s h a n d b a n k c a r d s a r e f i n e ( e a s y , c h e a p , f a s t ) i n R I M I , B i t c o i n n o t s o S h o u l d t h e E d i t o r - i n - C h i e f a t T h e I n s i d e r c h o o s e n o t t o p u b l i s h

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

B i t c o i n w o u l d b e s m a r t p a y m e n t s d u e t o t h e i r a n o n y m i t y w h e r e a s a b a n k c a r d o r a t r a n s f e r w o u l d

b e s t u p i d s i n c e t h e y w o u l d l e a v e a p a p e r t r a i l .

B u t w h e r e i s c a s h s u p e r i o r t o b a n k c a r d s / t r a n s f e r s / y o u r p h o n e ?

r c o u l d b e : “ G i v e n t h e t h re a t o f h y b r i d w a r, w h a t s h o u l d h a p p e n t o t h e d e m a n d f o r c a s h a n d w h a t , i f anyt hing, should happen to t he money mul t ipl ier?” Can’t wait to see if it should materialize as a question … i s t h e q u e s t i o n Th e I n s i d e r w a n t s m e t o

E n t e r, f i r s t , B e n j a m i n Fr a n k l i n , p a r t - i n v e n t o r o f e l e c t r i c i t y C a s h m a y b e o l d - s c h o o l f o r y o u , b u t i t i s r e a l l y c o n v e n i e n t w h e n a p a y m e n t s s y s t e m i s d o w n , b e i t y o u r b a n k ’ s c o m p u t e r s y s t e m , V I S A o r w h a t e v e r o r i f t h e e l e c t r i c i t y s u p p l y h a s b e e n c u t o f f T h a t ’ s n o t s u p p o s e d t o h a p p e n , y o u m a y s o m e t i m e s d o e s h a p p e n d u e t o b a d w e a t h e r o r m a l i c i o u s p l o t t i n g o f h y b r i d w a r, i e e n t e r V l a d i m i r P u t i n D u e t o h i m a n d h i s CARD inter ference, holding on some cash is a ver y rational choice Prepping!

I n f a c t ,

m a c ro e x a m q

s t i o n n e x t y e

Where Does The Scholarship Money Come From?*

The 27th of October marked the celebration of the annual Scholarship Ceremony at SSE Riga It was an event dedicated to recognizing academic excellence and the generosity of the community. It was a special occasion when scholarship supporters,

including the Alumni Association, had the opportunity to present the scholarships to the most talented and hard-working students. The Alumni Association supported SSE Riga students with more than €44,000 worth of scholarships this year, but this might raise a question. Where does the money actually come from? The answer is simple, it 's fundraising. Therefore, let 's take a closer look at some noteworthy and memorable fundraising campaigns.

Let ' s Be at Sta nford

What were you doing during early 2010s?

At that time, the Alumni Association together with then DDB Latvia (now MAGIC Agency) decided to prove to everyone that SSE Riga alumni are not worse than those of world's top universities That 's how "Let 's Beat Stanford" campaign came to life. While competing with Stanford's multi-billion endowment fund would be quite unrealistic, there was another frontier how to beat them. Alumni engagement .

Many universities have their own mascots, and for a few years SSE Riga had its own fundraising mascot and symbol of alumni unity: Hardy Rock (as they say, " Study hard, party hard"). During the campaign, when alumni engagement reached the same level as an international university, it was framed as SSE Riga mascot winning a fight against another university's mascot As more and more alumni donated, Hardy Rock was able to beat the mascots of other universities, until finally the alumni engagement surpassed 35%, reaching a total of €220,000 in donations At the end Hardy Rock won the battle against the famous Stanford Tree, the mascot of the Stanford University.

IQ Fund

It is no secret that SSE Riga is the school of business and finance. For that reason, why not make fundraising campaign look like Wall Street? That was the idea behind the IQX , the first charity stock, developed by McCANN Riga . For 2 weeks SSE Riga alumni had a chance to compete among themselves about who will be the largest shareholder of the charity stock . While it all started with €10 per share, after 2 weeks of investing, the stock price reached €25. In just 12 days more than €83,000 were raised to fund students.

While this time there was no mascot , an economics expert was asked to explain to alumni such a concept as supply and demand - Morten Hansen, then the Head of Economics Department at SSE Riga and a beloved professor who has inspired generations of students.

These initiatives showcase more than just fundraising. These are examples of how to turn financial support for students into a competitive game that unites the community. Each euro raised is a proof that SSE Riga alumni are still an active part of the community and continue to support current students.

* While there are scholarships funded by other donors and entities, this article covers 2 campaigns organized by the Alumni Association of SSE Riga .

A R T I F I C I A L

I N T E L L I G E N C E :

WILL JUNIOR ANALYSTS

D I S A P P E A R ? D I S A P P E A R ?

Since the release of ChatGPT, the first user-friendly large languag numerous discussions have arisen regarding which professions wil redundant soon. Most mentioned are junior positions, whether in development, creative, or finance. According to Bloomberg, since 2023, entry-level positions have declined by roughly 35%, while the F shows that almost 1 in 20 of recent college graduates are unemployed that has been on the rise since April 2022.

Artificial intelligence excels at simple tasks, such as basic market and sector analysis, comparisons, data extraction, and financial statement analysis.

These tasks, often preformed by interns and junior analysts, can be done much quicker by various AI tools at negligible costs and without much additional investment Additionally, employing artificial intelligence instead of people reduces the workload of more senior roles, which must oversee and mentor the younger employees, as it allows them to learn more on their own while improving their marginal productivity, which is a great cost-saving mechanism.

In the same vein, AI allows employees to take on broader or more complex responsibilities, as they can build on their existing expertise much easier. Furthermore, it reduces the need for office space, healthcare, and other costs associated with having employees, increasing the financial performance of the company without much change in its operational capabilities. Due to these benefits of AI, we will likely see the biggest increase in AI utilization in the largest corporations with extremely bloated headcounts (think of bulge bracket banks and big four companies), where the savings in time and money will be the biggest and will hurt upcoming finance graduates the most.

However, there are serious drawbacks related to the AI transition.

dditionally, employees often use several fferent tools simultaneously, which also bloats e storage and hardware needed for such a enture. Furthermore, AI will never be able to ke responsibility for its actions and outputs. While juniors are interested in performing well, s it might lead to promotions, AI does not care hether the answer it gives is correct and lacks e qualities needed to validate its own output.

While junior analysts might not possess the nowledge and authority needed to make mpor tant decisions, they are able to critically nalyze their own work and spot mistakes and screpancies before presenting their findings. Lastly, no tool is fully autonomous, and AI is no exception Someone must dedicate their time to prompt, adjust, and verify each output that the tools produce. Therefore, in the end, it might be cheaper to have a junior analyst doing the needed work rather than someone senior ensuring that AI is not hallucinating (in some cases, AI hallucinates almost 80% of the time)

But the big question remains: Will junior roles in finance go extinct?

The biggest problem is confidentiality, as AI trains on your input to generate better answers for other users. This, in turn, could lead to sensitive data leakages. To circumvent this, companies can create a local version of a chosen model that is completely offline, but this is a technologically mighty task to accomplish and maintain

Rather, we will see a drastic change in tasks that people in junior roles perform. Additionally, we will likely see a shrinkage in the available junior roles, as they will be less focused on technical skills and much more on employees’ ability to think critically and their intrapersonal skills Instead of spending countless hours collecting data, analysts will likely focus on interpreting data, creating visualizations, and developing actual skills needed for further career progression

In all these tasks, AI tools will become indispensable, as they will ser ve as mentors, allowing juniors to learn quicker, better, and to keep up with the rapid pace of the finance world. In the end, we will likely see much more efficient companies with teams made up of much stronger analysts who have the potential and skillset to make it big in the finance world.

Article

by Adomas Cvilikas Desgin by Ance Aināre

REAL ECONOMIC COST OF U.S.

THE REAL ECONOMIC COST OF U.S.

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

The most trending topic in the U.S right now is the federal government shutdown But many people don’t fully understand what that means, how it affects ordinar y citizens, and - especially relevant for SSE Riga students - what consequences it carries for the U S economy

Beginning October 1 2025 (with no end date confirmed at the time of writing), the U.S. a shutdown

ho hold a 53–47 majority) and Senate Democrats nding resolution for the upcoming fiscal year, causing ut of legal authority to spend money.

To put things simply, the two major parties could not settle on how to allocate taxpayer funds, as in practice, major spending bills need 60 votes in the Senate to advance. Democrats in particular pushed to preser ve Affordable Care Act tax credits and prevent deep cuts in Medicaid, while Republicans insisted on a so-called “clean” continuing resolution and resisted tying funding legislation to broader policy changes. So, what happens now?

During shutdown, agencies that rely on government funding stop receiving cash.

As a result, agencies must suspend “non-essential” operations and send hundreds of thousands of federal employees home without pay. Others who perform essential work, such as air traffic controllers, border agents, and militar y personnel - must continue working but are not paid until the shutdown ends. It is to be noted, that not the entire government “stops”, as necessar y personnel are still obliged to show up to work, social programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid keep running because they receive money from separate, permanent funding. The main question remains:

How does this affect the U.S. economy?

To understand the potential impact, it is useful to examine previous shutdowns and what can be inferred from them. Since the start of this centur y, the U.S. government has faced three shutdowns, excluding the current one in 2025. The two most significant occurred in 2013 and 2018-2019

The most recent shutdown, in 2018-2019, was the longest in U.S. histor y, lasting 35 days.

A dispute between Democrats and Republicans over funding for the U.S.Mexico border wall placed a heavy burden on the economy. The Guardian estimated the total cost at $11 billion, while the wall itself was projected to cost around $19 billion. The shutdown also delayed $18 billion in federal spending and left roughly 800,000 federal workers without pay.

What can be expected now?

According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, the 2013 shutdown under the Obama administration lasted 16 days and reduced real GDP growth in the fourth quarter by 0.6 percentage points - an estimated $24 billion loss. Much of this came from missed paychecks and delayed fees, with at least $2 billion attributed directly to lost productivity from furloughed workers.

It is crucial to highlight the key point, that the GDP losses from pre shutdowns were relatively modest for an economy as large as tha the United States, and recover y typically followed quickly once th government reopened However, this time may be different In pa shutdowns, nearly all federal employees eventually returned to th jobs. Now, according to BBC, President Donald Trump and his administration have suggested that many of these layoffs could b permanent. Such a shift would carr y far more serious implication both the U S economy and financial markets

For now, only simple deductions can be made GDP to contract by roughly 0.2 percentage po shutdown c

With the econom potential impac effect of this go only after oper known whether through on its p federal workforc as a reminder t costs beyond W

Article by Benas B

Design by Marga

YOUR FACE

The average person sees around 3 million different faces throughout their lifetime.

Almost ever y single one is unique and different, so the world is filled with roughly 8 billion unique faces Here I would like to split the number in half without the involvement of extermination. Meaning - what if ever y person on Ear th had an identical twin?

Twins are quite a rare occurrence, with the overall being 1 twin bir th per 40 bir ths However, identical twins are born much more rarely - 1 per 250 bir ths. This ar ticle will explore the case where the probability is 1 per 1; ever y bir th produces identical twins All other biological variables still maintain the same structure: fingerprints are individual, personalities are unique, etc. How would the world operate in this scenario? Would we be at the same level of advancement? Maybe fur ther?

Star ting from the ver y beginning, taking into account that here we explore humans through Dar win’s theor y of evolution, most probably the early humans/primates would not make much use of the fact that each of them has a twin In addition, many children would grow up without a twin due to the fact that mor tality at bir th and later in life was at a ver y high level An interesting point to add is that population growth would most probably be twice as large, at least up until the point where humans develop higher intelligence and realize that it is not optimal to have so many children, at which point we would tr y to conceive less

Christopher Columbus - were his brother also dedicated toward exploring the unexplored, they might have split up and discovered both Americas at the same time. Columbus 1 would go to Nor th America and Columbus 2 - South America, respectively.

Ivan the Terrible - he might have had a kind-hear ted twin, resulting in a good cop, bad cop scenario. The good brother would have hopefully succeeded in stopping and over turning his Terrible brother Ivan Perhaps Russia would have turned out to be a normal countr y

Marilyn Monroe - say her twin sister was not at all interested in becoming a wonder ful and worldrenowned musician The consequences would not land at Marilyn’s feet, but at her sister ’ s She would not be able to walk to the store or the cinema without having to deal with large crowds of super fans tr ying to extract information about her famous sister In addition, much worse things could happen, such as abduction by some manic admirers of Marilyn.

Many of the assassinations of prominent public figures could have been avoided, since it would’ve been discovered that, for example, the twin brother of President Lincoln could attend all public events disguised as Abraham. If the twin brother of Archduke Franz Ferdinand attended the infamous motorcade in disguise, there might have been a chance that the assassination was not carried out, due to the assassins not being sure if they were targeting the “correct ” Archduke. Result - WW1 could have star ted later, shaping a different future for the 20th and 21st centuries

This, of course, is all just speculation. But what about today and tomorrow?

If your sibling was more clever than you, the amazing chance of paying them to write an exam in your place could be one of the greatest feats, as there is no way of distinguishing between the both of you Would it be a possibility though?

To compensate for the large number of doubles walking the streets and conspiring

to do something mischievous, the government might have come up with a more scrupulous system to distinguish between the twins of the world Fingerprint collection and eye iris scanning would be an integral par t of crime prevention all over the world.

So, cheating on exams or blaming a bank robber y on your twin wouldn’t turn out as a plausible solution to your problems

SEEMSFAMIL I A R

Having explored the amazing fantasy of a “twin world,” we find ourselves back in reality - only 1 in 250 bir ths and so on

OCIXEM SETARBELEC EFIL

ARTICLE BY ALEKSANDRA KIOPA

DESIGN BY ANNIJA GAILE

Turning the Day of the Dead into a true celebration of life is a tradition uniquely and unmistakably Mexican A wild festival filled with the sound of guitars and trumpets, while

THOUSANDS OF “RESURRECTED” SOULS OVERTAKE THE STREETS

- nothing surprising here This is Mexico celebrating Día de los Muertos On this day, everything turns upside down: night becomes day, cemeteries become the liveliest places in town, the living dress as the dead, and the dead - come alive

DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS,

or the Day of the Dead, takes place over four days from late October to early November It’s celebrated all across Mexico, but its most heartfelt and authentic celebrations are often found in smaller towns, where the tradition remains close to its roots Falling in the same season, Mexico’s Day of the Dead and Halloween may seem similar at first, but they differ substantially in essence October 31, Halloween’s Eve, is a dark and mysterious night, thought to bring out demons and creatures of horror At the heart of it is a celebration mainly defined by its theatricality and the exciting fear of the supernatural

Yet in Mexico, it is said that on this night

THE VEIL FALLS AND THE GATES BETWEEN THE WORLDS OF THE LIVING AND THE DEAD OPEN,

And if you want to truly experience the magic of this celebration, create your own unique costume with marigolds and painted skulls, or simply watch the James Bond movie Spectre’s opening scene (first 4 minutes), because it shows the Day of the Dead in such spectacular style that

EVEN MEXICANS HADN’T THOUGHT TO CELEBRATE IT QUITE LIKE THAT BEFORE BOND DID.

Because of this unforgettable scene, set in the heart of Mexico, many people assume that the Day of the Dead parade actually looks like that in real life By choosing to film on location rather than in a studio, the filmmakers filled Mexico City’s streets and the historic halls of the Gran Hotel Ciudad de México with over 1,500 extras, transforming the heart of the city into a living movie moment

Notice how the scene captures the dusty midday of Mexico City With smoke floating through the streets, it lends the Day of the Dead an almost surreal edge, as if the festival exists somewhere between reality and dream, giving it an otherworldly air.

A rather obvious question is: out of all the colorful festivals and celebrations, why pick the Day of the Dead? And equally intriguing, why did the film’s director, Sam Mendes, choose to open the movie with it? In fact, this is not just another vivid introduction where James Bond stays true to himself with a custom-built Aston Martin, elegant women, and his usual order of vodka martini. This time, he makes his entrance as a walking skeleton, accompanied by a true Mexican beauty in a distractingly stunning purple dress

allowing ancestors to reunite with their loved ones again Compared to Halloween, the Day of the Dead is a celebration of life more than ever On this rare day when the past steps into the present, the whole city becomes alive, with church bells ringing, candlelight glowing, and altars shining It’s vivid, musical, and fiercely alive Doorways and streets are filled with bright orange flowers, their sweet scent guiding spirits back to the home - proving, by contrast, that it’s the living, not the dead, one should fear

Following the movie premiere, Mexico saw a surge of tourists eager to experience the festival shown on screen However, the exaggerated celebration in the film differed substantially from the traditional Day of the Dead, which is typically a quiet and calm occasion spent with family and friends But with the sudden wave of interest, the Mexico City government wasn’t about to miss the chance, and soon the cinematic version of the festival was brought to life Since then, it has turned into an annual event featuring a parade inspired by Spectre

The depth and symbolism of the scene reveal that Bond’s battle with the mysterious organization SPECTRE is, at its core, a confrontation with his own ghosta phantom that has shadowed him throughout every film, unnoticed, yet serving as the true cause of his losses and tragedies. “The dead are alive,” says the film’s opening. The Mexican festival, rooted in the belief that death is merely a transition from one life to another, indeed depicts that the connection between the living and the dead carries on without interruption, reinforcing the idea that the past is still intertwined with Bond’s present This beginning prepares the audience for the realization that everything that follows is deeply connected to what has come before

And while James Bond meets his ghosts as usual with vodka martini - shaken, not stirred - the Mexicans prefer sticking to their old traditions and greeting their ancestors with pure water - or in some cases, tequila

THERE’S A SPECIAL KIND OF MAGIC IN GOOD TEQUILA, BUT IT IS NOT ALWAYS NECESSARY TO WAIT FOR THE DAY OF THE DEAD TO FEEL IT.

Article by Anna Gogebashvili

Design by Margaret Kartusov

M U S T A R D

Beyond being a famous line in a Kendrick Lamar song,

I would say that mustard is a much underrated condiment which often suffers from being in the shadow of ketchup, mayo and many other locally beloved sauces all over the world. A mustard aficionado, I have decided to write this article to show some justice to this glorious relish; and you, my dear reader, get ready to read the word mustard so many times that by the end of this piece its existence and spelling will stop making sense to you just like for me whilst writing.

Mustard is what elevates ever y sandwich, burger, hot dog, salad, any form of beef/pork/chicken, pastr y (especially pretzels) or even dessert; and the best part about it is that there are various types of mustard seeds with different flavors, which makes it the most versatile condiment Yellow mustard –goes with ever ything, dijon mustard –perfect for vinaigrettes or desserts, whole grain mustard – is a cherr y on top of charcuterie boards, honey mustard – an impeccable dip and the list goes on It can be mild, spicy, hot and never not flavorsome and mouth-watering

Mustard’s ability to fit into so many dishes isn’t new — it’s been impressing palates since prehistoric times.

It has been a kitchen staple since the Stone Age, to the extent that the Vatican employed an official mustard maker in the 11th centur y. Mustard was a part of culinar y experiences for the inhabitants of Sumer, Egypt, Ancient Greece, the Roman Empire and now, we – 21st centur y humans are also lucky enough to cherish this magnificent condiment.

It is worth mentioning that mustard’s powers have gone beyond enhancing dishes, and it has been used as medicine. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, avowedly used mustard in poultices to relieve muscle pain Apart from that, it can be used to heal respirator y (lung) problems or as a skin protector for babies, immunity booster and so on.

And even if you are healthy (I hope you are), you can still tr y out mustard tea either by pouring hot water over black mustard seeds or purple-leaf mustard leaves; or simply by mixing in either dijon or honey mustard into your regular cuppa (adding milk on top of that is perfectly fine as well)

Mustard is much more than a sauce added to a hot dog, it is histor y, medicine, fashion, culture, a state of mind.

You must have heard of the mustard yellow color which became famous in the 1970s and never left people’s wardrobes It has managed to conquer high fashion as it is never seen at fashion weeks as designers often use it as a pop of color thanks to its elegant shade. Even in today’s pastel and clean beige girl world, mustard yellow remains more popular than the butter yellow, according to fashion magazines and major brands’ FW ‘25 & SS ‘26 collections. At this point, it is a classic – I mean, even Anna Wintour wears it

Mustard is cool enough of a condiment that it paved its way to fashion.

It has stood the test of time and never disappointed its enjoyers So next time you are choosing a sauce for your sandwich, a salad dressing or want to cook/bake something yourself, make sure to use the condiment, the seeds of which Tutankhamun took to his tomb to soothe his afterlife.

Living La Dolce Vita in

ITALY

Article by Katrina Zingule

Design by Patricija Nora Blumentale

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Article by Kārlis Šadris

Design by Marija Izinkeviča

One Hannibal Lecter once said:

“ Therapy only works when we have a genuine desire to know ourselves as we are not as we would like to be”.

It is unclear to me whether inspiration is truly found or created, but I know it often comes from the most unlikely sources. So it is no surprise to me that this quote I hold dear to my hear t comes from a fictional cannibalistic murderer.

Living for yourself is a concept I’m still getting acquainted with. It seems quite logical that since you are the one living your life, it is most impor tant to live it in a way that best fits your needs and wants. However, it is also in the nature of us as people to care about others and tr y to ensure that our friends and loved ones are as happy as possible In a per fect world, these two coexist and a healthy balance is struck, but I have found myself struggling with this a lot I have caught myself living for others for quite a significant period of my life In this ar ticle I will delve into my ongoing process of unlearning this, which, I hope, may help others dealing with the same situation.

In this ar ticle I define living for others as consistently prioritizing the needs of other people and placing their happiness above yours Quite a simple definition of a complex process that I’m sure a lot of people have lived through Whether that be through a relationship that forces you to change yourself and adapt your life fully to another person, losing yourself in the process or friends that don’t quite fit your needs and don't understand you. The reasons for feeling this way are near endless and can range in terms of their severity. One thing all these reasons have in common is that they, in one way or another, make you put others ahead of you. Maybe “make you ” isn't the right terminology here, but it is true that once it becomes a par t of your ever yday life, it feels like you have no choice, and it is just how you live your life from now on

Now, of course, it isn’t bad to sometimes “take one for the team” or do what others want or need instead of primarily thinking about yourself, but it can never become your way of life Living for others and not leaving space for yourself can spiral and become a huge source of unhappiness You are the center of your own existence, and it should never be another person that dictates how you talk, feel, think or handle yourself. Hence, here’s my plan of how I tr y to live for myself.

First,

your parents did their best to raise you right, but the truth is, no matter how much they tried, they still f****d you up Whether you realize it and choose to acknowledge it is up to you, but we all are pretty messed up, and it is bound to come out in ways that are not intended Now, this doesn't mean that your parents are bad, or you should feel like a victim To various extents, this has happened to everybody, and it’s up to you to deal with it. Navigate your feelings, unlearn some unhealthy ways of thinking or doing things and work on continuously being better each day you wake up, which is the best you can do How does this relate to living for yourself? Well, I see creating a base of understanding of where the deep-rooted issues in your life come from as the first step to start living for yourself.

Second,

nobody is coming to save you. There will be no magic person that enters your life and puts everything in its right place. It is entirely up to you. Of course, help from your friends, family, a significant other or even a therapist is very much welcome, but at their very best they can only support you, give you advice and listen to you. No doubt that these three things are super valuable and necessary to live an enjoyable life, but it doesn’t change the fact that it is up to you to make improvements in your life and change the way you think and do things

Third,

it is important to set boundaries with people. You need to be vocal about your needs and what you need from other people Good communication not only builds healthy relationships, but also makes your life better and easier This doesn’t mean being a control freak in your relationships and friendships, but letting people know when they do something you don’t like or overstep a boundary of yours Don’t let others step on your head, but don’t be an a**hole about it, there is a respectful and cool way to go about this

Fourth,

it is important to realize the fact that feelings don’t kill you, but ignoring them does It is completely fine to put on some Radiohead, cry and scream into your pillow. This especially goes for men, who tend to be the ones that are most guilty of ignoring their feelings Ignoring how you feel and bottling it up eats you from the inside and eventually comes out in ways you didn’t intend It can be selfdestructive behaviors and thoughts or treating others in ways that you would not want to be treated yourself. Negative feelings tend to sneak up on you when you are ignoring them and there’s not much you can do to hold them back when they build up

Fifth,

you need to stop chasing people that treat you like a side quest That goes for friends and potential romantic partners Yes, everybody should primarily look out for and think about themselves, but being there for others and making time for people that are important to you is a trait you should work on and expect your friends or partner to work on as well The age of nonchalantness is dead, and you should be happy that you care and others care too.

Last

and most important to me, you don’t find yourself, you build yourself. I absolutely don’t believe in the concept of finding yourself, I think it is a form of wishful thinking that we have for some reason normalized. Yes, that month-long trip to Asia may give you new perspectives and give you time to reflect, but without working through your thoughts and emotions actively, not much good will come with it in the long-term Being happy is a process that requires constant upkeep and, without working on it, it will never last, and you will continue to live in huge boom & bust cycles.

Combining these six pieces of advice, I think, sets out a good basis for how to live for yourself and live well. Of course, you can’t always be perfect in all of this, and I am nowhere near perfect with this myself. The important part is to just keep these things in mind and adapt them to however you see fits you best Remember, most of the time it isn't that deep and the world isn’t going to end if you have a bad day or fail, some days are just about getting through it and maintaining your sanity

To close out this article, I just want to remind you that you are not alone. There definitely is someone you know that is going through quite a similar situation or similar thoughts as you are and sharing how you feel with them can do you a world of good. Live for yourself, but don’t be a loner, make time for others and try to do right by yourself Love your mind and it will love you back With that being said, I thank you for your time, dear reader

DDESCRIPTION ESCRIPTIONChecklist

SSHADY HADY JJOB OB Checklist

Job hunting is basically speed dating. Employers love to dress up soul-crushing tasks with shiny phrases like “dynamic work environment”, “flexible hours”, and “family culture”. The language sounds polished and seducing, but half the time it’s just a veil that covers the long hours, small

pay, or the tasks wants to take on.

nobody

IS ANYONE HIRING?

or students stepping into the job market, reading between the lines in such listings becomes a sur vival skill. Read this before you send in that CV:

“WE

We might be a family, but are you sure it won’t be a toxic one? Although the “family vibe” might be a poor description of the annual teambuilding, most likely, you will have to choose between the office and your ACTUAL family. Making “ we are a happy family” the motto of their team often means the company is intending to take advantage of employees’ time and completely ignore the work-life balance

UNDISCLOSED SALARY RANGE

Nobody should settle for the “competitive pay ” blah-blah, and neither should you! The company would not hide the pay range if there was nothing to hide, right?

Not to mention, the guys are probably breaking the law, as many countries have adopted pay transparency laws And if you are in the EU and are feeling extremely nasty, you can report the salar yless job listing as being illegal (refer to the EU Directive 2023/970).

VAGUE WORDING

Does the employer even know who they’re looking for?

A lack of clarity can mean disorganisation, or worse, that you’ll be expected to be a jack-of-alltrades that does a whole department’s worth of work under one job title (and is still paid as a single employee). Great for the company ’ s bottom line, but your time and health are at stake here

Also, when applying for a position with a vague description, the worst case scenario is being scammed. According to the Federal Trade Commission, Americans were scammed out of 763 5 million dollars due to fake business and job opportunities in 2024. So if the listing seems too shady - ditch it for your own safety

HIGH TURNOVER IN THE POSITION

You know, it’s like a guy who shows up with a new girl ever y other month. Would you date him with the hope of something long-term? Probably not. And job listings, in this aspect, are just like men Keep in mind the body count and the turnover rate, that might tell you a lot about how long you’ll be able to last in that position yourself

A RIDICULOUS SALARY AMPLITUDE

On top of the previous point, the job ad might be completely legal, but still not make any sense. If the promised pay is somewhere between 12.000 € and 100.000 € a year, that is one big red flag Because we all know what’s gonna happen. Negotiating anything higher than the minimum amount listed is gonna be a humiliating and a complicated process.

LACK OF BENEFITS

It’s the “Why should we hire you?” question, but reversed Ideally, the company should care about its employees And if the description reminds you of a prison more than of an office - save your time and don’t fall into that trap.

Writer: Arīna Kosmačeva Design: Rebeka Rumbēna

DACE CIRULE

ENDEARING MEMORIES AND STUDENT TESTIMONIALS

Always having those little snacks on the table. Love her

I once asked Dace if she had a particular book. She said she didnʼt but would order it anyway, even though I assured her it wasnʼt necessary — sheʼs such a sweetheart and genuinely cares about her job, SSE Riga is lucky to have her!

She congratulated me on my nameday :)

Heart of the library -- Anonymous

She gave me pills from the headache when I had a hangover. And it

helped me

She always knows what to say to make you feel valued.

One time, when I was sick and coughing a lot in the loud library, she offered me and made me tea. She is the sweetest person ever and it always makes my day, when I talk to her.

V OICES FROM TH E SHADOW

TH E STORY BEH I N D

‘’H EROES’’

Article by Anete Tīkmane, design by Patrīcija Nora Blūmentāle

This issue, I wanted to talk about the inspiration behind one of my favorite songs – “Heroes” by David Bowie. The song was released in 1977 and became one of Bowie’s most powerful and enduring works. It was recorded at Hansa Studios, located just a

few hundred meters from the Berlin Wall. The song was written as a layered track produced on the mixing desk, afterwards prompting inspiring lyrics. Bowie focused on the feel of the song as his main priority. Living in a divided Berlin deeply affected him - a city split by ideology, barbed wire, and fear, with millions of families living in shadows on the East side of the city.

An incredibly emotional performance of the song occurred during one of Bowie’s concerts in 1987, that took place at the Platz der Republik Festival in West Berlin. The wall itself acted as a backdrop for the performance. And eveneven though the concert was held for those on the “lucky” Western side, thousands more gathered on the Eastern side of the Wall, listening and singing along from behind the barrier forming a haunting and beautiful sound. ‘’Heroes’’ was played as a true anthem of the times, or as David Bowie himself describes, almost as a prayer. The echoed voices singing about the division of the city and living in the shadows of their Western neighbors could truly stand as a metaphor for the silent souls that existed as shadows of their former selves for half a century.

w people know that the ics were inspired by a real ene Bowie witnessed tside Hansa Studios. He w one of his producers, ny Visconti, kissing a oman by the Wall - a mple act of love set gainst one of history’s most famous symbols of paration. The song ’ s lines I, I can remember / anding by the wall / And e guns shot above our ads” - were born from at moment. The lovers’ kiss became a quiet rebellion, and their love story symbolized everything the Wall tried, and failed, to destroy.

For millions, “Heroes” represented more than just a song - it was a symbol of hope and human resilience. People all around the world understood the context behind the lyrical piece, describing longing for freedom, connection with others and, above all, love in the midst of destruction. Even now, with the current political events around the world, the song continues to echo through modern struggles for liberty and unity. It reminds us that heroism doesn’t always mean grand gesturessometimes, it’s simply about standing together in defiance of the walls that divide us.

When the Berlin Wall finally fell in 1989, crowds gathered in celebration, breaking through the concrete that had imprisoned generations. East and West Berliners were reunited and an entire nation that grew up in the shadows was able to shine once more. As fragments of the Wall were carried away, “Heroes” found a second life as an anthem of triumph and reconciliation.

CAN WE STOP PRETENDING THAT WE ARE humans?

Ar ticle by Iurii Simuchenkov

Design by Kristiāna Labanovska

What is it to be human?

Meaning, to be a person, to have an ‘I’ that we and others refer to.

A question that I often myself dismissed as ‘too philosophical’, but it was exactly that, philosophy. However, philosophy an area often classified as a ‘science’ isn’t that, because science exists even without an actor that studies it Imagine for a second that all humans suddenly stop engaging in science; nothing else changes: physics still works, so does chemistr y, and even economics, since prices are still there However, philosophy ceases to exist Hence, the question of what philosophy even is, arises Some philosophers, including Immanuel Kant, described it as ‘Criticism of cognition’, which, put in simpler words, means criticism of criticism, because cognition is the process of assessing something or thinking critically

But cognition is only a product, it can’t be the object of philosophy So what does it study? The answer that Hilar y Putnam gives is the ‘I’. The ‘I’ is exclusively defined by responsibility If there is no responsibility, then there is no ‘I’ What Putnam means by responsibility is the conscious choice of giving a f *** about something, essentially anything we include in ourselves: ‘I work at ’ is the responsibility we carr y at our job; ‘I think that ’ is the responsibility we bear for our opinions; ‘I play/read/watch ’ is the responsibility of our actions and their impact on ourselves. What can be better defined in that argument is that Hilar y means conscious responsibility, which differs from responsibility in general by acknowledgment

Some years ago, I read The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger, a classic There, the main hero, a teenager, is tr ying to find his place in the world. His dream is to ‘ save children running through a field of r ye from falling off a cliff,’ a metaphor for preventing children from growing up, as they tr y to find out who they are and what they do Essentially, searching for their ‘I’, a process that quickly descends in many people into losing their soul, their inner child The process of it is natural, a person tries to understand whether they themselves and their opinions hold any weight A desire to be noticeable and meaningful, at least for themselves. But it is easy to end up fitting into society, effacing oneself, through conscious responsibility for things that aren’t actually needed Hence, a faulty definition of an adult can be made: an ‘I’ meaning a person who holds conscious responsibility.

These two paragraphs seem to contradict each other: to become a person, an ‘I’, one must hold conscious responsibility, however, this process often leads to forgetting the inner child, the basis for choosing the conscious responsibility, causing the person to lose their ‘I’. And it can also be concluded that a child or a teenager doesn’t have an ‘I’, as they don’t bear the conscious responsibility for ever ything But it is important to agree that the last statement is wrong A teenager has an ‘I’ louder, stronger, and brighter than any other age It is not important if they show it or not, the fact that it lives in them is the main idea At the same time, a teenager is a person who starts taking responsibility for themselves, as the school gets heavy with homework, people become more conscious and the relationships between them become more and more complicated, they are yet to find out the norms of society beyond ‘don’t touch a person ’ s crotch ’

A desire to be noticeable and meaningful, at least for themselves. But it is easy to end up fitting into society, effacing oneself, through conscious responsibility for things that aren’t actually needed.

A teenager does have responsibility. However, some of it isn’t acknowledged, whether the child is responsible for poor performance in school or whatever else So, not ever y responsibility is conscious and hence isn’t a part of ‘I’ A teenager is able to drop a responsibility if it isn’t vital, excluding it from their ‘I’ not because they have figured it out, but because they haven’t yet been lured into adult life The ability to say that something is unconscious is what teenagers possess and exactly what adds to their ‘I’ It is an exchange of an unconscious responsibility of something for a conscious responsibility of not acknowledging something. And as the responsibilities grow, as a teenager gets older, they have an opportunity to exchange them for that natural conscious responsibility of not caring about this particular thing Obviously, all of this article isn’t there to excuse offensive behavior by not acknowledging, this thought is set exclusively in oneself, and by accepting that no being from birth is inherently evil, we can continue Exactly what ruins the ‘I’ is the overflow of conscious responsibilities, which are more forced upon one by others or one ’ s own desire to fit in with the others.

Exactly what ruins the ‘I’ is the overflow of conscious responsibilities, which are more forced upon one by others or one ’ s own desire to fit in with the others.

Since all of us are saying that we want to be kids again, that we can’t lose our inner child, we have to understand that there is no way to reverse the process of getting more responsibilities. The damage has been done if one wants to call it that There is a thin line between being a child by actions and an adult by soul, and that is just the line which one should be walking So, to find this line until it ’ s too late, one must drop the weight of taking responsibility for ever ything that touches them That is to give space to a lack of responsibility for something

This is exactly what makes one human a seemingly faulty idea of not taking conscious responsibility However, it gives you space, more than just leeway, to be

So, here are my 5 rules to be human.

1 Be you

2 Smoke cigarettes

3 Take conscious responsibility

4. Leave conscious space for no responsibility

5. Break at least one of these rules.

HUM

Article by Vlada Dzene Design by Elīna Kičigina

Have you ever thought about the smell of autumn? If so, what could it be? Let me guess: is it the scent of pumpkin spice lattes, apple cinnamon candles, or cr ying over deadlines while listening to fall playlists featuring indie songs? Nevertheless, all of these little things speak about how we shape autumn vibes But here’s another question: Which cultural phenomenon do you associate with autumn? For me, the answer is more than obvious – it’s Twilight movies!

I’m clearly not the only one who associates this wonderful time period with Twilight This sparkly vampire cinema is not just a movie that you watch and forget straight after - it’s a legendar y stor y, memes of which appear in your TikTok FYP ever y autumn. No matter the year, no matter the cinema field with many trendy movies and series, this franchise completely refuses to fade into the shadows So why does this happen, and what’s so special about this piece of art?

If you haven’t heard of the Twilight movies - no worries! Here is a small recap of all the main events that might help you through this article (TW: cringe and cliché in the most brilliant aspects of these terms). The movie follows Bella Swan, a teenager who moves to Forks and falls in love with Edward Cullen, who turns out to be a vampire. Their relationship is threatened by rival vampires, and things get messy with Jacob, Bella’s bestie, who is secretly a werewolf. The saga is all about supernatural love triangles, drama, memes, oh, and most importantlyglitter y vampires (sorr y for team Jacob…)!

After making sure you’re familiar with the Cullen chronicles, let’s explore why autumn and Twilight are so closely linked!

Atmosphere and Aesthetics Atmosphere and Aesthetics

Now, imagine Forks, Washington: rainy skies, misty forests, and muted colors –complete autumn-core All these vibes might make a viewer assume that the love stor y (cringey but iconic) is permanently set in October. October is said to be the most autumnal month; therefore, it’s not a mistake to say that Twilight has the most autumnal vibes as well!

Seasonal Mood Seasonal Mood Mood

What do you think autumn's seasonal mood is about? For many, it’s about shorter days and longer nights, as well as shadows. People tend to lean into darker and moodier content during the fall I suggest that it is the prime time to romanticize vampires and werewolves. If autumn had a relationship status, it would say: “It’s complicated – with Edward Cullen ”

Pop Culture Cycles Pop Culture Cycles Pop Culture Cycles

Autumn also means Halloween, the only acceptable occasion when you can dress like a vampire without looking like you ’ ve just lost a bet During this period of time, vampires and werewolves are at their peak of popularity, which makes Twilight both hilariously meme-worthy and strangely relevant ever y October Like let’s be for real: nothing is as terrifying as Edward’s glitter reveal in the sunlight.

Nostalgic Rituals Nostalgic Rituals

When do you usually become sick of the phrase “back to school”? You’re right, it’s autumn season once again! Many people discovered the eternal cringe classic in middle/high school; this means that rewatching it feels like a seasonal tradition that evokes a sense of nostalgia

Gen Z Culture Gen Z Culture

Gen Z adores nostalgia cycles: edits of hot characters and memes about dialogues and replicas that don’t make any sense are not only cringey but also ver y comforting. This is something that is called “cozy cringe core,” and it appears while rewatching things that feel silly but nostalgic. Basically, Gen Z took Twilight, said that it is both trash and treasure, and made it the autumn personality of the internet.

Someone might state that Twilight is just a phase that will be forgotten as soon as new iconic movies are released This might be a fair point, but personally, I don’t see this happening At the end of the day, this cultural meme-machine isn’t just a trend, it’s a pop-culture phenomenon that’s been haunting us for 17 years straight Even without recent movies or books, the continuous loop of edits and memes is unstoppable Twilight is the franchise that never dies – it sparkles forever!

FOR THOSE WHO ARE ALWAYS LEFT ALONE.

For those who are always waiting for the next day, for the next time…

Sometimes it may seem as though we have forgotten you that we overlook your potential, or even choose to walk past you without a second glance But that is not the truth It is our weakness, our blindness, our unwillingness to pause and truly see You were never invisible, only we refused to open our eyes

I know I am par t of the problem too. I’ve tried to change truly tried but it feels like pushing against an invisible wall. Each step for ward slips away, and the weight of old habits pulls me back. It is unbearably hard and at times it feels almost impossible. As hard as to set foot in a foreign ground where ever y step feels questioned, where the silence of the unfamiliar presses against your skin. And it is hard, achingly hard, to trust someone new, to place your hear t in hands you do not yet know, to believe that this time it might be safe

I could be wrong We all could be extremely wrong about you since what you reveal is only ever a fraction of what you truly are, and what remains unseen may be the most impor tant par t of you, the quiet truth of who you are

Sometimes, in dreams, I hear your whisper—soft, unguarded, carr ying warmth and love that asks for nothing in return. A love willing to hold me gently, yet give me space to breathe. In that whisper I feel your patience, your quiet strength, your wish for us to become more than we are now. In the late hours of night, I hear your silent cr y, the pain you hide when no one is around.

We have grown so used to seeking the same familiar traits, the same easy characteristics we ’ ve learned to live with, that we have begun to turn away from someone unalike Slowly, without even noticing, it became routine a quiet habit, a system we never questioned What once was a choice has hardened into a norm But in this comfor t and shelter of a familiar ground, have we made you invisible? In expecting only what we know, have we treated your otherness as a burden rather than a gift? Does it feel as though we are using you, taking only the par ts of you that ser ve us, and leaving the rest to be forgotten? Your differences are what make you unique. They are what make you special. And though we have failed you before, we will tr y to change.

Our dear 4th row in Soros , please forgive us we see you now.

Ar ticle by Ruta Svarcbaha, design by Karlis Dzirneklis

the story of black ducky the story of black ducky

1. Who had the idea for a student marketing agency? How did it appear?

It all started with Marius – he had the original vi

student marketing agency

w

iends

quite quickly. From there, things began taking

and

hing,

w

s even on a kayak! We also held elections for t

chief

sit

s and st

king on the concept, the name, and everything el

2. Building a brand could not have been easy. What were the first, most crucial steps?

The first step was understanding the concept – deciding what kind of agency we wanted to be. Were we creative, focused on social media, or something else entirely ? Next – defining our values, knowing what we stand for and what we don’t Then came building the team and structure Finding the right people was key – people who were excited, rel iable, and understood the mission After that, we worked on strategy - figuring out our positioning, value proposition, and what made us different from others. Finally, we put it all together – we imagined a big docu

3. What would you have done differently? What mistakes did you make?

sy to “go with the flow, ” but the hard part is staying consistent. Once you drift away from your concept,

difficult to get back on track

4. What is needed to build a solid brand identity? What are Black Ducky’s values?

The most important thing is having a clear value proposition – people need to immediately understand what you’re all about Once that’s set, everything else follows People genuinely care

5.

How did you go about positioning Black Ducky among other SSE organisations?

9. Would you say you

8.

T H E D A R K S I D E O F

P R O D U C T I V I T Y

It star ts with a to-do list Then another. Then a color-coded calendar, a habit tracker, a motivational podcast whispering “discipline over motivation” while you ’ re brushing your teeth Somewhere between the bullet points and the Pomodoro timers, productivity stops being a tool and becomes an identity which promises light but quietly feeds on darkness

romanticized the grind The f a laptop at midnight, the up of coffee, the caption ads “ no days off ” under a collage of study session photos We post about our achievements because they’re proof we exist, because stopping feels like falling behind But what happens when the pursuit of efficiency star ts to eclipse ever ything else?

The modern world has turned “busyness” into a currency When someone asks how we ’ ve been, we answer “busy” as if it ’ s a badge of honor Rest has become suspicious, almost shameful. But beneath that constant motion lies exhaustion, and beneath exhaustion, a quiet kind of loneliness Because when you define your wor th by output, you star t to lose sight of who you are when you ’ re not producing

There’s a line somewhere between dedication and self-erasure, but it ’ s hard to see when the light is so bright That ’ s the eclipse - the moment when your drive blocks out your sense of self. You forget what made you star t You forget that you were a person before you were a project.

Per fectionism hides behind productivity. It wears the mask of ambition but speaks the language of fear, whether it be the fear of being ordinar y, of being forgotten, of never being “enough ” Ever y small victor y fades into the next task. You can’t celebrate; you can only keep going The irony is that the more we chase control, the less of it we actually have Productivity promises order but often leads to chaos that lives in your mind, disguised as progress

Social media only deepens the shadow Ever y success stor y, ever y “morning routine that changed my life” video, becomes a mirror reflecting what we lack We compare our behind-thescenes to someone else’s highlight reel, and the result is quiet despair disguised as motivation. We chase optimization But not of happiness or purpose, instead, some illusion of per fect efficiency. As if the right system could finally make us feel whole

Ar ticle by Amanda Graudiņa Design by Marija Izinkeviča

But no one tells you that productivity has a cost It trades presence for per formance It teaches you to fill silence instead of listening to it You stop noticing the world around you, like the way the air smells before rain, the way your thoughts wander when you let them Even rest becomes scheduled: self-care is reduced to a 15-minute slot in Google Calendar.

Sometimes, the most radical act is to stop. To sit in the shadow instead of running from it To admit that rest isn’t the opposite of productivity but what makes it sustainable The world will not collapse if you take a break Your wor th won’t evaporate if you spend a day doing nothing

There’s also the loneliness of always being “at work”. You fear slowing down because someone might outpace you Friendships become networking oppor tunities. Eventually, you realize you ’ ve optimized yourself into isolation The truth is that productivity culture thrives on insecurity It feeds on the idea that we are unfinished, that if we just worked harder, woke up earlier, read one more self-help book, we’d finally have reached the end goal But there is no finish line There’s only a constant sense of almost - almost good enough, almost done, almost happy

The eclipse passes, eventually. But it leaves you changed You star t to see that balance isn’t about per fect time management but about giving space to both light and shadow There’s beauty in imper fection; in the messy par ts you can’t improve Productivity can coexist with peace, but only when you remember that you are not a machine You are a person tr ying to make sense of a world that keeps telling you to work harder

So maybe real work is learning to pause, to breathe without measuring the breath, to create without needing an audience, to rest without guilt. The goal isn’t to shine brighter, but to learn how to live in the soft light after the eclipse.

my raw SHADOW

ple word a letter like a sound

d of being

ng er of ego ter to ego

tart of a sentence le of e of “I’s” are not simple W

I f T a

There was no peace under the angry crowds.

No peace in quiet streets, my o fields.

We all know we die…

Today my soul died and wanted herself

And there it was-

A quiet place to feel love again

Between southern wind and cra

A quiet place to feel alive,

To taste salt on my tongue,

To catch sun on my skin-

My transparent skin

And there it was-

A quiet place

This is where I want to die.

Under the sunshine of paradise

Under the sands of my life.

I have taste of YOU at the back of my throat and it makes me sick

At nights YOU occupy my body and there is no time to breathe. It makes me sick of myself

And I wish it was YOUR fault But somehow, I am the one Always loving in the wrong way Waking up sick to my stomach.

But at nights I want to feel safe. Is it too much to ask? To feel secured and loved.

I have never asked for anything more. Even to YOU

But tonight, this last time, I’m begging YOU: hold me in your arms and wish me goodnight.

were just a tale. peated tale in my thoughts.

n why do you linger, h night in my head, e monsters set up r traps in my bed? y start talking to me

n I close my eyes, n no one ’ s around, shadows surround my soul.

y whisper to me, I begin to believe, ese fragile stories re my mind traps itself. better, I’d rather aught in your arms. belong to the night, he darkness, he stories untold…

Broken things have such a sad beauty, and maybe that’s why you called me beautiful after the sunset.

I was reflecting the golden tones against your cheek, but all you did was call me broken. And you…you ’ re beautiful, but you ’ re empty. No one could die for you.

You thought you could love just because you wanted to be loved. That’s how you killed me, that’s how you shattered my soul.

So better breathe inside my skin, where I can see your lungs, and kiss me till I fall asleep, where I can see us in my dreams

Crossword by Rūta Švarcbaha

Design by Elīna Bībere

DAY, A.K.A. BLINKAND-CHANGE DAY

LECTURER OF THE AUTUMN SEMESTER

PLACE THAT INEVITABLY MAKES YOU SLEEPY

LOVER

SSE RIGA CLOSING HOUR (SPELL IT)

LOFTBERG’S BOTTOMLESS SYRUP

GIVES OUT CANDIES AND NUTS AND EVEN A BOOK IF YOU REALLY NEED ONE ROOM

"SONG OF THE LECTURE" AUTHOR (NAME)

Special shoutout to two y1 girls Anastasia&Annija, who were first to complete last issue's crossword

T h e f i r s t t ra c k i s a re m i x o f

D e p e c h e M o d e by Au s t r i a n d u o

K & D, a s l ow " e n t r é e e n m a t i è re "

fo r a n o c t o b e r m o o d . T h a t

a t m o s p h e re i s d e e p e n e d by a

t u n e o n a n eve r - a g e i n g t o p i c

( i m p o s s i b l e l ove ) , I s t I s t w i t h

E m i l y fo r a nyo n e fe e l i n g i n t h a t

s p i r i t . T h e t h i rd i s f ro m t h e

C h o l o - G o t h i c p ro j e c t –

P raye r s – w h i c h i s m i x i n g d a r k

m u s i c a n d t h e c h o l o ( i e

M ex i c a n - A m e r i c a n g a n g )

c u l t u re. I t i s q u i t e o r i g i n a l a n d

a b o u t s o m e o n e m ov i n g i n t h e

p e n u m b ra fo r b e i n g n o t i c e d

T h e n , Tyc h o o f fe r s s o m e re s t

w i t h S p e c t re ( g h o s t ) .

Design by Anna Gogebashvili

Next is a French artist, Thomas Fersen, who describes an absurd love story between a bat and and umbrella. His work is quite delicate and contains beautiful and funny lyrics The last songs supply a break from voice with the US postrock band Explosions in the Sky, with The Fight (what else shadows are if not a fight of light against darkness?). The famous Scottish duo Boards of Canada follows, with an appropriate title for the coming Halloween. The final tune is from the Norwegian, originally black metal group, Ulver (Wolves), which closes the shadows. – Xavier

Nicolas’ a n d Xavie r’s Playl ist

We s a t d ow n o n t h e ro o f, w i t h a

p e r fe c t v i ew t o e n j oy t h e s h ow.

T h e m o o n wa s p a l e a n d s l ow,

l i ke a n eye t r y i n g n o t t o b l i n k . A s

t h e s h a d ow b e g a n t o s l i d e

a c ro s s i t , t h e a i r c h a n g e d , t h i c k

a n d e l e c t r i c . A s o u n d d r i f t e d u p

f ro m s o m ew h e re, m ay b e a

m e l o d y, m ay b e a m a c h i n e. I t

re m i n d e d m e o f t h o s e fa b l e s we

h e a rd a s c h i l d re n , t h e o n e s t h a t

m a d e u s a f ra i d t o l o o k o u t by t h e

w i n d ow a t n i g h t . T h e m u s i c

c a r r i e d t h a t s a m e q u i e t t e r ro r,

s o f t a n d b e a u t i f u l , b u t w i t h

s o m e t h i n g w ro n g h i d i n g

u n d e r n e a t h . T h e m o o n ke p t

d a r ke n i n g , t h e s o u n d g rew

d e e p e r, a n d fo r a m o m e n t I

t h o u g h t t h e s t o r y m i g h t s t a r t

a g a i n t h i s t i m e w i t h u s i n i t .

- N i c o l a s

Y2 Y2

Attend Vjaceslavs lectures

Watch Kostjas recording at 2x speed right before the exam

Insider when someone asks smth about gossip page before its published

Can your initials be added in the gossip page? Y1:

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

why were there two girls wearing wigs in pubtour??

looks like K.Š. and M.K. have found the spark

new y1 lithuanians actually talking to other people? impressive

AK and KP still my favorite couple

y3 R.K. is moving like menace, stealing everyone’s girl/boy

Many Y1 guys are quite the womanizers

shoutout to the guy in the leather jacket pulling mad dance moves

y1 M R really scored with the blonde baddie by his side

some people acting like they're compadres giving orders to the team smh

R.R. was going for a Year 1 lad on the dance floor like she hadn’t eaten in days

O L was wilding on the Sinners dance floor

This years Y1 has the hottest blondes ;)

I didn’t break my foot guys…

Seems that PubTour can be more than just about drinking For some, a long time coming romance may be imminent. Spoilers: K.Š. and M.K. fina lly happened!!!! We have been waiting for more than half a year, what a great success! If only the man was not leaving for exchange…

LF sitting on his couch mad af writing hate gossips about the same girls over and over again.. come up to us, it’s not like someone would harass you

A certain Y2 was seen crying after pubtour, I think someone cheated on them

a certain LF should be banned

some chief was seen vom iting all over the place, i think some vomit got inside someone’s drink

It looks from the side that PP does not know that the exam will not be in russian

PP, pop quiz: why are seminars in english? a) because it’s an international uni b) because everyone needs to understand c) all of the above :)

Hi to everyone from rgsl reading ; )

RGSL dodgeball playbook :

1 Not handing the ball over when they are supposed to

2 Creating a blockade that prevented the light from parked cars to shine on the SSE side of the playing field, limiting visibility.

3. Proceeding to turn on flashlights in this blockade, while screaming “lets shine the light in their eyes”

Its clear to see which school has a core value of integrity

Girl, really out here hitting on guys with girlfriends? Babe, I did not sign up to see those t*****s ag ainst my will. Please, hun, get your s**t together ”

R M J and certain y1 girl best couple ever?

that y1 girl running for sports com chief? making promises left and right and still no results, if you said you’d show your t**s for votes, babe, we ’ re still waiting

I’ve gotten to know KL, JA, RS, and LL a lot better this past month, and honestly?...

They’re the sweetest girly pops ever So glad to have such gi rls' girls in this school!

The backyards were straight gas

y2 P D and R S had the most legendary beer pong performance, absolutely insane

The mushroom man touched me, vomited and fell asleep with his eyes open. Necrophilia vibes :)

Get a life guys and stop talking about other people, its better if you spend that energy for something useful

someone did not sleep in their own bed AGAIN

Those Year 1 girls had the same energy as a 10th grader discovering vodka for the first time.

Guys please do some interesting gossips this time Spill the tea

Both Ps going for the same guy, such s****y activity

certain y1 SHOULD BE BLACKLISTED

certain y1 girl should not be that loud, like wtf

Is certain y1 the next LF?

certain y2 and E.. unexpected duo honestly, no wonder he looked like he wanted to vanish du ring y1 impressive t**s stunt

certain y1 was doing boys left n right in backyards

That girl banging on someone’s door at backyards 6am pissed me off ngl, couldn’t sleep even tho I wasn’t at the same house

All y1s guys are such p*****s when it comes to girls

SSE got some athletic weapons.

I swear I saw some y1 butt naked dude walking from one room to another in the third house. What a fun night for him must ha ve been at backyards

The double standards in this whole drama is pretty shocking - if that was a guy, he would be banned from all events for a pretty long time...

I truly miss Morten

A certain y1 got so messed up and woke up next to their friend

A certain JeJoue chief pulled 2 girls, and spent the night with both of them

A certain y1 should skip the next few sse events

A certain y1 has found another one. What is he gonna do when there are no blond girls left for him?

certain org chief and an alumni from perkulators getting WAY friendlier than just friendly in backyards ;) is this their new recruitment tactic?

y1 doing complete nonsense and then can’t even take responsibility for it

Never expected to be stared at by a random stranger for a whole 1 minute while sleeping… Lock those doors guys, there are some creeps here

Volleyball gender proportions should be adjusted

There is a German exchange student called J who have a huge gyatt

The RGSL president was badmouthing our P and VP and SSE Riga as a whole to Y1s Have some manners, our P and VP would never RGSL is beefing with a wall

A certain y1 guy went crazy with multiple girls, but they say that he also has something with M.L (shooters gonna shoot). All this resu lted with a certain girl being forced to publicly apologize for

In the night certain y1 guy went for quantity over quality

we have the best VP ever they should run a second term fr

Spotted: Trouble in paradise or should I say on the dance floor? Our goldenhaired PB and the macho brunette thought they had the spotlight, but turns out the stage was way more crowded. Enter a certain y1, all smiles and snuggl es on his shoulder, while poor PB’s eyes said what her lips couldn’t And just when you thought it couldn’t get messier, blond swoops in and steals the last dance with the guy. Did sparks fly after the music stopped? The whispers say yes, but a girl never spills all her secrets… :) Until next time, darlings.

XOXO, your one and only gossip girl

Why people don't even check what a committee/organisation does before they enter an interview. And the lack of confidence or personality in the interviews is shocki ng. Not sure how some of Y1s got through SSE interviews...

G K don’t you have a girlfriend

Some certain 2 individuals should deal with the consequences of their own actions not go crying to everyone claiming that they “didn’t say that” or hoping people will forget and make special exceptions for them just because of their gender

One girl was falling for R.R. (literally)

A certain y1 went crazy with t hat girl who was too drunk and got touchy with a lot of guys. Later he changed to a blonde about what she was not happy and wanted to fight with the blonde

You might think you can stay out of the gossip page, but that won’t stop people from uncovering your little secrets. Those alumni room convos you denied? And all those little events you’d rather erase? Don’t count on them being forgotten so easily

A cert ain org chief what’s your problem? Always side-eyeing girls like they’re about to steal the attention you want from the guys you surround yourself with

I miss Morten so, so much Even though we ' re studying econometrics, the statistics part of it just reminds me of him and what a wonderful lecturer he was how well he could teach any subject in a fun yet incredibly knowledgeable way Hands down, the grea test loss for SSE Riga

just love how fake this uni is.. all smiles in your face and then s**t talking the second you turn around. pick carefully the group to s**t talk, bby.

shoutout to Y1, ticking nearly all discriminatory boxes some people better not even show their faces on the elections...

AH has literally the most artificial laugh, so annoying

V O Is such a stupid monkey

y1 blond and a certain Y2 c aught going out...

They say never mix business with pleasure But evidently, a little birdie told us ex-flames are managing the same risk again, now reunited in one board; hence the volatility. SSE never disappoints - some assets perform better together, don’t they?

Insider gossips are dying And one of the biggest reasons is that all gossips are spread already before the release…

And another reasons gossi ps are dead - all those people who extract themselves from gossip page YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL, darling!!!!

i think y1s misunderstood the meaning of networking

Certain y1 and RM005 have something going on

“Kas skaitys tas gaidys” is a best line of ibiza disco

turns out it’s not just a certain org board still holding a few ex-bonds in their portfolioSA’s gone bullish, opening high-volatility positions with zero diversification the market’s heating fast and everyone’s watching to see which flames will rally… and which ones will quietly liquidate…

XOXO, gossip girl

RŠ, come on, do better than GDiddy

y2 J L and y2 R S were going at it at the dance floor, unexpected collab

I.D Y2 has gotten so much prettier this year

The P’ duo was wilding

Our tall blonde macho Y2, who’s been quite the sensation among the Y1 girlies lately, seems to have made his choice - and surprise, it’s not a Y1, but a Y2 girlie who caught his eye once again.

PH is so two faced it’s actually embarrassing

The best part of drunk debates was G.Z falling on his butt and losing aura

Rumor has it P.B. attempted a complete dating scene takeover on the boat - four boys in two nights But witnesses swear she got genuinely clingy with one particular brun ette.

RGSL BAPTISM EK from SSE Riga and his RGSL girl have been serving serious couple goals since the start of Y1. Everyone thought they were the perfect match. Study sessions, cozy moments, and just the right amount of hallway sweetness to make the rest of us jealous But things might not be so perfect anymore At the recent RGSL baptism party, things got a little too interesting. One Instagram post has everyo ne talking. In the photo, EK’s girl is in the arms of another RGSL guy. And not just any hug. He’s holding her with confidence, her arms around his neck, both of them smiling like they’ve just won cutest couple No EK in sight No awkward looks Just full-on comfort and vibes. So naturally, everyone’s asking the same thing. Are EK and RGSL girl still together, or did the baptism party just reveal a new roma nce? Maybe it’s just a friendly moment Or maybe we just witnessed a soft launch Don’t believe it? Go see for yourselves

XOXO, Gossip girl

word on the corridors is that a fiery debate has been going around - who’s the real catch: Lithuanian or Estonian guys? sides were taken, passionate arguments exchanged, reputations defended. yet amidst all this Baltic rivalry, one group remained painfully absent… Latvia n guys. not a single mention, not even an honorable nod and i can’t blame them - most often you can see why!

When is the Insider x Je Joue collab? Chiefs seemed extremely friendly if you know what I mean!!

kostjaaaaaaaaaa, pleaaaasee come baaaaaaaackkk

un fact: Anyone can wear a friendly face Not-so-fun fact: That friendly face might be taking notes for the other team. Snitches get stitches.

one girl partied a bit too hard and I heard it ended with a trip to the doctor Know when to switch to water, people

The P’s, our favorite chaotic duo, sweeping the halls for action. Later seen barely making it to their apartments. The walk of shame came early.

I regret everything i did may god forgive me

Really missed RM on this trip.... :(

certain y1 and RM005 really over :(??????????

I am pretty sure I saw certain member of the board getting touchy with 16yo estonian

Even God on steroids could not create a thing more annoying than Y2 P.O

Dear EK,

Okay, deep breath This might sound a little dramatic because it is, but I just have to say it

It is time to let go of that RGSL girl. She is draining your sparkle. You deserve someone who is truly loyal and who sees you for the absolute gem you are.

And honestly, I do not even understand why you are still holding on There are girls out here, yes plural, who are definitely checking you out and would love to take you for a little test drive. And not going to lie, I might be one of them.

P.S. I have had the biggest crush on you since day one.

Sincerely, Your birdie

What is it with these Y1s and unnecessary smugness? Some Y1s really need to fly back to the ground and understand that they really aren't "the s**t"...

do some Y2s know that everyone can hear them s**t talking about Y1s? (especially R S )

can y2 stop being so pretentious, land back on earth

the math TA was on cloud 9

Every little secret eventually comes out it’s n ever if, only when. Some dear friends turn out to be those little birdies after all.

those 2 girls who are in sports com and wore "i love swedish boys" t shirts are fire Are they single?

AR Y1 got busy behind locked doors w diff girls each night

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

You’re releasing an outdated love life drama But no need to waste time watching cheesy romcoms wishing for the ideal person It’s the time of revival, and you must focus on things that bring pleasure to your soul. Stick around talented and motivated people, who are also not ashamed of going for drinks on a Wednesday to celebrate life

Scorpio Scorpio Scorpio

November is the month of communication for you You’re already chatty, but this time – you ’ re taking it up to a new level Fresh faces, discussions, maybe even debates You’re going to find breakthrough information, so think before rushing to the gossip form Actions speak louder than words

Capricorn Capricorn Capricorn

The eclipse season shifted your selfidentity, but now, times have changed You’re feeling like a lost puppy, questioning your life choices In November, you must romanticize your life, without overthinking, and all that other junk Admit it, your way of doing this will be listening to Christmas songs already in November

Pisces Pisces Pisces

Sag, it’s time to shine In November, you have been given an opportunity to take up the spotlight But use it wisely, because no one likes a show-off - in fact, it’s not even your style Right now, you ’ re feeling drained, but this month brings talent recognition Maybe it’s time to clear out your LinkedIn inbox?

Saggitarius Saggitarius Saggitarius

Feeling alone? The dark, cold season is not helping it Do not worry Aquarius, let things happen organically Reward yourself with cozy evenings accompanied by coffee, moody music and maybe even a seminar problem set Soon, previous teamwork investments will pay off and open new doors for you

Aquarius Aquarius Aquarius

During this time of the year, you feel stuck Stuck in something that no longer serves you and is sabotaging the growth you have been craving for a while now You must learn to let go and attract new opportunities naturally, without enforcing them Perhaps a yoga session could set your mind in the right direction

Aries Aries Aries

Dear Taurus, it’s time to embrace your creativity and hobbies that make you feel good It seems impossible when studies are trying to kill you, but doing the things you love the most will heal your inner child Start with DIYing your Halloween costume, just don’t do it at the last minute this time

Taurus Taurus Taurus

Do not fret - this month, your beliefs and values are shifting You have been questioning who you really are and what you stand for Accept all new concepts and ideas in your life during this time – they will ground you. Choose wisely who you are voting for in the elections

Cancer Cancer Cancer

In November, you ’ re going to feel hopeful You’re starting to receive recognition for your past work and see the potential in the upcoming The people around you will be your biggest support, so take care, and invest time in others But lately, you have been distracted from studies, so you must get your head in the game The library awaits

Recently old attachments, like a prolonged internship or ex, held you back But you know how to stand on business and will not let them overtake you This month, materialistic growth awaits you Just don’t spend it all on cocktails saying that you rather pay for memories, when you don’t remember those nights anyway

Leo Leo Leo

This is the time for a change of visual appearance Get a new wardrobe, haircut or piercing Doing things for yourself, and for yourself only, will make you feel euphoric You have been waiting for this glow, and you deserve it But remember that you can buy looks, not confidence

Virgo Virgo Virgo

Head in the game, you ’ re deep into the routine But those unhealthy habits of yours are disturbing your full potential reach Drop them immediately and all the heavy weight you have been carrying will sort out on its own This month, try taking your mornings slow and steady They will be your powerhouse

Libra Libra Libra

AutumnMOST UNDERRATED

designer

Patrīcija chief designer

Amanda writer

Elīna designer Rūta writer

Marta writer&designer

Daniels writer Aleksandra writer

Annija designer

Elīna designer Leaf by A$AP rocky

Paula writer

Mind Loaded by Blood Orange

Iurii writer

ārlis writer

writer

September by Earth, Wind & Fire

Wicked Game by Chris Isaak

Season Of The Witch by Lana Del Rey

Reckoner byRadiohead

Rudens by Prāta Vētra

Sparrow by Tante Gaida

It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World by RAYE

Wicked Game by Chris Isaak

If we being real by Yeat

Ilze writer&designer

Atvadas Vasarai by Raimonds Pauls

Good Looking by Suki Waterhouse

Call It Fate, Call It Karma by The Strokes

Beatrix by Cocteau Twins

River of silver by Intolerable life

7 by Dean Blunt, Elias Rønnenfelt

Simas designer

Paulius writer

Arina designer

Evelina writer

Marija designer

Margret designer

Beatriče designer

Anete writer

Daniela designer

Jēkabs writer

Rebeka designer

Anna writer

Dominika designer

Gunta writer

Kārlis designer

Arīna writer

Vlada writer

Timurs designer

Toms designer

Anna writer&designer

Party girl by Michelle Gurevich

Only a Fool Would Say That by Steely Dan

Built This Way by Samantha Ronson

The Shire by Howard Shore

The City by The 1975

Anna Karenina by Cigarettes after sex

Autumn by Couch, Jackson Lundy

Mana Sirds Ir Brīva by Ingus Pētersons

Ode to the mets by The Strokes

Cruisin’ by Jimmy Whoo Ya Bismillah by Mamman Sani

Every breath you take by The Police NASA by Rvdical he Kid

C'mon byJINI

Motion Sickness by Phoebe Bridgers

There She Goes by The La's

Pack Up Ya Bags by KTmelodies Call

Karma by The Strokes

Nenāciet man klāt rudenī by Laima Vaikule

Spooky, Scary Skeletons