THE
PRIMEISSUE
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Since its establishment, the Organizational
Communication degree program has continuously
produced many successful leaders in different
fields. This should not come as a surprise, thanks to
the excellent communication and people skills
imparted to us by the program.
However, graduating from OrCom is not a
prerequisite to becoming an effective leader. In
fact, some of the most effective leaders are those
who started young. A testament to this is the
establishmentestablishment of AIESEC in UPM, one of the
newest organizations in our university. 12 of the 28
founding members of the organization are OrCom
majors—sophomores Lianne Santiago, Cedric
CoCordero, Hershey Neri, Sophia Garduño, Pat
Rañola, Tricia Quintero, Camille Salvador, Andrea
Adriano, Dezza Alvarez, Jana Liwanag, Gian
Nicdao, and Reanne Medina, and freshie
Gianna Añasco.
The acronym “AIESEC” originally stood for
Association International des Etudiants en Scienc-
es Economiqueset Commerciales, or the Interna-
tional Association of Students of Economic and
Commercial Sciences, but the organization is
simply known today as AIESEC. A global,
non-profit, non-political, youth-run organization,
AIESEC has more than 86,000 members in 124
countries and territories, and has organized more
than 20,000 international exchanges yearly. To find
out more about the nature of AIESEC in UPM, we
asked for the insights of four of its founding
membersmembers from OrCom: Reanne (Specialized Unit
President), Gian (Specialized Unit Vice President
for External Relations & Marketing and
Communications), Jana, and Andrea.
Reanne: AIESEC in UPM is a newly established
oorganization in UP Manila which will operate as a
Specialized Unit under AIESEC University of the
Philippines-Diliman. Being a Specialized Unit
means that AIESEC in UPM would be under the
tutelage of its parent entity until we are capable of
operating on our own.
AndAndrea: Currently, the goal of the organization is to
establish a firm identity in UPM. AIESEC in UPM
aims to get recognized throughout the university,
recruit passionate members who are willing to go
on an exchange, and actually send people on an
exchange for 6 weeks as early as summer of 2014.
Gian: We look for people who are determined to
learn and develop their leadership potential, and it
definitely wouldn’t hurt if they enjoy a
challenge or two.
Jana:Jana: Our application process is more, if not
rigorous, time-consuming than those of other
organizations. Our app process is a bit more
tedious because we want to ensure that the
applicant’s values are in line with ours. We’re
looking for individuals who are interested in world
issues, management, leadership, and believe in
integritintegrity, and excellence. Being passionate won’t
hurt, too. Haha!
g g g
AIESEC in UPM: A Testament to OrCom Leadership and Innovation
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Andrea: Back in freshman year, AIESEC UPD tried
to establish the org in UPM and I was one of the
interested parties who wanted to learn about
them. Unfortunately, it didn’t push through due to
the lack of interested members. Reanne, our
PPresident, motivated me the most because based
from her sister’s experience and her knowledge of
the org, I knew UPM shouldn’t be missing in action
over something that has so much potential.
Jana:Jana: The AIESEC UPD Executive Board is very
helpful, and they’re very patient when it comes to
our questions but there’s still the nagging feeling
of having nothing. We didn’t know if we were
doing the right thing. The most fun part is knowing
that what you’re establishing is something already
great in itself, and believing that it can help people
discover their potentials.discover their potentials.
Gian: The hardest part would be setting meetings!
The founding members have different courses,
hence, different schedules and we had to sacrifice
going home early, etc. to make way for meetings.
The most fun part is the experience of establishing
AIESEC in UPM itself; we really got immersed in
what AIESEC has in store for every one of us.
Reanne:Reanne: Without a doubt, I can say that the best
part so far (and I guess for the long run, as well) are
the people I’m with.
AndAndrea: After just a few months in, I have learned
that
, at this very moment
Gian:
Jana: . And to me, this is
really important because I’ve always been inse-
cure about my abilities.
Reanne: Don’t shy yourself from opportunity.
Always search for situations that will challenge
you.
AndAndrea: People skills, definitely. Every time a
person inquires about AIESEC, the words just
come out naturally giving the organization a
rrespectable light with respectable people. We
wouldn’t have garnered so much attention as
early as today without communicating to every
person that has inquired or even inserting hints of
AIESEC in conversations.
Gian:Gian: Speaking and writing skills, definitely.
AIESEC is a business, and in OrCom, we learn
about business; a perfect match.
Gian:Gian: It did, immensely. OrCom has equipped me
with knowledge and first-hand experiences that
shaped me the way I am today.
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Pat Suico, an Organizational Communication
senior, made it to the final phase in MarkProf’s Search
for 25 Management Trainees this year. Pat passed all
phases of the grueling screening process of the
MarkProf Foundation, Inc., which included several
interviews, a markeinterviews, a marketing exam, and individual and group
case studies. She and the other qualifiers, who bested
more than 700 other aspirants, began the MarkProf
bootcamp on October 12, which will end on
December 7.
MarkProf’s Search for Top 25 Management
Trainees is an annual search for the top 25 college
seniorsseniors interested in pursuing careers in the field of
marketing and sales management. Successful
applicants, undergo the rigorous 7-week bootcamp,
where they will be trained by the leaders of some of the
country’s top businesses and companies.
Gian: We are an international youth-driven organization,
impacting positively in society and in our members through
AIESEC’s integrated experiences; passion, energy, and
leadership, that is what AIESEC is about.
Reanne:Reanne: I can guarantee that what people learn in AIESEC,
they can apply these to the other organizations they belong
to. It is best for character-building because the amount of
work and involvement AIESEC provides will help them to
discover and realize what path they really want to take.
Being part of AIESEC will make you realize that the world is
larger than you think, that learning is limitless, that being
youngyoung is not a hindrance to the amount of impact you want
to make, and that opportunities and chances never run out
and that it is only up to you to take them.
g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g
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OrCom in its PRIME: In dictionary definition, ‘prime’ as a noun
means the most active, thriving, or satisfying
stage or period in a life. Since its establishment,
the OrCom degree program has continuously
produced some of the greatest leaders in
different fields. OrCom students and graduates
alike continue to deliver performances that
exceed expectations in their every endeavor, so it
is only right that on its 29th year, we celebrate our
beloved degree program being at its best yet.
Shoestring fries Piknik was the official partner of
OrComSoc for PRIME: OrCom Week 2013.
So here’s what went down in the successful
PRIME.
From September 24 to 27, 2013, OrCom stu-
dents, professors, and alumni celebrated the
degree program’s anniversary through a series of
events that showcased the elements of being an
OrCommunicologist, spearheaded by the
Organizational Communication Society.
To officially commence PRIME, OrCom
students from all year levels gathered at the DAC
Lobby on Tuesday, September 24 to witness the
ribbon-cutting and opening ceremony with the
OrComSoc ExeCom and OrComSoc’s faculty
adviser Miss Anna Aclan. Attendees were then
serenaded by talented OrCom students from
each year level.
A little drizzle couldn’t stop the OrCommunity from pushing through with the annual OrComlympics. OrCom batches gathered at the CAS Quadrangle last September 24, just hours after the official launch of OrCom Week 2013 to participate in the most-awaited line-up of games. Despite the weather and conflicting schedules, the participants proved that nothing could diminish their fighting spirits.
Among the games in the line-up were a classic round of egg relay, a balloon game, and cotton ball nose dives. The seniors and freshies ended up playing against each other for the final round, but the juniors emerged as the over-all victors in this year’s OrComlympics. Nonetheless, there were plenty of Piknik shoestring fries to go around for all the participants.
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On Wednesday, September 25, OrComSoc held a first for OrCom Week — an
impromptu speech and essay-writing contest for UP Manila students, which aimed to show what
OrCom majors are trained to excel in—written and oral communication skills.
In keeping with the week’s theme,
Communication in Action, the topics for both contests
centered on the different applications of
communication — achieving peace through
communication for the essay-writing contest, and the
importance of communication to mankind and society
forfor the impromptu speech contest. DAC faculty
members Miss Anna Aclan and Prof. Mishima Miciano,
and OrCom senior and Communique’s very own Feature
Editor Margot Calimon joined the event as the judges
for the essay-writing contest, while DAC faculty
members Miss Esperanza Quijano and Mr. Noel
Brian Alfaro and OrCom senior and UP Manila
DebateDebate Circle member AJ Templo were the judges
for the impromptu speech contest .
Contestants from various year levels and
degree programs took to the challenge, giving their all on
the paper and podium. But in the end, Charlotte
Velasco, a third year PhilArts major emerged as
the winner of the essay-writing contest, with
second year DevStud major Alexcandra Ventura and first year BehSci major Isabel
Beatriz Jiao as second and third runners-up, respectively. First year BioChem major
Alvek Ecaldre brought the house down with his compelling impromptu speech, and
walked away with the first prize, with first year BehSci major Kyla Dawn Mina and
second year Intarmed student Niel Benjamin Kho winning second and third, respectively.
Overall, Premiere was a success in showcasing the abilities of UP Manila students
andand showing appreciation for the two major skills that OrCom students are trained
to master in the degree program.
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1 Before you take the
internship plunge, know
yourself. You must at least have a clear idea of what you
want to do in your professional life because your
internship has significant impact on your future
in the industry.
2 Know the outcome
you want after your
internship. It could be improved skills you deem you’re weak
at, a strengthened CV, or several areas of concern
of a communications practitioner touched upon
throughout the process, among others.
3 Do not be afraid to
ask. Before internship, it is very advisable to have as
much background information on your target
company as possible. Google is always at your
ddisposal, and contact information are usually availa-
ble in the companies’ websites. Also, never hesitate
to ask the seniors for more details on your area of
interest or potential company because they just
might be the bridge to your dream internship.
During interview, you should know what the
conditions of your internship are, and what is
expected of you as a new member of the company.
As an intern, you should take the initiative to ask for
tasks if you’re not satisfied with your workload at
present, and you should always take advantage of a
readily accessible pool of experts to help you out.
In partnership with UP AdHere, JMA
UPM, AIESEC UPM, and Shoot UPM, the
Organizational Communication Society held
Spotlight on Thursday afternoon, September
26, at the CAS Little Theater. Hosted by OrCom
junior Paul Cenizal, Spotlight featured speakers
from the different fields of advertising,
markemarketing, youth leadership, and photography.
The event began with UP AdHere
speaker and OrCom graduate Niño Gupana,
currently a copywriter for Publicis JimenezBasic.
His ‘pinakawalang kwentang talk ever’
emphasizedemphasized on how OrCom students innately
have the makings of a good advertiser because
of the kid inside us, which he advised never to
let go of. According to him, through raw insight
and naïve insipiration come an adultered
experience that comes from being a child.
AIESEC founders OrCom sophomores
Gian Nicdao, Jana Liwanag, and Reanne
Medina, and Bio sophomore Jari Monteagudo
hyped up the crowd with their interactive
workshopworkshop on leadership that started with the
sharing of the three-month history of AISEC in
UPM. Their talk about knowing what you want
and doing what is needed to get what you want
inspired the audience to take a leap and fight
for their dreams.
OrCom sophomores April Baldovino
and Enzo Reque of Shoot UPM followed with a
workshop of basic photography explaining what
the buttons and knobs of a DSLR do and how a
good photo is composed. Their fresh
comparison of a camera to a faucet simplified
the complicated concept of how a DSLR works.
JMA UPM speaker and OrCom
graduate Grace Gaddi, currently an account
specialist/branding & events marketing
consuconsultant for Mediaroom, discussed the pros
and cons of the fast-paced marketing industry
life. She also shared the things she wish
someonesomeone told her before she started working
which particularly helped the OrCom seniors in
thinking of a job they want, need, and/or apt for
them. She parted with the audience with the
advice to seek what you really want even if you
have to go job-hopping because it doesn’t
matter when you’re young.
Ending at 5pm, the crowd dispersed
with new information, inspiration, and
motivation in different fields, making Spotlight
yet another successful OrCom Week event.
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On September 27, as part of OrCom Week
2013, esteemed DAC professor Dr. Ronald Henson
delivered a talk on the importance of communication in
the health industry at the CAS Little Theater.
In his talk, titled “Health and Science
PopularizaPopularization”, Dr. Henson emphasized that effective
communication is just as important as the research, and
that our health professionals must also learn how to be
effective communicators in order for them to properly
relay the information to the masses about the common
diseases and how to address them.
The blog is open to submissions of artwork, write-ups, original music and covers, and videos, as well as questions about the OrCom program,
faculty, alumni, and even career possibilities. Visit The OrCom Blog at www.theorcomblog.tumblr.com.
OrCom students, alumni, and faculty members may submit their works at www.theorcomblog.tumblr.com/submit and send questions through
www.theorcomblog.tumblr.com/ask.
Suspension of classes due to inclement weather may have left the OrCommunity
with no choice but to postpone the official launch of this year’s OrCom Week in CAS, but the
Organizational Communication Society initiated the OrCom Week launch with the successful
launch of the very first blog dedicated to the OrCom degree program, The OrCom Blog, on
September 23, 2013. The OrCom Blog is the newest online fix for all-things-OrCom — an avenue
to reach out to both current OrCom majors and alumni, and showcase their talents
in music, art, and wriin music, art, and writing.
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To officially close PRIME: OrCom Week 2013, OrCom students gathered and sang the night away at Singtonado, held at Forbest Bar & Grill on October 18, 2013.
OrCom students took to the mic to sing their goodbyes to the first semester’s academic load and hellos to the semestral break. After pairing up and singing along to classic karaoke tunes, a singing competition among pairs was arranged. After a tight competition with pairs Sol Ines and AlyzaAlyza Raymundo, Icay Dugenia and Kevin Villanueva, and Sam Feril and JR Bacdayan, juniors Marbee Musngi and JL Robes won the crowd (and the karaoke machine) over with their song, but everyone got Pik-Nik shoe string fries to share.
Every year, the Organizational Communication Society partners with the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) for a career symposium-forum for first year Organizational CommunicationCommunication students. This year, the program was held on October 5, 2013 at Room 304 in Rizal Hall.
The OrCom freshies picked up insights on the degree program and tips and advice for possible career options from the inspirational talks of the OrCom alum speakers Miss Mary Sha Dola (Remedial Manager, PhilippinePhilippine National Bank), Miss Judith Octavo (Communications CooCoordinator, US Embassy of Manila), and 2013 graduate Benralph S. Yu (Corporate Management Trainee, Nestlé Philippines). The speakers gladly recounted their days as OrCom students, and shared how the degree program helped mold them intointo the professionals they are today. An open forum followed to address the students’ questions. The OrCom freshies were able to gain more information about the program, but only they can decide if OrCom is truly right for them.
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This year, a lot of new student organizations are starting to make a name for themselves in the University. One of the newbies, Shoot UPM, is the very first photography and organization in the campus. This alone is impressive, but wait until you hear the rest—all the founding members of Shoot are all just in their sophomore year, and a number of themthem are Organizational Communication majors! These young photography enthusiasts sure know what they’re doing, so I took it upon myself to personally ask them how they pulled it off.
It was past four o’clock when I went over to the benches outside the CAS OCS for the scheduled interview. It was raining that afternoon, but despite the damp floors and gloominess the sky had brought along that day, in that little corner of Rizal Hall sat a bunch of friends who were all-smiles as they welcomed me over to their tambayan. Passionate, fun, and most evidently, young, these OrCom majors claim that they were brought together by their passion for the art.together by their passion for the art.
April:April: Well, we all had photography as a hobby. And because of that, we came up with an idea of a blog project. We did make a Tumblr blog; however, we weren’t able to sustain it. But at the start of 2013, people were already suggesting to make it into an organization. Al Omaga, one of the founding members,members, really pushed for this. He was the one who really encouraged us. I decided not to run for council anymore because I really wanted to be a part of Shoot UPM.
April:April: Al Omaga (2nd yr BS Applied Physics), April Baldovino (2nd year BA Organizational
Communication), Sean Ramos (2nd year BS Biolo-gy), Jana Liwanag (2nd year BA Organizational Communication), Gian Nicdao (2nd year BA Organizational Communication), Marc Olan (2nd year BS Biology), Trysh Olives (2nd year BA Development Studies), and Bea Formales (2nd year BA Organizational Communication). Most of us are from Freshie Core. That’s how we met and became really good friends! Remember the sem-starter party, Escape 2012? Well, that was our project!
Jana: It’s just really about passion. Nagbo-bond talaga kami over photography and then we realized na walang ganung org in UPM, and so we tried making this happen. Gian:Gian: And until now I still can’t believe that Shoot UPM would be such a success. We’ve got over a thousand likes on our page already — and to think that we’re still a very young organization.
April:April: For me, it’s humbling. It’s very humbling to be able to do something like this at this age. And it’s not done by just a single person. Everyone did their part.
April:April: I actually asked a lot from my ex-council [members, like Kuya Paolo Villar and Mariz Zubiri. And then everything else was a learning process. Right now, we’re still developing Shoot UPM in terms of marketing and human resources. We didn’t really have a certain blueprint to follow. We just took risks.
Passion to shoot 24
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April:April: Yes, one of our goals now is to make the org more stable. For example, in terms of succession, even after we’re not in the ExeCom anymore, Shoot UPM must still be good. That’s why the ExeCom now is training the Shoot UPM Team Leaders so that they, in turn, could also train their members to become leaders as well.
April: We envision Shoot to last more than fifty years. And ten years from now, we also envision this organization to be stronger than ever. That’s why, right now, we develop the systems. But more than the systemssystems and the structures, we develop the people, so that they can also develop more people. That’s our strategy.
Gian: Free time. A lot of free time! Jana:Jana: To be honest, it doesn’t feel like sacrifice at all. We wanted to do this a long time ago. We knew from the very start that we would be doing a lot of things, especially since we’re just starting this org.
Reanne: Jana: If you want to push for it, there will always be a way. Especially if you find people who are as passionate as you; people who are willing to work with you. April:April: , not just by one person, but . And so, just value the relationships that you have. You met them for a reason.
After the quick interview, I could honestly say that I was very refreshed by what I witnessed: the passion burning in these young OrCom students’ hearts. True enough, everything happens for a reason, and most importantly, you meet certain people for a reason. Always remember to value your connections and to push for your dreams. Work won’t feel like work when you know that you’re with people who share your passion. Congratulations, Shoot UPM! Keep shooting!
WhenWhen life-of-the-party Sutter Kelly
wakes up on a random lawn, he
meets social disaster Aimee. While
he has no plans for the future and
juggles family and friendship
pproblems at the same time, he sets
his mind on showing Aimee just how
spectacular life is.
RainbowRainbow Rowell makes us know what
it feels to be young and in love with
her breathtaking third novel, Eleanor
and Park. Set in 1986, the novel tells
us the story of Park Sheridan and
Eleanor Douglas as they prove that
first love almost never lasts, but is
brave and desperate enough to trbrave and desperate enough to try.
A stunning book about Jack, a naive
boy who is released into the public
after being locked away in a juvenile
institution, Boy A exposes the
moramorality of media and the public in a
case of an ex-juvenile convict’s
struggle of starting from scratch and
becoming a new person.
BOOKWORMadventures
F L I C K p i c k s
This drama follows the story of Rory, an
aspiring writer who gets his first shot at literary
recognition and success after publishing a
book he didn’t write. In the midst of his
newfoundnewfound fame as an acclaimed author, the
past finds Rory and confronts him, and Rory
must learn to pay the dues of misplaced
ambition and taking the credit for another
man’s work.
WhenWhen high school senior Dave meets Aubrey,
the unlikely couple fall fast for each other and
discover the awkward ‘before and after’ of
their first sexual encounter. Unlike a typical
teenage romance flick, The First Time
honestly captures both the sparks and
compcomplications that arise from falling in love for
the first time too fast.
AfterAfter being stuck with writer’s block years after
his best seller at 19, novelist Calvin decides to
write about a girl named Ruby who constantly
appears in his dreams. The more he wrote, the
more he fell in love with Ruby, and the more
Ruby came to life — literally. In this
compecompelling story, the spiral of falling in and
out of love is taken to greater heights.
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DeGrawDeGraw first rose to fame with his single I Don’t Want To Be, but this singer-songwriter is back
with a fresh new vibe for his fifth album. In a mix of
gritty pop, soul, and rock-influenced songs, he
sings of life and falling in and out of love with his
signature piano hooks
and raspy voice.
AfterAfter being dropped from his record label in 2011,
the season 9 American Idol winner makes a huge
comeback in the music industry with his new album
Frames. His new folk-rock release is grittier and
downright more creative than his debut album,
getting inspiration from the likes of Mumford
& Sons and The Lumineers.
DespiteDespite constant comparisons to Mariah Carey,
Ariana Grande proves she is destined to be a star
and is here to stay. Making waves with her first album
in the Billboard 200, she is becoming a diva in her own
right. With the catchy R&B track The Way and the
soulful duet Almost Is Never Enough among
others, an Ariana Grande playlist in anyone’s
iPod is a must.iPod is a must.
N E Wbeats
While most shows involving teen
pregnancy follow the story of the
young mother, Baby Daddy gives us
the other side of the story and
focuses on a young fafocuses on a young father’s story and
his experiences along with his
mother, brother, roommate, and best
friend as he prepares himself to step
up and enter the world of fatherhood
in his twenties.
Now on its third season, Revenge
fofollows Emily Thorne/ Amande
Clarke’s efforts to avenge her father’s
death from the mighty and ostenta-
tious Grayson clan in the Hamptons.
The schemes, subplots, and fashion
are what make this reimagining of
The Count of Monte Cristo fresh and
unique.
Suits tells the story of Mike and all his
giftedness of being a fraud lawyer —
and a very good one at that.
HoweveHowever, he still has a lot to learn
when he enters a prestigious law firm
as he tries to learn from his mentor
Harvey Specter.
M A R A T H O Nmusts
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