Sunday, August 21, 2011

8.0 The JSEC Men: Migi Soriano & Jenny Chan

Migi Soriano, IV BS Management and Jenny Chan, IV BS Communications Technology Management


Every school has the 'cool crowd', that group of people everybody seems to know, those people you see everywhere. For the Ateneo, it's the JSEC crowd - named after their frequent school hangout, the JGSOM Student Enterprise Center (JSEC). These students become such icons in the Ateneo, they've been boxed up to a certain stereotype: often School of Management majors, sporting v-necks or polo shirts, bermuda shorts, and boat shoes. You'd easily spot them eating and chilling with their barkada at JSEC. This week, get to know more about these guys as we feature four of these JSEC men (and women).


Meet couple Migi Soriano and Jenny Chan. Individually, one would consider them very well-rounded and active, with the brains and looks to boot. Migi's interests lie in the organizations he's part of: he's a musician for aMp, a saxophonist for the Blue Babble Battalion, and a photographer for The Guidon. In her spare time, Jenny practices Bikram yoga and manages a joint business with her sister, called Quirks Novelties and Curiosities. True to its name, the store sells a variety of quirky yet functional pieces (such as a cassette tape dispenser, vinyl record bookends and paper wallets). If it isn't already apparent with her attire, Jenny also loves fashion.


What are they wearing?



A true fashionista, Jenny likes to keep her school attire simple, with a few interesting accessories here and there. She gave off a fresh, nautical look with a striped body-con dress and comfortable sandals. A cardigan was kept at hand for air-conditioned classrooms, as well as the SOM dress code. To top it off,  she accessorized her look with -- you'd hardly expect it -- skulls. One of the things that caught our eye upon seeing her was the pair of red skull earrings, with tassels that fell down to her shoulders. Wrapped around her wrist were braided twine adorned by skull charms. The whole look was reminiscent of Avril Lavigne (post-Sk8er Boi and Complicated days) -- girly, fashionable, and a touch of contradiction that makes her wicked.


One word to describe Migi's look: smart. In true JSEC Man fashion, he was wearing a striped, short-sleeved button-down, khaki shorts and comfortable sneakers. No accessories or frills are needed for this guy; clean and simple is the way to go. And he pulls it off. His sense of style reveals how he doesn't care too much for trends and standing out. On the other hand, it also shows how he's being careful about his look -- not in terms of trend, but of real timeless style.

Advice from the BlueBook: It's more important to feel good than to look fashionable.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

7.2 The Artist: Vicky Marquez

Vicky Marquez, II BS Communications Technology Management

Our encounter with Vicky Marquez proved two things about the Ateneo Musicans' Pool (aMp): first, you don't have to be a musician to join the organization. It's open to both musicians and music-lovers alike. Second, you don't just hone your musical skills in this org.  Vicky's artistic abilities were developed after she joined aMp's design department in her freshman year.


Her works are influenced by contemporary artists like Shepard Fairey, Marguerite Sauvage and local artist Valerie Chua. More than that, however, she finds inspiration in the people she knows and the music she listens to.

What is she wearing?

Vicky complements a nice, sunny day with a bright yellow dress and matching flowery flats. She adds a touch of paradoxical ruggedness to her girly outfit with a denim jacket. "Dressing up is really all about expressing yourself," the music-loving artist quips. "I don't want it to look like it came straight off a magazine, or from someone else."


Vicky leaves us with a piece of advice on originality and personality when it comes to dressing up. When finding outfits you like in magazines or blogs, don't rip off the entire look. Search for the key elements in the outfit that you really like and find ways to incorporate your own personality into this.

Advice from the BlueBook: Dress for yourself.

Friday, August 12, 2011

7.1 The Artist: Beng Villanueva

Denise Villanueva, IV BS Communication Technology Management

You'd be surprised to learn that Beng has never taken professional art lessons. This self-taught artist, formerly the Performing Arts Cluster Head, designs the promotional materials for big-time organizations like CADs, BlueRep and COA (if you're an Atenean, you've definitely seen the work she's done for RecWeek). She has grown a lot as a leader in her previous college years, and now that she's a senior, she chose focus on art.




What is she wearing?

A true individualist, she doesn't like using stock resources for creating her artwork. In the same manner, she doesn't follow the trend when it comes to fashion. She wears what she feels like wearing, regardless of whether or not it's in the pages of the latest fashion magazine. Prioritizing comfort over style, Beng dons leggings, a loose top and slippers.



Alongside her love and talent for visual art comes a passion for music. Here's another bit that might surprise you: her favorite artists are Led Zeppelin and Iron & Wine. Once a week, she plays a gimmick by putting her iPod on shuffle and chooses her outfit based on the song that plays. She recounts her outfit for Graphika Manila 2011, after listening to Martin Solveig & Dragonette's "Hello", she put on a colorful pair of sneakers to match the cheerful mood of the song.

When asked for her fashion advice for the BlueBook readers, she replied, "Be yourself. Don't dress to impress when it's not you. If you're going out of your way to follow a trend and try to be 'in' with a crowd, you'll just lose your own identity."

Advice from the BlueBook: Substance over style.

7.0 The Artist: Maronne Cruz

Maronne Cruz, III BS Management

Growing up being into musical theater, not to mention watching Broadway plays in New York, is pretty much Maronne’s childhood. From watching plays to now starring in them, Maronne has showed us that nothing is impossible. This young lady has been a member of Blue Repertoire ever since she was a freshmen. Tallying the number of plays she was casted, she counted 4 plays where she was the lead role and 6 plays where she was part of the production. Currently, Maronne is playing Audrey in the play, The Little House of Horrors.


Maronne’s dynamic personality becomes evident as she plays her roles, but she confessed that she was a bit shy to join the Dramatics club during her elementary and high school years. Although she was into theater, she only unleashed her talent and potential when she entered the university. Her older sister encouraged and informed her of Blue Rep as she was about to enter college. 


Being an avid fan of musical theater, Maronne usually dresses up like the characters she loves and admires. She doesn’t really follow a certain trend in term of dressing up. She is most comfortable just being herself and just dressing up in whatever role she wants to play. She would sometimes wear all black to portray the gothic role or at times she’d wear something dorky. Nonetheless, she is not afraid to experiment.

What is she wearing?
Can you guess which character she's playing? Comment. 

Advice from Bluebook: Don't be afraid to experiment.