An I'll-miss-you goodbye.

Today, a new batch of editors will be selected to take on the job of heading The Barrister, the official student publication of the San Beda College of Law. I was part of its editorial board for three years, giving whatever I had to give for what would be my last shot at campus journalism.

There were responsibilities: making sure that our publishers – the San Beda Law students – were sufficiently engaged in the issues tackled by the publication, widening its readership and highlighting topics that could have been easily ignored and forgotten. Every article I wrote came with a prayer that the students would read it somehow and react to it.

Cover by Gideon Pena

There were rare opportunities.  I met leaders in the legal field, conducted an interview with a lawyer-activist who was hiding from GMA administration harassment, attended press briefings, managed an ambitious folio project and grabbed just about every chance to improve myself as a student writer-editor.

Red Ink ad by Joanna Ang,  Ada Dizon Angeles and Camille Villasin

There were privileges: a scholarship, having an office (where I could sleep between classes), having a say on what pizza flavor we’re ordering for the presswork, suggesting who writes what article.

Photo by Gideon Pena

Being a part of the publication also meant getting to know some of the writers and artists in our college. Being one of the heads meant working with the best co-editors and staff in the world, which is a responsibility-opportunity-privilege rolled into one.

Photos by Keith Briones

I will miss everyone. I will miss everything. To The Barrister AY 2010-2011, the best of luck! I’m hopeful and confident that you will improve the way our job is done.