by Clyde Richmond B. Lazaro and Jason Jeremiah G. Runes
It has been almost two years since the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic shut the doors of thebarrister. The rather modest office situated in the corner beneath the stairs of the first floor of the hallowed St. Benedict’s Hall once housed a familiar scene of student journalists engaged in campus journalism activities.
“We usually start our day by meeting inside our tiny office, then small talk would ensue while some of us are getting ready for the impending recitations and while others are eating their first meal of the day. Other times, we would just simply gather in the office to play some games or have a movie marathon,” shared former thebarrister Associate Editor Angeline Wilson.
As the official student publication, however, much is expected and even more is demanded. thebarrister has been in operation for 50 years—a half-century’s worth of campus journalism that can only be described as responsible, if not admirable.
The operations of a school publication usually involve the conduct of brainstorming sessions where ideas for a specific article, and even the general theme of the next issue, are discussed which also necessarily include the handing of assignments to members.
Wilson also recalled the interesting activities of thebarrister during the course of a school year.
“[T]he toughest yet most exciting part of every publication is our presswork week, where we will go to our pubhouse and spend sleepless nights finalizing the magazines. After all these, we will deal with the finances and assess how much publication of the magazines cost. When we’re finally done with the budgeting, we go to the pubhouse once again to have our finished product printed. It would take about a month or so to finally get the hard copies of the magazine and to finish its distribution,” she said.
While the COVID-19 pandemic did take away the possibility of a conventional face-to-face meeting, it did not and could not take away the responsibility shouldered by student journalists.
Perhaps none bore the complications introduced by the pandemic more than the former Editor-in-Chief (EIC), Kira Jorgio, who recounted the operations of the 50-year-old campus organ in the middle of the pandemic. She had the unenviable task of leading the student organization through the crucible of constant curricular and extracurricular pressure and stress, not to mention matters of personal concern.
“[A]s cliche as it sounds, everything was easier before the pandemic. Tasks were easily delegated and you can easily communicate your concerns. You get to form a bond with the members on a more personal level, may it be through publication assignments, sharing chika over pizza, or simply playing monopoly deals at the org office. Important events were held face-to-face. I think part of what made it easier was because it was the process I got used to,” said the former EIC.
“[T]hat being said, it was very challenging to tread the uncertainties of the pandemic. As for the organization, when the pandemic hit, we were in the middle of producing the second issue. At that time we weren’t even done with half of the outputs. We had to do a lot of adjustments-we compromised some of the articles that needed face-to-face interviews and location research, and we had to shelf some topics. Thankfully, we were still able to publish Emergence online and I think that wasn’t an easy feat for any organization challenged by the pandemic, ” Jorgio added.
Difficult as it may seem, both the former top officers expressed their gratitude in the introspection of their collective and individual experiences. For one, Wilson credited the pandemic for teaching her the value of patience and understanding.
“It (the pandemic) opened my eyes and my heart to the realities of the world. Not everything will go according to plan, and that is fine. The world has a much bigger problem than mine, I just have to accept whatever changes go my way and make do with what I have. At the end of the day, the goal is to make a story worthy of the barrister and a simple late submission would not mean the end of the world,” expressed the former Associate Editor.
On the other hand, Jorgio shared the key lessons she learned after serving as chief of thebarrister during the pandemic that made not only her term but also, and hopefully, the current editorial board’s tenure a success: “Always be bida-bida because it pays. It is dangerous to go alone. Lead by example. Communication is essential.”
“As holders of the Fourth Estate, communication is very crucial. Remember to keep communication channels between you and the team and your audience open. People shouldn’t have to think before reaching out to you for any matter, however trivial. You should be cognizant of what topics to bring up during group discussions, and which ones to reserve for personal interactions,” Jorgio shared.“Make it a note to openly and frequently appreciate people for their achievements and to always provide constructive criticism behind closed doors. Also essential, especially in our current set-up, is utilizing the different modes of communication,” the former EIC added.
THE BARRISTER 