–Average number of min-utes you need to be able to find a parking slot within the school grounds – Number of issues pub-

lished by the red chronicles since its establishment in 2008 – Approximate number of

codals that you will “eat” before you take the bar exam –Number of days you will

spend reading your law books and cases (in school or elsewhere) – Average number of days

you will spend in school– Average number of min-

utes of study break you need, per hour of studying – The number of the most

important Sundays in a law student’s life AFTER gradu-ation – Average cups of coffee

an ordinary law student consumes per day – The average number

of bottles (or buckets) of beer to be consumed after a “bokya” or “dale” – Number of times you

should take the bar exam because you are from San Beda-Alabang

TRC’s Top 10Numbers That Matter

BEDAN PRIDE: Five of the 32 total Bedan Lawyers. Clockwise from top left: Sar-ah Abraham, Hazel Minoza, Eliza Yamomoto, Gerald Sergio, Ken Pineda”

And like us, YOU also made the right choice! Welcome to the happiest law school in the world!

Decision-making will always be part of our day-to-day lives. It could go from as simple as “what should I wear to school?” to the more complex “what do I want to do with my life?” Either way, our decisions mold our destiny. And with these decisions, life, indeed, becomes a product of our choices.

To this day, I still remember how cinched my de-cision of taking up law was. I was fresh out of col-lege and, being a Philosophy graduate, I did not know what to do or where to work. So, being the obedient daughter that I am, I found myself taking the admission test in this institution, fulfilling my father’s dream of having one of his children follow his footsteps. I must admit that law school life has not been all butterflies for me. For the most part, it was gruel-ing and made me feel like I wanted to quit. But I would always go back to looking at the bigger picture: the desire of becoming a Bedan lawyer. I would always remind myself of how much I want to achieve my goals, no matter what it takes. And at the end of the day, I find myself reading and making sure I ace my next recitation.

So to the freshmen, let me be the first one to tell you, that although life in the school of law can be fun, it is no walk in the park. There will be try-ing times and you will be faced with, not only big, but also difficult decisions. However, with enough hard work and determination, you are bound to succeed. You just have to constantly remind your-self of your dream. You need to have faith in your-self. And you have to believe that you are capable of making good decisions.

After all, you decided to become not just any kind of lawyer. You decided you would become a Bedan lawyer.

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the

future.” - John F. Kennedy

Tabula Rasa. A blank slate. Sometimes, the promise of the new school year makes you wish you can start anew and undo the mistakes of your past—in the study of law, that is.

For most of us who are ready as ever to face the new challenges of AY 2011-2012, it feels as though the summer break was a great way to celebrate our triumphs and/or lick the scars that we endured from the previous school year. It seems like the next step forward to mentally cross out the subjects we have thankfully passed with or without flying colors; or the chance to make good our shortcomings. The way I see it, we, the upperclassmen, can choose to do either of two things. Wallow in last year’s blows, or soldier on with a braver attitude and a firmer resolve to inch our way towards the prestigious ‘Atty.’

For our younger brethren, the freshmen. Oh, what a blank slate indeed! Do not be haunted by the dictates of your college life—law school is a dif-ferent ball game altogether. Do not be discouraged by the amount and thickness of those hardbound books—believe it or not, you CAN and you WILL read through all of them. Do not be fazed by the fact that there are only 24 hours in a day. Your ora et labora is more than enough. The fact that your name is in glaring letters in the SBCA-SOL List of Enrolees should instil in you a sense of pride. Because for all intents and purposes, you are now a Bedan law student and eventually an esteemed Bedan member of the legal profession.

For ALL of us, congratulations. God willing, we will all become Bedan lawyers.

OFFICIAL EDITORIAL BOARDAretha Eugenio Editor-in-Chief

Ma. Katerina Santiago Associate EditorLaisa Mae Aguila Managing Editor

Josefina Alfonso News Editor Rio Dizon Features Editor

Dugie Dela Cruz Literary Editor Exequiel Valerio Senior Photographer Mary Sayeh Hassani EIC Emeritus

Atty. Rita Linda Jimeno Faculty AdviserStaff: Carisa Barcena Rose Ann Reyes

Photographers: Maureen Betita Philip Cariaga Miguel Llave Jeamie Salvatierra

Layout: Luvimindo Balinang Jr. Samantha Santos Carlo June Tibayan

Cartoonists: Bradly Listones Jonathan Vitug

To the newcomers: congratulations on making it into SBCA – SOL, and welcome to the pride! To the not-so-newcomers: your courage and persistence are admirable; welcome back.

Law school is many things to different people. It’s a dream, an investment, a chal-lenge, a drain of resource, or even a waste of time. These ideas are interesting, but not necessarily accurate. How your stay at law school turns out is up to you.

Life as a law student is about choices. It means choosing what you could give up for what you can gain. Entering law school makes it difficult to pursue other careers, but it puts you on a path that promises prestige, influence and the oppor-tunity to make a difference. Time denied to work, friends or family is time spent training for your future in Law. Voluntarily subjecting yourself to being constantly outsmarted or shamed may earn you a tougher disposition, a wider perspective and a clearer sense of humility. The resources you could allot to pleasurable activi-ties may go to more useful matter like tuition or study materials. A relaxing vaca-tion could be traded for valuable experience at an internship.

In the end, life in law school is what you make of it; the choice is yours.

Continued on Page 4

SBCA-SOL In A NutshellBY JOEY ALFONSO and RIO DIZON

Early History

The San Beda College Alabang-School of Law started its operations during the school year 2005-2006. As a former annex of the Mendiola campus, it boasts of the same faculty and quality education that has already been the mark of San Beda. The first batch of enrollees con-sisted of only one hundred and twelve (112) students. However, with each school year, the student population has impressively grown to more than five hundred students. Furthermore, the SBCA-SOL has gained recognition from the Commission on Higher Education and has already produced two successful batches of Bedan lawyers.

The SBCA-SOL may be a young institution, but with the achieve-ments that it has garnered within such a short span of time, it will con-tinue to soar and reach heights that other schools can only dream of.

The Bedan Culture It is difficult to imagine a law school that is competitive but also has a good sense of camarederie among its community. But that is exactly what SBCA-SOL is. Unlike any other law school, SBCA-SOL carries a feeling of family. The small student body, the dedicated professors and the helpful staff afford an intimate and supportive learning envi-ronment.

SBCA-SOL also recognizes the need of its students to be well-round-ed individuals. Aside from the day-to-day rigorous academics, the school provides for extra-curricular activities. SBCA-SOL hosts annual social events (e.g. sportsfest, christmas party, etc.) to help students un-wind and explore other areas for development. These activities also foster and strengthen the community’s sense of family.

The student body is basically diverse. This goes the same for the faculty. Together, the small yet diverse student body and faculty make up SBCA-SOL’s social and intellectual climate which is rigorous and demanding yet supportive and inspiring, and forged by the Bedan principle of ora et labora -- work and prayer.

Important Places in San Beda San Beda College Alabang- School of Law is situated at the heart of the South and is nestled in the quiet and cozy Alabang Hills Village in Muntinlupa City. The School of Law used to be housed in the St. Bede Hall but has been transferred to the newly built St. Maur Building in the school year 2010-2011.

Located on the first floor of St. Maur Building are the chapel, the clinic, a bookstore, the Rector’s Office and the School of Law Dean’s Office. The second floor houses the School of Law Library, the primary place of study and research for students.

On the third floor are the office of The Red Chronicles and the SLG, and the new Guidance Office. The fourth and topmost floor has a 500-seater multi-purpose hall that serves as a venue for important school events.

Just behind the St. Maur Building is the vast school cafeteria which is also another place where some students may study.

Students who bring their own cars can park outside the school, near the Registrar’s Office, in front of the St. Maur Building or in the Col-lege of Arts and Sciences area. However, one problem that students face is the scarcity of parking space. And so students must discover the secrets of when and where to park.

People That You Should Know Entering law school is not just a matter of studying. Students must also know the people around them in order to engage in school dy-namics (a staple for law school survival). While knowing the person-alities and quirks of professors are important, such will come in handy

later when academics have started and warmed up. But for now, it is more crucial to know the key figures in SBCA-SOL.

• Rector President Dom Clement Ma. Roque, OSB He is more commonly known as Dom Clement or simply just, “Dom.” He teaches seminar classes for freshmen, so it would be very hard to miss him.

• Dean Ulpiano Sarmiento III Called Dean Ulan by students, he is esteemed as the school’s doting father. More than being a dean, he treats the students as his children.

And so being enrolled in the “happiest law school in the world”, do not be surprised if he tells you to “come to papa”.

• Vice Dean Marciano Delson Together with the Dean, both of them are regard-ed as persons with significant authority over the school. Prepare to be amazed as he flips over the pages of his invisible book during class, as he is known to have a “photographic memory”.

• Atty. Bruce V. Rivera, Prefect of Student Affairs Sir Bruce is the omnipresent figure in daily and special school activities. He is known for his im-pressive grasp of the law, that is peppered with funny anecdotes and one-liners – making him one of the most-loved professors in SBCA-SOL.

• Administrative Assistants Jun Cadugo and Francis

Rodriguez Both Kuya Jun and Kuya Francis are in charge of many of the school’s daily affairs. They handle respon-sibilities such as enrollment, trans-ferring of classes, release of grades, distribution of exam booklets, scheduling of special classes, and as-signment of rooms.

School Organizations The School of Law Government – The SLG is the student govern-ment of the SBCA-SOL. The elected officers and the staff directly cater to the student body, serving as the student’s voice at all times.

The Red Chronicles – The Red Chronicles is the prestigious official student publication of the SBCA-SOL. From writing fearless news to relevant issues, the Red Chronicles is a no-nonsense organization. We deliver news that matters, as it happens.

The Bar Operations - The BarOps consists of two groups, namely, the Academic Bar Operations and the Hotel Operations. The Academ-ic BarOps makes sure that the barristers are provided with all the nec-essary tips and materials for the Bar examinations. While the Hotel Operations sees to it that the barristers are given all the necessities that

they need for a hassle-free stay in the hotel. The Election Commission – The ELECOM is the electoral group that handles, facilitates, and oversees the Student Council elections every year.

The Debate Society – The Debate Society consists of eloquent students who participate in debate competitions against other law schools.

The SBCA-SOL Chorale – This organization is the official choir of the SBCA-SOL. They usually perform during masses and events sponsored by the School of Law.

Survival Tips Entering law school is hard because of all the adjustments, such as the new system, new people, new school, and the list goes on. How-ever, enduring law school is much harder than entering it, so to be able to survive, here are some random, but very important tips that you should always remember:

1. Always be ready for a recitation or a surprise quiz. Law professors can be quite unpredictable so it wouldn’t hurt to be ready at all times.

2. Always have a pen (preferably a black fountain pen or a sign pen) and a pad of yellow paper, just in case a quiz is given.

3. Always update yourself about the latest “official” news in school. There may be important announcements you need to be aware of.

4. Keep abreast of current events as well. Professors tend to use these as bases for hypothetical questions in recitation.

5. Kuya Jun and Kuya Francis are the go-to persons in school. They know when there is an additional homework or if the professor will be absent, among other announcements. Hence, make sure that you know them because the assistance that they offer is invaluable.

6. If the professor gives an extraordinary amount of cases to read, you can make a case-pool among your friends and classmates. In a case-pool, all the cases will be equally divided among the class or within a certain number of people. Afterwards, you will make a case digest (a

summary of the case with three important parts: the facts, issue, held / ruling) of all the cases assigned to you. Next, all of the students within the case-pool will give each other a copy of the case digest that he or she made. This will help you cover all the cases easily, and more efficiently. Although, of course, reading the full text of the entire caseload is the more ideal approach.

7. Do not cram. Law school is NOT an extension of college so pre-pare to spend more time with law books, than with your boyfriend or girlfriend.

8. In relation to number 6, make sure to have a support group inside and outside school. It would be hard being involved with someone who doesn’t understand the academic hardships that you’re going through, let alone having to go through the ordeal all by yourself.

9. As early as possible, adjust to the system of the school. Find out at once what is the most comfortable way of studying for you because it normally varies for each person. This includes deciding when to study, where to study, and who to study with (if you prefer being with others).

10. A bad recitation is not the end of the world. Law school will give you a lot of heartaches, so just be strong and never give up on your dream of one day becoming a Bedan lawyer.

11. Learn how to relax. If you want to keep your sanity, it is not ad-visable to study 24/7. Remember, the human brain can only take so much.

12. If all else fails, do not worry. Prayer is your best weapon in surviv-ing law school. Ora et Labora!

The road to becoming a full-fledged Bedan lawyer is not easy, but with diligent studying, the support of family and friends, the as-sistance that the SBCA-SOL community would more than willingly give, and continued prayer, the journey to attaining the ATTY. before one’s own name would not be as hard as it ought to be.

Congratulations to all the new faces of school year 2011-2012! Wel-come to San Beda College Alabang- School of Law, the happiest law school in the world.

They Chose Red And Lived To Tell The TaleBY DUGIE DELA CRUZ

Perhaps, the question that we all need to find an answer to is “Why San Beda College Alabang-School of Law is a better choice over any other school?” Others may claim that we are not yet prepared to be independent because SBCA-SOL is a newly established school. It would be a partial response if we would say that such notion is a fallacy. Then again, WE BEG TO DISAGREE—for only after seven years of being a home to those who aim to be servants of justice, our school has proven and is still continuing to prove its name.

At present, SBCA-SOL has already produced 32 members of the bar. And these Bedan Lawyers have been excelling in their practice, even if it has only been a year or two since they have acquired their titles. For instance, Atty. KD Frias, salutatorian of class 2010 and a writer for The Red Chronicles, engaged in private practice with her father and is now the Managing Partner of Frias Frias and Associates. Atty. Frias now joins Atty. Rafael Pa-dilla, valedictorian of class 2010, in the roster of SBCA-SOL’s brilliant professors, especially chosen by Dean Sarmiento and Vice-Dean Delson, and will be under the tutelage of Atty. Rivera. Atty. Toni Verano, a neophite in the legal profession, has already led one of the most controversial cases in 2010 as one of the lead counsels for Willie Revillame in his cases against ABS-CBN. Currently, she appears before the Sandiganbayan, as counsel for one of the accused in the Fertilizer Scam. Another Bedan lawyer who shines in his field is Atty. Jeckereen Joy Casipit, who has handled several labor cases and civil cases; and is now em-ployed at the Public Attorney’s Office of Paranaque and is primarily tasked as defense law-yer at the specialized drugs court of RTC handling around 80% of the inmates at BJMP. Atty. Jasmin Sedilla, is currently engaged in litigation as she was personally chosen by Atty. Ray-mond Fortun to be part of his legal team. These lawyers are just some of the products of an institution which was perceived as less than what it can truly offer. And so as law students in this school, we are expected to prove more.

When these Bedan Lawyers were asked the same question that we all needed to answer, they only uttered the same thing—that they will not be what they are now if they did not choose San Beda Alabang. Ms. Nonie Gavino, who graduated as Salutatorian of Class 2011, briefly answered the question by stating that, “…(Because) San Beda redefines your limits, because just when you think you’re about to break, you will find yourself beyond what you thought you could reach.” So why is SBCA-SOL the better choice? It is because San Beda Alabang does not only take us farther, it makes us believe that no matter how far we have gone through, there will always be a place where we could go home to.

Follow the Red Chronicles online:

the-red-chronicles

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The Red Chronicles is located at Room 301, 3rd floor of St. Maur Hall, San Beda College Ala-bang, Don Manolo Ave., Alabang Hills Village, Muntinlupa City, Phillipines.

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