THE BEDAN, THE official student publication of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), introduced its new Editorial Board for Volume 81 last August 11, in an announcement through its official Facebook page.
The Editorial Board is tasked to continue heralding timely and relevant news. The re-appointment of Volume 80’s Paul Alexis Arga as Editor-in-Chief for this academic year served as an important highlight of the said announcement. Such an event for the publication as the last instance of re-appointment for this post was in 1979.
“Obviously, I am overwhelmed by the vote of confidence bestowed upon me by the outgoing Selection Committee. It’s very rare for an [Editor-in-Chief] to be given the chance to lead two volumes, so I take my re-appointment as a sign that we were heading towards the right direction under the past Volume,” said Arga on his re-appointment.
Arga’s predecessors as Editor-in-Chief also expressed their thoughts on this circumstance currently faced by the publication.
Dave Andrew Bati, Volume 79 Editor-in-Chief, and also a member of the outgoing Selection Committee, disclosed that they struggled with the deliberation process because the panel had “varied lineups” but felt that having a full set of section editors would be “more beneficial.”
“As some might know, a publication is like a clock with numerous interconnecting clogs. If one clog is missing the clock stops working. So, it really is up to the current editorial board to fill in the missing piece and cover the workload,” Bati shared. The outgoing Selection Committee ultimately decided to leave the Associate Editor position vacant.
Kevin Delos Reyes, Volume 77 Editor-in-Chief, likewise encountered the same experience being faced by the current volume. He revealed that the publication during his time as Volume 76’s Managing Editor was only manned by a four-member Editorial Board, having the “least members for an Editorial Board in the history of The Bedan.” For him, it’s a challenge that Arga should use as a “motivation” to better strategize.
“Kailangan niya mag-man up when it comes to his constituents. Kailangan niyang maging man of words. It’s more of like a challenge to him talaga, not only to continue his legacy from the previous volume but also to manage well talaga ‘yung organization, from the operation up to the publication itself. Tapos sa [Editorial Board] naman ‘yung drive mo to uplift the [organization] mismo kasi siyempre nag-aaral [din] kayo,” said Delos Reyes in addressing Arga and the rest of the Editorial Board.
Nicole Rile, Volume 78 Editor-in-Chief, explained that despite not encountering Volume 76’s situation, they were taught by the former editors themselves that titles were “just positions” in the paper.
Rile, with confidence, then averred that “The Bedan, no matter what circumstances they were put into, always thrive and survive. It’s now up to the Volume 81 Editors to work as a team and as one to make sure that there would be no problems left unsolved.”
The Bedan now takes on this challenge with Arga as Editor-in-Chief, Anne Julia Francisco as Managing Editor, and section editors Alvin John Acayen (News), Phoebus Villanueva (Sports), and Daphne Zenarosa (Features, Culture, and Reviews). As for plans the publication has for this volume, Arga mentioned they have “a lot in store for Bedan students” and hopes that “they will stay tuned to [their] social media sites.”
In closing, Delos Reyes, as a Bedan alumnus, encouraged the CAS Bedan community to join the publication. For him, it’s a “life experience since it goes beyond being a writer and photographer.” He also reminded the organization’s members to stay motivated as everything they do is for the “betterment of The Bedan and the Bedan community, at large.”
(with Mika Isidro)
