HAVE YOU GOT THE BALLS?

“You make enemies in law school. The competition can be vicious. People learn how to cheat and backstab; it’s training for the real world.”

–The Rainmake John Grisham

Low and behold what I could imagine after all the experiences I’ve had when I vowed to take on school politics. Being the treasurer in the Supreme Law Student Council for the academic year of 2011 – 2012 was, as they say it, one helluva roller coaster ride. It was a challenge and you got to learn how to juggle your time at work, at law school and in the council. You learn a lot such as how to deal civilly people of different walks of life most especially your detractors. I am never a patient person thus being born under the Taurean Zodiac sign but because of my stay in the SLSC, I learned patience and the art of time management.

In one year, through this experience, you will know who among your friends will betray you and who among them will stick around especially when you are in need. True enough, if you ambitiously want to become an SLSC officer, being faint-hearted is a no. This is only for the brave, for the committed and for the unselfish. You have to have the balls to be in school politics.

This journey was such a challenge especially for a rookie like me. I’ve had a lot of first times in the SLSC experience such as travelling to different places on attending conventions. It has measured how far I can go and how far I can challenge myself. Stress and anger management is a need when you enter the world of being a public servant. I’ve had to make lots of sacrifices the moment I took the oath. I’ve had disappointments but that’s normal in every school politics. The only thing that keeps me going are the people that have helped me through it all.

A piece of advice for the upcoming SLSC officers, governing a pool of intelligent law students is not a joke for there are responsibilities to accomplish and they are smart enough to pin point your mistakes. It’s like you are walking on egg shells almost all the time. It isn’t easy for it’s not about the glory days of being famous but it’s about sacrifice. If you are not that prepared for the new journey you’ll be stepping on, your grades might get compromised and that is never a good thing for you came to law school not to be a politician but to be a lawyer. Yup, Grisham was right on! This is training for the real world. Just do your job well and enjoy the journey.