UST Welcome Walk 2018

I miss my university. I miss University of Santo Tomas. Stayed there for nine years (from high school to college).

The traditional Welcome Walk for freshmen students was held at the university last  August 07, 2018. They passed  through the Arch of the Centuries as a symbol of ‘becoming Thomasians  because the same Arch was the doorway of the University when it was still in Intramuros. This is called the “Rite of Passage.” This tradition started in the school year 2002. Once you become a student of the university,  you are called a Tomasino.  An earlier mass is also traditionally celebrated by no less than the university Rector. UST students number anywhere between 42,000 to 44,000, where some 12,000 are freshmen. The walk is a symbolic act in their readiness to prepare for professional life later on.

A photo I took of the Arch of the Centuries years ago. I can’t help but take pictures every time I visit UST. You can see the main building centered from afar.

 

I was watching the early morning show today when they showed a video of the event held last August 7. I have to search some uploaded videos on YouTube to watch it in full.

Welcome to UST guys. I really hope you’ll enjoy your stay there.

Advertisement

Read Full Post »

Proud To Be A Thomasian

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that my Alma mater, University of Santo Tomas was included in the Top 15 Most Beautiful International Colleges  in the world. Proud alumna here.

Photo and texts courtesy of profascinate.com
Location: Manila, Philippines
In the sprawling urban jungle that is Manila, UST stands out as a beautiful sanctuary. The private college is one of the world’s largest Roman Catholic colleges, making it a popular destination for popes to visit. It was established in 1611, yet its older buildings maintain their beauty and blend flawlessly with their newer structures.

 

If there is one place where I love to bring my camera and take photos of every nook and cranny, it’s UST. In a few days, Pope Francis will visit the Philippines and UST is lucky to be visited by a Pope for the 4th time.

 

Viva USTe!

Read Full Post »

Memories

Getting a little nostalgic seeing the pics I took of UST  a few years ago. I spent my high school and college life here. And this central lane leads to the lovely main building of the university.

Bringing back the clock – remembering old friends who were part of  my growing-up years, the heartaches of first love, cramming for exams, early morning student mass at the UST Chapel, the daily walks inside the campus, banana que at P. Noval, cornik laced with chili oil at Dapitan.

I just love taking photos of every corner of UST. This Arch of the Centuries is the “ruin” of the original structure of UST founded more than 400 years ago.

Well…I am just proud to be a Thomasian!

Read Full Post »

UST In The Dark

At first, I didn’t actually like these shots but on second look, they have a redeeming feature, my favorite subject – clouds. And the sun showing its face in the shadows of the Arch of the Centuries of my alma mater, the University of Santo Tomas!

Read Full Post »

University of Santo Tomas (Main Building)

Two months ago, I had another opportunity to take shots of  one  of my favorite subjects, my alma mater, the University of Santo Tomas, officially known as the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, the Catholic University of the Philippines. UST or USTe as we alumni fondly call it is the oldest existing  university  in Asia. In terms of student population, it is the largest Catholic university in the world in a single campus. The institution was established through the initiative of Bishop Miguel de Benavides, O.P., the third Archbishop of Manila. I blogged about it  more than any other subject  I encountered. You see, I am a proud alumna of the University spending nine years of my life since high school in this revered institution.

The UST Main Building with its massive, imposing and seemingly solid facade is one of the best city landmarks in Metro Manila. Designed by Fr. Roque Ruaño, O.P., priest and engineer, it has the distinction of the first fire-proof building in the country. The building is composed of forty independent structures separated from each other by a gap of one inch, which is filled with loose cement. One of these structures rises beyond the level of the fourth floor to form the tower in the center of the huge box-like stone mass.

Back in high school, I was never curious what the statues and monuments atop the main building stand for. Being a student who saw them everyday, they were  just part of the campus and the lovely facade of the building. It’s when you have left its portals that you get to appreciate it better and you’re proud, so truly proud that after all these years, you are still welcome in its bosom.

The  trio of statues represent  theologians and historians: St. Augustine, the Doctor of the Church, St. Raymond de Peñafort, O.P., doctor of Canon Law, and Vincent de Beauvais, O.P. French historian. And the three statues facing A.H.Lacson St. are those of the playwrights: the Spanish Lope de Vega, the Greek comic Aristophanes, and the French neo-classical comedian Moliere .

The wide campus in front of the UST Main Building.

The cross atop the tower symbolizes the University’s mission to impart knowledge in the sacred and civil sciences. Slightly in front of, and below the tower is the “Tria Haec” clustered around a giant clock in the center facade of the fourth floor. The hooded and robed figure “Faith” brandishes a cross up high and occupies the top of the clock. Lower and to the left of the clock stands “Hope” and to the right, “Charity”. All these statues communicate with their varied expressive poses magnified in stone. They teach in silence.

These three figures represent  the great philosophers Aristotle, St. Albert the Great and Plato.

This is  the inner quadrangle of the Main building. The surrounding rooms here used to be the UST Main Library (back in my time, that is).

I walked these halls countless times during my student days and working for almost three years as a student librarian instilled in me the love of books.  Those were the days and I really miss you, USTe!

Hmm…just want to remember, this is my 855th post, thanks WordPress!

Goal of 855 Posts Completed. Congratulations!

100%

Read Full Post »

Go USTe

Congratulations to my dearest Alma Mater, University of Santo Tomas for the 14th straight overall championship. Afterall, UAAP is not all basketball. Go USTe, you deserve a big round of applause.

Read Full Post »

Walking Through History (Revisiting the University of Santo Tomas Museum)

It’s been years, close to four decades in fact since I last visited the UST Museum. There was a time , when I was still a student, when I used to spend hours just looking at the  vast collections of the museum but there were a lot more added through the years and the place has been renovated. I could spend a whole day just looking at everything here but since I was meeting a friend at the  UST Priory, I just took a few shots of the place. Imagine yourself visiting the oldest existing museum in the Philippines and all you could utter are oohs and aahs just absorbing and thinking how UST has collected and saved all these and we’re talking of more than 300 years.

This is the grand staircase of  the UST Main building where the museum is housed. Notice the murals hanging on the walls, they are creations of Filipino masters Galo Ocampo and Carlos “Botong” Francisco.

The Natural History Collection

Shelter Collection – Ethnography

Clothing Collection – Ethnography

Hunting, Fishing Collection – Ethnography

Metal Craft

The Papal chair used by Blessed  JP II during the 1995 World Youth Day in Manila.

Coins, Medals and Memorabilia – Natural History Collection

This year UST will have its Neo Centennial Celebration and the UST Museum will open its doors to an exhibit dubbed as ” 400 Shots To Immortality” which will run from January 20 to February 10, 2012.

Read Full Post »

Santo Tomas Ice Cream, Anyone?

A few months ago, I blogged about a favorite comfort food – ice cream!  I was on  my way to meet a friend at the University of Santo Tomas this morning when I chanced upon Mang Fidel, UST’s   ice cream vendor since I can remember. Some students were lining up to buy, what else, ice cream in cone. I signalled  one shot and he graciously took a pose. The students clapped and I was rewarded with a smile. Mang Fidel is definitely growing old with the university. And I say, student days would not be complete somehow without Mang Fidel with his ice cream cart.

And eating ice cream is more fun in the Philippines, right?

Read Full Post »

Congratulations University of Santo Tomas (We Did It)

Back in March, I blogged about  The UST Dominican Cross, a part of University of Santo Tomas’ celebration of its 400th year and an attempt to set a new Guinness World Record.  Here is an official announcement from the university and a link from the Guinness  site.

The largest human cross was achieved by 13,266 participants at an event organised by the University of Santo Tomas (Philippines) in Manila, Philippines, on 9 March 2011.

Go USTe! Proud to be a Thomasian!

Read Full Post »

THe UST Dominican Cross

The Thomasians did it again. It was an estimated gathering of 24,000 students, faculty members and UST staff at the UST  Field to form the black and white Dominican Cross. It symbolizes the Catholic and Dominican identity of the University of Santo Tomas. the even was meant to highlight

penance in the season of Lent and as part of the 400 years celebration of the university. Fr. Winston Cabading, OP said that this is also UST’s attempt to rewrite the Guiness Book of World Records by forming a Dominican Cross.

Proud to be a Thomasian!

Read Full Post »