One’s Thomasian journey is never complete without passing through the Arch of the Centuries and experiencing the floods of España—or so they say.
Thomasians who participated in this year’s “homecoming” rites went through both “welcome to UST” experiences as Severe Tropical Storm “Florita” dampened the Homecoming Walk on Aug. 23.
The “homecoming” activities for sophomores and juniors included three batches of Homecoming Walks, the first two of which were held amid heavy rains. The third and final batch was ultimately canceled.
Despite inclement weather, Thomasians remained ecstatic as they finally got the chance to experience their first in-person UST event after two years of the pandemic.
Kirov Concepcion, a second-year engineering student, said he felt the warmth of the Homecoming Walk despite the rainy weather.
“Nakakatuwa kasi kahit bumabagyo, literal [na] tuloy na tuloy pa rin ‘yung walk, and the hype was still there. Ang warm ng pag-welcome talaga, as in,” Concepcion told the Varsitarian.
Neomie Zabala, a third-year hospitality management student, quipped that “Florita” brought “welcome rains.”
“It was unexpected, but I was not surprised when it happened because, as some say, ‘you’re not a true Thomasian unless you have experienced heavy rain and flooding [on] the campus,’” Zabala said.
But for some, like architecture junior Carla Mae Mateo and science junior Trisha Tan, the rain made the Homecoming Walk underwhelming.
“It would’ve been more fun if hindi maulan. But I think everything happens for a reason, so we can also learn how to enjoy despite the rain,” Mateo said.
“[I]t felt underwhelming…I felt that we weren’t able to fully appreciate and enjoy our Homecoming Walk,” Tan said.
“Florita” forced the suspension of the final batch of the Homecoming Walk for sophomores and juniors from the Alfredo M. Velayo-UST College of Accountancy, College of Medicine, College of Civil Law, Graduate School, Graduate School of Law, College of Commerce, and the Ecclesiastical Faculties.
Unlike the earlier batches, the basic education cluster, whose Homecoming Rites were moved a day later to Aug. 25, experienced a sunny homecoming.
Cyril Ferrer, a Grade 12 Humanities and Social Sciences student, said it was relieving to experience the Homecoming Walk on a “beautiful sunny day.”
“I am somehow relieved that it [was] suspended since today was a beautiful sunny day rather than a gloomy and rainy weather… Overall the experience was great despite the postponement of the event, and it will definitely be a core memory of mine,” Ferrer said.
