THE UNIVERSITY concluded the series of onboarding activities to welcome undergraduate freshmen on Aug. 6 with the Thomasian Welcome Concert, headlined by Filipino indie folk band Munimuni and featuring various Thomasian performers.
After their last major performance at UST during the 2019 grand Paskuhan concert, Munimuni, famous for popularizing the “makata-pop” genre with hit tracks like “Bawat Piyesa,” “Marilag,” “Sa Hindi Pag-Alala,” returned to the UST stage for the freshmen concert.
“We’re glad to be back in UST because it’s always a joy to be here,” Adj Jiao, the group’s vocalist and guitarist, said in a mix of English and Filipino. “The crowd (of freshmen) was wild, almost deafening.”
The Welcome Concert was also graced by performances from Thomasian talents such as Conservatory of Music student Sean Archer, and bands Benchfly and Mimosa.
College dance companies performed at the event: 1Shade (College of Fine Arts and Design), Nursing Dance Troupe, Archetypes (Department of Psychology), Intenzyc (College of Tourism and Hospitality Management), Pharmacy Dance Troupe, College of Science Dance Troupe, Engineering Dance Troupe, and BA Dauncén (Faculty of Arts and Letters).
Lorenzo Doria, assistant producer of TOMCAT, which organized the event, said he was “really happy to be able to pull through and execute the Thomasian Welcome Party with full caps.”
This year’s onboarding activities began with orientations on Aug. 1 and the Misa y Discurso Apertura, or the Mass of the Holy Spirit and the inaugural lecture conducted to kickstart the academic year, on Aug. 2.
“ALAB,” or the welcome rites for basic education students, was held on Aug. 7 at the Quadricentennial Pavilion (QPav).
UST has introduced this year an onboarding fair, similar to the Paskuhan Pop-Up Village, which will be open at the QPav Practice Gym until Aug. 9.
The Welcome Walk at UST General Santos is slated for Aug. 29 and is anticipated to be attended by UST officials such as Rector Fr. Richard Ang, O.P. and Secretary General Fr. Louie Coronel, O.P.
Term 1 classes will begin at UST on Aug. 9. Ella Mae A. Sison with reports from Fernando Pierre Marcel B. de la Cruz and Amador Denzel M. Teston
