Tag: November 20, 2008

BARACK Obama’s impossible-turned-emphatic victory in the 2008 US Presidential Elections reminded this writer of a lot of “weird” stuff—cinematic and personal if you may ask—these past few days.

Indeed, Obama’s break with political anonymity can be described as meteoric, if not cosmic, in reference to two all-time blockbuster space flicks bearing the “Star” label (i.e. “Wars” and “Trek”). The Democratic “Alien(s)” and the Republican “Predator(s)” in that constellation of states called the US of A could not agree more.

From the get-go, the magnitude of Obama’s earth-shaking campaign which, as the man later revealed in his victory speech, was “not hatched in the halls of Washington—it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston,” has unarguably loosened the antipathic screws of the once Dubya-nesque electoral Richter scale more than the Big Apple showdown of King Kong and Godzilla could.

THE UST Tigersharks finally broke a 19-year title curse by drowning Season 71 host University of the Philippines’ “five-peat” championship aspirations en route to UAAP swimming redemption last Sept. 25 to 28 at the Trace Aquatic Complex in Los Baños, Laguna.

The España-based tankers flooded the medal board with three golds, eight silvers and eight bronzes for a 223-point victory to comfortably overtake De La Salle University which chalked up a second-best 211 markers, way ahead of UP’ third-place tally of 176 points.

AGAINST high-caliber universities nationwide, the UST Tracksters carved a pair of runners-up finishes in the men’s and women’s athletics competition of the recent University Games (Unigames) last Oct. 25 and 26 at the Perdices Memorial Stadium in Dumaguete City.

THE UST Judo teams figured in a reversal of roles but remained far from the championship podium as the UAAP Season 71 Judo tournament unfurled last Oct. 4 and 5 at the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Human Kinetics gym.

From last season’s bronze-medal finish, the Lady Judokas moved to second place with a 21-point tally, seven rungs ahead of third-placer De La Salle University, but miles behind the 75-point output of back-to-back champion UP.

RECTOR Fr. Rolando V. de la Rosa has bared a four-year, 13-point plan to transform the country’s top private university into an influential player in national and international affairs, putting UST back on track toward its quadricentennial, a little over a year after a leadership shakeup.

Delivering his first Rector’s Report since returning to his old post in September 2007, De la Rosa also unveiled a fresh vision and mission statement and told administrators and faculty members last November 7 that UST remains ahead in many respects, but must strive to be more relevant to society.