Tag: April 8, 2013

FOR MOST Thomasian graduates, walking out of the Arch of the Centuries is the culmination of University life. But it’s the dream of every student to leave the portals of the University bearing a Latin honor as testament to his or her scholastic achievement.

Today, the Latin honors—cum laude, magna cum laude and summa cum laude— are awarded to students who have obtained general weighted averages of 1.46-1.75, 1.21-1.45, and 1.00-1.20, respectively.

UST was one of the first educational institutions in Asia to adopt the European system of academic honors, under the influence of Spaniards. Augusto de Viana, chairperson of the History department, said the Spanish colonial education system required students to write a thesis to earn a degree.

DOMINICAN preachers led the faithful in reflecting on the “Seven Last Words” last March 29 at the Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City— relating the situation of Filipinos to Christ’s passion, crucifixion and death on the Cross.

“Siete Palabras,” the longest-running Holy Week program on Philippine television, was aired nationwide by GMA Network.

Reflecting on the first of the last words of Jesus: “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do,” Fr. Rudolf Steven Seño, O.P. of the UST Faculty of Philosophy said there are two things that people must avoid when forgiving other people for their wrongdoings.

“Ang isa ay ang paghingi ng sobrang demanda sa nagkakasala…Pero, huwag din namang sobrang luwag,” Seño said.

TO PROTECT the Church is to serve with love.

In his inauguration last March 19, which was also the solemnity of St. Joseph, patron saint of the Universal Church, Pope Francis explained the importance of service in the life of a pope in his homily at the St. Peter’s Square.

Pope Francis reflected on the Gospel reading in which an angel appeared in Joseph’s dream and told him that it was through the Holy Spirit that the Virgin Mary became pregnant. Joseph was entrusted with a mission: to be the protector of the Holy Family and the Church.

THE SUPREME Court (SC) issued a 120-day status quo ante order on the implementation of the Republic Act No. 10354 or the Reproductive Health (RH) law last March 19.

In a report released by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) online news service, Fr. Melvin Castro, executive secretary of the CBCP-Commission on Family and Life, said the order was an answer to the prayers of the Church.

“The high court has listened to our prayers against any law that’s questionable and which, according to the Constitution, should not be implemented,” Castro said.

With a vote of 10-5 in issuing the status quo ante order, the SC halted the implementation of the RH law for 120 days, or four months.

THE BACOLOD diocese is leading the campaign against the senatorial and party-list candidates who had voted in favor of the reproductive health (RH) law.

“Conscience Vote” tarpaulins were posted on the façade of San Sebastian Cathedral in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, listing the pro-RH candidates under “Team Patay.”

This refers to the RH law as promoting a “culture of death” with the distribution of contraceptive supplies and population control.

THE 29th edition of the Sampung Mga Daliri Atbp. concert last Feb. 28 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) paid tribute to Conservatory of Music dean Erlinda Fule, who died last Dec. 13 of multiple organ failure. She was 79 years old.

The annual concert again saw 10 grand pianos on the stage of the CCP where UST alumni pianists and musicians interacting.

Fule served the Conservatory for almost 50 years, teaching piano and history. She served as dean from 1992 to 2002.

Oldtimers called her "the mother of the Conservatory."

She was responsible for reorganizing the UST Symphony Orchestra, UST Symphonic band and UST Summer Music Camp.

DESPITE tighter screening of nominees, the ninth USTv Students’ Choice Awards held at the Plaza Mayor last March 7 again yielded winners known more for their commercialism than for their Christian values.

This year’s edition had a total of 33 categories and 90 nominees. Several category changes were implemented, removing “unessential” ones such as the Best Actor and Actress while adding the Best Network Foundation and Best Sports Personality.

“We, at USTv, don’t assess or evaluate the acting craft of the TV personality or how showbiz is done; rather, we search for the projection of our true Thomasian values,” said Benjamin Zoilo Mario Ravanera III, president of the Student Organizations Coordinating Council (SOCC) in his remarks.

THE MASJID or mosque is perhaps the most iconic Islamic architecture, with elegant aesthetics. It is the subject of the exhibit, Masjid/Mosque: Jewels of Philippine Islamic Faith, on Feb. 5 to March 8 at the UST Museum of Arts and Sciences.

The exhibit was part of the National Arts Month. For the celebration, the National Committee on Architecture and Allied Arts (NCAA) of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) held Archi[types/text], one of the flagship projects for this year’s Philippine Art Festival.

The exhibit was the second partnership between the NCCA with the UST Museum, following last year’s Salumpuwit exhibit.

HIGH-QUALITY artworks at affordable prices were highlighted in the annual bazaar Art in the Park: An Affordable Art Fair at Jaime Velasquez Park, Salcedo Village, Makati last March 16.

The fair featured artworks from over 40 galleries and of established and emerging artists alike, including students from the University of the Philippines, Technological University of the Philippines, Feati University and UST. The price cap for the works was P30, 000, attracting art lovers of all types to come and take home unique pieces at affordable prices.

College of Fine Arts and Design students Marian Medina and Michael Uy showcased their works at the event. Uy painted a recreation of Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” and a portrait of pop singer Justin Bieber.

GLASS sculptor Ramon Orlina, bronze artist Michael Cacnio and abstract painter Carlo Magno make their take on the effervescent subject of light in the Lumina exhibit on Jan. 24 to Feb. 9 at Galleria Nicolas in Makati.

Orlina, a graduate of BS Architecture from UST, once again showed his unparalleled brilliance in capturing light in his celebrated sculptures.

Glass sculpture is a challenging craft. Through illumination and shadowing, the artist gives birth to masterpieces.

In this exhibit, he showcased his latest ploy on amber crystal highlighted by his mastery of light.

Carved in green glass, “The Archer” conveys an abstract figure of an archer through its extreme angular dimensions.