Tag: December 16, 2004

THOMASIANS do not often notice them. You look past them while walking along the corridors or strolling with friends on campus. While some of us go to class, meet our friends, or review for a dreaded exam, they do the cleaning or ensure everyone’s safety on campus.

Like us, UST non-academic personnel are Thomasians who go to school every day. But they’re not here for the office papers or the classes; they’re here for the “dirty” work.

WAVES crashed, tempting me to plunge into the tepid late afternoon sea. Despite my mother’s order to stay indoors, I found the sea too enticing to resist. As with other warnings she gave me before, I disobeyed her, stepped at the tempestuous current, and willingly let the water engulf me.

As my arms stroked against the stubborn stream of salty water, I was instantly reminded of the many restrictions and limitations my mother and other people imposed on me.

THE DOMINICAN spirit of fellowship is very much active, if the Dominican Youth Network (DOMNET) Youth Vigil last month will be the gauge.

Nearly a hundred students from various Metro Manila schools converged at the UST Sports Complex last Nov. 27 and 28 to celebrate Domnet’s ninth anniversary, with the theme “Sama Tayo…Buklurang Dominikano.”

Aside from the youth vigil, parallel sessions on family, culture, spirituality and vocation, education, and social relationships were also held at the Ecclesiastical Faculties.

The noise never ceases to bother you.

You hear it in the morning, as you open your eyes to face the new day that God has given you. You hear it as you walk, one step before the other, to wherever your feet bring you. You hear it as you sit down on your little corner and do what must be done. You hear it as you face the many people you have come to know. You hear it as you smile, or as you frown; as you laugh or as you sigh. You hear it at night, as you lie down and close your eyes.

Somehow, the noise never stops.

Living in a place where there is no electricity, eight-year-old Floramie Gumalal’s family has to rely on gas lamps to provide them light. But the same source of light almost cost Floramie her life.

Kristina Reyes, a Business Administration senior, is one of the more than 30,000 Thomasians who have reposed their trust in the University to mold them into well-rounded and globally competitive individuals.

Improving the faculty profile

LIKAS sa mga Tomasino ang pagiging masayahin tuwing Pasko. Bukod sa mga makukulay na parol at ilaw na nakapaligid sa Unibersidad, hindi batid ng karamihan ang masasaya at makukulay na Christmas issues ng Varsitarian noong dekada 30.

Panahon ng Commonwealth nang maisipang gawing kulay berde ang tintang ginagamit sa Varsitarian tuwing sasapit ang Pasko. Mula sa kulay itim, berde ang kulay ng mga titik at mga larawan sa buong pahayagan.

WITH personal safety at risk, the University’s security guards often find themselves caught between implementing policies and dealing with hard-headed violators. For their troubles, they get P280 per day and a daily dose of disrespect from students and outsiders alike.

While inside the campus, the guards deal with stubborn people who dare go against school policies. In one incident, a guard who tried to implement the “Engine off for parked car” policy to lessen pollution on campus was threatened with a Caliber .45 by a driver of a Bulacan government official.

The word “fraternity” is almost always associated with violence.

But despite the reputation, University-accredited fraternities and sororities constantly prove the notion wrong through activities that aim to build better and closer-knit communities outside the school.

From painting houses to visiting penal institutions, these organizations often engage in programs that reach to those that have less privileges and opportunities in life, rather than the conflicts they are known for.

Lending a helping hand

“Not what we give but what we share,
For the gift without the giver is bare;
Who gives himself with his alms feeds three—
Himself, his hungering neighbor, and Me.”
-The Vision of Sir Launfal, J. R. Lowell