GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The University of Santo Tomas (UST) General Santos City (GenSan) marked history as it gave the traditional Thomasian experience to the pioneering batch of students on Thursday, August 29, in the first customary rite of passage for UST freshmen.
In its maiden year, 126 Mindanaoan Thomasians participated in the Thomasian Welcome Mass, “ROARientation,” and the Thomasian Welcome Walk to start their Thomasian journey.
READ: UST opens campus in Mindanao
Akin to the traditional passing through the Arch of the Centuries at UST Manila, freshmen entered the front gates of the Minadanao campus with the top officials and first set of support and academic staff.
The Mindanao campus has yet to build its own arch, which UST Rector Fr. Richard Ang, O.P., suggested to be called the “Arch of the New Century” to distinguish it from the historic arch in Manila.
UST GenSan welcomed 126 students under the three pioneering schools: the School of Health Sciences, School of Business and Accountancy, and School of Engineering and Information Technology.
The inaugural batch comprises the following figures across five programs:
- BS Medical Technology – 60
- BS Pharmacy – 28
- BS Industrial Engineering – 18
- BS Entrepreneurship – 14
- BS Accounting Information System – 6
Top administrators from UST Manila, school directors and program heads of UST GenSan, and the assistant to the rector, Prof. Emeritus Maribel Nonato joined freshmen in the welcoming rites.
During Thursday’s Welcome Mass, Ang encouraged freshmen to embrace courage as they embark in a historic journey as the first-ever students to study at UST’s first branch campus.
“Our welcome rites serve as signposts indicating that you are empowered to make changes and take your life into an exciting new direction,” Ang said in his homily. “So, my dear students, do not be afraid to take the first step.”
“Your true destiny will await you the moment you decisively commit yourselves to your newfound academic endeavor,” he added.
Freshmen “honored” to be part of history
Although without an Arch of the Centuries in their Welcome Walk, which served as the portal of the original UST campus in Intramuros, first-year students expressed their pride in being part of the historic moment.
“Mas na-ignite na ‘yong spirit namin as an official Tomasino, with the chants, with the drums… We are so honored to be the first students na maka-experience it here in GenSan,” medical technology freshman Noreen Nuñal said.
“The school said po that even though the campus is outside Manila, but the experience would be the same. So, I really look forward [to] that,” she added.
First-year pharmacy student Artemis Suzara said being the first to start and graduate from UST is both an overwhelming and historic experience.
“We are the first to enter UST, and we are the first to come out of UST as graduates. It’s very overwhelming, but at the same time, we are making history,” Suzara said.
“It’s not the Arch of the Century that makes us Thomasians; it’s the environment, it’s the faculty, it’s us that makes us Thomasians,” he added.
Pharmacy freshman Bai Mantil said even without the arch, she feels like a Thomasian because her personal values align with the Thomasian ideals.
“Being a Thomasian is not only about walking through the arch. It’s about embodying the Thomasian spirit,” she said.
