VOLUME XCIII / NO. 10 · AUGUST 31, 2022 · THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS · Manila, Philippines ON SOCIAL MEDIA
facebook/varsitarian
twitter@varsitarianust
youtube/TheVarsitarianUST
instagram varsitarian.ust
BREAKING NEWS & REAL-TIME UPDATES at www.varsitarian.net
► CLAWS UP. Members of the UST Yellow Jackets make tiger poses as they teach UST chants to freshmen during the Homecoming rites for sophomores and juniors on Aug. 23.—PHOTO BY JOSELLE MARIE B. REYES/ THE VARSITARIAN
FRESHMEN ENROLLMENT UP BY 3% By Jacqueline B. Martinez
A TOTAL of 11,683 freshmen have enrolled in UST for the first term of Academic Year 2022-2023, data from the Office of the Registrar showed. The total comprised 8,523 college and graduate school freshmen, 2,479 Grade 11 students, 315 Grade 7 students from the Junior High School, 90 Grade 7 students from the Education High School, and six review students. The total number of students saw a 3.05-percent increase from last year’s 11,335. The Faculty of Engineering remained the faculty with the most freshmen this year, with 1,189 enrollees.
NEWS ► PAGE 4
Despite bad weather, Thomasians happy with Homecoming Walk One’s Thomasian journey is never complete without passing through the Arch of the Centuries and experiencing the floods of España—or so they say.
The Faculty of Pharmacy and the Faculty of Arts and Letters followed with 942 and 724 freshmen, respectively. The University resumed in-person welcome traditions this year after holding them virtually for two consecutive years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The college and graduate school freshmen participated in the face-toface Welcome Mass, ROARientation and Welcome Walk on Tuesday, while incoming Grade 7 and 11 students had their hybrid “ALAB 2022” on Wednesday. Separate “homecoming” rites will be held for Batches 2024 and 2025 on Aug. 23.
► First-year
medicine students pose for a photo during their face-to-face Welcome Walk on Tuesday, Aug. 9.—PHOTO BY JOSELLE MARIE B. REYES/ THE VARSITARIAN
JHS, EHS students back on campus UST’S TWO junior high schools are now reopened to students as the UST Education High School (EHS) began its face-to-face (F2F) classes on Aug. 30, days after the UST Junior High School (JHS) started in-person classes. The JHS welcomed Grade 10 students back on campus on Aug, 25, starting its transition to full face-to-face (F2F) classes by October. Each section for Grade 10, which typically has 42 students, was divided into two cohorts (A and B) to ensure public health standards would be adhered to during classes. Only 21 to 22 students will be accommodated per session. A total of 214 Grade 10 students belonging to cohort A students returned to campus on Thursday, while 212 cohort B students are set to begin in-per-
son classes on Friday. Grade 9 students are scheduled to join the in-person classes starting Sept. 6, while Grade 7 and Grade 8 students are set to return to campus on Sept. 13 and 15, respectively. The JHS will implement full face-to-face classes starting Oct. 24. The Department of Education (DepEd) is requiring schools to have five days of
Talavera reinstalled as parish priest of Santisimo Rosario
in-person classes a week starting Nov. 2. For the first quarter, JHS students are required to wear their summer or Type B uniforms. Type A uniforms will be worn from the second to the fourth quarter. The EHS is eyeing to transition to full F2F classes by November 2022. JHS, EHS F2F PAGE 2
►
Fr. Paul Reagan Talavera, O.P. was reinstalled as parish priest of the UST Santisimo Rosario Parish on Saturday, Aug. 6. Msgr. Jose Clemente Ignacio, vicar general and moderator curiae of the Archdiocese of Manila, presided over the solemn installation rites. Talavera’s reinstallation coincided with the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Talavera was first installed as the 15th parish priest of the Santisimo Rosario Parish on June 5, 2019. PAGE 2
►