FOR THE fourth straight year, the University of Santo Tomas (UST) emerged as the school with the second highest number of Students Quill Awards as it bagged a total of 19 plums, nearly half of them contributed by The Flame, the official student publication of the Faculty of Arts and Letters.
The De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde got the highest number of awards with 56 during the 12th iteration of the Philippine Student Quill Awards, which honors exemplary student work in communication research, programs, skills and creative projects.
The Flame accounted for nine of UST’s 19 awards, with all of its entries recognized under Division 4: Communication Skills. Its winning stories covered a diverse range of issues, including those related to sports, religion, campus traditions, academe and student life.
Among its winning entries were its feature stories “I Lived Enough:’ An AB Valedictorian’s Journey With Borderline Personality Disorder,” by Lauren Ainella Tagle and “Just another break: How Thomasian atheists spend Holy Week,” by The Flame’s associate editor Yelah Israel. Israel’s story previously placed as a finalist in the Mark of Excellence Awards of the Society of Professional Journalists under the feature writing category.
The following stories published under The Flame’s Culture and Lifestyle section were also recognized: “Rewind and Replay: Reliving the 90s Nostalgia with Taped Sessions,” by Ron Kyle Gabrielle Reyes; “Diploma o Diskarte? No Such Debate for Thomasian Student Entrepreneurs” by Reese Valerie Gantan and “When Walls Talk: Get to Know the Artist Behind España’s Cryptic Graffiti” and Mariamne Yasmin Yap.
Its in-depth reports that bagged plums this year were “Roblox and Other Games Blocked, but Online Gambling Accessible Through UST Wi-Fi,” by Faith editor Sheridan Joy Delfino and staffer Ariza Marie Llorca, and “Paying to Pull It Off: Students Turn to ‘Academic Ghost Writers’ Despite Policies Against Dishonesty,” by staffer Kayla Pauline Gonzalez, Issues editor John Martin Revilla and editor-in-chief Veancy Palad.
The Flame’s stories about the UAAP Season 88, namely “Non-Thomasians Given a Taste of Cherished UST Traditions in Dazzling UAAP Opener,” by Jade Alecksandra Bagas, Palad and former Sports editor Shayne Lee Andreas Macaraeg, and “Ex-Blue Eagle Padrigao Pays Respect to Former Home, Steers UST Past Ateneo in Triple Overtime Thriller,” by Mc Neil Zyh Serrano also received awards.
The rest of UST’s awards were contributed by The Varsitarian, UST Tiger Media Network and TOM-CAT UST.
The Varsitarian, the University’s official student publication, earned three awards for its UAAP Season 88 print issue “UAAP IS HERE!” and primer, “Welcome to My House,” and for its story “Thomasians Walk Out: Students Condemn Corruption, Call for Accountability.”
Other UST entries that earned Student Quill awards this year were productions and events by Tiger Media Network, which bagged three awards, and TOM-CAT UST, which garnered four awards.
Outside UST Manila, UST Angelicum College earned four plums, while UST Legazpi had three.
The College of Arts and Technology of the College of Innovation and Integrated Technology emerged as the school with third highest number of awards with seven plums.
UST also bagged an award for the UAAP Season 88 opening ceremony it hosted in the 22nd edition of the Philippine Quill Award.
Held annually by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Philippines, the winners of the Philippine Student Quill Awards were determined using the group’s global standards for communication excellence. F – Alliya Jade Perez
