THE UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas is set to welcome a total of 11,921 first-year students in the basic and higher education levels for academic year (AY) 2024-2025, the University’s public affairs office said.
The in-person orientation for all college freshmen will be held on Aug. 5 at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
With the theme “Embracing the Thomasian Spirit: Roar Your Way In!”, the onboarding festivities will consist of much-anticipated events, namely the Thomasian Welcome Mass, ROARientation and the traditional entrance through the Arch of the Centuries during the Thomasian Welcome Walk.
UST Office of the Secretary General Fr. Louie Coronel, O.P. said the theme symbolizes the Thomasian journey that must be experienced wholly.
“At the beginning of the academic life of a student, you need to embrace the Thomasian spirit. And the Thomasian spirit is not just what is written… They also need to experience [it]. Once they enter [the University], they will have this very welcoming atmosphere,” Coronel said.
On Aug. 6, the Thomasian Welcome Concert is set to entertain freshmen with various performers in the same venue.
The event’s agenda is similar to that of the Thomasian Welcome Party last year, but some time adjustments have been made to give convenience to students, Coronel said.
“Last time, [the concert] took place in the evening and was held on the same day of the [orientation]. However, we managed to do it on a separate day to concentrate solely there (concert). Of course, the morning batch might go home early, while the afternoon batch might already be tired,” he said.
An onboarding fair filled with booths and props will be set up at the UST Practice Gym on Aug. 7.
The academic year will officially start today, Aug. 2 with the Misa de Apertura and Discurso de Apertura led by Alaminos Bishop Napoleon Sipalay, Jr., O.P. and UST Faculty of Arts and Letters (Artlets) Dean Prof. Melanie Turingan, respectively, at the Santisimo Rosario Parish.
This is the first time that the opening exercises were held simultaneously in two UST campuses, namely UST Manila and the newly-established UST General Santos in Mindanao.
The first day of classes for AY 2024-2025 will begin on Aug. 9, while classes for Artlets will start on Aug. 10. F
