THE FIREWORKS for this year’s Baccalaureate Mass would represent companionship that illuminated the lives of graduating Thomasians in their academic journeys, the chief of the UST Facilities Management Office (FMO) said.
FMO Director Fr. Dexter Austria, O.P. said the fireworks display would depict both the graduating students’ excitement and fear as they leave the comforts of the University.
“You’re not solitary. You’re not alone in your journey. You need people to guide you. You need people to journey with you, that’s why they are called lights,” Austria told The Flame.
“There’s a future that lies beyond what you are seeing now. That’s why the sky, the broad sky, it symbolizes a wider horizon for you. Go beyond what you are seeing now… It’s a journey with accompaniment and looking beyond what we are seeing now,” he added.
As they reach adulthood, students may encounter darkness or “stumbling blocks” that, while difficult, are meant to strengthen them, Austria said.
“Stumbling block meaning, maybe there are people who are keeping you down. Those who do not believe in you, or those who are giving you headaches, or even the subjects [that you take] and your professors,” he said.
According to the FMO director, the six to seven-minute pyromusical will mostly feature “very contemporary” OPM hits.
“I think that you will be able to relate because of the lyrics… And they are not just songs, but they are full of meaning in their lyrics, that’s the beauty of it,” Austia said.
The University official said the event would be moved indoors to the Quadricentennial Pavilion in case of inclement weather.
“Our worry would be dividing [the students] into groups,” Austria said, referring to the venue’s limited capacity.
“We are not looking forward to it, because the farewell walk (exit through the Arch of the Centuries) will be ruined,” he added.
The Baccalaureate Mass, which will take place on May 30, is a send-off rite that marks the culmination of the graduating Thomasians’ academic journey. Traditionally held at the UST Grandstand, the ceremony will begin with a mass led by the rector, followed by the Ceremony of the Light and the symbolic exit through the Arch of the Centuries.
The solemn investiture period will commence on June 2, with the Artlets’ graduation ceremony taking place on June 9 from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Quadricentennial Pavilion.
Members of the graduating batch are required to attend a general rehearsal on May 26 and a final orientation on June 5, when tickets will be accommodated for the student and guests. F
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