The Varsitarian

THE MANILA Film Festival has again gathered filmmakers and artists in a celebration of Philippine Cinema. The six films this year are: Sabel (Regal Films), Kulimlim (Viva Films), Naglalayag (Angora Films), Volta (Star Cinema Productions), Mano Mano 3: Arnis…The Lost Art (Rocketts Productions), and Anak Ka ng Tatay Mo (Magsaysay Films).

Diversity ruled the filmfest this year, but it was not enough to salvage filmdom from bad acting, substandard productions, and annoying clichés.

Sabel: Juday as a grown actress  read more »

ASIA’S oldest university has made the bold shift to electronic management as the Santo Tomas E-Service Providers (Steps), the former UST Computer Center, launched several projects to improve administrative processes and student services through electronic communications.  read more »

THE UNITED Nations General Assembly voted unanimously to affirm and even expand the Vatican’s role at the United Nations last July 1 at its headquarters in New York. Resolution Agenda no. 59, titled “Strengthening of the United Nations System,” finally resolved the battle between the Vatican and pro-abortion groups seeking its ouster from the UN as a non-member “permanent observer” State.  read more »

SHE’S not your ordinary state ambassador.

UST alumna Leonida Laki-Vera, who received her Accountancy degree from the University in 1956, was appointed as the new Philippine Ambassador to the Vatican City. During her oath taking, she vowed to work hard for the welfare of Filipino migrants in Rome, while still working for various religious and civic causes.

A recipient of the prestigious “Dame” of the Pontifical Order of St. Sylvester and St. Gregory, Vera replaced Ambassador Francisco Alba, who retired last November.  read more »

MAGKAIBANG larangan ang medisina at sining, pero nagawa ng Tomasinong si Dr. Antonino Raymundo na pag-ugnayin ang mga ito.

Mula pagkabata, nagpamalas siya ng angking galing sa sining. Subalit hindi nagtagal ang kanyang pagiging visual artist sapagkat kinailangan niyang kumuha ng kursong medisina.  read more »

IMAGINE how big a treat it would be if Shaquille O’ Neal or Tim Duncan would come to UST and conduct a basketball clinic. But a similar scenario already happened in the University 23 years ago.

NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. before he converted to Islam) held a rare basketball clinic at the UST Gym in 1981 with noted local coaches and basketball enthusiasts around Metro Manila.  read more »

FANCY crossover moves, dribbling prowess and pure exhibition. These were the definitions of basketball for the Flip Ballaz squad, who stormed the campus cage crowd in an exhibition game last July 5 at the Engineering Complex.

“We’re not into ordinary basketball, but we’re more into a show—one-on-ones, ball-handling tricks and pure streetball,” Thomasian Earl “Tha Pearl” Real explained.

Real, a College of Engineering junior and the lone Thomasian in the group, headed the Flip Ballaz team in their exhibition stint at the University.  read more »

REPRESENTATIVES of the UST Mountaineering Club placed fifth in the Sandugo Adventure Race last April 24, which kicked off in Marikina and ended in San Mateo, Rizal.

Team captain Libert Lomuntad, Prana Escalante, and Anderson Tuginay represented the USTMC-Conquers, the youngest team in the competition, the ages of the members averaging at 20 years.

The one-day race tested the contestants at various outdoor disciplines like running, mountain biking, rapelling, and land navigation.  read more »

UST ATHLETIC Karate Alliance (UST-AKA) president Juby Ruiz and Alma Cabasal brought home two medals each in the 1st Westin Philippine Plaza Hotel Martial Arts Tournament.

Cabasal topped the 16-17 girls kumite (sparring) category with Ruiz finishing second. Ruiz snatched another silver in the kata (forms) class while Cabasal brought home the bronze that time.

Stefanie Lopez from the School of the Holy Spirit (SHS) received the bronze and the gold medal in the kumite and kata events.  read more »

HAVING six women in an 18-man roster was never a disadvantage at all for the determined rowers of the Aqua Fortis Dragon Boat Rowing Team 2004, as they placed third among 87 squads at the 2004 Taipei International Dragon Boat Championship last June 20 - 22.

The “underdogs” just refused to submit to the furious rowers from Thailand, Taiwan, Canada, Australia, South Africa, The United States, Japan Malaysia and many more.  read more »