The Varsitarian

RECENTLY, we had a chance to borrow a bulky old book of clippings from the family of late baseball legend and former UST baseball coach Teodulo “Lefty” Viray. The yellowish color and the old newspaper stench might give chills to some but also aroused a sense of admiration on how someone could be so great even before the age of high class gyms and food supplements. (See story on page 15)

Browsing through the aged articles, I encountered a feature published in the ‘50s in which UST was being compared to a farm for athletes—and guess what, the analogy has never changed. (I’m not surprised why other universities pirate our athletes.)

A “farm of athletes” is the perfect metaphor for a University, which is not only a cradle of academic achievements but also a cornerstone of prominent athletes from different sporting events.

If we trace our history, we will find out that many Thomasians have shone brightly in the Olympics. In the first London Olympics in 1948, Felicisimo “Gabby” Fajardo was the team captain for basketball while Bonifacio Zarcal bannered the boxing team.

But with the passage of time, the rich history of UST sports has been buried together with yellowed newspapers and photographs.

According to UST historian Jose Victor Torres, there was also a time that the old UST gym even displayed a painting of Zarcal because of his achievements. (Where’s that now, anyway?).

Let’s not also forget the gargantuan achievements we had in the UAAP wars— the Tigers’ Golden era in the 90’s under the tutelage of coach Aric del Rosario, the longest UAAP championship streak by our Golden Sharks from 1956 to 1968, UST Sluggler Arturo Pagsisihan, the only Filipino to have hit a baseball the farthest with approximately 400 feet since 1955, the Judokas’ “six-peat” from 1998 to 2004, and the list goes on. Not to mention that we’re one of the founding members of the two largest collegiate leagues in the country—UAAP and NCAA.

If not for the research we have to do in the Varsitarian, I will never have known all of this. I bet that a mere student of the University will not spend a minute browsing dirt-accumulating pile of newspapers in the UST Library, for there’s 95-percent probability that he’ll rather do other things. But being part of the oldest academic institution in Asia, all Thomasians are obliged to know their roots and that includes sports history.

Overwhelming as it may seem, UST’s 400 years of existence entails a packed history that is waiting to be told one suggestion of some Varsitarian alumni is to create a UST Sports Museum, probably in one of the halls of the newly erected Quadricentennial Pavilion. It will serve as a time machine to the past—resurrecting articles, photographs, and artworks of Thomasian athletes who have given honor to the University over the years. It could also serve as a room filled with trophies from different leagues and the retired jerseys of the players.

Many would probably raise an eyebrow with the suggestion because it would require a massive amount of money, but setting doubts aside, it would be of great investment for the University. We cannot let our history be eaten by termites or just fade away to oblivion. UST, with 38 UAAP titles under its belt, deserves this more than anyone else!

It would require teamwork from the different institutions in the University; the administration could mobilize resources and reconnect with alumni athletes and their families. The alumni support group could help raise funds and promote the activity, while student organizations could help in mounting the event. Being the official student publication of UST, the Varsitarian could help on researches, interviews and gathering other data. This is a huge leap we have to take now we’re past the 400th mark.

It’s not always about the problem of lacking funds but a determination of making a difference and to quote Mohandas Gandhi, “a small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.”

We keep on putting today’s athletes on the pedestal and admiring their achievements, why not their ancestors?