Located in the heart of UST, in every corner, every pathway, and every hidden nook, there rests a story dear to us. Whether it be the dreaded hectic schedules that seemed to drag on for a long time, the memories we create with new found friends, the hurried footsteps along the campus roads, or even just the slow and mundane days we spend in school.
This photojournal is a collection of those stories, told through the perspective of Thomasians who share these spaces. With each photograph and reflection capturing more than just a mark on the campus map. It speaks of the experiences that form the students we are now. Each place, bearing witness to our triumphs, failures, and memories.
As you go through these photos, we, the Literary Team of CASA Chronicle, invite you to rediscover UST. Whether you’re a freshman who’s slowly building your first memories in the university, or a senior looking back on the places you’ve called home for the past years. Through these stories, we hope that the next time you walk the pathways of UST, you take a moment to pause, reflect, and recognize the beauty of these shared memories.
"The Last Pew" by Gabby Busto
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| Santisimo Rosario Parish Photo by Gabby Busto |
At the back of the church,
Sat multiple versions of me
The pew witnessed my silent prayers to my sobs
My heartaches, my confusion, and sighs of defeat
Different students with different petitions all around me
Gathered to seek comfort and rest granted by Thee
I let my walls down and release the burden from my shoulders
Hoping that everything will make sense when I get older
This sacred place where I run to
Where I whisper my wishes, hopes, and dreams of the future to You
It is a big part of why I find the strength to move forward
Because I know I am redirected to something better, never ignored
At the back of the church,
I let myself sit
The pew witnessing my big smile, relaxed shoulders, and grateful heart,
This is my testimony of things working out by grace and in His time.
"To Live the Life I Once Prayed For" by Dinesse Abadia
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| Plaza Mayor/Main Building Photo by Dinesse Abadia |
I remember this exact feeling of adrenaline of finally being a college student.
It feels as if it was only yesterday that I was a lost province girl navigating through the streets of Manila,
daunted by the thought of crossing the arch of the centuries.
How has three years gone by like a rapid dream?
It’s a bitter-sweet feeling how I am now familiar with the busy streets of España, the cozy corners of Lacson, the food-filled haven of Dapitan, and the Shibuya crossing of P.Noval like the back of my hand.
Just as I am starting to feel at home, it’s almost time to say goodbye as well.
With the fast-paced life and constant schoolworks in the city, I sometimes forget that I'm living the life I once prayed for, back when I was limited to my hometown. Seeing the main building reminds me of how far I've come and how much farther I have to go. It represents both the exhaustion and the gratitude I feel. Soon, it will become a nostalgic memory, but for now, it stands as a reminder of the present moment, pushing me forward.
"Echoes of Silent Whispers" by Claire Ysabelle Alcantara
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| Plaza Mayor Photo by Claire Alcantara |
When every tick of time weighs you down,
When each breath suddenly sinks heavier, even deeper,
And thoughts grow sharp enough to cut?
Do you wander to places that offer silence,
Enough to lift the burdens,
And soften the edges of the mind that sabotages itself.
Perhaps, just like me?
When the heart gets too heavy for the body to carry,
I find myself drifting towards a familiar force,
Where the benches are worn smooth,
Paralleled to my entangling of thoughts.
I sit by the Plaza, watching faces walk past,
Nameless wanderers towards a path I know nothing about.
I try to catch a glimpse of their stories and think,
Is there a chance that our hearts carry the same burdens?
But then the clock strikes at dawn.
The vast sky above, reminding me how small I am—
just a tiny player in this grand scheme of things.
The unfamiliar faces, letting me know that I belong.
And so I sit,
still with the weight of my burdens present,
only lighter somehow,
knowing I’ve come far from where I used to be.
"The Pulse of the Thomasian Heart" by Adam Bolante
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| The Quadricentennial Park Photo by Adam Bolante |
It’s pleasant for once to see this amount of green in the heart of the city.
It’s also nice to see a water fountain shoot water from the ground.
As a kid, I’d probably run towards it and hope for a quick shower.
As an adult, I’d rather just sit back and have a nice view of the sprout at a comfortable distance where the mist can kiss my face.
It’s a great place to be if you want to feel the pulse of the Thomasian heart.
Students from all backgrounds come here hour after hour, painting a beautiful image out of the different uniforms of each college.
Most students only come there to go.
Some students come there to stay and be in the company of friends.
I come to the place to watch people.
I see people eat.
I see people film.
I see people be themselves, finally free from the pressures of scholastic life.
People say the Plaza Mayor is the face of the university, but that’s just what the tourists know.
If you want to see the true face of the Thomasian student, the Quadricentennial Park is where you need to go.
"Fireworks across the stars’ watch" by Kriszel Catarroja
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| UST Field/Grandstand Photo by Kriszel Catarroja |
If I were to choose the place I’ll miss
when I finally exit the Arch of the Centuries,
it will be the vast field of green across my building,
where my heart of memory beats.
It is a cherished place where friendship come alive,
it’s not just a patch of grass and trees,
but a landscape where our voices were caught in the cold air,
scripting our futures under the flickering lights and swaying grass.
On cool nights, we rested on the grandstand,
We spent hours eating, roaming around as our hearts ran with the wind.
Under the sun’s relentless gaze and the stars’ silent watch,
We whispered our dreams and traded fears into cheers.
Now as i approach the end of my journey as a college student,
this field, witness to my growth, will hold the baccalaureate mass,
It will hold me in a gown of bittersweet farewells,
surrounded by those who walked beside me.
Fireworks will light the sky again to remind me of the possibilities that lie ahead,
I will let the soil beneath my feet become the foundation for flight.
And so, If I were to choose the place I’ll miss,
It will be the field that healed my soul and built my core memories.
"Sentiments of a Commuter" by Apollo Kenji Llanes
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| BGPOP Photo by Apollo Kenji Llanes |
Tired feet pitter and patters on the damp concrete
The straps of my bags pushing my shoulders down
Head pounding, Stomach churning
I really should hurry, there’s only few minutes left
Speeding through, passing by fellow students
Getting in the room, half awake
Look around and saw just how they’re just the same
Yawning, Looking around in confusion
Sat down on my place, it's another day
Stared at the window, a building next to another
After everything, I go home
Tired feet once again coming back to where he came from
One, two, three hours
Back home again, still half awake
The next day, it will repeat
But that’s the thing though
I would gladly do it all again
Walking and running at the same place
Cursing under my breath, the soles of my shoes slowly gets worn out
Barely making it but still around
Until my years have passed
Until my all my days have been spent
Until my uniforms have been completely worn
Until my graduation comes
I’ll gladly walk with my tired feet on that same route over and over again
