The University of Santo Tomas (UST) Museum of Arts and Sciences will mount an exhibit on the history of the Varsitarian, the official student paper of UST, which is celebrating its 90th anniversary.
Titled “V 90th,” the exhibit will formally open on Feb. 6 at 3 p.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by UST Museum director Fr. Isidro Abano, OP,
The exhibit surveys the historic milestones and achievements of the only student paper to have an entry in the Cultural of the Center of the Philippines’ Encyclopedia of Philippine Art, for having produced many of the country’s top men and women of letters, artists, media trailblazers, scholars, and educators.
Aside from the history survey, the exhibit will display the numerous awards the publication has reaped across the decades, such as the Catholic Mass Media Awards, International Association of Business Communicator’s (IABC) Student Quill Awards, and National Commission for Culture and the Arts’ Philippine International Arts Festival Award.
Also on display are records of staff members and editors in chief, notable alumni, and extra-editorial activities, such as Pautakan, the longest-running campus quiz contest in the country, and Ustetika, the longest-running and most lucrative campus literary derby.
A timeline of the publication’s many faces throughout history will also be on exhibit.
Also on display are the developments and achievements of Varsitarian’s online page since the turn of the 21st century.
The first issue of the Varsitarian came out on Jan. 16, 1928. It is the oldest Catholic newspaper in the Philippines and one of the oldest student organs in Asia.
Founded by a group of students led by Jose Villa Panganiban, who would later head the National Language Institute (today’s Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino), the Varsitarian has produced four National Artists: F. Sionil Jose, Bienvenido Lumbera, Cirilo Bautista (literature); and J. Elizalde Navarro (visual arts).
Varsitarian editors and staffers across the decades have included Jose Burgos, Neal Cruz, Jullie Yap Daza, Bernardo Bernardo, Doris Trinidad Gamalinda, Gloria Garchitorena Goloy, Leticia Buhay, Rogelio Sicat, Celso Carunungan, Joe Guevarra, Jess Sison, Charlie Agatep, Crispin Maslog, Danny Dalena, Remy Boquiren, Rita Gaddi. Felix Bautista, Mario Hernando, Antonio Siddayao, Jake Macasaet, Francisco Tatad, Juan Frivaldo, Antonio Lopez, Alice Colet-Villadolid, Ophelia Alcantara-Dimalanta, Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo, Norma Miraflor, Eric Gamalinda, Vim Nadera and Lourd de Veyra.
Exhibit will run up to Feb. 20.
UST Museum is at UST Main Building; open 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday.