Conquering the Superstition

At the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in the Philippines, there has been a myth that exiting through the Arch of the Centuries while studying there will bar you from graduating from the university. Well, that happened to me, not permanently but for a while. That is because, way back in 2012, as a fresh blood in the university and a new M.S. Pharmacy student, I happened to roam around the historical landmarks of the campus after the first day of school. I remember it was a Saturday because the classes I enrolled in for my degree were all on the weekends since I was working on weekdays as a full-time Pharmacy instructor at a different institution. At the time, I hadn’t even opened the student handbook or read any school announcement. In other words, I was too confident that everything would be perfectly fine without doing either of these.

The Arch of the Centuries, UST 2018
Photo Credit: Eri Yunson

With my desire to get to know the university on that Saturday and to familiarize myself with the surroundings, I decided on strolling around the campus for a while. Walking through the university grounds, I was impressed by the charismatic archaic designs, from the Main Building’s renaissance revival architecture to the Arch of the Centuries’ baroque designs—which I would learn later on that they were actually National Cultural Treasures in the Philippines.

Since the Arch stands a few meters away from the university’s Millennium Gate and it faces España Boulevard where I would wait for a public vehicle to get home, I decided to walk through the Lover’s Lane from the Benavides Monument to the Arch but I got stuck temporarily at the nearby fountains: the Fountain of Wisdom to the right of the Arch that features the sculpture of a lady in the center of a lotus flower raising a book and the Fountain of Knowledge at the other side that features the sculpture of a lady standing on top of a lotus flower while holding a globe. Not long after, I neared the back of Arch thinking that it was a good way to look into its delicate carvings which I would learn later on that half of the current structure, the side facing the UST Main Building is the ruins of the original Intramuros Arch while the side that faces España Boulevard is a replica. (Unknown to many, the Arch was formerly the original entrance to the university when the campus was still in Intramuros from 1680 to 1941.) Then for the first time, I crossed the Arch not knowing the superstition behind it. No wonder, a security guard at the Millennium Gate was staring at me at that time. He must have been wondering why a Thomasian student was exiting the Arch. “What is she doing? Isn’t she aware?” The guard must have been thinking. I can still imagine his facial expression each time I remember it.

It was only months after when I learned from a classmate that one must not pass under the Arch while still studying at UST. And all incoming students, either freshman or transferee, as part of the initiation rites into the university, are required to pass through the Arch for the Thomasian Welcome Walk. Candidates for graduation, on the other hand, also pass under the Arch during a parade after Baccalaureate Mass.

I chuckled upon learning this from my classmate, in two minds if I would admit to him that I had actually broken the tradition. Although it was unintentional, deep down something had troubled me. Then about a year later, after taking my comprehensive examination, I set aside my studies to pursue other things in life and focus on my work since it was my main bread and butter. I skipped school in between 2014 and 2016. Then in August 2016, I returned to the university for my thesis. Back then, most of my batchmates have either graduated or have stopped studying to start a family. I struggled for my thesis proposal because after a long time, I had to adjust again to the call of schooling. Amid the endeavor, I had successfully passed my thesis proposal. But for the second term, I had a few slowdowns. I had difficulty preparing for my experiments so I decided on not enrolling. Months after, I enrolled again for the next academic year and now with a thesis grant from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). It was all a rough ride, from purchasing laboratory chemicals to ordering rats for my animal tests. Then by the end of the term, I passed my thesis colloquium. Passing the colloquium was a huge relief, and I would later enroll the following term for my final defense. Yet at that time, I have already exceeded the 5-year residency so I was required to take a 3-unit refresher’s course. Again, it wasn’t just like eating a piece of cake. Having a final defense plus a continuous revision of the manuscript, like everyone else had experienced, demands more time and preparation. How much more when there’s a refresher’s course along the way, right? But despite all the struggles, I was able to pass the final defense on the 11^th of May this year and graduated on the 2^nd of June at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion, which was just a few meters away from the Arch.

Superstition or not, I crossed the Arch while studying at UST and would graduate only six years later. The Arch of the Centuries has, indeed, witnessed my milestones in the university. It may have taken a bit longer for me to finish my graduate study but what matters is that I am now an alumna of what is dubbed as the "oldest university in Asia," and I couldn’t be more proud of that.

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Teresa May B. Bandiola is a graduate of Master of Science in Pharmacy from University of Santo Tomas-Graduate School. Aside from various national associations she is affiliated with, Ms. Bandiola is also a member of International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) in The Hague, Netherlands.

Below are photos of her graduation.
Photo Credit: Eri Yunson