Siena: Then & Now

Greetings

SIENA COLLEGE: THEN & NOW

By Loma Rodriguez Flojo

Has it been fifty years since we marched out of the halls of Siena College (SC) in March 1971? All fiftysix of us with faces lit up wearing smiles of hope on our lips, ready for the adventures that college promises. Fast forward to today, we wonder what happened to our alma mater and what significant changes were made when we stepped out of Siena to spread our wings. Here’s what I gathered:

DID YOU KNOW...

That Siena College has a new logo. That SC’s official motto is “Passion for Truth and Compassion for Humanity.” That the Vision of SC is “By 2022, we envision to be an innovative, a relevant and resilient provider of a quality Catholic Dominican Filipino Sienan education.” That the Mission of SC is “Inspired by the virtues and values of Mother Francisca del Espiritu Santo de Fuentes, the community of Siena College Quezon City commits itself to the integral formation of persons promoting a quality Catholic Dominican Filipino Sienan education.” That SC has been co-ed since 1972 for elementary; 1998 for high school and 1992 for college. Current population in elementary and high school has a ratio of 42% males to 57% females. In college based on 1st Semester 20-21-22 the ratio is 33% males to 67% females. That the curriculum now offers in addition to the regular courses: BS in Tourism Management, BS in Hospitality Management and Master of Arts in Religious & Pastoral Ministry.

That the grotto where we used to have masses and processions still stands, but the remains of the departed nuns have been transferred to “Tahanan” in San Jose, Bulacan. In front of it now is an area called a “Haven of Peace Garden.”

That a swimming pool was built, but since the pandemic, it has now been converted into a fishpond where the sisters harvest tilapia.

That the cafeteria is still in the upper quadrangle, but currently, there is another one located in the lower quadrangle.

That the stage in the quadrangle where Finian’s Rainbow directed by Fr. Reuter was performed, has been enclosed, and an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was placed in front of it while the interior has been converted into offices.

That beside the chapel stands Sta. Caterina da Siena Training Hotel and Events Place with four big bedrooms and a large function rooms which the students use for their practicum, but they are open for the use of the alumni and Siena College visitors.

That the “hill” where we posed for our class pictures is now the site of Siena Hall, a large covered multi-purpose structure, where the graduations, reunions, performances and other big activities are held.

That other added interesting sites include a Butterfly Garden, a Liturgical and Marian Gallery, the SCQC Gallery, a Computer Area in the lobby, an Outreach Center, a Siena Hall and the St. Martin de Porres Hall. That the Red Lily which is the official school publication, is now being handled by the College Department. That its patroness Mother Francisca, founder of the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena, has been declared by the Vatican as ‘venerable,’ two steps away from sainthood. A miracle would have to be attributed to her intercession in order for her to be beatified. Another miracle would be needed for her to finally be canonized and declared a saint of he Roman Catholic Church.

That the Four Graduates Attributes are: A Sienan is God-Centered, a Community Builder, a Truth Seeker, and a Servant Leader.

So dear classmates, exciting changes have occurred in our alma mater, and each one of us has taken different paths into becoming women of substance and character in our own ways. SC has given us, if I may quote a Netflix film, “…memories that shape us, mold us into what we become---a mosaic of our different experiences…particularly those that either traumatize us, or change us, uplift us and those that really define us. It is true what they say that “you can take us out of Siena, but you cannot take Siena out of us”. Let us try to live our lives the way our soon-to-be-saint, Mother Francisca did --with trust, in joy, and with total devotion to its mission.