GE10A-DD | Silliman Seal & Motto Reflection

Silliman University is one of the top educational institutions in the Philippines, aiming to be a preeminent christian school. This theme is heavily emphasized in the university seal and motto. As one can see in the attachment, the Silliman seal consists of a lit lamp placed on top of a book with vines as fringes. The university motto, “Via, Veritas, Vita,” and the date of establishment can also be seen in the seal.

“Via, Veritas, Vita” is a recurring theme throughout my journey as a Silimanian. It is a reference to who Jesus Christ is – the way, the truth, and the life. In other words, it means that Jesus Christ is the only way to God, the truth about God, and the life in God. As one can see, the university motto is a direct connotation to Silliman University’s passion of instilling christian learning and the belief that it is an integral component in achieving whole person development of students.

Via, Veritas, Vita, in my perspective, is a symbol of inspiration and hope. It pushes me to attain my ambitions and aim to have a postive impact. “Via” or the way may refer to one’s career path. A crucial moment every individual must face is choosing who they want to be. In my case, it was a challenge that I think I pushed through. I also realized that whichever path we decide, we must ask for God’s guidance and let him lead us to success. “Veritas” or the truth may also mean, in my opinion, knowing the truth and learning how to live with it. The past few years our society has been plagued with false information. In my viewpoint, an important aspect any individual must know is differentiating the truth and the fallacy. Moreover, it is also critical that we accept it. Genuine knowledge is just a mere thought if we cannot apply or believe in it. Thus, as a sillimanian, I think that holding and knowing the truth is an integral factor any student must acquire. Lastly, “Vita” or the life refers to living with God. This is quite a challenge in our sinful and misleading world because we are always surrounded by temptations and ignoring these is a daily challenge children of God are facing. However, one can’t help but think of the life we will have when the Lord comes. Thus, we must continue to hold on and hope for everyday.