I HAVE been studying in Ateneo since I was nine years old. Entering as a shy third grader, I had no idea what to expect in this new school filled with new faces. Even at an early age, I was already worried about what my peers would think of me since I was a transferee. It also didn’t help that I came from that rival school famously pitted against Ateneo during University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) games.

I remember thinking if I would ever be considered a “true” Atenean considering the three years that I was not there. However, as I grew older—and hopefully wiser—I realized that this kind of thinking only undermines and even diminishes the efforts of those who have spent even less time than I have in Ateneo.

In 2016, Ateneo High School (AHS) opened its doors to female applicants for the first time. Unfortunately, this transition was met by negative reactions from my batch mates and some AHS alumni who claim that the exclusive tradition should be kept.

The concept of “homegrowns and transferees” prompted multiple arguments among the students which, unsurprisingly, created a toxic atmosphere. Admittedly, though not as strongly, I also was not the best in creating a more welcoming environment for the new members of the community.

In hindsight, there was no excuse for how the whole thing played out. In the next two years, there was always an underlying yet palpable tension within the community. Essentially, this conflict raises the question: Does this mean that transferees are less of an Atenean just because they entered at a later time or spent a shorter time?

Of course, I recognize that this is not and should never be the case. In fact, even if they had just been in the school for a few months, the people who I encountered actually did better in embodying the Atenean value of being men and women for others. Ironically, those who perpetuated such a divisive and hostile environment are those who have been in Ateneo the longest. One would think that this type of mindset and behavior would not begin from those most exposed to the Atenean ideals.

Though I have long graduated from AHS, it was disheartening to read tweets from current students recently that the issue still exists within the community. With problems ranging from discrimination to misogyny, often springing from “homegrown” students, the never ending question remains: Does the number of years a student spends automatically equates to being a full fledged Atenean?

Undeniably, the University has produced quality graduates who have created positive change in society. But on the flipside, there are Ateneo alumni who have been on the negative public eye for their involvement in less than desirable political and business endeavors. In all honesty, whenever I see their names on the news for whatever negative reason, I feel ashamed to share the same University as they do.

As a school that prides itself with developing “persons for others,” it is evident that not everyone gets to embody this even if they spent 20 years being taught this phrase. Can we truly then classify these people as true Ateneans or simply just graduates of the Ateneo?

While knowing the University’s chants can be a good representation of school spirit, perhaps it would be good to revive and refocus the importance of being a person for others in and beyond Ateneo. Maybe, then, we can start to have a true measure of what it means to be an Atenean based on how they treat others, and not on how loud they cheer or how long they stay.