IT WAS a year of firsts for the 17th Loyola Schools Awards for the Arts (LSAA) on March 10 at Escaler Hall.
Titled “Dalisayan 2010,” this ceremony was the first time an award for sculpting had been given out.
According to Lawrence Ypil, a member of the Awards for the Arts Committee, the genres were also more diverse, especially in the field of dance. “The audience will agree that the hottest performance this year was the dance, because it gave distinction to contemporary dances like break dancing,” he said.
This year also had the biggest number of awardees with 28 individual awards and one group award. “There were a lot of talented seniors indicative of their fields,” Ypil said.
Dalisayan also closed the celebration for Ateneo’s sesquicentennial celebration.
Well-represented
During his message for the audience, University President Fr. Bienvenido Nebres, SJ said there had been significant improvement and change in the arts in Ateneo. He congratulated everyone, from the students to the teachers and parents for supporting and “[bringing] beauty to the community.”
Vice President Assunta Cuyegkeng said that the awardees should continue excelling in their fields in order to inspire hope. “I am happy to see many students awarded here….I just hope you continue to make Ateneo proud by being artists of substance and leaders of hope.”
“The awards are meant to be a badge of challenge to hone their craft further and strive more,” said School of Humanities (SOH) Dean Luz Vilches. Outgoing Sanggunian President Gio Tingson was pleased that every school was represented in the ceremony. His successor, Rob Roque found Ateneo’s recognition of these artists amazing. “We at Sanggu are also willing to help hone more artists in the future.”
A pool of talents
Students who excelled in the fields of dance, music, screen arts, theater, visual arts, and creative writing were recognized not only through the presentation of plaques but through a showcase of the winners’ talents.
Directed by Filipino Chair Jerry Respeto, the music awardees sang the opening number while the dancers performed a piece called “Diversity.” The theatre arts awardees executed a rendition of the musical play, Of Love.
Jessie Gilliam Castillo, one of the dance awardees, said that the award felt surreal. “Initially, I never thought I could get into Ateneo and never did I [think] that I would be receiving an award for dancing, since I have only been dancing seriously for five years.”
Hermund Rosales, an awardee for literary criticism, also said that he wanted to thank Ateneo for holding the event.
“Isang malaking pasasalamat at galak ang gusto kong sabihin sa Ateneo sapagkat [ang okasyong ito ay] nagbibigay…ng karangalan sa mga mag-aaral na mas magsumikap pa (Gratitude and great joy are what I want to express to Ateneo because [this event] gives honor to the students so that they will strive harder),” Rosales said.
Apart from the students, Professor Benilda Santos, Ph.D, director of the Fine Arts Department and former dean of SOH, was recognized for her outstanding achievement in Humanities. She read one of her poems, “Sinag sa Noo,” to the audience.
