Les artistes. The Ateneo is home to artists of all persuasions—painters, thespians, poets, photographers, dancers and designers, among others. Photo by Katerina D. Francisco

PROVING THAT excelling in the arts is not determined by being in a particular course, this year’s awardees at the 19th annual Loyola Schools Awards for the Arts (LSAA) come from different backgrounds.

Of the 24 LSAA recipients, five each come from the School of Science and Engineering (SOSE) and the School of Social Sciences (SOSS), and four come from the School of Management (SOM). The School of Humanities (SOH) has seven recipients.

Another recipient double-majored in degrees from SOSS and SOM. Two other recipients from SOSS and SOM have a minor or double major in SOH.

Entitled “Dalisayan,” the awarding ceremonies were held last March 14 at Escaler Hall.

The LSAA is conferred to a graduating student who has done outstanding work in various fields of art.

Just do it

For information design student and LSAA awardee for illustration Natasha Ringor, the fact that most of this year’s LSAA awardees are not from SOH reflects the wide appeal of the arts. “The arts isn’t just for the humanities, it’s for everybody.”

Ringor designed 2BU!, Philippine Daily Inquirer’s youth section. She has also drawn for self-published graphic novels such as House of Prayer and A Thousand Stars.

Management engineering student Francis Victa also has similar sentiments. “[Art] comes in every form and from everyone who has the imagination and the passion. We could see this from anyone no matter [what] the background [is].”

Management information systems major and LSAA awardee for music JP del Mundo thinks that people try to balance different aspects of them.

“It says more about the people themselves than the trend. They really try to balance their passion and what can take them to the kind of work they want,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Del Mundo and Victa, together with two others, are part of the band Never the Strangers, which has recently exploded into the local music scene.

Being passionate about the arts might present a lot of difficulties, but for Ringor, it begins by trying. She said, “Don’t let outside things discourage you. If you really love what you do, it will just [follow].”

Being in the company of people who share the same passion can also help. Del Mundo said that it is really different when one is with people who share his or her knowledge and insights.

On the other hand, Victa only had this simple advice to offer: “Live your passions.”

Literary rapture. Grace, nesse, passion and emotion make for the gravitas that distinguish Atenean actors. Photo by Ean L. Dacay

Venue for inspiration, self-expression

During their stay in Ateneo, these LSAA awardees have improved on their craft mostly through their involvement in  organizations, as well as their interactions with the people in them.

Ringor said, “I have had so many inspirations from my peers, especially from my [publication], Heights. They really helped me see art in many different ways.”

She said that she was initially surprised that the Ateneo had “an active art scene” because art is not the first thing one would think of when thinking about the Ateneo. Ringor said that people involved in the arts in campus are active.

The Ateneo Musicians’ Pool provided Del Mundo and Victa the venue for learning and expressing themselves in a creative manner. The former said that the organization was where they were able to hone their craft further.

Del Mundo added in a mix of English and Filipino, “[Music] gives us a venue for self-expression that is hard to find in other forms of art… If you want to convey a message directly, you do that through music.”

Best of both worlds

With the LSAA awardees having had to juggle their passion and schoolwork, they encountered difficulties in prioritizing.

Del Mundo said that he and his bandmates were still able to attend to their schoolwork despite having to attend several recording sessions. “During our idle time, we study, pore over readings, and do our thesis. You really had to find time for studying,” he said.

However, Del Mundo also acknowledged some challenges in balancing school and music. “Sometimes, what happens is, when you are in school, you think of music recording, whereas, when you are in the recording studio, you think about school.”

Nevertheless, he said that while it was difficult to balance passion and schoolwork, they managed to pull it off. He admitted that their performance in school suffered to some extent, but they had to experience that to know just how to balance their hobbies and academics.

On the other hand, Ringor tried to combine the two: “I try to squeeze [drawing] in, like when I do notes, I like to doodle a lot on my notes.”

For both Ringor and Victa, the success of balancing art and schoolwork also depends on a person’s attitude. “If you love it, you’ll find ways to work around [limitations],” Ringor said.

“There certainly is time for everything once you start to prioritize things. Both are my priorities, and both are balanced. It is really difficult, but there is nothing else you can say for doing something that you love,” Victa said.

Editor’s Note  The GUIDON Design Exective Editor Jio Igual and photographer Ean Dacay won awards in the Loyola Schools Awards for the Arts.