ONE MORE year, and the Ateneo will be 150.

2008 marks the second year of the Ateneo’s three-year long celebration, which will reach its climax in 2009, in time for its sesquicentennial year.

While last year’s celebrations focused on “celebrating excellence,” this year’s celebrations will focus on the theme of “deepening spirituality,” Project Assistant for the Sesquicentennial Marmaine Agbay said.

Among the events planned to set off the year include an unveiling of the commemorative sesquicentennial seal in the yearly cheer rally.

Core competencies

The Ateneo’s celebrations will come to a climax in “building the nation,” the theme for 2009.

Agbay said they have consulted various agencies in preparing for the event, and it was suggested to make the celebration a three year-long celebration.

“To make it special…why not make it three years?” she said. The three themes are based on the three main core competencies of the Ateneo—excellence, spirituality, nation-building.

“That is what the Ateneo education is all about: not just excelling but excelling for a reason… parang giving back,” Agbay said.

Incoming

As the first year of the three year-long celebration ended, events for starting off the second year have been revealed.

“Since we are going to end the first year of our celebration, we will be launching the celebration on spirituality on June,” said Agbay.

One event that will open the year is the cheer rally on June 27.

“[The cheer rally] is just a noisy way of starting the year,” said Agbay.

Agbay also said that during the cheer rally, the Ateneo will formally unveil the sesquicentennial double seal on the Blue Eagle Gym hard court.

Prior to the cheer rally, they will be installing the double seals on the 22 lampposts, on Gates 2 and 3, and on Xavier Hall before classes start.

The artwork for the double seal was designed by sculptor Sajid Imao, who also made the bronze crucifix at the Church of the Gesu and the statue of Moro Lorenzo at the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center.

Another planned event is a concert set in December, where Ryan Cayabyab’s arrangement of five versions of the song “Take and Receive” will be presented, Communications and Public Relations Head Sonia Araneta said.

Everyone is invited

“We just don’t want it to be a celebration of just a group, but we want it to be a celebration [that] all the other members of the Ateneo can own,” Araneta said.

She encourages everyone, from the alumni to the students, to be part of this once in a lifetime celebration.

“This is a real milestone, and I don’t think that we will be around here for the next 150 years,” she said.