TO ADDRESS the increasing college population, a new dorm has been constructed behind the Cervini and Eliazo Residence Halls.
The new University Dormitory is comprised of two seven-storey towers which can each hold 300 students, said Resident Halls Director Timothy Gabuna.
Cervini accommodates 204 male students, while Eliazo accommodates 168 female students.
This June, approximately 600 students will occupy the dorms. Sophomore, junior, and senior dormers will reside in the new dorm, while freshmen will occupy Cervini and Eliazo.
Each tower will have an elevator, Gabuna said. Each bedroom in the new dorm will also have a telephone and a local number.
Construction on the first five storeys of each tower was completed by the end of May. The sixth and seventh storeys will be completed on July, and will be available for use either during the second semester or the next year, Gabuna said.
Out with the old
According to Gabuna, the plan for the new dormitory began with Jose Capistrano, then Vice President for Planning and Development.
However, Gabuna said the idea died down until it was revived three years ago by the Ateneo Scholarship Foundation (ASF) where Capistrano is a board member.
Upon revival, ASF Treasurer Jose Santos, MBA took charge of the plan. The Board of Trustees eventually approved the plan he presented.
“There were many buildings constructed [in campus]… The dorm probably wasn’t prioritized,” Gabuna added in a mix of English and Filipino.
Construction for the new University Dormitory officially began on its ceremonial groundbreaking last December 8, 2007.
Changes in organization
Since a new dorm was constructed, the Cervini-Eliazo Resident Students’ Association (Cersa) has been changed to the Ateneo Resident Students’ Association (ARSA).
According to Gabuna, ARSA has implemented a new system of elections for their officers and installed a hall governor for each of the four residence halls.
Gabuna also said this year’s dorm orientation seminar (OrSem) will be modified to accommodate the increase of dormers.
“I just hope it would still be as effective as our [former] OrSem when it comes to injecting the four core values of a dormer: respect, responsibility, solidarity and service,” said Ezra Jed Macabenta (II BS ME).
Cersans react
Macabenta, who has been a dormer for a year, is not fully in favor of moving to the new dorms.
“Yes, it will house more people, but it will take away the culture that makes a Cervini or Eliazo
dormer special,” he said.
“The bonds among batch mates and upperclassmen will not be the same with approximately 600 more people,” he added.
Though open to the move, Chelsea Elizabeth Samson (IV BS Bio) said, “When viewed circumstantially, it can be a hassle since it basically uproots us from the haven we’ve created for ourselves these past few years.”
Samson added, though, that at least, they can “experience both the new dorm and the old.”
“I hope that a home atmosphere will still be maintained as it is really what makes the dorm stand out from the rest,” Samson said.
