THE ATENEO residence halls community kicked off celebrations for Cervini Hall’s 50th anniversary on August 31, with the theme “50 Living Years.”

Originally built to house male students across all year levels, Cervini Hall now houses male freshmen and athletes.

Alongside Eliazo Hall and the University Dormitory, where female freshmen and upperclassmen, respectively, stay, the Residence Halls serve as on-campus living quarters for students from across the Philippines and the world.

“I wanted the theme to be ‘50 Living Years,’ because to the residents, [Cervini Hall has become] their second home,” said Residence Halls Director Timothy Gabuna.

Ateneo Resident Students Association President Moses Cam noted that Cervini’s longevity reflects the success of its traditions and values.

“For something like the Residence Halls to have stood the test of time, our best practices to continue, for 50 years, that means that there’s genuinely something good in there that we can be proud of,” he said.

50 years of history

Cervini Hall, the Ateneo’s first building dedicated to resident students, was originally built to address the need for housing that can accommodate the growing number of students from outside Metro Manila.

Before the Residence Halls were constructed, different buildings on campus, such as Bellarmine Hall and the Blue Eagle Gym, served as shelters for students.

Over the past 50 years, the Residence Halls as a whole has housed over 15,000 students.

Gabuna noted that a considerable number of Cervini alumni have gone on to take significant positions in business, the government, the academe and the church.

According to Gabuna, some of Cervini’s notable former residents include Senator Richard “Dick” Gordon, Gawad Kalinga founder Tony Meloto, Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino and Ateneo School of Government Dean Tony La Viña.

“These model citizens of the Residence Halls are products of the nurturing and development-oriented atmosphere of Cervini Hall,” he said.

As for Cam, he feels that his time spent in Cervini and in the Residence Halls community has formed a significant part of his college life and has changed his values.

“It was really [in Cervini] where I learned not to just think of myself, thanks to the very strong culture of accountability and service here,” he added.

The fiesta

The year-long celebration was kicked off by Arsamahan, a month-long festival that incorporated commemorative Masses, prayer sessions and an inter-batch dormer dance competition.

In an interview with the The GUIDON, Arsamahan Organizer Rene Raymond Rañeses said that the annual fiesta was retooled specially for Cervini’s golden jubilee.

Raneses added that the fiesta, originally a week-long celebration, had been expanded to cover the entire month of August to serve as an opener for the 50th anniversary.

In previous years, the fiesta was dedicated solely to the patron saints of the Residence Halls, the First Companions of the Society of Jesus: Saint Ignatius, Saint Francis Xavier and Saint Peter Faber.

“We feel that what we do today will contribute in any way to help keep on the tradition of service and leadership the First Companions originally envisioned,” he stated.

This year’s Arsamahan, with the theme “Arsamundo,” is also in honor of the Cervinians and the dormers who have found their calling and their vocations throughout the world, said Rañeses.

The year ahead

The Arsamahan celebrations mark the start of Cervini Hall’s golden jubilee.

The Residence Halls administration has scheduled a spate of activities for Cervini Hall’s golden jubilee. These were designed for both residents and non-residents, ranging from community-oriented events, such as dorm hymn songwriting contest to fundraising initiatives, including selling off naming rights for each of Cervini Hall’s 50 rooms.

Gabuna added that he plans to ask the Residence Halls alumni about the effect of living on campus on their professional lives.

“I would like to believe that the resident students, once they leave the campus, they will be the leaders of society, and I want them to be effective and good leaders,” he said.

Cam noted that in line with the official celebrations, graduating dormers have planned out their own initiatives to commemorate the golden celebration.

“As it is the 50th anniversary celebration, we want to have a ‘grand legacy’ project for the dorms, since we (seniors) are graduating this year,” said Cam.

In addition to the seniors’ initiative, the administration aims to use Cervini’s 50th anniversary to help kickstart the development of the building.

Gabuna said that the renovation is geared towards developing a more environmentally friendly dorm that will last the next 50 years and beyond.