THE ATENEAN concept of magis is defined as “doing things with greater depth, passion, and care. It is 150 years of touching people, transforming hearts, and forming persons for others.”

Vice President Assunta Cuyegkeng added that “in the magis experience, we can never really see the world in the same way.”

With that theme, the School of Humanities (SOH) celebrated the Sesquicentennial Cultural Gala, titled “Magis: The Sesquicentennial Cultural Gala,” on September 9 in the Henry Lee Irwin Theater.

“Each [Loyola] School was asked to see what they can contribute for the sesqui celebration and we decided to have an event chronicling the history of Ateneo through liberal arts,” said SOH Dean Luz Vilches.

Aside from being part of the sesquicentennial celebration, the gala also aimed to recognize Ateneans who have excelled in the fields of music, film, theater, visual arts, literature, and teaching, she added.

“It is a delightful production and it captured the essence of magis,” said University President Fr. Ben Nebres, SJ.

Bringing honor
Vilches said the event is one of SOH’s big contributions aside from the academic lectures. “It is a cultural narrative wherein we can see history wrapped in creativity.”

“This is a celebration of thanksgiving for all the people who have been part of Ateneo’s history and made a mark in it,” said Sanggunian President Gio Tingson.

Jemma Cruz-Araneta, an esteemed Ateneo alumnus and national hero Jose Rizal’s descendant, said, “It is very, very inspiring to see people come together to honor [people] and moments in history.”

During the gala, a presentation paying homage to Rizal was shown by reading excerpts from a Rizal Facebook account that students created. A video of the late president Corazon Aquino was also played, portraying her relationship with Ateneo, and also her contributions to the country.

The gala also commemorated outstanding Atenean teachers through a performance by the Ateneo Schools Parents Council (ASPAC).
The Women of Ateneo (TWA) presented a video showing “114 years of the women,” which started when the first batch of women students graduated from Ateneo in 1977.

Theater groups also performed skits, depicting different events in Ateneo history.

Ismael Guerrero Cruz, another descendant of Jose Rizal, said he was glad to be back in Ateneo to take part in the gala.

“The presentation is a very clever way of humanizing the Ateneo’s history. It brings back good memories that makes people understand and appreciate what it means to be an Atenean.”

Well worth it
“[The gala] highlighted the best in the Ateneo history; it is also a great way to celebrate for the theater arts as it showed the tradition of Ateneo over time,” Filipino Instructor Ariel Diccion said.

Junior Bianca Redoblado, a member of Entablado, said that despite the hectic practices, [their performance] was worth it. “I can say it was really fun and overwhelming because of the way people showed their appreciation… [for] what we did…I consider myself lucky to be part of it.”

Christine Caoile, an ASPAC member, said everyone placed their blood, sweat and tears to make this event a success.

Very entertained by the dances and skits, Araneta said, “Ateneo, in this presentation, showed how much it has grown, the lives it touched, and [the lives it] continuously touches.”

“It really showcased something big, something world class… [we] can really be proud… [of as] Ateneans,” said sophomore Gerald Petry Marin.

History Associate Professor Ambeth Ocampo, who thought that the event was “long,” was left unsatisfied and waiting for the other schools’ presentations. “I would love to see what the Social Sciences, the Management or the Science and Engineering have got, instead of just the Humanities.”

A night of performance
Fine Arts Director Benilda Santos congratulated the people who took part in the event, owing to the great feedback it got from its audience.

“From the start to the end they sustained the interest of the people without losing touch to the event’s purpose,” said Santos.
“The performances were all from the heart as you have seen.”

The Sesquicentennial Cultural Gala was headed by SOH, in cooperation with the ABS-CBN network, ASPAC, and TWA.