MVP Center: The Free Org Hub of the Ateneo

Some people in the Ateneo claim to major in “BS Org,” solely focused on their many organizations, instead of focusing on their actual degrees.

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Joining a student organization is a must for every Atenean. Some choose to be active in their organizations, like the BS Org majors, and some just join for the sake of it. Ateneo’s strong ideals of community development and student leadership all reflect these organizations, and this is precisely what makes Ateneo unique as a university. The fifty-two organizations of the Ateneo are held, promoted, and cultivated in the “home of orgs,” the Manuel V. Pangilinan Center for Student Leadership (MVP Center to the Ateneans).

Looking Back

Before the MVP Center was built, the organizations were held in what was known as the Colayco Hall, which only had a basement level and a ground floor. Colayco Hall was named after Manuel Colayco— an Atenean, an active student leader, the first editor of The Guidon (the school newspaper), and also a war veteran.The popular MVP building Roof deck is presently called Colayco Hall, and the extension of the MVP building is named Colayco Pavilion. Previously, student organizations practiced the well-known Ateneo Bench Culture, where certain organizations and barkadas “owned” their respective spots or benches where they would meet. Realizing the need for a formal meeting place for the continuously growing organizations, Manuel V. Pangilinan, an alumnus and generous benefactor of the Ateneo, presented a grant to build the MVP Center for Student Leadership in 2006. The building stands until today as the home for the organizations, and further cultivates these organizations to be able to achieve more great things.

Org Life

The Atenean Life is defined by “org life.” Organizations exist because of the strong Atenean ideals of well-roundedness and being men and women for others, which can be cultivated in the home of organizations—the MVP Center. When asked about his thoughts on the MVP, multi-org member Carlo Paulino said, “MVP’s my home in Ateneo. In my free time, I waste time there, either in the org room or Colayco Pavilion, and that’s where most of my relationships and friendships flourish! Apart from this, it’s also where I get the chance to grow and mature with my responsibilities in my orgs.” The org rooms are where members can relax, socialize, do schoolwork, and mainly plan for the organization projects. Aside from the org rooms, the MVP Roofdeck and Colayco Pavilion are essential for these orgs because they are “hotspots for general assemblies and talks organized for the betterment and formation of the members in their respective disciplines,” according to self-professed BS Org major Vian Sy. Another key aspect of the MVP Center is the presence of formation offices, to develop the student leaders to be able to lead their organizations and help their organization to grow. The main administration of the MVP is a formation office, The Office of Student Activities (OSA), (working in close coordination with the Office of Facilities and Sustainability) because the OSA is where the orgs go to consult, plan, and seek assistance in reservations of venues and the like. According to students affair professional in the OSA, Dan Casiño, the OSA provides “a performance management system in place for the organizations.” The OSA also guides organizations in achieving their goals and aids in evaluation of projects later on. With the many org rooms, popular roof deck, multi-purpose pavilion, and helpful formation offices, various students agree that the MVP is a suitable home for the organizations of the Ateneo. Student Vian Sy strongly agrees with this testament, “The amenities made available to the students makes life so much more convenient. All this without entirely shielding them from the ‘real world,’ as Ateneans are often called pampered.” The MVP as a whole contributes a big impact on the maintenance, advancement, productivity, and enjoyment of the organizations with its free convenience.

What’s Inside?

The MVP Center has many aspects and contains key places to help in promoting student leadership and excellence. The Center has four floors with a basement level. The fifty-two accredited organizations, including the Sanggunian, Council of Organizations, and COMELEC, each have rooms to use. The five offices situated inside the MVP are “formation” offices, whose main objective is to aid the student leaders: The Office of Student Activities (OSA), Office of Social Concern and Involvement (OSCI), Office of Campus Ministry (OCM), the Associate Dean for Student Formation (ADSF), and the Department of Student Welfare and Services (DSWS). These formation offices are placed in the MVP alongside the org rooms to help in the holistic formation of student leaders in every possible aspect, and to help out in org activities as well. Also located in the Center is the Rupert Meyer Library and many other different rooms—consultations rooms, seminar rooms, training rooms, etc., to aid the organizations in fulfilling their specific goals. In the basement of the building is a small coffee shop and the Loyola Schools Bookstore, which is highly significant to the life of every Atenean. Most of the required school books, other leisure-reading books, InterMatrix (printing and binding services), and even a mini Apple Store can be found in the bookstore. Sophomore Vian Sy testifies, amusingly but accurately, the importance of the InterMatrix station, “That station has saved my grades on more than one occasion, and I bet plenty of other students will have similar stories.” On the topmost floor of the building is the Colayco Hall, better knows as the MVP Roof deck. Many organizations hold events and activities here, such as general assemblies and the like. Being the “home of orgs,” the MVP Roofdeck is what holds the Organizations’ Recruitment Week (RecWeek) every year for the recruitment of new members of the organizations. The MVP provides various resources for the organizations’ use, but frequent visitors of the Center think more could be added for utmost convenience and productivity while in the building, such as projectors, air conditioning, more stable wifi, and water fountains.

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Many different groups of influential people have come together to contribute to the MVP Center, which is why it only continues to improve and advance. Looking back at the Center’s rich history, the organizations continue cherishing their home that was built solely for them and to cater to their needs. With a convenient, safe, and free location, plentiful useful places and amenities, complete with a readily helpful staff, the fifty-two organizations progressively flourish and achieve more. These organizations continually work to be “men and women for others” with the huge help and contribution of their home, the Manuel V. Pangilinan Center for Student Leadership. So whether you’re a BS Org major, a typical org member, or simply someone interested in the organizational life in the Ateneo, the MVP Center is the place to go!