"We are not selling space—we’re building people"

The storied Ateneo Residence Halls - Cervini Hall, Eliazo Hall and the University Dormitory, is home to more than 700 students who come from diverse backgrounds and social experiences.  

The Residence Halls is more than just a place to sleep—it is a student’s ‘home away from home.’ It is where students can take advantage of opportunities right outside their doors. As such, the work of a residence director is very important. Providing guidance, support and coordination to students is a big task but Rene San Andres has stepped up to the plate.

Sir RSA, as he is fondly called by students, sees his new role as a chance to help influence character formation among students.

“We are not just a boarding house; we are a residential housing facility in a Jesuit institution. In business lingo, this is not just about commodity. We are not selling space; we are building people. We are forming people. We are in the business of lodging and formation—these two are inseparable,” he says. Sir RSA’s term comes at a time where social media has amplified some of the struggles of today’s youth -bullying, academic problems, peer pressure, and even mental health problems.  Despite this, Sir RSA is hopeful about the youth.

“Nothing has changed [about the youth],” he says, “I’ve realized that the human person is basically the same; it’s just that the symptoms are changing.”

When he was younger, he says, his aunts would berate his older sister for her musical preference. “They found The Beatles too loud,” he recalls. Now, today’s parents— who when they were young were probably on the receiving end of their own parents’ complaints —would say the same thing about their children’s favorite music artist, he says with a laugh. “It’s the same yearning and process for searching and affirmation.  What is important is for them to keep their feet on the ground while they are pursuing what they want to do in life.”

The new director is banking on his vast experience in student formation and his own upbringing to help the post-millennials traverse not just the hilly terrain of Ateneo de Manila but the twists and turns life has to offer.

“I was a scholar from the province—I was one of those brought in by the Ateneo Scholarship Foundation.”  He and Tim Gabuna (his predecessor as director of the Residence Halls) were both members of Gabay, one of the oldest student organizations in the university. Even as a student, Sir RSA was already drawn into the world of social formation: “I volunteered. We were student formators.”

After graduation, Sir RSA joined the Jesuit Volunteers Philippines, Foundation, Inc. (JVP).  He stayed in Davao for 2 years, teaching religious studies to young people. It was in Davao where his Ignatian values were strengthened and fortified.

“It was a fulfilling time for me—it challenged me to be a person for others. “

Against the backdrop of Martial Law, the young Ateneo alumnus sought to “change the world.” “JVP’s battle cry is to set the world on fire,” he says, “and I realized there are limitations. You cannot change the world by approaching it cognitively. You have to know people, interact with them and know their hearts.”

Upon his return to Manila, he went on to take graduate studies while teaching Philosophy at Ateneo.  Stirred by his Davao experience, Sir RSA entered the novitiate: “I thought I would make a good priest.”  Following the Ignatian principle of discernment, Sir RSA realized that he could best contribute to the nation building agenda of the Jesuits through student formation  and as a lay person embedded in the world of people.

“Extra-curricular life is essential; the classroom is limited. The real person encounters the real world outside the classroom; you have to interact with people. These are not taught in the classroom,” he says. After a short stint in the corporate world, Sir RSA returned to the academe, again helping build the character of young people.
 

“It was the right platform for what I learned. It’s not that I wanted to pull down the value of academics. The non-classroom aspect,  the world outside the classroom,was undervalued. He cites an experience he had in Davao.

“The students were members of one faith-based organization I organized (SCA), and yet, another organization which was not faith-based at all was more successful in putting fire in their members.  It made me very curious about what fired people up. I found out that the other organization was feeding off deep-seated and very personal needs of its members – many of which were coming from very basic human needs – of affirmation, etc. – that were not fully met in and by the family.  I realized that I did not know people that well, and that ‘changing the world’ needed a lot more empathizing with people and not just advocating concepts and theories.”

For 2 decades, Sir RSA served as Associate Dean for Students Affairs, working with faculty and staff to engage students in various programs and activities that may help them reflect on their deepest desires. When Mr. Tim Gabuna retired early this year, Sir RSA was appointed to lead the dorm community.  He may not have experienced living on campus—he stayed with his sister in Quezon City— but Sir RSA knew the challenges of living on campus.

“For those who can afford it, this is a welcome place. For scholars like me and I would suppose it still rings true to students now, there is the financial side that you have to consider,” he says. “The thing that we provide here is a safe and secure student housing facility. Here, the students are already inside the campus, they do not have to venture out. “

The Ateneo Residence Halls is equipped with a security system, Internet access and 24/7 security personnel. There are 16 Resident Advisers and 3 stay-in Administrators.  Adults companions are housed in every floor to look after resident students.

“The dormitory offers a holistic opportunity for students to grow. We can provide the parenting and directions for social and spiritual formation,” he says. Given this, is it important to have a facility that allows students to connect with others, grow and be their most authentic selves.
 

With this in mind, Sir RSA is focusing on the fundamentals: upgrading the system to ensure a smooth and efficient delivery of services.  “If this is the place where they find themselves, we might as well structure it systematically and deliberately. If we do that, our students can have better opportunities for growth and connection.”