Starweek Magazine

The Ateneo Law School at 75: Honoring its Diamonds

February 19, 2012 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines - As the Ateneo Law School celebrates its 75th year of existence, students were treated to a special night of elegance and excellence.

Last Feb. 4, at the Manila Polo Club in Makati, 250 students came in their best gala attire to celebrate the achievements of some of the most outstanding members of the law school community in Ateneo’s first ever Diamond Ball.

The Diamond Ball celebrated the achievements of the school’s most prominent alumni, many of whom have greatly contributed to the legal community and to society in general. The honorees included such luminaries as Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe, Secretary Cesar Villanueva, Adel Tamano, Jacinto Jimenez, Marlon Manuel, Andrew Fornier, and Fr. Joaquin Bernas.

The event likewise recognized the achievements of its students and its various student organizations.

A SPARKLING NIGHT: Marlon Manuel receives his certificate from Jann Pelayo.

The ball also served as a fund-raising activity for the student council’s project to help provide public school students with food, aptly called the Blue Plate Feeding Program.

While the presentation of honorees constituted the more formal aspect of the proceedings, the ball also employed some of the more traditional aspects typical of a JS prom.

The event started with a presentation from Ateneo’s premier dance organization, Salsa. There was likewise a coronation of the ball king and queen, as well as the stag and doe of the night. Later in the evening, the dance floor opened up to accommodate those who wished to dance the night away.

The Diamond Ball provided a rare opportunity for the various members of the law school community to come together and celebrate. In spite of the formidable workload faced by each student, everyone took the time to attend this festive gathering, leading faculty, alumni and students to voice preference that this turn into a more regular affair and become part of the law school experience.