ATENEO ALUMNI ASSOCIATION CANADA

The Origin of the Logos of the Ateneo Alumni Association Canada:

The original Logo of the Ateneo Alumni Association Canada

The present Logo of the Ateneo Alumni Association Canada

A Background on the Logo of the Ateneo Alumni Association Canada:

As part of its informal organizational meetings, the core group of Ateneans which started the AAAC tackled the issue of the appropriate logo with spirited discussion, but little opposition. After a number of meetings, its result was not surprising, as the resulting logo closely resembled that of the Ateneo's, which, in retrospect, is fitting, as it has always been the group's intention to adhere to the Ateneo's ideals as reflected in the original Ateneo logo.

What does the logo represent? Many of us may ask this question, perhaps because we have forgotten, but maybe more so because we don't know. For many of us, including this writer, it is never too late to know our origins, with a dig into the nearest library.

The first things one notices in the logo, as in all Ateneo logos, are the two living creatures---animals (are they lions?) holding on to what appears to be a chain. Actually, these are only two ordinary wolves holding on to a cooking pot. History tells us that the Ateneo's logo is actually a logo of the ancestral house of the Jesuit's Founder, St. Ignatius of Loyola. The wolves-and-pot are simply the Spanish contraction of Lo(bos) y O(l)la, which represented the generosity for which the house of Loyola was known. This generosity, Ateneans are known for, and the AAAC embraces wholeheartedly.

In this logo, one also notices the ever-present rays emanating from Jesus' initials (JHS), which represent the guiding and inspiring light to all Ateneans.

The stars at the bottom of the logo are the Ateneos in the Philippines, either currently creating history, or now part of history, and the shading on the stars shows each Ateneo school as its alumni join and contribute to the AAAC's noble cause.

The motto at the bottom of the logo, not surprisingly, is that of the Jesuit Order, for the reason that the AAAC upholds the same ideals, which are not for individual aggrandizement, but only for God's greater glory.