Chapter 4: Scholastic at Ateneo de Manila (1872-1877)

SUMMARY

Rizal took and passed the examination in college of San Juan de Letran but eventually enrolled
in Ateneo. The college registrar of Ateneo father Magin Ferrando refuses to admit Jose Rizal, because he
was late for registration and sickly undersize of his age. Jose was help by the nephew of father Burgos,
to be admitted to ateneo with a condition to use his second surname Rizal. Jose Rizal arrives in Manila
and settles in a boarding house 25 minutes’ walk to Ateneo located in Intramuros. At school they have
mass every morning, and there Class in every subject start and end with prayers. Student where divided
into two groups, The Roman Empire and the Carthaginians Empire, both empire had its rank the
emperor, the tribune, the Decurion, the centurion, and last is the standard-bearer. Each empire can
challenge there officer to obtain their position. This two Empire constantly competing each other for
supremacy in their class. Rizal’s first year in Ateneo he was placed at the bottom of the class for he has
known only a little of Spanish, he was an externo, hence was assigned to Carthaginian occupying the end
of the line. Rizal progress rapidly and within a month he became emperor, Rizal was the brightest among
the pupil in the whole class. At the end of the school year in March, 1873, Rizal returned to Calamba for
summer Vacation. Nothing unusual happened to Rizal during his second term in the Ateneo, accepts
that he repented having neglected his studies the previews year simply because he was offended by the
teacher’s remarks. Among them were three boys from Bifan, who had been his classmates in the school
of Maestro Justiniano, at the end of the school year, Rizal received excellent grades in all subjects and a
gold medal In June 1874, Rizal returned to the Ateneo for his junior year. Despite the family happiness,
Rizal did not make an excellent showing in his studies as in the previous vacation. After a refreshing and
happy summer vacation, Rizal went back to Manila for his fourth year course. Rizal won 5 medals and
topped in all subjects, he became the pride of the Jesuits and he obtained highest grades in all subjects.
Rizal also studies painting and sculpture under a Filipino sculpture Romualdo De Jesus, he curved the
Sacred Heart of Jesus and was left by father Lleonart, The Ateneo boarding students placed the
sculpture on the door of their dormitory, and it remains for many years. Dona Teodora was the first to
discover the poetical genius of her son, and Father Sanchez who inspired Rizal to make full use of his
God-given gift in poetry and improve his poetical art. Rizal wrote poetry when he was 14 and it was
dedicate to his mother. In 1875, inspired by Father Sanchez, he wrote more poems and in his last year in
the Ateneo he continued wrote poems.