Ateneo celebrates Rizal’s 150th birthday

A series of historical exhibits, academic lectures, and cultural presentations mark Ateneo de Manila University’s commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Dr. Jose P. Rizal, beloved national hero and most distinguished Ateneo alumnus. Entitled “A Legacy of Service: Rizal for the 21st Century," the activities will run from June until December 2011. On opening day on June 17, two exhibits will be launched. “Rizal in the Ateneo, the Ateneo in Rizal," an exhibit of original Rizal artifacts at the Ateneo Art Gallery. Meanwhile, “Rizal, the Literary Genius" will feature select works from the Rizaliana Collection of Ateneo de Manila’s Rizal Library at the Parde de Tavera Room. The launch program will be held at the Leong Hall Auditorium from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Rizal first enrolled at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila in June 1872 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree with the highest honors in 1877. While Rizal is most known for his novels and political writings that roused the Filipino people to nationhood, the Ateneo de Manila also acknowledges that what motivated the choices he made and the actions he took throughout his life, whether here in the Philippines or during his sojourn in Europe, was the well-being of his beloved motherland, his patria adorada. It was this desire to put country above all else that ultimately brought him to his death at Bagumbayan on 30 December 1896.