Arrogant -- this is the common impression of Ateneans. I was recently asked why people think they are by someone at work. I didn’t have a ready explanation. I always thought Ateneans were merely being confident or at most being overconfident. In my Medieval History class, Father Bartholomew Lahiff, S.J. once said to a student who was unsure of his answer, “Are you telling me or are you asking me?” Expressing honesty, the student nodded. Big mistake. “You must always sound sure even if you’re not. Again!”
I don’t know if it’s the way Jesuits teach or it’s the university. Somehow, there are very few shy Ateneans. Let’s face it, many Ateneans come from wealthy families although 20 percent of students are full scholars. With that, maybe, comes assertiveness and maybe better English proficiency from having English-speaking parents or having studied in private high schools. The Ateneo also requires its students to take 4 subjects in Philosophy where the grade is ¼ oral recitation and where the final exam is oral. So, it will be extremely difficult to get a high grade if you’re shy. In addition, the written tests are not in multiple choice format. You must answer them in essays. And this is only Philosophy. The same is true to some extent in English and Theology. Maybe this is why most Ateneans are confident. They simply have to be. Otherwise, they will fail.
This confidence is useful in public speaking and making arguments. It is no wonder then that the Ateneo Debate Society is the seventh best in the world, ahead of Cambridge (8th), the National University of Singapore (19th) and even Harvard University (13th). In contrast, UP is at the 23rd spot. De La Salle is at number 42 while UST is at 229. Ateneo also has the highest passing percentage in the all-essay bar exams at 91.24 percent. By comparison, 82.85 percent of UP law graduates pass while San Beda students have an 88.4 percent passing record.
So, are Ateneans arrogant? I explained to my colleague that Ateneans may feel a sense of entitlement. But if there’s anyone who should feel entitled, it should be the UP graduates. After all, getting into UP is harder than getting into Ateneo. But UP doesn’t seem to have the same reputation. So, are Ateneans arrogant? Maybe. For the most part, they're just confident.
