In the midst of a busy academic routine, a number of students of the Javanese Language, Literature and Culture Study Program have made extraordinary achievements in the non-academic field. They are members of a band called Band Wangoen which has recently stolen a lot of attention with its keroncong genre. The band, which consists of 7 students, has shown dedication, creativity, and a high spirit of teamwork. Band Wangoen means “to be appropriate (in terms of goodness)” it is hoped that with this name Band Wangoen can entertain with wangun in every performance.

At one of Gadjah Mada University’s events, Integrated Career Days held in November, Band Wangoen managed to present a beautiful performance. Performing pop songs with keroncong arrangements made them appear different from the others. This achievement not only shows their talent, but also their ability to manage time well between studies and non-academic activities.

“Actually, we all have busy schedules, but making music and being an artist is a fun thing to do. We learn to manage our time well, take advantage of every opportunity to practice, and stay focused on our academic assignments,” said Amtenaring Gulang, the cak’s player and student of the Javanese Language, Literature and Culture Study Program class of 2022 who initiated the formation of the band, adding that it was not easy to find group members who had an interest in keroncong music and were talented to play and sing Javanese songs.

The keroncong genre and Javanese songs performed also show the role of Javanese Language, Literature and Culture Study Program students in preserving Javanese culture. Keroncong music and Javanese songs are rare to be heard by the current generation, it is fitting to preserve and introduce them so that their existence does not decline. One of the Javanese dolanan songs was also performed on stage, entitled “Gethuk” the song was sung beautifully by the vocalist Dian Patmisari. Tembang dolanan has an important role in Javanese society, especially for children, indirectly the content of dolanan songs contains moral and life values that can be a teaching of character building.

Wangoen Band performance in Integrated Career Days event

Apart from performing at Integrated Career Days 2024, Band Wangoen also had the opportunity to perform 8 songs at the Malam Alumni event as a series of Nitilaku 2024, namely the 75th Anniversary of Universitas Gadjah Mada and the 15th lustrum. This time, Band Wangoen invited Lala Atila, a sinden, singer, and student of the Language, Literature and Culture Study Program class of 2021 as a vocalist. Lala Atila’s melodious voice managed to create an intimate atmosphere among the alumni of Universitas Gadjah Mada who were present. The event, which was also attended by Basuki Hadimuljono, Head of the 2nd Nusantara Capital Authority, went smoothly with the warm accompaniment of keroncong music by the Wangoen Band.

Wangoen Band’s performance at Alumni Night 2024

The success of Band Wangoen also shows the importance of balance between academic and non-academic activities. The band members proved that with good time management, they can excel not only in the classroom but also outside the classroom. It is hoped that their success will become an example for all students to be more active in exploring their potential in various fields. With increasingly steady steps, Band Wangoen shows that the world of lectures is not only a place to gain knowledge, but also a place to develop talents and achieve success in various aspects of life.

[Public Relation FIB UGM, Editor: Sandya Kirani]

Abhiseka kramasisya is an annual event organized by the Javanese Language, Literature and Culture Study Program to inaugurate new students of the Javanese Literature Study Program. In 2024, Abhiseka Kramasisya was held in 2 days, on October 19-20, 2024 with 45 new students of the Javanese Language, Literature and Culture Study Program participating. Abhiseka Kramasisya 2024 used the theme “Sedya, Darma, Guna” each word in the theme has its own sentence which means very deep and is expected to be in accordance with the new students who will be inaugurated.

“Sedya” in Sedya Tuhu Gayuh Widya means the full intention to reach knowledge. “Darma” in Darma Bekti Kang Utama means goodness that is prioritized. “Guna” in the sentence Guna Mring Nuswantara means useful for the country, nation, and all of Nusantara. With the formation of this philosophical theme, it is hoped that new students will always absorb the meaning so that they can carry out the “Sedya, Darma, Guna” and be able to preserve the noble values of Javanese culture and maintain the existence of culture in the Nusantara, especially Javanese culture.

Before the day of Abhiseka Kramasisya, all committees and participants conducted a First Gathering which was intended to establish good communication between the committee and participants. The First Gathering which was held on September 8, 2024 became a place for bonding and getting to know each other.

On September 21, 2024 a Technical Meeting was held to explain the technical implementation of the D-day of Abhiseka Kramasisya 2024. With the aim of introducing a little Javanese knowledge, all new students were divided into 4 groups with the names Damarwulan, Centhini, Wedharaga, and Ambiya. The naming of these groups comes from the names of manuscripts in Java. The Technical Meeting also explained some of the technical implementation of the entire series of Abhiseka Kramasisya 2024.

The first day of Abhiseka Kramasisya 2024 was held in the Auditorium of Soegondo Building, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada with a series of symbolic opening events with “Asa Lokatara”. A box containing balloons that will fly a piece of cloth with the inscription Abhiseka Kramasisya 2024. Asa Lokatara means a dream that flies high, a prayer for all new students so that their dreams can be achieved. Asa Lokatara was opened by Dr. Daru Winarti M.Hum, as the Head of the Javanese Language, Literature and Culture Study Program and accompanied by Zidna Nabila as the Chief of Abhiseka Kramasisya 2024.

“Asa Lokatara” symbolic opening of Abhiseka Kramasisya 2024

After the symbolic opening, the event continued with the introduction of the study program which was filled by several representatives of the lecturers. Abhiseka Kramasisya 2024 also invited alumnus as talk show speakers. One of the speakers presented was Rizky Inggar who plunged into the entertainment world and had several programs on television such as Main Hakim Sendiri and Rumah Bulekkk. The speaker conveyed the career he had gone through, aiming to motivate new students to have the enthusiasm to carry out education and find their talent interests. Entering the last part of Abhiseka Kramasisya on the first day, closed by Gilang Cahya Nusantara as the Head of the KAMASTAWA Association presenting material on the introduction of the Department Student Association (Himpunan Mahasiswa Jurusan) which will later be followed by new students.

Study program seminar by several lecturers

The second day of the Abhiseka Kramasisya series was held in the hallway of the Margono Building, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada. The rainy conditions made the committee have to think of ways to keep the event running smoothly. The plan for “Lelaya Wiyata” or cultural exploration had to be replaced with a quiz between groups. There were several changes to the plan. However, everything went smoothly. The event continued with the movement of all participants and committees to Pusaka Jawa (Javanese Studies Center) located on Jl. Bungur, Bulaksumur No. F9 to continue the Siraman inauguration procession. The Siraman procession is the main part of the Abhiseka Kramasisya. The procession was led by lecturer representative Dr. Sulistyowati, M.Hum. accompanied by the Head of the KAMASTAWA. With the implementation of the Siraman procession, participants have officially become part of the Javanese Language, Literature and Culture Study Program Family. All participants also received the corsa of the Javanese Literature Student Family Department Student Association.

The event was closed with an art performance by Abhiseka Kramasisya 2024 participants. Participants displayed the creativity of each group performing dances, songs, dramas, and so on. This session was lively, warm, and showed the kinship of the Javanese Language, Literature and Culture Study Program. The end of the art performance was followed by the symbolic closing of “Abinawa Prasraya” in the form of a door that can rotate 180 degrees showing the acceptance of new students adding color to the Language, Literature and Culture Study Program.

The series of Abhiseka Kramasisya 2024, expects new students of the Javanese Language, Literature and Culture Study Program to love local cultural products, especially Javanese culture, and to preserve them. Students who have been confirmed are expected to develop and improve educational, research, and community service activities so as to create superior, outstanding, and dignified student characters.

[Public Relation Faculty of Cultural Science, Editor: Sandya Kirani]

On Thursday, December 19, 2024, Mandala Majapahit, managed by the Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FIB UGM), received a visit from the Faculty of Engineering, Parahyangan Catholic University. This visit was part of the Architectural Heritage and Restoration Study activities involving a supervisor and ten students.

The lecturer was Dr. Rahadhian Prajudi Herwindo, IAI, who together with the students aimed to deepen their understanding of cultural heritage architecture and restoration techniques applied at Mandala Majapahit.

The activity began in the afternoon with an introductory session hosted by Dra. D.S. Nugrahani, M.A., an expert from the Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts UGM. In the session, participants gained in-depth insight into the history and value of Mandala Majapahit architecture, including the preservation efforts made to maintain its authenticity and sustainability.

This activity not only provides educational benefits for participants, but also strengthens collaboration between Parahyangan Catholic University and UGM, especially in the field of architectural studies and cultural heritage preservation. 

Master of Linguistics Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada will receive a visit from the Language Center of Southeast Sulawesi Province on:

Day/Date: Tuesday, December 24, 2024

Time: 13.00 – 15.15 WIB

Place: Room 721, Soegondo Building 7th Floor, Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM

This meeting aims to discuss the Compilation of Bilingual Dictionary (Indonesia-Region) and Writing of Scientific Articles, as well as discuss other opportunities for cooperation between the two parties.

This activity will be attended by:

Dean of Faculty of Humanities

Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs

Vice Dean for Finance, Assets, and Human Resources

Head and Secretary of the Master of Linguistics Study Program

Delegates from the Language Center of Southeast Sulawesi Province (3 people)

Cooperation and Public Relations Unit (2 people)

Through this meeting, it is hoped that a good synergy can be established in developing linguistics, especially related to regional language documentation and improving the quality of scientific publications.

On Thursday, December 5, 2024, Faculty of Cultural Sciences Universitas Gadjah Mada (FIB UGM) received a visit from Institut Teknologi Sumatera (ITERA) in order to benchmark the Tourism Study Program. The meeting took place at Soegondo Building, FIB UGM, and was attended by representatives of lecturers and students from both institutions.

This visit aims to deepen ITERA’s understanding of the management of the Tourism Study Program. During the discussion, representatives from the Tourism Study Program of FIB UGM explained their curriculum structure, including the number of credits and courses offered in each semester. ITERA got a detailed description of the learning patterns and various best practices applied at FIB UGM.

In addition, the discussion also covered the challenges faced in running the study program, such as curriculum development, implementation of field practice, and management of human resources and infrastructure. Both institutions exchanged ideas to overcome these obstacles, and discussed opportunities for future collaboration.

This activity is expected to provide inspiration for Institut Teknologi Sumatera in managing similar study programs, as well as strengthening the collaborative relationship between the two institutions in supporting the advancement of tourism education in Indonesia.