The Center for Manuscript Research, Literature, and Oral Tradition, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) in collaboration with the Indonesian Literature Scholars Association (Hiski) held a Horror Literature Book Review Seminar with the theme “Horror Literature & the Ecranization Industry” on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at 10:00 am – finish. This seminar was held in a mix at the Widya Graha Building Hall, 2nd floor, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jl. Gatot Subroto No. 10. Jakarta and through the Zoom Meeting application. In this seminar, the participants consisted of students, lecturers, academicians, literacy communities, and the general public who have an interest in horror literature and the field of ekranisasi.

In this seminar, the title of the material presented was “Examining Horror Events in Babad and Hikayat”. According to Cuddon, horror literature is a narrative-fictional story that scares the reader and causes feelings of disgust or hatred. Good horror literature is able to explore the capacity of fear, hysteria, madness, and everything that is on the dark side of the mind. The horror events in the chronicles and hikayat discussed consist of the episode of Dursasana’s death in Kakawin Bharatayuddha (1540); the depiction of Calon Arang’s magic ritual, supernatural beings as intermediaries, and victims of magic in Calon Arang (1647); the murder of Truna Jaya, Raden Ayu Lembah, and Raden Sukra in Babad Tanah Jawi (1647); the murder of Tun Beraim Bapa in Hikayat Raja Pasai (XV century AD); and the murder of Hang Jebat in Hikayat Hang Tuah (XVII century AD).

The Horror Literature Book Review Seminar with the material “Examining Horror Events in Babad and Hikayat” is in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) program, the fourth goal of quality education, which includes achieving quality education by ensuring the quality of education that is inclusive and equitable and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all people. In addition, with the industry subtheme, this seminar is also in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) eighth goal, decent work and economic growth, which includes efforts to support inclusive and sustainable economic growth, a productive full workforce, and decent work for all. Then, this seminar is also in accordance with SDG’s goal nine, industry, innovation and infrastructure, which includes building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and encouraging innovation.

This seminar has been reported in various media, both online and offline, such as “Dar-Der-Dor Horror Novels” and “Terror of Horror Literature” in Koran Tempo, and “Horror that Revives Literature and Creative Industries” in Media Indonesia.

On Monday, May 13, 2024, Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM received a comparative study visit from SMAK Penabur Jakarta in order to increase the insight of foreign language subject teachers at SMAK PENABUR Jakarta to implement foreign language learning programs. The Japanese Language and Culture and French Literature study programs received the first comparative study visit held by SMAK PENABUR Jakarta to the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada.

On this occasion, Dr. Tatang Hariri, M.A., as the Head of the Japanese Language and Culture Study Program welcomed the guests by explaining the early history and future prospects of the Japanese Language and Culture study program for students. Not only that, the explanation of the curriculum and scholarships available from the collaboration held by the Japanese Language and Culture Study Program of FIB UGM with universities in Japan, also became one of the interesting opportunities for students to increase exposure to the experience of skills and abilities around Japanese language and culture. In addition, the French Literature study program also presented a similar explanation that focused on the process of learning French gradually from the initial semester to the final semester, so that students and new students did not have to worry about the lack of speaking and practicing French in everyday life. The curriculum and learning process of both study programs are arranged in stages so that new learners can slowly master the foreign language they are studying.

In addition to improving insights and methods of implementing foreign language learning programs, this comparative study visit studied:

1. Japanese and French curriculum development.
2. The process of teaching and learning activities
3. Activity programs in the Student Activity Unit (UKM) related to Foreign Language
4. Prospects for graduates of the Faculty of Culture, UGM
5. Approach to student interest in studying at the Faculty of Culture

The event then ended with a group photo session and the giving of mementos from SMAK Penabur Jakarta and Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM. Hopefully, this comparative study visit is not only a learning tool for foreign language teachers of SMAK Penabur, but also an interesting information material for students of SMAK Penabur Jakarta who want to carry out further education in the field of foreign languages at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM.

On Saturday and Sunday, May 11-12, 2024, the annual Sasana Debat Mahasiswa (SADEWA) 2024 debate competition organized by the Directorate of Student Affairs UGM through the Sasana Debat Mahasiswa (SADEWA) committee under the auspices of Gadjah Mada Debating Society UGM, was held again. The SADEWA 2024 debate competition was held at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, precisely at the Soegondo Building which lasted for two days. This debate competition consists of Indonesian and English debate competitions, aims as a selection for participation in the 2024 National University Debating Championship (NUDC) and the 2024 Indonesian Student Debate Competition at the National level, as well as increasing talent and critical thinking skills within the scope of Gadjah Mada University students.

The SADEWA 2024 debate competition uses the British Parliamentary (BP) system with one chamber or competition session consisting of four different teams (Government Opener, Opposition Opener, Government Member, Opposition Member) who debate each other within seven minutes and twenty seconds with random motions related to social issues, history, politics, family, and others. In this year’s SADEWA 2024 competition, eight teams from different faculties participated in the English debate competition, followed by twelve teams in the Indonesian debate competition. The activity was held from 08.00 WIB to 17.30 WIB, in two days of activities with the first day there was a special speech from Mugiyarto, S.IP., as Head of the Student Organization and Activities Section, Directorate of Student Affairs UGM.

The activity “Socialization of Archaeological Research Results in Kalumpang Sub-district, Mamuju Regency, West Sulawesi” was the final part of delineation activities in preparation for the establishment of the location of ODCB findings into CB. This activity consisted of four presentation sessions and ended with a discussion session. Two presentation materials were the presentation of research results in Kalumpang, especially the latest findings, one material about the condition of Kalumpang’s natural environment and its potential as a “Geoheritage Park”, and one material from the aspect of protection of Suspected Cultural Heritage Objects. The material presented by Dr. Anggraeni, M.A., entitled “Minanga Sipakko (Sitokon) and Palemba Sites Evidence of Cultural Development in Karama Valley, Kalumpang District”. In the question and answer session at the end of the socialization, there were many questions and inputs from the participants. One of the traditional leaders suggested changing the name of the Minanga Sipakko Site to Sitokon Site which is better known by the local community, while another participant who is a teacher suggested that socialization activities could be carried out every year.

Considering that among the participants were teachers and junior high school students, after the socialization event was closed, Dr. Anggraeni, M.A. conducted an interview with one of the teachers and junior high school students to inform them about the book “Kalumpang Pottery Product Design Development Module Based on Archaeological Remains”. The book was prepared to provide an example to revive the enthusiasm of potters in Kalumpang District to produce. The skills still possessed by potters in Lebani Hamlet are threatened with extinction if there is no next generation. Therefore, teachers and students are encouraged to become agents of pottery product design development so that pottery-making skills can be preserved. In this case, the inspiration for the development of ornamental varieties comes from the remains of decorated pottery found in archaeological sites in the Kalumpang District area. The role of teachers and students from Kalumpang is to bridge and ensure that the modules and prototype examples of decorated pottery that have been prepared can really be useful and inspire an increase in the variety of pottery products.

This effort was taken considering that Kalumpang teachers and students are the ones who can continuously provide assistance. Meanwhile, researchers can only occasionally be present to assist and evaluate the results of pottery product development. Teachers and students are also expected to serve as intermediaries between producers and consumers. Without consumers, the productivity of potters would not be maintained and developed.

The waste emergency that occurred in Yogyakarta and its surrounding areas due to the closure of the Piyungan Landfill (TPA) which experienced excess capacity had a negative impact on environmental problems, including in Naga Asri Permai Housing, Kwarasan, Nogotirto, Gamping, Sleman. Garbage that is not transported for a long time creates an unpleasant odor that pollutes the environment and invites insects, especially flies, to come and breed. Some residents also take the initiative to burn garbage in residential areas so that the burning smoke pollutes the air which can endanger health.

This problem has been going on for a long time and is likely to continue considering that until now the local government has not been able to overcome this waste emergency problem. For this reason, it is necessary to think and act together at the lowest level, namely the community, to help overcome this problem. If so far the handling of waste has only focused on downstream in the form of final disposal, it is necessary to think about how to deal with it from upstream. together to tackle it from upstream, namely households as waste producers.

Households as the largest producers of waste need to be involved in efforts to control and manage the waste they produce. The movement to reduce or minimize waste production through waste sorting actions, the 3R Movement (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), and others, at the household level. Socialization activities need to be encouraged to raise awareness that the waste problem is a shared responsibility starting from oneself, family, immediate environment to the surrounding environment. For this reason, Stedi Wardoyo, S.S., M.A., lecturer in Japanese Language and Culture initiated socialization activities and waste handling simulations as a first step to raise awareness of residents in the smallest environment, namely Dasa Wisma A Housing Naga Asri Permai, Gamping, Sleman, which totals 14 heads of families.

Activities in the form of lectures and counseling related to waste management in the household scope. On the occasion, there was also a demonstration of processing organic waste into compost and bio-enzymes by environmental and waste processing practitioner, Mrs. Neni Widuri Lestari from Guwosari Training Center (GWTC) Pajangan, Bantul.