Yogyakarta, Thursday, October 31, 2024. The Indonesian Literature Student Family (KMSI) of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM organized the annual UGM Bulan Bahasa (Language Month) event held at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM. The event, held at Soegondo Courtyard, Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, is open to the public and presents various activities such as Unjuk Kebolehan, food bazaar, language exhibition, Serap Book, Suar Memoar, music band performances, and others. Of the various activities, one of the activities that attracted the attention of visitors because of its uniqueness was a board with pasted paper containing writings of hope called, Suar Memoar.

The Suar Memoar board is displayed in the hallway and front yard of the Soegondo Building, with the aim of attracting the attention of general visitors. On the Suar Memoar, students and visitors can write their hopes and stories by writing on sticky notes which are then attached to the board. A number of papers containing hopes, dreams, complaints, and motivational messages, written by students and visitors. This is unique, because the Suar Memoar board does not only contain papers on one board, but also on several other boards, so that Suar Memoar becomes one of the favorite objects during Language Month.

Yogyakarta, Saturday, 2nd of November 2024. The Korean Language Student Association organised an event entitled, ‘Women’s Film Festival: The Voices from South Korea and Indonesia’ as one of the 19th Korean Day series on 2 November and 3 November. This activity aims to explore the issue of women’s careers through films directed by women from both countries. Both Indonesia and South Korea share many similarities on this issue, including women’s opportunities to access education, employment, and politics. Typical cultural challenges still pose barriers, such as the normalisation of double burden, discrimination, and the threat of violence. The event was held at Soegondo Auditorium, Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, and was divided into two sessions on the first day, starting in the morning and afternoon.

In the morning, the event started with the screening of Kim Ji-Yong’s film: Born 1982, which is an adaptation of the novel by Cho Nam-joo, following the life of Kim Ji-young, an ordinary South Korean woman who faces the pressures and gender biases that permeate a patriarchal society. The story delves into the sensitive issue of Ji-young’s gradual struggle with societal expectations placed on women, especially in terms of career, family, and identity. Participants watched Cho Nam-joo’s adaptation of the novel, at the two-hour film screening. After the film screening session, participants were given the opportunity to ask questions guided by a moderator and presented by film director Kim Ji-Yong: Born 1982, Kim Do Young, via Zoom.

In the Q&A session, various participants asked director Kim Do Young a number of questions, such as the challenges and difficulties in making the film, the film’s contribution to feminism, criticism that arose, and others. The participants then ended the Q&A session with a group photo with Kim Do Young.

Yogyakarta, Friday, 1st of November 2024. The English Literature Department Student Association (IMAJI) held English Days 2024. This event is an annual event that has a series of activities to enliven the 78th Dies Natalies of the English Literature study programme. One of the series of English Days 2024 activities is a theatre performance held on 1 November 2024 at Soegondo Auditorium, Soegondo Building, Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, from 18.00 WIB to 21.30 WIB.

Before going to the the main performance, the event began with a speech from Florinesya Zahwa Raihania, as the Chairperson of the English Days 2024 Committee. On this occasion, Flori expressed her gratitude to the audience and those involved in supporting the success of English Days 2024. The speech was then continued by English Literature Lecturer, Hasyim Kurniawan, S.S., M.App.Ling.. Mr Hasyim conveyed the importance of student organisation events as a great source and learning experience. He said experiences in organisational activities train skills and leadership and problem solving and will help every aspect of students’ future.

After the speeches ended, the theatre performance titled, ‘The Front Stage Facade’ began, telling the story of the dark side of the entertainment industry. The show began with a dance music performance which would then accompany certain moments during the show. The reveal of the main players in this theatre is the character Jackie (Rizqi) as, ‘Starboy’ who plays the role of an American entertainment industry figure who is famous abroad, followed by Avery (Dewi) playing the role of the main manager of the theatre talent from the French owner of a company engaged in the entertainment industry, Jacques (Aimar). In addition, there are major characters who appear after the first part of the show which further increases the tension and excitement of the theatre with the appearance of Rita (Tyaz) and Pamela (Vari). Meanwhile, supporting characters such as Boy 1 (Nida), Boy 2 (Ipeh), Girl 1 (Felice), Girl 2 (Zahwa), Girl 3 (Nia), and Girl 4 (Chu), liven up the atmosphere of the theatre performance with various unique moments.

The English Days 2024: A Step Into the Centre Stage theatre performance was one of the amazing theatre performances in early November. It was a closing event that was well attended by the general public and students. Congratulations on the event success!

The journey within the 1000 Digital Startup Movement began with enthusiasm and hope for a group of participants involved. This program offers an extraordinary opportunity for them to establish a startup intensively over six months. The program combines online and offline meetings in a hybrid format, allowing participants to connect and collaborate effectively. Their first meeting took place at the Hack4ID event, held at the TILC building, Vocational School, Universitas Gadjah Mada. There, the team members—Adri, Ahmad, Boby, Padma, and soon-to-join Alfin—met for the first time, forming a group that would later become their comrades-in-arms. This Hack4ID event spanned two days, from Saturday, March 2 to Sunday, March 3, 2024, and was filled with valuable learning experiences. Participants were taught to be more aware in identifying problems and proposing solutions based on solid data, not just assumptions.

In this meeting, they were also challenged to quickly decide on the type of startup they wanted to establish and the field they would focus on. After intense discussions, they agreed to create HaloCats, a startup in the pet care industry. Their goal was simple but significant—to make it easier for cat owners to sterilize their pets safely and comfortably. However, this meeting wasn’t just about work. It also marked the beginning of a friendship they built together, forming a strong foundation for facing the long and challenging journey of building this startup. HaloCats now stands as a tangible proof of the team’s collaboration and hard work, and they are ready to face the next challenges with full enthusiasm.

[Public Relations, Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, Written by: Rifal Fadlurrahman, Editor: Aldiza]

The Department of Anthropology at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), held a Cultural Anthropology Proposal Seminar as an essential step for students before conducting fieldwork. The seminar was divided into 10 clusters, including Care and Health, Economy, Environment and Humanity, Infrastructure, Arts & Media, Youth, Gender, Farmers, Communities, and Popular Culture, with a total of 58 participating students. This open forum was attended by examiners, and graduate student mentors (Master’s and Ph.D.), and was also open to the public.

Each day, 10 to 20 students presented their research proposals, where they received feedback and constructive suggestions from faculty and mentors. The seminar took place over three days—Thursday, September 19, 2024, Friday, September 20, 2024, and Monday, September 23, 2024. It was held in three rooms (Soegondo 511, 514, and 709), with 12 faculty members serving as examiners and 9 graduate students as mentors. In the seminar, each student presented their research proposal in front of the examiners and mentors, followed by a discussion session to provide suggestions and critiques. The goal was to help students refine their research plans before heading into the field.

One of the examiners, Dr. Muhammad Zamzam Fauzanafi, S.Ant., M.A., or more commonly known as Mas Zamzam, emphasized that the beginning of research stems from our curiosity or the questions we want to answer. He stressed the importance of thoroughly reviewing research questions before starting a project. This was intended to ensure the alignment of the title with the question, define the research boundaries, and deepen the students’ understanding of their chosen topic. Throughout the discussions, Mas Zamzam consistently asked students to further explain their research questions, urging them to reflect critically on their research approach. The hope was that by the time they enter the field, students will have a clear grasp of the data needed and the appropriate boundaries based on their research topic.

The Cultural Anthropology Proposal Seminar was not only a critical academic milestone for students but also supported several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequality). Through mentoring and open discussions, students were trained to gain a deeper understanding of the social, economic, and cultural issues they were investigating. The aim is that their research will make meaningful contributions toward addressing societal challenges such as social inequality, health problems, environmental issues, gender, and community concerns—ultimately contributing to more inclusive and sustainable development.

[FIB UGM PR, Writer: Bonifacius Edo, Editor: Aldiza, Translator: Aldiza]