Category: Current News

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Controversy and Solutions of Smoking Ban Regulations in Campus Areas of Sanata Dharma University

Prasetyo is giving his opinion about the non-smoking regulation in the USD campus areas (Picture taken on April 17, 2023)

Sanata Dharma University. The slogan ‘smoke-free campus’ which prohibits smoking in the campus area becomes controversial among the members of Sanata Dharma University who smoke and do not.

A non-smoker student from batch 2020 stated, “I disagree with the smoking ban regulation on campus because there are many students and staff who have smoking habits to relieve their stress and fatigue.” This student then suggested that smokers should be given a designated smoking area with the purpose to let them smoke freely without disturbing the non-smokers on campus.

A smoking student from batch 2022 disagreed with the slogan of a smoke-free campus. According to him, it was difficult to objectify this slogan because the majority of smokers are students. For this reason, he said, “Sanata Dharma University should provide ashtrays on every corner of the floor or make a gazebo for them to smoke.”

Responding to the students’ pros and cons, Anna Fitriati, a lecturer and the Vice Dean of Faculty of Letter stated that in Yogyakarta Governor Regulation Number 2 of 2017 Article 1 Paragraph 6, it is stated that educational institutions are public places in which smoking is prohibited. She then added that as an educational institution, Sanata Dharma University should comply with the applicable laws. According to Fitriati, she agreed to the enforcement of the smoking ban regulations on campus. She said, “As adults, students should be aware of following the rules in public places. If smoking is prohibited in a certain area, then they should not smoke there.”

To solve this problem, Fitriati also stated that at the beginning of the new academic year, the campus conducted socialization to distribute knowledge to the students of Sanata Dharma University about the smoking ban rule that they must obey. However, according to her, there are still many who were ignorant about these regulations. In order to set a good example for the students, lecturers and staff had also been urged not to smoke indiscriminately.

Fitriati also advised smokers not to smoke indiscriminately because it could pollute the environment and disturb non-smokers. She also added that non-smokers could also advise those who smoke in off-limit areas to do it in the designated areas wisely and politely.

Answering all suggestions and solutions related to the smoking ban policy on campus from the government, which had received many cons from members of Sanata Dharma University, HB. Prasetyo W. as the Head of the Facilities and Infrastructure Bureau confirmed that they had planned the construction of designated shelter facilities in open spaces at Campus 1, 2, and 3, which were planned to be built this year. “The budget has been given to build at least one smoking shelter on each campus,” he said.

Regarding the smoking ban regulations, Prasetyo also gave his opinion about it. “This policy is subjective. If I am a smoker, then I do not agree, but because I am a non-smoker, I agree.” He also added, “I just follow the rules, that is why I do not forbid it, and we will provide a place for smoking because such a habit cannot vanish just like that, it needs a process.”

 

Journalist: Dulce Cicilia Sariri

Editor: Yohana Satvika Wahyuveda, Ruth Tirza Arina (QC)

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Recent Renovation at Campus I USD Causes Minimum Parking Issue

The Renovation progress of the parking area (Picture taken by Kenar)

Yogyakarta (4/13/2023) – Since the hall’s renovation began at Campus I Sanata Dharma University, demolitionists’ activities near the parking area have been a hassle for both staff and students. 

Because of the limited parking space, students have to get clever to park their vehicles in the temporary spot. Although there is a basement parking spot, it is usually reserved only for cars and those who come earlier to claim their spot. This causes quite a ruckus among those who come late to the Campus I parking spot.

Juari explaining the history of the parking area (picture taken by Beryl)

“The parking lot has been there since 1994,” Juari said. Back then, there were no problems with the size of the parking lot because of the low number of students. Fast forward to this current stage, a larger parking space is absolutely necessary to contain the growing number of students. 

“I think it began with the construction of the Economic Faculty that the parking lot became a bit cramped,” he added, “as for now, the parking lot is still manageable, though sometimes it can be disorganized. Many motorcycles have collided with one another these days.”

As a result, the security guards need to be more active in organizing the students around the parking lot. “We hope that after the renovation, the parking lot’s condition should be normal again, and the students can park their vehicles without hassle anymore.”

Gerald Widyo Utoro, a student of USD English Letters, has expressed his thoughts about the parking space issue. Since he lives quite far from campus, he has to come early to get his motorcycle parked, but since the renovation began, he has been extra careful in choosing his parking spot.

Gerald prefers using a motorcycle, though it means he has a higher chance of finding a parking spot. He said, “Even though I found a parking spot, sometimes my motorcycle still collides with other motorcycles.” 

That had caused a few scrapping in his motorcycle surface layer. Still, the only thing that students of USD can do now is to hope that the university committee will provide extra parking space for the student’s vehicles.

Nevertheless, another Sanata Dharma University named Audrey Rosari complained about the minimum parking space at Campus I Sanata Dharma University when she was hanging out. She said that students have difficulties in finding a parking spot often. As such, students have to park their motorcycle on Campus II.  “They said that they’re tired of walking to Campus I from Campus II every so often,” Audrey added. 

When asked about the possibility of using TransJogja or ojol (ojek online) to decrease the increasing growth of students’ vehicles, she admitted that she preferred to use her own motorcycle. “I could use TransJogja, though the nearest bus stop to my house is around 1 km. It can be pretty tiresome to walk that distance every day. As for ojol, I’ve used it once in a while before, but I would not use ojol in the long run. The cost of using ojol from my house to the campus is quite expensive.”

“I guess an advice I can give is to make a specific vast parking place,” Audrey suggested, “imagine the basement of malls. Usually, malls have two to three basement floors built specifically for parking spaces.”

She knew her suggestion was not realistic for the near future, but she had hoped it could be done in more or less ten years from now on.

 

Journalist : Kenar Syalaisha Kanayana

Editor: Nanda Pratama Putera Tomasila, Vonna Meisya Saputra (QC)

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The First Ever Bincang Alumni & Malam Keakraban in the Faculty of Letters

Bincang Alumni participants

Yogyakarta (15/04/2023) -The first Bincang Alumni & Malam Keakraban of the Faculty of Letters are held in Driyarkara Auditorium, Sanata Dharma University. As a celebration form of the 30th anniversary of the Faculty of Letters, this event is held under the grand theme of “Peran Sastra dalam Menjawab Perkembangan Zaman”.

The event was held as a vessel for students of USD, especially those who are about to graduate, to learn more about life after graduating by sharing it with the alumni. Simon Arsa Manggala, the chairperson of the Bincang Alumni & Malam Keakraban stated, “Every era has its own challenges, so alumni, as the person who already went through some of those challenges, can give a stock for the others, and Bincang Alumni is a vessel to collect the alumni.” 

The alumni speaking as source persons are Hugo Indratno, an alumni of USD English Letters Department, Agus Budi Purwanto, M.A., an alumni of USD History Department, And Kabrina Rian Ferdiani, S.S., an alumni of Indonesian Literature Department. At the event, they started discussing the topic with Hugo Indratno’s quote,  “The relation that’s in the faculty is as is,” conveying the meaning of the importance of being down-to-earth with a great attitude.

Agreeing with what Hugo Indratno said, Agus Budi Purwanto also tells the importance of connecting with a great attitude and social observance. Adding to that, Kabrina tells her story about digital marketing and tells us to challenge ourselves. “We can grow following the growth of the world if we always broaden our knowledge and not only rely on the one we get on campus.”

Bincang Alumni ended with a 2006 potluck party video as a form of reminiscence of the college times for the alumni. Although it was an old video, the recent generation students enjoyed the inclusion upon seeing familiar faces such as the USD lecturer.

Everyone is dancing and singing together on Malam Keakraban

Afterward, the event continues with malam keakraban where there is a performance, such as a band performance from ELMO, spoken word poetry by Agnes Seraphine (USD English Letters Student batch 2021), and another guest band. As the name suggests, the gathering night brings the student, staff, and alumni closer together.

The night goes on with a lot of dancing and other fun stuff. As an audience member, Maria Diva (USD English Letters Student batch 2021) said, “There is no minus for the event because it’s really fun, and I enjoy the whole event.” And she further said, “ If I were to join the event again next year, I would definitely join again because it’s literally wow.”

Raffi Andaru, ELMO’s band vocalist, states, “I think that this event is really warming because there are a lot of students involved and the lecturer seeing their old students coming back into Sanata Dharma.” This event really brings them together.

The Bincang Alumni and gathering night event was a huge success, with the proof that 50 or more people came to the event, Aji Cahyo Baskoro, Head of the  30th Anniversary Faculty of Letters event, said. 

“Tonight has been going well, especially how things were prepared with so little time. There are still a lot of people coming and enjoying the event.” With that, Bincang Alumni & Malam Keakraban will be carried onto the upcoming Faculty of Letters anniversary.

 

Journalist: Gregorius Beryl S.S.

Editor: Sitti Aminah Intan Utami, Vonna Meisya Saputra (QC)

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USD Library’s Bag Policy Hits Inconsistency after the Pandemic

Students still bring their bags into the library despite the written regulation being put 
on the front locker’s display (taken by Agnes Seraphine on April 4th, 2023)

Sanata Dharma University. Since the library’s bag policy was re-implemented on the 13th of February, 2023, many students still bring their bags instead of leaving them at the locker station. The staff also no longer imply the regulation strictly.

Many students admit that the bag policy could be more convenient. Rio Ardian Sanjaya, a regular visitor of the USD library from the English Letters Department batch 2021, complained, “The bag policy is actually good so that we can be transparent about what we bring. However, for students like me who bring many things, such as a laptop, its charger, phone’s charger, earphone, mouse, books, (when) I move them to the library’s bag almost every day, isn’t it tiring?”

Responding to this, Clara Wening, a student staff member who has worked in USD Library since July 2022, mentioned that the staff has “run out of ideas already” on making students aware of the regulations. Although they had repeatedly reminded them to put their bags inside the locker and the regulation was already written clearly, most students did not choose to read and follow the rule. The limited number of staff also becomes one of the obstacles in supervising all visitors in detail. Consequently, the rules become less and less strict over time.

The Head of USD Library Service Nikodemus Suradi added, “The rules are not applied too strictly because we do not want to act as a police. Instead, we aim to educate the students and give the best service while conforming to the value of cerdas dan humanis.”

However, the decreasing strictness of the bag policy needs to be clarified for students on whether the policy is necessary. 

“I myself was hesitant because the prohibition has already existed, but I still bring my own bag. I feel guilty, but the staff also do not rebuke me for doing so, so I just kept doing it since it is more practical for me,” Chian Hu, a PBSI student batch 2020 who is also a regular visitor of the library, admitted. 

In answering the aim of the bag policy, Suradi explained that it has actually been implemented since the library was built in 1995, so it is not entirely a new rule. It is officially written in USD library’s regulation number 06/PUSD/XI/2022 in section III part A, which includes two following statements:

  1. Pengunjung dapat menyimpan barang bawaan di locker yang disediakan.
  2. Perpustakaan menyediakan tas pengunjung untuk membawa barang-barang yang diperlukan.

“The biggest unsolved problems in the library are book theft, visitors bringing food, and damaging the books. We are doing our best to maintain the quality of the books,” Clara Wening, a student staff member who has worked in USD Library since July 2022, on the primary purposes of the bag policy, said. 

The provided transparent bag is expected to help the staff supervise what the visitors bring into the library more efficiently. However, Wening said that many students, especially those coming in during and after the pandemic, still need to be made aware of this importance. 

Some students think that the bag policy is unnecessary because what they do is only change the cover (the bag). The staff must check whether they bring food or other prohibited items inside the bag. Additionally, they think there are still many gaps in which visitors can trick into stealing the books aside from putting them in the transparent bag.

To get out of the inconsistency loop, some regular visitors in the interview, including Chian Hu, suggested that the library staff socialize more about the bag policy’s aim through various media, such as Instagram posts or stories. They also indicated that the strictness of the regulation is maintained or even supported by an official penalty.

Yosua Antonio Subekti, another regular visitor from the English Letters Department batch 2021, added that students should become more aware that the library is “a public place and it’s not something we own. Sure, we pay for the building, but it doesn’t mean we can do whatever we want. There are regulations that we must follow.”

 

Journalist: Agnes Seraphine

Editor: Sitti Aminah Intan Utami, Vonna Meisya Saputra (QC)

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Holes in the Roof of Ladies’ Restroom: Remain Unfixed

Ladies’ room roof condition (taken by Erica Rafaella)

As confirmed by one of the cleaning staff, the holes found in the roof of the ladies’ toilet, on the third and the fourth floor to be precise, have indeed been there for approximately five months ago until this day.

It’s no secret that some noticeable holes are located on the roof of some Faculty of Letters building toilet areas. At first, it was just a tiny hole, but later it turned bigger. Some students find this problem disturbing.

“This happened because of the perforated and porous roof,” Widodo, one of the cleaning staff at Sanata Dharma University, said. He added that General Service Bureau (BLU) already has a plan for the repairs, but it has not been implemented yet because the funds have not  been disbursed.

Porous roof, and in the corner, there is a hole in the roof  (taken by Erica Rafaella)

“I think this perforated roof is disturbing and can be dangerous as the roof might suddenly fall when someone is in the toilet,” Aurelia Abigail, one of the students of the English Letters Department from batch 2020, said.

Meanwhile, Eugenia, another student in the English Letter Department from batch 2020, thought that these holes were dangerous and made students uncomfortable. She shared that she had a personal concern regarding the possibility of hiding a hidden camera in the ladies restroom. She wished that this concern was taken seriously so the problem could be fixed sooner.

 

Journalist:Erica Rafaella & Valentina Pascalia

Editor: Desca Geovani Kristi & Ruth Tirza Arina (QC)

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HKU x SDU: Linguistic Field Trip Program

Linguistic Field Trip; Study Tour Program (taken by Rasyid Aziz Nugroho)

Linguistic Field Trip is one of the first contacts between SDU and HKU. This program is intended to be a crucial part of SDU’s future in increasing the quality of the university and the relationships between other universities abroad. “A way to become an international university,” Dalan, one of the advisors of this program, said.

Felix Lew, Linguistic Field Trip participant (taken by Sultan Mahesadewa)

Felix Lew, one of the Linguistic Field Trip participants, said that Indonesia, specifically Yogyakarta, was chosen due to its diverse range of languages. He said that the program has succeeded in fulfilling their main goal on their recent study subject.

“The program gives us a better understanding of language varieties,” Felix said. Not only did the program focus on the linguistic aspect of Indonesia, but it also explored the cultural aspect, which the participants have welcomed with enthusiasm. That said, they find it quite difficult for them to face the cultural differences between their country of origin and Indonesia. “It’s a bit hard for some of us to get used to the culture shock,” Felix said. However, the program has succeeded in its main goal, making it a big achievement for SDU.

Dalan Mehuli Perangin Angin S.S., Ph.D., Linguistic Field Trip partner and advisor (taken by Sultan Mahesadewa)

Dalan Mehuli Perangin Angin S.S., PhD., as the leading director of this event, chose HKU due to his recent study there. Therefore, he saw this as an opportunity to maintain the relationship between both universities. By leading this program, he hopes that SDU will be able to achieve relationships with international universities around the globe, and he hopes that this program will improve the quality of education for SDU’s students as well.

The program was going as planned although there were several hurdles while it was held, such as the tight scheduling and the unpredictable nature of events. However, Dalan was amazed by the SDU students’ dedication to this program by assisting the HKU students’ needs. One of those instances is the eruption of Mt. Merapi. This was problematic, they thought, but it brought another reaction that surprised Dalan. HKU’s students were amazed by the scene of the eruption. They did not leave scared, and they left the place with unforgettable memories.

Dalan wishes that this program will improve the relations between both universities and improve the quality of the investment that the university made since he believes that there will be more exchange student programs in the future. 

 

Journalist: Sultan Mahesadewa, Putu Beryl Putra Widyadhana

Editor: Nanda Pratama Putera Tomasila, Vonna Meisya Saputra (QC)

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ELMO Frijam March 2023: Nostalgia Night

ELMO Frijam Band’s performance (taken by Agnes Seraphine)

Yogyakarta (27/03/2023) – The first Friday jamming (Frijam) of 2023 was held by the English Letters Music Organization (ELMO) on the 24th of March. It took place at Sunset Coffee & Eatery with “Nostalgia” as their main theme. Being the first ever event of the year, ELMO Frijam has greatly improved compared to the previous one.

Each band performing has prepared four songs and trained for a month before the jamming session. The band performing are Xtasy, Sixieme Pop, Sixsins, and Glasswuple. The show was closed with a surprise performance from Sammy and his friends, the alumni band. Around 100 people attended the show.

A lot of obstacles were experienced while preparing the show. Katharina Bayusekar, the Chairperson of ELMO, noted that aside from the venue’s location, each band also faced a conflict in choosing what song to perform and how to arrange them.

ELMO Frijam’s Audience (taken by Agnes Seraphine)

Maria Divacaeli Kurniarti, the vocal coach of ELMO, gave a supporting statement on the obstacle faced during the practice. She mentioned that the feedback had to be given to the members repeatedly to ensure they gave the best outcome while performing.

Regardless of ELMO’s struggle, this month’s Frijam was a great success compared to the previous Frijam. With the performers being more prepared, the huge increase in the audience, and the venue being in an outdoor area, it fitted more with the theme which was “Nostalgia”.

Being the audience of ELMO Frijam, Bernadetha Olivia Puspitasari also felt the difference between this Frijam and the previous one. The difference is that it was livelier than before. She said, “Because of the clear sound system, we can focus more on the performance, and the vibe supports the performance.”

She further stated, however, that there was still room for improvement for the next ELMO Frijam. 

“I hope they will be more prepared, not too focused (on the song), and interact more with the audience for the euphoria,” Oliv said. With the next Frijam in approximately two months from now, the audience hopes to see more improvements.

Overall, the improvement being made was clear. The vibe, venue, and performance were all done well to fit the theme “Nostalgia”. This month’s Frijam made the audience thrilled about the next Frijam.

Journalist: Gregorius Beryl S.S.

Editor: Sitti Aminah Intan Utami & Vonna Meisya Saputra (QC)

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LCYA Reading Club’s: The 1st Ever LYCA’s Book Sharing

The participants of LCYA Book Sharing and Theresia Enny Anggraini (taken by Valentina Pascalia)

Yogyakarta (18/03/2023) The first-ever Book Sharing discussion was held by Literature for Children and Young Adults (LYCA) Reading Club on March 17, 2023. Seventeen (17) people participated in the conversation which took place in S. 304. The theme of the book sharing was “Book Treasure“. 

Participants were requested to bring their preferred books to share. The discussion flowed well since the participants were genuinely excited to discuss the books they had read.

Andrea Cindy, the Head of LYCA’s Committee, stated that the theme “Book Treasure” meant a collection of the books we shared, and if we compiled with all of them, there would be a lot of books, just like a treasure chest filled with books. 

Simon Arsa Manggala, the Vice Chairperson of the English Letters Department, noted that this event marked the first get-together since LCYA joined UKPS. He added that this event was a great chance to develop and share literary knowledge without feeling compelled to do so, and it may help us to support our interest.

“During this event, we can share something we love without any pressure or assignment to do, unlike in the class. So, I hope we can maintain our consistency and interest in sharing books,” Manggala said.

One of the groups, including Anggraini, was discussing a book together (taken by Erica Rafaella)

The participants were split up into smaller groups for a more comfortable discussion. While enjoying some snacks, the participants could share one at a time and exchange opinions. The participants appeared to be active, and the discussion went well. The committee also conducted a game where participants had to guess the titles of books when the discussion was about to come to a conclusion.

As the Head of LYCA Club, Anggraini hoped that the discussion would continue and inspire others to read more and enjoy reading since it was the first book sharing. 

“I hope the students or people enjoy reading more and sharing books that others might react about so that we can share and broaden our knowledge because we usually do not have a lot of time to read; reading for enjoyment, not for assignment,” Anggraini said.

 

 

Journalist: Erica Rafaella

Editor: Desca Geovani Kristi, Vonna Meisya Saputra (QC)

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Sastra Gives Back: Back to Serves the Community

 
Sastra Gives Back volunteers with the students of Sanggar Anak Alam (taken by Erica Rafaella)

Yogyakarta (11/03/2023) – The annual activity “Sastra Gives Back” strikes back this semester from February 25th to March 18th. Held in Sanggar Anak Alam, Kasihan District, Bantul Regency, DI Yogyakarta, 40 volunteers took turn each week to teach elementary school students English language from first to sixth grade.

Students show engagement during the learning process (taken by Erica Rafaella)

 

 Sastra Gives Back is a program intended to give community feedback. This program is important because it attempts to educate children on the importance of English language. “In the learning process, the idea of English being fun is introduced in a game-like learning process,” said Naswa as the head of Sastra Gives Back committee.

As explained by the secretary of Sastra Gives Back, Tevin, the learning activity lasted for three hours, from 9 AM to 12 PM. Despite the duration, students appeared to be enthusiastic in the process of learning English. The kids actively answered the questions and showed engagement during the learning process. Interestingly, the students of Sanggar Anak Alam and volunteers of Sastra Gives Back exhibited chemistry in their interaction.

Moreover, the volunteers of Sastra Gives Back also expressed a lot of excitement in teaching the kids. The volunteers’ intensive three days of training have finally paid off. The success of the program cannot be separated from the volunteers’ passion for serving the community.

One of the volunteers, Liza, stated that this program has a lot of benefits for both the volunteers and the community. Hopefully, in the future, this program will continue to contribute to the community more often. As for the kids, they are expected to always remember the lesson and share it with others. Also, future volunteers are expected to be more enthusiastic in sharing their knowledge.

 

 

Journalist: Valentina Pascalia

Editor: Desca Geovani Kristi, Vonna Meisya Saputra (QC)

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The Celebration of UKPS Award 2022

INTEGRITY was rewarded one the nominations in UKPS Award 2022 (taken by Agustina Galuh Susetyawati)

Yogyakarta (02/11/2022) – The end of the year is near and the time has come for the UKPS Award 2022. The event was held in room S. 302 and attended by approximately 40 students who represent the members of MIBA (Minat dan Bakat Mahasiswa) Division HMPSSING 2021/2022, the new cabinet of HMPSSING 2022/2023, and all representatives of the English Letters Students’ Activity Units.

“Today’s event is a series of events which aim to give our appreciation to UKPS members for a period of their work in UKPS,” according to Nikolaus Herjuno, the Head of HMPSSING 2021/2022, in his opening speech. To explain, the appreciation was given in the form of nominations and rewards for the best English Letters Students’ Activity Units in five categories. 

  1. The most impactful UKPS: English Letters Academic Club (ELAC),
  2. The most improved UKPS: AVIS Puppet Show,
  3. UKPS who has the fastest progress in finishing their project report (LPJ): English Debating Society (EDS),
  4. UKPS who has the best synergy within the team: INTEGRITY, and
  5. UKPS who holds great significance within the field of English Literature: Literature for Children and Young Adults (LCYA).

In-between the rewarding sessions, Farell, the Head of MIBA HMPSSING 2021/2022, added some fun ice-breaking riddles and challenges for the audience. At first, the questions were receh and easy to answer that it invited a lot of laughter from the audience. However, as the event went closer to the end, the questions became heavier. For example, “In your opinion, what are the three things that should be improved in Indonesia?”

The question was answered by three brave audiences, explaining various matters regarding unequal access to education, lack of financial literacy, climate change, food diversification issues, and many more. Although at first the challenge might seem irrelevant to the main event, Farell emphasized that their answers show just how critical and potential the students of the English Letters Department of Sanata Dharma University can be.

Similarly, he hopes that under this new period of UKPS’ management, stronger motivations can be pursued for the improvement of students’ potential in the English Letters Department of Sanata Dharma University.

 

Journalist: Agnes Seraphine

Editor: Cherry Larissa Hendranata (QC)