Life Is Too Boring to Not Take a Challenge

 Life Is Too Boring to Not Take a Challenge

By Rizki Sulistya

Debrina giving her speech in a meeting

In a room full of serious people, the meeting was just begin, she appeared sitting, unconcerned with her surroundings, just staring at her books on her desk looking at it as if she was trying to figured out something with a pen on her fingers. She was stunt when someone called her.

20 years old Debrina is now enrolling her 6th semester as a university student whilst being in two organizations, one being a member of Constitution Commission in Student Representative Board and the other one being the head of the Legislation Board in FBS.

Everywhere she goes, everyone that knows her would greet her simply by saying “Hi Ka…” or “hi deb!”

“Being in organizations, not only I get to meet different types of people but also I get to learn something new every day”

In high school, Debrina’s first organization wasn’t a major one, in fact at first she was afraid to join any kind of organization.

“In high school I was afraid of being open to people that’s why I didn’t take any major organization and I regretted that. I realize being in organization is really fun.”

From being a staff to being the head in organization, she works her way up with a positive thought in mind.

Debrina believes that in every organization, there is always something new to learn. When she was only a staff, she learned how to be useful to people. When she became the head, she learned how to be a leader but that didn’t stop there. Her determination of being active in organizations leads her to try something new, something different. She starts all over again as being only a staff but at a higher level. “I tried something different, I learned from the beginning again because it was something different from what I’ve done before.” She said.

Debrina and her staff in a meeting

Last year, being The Head of Public Relation in Student Executive Board was one of her favorite. It was the time where she really learned how to help people without asking them to help her back.

“I learn how to be professional. Like when people force me to finish a task in a limited amount of time then I have to get it done. They don’t care about my excuses, what matter is to get the job done in no time. It was a fun yet stressful year.”

Despite active in organizations, it doesn’t stop her from getting good grades in college. In fact she maintained to keep her GPA high throughout the years.

“It can become very hectic sometimes, in a day there is a time when I have to attend a very important meeting, at the same time I have a deadline due tomorrow but I also have to teach. When that happens, the first thing I have to sacrifice is my sleeping time. I sleep only when I finish the assignments because academic is always my number one priority.”

She believes that organization is not something that stopping people from getting behind in school performances rather it is a chance to get new life experience.

“Life is too boring to not take a challenge.” She said. “I’m not perfect, but it’s not how perfect we are in organization but how we are willing to learn to take every risks and chances to keep moving on and do the best with our capability.”

The Smallest Actions Often Make the Biggest Difference

The Smallest Actions Often Make the Biggest Difference

By: Debrina Ayu

Figure 1 : Sigit is teaching in front of the class.

Based on The Jakarta Post, Indonesia is the second-least literate nation in the world in a list of 61 measurable countries, besting only Botswana, according to new research that ranks the five Nordic states (Finland, Norway, Iceland, Denmark and Sweden) as the top five.

The number of uneducated people is higher in isolated district. This could be a wakeup call for many people including Sigit Puji Wicaksono as for today he joins SM3T, Sarjana Mendidik di Daerah Terluar, Terdepan, dan Tertinggal. The participants are there to make people across the nation realize that Indonesia is not merely Java Island and it takes lots of people to develop it. SM3T offers different teaching experience. He said that teaching in remote areas is totally different than in big cities such as Jakarta. He wants to undergo it and shares his ‘city’ life to people in those areas.

SM3T is not a new program. It has been held for 4 years at that time. In 2015, Sigit and his colleagues talked about this programme yet at the end, there was only him. He decided to join the programme soon after graduating from State University of Jakarta. In addition, after the SM3T, the participants will get free enrolment for PPG (Pendidikan Profesi Guru) –a must for a teacher.

However, Sigit had to meet the requirements which were online application, written test, and interview. Stated that he was qualified, he had to go through some training before being sent to remote areas. Every participant is chosen either to Papua, Kupang, or Riau as for Sigit it is a village in Kupang. He is assigned in Junior High School 2 Amfoang Timur. It is a totally different world out there. The village is near the Oekusi District of Timor Leste. Don’t even bother to think about Wi-Fi. There isn’t even a cellular signal. In fact, the electricity is only for about 12 hours a day. To reach the City of Kupang, he has to take a bus for 12-14 hours.

He feels happy to contribute something for our country yet it is really sad to see undeveloped district. “It is sad to see the condition in this area. Once, I challenged my students to count number 1 to 10 yet they cannot even say one two three in English”, he recalled.

Once, the students were asked to introduce themselves in English yet none of them could. After they were taught several times, they were able to do it with a text. Sigit also said that the students also couldn’t understand simple expressions. For instance they were told to open the book. Few of them managed to do it but the rest of them just stand up, or opened the window, or cleaned the blackboard.

Figure 2: The students are studying.

The students only have a small opportunity to study at home because the books are only available in the school. So they could only rely on the teachers. Sometimes the students go to Sigit’s house to repeat what they have studied in the school.

Sigit also said that students in 7^th grade couldn’t even remember a simple multiplication as for the following grade still get confused. “It was one afternoon when they were studying in my house. They were given a simple case; if you had Rp10.000,- in your hand and the price of a book was Rp1.000,- each, how many books could you buy? They answered, ‘we couldn’t buy it, sir. The price of the book in the store was Rp2.500,-”, said Sigit.

It is tough yet meaningful. Sigit has lived for 8 months there and is about to finish his SM3T in a couple of months. The programme has given valuable knowledge for students in remote areas. They have learned to count, speak, read, and write –something that not all of them can get since there are limited amount of teachers.

“One of the proudest moments is listening to my students singing Indonesia Raya. I wish that my contribution is useful for students here. They will continue to higher level of education and one day, they will come back to develop their village.”

Work as an Employee of Social Ministry in Increasing Nation Social Welfare

Work as an Employee of Social Ministry in Increasing Nation Social Welfare

By Raditya Rahman Mulyana

When she knew that another employee used her registration number as a tool for promotion, she reported to head office.

"I can't let my work and achievement become a tool for someone else benefit. Hey but don’t write that, it’s a secret"

So no, we won’t talk about that.

Ramsya Pardosi or many people know her as Butet, work for Social Ministry. Her job as official of Social Ministry has brought her to remote places in Indonesia.

“At first I was in charge for Duano, the sea tribe in Jambi, it was 1984. They are a community who live in boat nomadically, and work as fisherman. So we met with the chief when it was low tide, because the didn’t go to the sea when it’s low tide.We ask if they want to settle in one place and they agreed. We need five years to complete everything, the first two years was for pre-condition, we built houses and settlement for them,  and we gave them food. In the third year we moved them to the houses and for the next two years we taught them how to trade and how to process food, we build the health centre. And after 5 years we leave them to local government.”

“After that I propose to Sekolah Tinggi Kesejahteraan Sosial (School of Social Welfare) andafter graduate I return to the county, but at that time I was assigned in regency of Riau.”

More than that, she also introduced cloth to one of the most remote tribe in Papua.

"At that time I was assigned to introduce proper cloth to be used by local tribe, it took a long process so i must visit that village more than once to make sure if they had applied what I thought them.”

Working in Social Ministry surely made some sad story

"I was so sad to see the uneven development and welfare in Indonesia. For example is Bali, people think Bali is beautiful and rich of culture and nature, but not all the resident there enjoy all the welfare. Once i went to a village near Mount Kintamani, you can say it was a poor village, why? Because people use plastic bag to store their cloth, and they put it behind the door. It's the opposite of the rich Bali.Or if we talk about Duano again, they didn’t even have the basic need for live, home, food, clothing, and health and education as addition, and they are not the only one, a lot of tribe like have such condition like that. Independent for 70 years and not everyone enjoy the meaning of independent, how sad is that?"

Beside that, there are also good story too.

“I was so happy to see how the Duano had changed, from nomadic to settling, how the built a more proper community. Oh, one time I went to Bali for vacation, I’ve been there several times for social welfare there, but this time for vacation. I wanted to charter the sub but I the requirement were 30 people, so I invited one village that I know to use the sub, the were so happy, they gave me fruit and vegetable as gratitude, one car to be exact. The also gave me money and the sum was 10 million, while I only chartered the sub for 6 million hahaha.”

She had a lot of experience  and lesson from assignment that was given to her, now she work in Kepahlawanan, Keperintisan dan Kesetiakawanan Sosial (K2KS)  or Heroes and Social Solidarity division.

One of the local newspaper once interviewed Ramsya Pardosi about K2KS and she said to the journalist "All this time students think that hero's grave is a creepy location. But with this visit now they are not afraid anymore”

With 30 years of experience working in Social ministry,she still hope social welfare for everyone.

“Now we have been independent for 70 years, but not everyone enjoy the true meaning of independent. I just want them to feel the true meaning of independent, with the fulfilment of housing, clothing, food, education, and health. It will be your generation turn to make it happen”

The Withering Flower Blooming in Harsh Condition

The Withering Flower Blooming in Harsh Condition
by Amalia Fitri Annisa

Ajeng Ratna, smiling and
posing with V-sign

Always come on-time and all-prepared, she’s ready to face all kind of subjects even though she knows all of them are hard.

Each time the class started, she always shows her serious face proving that she is ready. She always pays attention to the lecturers and their explanation while taking notes on her binder. No matter how hard the lessons are or how difficult they are explained by the lecturers, she could still make a wide smile after the class ended and make jokes that make us laughing out loud.

“Come on, guys. We have to keep in high spirit! Don’t make it too serious, lha.”

She will always say that after one or some of her friends complained about how hard the lessons were, of course after repeatedly saying her beauty is the one that will make us in high spirit. Seeing no correlation between them, some of her friend who heard it would sigh, shook their head, or even laugh.

Maybe she looks like one of those who born smart without ever studying or those who were always studying like it is their hobby, but no she is not. There is a lot more stories behind someone names Ajeng Ratna Sari.

It was all started in her childhood life. When she was 3, her parents already had a lot of arguing. This was why she decided to spend almost all her times played outside with her friend, and a lot of them were boys. In her childhood until elementary school, she always became buddy with boys. And this was continued until she was 11 years old.

”Since I was in elementary school, I always played with my friends until the dusk came. My parents never looked up or searched for me. Even after I came to house to take a bath and have dinner and then my friends asked me to play again until late, my parents not bother to forbid me and just let me went to play with them.” She said with her usual tone, careless. “Oh, and I just went back at 9 P.M and they didn’t angry or ask me anything.”

Because of it, her grade was always bad but she didn’t take it seriously, nor did her parents. They never asked her to be the best and just wanted her have it.

“They never asked me what I’ve been learned or how was the school at all. Even I ever got bullied in the school because of my bad grades. That’s why in junior high school I wanted to prove them that I could do better and could achieve something.”

Playing seriously

That was at the first semester when she was in 6^th grade, her cousin said that the national exam would be very hard to pass it began to scare her to death. She never studied at all and it made her thought that the chance for her to pass the exam is zero. She was so afraid that she spent all one year to study and improve her grade.

“You could say that I changed from a very sociable girl to a shut in girl. But it’s all worthy, my exam result was the highest in my school.”

She was happy for it and hoped her parents would take notice on her, but they still kept busy with their problems. This kept happen until she was in junior high school. At some point, she finally felt lonely when she realized her parents actually not care for her as long as she looked fine physically.

“I just realized it when I was in my junior high. Maybe because from the very first I always play with my friends, and when I actually start to shut myself in to focus on study, it actually makes me feel very lonely.”

Despite felt lonely, she kept focus on learning and getting better. Until on some point she thought that all lessons she learned in junior high were very easy as she felt she didn’t have to learn hard as she did in the last year of elementary school.  Even so, she still hoped that her parents at least paid attention to her. But unfortunately she didn’t get it and the fighting got worse.

Because of that kind of condition she lived in every day, she finally got used to it. She didn’t get bothered and could still focus studying even when her parents started to argue again.

“Yeah, I kind of used to it because, well, it happened almost every day. I just learn to keep focus on myself and ignore them fighting.” Ajeng said while positioning herself. “I still have my friends and my cousin to accompany me whenever I get bored. I spend a lot of fun times with them.”

It’s hard to keep yourself happy in her position, but you still have to get yourself together as Ajeng Ratna did in her life. When we get support emotionally from our family, she couldn’t get it. Many choose a wrong way to find emotional supports as people really need it. But Ajeng can still help herself to grow as a better person and keep improving herself despite lacks of support from her parents.

Each of us has our own problems and we shouldn’t make them as an excuse to blame for having a bad life. As we know that even a withering flower can still keep blooming in a harsh condition. It even asks us to keep happy!

“Everything is going to be alright! Don’t make life too hard, okay? My beauty will make you feel better!”

The Gold in Old: Being a Hero with Unbeatable Spirit By Ajeng Ratna Sari

The Gold in Old: Being a Hero with Unbeatable Spirit

By Ajeng Ratna Sari

Jojo Juanda, a 68 years old gado-gado seller who has high spirit to dedicate his life for society, being the member of FATWA (an organization to avoid fights in society) is his real contribution to ensure the safe environment.

Do you ever see fights in your society? What will you do when you see the fights? Will you have willingness to help separating the people involved in the fights?

            It was in the afternoon when Jojo Juanda, a 68 years old gado-gado seller saw something horrible, something that really disturbed his sight. He saw a group of senior high school students ran and passed him. Of course, those students were running not because they were doing exercise because it was in the afternoon. They were in hurry. They brought knives and wood sticks. Jojo thought that there must be something wrong. Those students might fight. Not long after that, he saw other group of students, but this time, they were from vocational school. Jojo could differentiate their uniforms which were different from the senior high school students’. Jojo was sure that those two groups of students would fight. He then directly ran and pushed his cart in high speed, getting closer to those two groups of students. He saw those groups fought. They mocked each other at first, but then they started to use their sticks to beat each other. Jojo Juanda directly called the other members of FATWA (an organization to avoid fights in society) and asked them to separate those two groups of students. He was so brave to separate the fighting groups. He did not really care his own safety. For him, the most important thing was to make the situation calm and safe again.

“When there are fights in our society, we should care, we should separate, because it becomes our responsibility when there is something wrong happens in our society” said JojoJuanda with smile.

            Jojo Juanda is not young anymore and he is also just a gado-gado seller, but for him his life would be good when he can share with others. In his young age, he liked to help his parents because there were many siblings he should care. He felt that he had responsibility to help his parents to earn money for buying foods and other needs. He did not feel that his parents used him because the will to work came from himself. Day by day he worked hard just to make his siblings smile. He could not get much money but with that little money he could sometimes brought foods and toys for his siblings. He said it was for his siblings’ amusement.

            “’I’ve been working hard since I was in young age. I did not get good education. I preferred to help my parents because I wanted to decrease their difficulties. I didn’t get much money by selling gado-gado but I could give my children proper education although only until senior high school” said Jojo Juanda.

            Now in his 68 years of age, Jojo Juanda still works as a gado-gado seller, a profession that he’s been doing for 41 years. He said that he works as a gado-gado seller now for himself. He can socialize with others. He can talk with others. It makes him happy. He can know various kinds of people. He can talk with students, employees and other street vendors who buy his gado-gado. That is something which he calls as “happiness”.

            “I’m happy I can talk with many people. Sometimes, I meet people who are not luckier than me and I feel thankful for what Allah gives me”

            Jojo Juanda is always happy when he can do good things for others,and for that reason he is still the member of FATWA although he is not young anymore. He wantsto give his contribution to create the safe society. His biggest contribution in FATWA can be seen in his struggle when he separated the two fighting groups of people in 2010. One group consists of gangsters and one another consist of the bus drivers. That time the gangsters asked money from a bus driver but the bus driver ignored to give. Then, the gangsters were angry because they got bad response from the bus driver. They forced the bus driver to give them money but the bus driver still ignored. Their fights were heard so loud. Finally, the gangsters showed a knife to the bus driver and said “give me your money now or we will kill you”. The incident was caught by the other drivers. Seeing their friend was in trouble, the other bus drivers came to help. The other bus drivers asked the gangsters to leave the place, but they ignored. As the consequence, the bus drivers and the gangsters were involved into a horrible fight. They even punched each other. Seeing that sight made Jojo think that he must do something to solve the fight. With a high spirit, Jojo Juanda directly reported the incident he saw to the nearest police office. Jojo and a police came to the place where the gangsters and the bus drivers fought and separated those two sides. The condition then became normal again after the separation.

            Jojo Juanda, one of many examples in this world who really know the real meaning of life. He realizes that he lives in this world not only for himself but also for others. The happiness he gets not only about money but it is about how he makes his life meaningful by doing good for others.

            “That is life, we live here not only for ourselves, we also live for others, and we share for others. I am not rich I cannot share my wealth, but I can do good things to others by keeping my society safe. I’m old but I still have spirit to help, when I see fights in society I feel it becomes my responsibility to separate. Always be thankful for what god gives by doing good things for ourselves and for others”

A Classic Young Man Living in the Modern World

A Classic Young Man Living in the Modern World

By Farhan Syafiq

Raditya Rahman Mulyana

He is noticeable, from the way he dresses, the way he walks, and the way he talks. One could tell that he looked like a British man from Victorian era. He may be looked somewhat classic, but he managed to bring his style into this modern world making him a unique person.

The name of this person is Raditya Rahman Mulyana or Radit for short. He lives in a tranquil residential area on East Jakarta. Right now he is studying at English Literature of State University of Jakarta. In the class he is known to speak English in a somewhat British accent and he is also known for his taste of old style especially on music.

Sometimes he likes to say “ogut” when referring to himself and dress like someone from 90s. Ogut is an old Indonesian slang word that means me and rarely used by people nowadays. This word combined with how he dressed, gives him a classic aura, but somehow he makes it fit in this modern world.

“I like old culture, because I can be myself and it makes me different from the others.” said Radit.

His taste for old style also reflected on his taste for music. He has 2748 songs in his cellphone both Indonesian and foreign songs. Some of the songs are modern songs but most of them are songs from the 70s to the 90s. He started to hear music from elementary school, and his most favorite song is Lost in space by Lighthouse Family.

“I started to hear music since I was at elementary school.” Radit said while reminiscing.“I heard old songs because it is more pleasurable to my ears. These songs took my interest, that’s why I downloaded them. But that doesn’t mean new songs are not good, I just prefer to hear the old one”

Radit has his own opinion about old songs and new songs.

“Different generation means that the culture itself is also different. If we can see it, the music style is changing once every 10 years, that’s why it is called 70s, 80s and so on, well at least that’s my opinion.” explained Radit.

“But the most prominent changes was on 1990s and 2000, when people started to use computer and auto tune to edit some famous songs like R&B and Beat.” said Radit. “Personally, I don’t like songs with too much beats because it hurts my ears and make my head goes dizzy. But right now I try to follow the times but I can’t hear music with loud volume.” said Radit.

That is Radit for his classmate. He manages to fit old music and old style into this modern world, where most people think those things are out of date or ancient. He may be looks classic, but he also looks cool at the same time.

“As long as the time goes on changes always happen, so let it flow like water.”

Look Everything Closer, then You Will Understand

A friendly librarian of English Department 

Do you often go to the library? Do you greet the librarian before you go to the bookshelf? Maybe this one never comes across your mind, but a ‘Hello’ or smile from you means a lot to them.

A 27-years-old friendly librarian, Sonny Marlia Putri whom everybody calls as Mba Sonny. She arrives at campus at about 8 a.m. everyday and always in a hurry walking to the library, a place where she spent most of her time. She is a train users and it takes almost two hours from Bintaro where she lives to UNJ.

Sonny is a key holders of English Department’s library in UNJ. The first thing she does as she opens the door is sweeping the floor and spraying a fragrance throughout the library. “Wait a minute. After I finished cleaning up,” she said to the students who wants to do their assignment at the library in the morning. Sonny is a clean and neat person. She prepares the best for the visitors.

This year is her eighth years of being a librarian. Like most of people who don’t plan to be who they are now or what job they will take in the future, Sonny too, being a librarian is not in her plan. She studied at UIN (Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah) majoring in English Education. In a mid-way of her college life, unfortunately her score was not so good, therefore according to her campus’s rules at that time she had to choose between two subjects as a transition if she want to passed. One of them was Library and Information studies.

She couldn’t make a decision. Her parents and neighbor said to her “Just take it, Sonny.” So, she took Library and Information studies. Finally she got her bachelor degree. “I don’t know. I just live the path, but my blessings is in here,” she said after passed through her fear of her future career in taking the Library and Information studies.

Sonny, with her daily routine

In eight years of being a librarian, Sonny gained many valuable experiences. One of them is she gets to meet new people from the prominent people to the students who visit the library. The other things is she becomes to love books “I used to not like reading books, but now, I love it,” said Sonny.

“When I was watching TV, and I was like O.. I know this book, or it was written on that book,” Sonny said excitedly. She is rich in knowledge along as she become a librarian. As a common people, we may think a librarian is a book keeper or a librarian is someone who tidying up the book on the table and returned it to the bookshelf.

In fact, a librarian do a lot of jobs we don’t know. Even if Sonny sits in front of the computer, she is actually not only take notes on the coming users. You know what, you can ask her many links that will be useful for your assignment as the student or as the lecturer. Students often find it so hard to get the right link for download an e-book. A librarian know it so well.

The saddest part of being a librarian is being underestimated with some people, even until now. “We are the same with others, let’s say finance or administration” said Sonny chuckling. If you are users in campus, actually not only the administration who can help you with anything you need, but a librarian also can help you. That was their potency as an information provider.

Unfortunately, a librarian’s salary is not comparable with their job, because many people think that their job is not as much as other occupation. It is not easy to be a librarian, besides the spesific knowledge that must be achieved, a librarian must be creative, initiative and knowledgeable, so the users will feel comfortable with the help of the librarian. We can find those characteristics in Sonny, a librarian who loves to sleep and travel.

Sonny is dressed very simple, but her dream is not that simple. She has a big dream to study abroad someday. ‘Where there is a will, there is a way’ is her way of life. As a human being, we can appreciate everyone, even if we don’t know how far is their contribution. Maybe we cannot give them a reward, but we can start being aware with the presence of everyone around us. “I hope someday my dreams will come true, but now I’m still trying to do my best,” said Sonny, a woman who always grateful with her life including her job as a librarian. 

By: Jessica Nathania.