Blink Magazine 02

Blink

January 2016

www.legatouniverse.com

Discovering the Beauty of the Hidden Treasure Trove

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The Stage is Yours

Much to their relief, after all the performances were wrapped up, everyone’s effort paid off.

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National English Learning, Teaching, and Lecturer Conference

The 7th NELTAL used the theme “Inspiration and Innovation for English Classroom[s]”.

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IC4: Closing the Year by Taking New Chances

“Bridging Cross Cultural Communication in the Globalized Information Age”.

EDITOR’S NOTE Welcome to Blink Magazine Some say that college life is easy. It’s like riding a bike.

Except the bike is on fire. The ground is also in fire. Everything is on fire. And with every semester is getting harder and seemingly unbearable, everyone might start letting out such desperate sigh like, “Can someone just send me into a deserted island so I can toss away all of these demanding assignments…”

Those days are finally over, ladies and gentlemen. As now we are approaching the end of the semester, you can say goodbye to those overwhelming days of pulling all-nighters of working on your never-ending tasks, and be ready to step across the threshold of the holiday. Hooray!

We’re sure that some of you may already have a list of places you want to visit, while some others are probably still wondering where to go to make your holiday a memorable one. Thus, your long awaited second issue of Blink Magazine with this year’s theme “Holiday” features ideas, stories, and insights that will make you forget about your college life for a while.

We have come together to produce this issue as our way of advocating the beauty of Indonesia, so we’ll take you on a relaxing stroll to discover the captivating beauty of Sumbawa and bring you a unique experience of the traditional cultures of Probolinggo that will capture your heart.

We, on a more serious note, are also really aware that the idea of holiday is not only about traveling and visiting places. Some of you may prefer a simple and calm holiday e.g. slouching on the couch or curling up comfortably in your bed while reading nice books or watching your favorite TV series—hence, we have compiled a list of movies and books that’ll be your loyal companions during your holiday.

In this issue, you’ll notice that we have carefully crafted every element—the features, photographs, and the articles—to energize you. We hope that you’ll keep supporting us and showering us with love so that this magazine can always provide you with interesting news and features and be a magazine that everyone is proud of.

We wish you have a great year in 2016, greater than this year.

Happy New Year, Happy Holiday, and Happy Reading.

Best regards, Editor

BLINK MEDIA

‘LEGATO’ English Students Association Universitas Negeri Malang Ormawa Sastra Jl. Surakarta 7G Malang, Jawa Timur www.legatouniverse.com

BLINK MAGAZINE

Masthead PATRON

Dr. Johannes A.P., M.Pd., M.Ed.

ADVISOR

Inayatul Fariha, S.S., M.A.

SENIOR EDITOR Louise Simon, PhD.

CHIEF OF LEGATO 2015 Rahmad Adi Wijaya

CHIEF OF BLINK MEDIA Hany Noviya

EDITOR IN CHIEF Silvia Maghfirah

MANAGING EDITOR Annisa Lista Sari

EDITORS

Dini Nur Afifah Healza Kurnia Hendiastutjik

TEXT

Ulfiana Vilia Wiyanto Shintya Lutfiana Tyara Maharani Eniswara Difa Zahrotuddiana Pristya Ulfa Rihadini

ART AND LAYOUT IN CHIEF Hany Noviya

ART DESIGN

Himawan Prakosa

ILLUSTRATOR

Alif Rachman Hidayah ADMINISTRATION Putri Indah Karunia -----

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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IC4: Closing the Year by Taking New Chances EDU CON Deeply concerned with the issue, the third International Cross-Cultural Communication Conference (IC4) was hosted on November 28, 2015 with the tagline “Bridging Cross Cultural Communication in the Globalized Information Age”. For teachers, lecturers, and university students who wish to present their papers regarding the theme, abstracts of 250-300 words should be submitted to the conference committee who will decide which papers to accept.

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National English Learning, Teaching, and Lecturer Conference

EDU CON

National English Learning, Teaching and Lecturer Conference 2015. It is a rendezvous where many inspiring experts and my seniors of English Language Teaching gather, either being participants or speakers.

NELTAL is an annual conference that the State University of Malang held in March to share the quality and importance of English learning and teaching in Indonesia.

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The Stage is Yours EVENT REVIEW Much to their relief, after all the performances were wrapped up, everyone’s effort paid off. The drama festival was hailed as a great success by the audiences.

“I’m proud of everyone. No one loafed around from the beginning until the D-Day. When it was all done and the audience broke into rapturous applause… It was one of the best moments of my life.”

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Discovering the Beauty of the Hidden Treasure Trove

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JOURNEYALISM

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Sprawling along the equator between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, Indonesia is blessed with year-round sunshine and stunning, soothing vistas; it is a paradise for pleasure seekers. Over the past several decades, Indonesia has been fixed in the international imagination because of at least two major tourism islands: Bali and Lombok.

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EDA 61 VIBRANT CAMARADERIE LEGATO’S AFFAIR

April was a special month for the English Department family. Joyous events and vibrant celebrations were everywhere to celebrate the English Department’s anniversary. 2015 marks the 61st consecutive year since the establishment of the department, meaning all the more wisdom and knowledge to be shared – and none of this would have ever happened without the work of the founding fathers who built this department from zero to be a place that has realized thousands of people’s dreams.

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EM 13 TAKES ITS PATRONS TO THE LEGACY OF THE PAST LEGATO’S AFFAIR

Exciting. Challenging. Unpredictable. These three words best describe the National English Olympiad (NEO) 13 held on October 11, 2015.

Brawijaya University’s Debate Team, FORMATION UB A finally grabbed the trophy from the Governor of East Java in the event East Java Varsity English Debate (EJVED) 2015, after going through the preliminary rounds for two days (November 21-22, 2015) at the State University of Malang.

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Words by Ulfiana Vilia Wiyanto, Pristya Ulfa Rihadini

IC4: Closing the Year by Taking New Chances

EDU-CON

Photographs by Hany Noviya

In the cross cultural understanding context, understanding and appreciating different cultural values is fundamental to avoid misunderstandings in between when people of different cultures are in contact. While it is important to be all open-minded about the new cultures shaped by the ever-changing, advanced technology and the internet, preserving one’s own cultures presents its challenges to the society. Deeply concerned with the issue, the third International Cross-Cultural Communication Conference (IC4) was hosted on November 28, 2015 with the tagline “Bridging Cross Cultural Communication in the Globalized Information Age�. For teachers, lecturers, and university students who wish to -----

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present their papers regarding the theme, abstracts of 250-300 words should be submitted to the conference committee who will decide which papers to accept.

Commenced at 8 a.m., more than two hundred people consisting both participants and presenters had gathered at AVA E6 building to register themselves. Mr. Johannes Ananto Prayogo, the head of English Department of State University of Malang, welcomed the audience warmly, subsequently followed by Mr. Suharyadi, the head of the committee, who delivered his gratitude upon the participants’ enthusiasm.

The conference consisted of three sessions, which are the first plenary session, parallel session, and the second plenary session.

Mr. Johannes Ananto Prayogo and Mr. Fabio Coelho (RELO) presented their papers in the first session.

Highlighting on the importance of effective communication, he stated that effective communication is built upon good grammar, vocabulary, and so on.

Being able to communicate effectively alone, however, is deemed useless if we know nothing of the culture of the language – it should go hand in hand. Mr. Coelho presented his paper through his

documentary-style video, explaining how communication can influence certain situations. The audience seemed to enjoy the video because it really motivated them to master the effective communication.

In the parallel session, the participants could choose which room to attend based on their interests. This is a good chance for the presenters, who were mainly university students, to learn how to speak in an international-scale academic forum, as Mr. Suharyadi said, “This is good for the presenters because they could learn how to make an abstract,

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how to make a good presentation, how to speak in public, even they can learn and publish their full papers.”

Mrs. Mirjam Anugerahwati (State University of Malang) and Mr. Sean Stellfox (RELO) collaborated with Mr. Herman Felani Tandjung (The Islamic University of Indonesia). Mrs. Mirjam shared some of her experiences when she was abroad.

She showed us how miscommunication occur in between people of different cultures could cause serious (and sometimes hilarious) problems.

Things people normally do in certain cultures might be considered inappropriate and impolite in other cultures. The problems, hence, lie in individuals’ awareness on understanding the values of each culture. In the last session of the conference, Mr. Sean Stellfox and Mr. Herman Felani Tandjung, presented their research about communication on social media nowadays. The paper attempted to investigate whether the lively communication people have in social media could also occur in real-life situation, as it was illustrated on a video showed during the presentation.

This year IC4, according to the committee, applied a new concept.

The difference is the change of the concept that is from seminar into conference. Even after endorsing new concept, IC4 was still greeted with great enthusiasm.

“

We have received and selected a total of 250 abstracts, but only 108 that can present their papers – that’s a lot. So, for the next IC4, the committee will be paying more attention on the participants. We’d keep on improving the quality of the conference. Please look forward to the next IC4,” he said.

Well, we’ll do!

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SHOWBUZZ

Words by Shintya Lutfiana Photographs by google.com

Singer

Takes

Over

The Chart “

People who are not familiar with the music industry perhaps see the sudden success of these songs in the USA as a new phenomenon, whereas it isn’t. In 2011, Adele went straight into the Billboard album charts at number 1 with 352,000 copies sold in the first week, according to Nielsen Soundscan. In 2009, she took home the coveted Grammy Award for Best New Artist, the same award

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British

The song lyrics above are almost certainly very familiar to us. It is played in many places such as malls, cafes, and stores.

‘Thinking Out Loud’ by Ed Sheeran is one of songs that made it into the top ten on the USA’s Billboard Hot 100, although it was released in June last year. Not only Ed Sheeran, Charlie Puth with his top-selling single ‘See You Again’ featuring Wiz Khalifa managed to peak at the top of the chart this year. There is Mark Ronson at number four and Ellie Goulding at number seven. There is Sam Smith too, with his two singles ‘Lay Me Down’ and ‘I’m Not The Only One’.

which Amy Winehouse took home in 2008.

Looking back a few years ago, there were The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Herman’s Hermits, The Animals, and The Who, etc. who topped the U.S. charts. The British Invasion – which is what this phenomenon is referred to – started in the mid-1960s. During the period, young British groups started to combine various British and American styles of music. Some observers have noted that US teenagers were growing tired of singles-oriented pop acts like Fabian, an American singer, therefore they were looking for something new. The forefront of the invasion became tremendously popular in a blink of eye.

So, British singers taking over the chart isn’t a new phenomenon. People think that it is new because they can’t see the differences between American and British singers. British singers almost lose their accents when they are singing. This is probably why they mistake British singers are American singers.

When my hair’s all but gone and my memory fades And the crowds don’t remember my name When my hands don’t play the strings the same way I know you will still love me the same...

Maybe we found love right where we are.

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Words by Ulfiana Vilia Wiyanto

BEAT

Photographs by Hany Noviya

“

Everyone likes to sing – even if it is just humming along to the music while working, or singing at the top of your voice while having a shower (the so-called bathroom singer) – it’s impossible that you never sing.

Whether it’s Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” or Fifth Harmony’s “Worth It”, it’s easy to get a part of a song stuck on a loop in your head. Some may sing for fun or to unwind after a restless day, whereas others may claim that this is their way to express

their unspoken thoughts.

Inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche, a prominent German philosopher, poet, and composer, who once remarked, “Without music, life would be a mistake”, Legato is fully aware that music is an inseparable part of students’ everyday lives.

It should come as no surprise that there are many talented individuals in the department who’ve got a knack for singing and playing musical instruments, and Legato, on a more serious note, is really interested in them. Thus, in order to be a melting pot in which everyone can develop their talents to the fullest, we’ll gladly introduce you to the Legato Choir, a perfect place for of you with musical aspirations.

WHAT IS THE LEGATO CHOIR? As one of the sub-units in Legato’s Art Division, Legato is a group of singers comprised of English Department students.

They regularly perform at

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LEGATO CHOIR -

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LET’S SING WITH THE

various local events, such as the English Fun Weekend, English Month, and the English Department Anniversary.

IS IT JUST FOR THOSE WHO WERE BORN TALENTED SINGERS? Don’t worry! Since joining a choir is an opportunity to express your thoughts and feelings through music and singing, the Legato Choir is not necessarily exclusive to those who have a golden singing voice or perfect technique—anyone who is willing and eager to learn is very welcome. Legato also welcomes those who are interested in playing in a band.

There are currently three active bands: Intensive Course (2012), GWS (2013), and Rock-a-Doodle-Do (2014). Not only do you get the chance to sing different kinds of music, but you also get to be around others who share an interest in music. Sounds nice, huh?

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OKAY, I’M IN. WHAT NEXT?

Practice makes perfect.

To be a great singer, you need to attend the weekly rehearsal scheduled on Fridays from 1 pm until 3 pm. Here you get the chance to learn how to read music and to master proper breathing technique.

DO I GET TO LEARN SOMETHING ASIDE FROM SINGING TECHNIQUES?

You can learn a lot from being in a choir! Aside from technique and all that jazz, being in a choir

“

teaches you how to work as a part of a team, because singing in a choir is not a solo activity.

Also, when you’re performing on a stage you’re going to be the centre of attention—all eyes are on you! You can gain a lot of self-confidence by performing in front of an audience.

Psst! There is also an extra privilege for the girls! Make-up and costumes are really crucial to boost your morale; paying attention to them is very necessary. Therefore, the girls will attend a beauty class in which they can learn how to properly put on make-up. A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do, right?

WHAT KIND OF SONGS DOES THE LEGATO CHOIR PERFORM?

There are usually two songs performed by the choir: the Legato march and a self-arranged song which depends on the event. Recently, the Legato

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Rahmi Utami Imas Dwi Puspita of English Language Teaching 2012, the conductor of the Legato Choir, has been in charge of teaching vocal technique for the last few years. She’s also the one responsible for determining your vocal range, whether it’s soprano, alto, tenor, or bass.

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WHO’S GOING TO TEACH ME THE A-Z OF SINGING?

Choir performed a fantastic arrangement of Coldplay’s “Paradise” for the 12th English Month and Pharrell William’s “Happy” at the English Department’s 61st Anniversary.

DO WE HAVE MANAGERS… OR DO WE HANDLE EVERYTHING

BY OURSELVES? Since there is a lot of stuff to take care of, e.g. the costumes, the funds, and the line-ups, the Legato Choir has two reliable managers to keep everything well-organized. For the last two years, Ayda of English Language Teaching 2013 and Rizka of English Language and Literature 2014 have been doing very well in managing everything.

AN EVENT IS COMING UP. I’M SO NERVOUS. The Legato Choir will schedule two or three additional rehearsals to make sure everyone is ready and raring to go.

The more you are prepared, the bigger the chance you’re going to succeed. And another thing: keep your fingers crossed!

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Words by Annisa Lista Sari

EVENT REVIEW

The Stage is Yours

The English Department is like a melting pot. Here you can find the secret wordsmiths, the creative thinkers, the multitalented artists, the aspiring poets, and the dedicated soon-to-be-teachers – there are hundreds of students with myriads of interests and aspirations, who hope to reach their dreams once they graduate. In line with these interests, the department offers various courses that are designed to help the students acquire and update certain essential skills for their professional development.

In the previous issue (read the issue of Blink Magazine), we’ve already featured the oh-so-famous class for the freshmen, the 12-credit Intensive Course, and in this edition we shine the spotlight on the most recent

popular class, Basic Analysis of Drama.

There is a notion that all of the courses available in this department are going to make you eternally bound to sitting in the classroom, listening to the lectures, and jotting down notes – all that laborious daily routine; you’ve never been so wrong. If you happen to have already taken the Introduction to Literature course, and are in your fourth semester (for English Language and Literature students) or in your sixth semester (for English Language Teaching students), then congratulations! You are more than eligible to take this course.

As the name suggests, this course, which is worth two

credits, allows you to learn the A to Z of basic principles of drama.

You may have learned a bit of drama, or even have performed during your 3-year high school study, but this course will take you to a whole new level.

Yes indeed, fellow readers, you’re going to perform a miniscale, yet professional level of drama. On a real stage. Under shining spotlights. Before the eyes of curious spectators.

Not only does this course introduce you to a script’s intrinsic elements, you will need to master and produce the dramatic mechanisms such as kinesics (i.e. stage interactions between the characters), setting management, thematic systemization, characterization, and property organization in a team – and the most 11

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interesting part of the course is that you are allowed to be whoever you want to be! A typical team consists of a director (plus assistant director(s)), a producer, an art director, a stage manager, actors, actresses, make-up artists, and other crucial crew members – there are a lot of options to choose from. You also get to choose any play that piques your interest, be it a thriller, comedy, romance, and many more; and if you are a talented scriptwriter, you are more than welcome to write your own scripts! Sounds fun, eh? The decisions are all yours, but keep in mind that you need to learn how to adapt to the workplace, to offer creative solutions, and to make decisions if you face any challenges during the process.

This semester featured the Basic Analysis of Drama class’ performances from four groups from ELT 2012 and three groups from ELL 2013 (plus a play from Advanced Analysis of Drama from ELL 2012 and a final performance from the great English Department’s theater, Maestro!) in a 9-day drama festival. It was kicked off on May 1th by Offering H’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”, an adaption of the

phenomenal thriller short story

by Edgar Allan Poe. When queried about her impression of the course, Nanik Nurwanti, the director of the drama, answered, “Despite all the hustle and bustle, the ups and downs during my class’ practices, performing a play that will be remembered ‘till we’re all grown-ups is the epitome of bliss. I had a lot of fun.” She added later: “Not only does this course teach [us] everything about performing a play, but it also helps bridge the gaps between each member of my class. Everyone has worked really hard to succeed in their performances.”

On the same wavelength as Nanik, Munjidah Hamsa’ – familiarly called Munji – the director of the “Superhero Support Group”, a brilliantly hilarious comedy play presented

by Offering G, said, “Basic Drama is one of the coolest courses in the English Department. Like, seriously. Aside from all those theoretical intrinsic principles of a drama like reading scripts and all that jazz, we’ve learned how to interpret the characters’ traits, and the hardest thing is that we needed to deliver the right “amount” of expression to the audience. We’ve gotta keep it real,” she said.

It is, however, a really uneasy stroll to prepare a memorable performance. Both of the directors spoke openly about the whole ordeal they had been through. “It felt crazy to handle different people with their different traits all together. If someone’s having mood swings or becomes lethargic, then we could be sunk.

But, since we’re working to a tight schedule, I’ve had no choice but to force them,” Munji sighed. Nanik agreed, “Absolutely. It’s hard to unify them all.”

Much to their relief, after all the performances were wrapped up, everyone’s effort paid off. The drama festival was hailed as a great success by the audiences.

“I’m proud of everyone. No one loafed around from the beginning until the D-Day. When it was all done and the audience broke into rapturous applause… It was one of the best moments of my life.

I’m sure everyone feels the same,” said Nanik with a sweet sense of triumph. Munji commented, “, In only three months we pulled it off.

Hats off to every class.”

Basic Analysis of Drama is one of those classes that, not only helps you gain knowledge, but also expands your perspective and builds up your characteristics and perseverance. How about it, fellow readers? Ready to gear up for your time to shine?

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EDU CON

Words by Silvia Maghfirah

I am usually the type of person who’d sing Bruno Mars’ The Lazy Song to perfectly sum up my laid-back weekends, but this Saturday morning was an exception. I woke up early and go to campus to met my fellow friends in front of ESAC, eagerly waiting to be a part of NELTAL—National English Learning, Teaching and Lecturer Conference 2015. It is a

rendezvous where many inspiring experts and my seniors of English Language Teaching gather, either being participants or speakers.

NELTAL is an annual conference that the State University of Malang held in March to share the quality and importance of English learning and teaching in Indonesia. Unlike Malaysia,

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Singapore, and the Philippines who use English as their second language, English is still taught as a foreign language in Indonesia. We know that English is still a problematic issue for our younger generation. The majority of teenagers think that learning English is either hard, boring or useless, hence they see no importance in learning it. This mindset encourages many teachers and lecturers all around Indonesia to be more creative with their methods of teaching. Back in those good old days when I was a junior and senior high school student, however, I could say that English is a fun subject. Most English teachers or lecturers in Indonesia have tailor-made methods of teaching to give the best studying experience to Indonesian students, like giving topic-related interactive games and books.

The conference was held on March 28, 2015 from 8 a.m to 4.30 p.m in AVA E6 Building. Mrs Utami Widiati, the Dean of the Faculty of Letters, delivered a speech to open the conference.

Right after the speech we had plenary session A led by Ms. Finita Dewi from the University of Education, Bandung, West Java who presented her paper entitled “Using a Collaborative Application in English Language Classroom: It’s Just a Tool, Not a Learning Outcome”, with Mr. Suharyadi of the State University of Malang as the moderator. She explain that in this digital era as a teacher/ learner we need to use various web aplication such as edmodo for brainstorming, collecting and sorting information and creating the final project that would be useful for the students before creating their final project. After the first plenary session the presenters and the audience were given a coffee break, and then went to the D7-D8 buildings for sessions consisting of 25 participants and 5 presenters. The participants were pleased to go to have

the opportunity to listen to various different sessions, and were happy to ask questions or make comments after each presenter had finished his/ her presentation. There were 5 parallel sessions and 10 rooms to go to. Before the end of the conference there was a plenary session B by Professor Bambang Yudi Cahyono and Titik Rahayu, from State University of Malang, andentitled “Using Video-based Tasks for Process Analysis Essay”. They had researched two classes, class A consist of 25 while B was 26.

The 7th NELTAL used the theme “Inspiration and Innovation for English Classroom[s]”. Mr Bambang Yudi Cahyono remarked, “The theme was chosen for two reasons. First, it is believed that English teachers and lecturers, after years of teaching experience, surely have a lot of workable experiences and best practices in English language teaching that can be shared with other English language teachers and lecturers. Second, many English language teachers and lecturers

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THE THEMES OF NELTAL ARE DIFFERENT FROM YEAR BY YEAR

However, the papers presented by the speakers will still be compiled into a book.

This year, the compilation consists of:

1. The Teaching of English Language Skills and English Language Components. March 21, 2009 2. Echniques and Strategies to Enhance English Language Learn ing. March 20, 2010 3. Best Practices in the Teaching of English.

March 26, 2011.

have worked harder, beyond their daily routines, to develop various aspects of English Language Teaching (ELT) e.g. materials, media, and assessment for the betterment of their teaching as well as for the improvement of students’ learning.” Furthermore, he added, “With the integration of the internet in their English language teaching, these innovative endeavors need to be conveyed to other English language teachers and lecturers.

Thus, the conference attempts to unveil the various inspirations and innovations for English classrooms.”

It is undoubtedly true that this event is one of the must-see events that every English Department student, particularly those who are majoring in English Language Teaching, should attendin order to broaden their teaching horizons i.e. how to teach English with interesting media for the sake of their own future careers. This

year theme was beneficial for ELT students because later on, in the fifth semester or above, we do have an elective course called IMALT (Instructional Media and Activities in Language Teaching) and by hearing the presenters’ stories behind the application of their teaching materials and media, as well as their results and experience, we can improve our own style of teaching to perk up the class’s atmosphere.

As an ELT student who will be a teacher or lecturer in the future, I do hope that this program will keep on improving, inspiring, and providing good experiences, so it can be a great place to learn. I’m looking forward to the next NELTAL in 2016, but unfortunately this event would be the last edition of NELTAL, I personally want this event to be continued so that it could be a place for many people to share about teaching English in Indonesia.

4. English for Commnication and Inter action in the Classroom and Beyond. March 31, 2012 5. Materials and Media in English Language Teaching. March 30, 2013 6. Success Stories in English Language Teach ing and Learning. March 29, 2014 7. Inspirations and In novations in the English Classroom. March 28, 2015 15

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Photographs by google.com

by Its Size

Words by Silvia Maghfirah

Don’t Judge a Camera

DID U KNOW

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Many travelers have used GoPro as a loyal, reliable companion during their journeys to capture landscapes and moments. This is because GoPro is manufactured for extreme sports and adventures. You may take your typical DSLR or smartphone to capture moments instantly, but you could break them in hazardous circumstances. GoPro, on the other hand, would be practical as it is small, light, and aero and hydro dynamic. Travelers can mount it anywhere: strap it on their head while climbing, or put it on the bike while biking, to record their adventurous moments.

According to Wikipedia, GoPro is an American corporation that develops, manufactures and markets high-definition camcorders which are often used in extreme-action video photography. They are compact, lightweight, rugged, and are

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A song by Keane kept repeating when I was writing this article.

The feeling of nostalgia hit me as I tried to recall my childhood.

I then took my album, in which almost all of the photos were taken by an analog camera, you know, the one with a roll of film inside. Comparing the photos taken with the analog camera with the digital ones nowadays, I realized a major difference. In the past we needed to take the roll to the darkroom, and have it printed to see the results – so much effort for just one photograph. In contrast, with a digital camera we can take pictures to our heart’s content, and we can see them immediately. It’s quite suprising that technology changes so fast and we as a society need to adapt to those changes.

Recently, there is a camera that suprises me; it’s called GoPro.

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“

Everybody’s changing and I don’t feel the same…”

I was curious, and at first, I underestimated it because of its mini size. To my astonishment, that tiny box camera really has its forte.

wearable or mountable on vehicles. The camera captures still photos or video in HD through a wide-angle lens. Users can configure the degree of remote control or intervention required.

The company was established by Nick Woodman in 2002. He was hoping to get a great capture while he was surfing, but it is hard to get a quality picture while you are surfing. Even if you have already used a HD camera or hired a profesional photographer, it’s still difficult to get one best shot – hence the idea of creating GoPro. Up to now, there are nine kinds of GoPro with different specifications for each: the latest one is GoPro Hero4.

In Indonesia, GoPro costs around IDR 6-8 million, which is pretty pricey for average buyers.

Although there are many similar action cameras popping out in the market with lower prices, and at a glance they have the same specifications as GoPro, when it comes to the quality of picture, GoPro is still the best one around.

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SPEAK UP! HOLYDAy DATES AT UM Words by Shintya Lutfiana

Planning to meet up and hang out with our old friends from high school has always been an issue for us, especially with those whose friends are pursuing their studies in different universities such as Brawijaya University and University of Muhammadiyah Malang. It is rather hard to match up our schedules and find the right time, as our semesters always finish a month or weeks ahead of theirs. When I am still busy working on my final projects or examinations, they have barely have done their mid-terms; and when our holiday is around the corner, they are still preparing for exams. It is quite problematic, I think.

– Rahmania Oktaviah In my opinion, the three-month holiday always has its ups and downs. It will be very exhilarating for those who have been excitedly waiting for a long holiday, but for students who stay in a dormitory like me, it will be a lonely one. It will be difficult to talk to my friends from other universities. And also, I am so going to miss my girlfriend.

- Lengga Buana

The holiday is just around the corner. I think it is awesome because it is three months long – but not that awesome, though, as it is going to be freaking three months. We might feel enthusiastic and super excited about this at first. We plan and jot down a list of what to do during the holiday, but I guess after some weeks, it will turn out to be a very boring holiday indeed.

– Zulfan Bahtiar 18

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FAVE ARWIJATI MURDIBJONO

‘Read, read, read.

Never stop reading’ WORDS BY Putri Indah Karunia & Annisa Lista Sari Photographs BY Hany Noviya

With her teaching experiences and her wide interests that encompass English Skill Courses, Materials Development, and English for Young Learners, she is, indubitably, an expert at handling her students – she knows how to create an amiable and relaxing atmosphere in her classes. One of her remarkable

classes, Extensive Reading, subtly and successfully urges the students on reading various novels, short stories, and articles. She stated that the point is to understand: “Some students are a bit naughty – but enjoy it. That’s the life of young people”. “They like to play around and they have hobbies, but at the same time they have to study. We all know that. And if we can accept that, it’s going to be fine,” she explained.

At her age, many people say that she looks like she were 10 years younger.

When we asked about her secrets, she was a bit puzzled, “There’s no secret.” We were not entirely buying this. “Well, maybe you have to enjoy the life. Don’t procrastinate when you work. Don’t wait until tomorrow what you can do today.” She added later: “[I’m] just like anybody else. I wake up at 3 am, and because I’m a Muslim, I do Tahajud and Subuh prayers.” Pause. “And sometimes I do some exercises for half an hour and do salsa too,” she replied. Aha, now we all know the secrets.

Together with his husband Mr. Murdibjono, a formerly se-

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Earning her bachelor’s, master’s and doctor’s degree from IKIP Malang (now State University of Malang) and having been teaching in English Department since 1975, there was no doubting Mrs. Arwijati’s dedication to the department. She is greatly admired by her students, not only for her teaching methods, but also for her kind, motherly and easy-going nature.

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We were sitting opposite Mrs. Arwijati Murdibjono, a prominent senior lecturer of English Department, at the Lecturer’s room.

Despite her busy schedule, she kindly squeeze in half an hour of her break time to have interview with Blink Media on a fine afternoon. “Go ahead, ask anything you want to know,” she said, charmingly smiled at us.

nior lecturer in the department, the couple is known for their romantic relationship. Some even opines that they were a relationship goal: to grow old together and enjoy the life to the fullest. Perched comfortably on a chair with her usual formal teaching attire, she told us that she went to the same high school and university with his husband. “We were in the same class,” she recalled. “We were also best friends. High school sweethearts.”

Unlike other couples who can be strict and stiff at times, both Mr. Murdibjono and Mrs. Arwijati always radiate the “forever young” vibes – as they are frequently seen watching concerts and hanging out to cafes together.

Questioned about this, she replied while giggling,

we really like “ Yeah, going to the cafes together. Even though

there are only young couples, and we’re the only old one. After today’s class, we are going to go watch Everest. It’s playing on the nearest cinema.

And tomorrow Johnny Depp’s Black Mass.”

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We then wondered what she and her husband were planning to do after retiring.

“We have a lot of things to do before retiring, but our plan is to enjoy ourselves,” she answered. “And to keep you in our memory. We’re going to miss our students.”

It’s nice talking to her. We find her approachability, combined with her open-mindedness, very admirable.

Before we part parted, she reminded us something – the very core value of being English learners that we sometimes forget.

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The good news is that this year remarks her 40 years of dedication to the department; the bad news is that she reaches the age of the department’s official retiring age.

“My husband has retired in May. I’m going to retire this December. And that’s it. We have been teaching for 40 years already,” she said.

“I have to remind all of you, my students, to keep on reading – because reading is the secret of everything.

Even when you go browse the internet, you’re going to read. Always reading.” She continued: “When reading is getting more and more important, you have to be able to read faster. If you don’t read very fast, your eyes will suffer. You need to skim and scan.”

Underlining the importance of reading, she added: “Read, read, read. Never stop reading. And not only reading textbooks – it’s boring. Textbooks are for you to pass and finish your study,” she said, jokingly. “Just read anything you can read. Anything. Magazines.

Books. Anything.”

What a well-spent afternoon.

read, read. Never “ Read, stop reading. And not only reading textbooks – it’s boring. Textbooks are for you to pass and finish your study.

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Words by Annisa Lista Sari

TRENDS

Photographs by google.com

SNAPCHAT SNAPCHAT: 6-SECOND NICHE OF PICTURE AND VIDEO-MESSAGING

If you are one of those technology enthusiasts who always have your phone within reach or your name registered on almost every social media platform available on the internet, the chances are you must have already heard about Snapchat, the new kid on the block in the realm of social networking applications.

Currently available in two popular operating systems, Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS, the application was formerly initiated by its founder, Evan Spiegel, as his final project of Design Class at Stanford University in 2011. The idea was regarded as ludicrous, if not hated, at first by his colleagues.

Snapchat enables people to snap photos of every moment in their life and send it to their friends; and here comes the

surprise: instead of being permanently saved in the Snapchat’s servers, the “Snaps” will disappear within seconds— unless the recipients take a screenshot of them. The uncommon concept of impermanent photos was surprisingly welcomed with open arms by youth—who were probably seeking a groundbreaking method in communicating. 60 million photos in 2013 and 700 million photos in 2014 were reportedly uploaded, proving that Snapchat’s popularity has hit the big time.

The rising popularity of Snapchat and its promising outlook have apparently appealed two powerhouses in the industry, Google and Facebook, who offered to acquire the company.

Without any doubt, despite the amount of 3 billion dollars of cold, hard cash offered, Spiegel

declined adamantly.

What, then, makes Snapchat so special that Spiegel turned down three billion dollars from the Facebook billionaire, Mark Zuckerberg?

The privacy: ‘Now you see, now you don’t’ concept Along the lines of ever-growing social network applications such as Facebook, Line and Path, Snapchat is a mixture of mobile-messaging plus a photo and video-sharing application.

Snapchatters are free to add their friends and interact with them through chatting and sharing photos and videos. A feature called “My Stories” allows the users to broadcast their personal video montages to their friends. Recently in Jan21

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uary 2015, the company added a “Discover” feature, enabling users to explore stories from various news portals such as MTV, Daily Mail, CNN, Yahoo!

News, and National Geographic.

The company has also adopted a new privacy system. Unlike other social networking applications where everyone can see your photos (e.g. Facebook’s Photo Albums), users can set the time limit for how long their friends can view their shared Snaps, ranging from 1 to 10 seconds, before they are gone for good. If you have some trust issues regarding this, there is no need to worry; the sender will be notified if the recipient takes a screenshot of the Snaps. The users can also set to whom the snaps are available; not only your mutual friends get to see your snaps, everyone can also enjoy your happy moments.

The instant thrill of spontaneity To sum up Snapchat in a nutshell:

It is instant fun. If you are one of those people who enjoy the spontaneity of capturing any moments happening around you without having to painstakingly edit them first, taking crazy selfies with friends, or bursting into laughter from your friends’ silly photos, then Snapchat is indubitably your cup of tea. Snap the moments, add the caption (or you can even doodle on it!), hold still to view the message, and double tap to reply—it’s all you have to do. The easy-peasy process of sending fresh, short-lived messages, pictures, or videos evokes the users’ excitement; it creates some urgency that the moment only happens once in your lifetime, thus you need to grab the fun while it’s hot.

“We’re building a photo app that doesn’t conform to unrealistic notions of beauty or perfection but rather creates a space to be funny, honest or whatever else you might feel like at the moment you take and share a Snap.” – Evan Spiegel

Are you up for snapping your funny or happy moments? Just jump onto the Snapchat and wagon and experience the fun!

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WHAT’S ON

Words by Difa Zahrotuddiana Photographs by Legato

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Generating Idea through Critical Thinking

For English Department students,first and foremost, it is fundametal to be able to construct our ideas and put it into a relevant and consistent arguments, and it must have logical connections between the reasoning. More often than not, we find ourselves in trouble to think out-of-the-box, mainly because we’re not aware of the importance of this so-called critical thinking.

Legato, thus, proudly held an annual seminar entitled “Generating Ideas through Critical Thinking” on November 19, 2015. With two tremendous guest speakers, M. Nasrul Chotib, S.S, M.Hum and Samantha L. Martin M.A, the seminar garnered great enthusiasm from the participants— proved by more than 150 participants coming from English Department and other faculties.

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Sean—or that’s how Samantha L. Martin M.A, the last presenter of the seminar, introduced herself— is a special guest from AMINEF. With her cheerful and powerful appearance, she started presenting the topic by giving a game called “Stand Up if You Agree”. “Who are studying here to get a bachelor degree?” she asked in the beginning, which then followed by all hands are raised high—unless a participant who was studying for her magister degree. “I want you to stand up if you have the same opinion with me.” After several questions asked to break the ice, Sean asked everyone to make a little piece of paper which had four lines for the second warming up game. The participants were required to write down the number that we were born. The next was the number of the day that the participants were born, the initial letter of the participants’ name and then followed by the participants’ mothers’. “Don’t forget to copy it on your own note before you

submit the paper to me”, as she collected them all in a little box she had prepared.

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The first speaker, M. Nasrul Chotib, S.S, M.Hum, a lecturer of English Department of State University of Malang, began the discussion about the logical thinking. To illustrate his points, he explained that people’s way of thinking are basically grouped into two: correctly and incorrectly. “If you do something correctly, it doesn’t mean that you are really correct”, he wittily remarked.

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Liga Irawan, the event coordinator, explained, “We decided to hold it [the seminar] because we see that many students find themselves really bewildered when they need to write essay, paper, speech, drama, thesis, etc.” “It’s like we have the abstract ideas in mind, but we cannot put it into sentences. So, we take this chance to promote the importance of generating ideas through critical thinking,” he then added.

This is where Sean’s getting all serious—as if to test the audience’s basic knowledge on the topic, she started questioning them “What is critical thinking?” to the lucky owner of the papers she picked randomly. She later explained what is defined by Thinking Critically and Generating Idea. She described her points by using the diagram of each step to understand critical thinking process: Remember, Understanding, and Applying. And atop the chart, she divided it into three parts, which are Creating, Evaluating and Analyzing.

On the same wavelength with Mr. Nasrul, Sean told about her experiences when she did her research, in which she observed ‘dukun’ as her final project. “How people can be smart in different ways?” she asked while showing a slide about people’s interest. “Of course by knowing multiple intelligences,” she concluded.

We hope that this event is able to give some insights on how to think clearly and logically and to translate one’s ideas into something tangible for a better learning process.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Words by Dini Nur Afifah

The ever-growing development of information and technology has led people to a new cyber era where the internet has become nearly accessible for everyone, regardless of their age or gender.

The infinite accessibility of the internet causes people to choose to interact with other people through it, making the world become borderless.

Connecting one continent to another only needs nanoseconds per message. Isn’t the idea fascinating? Because of the increased usage of the internet for communicating, social media platforms have developed rapidly. Among the myriads of them buzzing around the internet, launched in 2014 and worth $100 million, is Secret.

Barely months since its launch and without being featured in the Apple Store, the application has already been ranked as the second most popular worldwide. Indeed, Secret has taken the social media era to another level.

SECRET: A Social

Media

Tool

Behind the Mask

of

Anonymity

Photographs by google.com

What is Secret exactly?

Secret is a social media tool which allows you to be yourself behind the mask of anonymity.

You don’t need to register yourself, thus the contacts in your Secret app are automatically updated through your phone contacts that use Secret as well – but they are only labeled as “friends”. You may feed your curiosity with Secret by getting some news, from the latest to the scandalous. No one knows exactly whether the news which floats around the app is true or not because of the anonymity.

The founding father of Secret is David Byttow, and he originally didn’t plan Secret as a social media tool but just as a site where you could give anonymous feedback. He realized that anonymity gives unusual power to the words that are written. He proved that by experimenting with his girlfriend, texted her anonymously when she was in Paris, and her reaction encouraged him to develop the application. It brings the users to the edge, but they won’t cross the line, he says.

Anonymity is like a double-edged sword.

It may bring out the best in people, like donors who give anonymously, but it may also bring out the worst, such as cyber bullying cases which have arisen lately. Secret is also a double-edged sword because of its anonymity, causing the user to be updated about a current issue, or to be thrown over the edge because of over curiosity.

However, just like other social media, the staff behind Secret can’t control things which float around the circles of friends.

Both good and bad can happen in Secret friend circles.

The founder also states that Secret invokes a “superpower”

inside the users. They can post something in the app and get a lot of responses from anonymous persons, even if in real life they are nothing compared to the people around them. They truly can be themselves; they can openly talk to everyone about almost everything, from their peculiar habits after they get up to their particular favorite underwear.

They even can spill their darkest secrets or make confessions without anyone knowing who is who. Because of this, the anonymity of Secret gained momentum in social media.

Because of the fast growth and excessive usage of Secret, sadly, some companies and schools prohibited their employees

and students from using their phones. That affected Secret’s value on the stock market and decreased the numbers of users, until the company had shrunk to only 10 staff members. Finally, after a long discussion between the CEO, David Byttow, with other co-founders, it was decided that Secret would close. David Byttow stated that what was happening in Secret didn’t fit with his initial vision for the app.

The app has been deleted since the beginning of May 2015.

What is your opinion on this? Would you prefer to be anonymous or openly known?

INSIDE INSIGHT

Words by Helmi Dana B.A Photographs by Valiant

Greetings from Valiant!

How many of you have ever heard about VALIANT? Yup! We ain’t got no more than dozen of students who are familiar with – or at least have ever heard a little about –this students’ debating union of the State University of Malang. Categorised as a club filled with debate-activities buffs, it is about time to take a closer look at what is happening inside and what the members – mostly from the English Department – are doing in the club.

BLINK Magazine got that opportunity to have two of the members sitting in for an interview last November. During the interview, the fantastic duo: Ilham a.k.a. Iam and Fadilah a.k.a. Ila shared their heart-warming tale of Valiant, which is, say, quite ‘frank’

about the truth they eventually revealed.

“It’s not a [part of] Unit Kegiatan Mahasiswa (UKM) , but an official organisation protected by a student-managing bureau who mostly deal with research, like Program Kreativitas Mahasiswa (PKM) ,” answered Ilham when asked what Valiant is, “but, we are making an attempt to get there [becoming UKM]”. Meanwhile, Ila stated her opinion, “It’s a place where people who love debating activities gather. We come and learn together.”

FYI, BLINK readers, the more-than-a-decade running Valiant is not just for people who are au fait debating, but

so-called newbies as well. “So far, we all come from debating backgrounds even before we started studying here.” Ila said.

This intellects-packed club with about 20 active members led

by Laila of English Language Teaching is not entirely about debating. In addition to debating, Valiant members frequently squeeze discussions about current issues, either nationwide or worldwide.

“Well, now let’s talk about this.

Have you ever heard about the types of debating systems widely used in Indonesia? They are the Asian Parliamentary System and the British Parliamentary System, and surprisingly, the BP (British Parliamentary) is the most challenging [debating

system]. Then we gotta work on a strategy – which is somewhat different from the AP (Asian Parliamentary System) consistinpositive and negative teams like in EJVED (East Java Varsities English Debate). BP has two positive and negative teams. Then, you know, we must beat not only the opposition team (negative), but also the team from the same side,” Ila explained.

So what contributions has Valiant made to the university?

They participated in the Java Overland Varsities English Debate (JOVED) in Semarang; Uyun Nishar and Luthfi acted as envoys at the National University Debating Championship (NUDC) in Batam; GMPT – where Luthfi won the best speaker award; the National English Education Debate (NEED) 2014 by Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, where Valiant snatched the runner-up and fourth positions while Ilham himself topped off with the best speaker; and lastly, they were champions of the 2013 East Java Varsities English Debate (EJVED)

by LEGATO. These are the

noticeably remarkable feats that Valiant has accomplished.

Although they have notched up a large number of laborious victories, it is not a simple case for Valiant to have themselves promoted to UKM. A master plan was once flying around about this issue, but it just went down the pan. “To be a UKM is not a matter of ‘difficulty’, but rather being complicated and complex which all depends on the university’s bureaucracy.

If only Valiant managed to be UKM, it would smooth away all obstacles preventing them from taking a part in such competitions.” “There were times when we couldn’t enter competitions such as IVED as we had no funding plan established early on – and actually we could not do that, but if we were UKM, it would go smoothly. We’ve invariably got to balance the books,” explained Ilham.

Over and above all the hullabaloo, Ilham and Ila also recounted what makes them hunker down to the present day. “We met truly cooperative and open-minded people. They’re such a motivation for me

personally. We also have senior members who’ve got our backs, although they are no longer active members.”

Aha! Buzzed-up now? Most of us might be asking, ‘What is debate for?’ Doesn’t it just prompt such horrendous trouble amongst, say, mankind? Valiant has an answer for you. “We here are to solve problems we find in a smart way,” Ilham replied. But, Ila’s got another typical answer, “Debate has really changed my mind. It changes how I see people ‘cause they’re really different. I mean they have reasons why they’re different in solving matters. Critical, tolerant, active and all that sort of thing.”

Interested in joining? Valiant always recruits debate aficionados to be a part of their family shortly after the new students start their study in the new term in August. Worrying about missing the recruitment process? Valiant members will have circulated promotional posters in every faculty prior to the back-to-school days. Happy debating!

DID YOU KNOW?

Words by Pristya Ulfa Rihadini

Photographs by google.com

SLANG Yay or Nay? The term “slang” refers to informal words and expressions that are commonly used by certain groups, particularly youth and the avant-garde. Typically, these slang words are designed by groups of creative people to sprinkle color into their casual conversations. The rule is simple: make it humorous and catchy.

It is halfway through 2015, and people have apparently churned out myriads of slang. Here are some of the freshly brewed, internet-approved slang words: We also have kinds of slang words in our language, Indone-

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A friend of mine once wrote on her social media account that Zayn Malik is forever her bae.

Being unable to catch her drift, I instantly reached out for my smartphone to look it up in the Oxford Dictionary. No result.

I resorted to the omniscient, dependable search engine, Google.

It turns out that bae is 2015-approved slang that literally stands for “before anyone else”, or in this case, it can be interpreted that Zayn is her babe. I sighed.

So much effort to understand a single tweet.

If you have ever experienced the same thing, welcome to the club.

sian. Recently, there are some slang words which have widely spread all over the internet.

You’ve got an ultra curious friend who’d nonchalantly stick his/her nose into your business?

There’s a term to describe that said person: “kepo”, which stands for “Knowing Every Particular Object”. If you are a type of person who tends to get carried away easily, be ready to get called “baper”, a slang which stands for “bawa perasaan”. It’s used to tease someone who gets too sentimental over trivial things.

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Basic Another way of saying someone’s style is too normal or mainstream e.g. “She listens to One Direction’s songs all the time. She’s so basic”.

On Fleek Use it to remark that something is really to the point or perfect e.g. “No one can be perfect all the time, but look at Chris Hemsworth. He’s on fleek.”

is it important for us to learn slang words?

Slang is indeed inevitable. It’s a part of a culture, no matter what language you’re speaking.

The textbook-grammar, formalities, and the dictions you’ve learned so far in your 10-year (or more) career of studying English help you to read formal books, but when you go out to meet the natives or to live as a part of the society, you’re going to be a stranger all over again.

The meme-esque structure, e.g. “teachers be like”, may not show up on The Jakarta Post any time soon, but you’ll meet those phrases in less-structured and informal communication media such as Twitter and blogs.

Therefore, taking your time to understand slang and informal speech might save your brain from the edge of confusion.

Slang can be very convenient to use in casual conversations e.g. between peers, families, and lovers; however, do take note that there’s a degree of

“

appropriateness of slang that may vary from one person to another. You could text your friends “We’ve gotta hang out this weekend”, but sending e-mail with the words “wanna” or “gonna” to your supervisors or lecturers may be inappropriate. Although you’d definitely use it on a daily basis in your everyday life, just make sure you know who you are talking to.

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Hangry Instead of writing “I’m really hungry” or “I’m starving to death”, try to write “I’m hangry” – you are so hungry that you start getting angry.

All in all, whether to learn slang or not depends on your goals. If you plan to attend a university abroad or to work in a professional environment, you’ll be using formal language to communicate with your colleagues and to write essays and emails properly. If you’re learning a language in order to socialize in a foreign place, then make the slang your forte. Slang will always come up in the language learning process. It’s important, but not more than a tool in a language.

Slang will always come up in the language learning process. It’s important, but not more than a tool in a language.

Slay If Taylor Swifts’ style impresses you so much, try to say: “Tay-Tay’s hair style totally slays!”

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JOURNEYALISM

Words by Ulfiana Vilia Wiyanto

Photographs by google.com

PROBOLINGGO: A City Full of Wonders

If you are into travelling to places that are rich in culture and tradition or you are craving for some adventurous experiences, Probolinggo is definitely the answer. Probolinggo is a city on the north coast of East Java, two hours and half travel by train from Malang or Surabaya.

People in Probolinggo still perform some traditional ceremonies. Tenggerese – a tribe living in Tengger, near Mount Bromo – hold an annual ceremony called Kasada (or 1

Kosodo). The aim of this ceremony is to ask for safety for everyone in this world and in the hereafter. Kasada is held at the feet of Bromo on around the 24th to 25th in Kasodo month, or the twelfth month according to the Tenggerese calender. After praying at midnight, Kasada ends with people throwing sesaji – fruit and other kinds of crops – into the crater. This Kasada ceremony is also believed to be a great chance to display the beauty of the great Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park.

Another ceremony is Ngiring Kucing held by people in Wonokerso, Sumber, Probolinggo. They pour water over a black cat and hope God will pour water over their village soon. They pray to Sang Hyang Widi Wasa to give water so that the farmers can start to cultivate their plants. Black cats symbolize dark clouds, that’s why people there wish that

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“

We feature some must-visit, enchanting tourism locations – a perfect recipe for your memorable long holiday.

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In this issue, Blink Magazine is trying to delve deeper into the archipelago’s lesser-known destinations.

after bathing a black cat, dark clouds will cover their village and there will be rain. At the end, the leader of the ceremony will bathe the black cat with 1 cendol and for the people who bring their own cendol, they can drink it after praying together.

Other ceremonies held in Probolinggo are Tugel Kuncung for boys and Tugel Gombak for girls. Tugel Kuncung is a traditional ceremony that is held for four-year-old boys who are ready to be circumcised.

The first thing that is done is to cut the boy’s hair on his forehead. People believe that by cutting the hair, their son will be blessed by God. Tugel Gombak is performed in a similar manner. Before the ceremony starts, people pray to God and then proceed to cut the girl’s hair.

Tugel Kuncung and Tugel Gombak are held once in a lifetime. The ceremonies are believed to be a preventive way of keeping boys and girls

A green worm-like traditional dessert made of rice flour

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Sitting majestically at the height of 2,239 metres (7,641 ft), Mount Bromo is one of the most active volcanoes in East Java.

Get your best experience ever of seeing the enchanting view of sunrise by hiking up to Mount Penanjakan. As it’ll be freezing up there, don’t forget to bring a jacket, shawl, and gloves! After catching the sunrise, you can trek down Mount Penanjakan for about 1-2 hours and walk across the sea of sand, then hike up to the summit of the caldera of Mount Bromo. With the volcanic crater around 10km in width, Mount Bromo offers you a breathtaking vista: the pale translucent blue sky, the sea of volcanic sand surrounding the crater, and white sulphurous smoke blowing out from the top of the volcano.

To those of you who like to spend your holiday with activities that combine nature and adrenaline-pumping sport, rafting on the Pekalen River is definitely your cup of tea. There are various operators who offer this activity and can provide the most satisfying experience. One of them is Songa Adventure.

Songa is located in Ranu Gedhang, Tiris, Probolinggo. If you want to try rafting you need to pay Rp 229.000 – Rp 269.000 (min. 5 people). Although it is a little bit expensive, it provides a really satisfactory rafting experience. You can do it individually by using a canoe, but if you’re curious about how strong your friendship is, you may try it in a group with an oval boat that can take from 4 up to 12 people – the more the merrier, yes? There are also various levels of wave challenges, with levels from 1 to 6: numbers 1 to 3 are for a ‘leisure’, and numbers 4 to 6 are for ‘adventure’ and double the fun.

“

Malang may be remarkable for many beautiful waterfalls e.g.

Coban Talun and Coban Rondo, but Probolinggo offers others.

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Enjoy Probolinggo more by exploring its stunningly verdant views and cool climate while trekking around Mount Bromo, located in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park.

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from bad luck when they reach puberty. They is also a symbol of hope that the boys and girls have a good future.

After visiting the Malang area falls, if you need another waterfall you can go to Lumbang, Probolinggo.

This waterfall also belongs to the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. Visiting the Madakaripura Waterfall, which is believed to be Gajahmada’s meditation place, is ultimately on the must-visit list when you travel to Probolinggo.

It will take about an hour to walk from the gate and climb up slippery trekking trails to see the main waterfall, but it’ll be worth it. The clear waterfall looks like a water curtain; it makes you feel like you are inside a bottle. It is truly an ethereal beauty.

Finally, after you have spent your days in Probolinggo and are about to go back to your hometown, you ought to buy some local fresh manalagi mangoes and grapes for your family and relatives!

The sweetness and freshness of these fruits will complete your journey and remind you of this city full of wonders.

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WHAT’S ON

Words by Dini Nur Afifah Photographs by Choirinnisa Nufika

Where Your Opinions are All That Matter

As a substitution to Speaking Club and Independent Movie Study programs which were previously held as yearly events, WATSUP aims to facilitate the abundance of enthusiasm in an intellectual

yet fun discussion. As the name suggests, the program was freshly brewed for everyone who is engrossed in movies and wishes to speak up about their opinions wholeheartedly.

The program was limited only to 100 participants; hence, to those wished to enter had to register themselves before it began. Although it is a newly-established program, more than 100 participants registered ahead the time, packing out the quota in a week, which wowed the committee. What a great achievement!

The program itself was held on Wednesday, 22nd April 2015 from 1 pm - 5 pm, taking place in the cozy AVA E6 Building.

Everyone got their popcorn, and we could catch the glimmer of excitement in their eyes.

The committee had prudently picked a movie entitled “Moon” (2009) to be played, as it was one of the greatest triumphs of sci-fi flicks. “Moon” tells the story of Sam Rockbell, an astronaut working out a three-year contract to maintain a lunar mining facility with a robot called Gerty as a sole companion. Longing to meet his wife on the earth, and close to cracking up because of loneliness, he starts seeing clones of

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Legato has always been a think-tank for creative people with vibrant and innovative ideas, and this year, to kick off the semester, the Scientific Field Division launched a brand-new, fresh from the oven program, namely WATSUP: Watching Movie and Speak Up.

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What’s On

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“This program is for everyone who likes watching movies, and who also likes to be

“

Various arguments were presented during the discussion, and the speakers also opined their thoughts as well. Once a participant finished expressing his or her argument, the speakers would ask more about the argument. They might not be satisfied by an argument, so the debate was inevitable and the discussion was a bit heated.

Everyone was so completely engaged in the discussion that it was rounded off at 5 pm everyone grumbled that the time had flown too fast.

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After they were done watching the movie, a discussion was led by three great speakers: Mr. Nabhan Fuad Choiron, Mr. Herditya, and Mr. Bonni Rambatan. The participants were grouped into five, and they discussed some issues related to the movie like humanity, economics, and politics. Some unexpected answers were heard from the participants, and the speakers’ ears were lit up upon hearing the answers.

involved in discussion. It is also good for everyone who wants to enhance their competence in English; hence this program is also open to the public,” said Angga Yuhindra, the coordinator of the WATSUP event. “I am so delighted to see the enthusiastic response from the participants, and that all the places were reserved in only a week. I hope we can present better programs and more exciting programs in the future,” continued Angga.

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himself. Thanks to the mesmerizing graphics and unexpected story line, everyone was kept awestruck for about one and half hours, deeply and completely absorbed in the movie.

“This program is beneficial to English Department students for it is related to their prospective future careers. It is not about watching movies; they are required to be able to see beyond the pictures presented on the screen. They have to analyze each scene or event, and to get the message beyond the movie,” explained Mr. Herditya.

Due to the success of this program, everyone is already looking forward to the next program hosted by Legato.

Therefore, gear up and we’ll keep you posted for more upcoming brilliant events from the English Department Students’ Association!

“This program is beneficial to English Department students for it is related to their prospective future careers. It is not about watching movies; they are required to be able to see beyond the pictures presented on the screen. They have to analyze each scene or event, and to get the message beyond the movie.

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Words by Shintya Lutfiana, Difa Zahrotuddiana

FAVE

Photographs by Hany Noviya

The Feeling of Being Needed is Making You Alive people with many different ideas, so I have to be a sensitive person to understand them all altogether,” he admitted.

Even though he is a chief now, he doesn’t forget his duty as a student. A few months ago, he went to Singapore to join a workshop entitled Young Social Entrepreneurs (YSE). It is a workshop to gather and inspire young entrepreneurs to improve people’s lives and benefit society.

“I was happy because it was my first experience going abroad by a plane. It made me more religious; I always said istighfar whenever I experienced turbulence during my flight.

Frankly speaking, I joined the

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Hence, it is hardly a surprise that he was chosen by the majority of English Department students as the next chief of Legato, the students’ association of the English Department.

However, Rahmad Adi Wijaya – or shortly Adi – had never thought of it at the beginning.

Then he realized that he can help people by being the chief of Legato. “The feeling of being needed is making you alive.

Because, you know, you are useful.” However, being a chief is not easy. “There are many

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Everyone knows him as a smart, mature, calm, helpful and kind person.

workshop not because I want to learn how to be a young entrepreneur, though I want to be one someday, but in this occasion I put myself as language learner and philosophy learner,” he said.

But the question is how does he manage his time, juggling between his study and social life?

“In the morning until afternoon I focus on studying in class and doing my job in Legato. In the evening, I work until 9 p.m. and then I study from 10 until 12 p.m.”.

He added that he had studied management in his senior high school, which has helped him to learn to manage his time. Fun 35

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stories with children.

Unfortunately, since he’s got enough work that keeps him busy, he sometimes misses the moments where he can get together with children.

People may see him as a serious person, but Adi shows us another side of him: he’s brilliant at cracking jokes. His friends in Legato often become targets for his jokes, and he even makes jokes about himself. “For me, cracking a joke is not just a way to make you closer to others,

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When he is asked whether he wants to build his own private library, his answer is quite surprising. “I already have one.

It’s a small library for children in my house. Children usually come in the afternoon to read or to listen to my stories.” The man who was born on September 29 admits that he likes to share

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tips: Having different books for each occasion, say study and work, helps him to stay focused.

“Whenever I am given a task or I have any ideas in mind, I jot it down quickly. It helps me focus on one activity easily,” explains Adi. “I have always been an avid reader,” he said about his passion in reading. He prefers to read a book than sleep; reading is his way to wind down after a tiring day. He usually reads about 2 or 3 books a day, or a book which has about 1000 pages. He added, “I like to read novels, and books about history, politics, and philosophy.

But now, I like reading books related to the subjects I’m studying in class.” He also thinks reading a book makes him more sensitive to others.

but it is also the way you can talk honestly with others.”

The man who likes cooking also added that he has many dreams. He lists all of the dreams he wants to achieve in his special book. “I always write down anything that I want.

Alhamdulillah, I can reach them one by one. However, I have yet to achieve my biggest dream: to be somebody that makes my parents proud of me. I want to be somebody who is useful for others.”

People may see him as a serious person, but Adi shows us another side of him: he’s brilliant at cracking jokes.

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TRENDS A City Full of Wonders

Let’s talk about Meme Comics Words by Difa Zahrotuddiana

The guy sitting next to you suddenly bursts out laughing while staring at the screen of his smartphone glued to his hand.

Across you, a girl is giggling like there’s no tomorrow; again while staring at her phone. One time you wonder why a picture

Photographs by google.com

the people who post these pictures have some screws loose.

Unless you came from the Ice Age, you’re right to be confused – but no, they really don’t. It is the power of internet memes.

So, what is this with meme bandwagon?

In the pre-internet era, meme (pronounced ‘meem’ or /mi:m/) was a term used to describe a virally-transmitted element of a culture – it could be an idea, behavior, or style. The term itself was coined by Richard Dawkins in his book “The Selfish Gene” (1976) as his attempt to explain the way culture spreads.

An internet meme however, takes form in a “visually-entertaining package”: like images or videos with witty, or oftentimes sarcastic catchphrases, punch lines and puns, that are copied and altered, buzzing around the worldwide web. It can be ideas, jokes, music, urban legends, the latest trends and issues, or judgmental comments – everything can be a viral hit. In an era where everyone is almost likely to spend a big chunk of their day surfing the internet and a plethora of social media are available, memes spread like wildfire on 9gag, Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, 4chan, you name it. Put simply, an internet meme is a cultural phenomenon, spreading

of a grumpy-looking cat is so popular all over the internet; another time, you scratch your head to see why there are so many snapshots of Toy Story’s Woody and Buzz Lightyear with various punch lines. You start asking to yourself, then, whether

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like a virus and growing faster than fungi in the rainy season.

The impressive spread rate of internet memes has tempted marketing and advertising professionals who embrace internet memes as part of their work; they’re trendy, shareable, and relatable to audiences.

Although to some internet users memes are regarded as nothing but jokes, nevertheless do take a note that in many cases people can soar in popularity overnight through memes. See, for instance, Laina Walker who’s famously known as the girl in the “Overly Attached Girlfriend” meme or Kyle Craven as “Bad Luck Bryan” –solid proof that the internet meme is a powerful marketing tool.

There are various kinds of meme comics, but Rage Comics, Doge, Lolcat, and Troll Face are some of the popular ones on the internet.

often referred to as “rage comic generators” or “rage makers”.

Doge is an Internet meme that became popular in 2013. The meme typically consists of a picture of a Shiba Inu accompanied by multicolored text in Comic Sans font in the foreground.

The text, representing a kind of internal monologue, is deliberately written in a form of broken English.

Lolcat (the term is a portmanteau of lol – laughing out loud, and cat) is an image of a cat with an amusing or odd caption. The captions tend to be fairly childlike and usually uses text-message like or bad spelling. For example: “Call the offis. I iz gonna be latez”.

The caption usually ties in to the image in some way, as you can see from the example above.

The meme typically consists of a picture of a Shiba Inu accompanied by multicolored text in Comic Sans font in the foreground. The text, representing a kind of internal monologue, is deliberately written in a form of broken English.

Troll face is a rage comic character wearing a mischievous smile that is meant to represent the facial expression of an Internet troll. The image is most commonly used to portray a character as a troll in rage comics, or alternatively, to identify oneself or another participant as such in online discussions.

Some may consider memes as a complete joke, but oftentimes they deliver subliminal messages about current issues in a humorous and visually-entertaining way so that they can be conveniently received by a wide audience.

In all seriousness, therefore, memes affect and shape our culture; they have become an inseparable companion of our life.

It’s funny how small things affect our life, don’t you think?

Rage Comics are a series of web comics with characters, sometimes referred to as “rage faces”, that are often created with simple drawing software such as MS Paint. The comics are typically used to tell stories about real life experiences, and end with a humorous and witty punch line. It has become increasingly popular to create the comics using web applications that are 38

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BOOKS REVIEW

Words by Annisa Lista Sari Photographs by google.com

ON LOVE

LOOKING FOR ALASKA

ELEANOR AND PARK

Alain de Botton

John Green

Rainbow Rowell

The problem with falling in love is that we indulge too much in the whirlpool of emotions and lust – forgetting that love ought to make us human. Alain de Botton, a

Looking for Alaska is the debut piece of John Green, who rose in popularity through his heartbreaking, melancholic mega best-seller, The Fault in Our Stars. Awarded the Michael L. Printz Award in 2006, this novel is a display of the author’s talent. Being divided into two general chapters, “Before” and “After”, the story is told in the form of a daily journal which chronicles the life of Miles “Pudges” Halter who leaves Florida to attend Culver Creek Preparatory School in Alabama.

Miles, who is very fond of memorizing prominent figures’ last words, then be friends his bulky roommate Chip “The Colonel” Martin, who soon introduces him to the hip-hop enthusiast Takumi Hikohito, and enchanting, highly volatile and blatant literature girl, Alaska Young. The story mostly revolves around their life: their school life, jokes, and pranks; and as the story progresses, Miles gradually grows feelings for Alaska, despite the fact that she already has a boyfriend. This is not a story of a typical boy and girl’s hook-up; it is rather Green’s honest attempt to keep everything as natural as it should be: to be young and wild and to fall in love and recover.

Eleanor and Park is told from two narrative points of view, sixteen-year-old red-haired girl Eleanor Douglas and half-Korean boy Park Sheridan. Set in 1986, the two are social misfits: Eleanor was bullied at school for her size and hair, and was abused by her stepfather at home; while Park is apparently a firm believer in “ignorance is bliss.” Their fates intertwine when Park unwillingly shares his bus seat with an almost-crying Eleanor, which then ends up with minutes of awkward silence between them.

The silence is broken when the two find out they share something in common: their fondness of comic books and music.

brilliant writer of essay-esque books, examines the mechanism of falling in and out of love with a touch of philosophy in his internationallyacclaimed debut novel, On Love.

Consisting of a few chapters indicating each stage of one’s relationship, the novel follows the story of the narrator, who is charmed by the beauty and wit of Chloe on a Paris-London flight. From a brief introduction to the conversation while waiting at the luggage carousel, he finds everything about Chloe is adorable: her chestnut hair, green eyes, pale neck – and since he learned philosophy, he demystifies and theorizes his insights about his love to his ingénue.

Despite being told in a very scholar-like manner, De Botton manages to keep the story relatable and personal; it is like a self-help book on how to fall in love properly. The sentences are poignantly beautiful yet not overly romantic, while at the same time still maintaining witty remarks – which are De Botton’s specialty.

Having won several awards for best Young Adult Literature in 2013, Eleanor and Park is a beautiful rumination and reminiscence of memorable, heart-warming first love. The way they love each other and embrace their flaws and weaknesses is like warm, spring air – it leaves you wanting to read more. It is one of Rowell’s best, beautifully-crafted pieces; it expounds every meticulous moment of having someone you can hold dearly onto – even when everyone else and the world is against you.

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MOVIE REVIEW

Words by Annisa Lista Sari Photographs by google.com

The Oscar-winning American drama “Whiplash” is a vibrant cinematic masterpiece, if not one of the best. Having won three out of five nominations: Best Film Editing, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Sound Mixing at the 87th American Academy Awards, “Whiplash” was indubitably one of 2014’s highlights.

WHIPLASH - 2014 Damien Chazelle

Based on the true experience of director Damian Chazelle, the story revolves around the journey of Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller), a 19-yearold jazz freshman who aspires to be the next Buddy Rich, world’s best jazz drummer, at the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory in New York. When practicing late at the conservatory, his drum playing catches the ears of the prominent, notorious jazz conductor, Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), who then invites him to join his jazz band. Neiman takes the chance, hoping that this will pave the way to his goal. The young drummer never knows that the pitfall is yet to come.

Mr. Fletcher is revealed to be a demanding, barbarous instructor whose teaching style comprises of daily angry shouts, foul-mouthed remarks, public humiliation, and abusive physical violence (including slapping and throwing furniture) – a teacher who firmly believes that a diamond is created through pressure.

In the process, the young drummer is faced with a choice: to quit and be a loser; or to flourish under the pressure of the taunts and succeed.

On a more serious note, “Whiplash” is not the usual melodramatic musical cup-of tea flick. This movie walks a line that makes us ponder: How much we are willing to sacrifice? How far we are willing to push ourselves in order to strive in this harsh and competitive world?

“Whiplash” is a deeply brilliant flick with enough surge of adrenaline. It is like watching a solo drumming performance: the tempo, the emotional high and low notes – everything is a perfect metaphor of Andrew Neiman’s thrills and pitfalls in hopes and dreams.

Have you ever counted, or wondered how many movies still linger in your mind days after watching them? Rumor

has it that a movie is good enough only if you can still recall every moment vividly, even long after you watch it.

The sci-fi movie bandwagon is still on a roll in the movie industry.

Armageddon (1998), Moon (2009), and Gravity (2013) have ventured down the same path: saving humankind and the Earth from the brink of extinction by doing some high-risk, nerve-wrecking interplanetary missions. Interstellar also takes you on an intergalactic ride, but with Nolan’s style.

In the near future, the crop blight turns Earth into a dusty, barren land, where food shortage is the main issue. Joseph Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) is a widowed, retired NASA pilot, an engineer, and a self-proclaimed farmer, living with his father and two children, Murphy and Tom. After a series of events, Cooper meets his former NASA colleague, Dr. John Brand (Michael Caine), who reveals that humankind is in dire need of a new home. The only possible way out is to send Cooper with a team of astronauts into a two-year travel to a wormhole near Saturn, which leads to another galaxy, to seek for habitable planets.

INTERSTELLAR - 2014 Cooper’s decision to accept the mission triggers Murphy into throwing a Christopher Nolan tantrum at him. Although heartbroken, the loving father still departs on the mission for the sake of humanity’s survival.

Teaming up with Brand’s daughter, Emilie (Anne Hathaway), a few other scientists, and two cumbersome, humorous AI-reinforced robots, TARS and CASE, they must deal with the gravitational time dilation: several minutes spent on the prospective planets equals several years on Earth. The Earth slowly withers, and everyone is starting to age and lose hope.

Despite the buzzing physics-related questions and controversies and its dry sense of humor, Nolan managed to pull everything off: the brilliant, mind-blowing visuals (which were awarded Best Visual Effects at the 87th Academy Awards), the solid captivating picture of science and humanity, and the genius use of the soundtrack.

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JOURNEYALISM A City Full of Wonders

Words by Putri Indah Karunia

Photographs by google.com

Discovering the Beauty of the Hidden Treasure Trove

Over the past several decades, Indonesia has been fixed in the international imagination because of at least two major tourism islands: Bali and Lombok. Both are, indeed, remarkably beautiful, but there is another hidden treasure trove situated near those islands.

Entrenched in the middle of the Lesser Sunda Island chain, Sumbawa is a part of West

Nusa Tenggara with an area of 15,448 m2, or three times size of Lombok. And much to your surprise, this so-called remote island, which is known for its savanna-like climate and grassland, is as breathtaking as Bali and Lombok.

To get to Sumbawa, firstly you need to get to Lombok. From Lombok, take a ferry to Poto Tano in West Sumbawa (if you are not on a tight budget, you can arrange a private sea plane from Bali directly to Sumbawa or a fast boat from Lombok!).

It may take a longer time to reach Sumbawa, but the effort is worth the result. To tour around the city, taking public buses is one of the most feasible and cheapest ways, and car or motorcycle hire is also possible.

Compared to the bustling cities on the islands of Bali and Lom-

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Indonesia is blessed with year-round sunshine and stunning, soothing vistas; it is a paradise for pleasure seekers.

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Sprawling along the equator between the Indian and Pacific Oceans,

bok, Sumbawa still lacks infrastructure or resorts; but to you who are enthralled with adventure, you can get an incredible experience of local culture here!

The Tau Samawa in the west and the Dou Mbojo in the east are two local groups who continue their traditional ways of living today. Many of ritual events are still carried out, such as water buffalo racing and berempuk (a ritual boxing match).

For you adventure seekers, Sumbawa is renowned for its surfing places. With stunning white sand and clear, turquoise water, the Maluk Village, Hu’u and Lakey beaches provide you with plenty of vitamin sea (yes, pun intended). The remarkable Supersuck – a reef break that produces 100 meter high waves – is the right place for pro surfers.

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Moyo Island also has some resorts that will accommodate you during your long holiday or your short getaway. It might be quiet pricey for us students, but when you’ve got your own salary later, it’s worth spending your money on the luxury of the resort and enjoying the great view.

Aside from tourist attractions, there is also the highest mountain in Sumbawa, Mount Tambora. With a height of 2,851 m, this volcano is famously known for a spectacular, powerful eruption

in 1815 that resulted in a year without summer worldwide, and caused the death of thousands of people. The volcano has remained inactive ever since; thus, climbing to the top to see the rim of the volcano and witness the 3-km wide crater’s remarkable gigantic hole is a truly nerve-wrecking, yet memorable experience.

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Lady Diana once escaped to a beautiful island in Sumbawa called Moyo Island to avoid the paparazzi. Hence, this place is perfect for those who want an escape from the city’s hustle and bustle. If you want to dive into a crystal clear, pristine ocean and sunbathe on a white sand beach, Moyo Island is the best option (plus, you can also see wild animals there running freely too!).

Moyo Island has many beautiful waterfalls that will enchant you.

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Fun fact:

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How about it? Are you convinced to go to Sumbawa someday?

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LEGATO’S AFFAIR

Words by Dini Nur Afifah

Photographs by Hany Noviya

EDA 61 VIBRANT CAMARADERIE

April was a special month for the English Department family. Joyous events and vibrant celebrations were everywhere to celebrate the English Department’s anniversary.

2015 marks the 61st consecutive year since the establishment of the department, meaning all the more wisdom and knowledge to be shared – and none of this would have ever happened without the work of the founding fathers who built this department from zero to be a place that has realized thousands of people’s dreams.

With a new spirit, this year’s celebration used Vibrant Camaraderie as the theme. A strong bond of friendship was the main highlight of the events. It depicted the 60 years of friendship between each member of English Department family. To embrace the diversity and uniqueness shared between both people inside and outside the English Department, some events were added to celebrate the joyous anniversary from 13th to 24th April

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runner ups were Dian Novita, and Qurrotu Innayatil Maula.

The winner was given the honor of performing her story at the Grand Night event.

The second event was a Bazaar and Blood Donation. This took place in building D from the 13th to 15th April. A big tent was set up to shelter the food stands and goodies stands which sold their stuff at the bazaar.

Some boards were placed in the left wing of the building to exhibit the art crafted by the hands of talented youth of the State University of Malang. It was not only English Department students who decorated the place; they also had help from students from other departments like Visual Communication Design and German Literature. On the second day, a blood donation was held near the bazaar tent with the help of Red Cross Indonesia. A lot of students from various departments donated their blood and showed their generosity to celebrate the anniversary.

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The first event, a Story Telling Competition, kicked off on April 13, 2015. The 12 student participants delivered a story to the judges and the audience with friendship as the theme.

They were going all out to give their best – from their physical presence and gestures, to their expressions. The competition took place in AVA E6 Building, and all participants were able to attract the judges’ and audience’s attention. Everyone was so good, but in a competition only one can rise to be the winner. After serious consideration and tight competitiveness, the judges decided to award the victory to Lusiana Dwi, while the

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2015. Those additions were a Speech Contest and a Story Telling Contest for English Department students and a Futsal Competition for Senior High School students around Malang.

With the hard work of the committees who were led by Wahyu Gusti Prasetyo as the chairman, and a lot of support from all the English Department family, the events were very successful.

A Speech Contest was the next event held from 16th to 17th April. Around 20 English Department students participated in the event, and the judges were lecturers. The lecturers showed great support for the internal competition because they believed that it could enhance and show the students’ competency. From 20 participants, the judges chose 10 students to deliver their speech in front of a lot of people. A lot of touching speeches about friendship were delivered, dragging the audiences into a whirlpool of emotions. All the participants were eloquent, but the judges decided that the winner was Viny Wardatur Rosy, with the runner ups as Muhammad Iqbal Darmawan and Farras Athiyah Kusumah. The winner was able to deliver her speech on the Grand Night.

Another new addition to the events, which embraced people from outside the English Department, was a Futsal 45

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hall, which was decorated in sparkling silver stars carved in the galaxy. Inside the dimly-lit venue, iridescent lights spotlighted none other than the artists on the grand stage. The Legato Choir commenced the event with their great harmonization of Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” and Legato’s march. Performing in their black and purple elegant dresses and suits, their heavenly voices displayed the perfect amity of English Department students. A great a cappella group of English Department students, Pitch Beats, wonderfully performed some songs like

Clean Bandit’s “Rather Be”, leaving the audience awestruck. The sparkling silvery costumes and energetic moves from Legato Dance pumped up the hype of atmosphere in the building – everyone cheered from the top of their lungs when they rocked the stage. Several guest bands like Greenpeaz, J.N.C.K, and Good Boy Jimmy enlivened the event that night. A special performance from our beloved lecturers, Mr. Murdibjono and Mrs. Arwijati, was also present in the night. Singing “That’s What Friends Are For” together with the committee and Mrs. Louise Simon as the background choir, the sweet couple sang a duet and pulled big smiles from the audience.

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On April 24, a Grand Night was orchestrated as the final event for EDA 61. The Grand Night took place in the Sasana Budaya

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Competition for Senior High School students. It was held on the 16th to 17th April. This new event made the committee a little bit anxious about how it would go, but fortunately it went well. Around 18 teams participated, demonstrating their sportiveness and competitiveness in their desire to become the champions. MAN 2 Gondanglegi was declared to be the winner after defeating SMKN 2 Singosari.

Finally, as the highlight of the events, the two amazing guest stars, Christabelle Annora and Sumber Kencono, completely hypnotized and whisked away the audience to another galaxy.

With the beautiful melodious music and soothing, daisies-inwarm-spring-days-like voice of Christabelle Annona, it was as if the audience had been taken into space. The performance of Sumber Kencono was also mesmerizing – the great, serene vocalization of the singer and the vigorous instrument playing from the guitarist, drummer, bassist, and pianist were crystallized and united in harmony.

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Everyone in the venue was satisfied with the guest stars’ performance.

The Grand Night EDA 61 was lively and intimate – it was a humongous joyful blessing for everyone who belongs to the department.

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SHOWBUZZ

Words by Silvia Maghfirah

GAC’s Stronger GAC, standing for Gamaliel Tapiheru, Audrey Tapiheru, and Cantika Abigail, Indonesian young, brilliant singers who rose to fame for covering hit-selling songs like Jason Mraz’s Lucky and Lady Gaga’s Telephone is now making its comeback with their second studio album ‘Stronger’. The first single

entitled Bahagia becomes a hit song and brings GAC into the spotlight. Released in 28 May 2015, there are 10 tracks written in Indonesian and English in album. With a touch of pop and R & B that fit GAC’s voices, GAC were nominated for AMI Award for Best Soul and AMI Award for Best Vocal Group Production Work. On October 23, 2015, GAC had the chance to collaborate on the stage with the famous a cappella Youtuber, Mike Tompkins, in the Youtube Fan Fest held in Indonesia. GAC’s endearing performance also garnered attention from Kurt Hugo Schneider, an international singer song-maker, who then uploaded their version of One Direction’s Perfect in his Youtube account. Way to go, GAC!

Photographs by google.com

One Direction’s Made in the A.M

Justin Bieber’s Purpose

With only four members remaining after Zayn Malik announced to leave the band, fans are faced with the fact that One Direction is no longer the same. However, when the quartet made its comeback by releasing the full album Made in the A.M. on November 13, 2015, they prove that they are still as phenomenal as ever. Their ultimate hit “Drag Me Down” offers the more ‘mature’ version of their music style—pop-rock tunes combined with encouraging and romantic lyrics.

After a very long hiatus, the singer who was hailed as the world’s youngest star with his “Baby”, Justin Bieber, is finally back to the music industry with his single entitled “What Do You Mean?”. The song, which is a fuse of pop, R & B, and electronic dance music (EDM), is very well-received globally. The album per se, Purpose, is just like a reborn of Justin Bieber.

The album consisting 13 tracks e.g. “Mark My Words”, “I’ll Show You”, “What Do You Mean”, “Love Yourself”, “Company”, “No Pressure”, “No Sense”, “The Feeling”, “Life is Worth Living”, “Where are You Now”, “Children”, “Purpose” and the hit song of this album “Sorry” instantly garnered worldwide attention. Billboard states that Justin Bieber breaks the Billboard Hot 100 record, previously held

by The Beatles and Drake. As

“All these lights, they can’t blind me With your love, nobody can drag me down.”

Although the style is slightly different with other studio albums they had churned so far, their fifth album successfully garnered worldwide attention and debuted a top various charts—keeping the heads of the Directioners held high.

new album ‘Purpose’ debuts atop of the Billboard 200, Bieber successfully places record-shattering 17 songs on the Hot 100.

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WHAT’S ON

Words by Healza Kurnia Hendiastutjik

Photograph by google.com

Inauguration: The FACULTY of Letters’ Euphoric Night United Kingdom flag stickers and stuck them to their cheeks to let other audience members knew that they belong to the English Department. All the newcomers in every department contributed to this event and gave a show to entertain the audience. The English Department decided to perform a classic, modern-day version of Romeo and Juliet.

Although it was the newcomers’ show, they had been practicing with the help of their seniors.

The director, Zulfan, said, “[It] wasn’t easy to direct them, for some of them had little or no experience in performing drama before. I’m glad it went well, though.”

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Five different departments in the Faculty of Letters melted into one. They cheered loudly for their department’s performance. The English department had a unique way to cheer on their department when they rocked the stage.

They distributed Indonesian and

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The D8 building was brightly-lit – blue and soothing – and it sparkled with brilliant stars. Inauguration is an annual event held by BEM FA Sastra to introduce the Faculty of Letters from the inside out to the newcomers, i.e. freshmen.

There are also many performances such as dramas, bands and others by both the newcomers and the guest stars.

The show was kicked off by the guest stars’ performances, and the freshmen were put on last.

Their performances were all captivating and fantastic. The setting was well-organized and quite brilliant. Clara, who acted as the coordinator of the show, said, “We intentionally put the newcomers’ performances in last in order to keep the audience curious and stay with us till the end of our event – you can say that it was the highlight of the show.” Furthermore, she added, “I never expected that this event would turn into a massive one. We really thank our media partners that promoted it.”

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Words by Annisa Lista Sari

DID YOU KNOW

Photographs by google.com

Which is More Famous?

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Admittedly, the ever-growing United States’ Hollywood has remained on the throne of the world’s movie industry since the early 20th century.

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Dating back to the 1920s, which is the dawn of filmmaking, Hollywood is the oldest movie industry in the world. By running six major studios, namely the “Big Six” (comprising of Warner Bros. Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures, Universal Pictures, Columbia Pictures,

20th Century Fox, and Paramount Pictures), and other mini-major studios, the California-based industry has succeeded in grossing more revenue than any other film industry. Hollywood has produced legendary movies like Star Wars

(1977), and also Oscar-winning movies like Titanic (1997) and

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Often considered the cornerstone of the movie industry in South Asia, India’s Bollywood is more than ready to topple the domination of Hollywood. The industry, which is famous for its iconic actors like the Triple Khan: Sharukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Aamir Khan, is like bad news of Hollywood’s doom. In 2012, Bollywood whipped Hollywood’s 1.36 billion ticket sales by selling 2.6 billion tickets, and it is predicted that the Indian film industry is going to grow to 138 billion rupees by 2014 (which is about $2.28 billion). Bollywood is also leading with 1,602 movies, beating the U.S. industry which only managed to churn out 476 movies. Although the numbers are indeed impressive, the popularity of Hollywood, however, cannot be beaten. In 2012, the Indian industry only managed to gross $1.6 billion, and thus could not win against Hollywood’s grand box office revenue which reached nearly $10.8 billion. In terms of revenue, comparatively speaking, the most successful Hollywood movie, Avatar (2009) earned $2.7 billion, which is about 10 times more than the revenue of five all-time Bollywood

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highest-grossing movies: 3 Idiots,

Chennai Express, Ek Tha Tiger, Yeh Jawaani Hai Dewaani, and Dabangg 2.

Despite the fact that Bollywood’s name seems like a humorous mock-up of Hollywood, the industry has its own long history.

The name was actually derived from the town in which the industry was set up, Bombay (now Mumbai)—hence the B in Bollywood. When it comes to combining musical elements with drama, tragedy, comedy, action, and romance, Bollywood is on par with Hollywood. Living up to its name as the king of heavy melodrama, Bollywood engages with sentimental values which are often portrayed by a typical romantic storyline involving a nexus of the hero and the heroine with a touch of India’s common familial issues like patriarchy. If you are more into movies with social messages, Bollywood has some remarkably thought-provoking, tear-jerker flicks which address cultural issues such as repressed freedom and poverty, obviously with the perfect depiction of the emotional states of the characters. See for instance, Like Stars on Earth (2007), Slumdog Millionaire (2008), or My Name is Khan (2010). Furthermore, let’s not forget about the unique selling-point of Indian flicks: the 3 to 5-minute fascinating couple (or sometimes flash mobs!) dances and poetic songs which are frequently played throughout the movies. Hollywood might have its stand-alone musical dramas, but in

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The future of the movie industry, nonetheless, is hard to forecast.

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Avatar (2009); and numerous prominent figures in modern cinema like Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Tom Hanks, Sylvester Stallone, and many more, have worked for the Hollywood studios.

Bollywood, the songs and dances are an inseparable element of every movie.

Excelling in visual effects like action, superheroes, and sci-fi, everything is possible in Hollywood blockbusters: monsters and aliens emanating out of nowhere and wreaking havoc all around the world; earthlings traveling at the speed of light in attempt to find an alternative, habitable planet; a group of superheroes with immense power trying to save the world from destruction; or a dystopia where a totalitarian regime obliges people to survive in a deathly annual competition. With an astonishing number of studios with years of profound experience in effects-making and animation, plus numerous geniuses working behind the screens, it is irrefutable that Hollywood does a better job of creating a myriad of awesome movies.

The bottom line is that audiences have their own preferences. Some moviegoers may be very fond of the sea of schmaltz which Bollywood flicks offer; others may worship Hollywood blockbusters with intense action scenes—it is totally your call. As both industries have their own merits, treating them fairly would help audiences to appreciate the values contained in each, so there is no need to bother debating which is better.

Get your popcorn ready and enjoy the movie!

As both industries have their own merits, treating them fairly would help audiences to appreciate the values contained in each, so there is no need to bother debating which is better. Get your popcorn ready and enjoy the movie!

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LEGATO’S AFFAIR

Words by Putri Indah Karunia

Photographs by Legato

Legato Leadership Training 2015

About 60 students were sitting neatly inside AVA E6 Building, rigorously listening to keynote speakers expounding everything from A to Z: from technical know-how, basic organizational skills, introduction to the inner structure of the organization, to tips and tricks on how to survive the harsh life in the organization.

Some hands were raised out of curiosity during the Q&A session held – everyone had a voice in the discussion. With eyes glistening with fighting spirit, they were determined to attend

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This program is a continuation of the freshmen welcoming program after they had previously experienced working as Liaison Officers LOs for 2014’s English Month in first semester.

every program which had been painstakingly and meticulously prepared by the committee.

Introducing: Legato Leadership Training (LLT) 2015, one of the annual events held by Legato, the English Department Students’ Association.

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deciding whether they were qualified enough to be handed down the baton as the organization’s successors.

To give the candidates some fresh insight into Legato from the inside out, they next had to follow the two-day indoor training session. Kicking off at 7 a.m and lasting until 4 pm, the first day was, undeniably, a really long day to spend in a room. Nonetheless, thanks to both talkative and creative keynote speakers and the eager candidates, the 10-hour training was barely humdrum at all – hats off to everyone!

As people say, however, you can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water. The second day was a stormy sea that the candidates had to cross – they had to orchestrate a simulation of the English Department Anniversary (EDA) celebration. Confronting the fact that carefully organizing an intricate event in the blink of an eye is nearly, if not completely, impossible, they still

needed to jump through hoops to make the event a success.

Despite the hard work they had poured into the planning of the event, they were still deeply chagrined by the committee’s intentional put-up jobs. The bash turned into a nightmare: delayed open gate, unruly events, the spectators scornfully snarling out of disappointment, and the guest stars outspokenly upbraiding the candidates’ incompetence. By the time the event was wrapped up in the evening, they had learned that organizing a largescale program needs a solid team work as well as thorough planning and consideration.

The committee did not stop there; the long-awaited outdoor training, which is the final showdown of LLT, greeted the candidates the following weekend. The candidates went to Coban Talun for camping. Regarding the rumor buzzing around about the seemingly abusive outdoor training, the committee had cleared up all of the notional assumptions by

emphasizing that this event should be, or ought to be, beneficial for the candidates’ character building. In pursuit of that goal, the committee had prepared various programs such as building their own tents and creative games. At midnight, much to the candidates’ dismay, they were told to walk around Coban Talun and stop at some posts to clarify about what they had done during the simulation. Some of them cried and regretted their actions – remarking that they did not know they were wrong. However, do not worry, this event was meant to help the candidates contemplate the fact that instead of sulking, we humans learn from failures. And when the dawn broke, the candidates had loosened up and were ready to carpe diem.

In a nutshell, LLT was full of highs and lows; yet, at the same time, it was exhilarating and memorable. And now, let’s welcome all of the new Legato fighters!

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FOOD-O-GRAPHY

Words by Munjidah Hamsa’

Photographs by Munjidah Hamsa’

Pack your bag, fellas, because we’re going to savor the culinary delights of Malang!

Culinary trip would never disappoint you, and Malang, a city in the middle of East Java, has enslaved taste buds around the globe for centuries. We have listed some legendary eateries around Pasar Besar Malang that let you dive to the most drool-worthy, extra delicious Indonesian cuisines!

Here you go! *drum roll*

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WARUNG STEVEN

et’s kick off our Malang’s culinary escape by getting a good appetizer.

First stop, Warung Steven at Klenteng Eng An Kiong’s basement, Jalan Martadinata 1, Malang. Is there anything better than the crunchy Heci (or locals called it as “Weci”)?

Weci is one of Indonesian classic vegetable fritters, served with a stash of green chillies.

Warung Steven is the only place where you can get various types of Heci such as Heci Babi (Heci with Pork Chops), Heci Babi Jamur (Heci with Pork Chops and Mushroom) ,Heci Ayam, Heci Ayam Jamur (Heci with Chicken and Mushroom), Heci Tiram (Heci with Oyster), and their best-seller, Heci Tiram Special!

DEPOT HOK LAY MALANG

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re you now craving for some main courses?

TOKO MADJOE TOKO MADJOE

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or the final stop of the trip, we recommend you to visit TOKO MADJOE.

Next stop, do visit Depot Hok Lay at Jalan KH. Achmad Dahlan Located at Jalan Pasar Besar 10 Malang!

30B, they will welcome you with neatly-organized array of They have been serving the best menu in town since 1946. cookies jars. You will run across a lovely collection of eclectic It’s certainly the place where interiors spiced up with vintage you can get the best Cwi Mie and Lumpia Semarang in town! elements.

One of the most recommended menu is Fosco, a self-made How about the taste? chocolate milk placed in a It won’t disappoint you for coca cola bottle and Lumpia sure! TOKO MADJOE had made Semarang. So irresistible and and sold the cookies since yummy for sure!

1930, therefore all the cookies are made from classic recipes.

For your information, their Truly a throwback to the past! iconic beverage, Fosco, is only available on 9 AM to 1.30 PM, Is there any more excuse to and rarely served over 5 PM. abort your one day culinary Get the classic atmosphere of escape? Taste the greatness of the legendary eatery in one inherited local cuisines! place just in Depot Hok Lay!

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Depot Hok Lay’s interior.

The sophisticated look of freshly-made of cookies in an array.

Heci in the making.

Fosco, the best choice to grab in a hot sunny day.

The time witness.

The filling of Heci Ayam Jamur; slices of Nori, sauced chicken, sauced mushrooms, some slices of onion springs. Yumm!

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ROUND THE TOWN

Words by Helmi Dana B.A

Photographs by Kurnia Hartana

Hopping like a Time Traveller “

Walking down the streets in Malang will always lead you to the prominent universities spreading all over the city.

That’s (undeniably) true.

Boasting a large number of wellknown universities does not necessarily stereotype Malang as a city in which bookworms inhabit; at least, you’ve got a list of where-to-go places (which are still related to, probably geeky, educational venues) while planning to visit the city for your next trip.

In the second issue of BLINK Magazine, we are delighted to guide you to a concealed treasure Malang possesses, but there might be just a few of us who have heard about it. As Malang is (say it again) a city of ‘thousand universities’, the exploration we’re about to embark on deals with education.

‘Wait? Are you definitely sure?’

No worries! Chill out and let us explain what’s in it and you may expect to drop by some time – perhaps in the midst of the story-telling.

Welcome to Museum Malang Tempo Doeloe!

Taking the First Step

On Sunday morning, two friends of mine and I are going to visit one of the museums in Malang, and surprisingly, the one we will be visiting, Museum Malang Tempo Doeloe, also widely known as MTD, is rarely heard of amongst the students.

In a brief overview, this museum is the newest museum in Malang, which was established in the 2012s and was pioneered by a man who is so much in love with the cultural stuff related to Malang’s own history. That man, Dwi Cahyono, the owner of Dewan Kesenian Malang (Malang Art Council) and the head of Yayasan Inggil (Inggil Foundation), has amassed a large collection which has been on display since March 2012, as cited from Tempo, a national newspaper.

Figuring out the museum’s whereabouts does not prove easy. As a reference point, you can follow directions to Alun Alun Tugu, which is located downtown and right in front of the city hall. Then you can go ahead to Stasiun Malang Kotabaru (Malang Grand Railway Station), which is only metres away from Alun Alun Tugu. Turn right at the junction and you’ll see a plate emblazoned with the name of the street, Jl Gajah Mada, on

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the right side. The museum is on the left side of Gajah Mada Street.

At first glance, we can hardly believe that the building is a museum – not until we spot a brass plaque near the entrance.

With sheer serenity around the museum, it is probably the reason why not many realise its presence, despite the fact it is in the centre of the city.

Go Sightseeing Inside At the front desk, we are greeted by two receptionists offering a guide to accompany us as we potter around the museum. My first impression is of a dazzling, orange-painted hall which is furnished with a big horse-like toy that is displayed close to the entrance. Near the front desk, a bookshelf displays some books, most of which recount the history of Malang. There are three doorways leading to different places; the ‘second’ entrance to kick off the journey, an exit and the last door leading to the staff room.

After a nearly-fifteen minute

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“This museum is divided into various different parts, each representing ‘a time frame’ of Malang. It starts from ancient Malang where dinosaurs’ fossils are found and excavated, and goes up until the colonial period,” he said.

wait, our guide eventually turns up and we shake hands. Our guide has been working for

Yayasan Inggil for almost a decade and has so many stories to tell about the museum, which is the latest landmark of Malang.

We are ushered into the first room which stores dinosaur fossils. “Malang was once a crater. It was in the middle of an old, active volcano which erupted millions of years ago causing the crater to collapse, creating a very wide land.

Because it is surrounded by volcanoes, such as Kelud, Bromo, and a few other mountains, Malang benefits from having fertile land suitable for crops,” he added.

A very large mammoth tusk is showcased and stored in a glass-covered box, which are also used for almost all the items in this museum. In the middle of this dimly lit room, there is a room beneath that is protected by a glass-covered box to help visitors catch a glimpse

of what is underground. To my surprise, it is an excavation site room from which we can take a closer look at how excavation activity is carried out. To boost your curiosity, a steel ladder is made available so that we can ‘get involved’ in the practice.

Something unthinkable! The smell of soil is smearing all over us and it gives such a real-life sensation of being around an excavation site.

Then we go on our journey to the next room which takes us back to a period during which great kingdoms were still ruling Malang and the outskirts. Say one name of a great kingdom and you’ll have ‘Majapahit’!

That’s true. To increase your knowledge, the fruit maja, from which Majapahit adopted its name, is also displayed all along the bushes in an alley inside the museum.

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The next room is full of items coming from a middle age when different rulers ruled over Malang. A replica of Ken Arok and other well-known figures who you mostly find in history books are beautifully exhibited complete with a vibrant setting that makes the journey feel so real. Part of the room also showcases cooking tools used by traditional people, and agricultural machinery to aid farmers in the old days.

Our guide invites us to try one of the tools used to mill rice and corn. To give more natural look, he gives us a sort of kebaya and jarik – a type of sarong– to put on while milling the rice.

Indeed, it feels quite different to be behaving like farmers.

Moving on, we head to a section showcasing manuscripts from circa 18th century. The stairs we ascend lead to a room full of antiques; film cameras, bicycles, Malang’s then emblem and old photographs are all on display. Something to adore from the collection of photographs is the hall of fame of the former city mayors, all in black and white. A great number of

photographs, which are printed on the wall, also create a display of time-travelling-like mementos.

“All these photos are mostly from the Netherlands,” explained our guide,“It’s quite difficult to trace back such photos in Indonesia, particularly Malang, but they’re all now surprisingly in the Netherlands!”

The second last room is focused on the Independence Movement. This room displays a number of old papers from the time during the Japanese colonialization, a replica of the First President of Indonesia and some out-of-order printing hardware. The last section of the museum boasts kinds of original handicrafts of Malang, such as Topeng Malangan , Wayang and souvenirs. They’re all decorated with pictures of gubug-like huts made of straw and bamboo.

Accommodation Our sightseeing ultimately ends

in this section. Feeling amazed by the interior design and how things are neatly set based on the time frame, we’re sorry that it has come to an end. Our guide rrbids us adieu and leaves us with a perception which is in stark contrast to what we, the common people, normally get from a museum.

In case you gear up for a visit to the MTD Museum, it’s necessary to know how much a single ticket costs to enjoy it all - just Rp. 15K (15,000) per person. As cited from a website, if you’re a student you’ll be charged at a lower rate – Rp. 10K (10,000) ONLY! Make sure you ring the museum operator to check the current listings, fees and operational hours. A museum guide is also on standby upon request with no extra fee charged. If you plan to drop by in a group, you may reserve the tickets so you can decide when to come.

Need something to quench your thirst or want to grab a bite to eat? Food stalls outside the museum are so easily spotted that you don’t have to worry about finding them. Well, there’s no excuse for tomorrow!

Topeng Malangan is a specially crafted traditional mask. In traditional performances, the mask-wearing people dance to reenact a story about heroes and myths accompanied with a gamelan orchestra.

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LEGATO’S AFFAIR

Words by Healza Kurnia Hendiastutjik

Involving its patrons in a heated debate about religions and the existence of God, The Dreamcatcher, a Malang-based university students’ theater organization, showcased a riveting, magnificent performance entitled “The Remnants”in Sasana Budaya, State University of Malang.

“We deliberately worked with several SMEs in this university to ensure that the program

went smoothly. As a result, this English Department theater production successfully attracted hundreds of participants and spectators,” said Irvan Sukmajaya, the Chief Executive of Producer of “The Remnants”.

Irvan stated that the production of the play “The Remnants” was an attempt to popularize English drama in Indonesia, as there are only a few universities who have acted as forerunners in orchestrating English plays. “We welcome everyone, not only those who major in English Literature, but also those who are interested and talented in drama, with open arms. Everyone can take part in the performance. Everyone in The Dreamcatcher came from different backgrounds, yet we

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The performance was held with the support of several Student Activity Units (UKM) situated on campus, such as Opus (Unit Activity of Music), dance, and several other theater organizations, including several other departments in the Faculty of Letters.

DREAMCATCHER: “THE REMNANTS” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The three-day event, which was held from Thursday (12/3) to Saturday (14/3), successfully attracted hundreds of curious spectators who want to see how the issue, that has public attention riveted, was portrayed in a play. Interestingly, the committee invited other theater communities, and this event was open to the public.

Photographs by Rispo DKV

pursued the same dream: to liven up the stage – hence the name, Dreamcatcher,” he continued.

On a separate occasion, the director, Pupawa Arya, also explained that it took about a month and half to practice the play. The theme of the play itself was a little bit delicate; thus, the players need more time to completely absorb the characters’ personality traits. He also added that the play, which is the adaptation of a famous English novel, offers some insights and moral values regarding the issue.

The director hoped that his way of directing this play would broaden people’s perspectives on how to embrace diversity, and that it would attract more enthusiastic spectators to upcoming events.

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Words by Tyara Maharani Eniswara

WHAT’S ON Photographs by Rifki Bima DKV

Taking a Big Leap

On the 12th and 13th of September, freshmen of Faculty of Latters gathered in one place for the most well-known event, which happens anually, to indicate that they have officially become freshmen. Almost everyone in the Faculty of Letters knows this event, BMS. BMS stands for Bakti Mahasiswa Sastra, and as it lives up to the name, the freshmen were all oblidged to do some social work around the camp in Coban Talun. This event was held by BEMFA Sastra, and was one of their biggest events with 120 committee members in total.

The freshmen were divided into 10 groups, randomly picked to make them integrated with one

another. With total of 10 trucks, all groups were picked up from the State University of Malang and taken to the designated location. As they arrived, they stood in line and the committee checked their belongings.

They made sure that they had brought everything they had been told to bring, and if not, they would be punished. It might look scary and the stereotype hanging around the event is not that pleasant, but actually BMS is quite fun!

In the first day, the freshmen made a handicraft out of plastic bottles. Together with their assigned group, they created a unique handicraft that would be beneficial for their

surroundings. Autonomy from the Students’ Association came next, where the members of the Students’ Association explained their organization to the freshmen, and indirectly persuaded them to join. They also hyped up the event by teaching the freshmen their jargon, and the roaring shouts from different majors were heard throughout the wide empty space. When the sun set and the moon rose, all the freshmen at the event had to do a performance, with an accompanying campfire to make the night more dramatic.

Even though the night was so cold, foggy, and drizzling with rain, everyone was so enthusiastic to perform and proved that their majors were the best 59

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among the best. Once the campfire died down, everyone went back to their camp, eagerly waiting for the next, and last, day.

When the morning broke the next day, all the participants and the committee members cleaned themselves up, ready for some exercise to warm up their bodies in the middle of the cold morning. With some fun yet funny moves, they all warmed themselves happily. Feeling a bit warm, they continued their activity by cleaning the camp’s surroundings. They swept the area, collected the trash, and also painted the dustbin. It might be not a favorable activity for some people, but then, they did it together with everyone to make it more enjoyable.

The sun was high above their heads, indicating that their stay in the camp was almost done. To commemorate the event, everyone stood in line and shaped “MBOIS” with the line. “MBOIS” is actually the Faculty of Letters’ identity, and with that, the freshmen all officially became members of Faculty of Letters. The closing ceremony was held to end the event, and unlike a usual stiff closing ceremony, they streaked each others’ faces with paint and wet their clothes.

It was a fun two day event. With worn out bodies and big smiling faces, they returned home safely. Everyone who enjoyed the event felt no regret, and it will be one of their beautiful memories that can be told to their future offspring.

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LEGATO’S AFFAIR

Words by Silvi Maghfirah

Photographs by Legato

IT’S FUN IT’S ENGLISH FUN WEEKEND To some students, particularly those who just graduated from high school and are now entitled as freshmen, university’s life would be very tough and hard. With all the rumors about how frightening and barbaric the seniors can be in welcoming the freshmen, it is very likely that they end up thinking that freshman year in a university is like a nightmare.

State University of Malang, however, have different ways to welcome the freshmen. With the idea in mind that putting on all those high and mighty acts toward freshmen is very unnecessary, we take a different approach to help the freshmen know their department better inside out by inviting them to the English Fun Weekend (EFW), an annual event held by yours truly, Legato.

Do you see the word “fun”? Yup, this event is going to be terrific.

This year, English Fun Weekend was held in a villa located in Bukit Selekta Mas, Batu. As the town was slowly bathed in sunshine, the participants started gathering to go the location. The committee gave them a brief information about Legato—its roles and jobs in the English Department; and to perk up everyone’s mood Legato Choir and Legato Dance were more than pumped up to rock the stage.

Here’s the most fun part that everyone had been waiting for: the games!

The freshmen were divided into 10 groups and they were tasked to perform a short drama—it might be comedy, romance, or anything—to the others. When the night started to blanket the space, the freshmen were ready to go all out in performing. Every group’s performance was very unique—they are all talented and humorous. The house was full of laughter. Everybody was laughing and everybody was enjoying the night; it seemed like everyone had become closer to each other.

And this, readers, is the main objective of EFW: to turn complete strangers to friends. But in a very fun way.

The following morning, the committee of Legato invited all of the freshmen to have this special routine (and it is a totally silly one!) exercise to fully wake up everyone. The event was wrapped up by crowning the next king and queen of EFW, as a reward for the most active freshmen during the event.

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We hope that this EFW could be such a memorable event both for the freshmen and for the committee. We look forward to seeing you in the upcoming EFW!

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LEGATO’S AFFAIR

Words by Healza Kurnia Hendiastutjik

Photographs by Legato

EM 13 TAKES ITS PATRONS TO THE LEGACY OF THE PAST

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Exciting. Challenging.

Unpredictable. These three words best describle the National English Olympiad 2015 held on October 11.

everyone has access to it.”

On a separate occasion, Rhima Holida Nurma, the head of the NEO 13 committee, revealed that hundreds of participants who passed the first and second preliminary rounds would face a further series of tests in Malang. The final round of the NEO was held on October 24, 2015 at AVA Building UM Malang.

The grand final round of NEO 2015: survival of the fittest

On October 24, 2014, 45 selected participants had to compete in the listening test in the quarter final, and games related to ancient mythologies in the semifinal before finally entering the final round. “All of the materials tested today had been confirmed by the lecturers of English Department. Therefore Blink Magazine Vol.2

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Exciting. Challenging. Unpredictable. These three words best describe the National English Olympiad (NEO) 13 held on October 11, 2015.

Approximately 500 high school students from all around Indonesia competed in this annual program of Legato. In the event, which was held simultaneously in five chapters (Malang, Surabaya, Kediri, Jember, and Purwokerto), the participants were tested for their English skills in a four-round competition. With the tagline

“Mjolnir: Are You Worth It?”, the test encompassed error analysis, grammar, vocabulary and reading comprehension about ancient myths e.g. Greek, Nordic, and Roman, packaged in multiple choice form.

“NEO is a prestigious event that aims to develop Indonesian students’ interest in English, as well as to improve their skills. By joining this competition, you can learn a lot from each other to enrich your own experiences,” said Inayatul Fariha, the advisor of Legato, in her speech. The woman, who is familiarly called Ina, furthermore stated that joining a competition is not only about winning and losing; it’s about the insights and experiences we can gain along the process. She claimed: “Competition is a very valuable learning tool outside formal education, and not

the test has been standardized for high school students, and it’s on par with the TOEFL test. 25 participants with the highest scores advance to the next round,” Rhima said to Blink Media.

She also explained that in the semi-final round, the finalists are challenged to solve myth-related games. From the results of the assessment during the games, the judges determined the finalists who were eligible to enter into the final round. There were only six finalists competing to be the winner in the long-awaited final round. They had to demonstrate their proficiency in writing, speaking and collaborative games. “I believe that this Sunday all finalists representing their region will go all out and give their best.” She added: “Although most of the participants were the representatives of Malang, it doesn’t necessarily mean Malang has a greater chance of winning. It all depends on each individual.”

The result was a proof that NEO is truly a survival of the fittest. After having a long and tough battle,

Heidira Witri, a third grader from SMAN 5 Surabaya finally secured her victory as the first winner of NEO 2015, followed by Ariel River of Joy from SMAK Kolese Santa Yusup Malang as the first runner up. Beatrix Elliana from SMAK St. Louis, Nabila Hanintyas from SMAN 1 Madiun, Gregorius Bryan and Olivia Widyawati from SMAK St. Louis successfully grabbed the third to sixth runner ups, respectively.

The head of the English Department of State University of Malang, Dr. Johannes Ananton Prayogo, Pd, M.Ed, stated that he highly appreciated and was proud of the achievements of the participants who had made it into the final round. “Although there is only one winner, it doesn’t mean that the other finalists who have struggled in the final round have lost,” he said. He added later: “All of you who have advanced up to this final round are the winners.” He stated that NEO 2015 was able to accommodate high school students who are interested in learning English and who want to test their skills in a national-scale competition.

EAST JAVA VARSITIES ENGLISH DEBATE Brawijaya University’s Debate Team, FORMATION UB A finally grabbed the trophy from the Governor of East Java in the event East Java Varsity English Debate (EJVED) 2015, after going through the preliminary rounds for two days (November 21-22, 2015) at the State University of Malang. The three members of the group couldn’t have been happier that two other teams from the same university, FORMATION UB B and FORMATION UB D, successfully placed the second and third.

Regarding the rumor of the objectivity of the competition, Iqbal Darmawan, the head of EJVED 2015 cleared it up.

“The CA DCA and the adjudicators come from credible institutions such as Gadjah Mada University, Brawijaya University, Padjajaran University, and State University of Malang. Therefore, we believe that EJVED is very objective,” he said firmly. As EJVED ended, Iqbal hopes that the upcoming English Month will continue to be able to encourage more participants to join the competition.

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IIlustration by Alif Rachman Hidayah

COMIC STRIP

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COMIC STRIP

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