Nowadays, mental health in the education sector must not be overlooked. Several suicide cases have involved students from various universities, including in Surabaya, Jakarta, and even Yogyakarta.
A 2016 publication from the Ministry of Health’s Research and Development Agency recorded that every day, five people commit suicide. Of these, 47.7% are teenagers and individuals of productive age, ranging from 10 to 39 years old.
In response to suicide cases, UGM has implemented mental health mitigation and screening for students.
However, UGM has not stopped there; it has also initiated open-air art activities through a ‘Senja Gurau’ program.
“This program is designed to address mental health issues among students, faculty, and staff by providing an expressive, collaborative, and interactive platform in the form of musical entertainment and discussions,” explained Vice-Rector for Education and Teaching, Professor Dr. Wening Udasmoro on Wednesday (Oct. 23).
The artist behind Senja Gurau, Anang Batas, explained that Senja Gurau features performances such as music bands and interactive discussions.
Batas said the aim of this music event is to facilitate members of the academic community with artistic talents and skills expressing themselves and performing on the Senja Gurau stage, which is held regularly every weekend.
“Each session is designed to facilitate collaboration and cross-generational interaction, providing space for participants to share life concerns and find emotional balance,” he explained.
Senja Gurau is divided into four clusters at UGM: the Exact Science and Technology cluster, the Social Sciences and Humanities cluster, the agro cluster, and the Health cluster.
Senja Gurau’s first performance, which took place at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB UGM), was aimed at the academic community in the Social Sciences and Humanities cluster.
The second performance was directed at the Agro cluster, specifically at the Faculty of Forestry.
“This activity has been ongoing since September 2024,” Batas revealed.
As an open-air artistic movement, Senja Gurau aims to serve as a bridge uniting generations of students, alumni, and UGM’s academic community.
Senja Gurau promotes creativity through performances and interactive activities, encouraging participants to ignite their imagination.
“Most importantly, and in line with its primary objective, Senja Gurau serves as a stress reliever through interactive discussions and artistic performances, helping participants find emotional balance,” he added.
According to Batas, Senja Gurau is an artistic event and a step toward strengthening the academic community.
In a spirit of togetherness and collaboration, we hope that every participant can benefit from this moment, relieve stress, and build a stronger network.
“The hope is that this activity will positively impact both the academic and personal lives of students, faculty, and staff, helping maintain the mental health of the entire academic community,” he concluded.
Reporter: B. Diah Listianingsih
Author: Tiefany
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afif