Twenty deans from faculties and schools at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) joined in celebrating poetry readings, reflections, and prayers during the Tirakatan Night commemorating the 79th Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia.
This event was held on Saturday night (Aug. 17) as part of UGM’s 75th Anniversary Celebration at Balairung. The reflective and solemn atmosphere was evident, with the stage set in calm and reverent tones, illuminated by yellow spotlighting that adorned the dim corners of Balairung.
UGM Rector Professor Ova Emilia was invited to read the poignant and powerful poem “Lagu Serdadu” by W. S. Rendra. The poem tells the story of a soldier facing the battlefield.
Following this, Professor Setiadi, Dean of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB UGM), and several other deans took turns reading each stanza of a self-written poem titled “Rumah Cinta.” This opening poem was met with enthusiastic applause from the audience due to its romantic theme compared to other evening poems.
“What makes us endure in this home when fatigue, despair, and desolation come and go,” one of the stanzas read.
The next performance featured a trio of deans: Dr. Jaka Widada, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture; Siti Murtiningsih, Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, and Dr. Dahliana Hasan, Dean of the Faculty of Law, who read the poem “Kembalikan Indonesia Padaku” by Taufiq Ismail.
The three of them read this 1971 poem in turns with a somber tone, including the line, “The future of Indonesia is one million people playing ping pong day and night with goose eggs under 15-watt light bulbs.” The poem was read to reflect on how the conditions described more than 40 years ago remain relevant to today’s Indonesia.
Next, Professor Budi Setiadi Daryono, Dean of the Faculty of Biology UGM, read a self-composed poem titled “Minang dan Bumi Tercinta,” written during a visit to West Sumatra. This poem also received a warm reception from the audience.
The following performances continued with themes related to Indonesia’s current conditions. Professor Harmayani, Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Technology, presented Taufiq Ismail’s poem “Kita Adalah Pemilik Sah Republik Ini.” At the same time, Dr. Wawan Mas’udi, Dean of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, showcased the poem “Merdeka itu Milik Mereka.”
In contrast to his colleagues, Professor Agus Maryono, Dean of the Vocational College, narrated a story in Javanese about the challenges and obstacles of being a lecturer today. The difficulties were presented light-heartedly and humorously, eliciting laughter from the audience.
The laughter continued with a magic performance by Professor Suryono, which included tricks involving a wallet producing fire and card tricks, with Rector Emilia volunteering.
The evening concluded with additional poems resonating at Balairung, including “Bagaimana” by Muklis Puna and K. H. Mustofa Bisri. The poignant event ended with a group photo of the rector and deans on stage while singing “Berkibarlah Bendera Negeriku” to reaffirm UGM’s commitment to contributing to Indonesia’s development and progress.
Heru Marwata, the event organizer, mentioned that this year marks the eighth year of the poetry reading to commemorate Independence Day. Typically, this event involves poets and literature enthusiasts reading poetry on stage, but this year’s event was slightly different.
“This year, we invited 20 deans from UGM faculties and schools to read and present poetry on stage,” said Heru.
As a form of literary work, poetry serves as a rich medium of expression. Reading poetry appreciates literature, facilitates mutual understanding, and deepens knowledge. This is the aim of the Independence Reflection Night held at Balairung.
Author: Lazuardi
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afif