Soar on Wings Like Eagles
Time flies. It seems only yesterday seeing new faces of the Ukrida Department of English first batch students.
Coming from different ethnicities, schools and family backgrounds, UDE students share unique characteristics. They are warm, sociable, and artistic. They consider themselves as members of the Ukrida Department of English Family. Their talents in music and entertainment have stood out early in the orientation week.
The theme chosen for the orientation Soar on Wings Like Eagles suggests optimism that UDE students will work hard, never give up when faced with challenges, and be successful in their study. We hope their achievements will stand out from the crowd in fields related to their competencies and talents.
UDE students are thus expected to become individuals that are:
- Religious
- Confident and Courteous
- Technology Literate
- Committed, Persistent, Reliable and Kind-Hearted
Religious Generations
UDE students started their orientation day with a prayer. Led by their seniors, who majored in psychology, they did a praise and worship passionately. They also participated in the University Monday Service. One of the habits nurtured, students are encouraged to open and close a program in a prayer. To respect pluralism, non-Christian believers are welcome to lead and say their prayer according to their religion.
The prayer was then followed by Introduction to UDE in which students were informed about UDE faculty members, curriculum and programs. The study program head, Mrs. Ira Rasikawati presented UDE curriculum including the four concentrations offered. Students will have the option of selecting concentrations such as: Creative Writing, English for Business Communication, Translation and Interpreting, and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).
To increase students' motivation to learn English and participate in international program, Calvin from the Civil Engineering Faculty was invited to share his experience becoming Ukrida representative going to the Association of Christian Universities and Colleges in Asia (ACUCA) conference in Taiwan. He presented his activities during the conference and suggested some tips to win Ukrida travel grant.
Confident and Courteous Individuals
UDE students were taught to dress, look, act, and treat others gracefully. With the guidance of Puspita Martha (PM) International Beauty School instructors, students learned about personal care, hygiene, and grooming. They also learn how to dress up and wear make-up appropriately for the occasion.
During the workshop, students had the opportunity to learn and get the make-over from PM beauty experts. The students found it exciting that a little extra effort could significantly change their look. They also practiced how to greet and meet people with manners and other business etiquettes. Having these new skills, the students are expected to impress on other people with their confidence and courtesy.
Technology Literate Learners
Being UDE students means mastering computer operations, word processing, graphics, multi-media, internet, email, and e-learning applications. Students were guided by the head and staff if Ukrida Learning Media Center to learn various technological and media applications to support their study, including operating google apps, developing blogs, and e-portofolio.
Through the use of moodle, students participate in online classrooms. They access their learning materials, upload their assignments, participate in online tests, virtual classes, and online forum discussions. Learning does not only take place in traditional classrooms but also virtual.
Committed – Persistent – reliable – Kind-Hearted Characters
On the last orientation day, students gathered in the auditorium to have motivational workshop led by the Secretary of Psychology Faculty, William Gunawan, S.Psi., M.Min., M.Si. They shared and addressed their fears as new students. They were motivated to live like eagles, overcoming fears and finding strategies to be successful students.
Students share their favorite foods in a potluck lunch. Some cuisines are unique, to name a few, Indonesian, Japanese, and Italian foods. Many are similar, students' favorites, fried foods such as fried noodles, fried rice, and fried chicken. They gathered before lunch to introduce their foods. That was their first presentation in English.
Following lunch, students were prepared to do their performances. They were given freedom to interpret the theme songs "Like Eagles, "Do Life Big", and "As for Me and My House." Nine groups particated: some of them sing and dance to the song, a few others added lyrics in other foreign languages, and others got themselved lost in the music.
After lunch, students voted for their class leaders: Demus Abetnego and Tomi Wijaya. They made an honor pledge, stating they would give their best to be outstanding UDE graduates. They made an artistic painting of a tree using fingers. This painting has been hung at the department's lobby, A building 8th Floor, to remind students of their commitment to study hard, to never give-up, be dependable, and kind-hearted graduates. UDEians, bring it on!