Indonesian exchange students brought traditional Indonesian culture to UMKC on Friday, Oct. 11, with the event Cultureise, in the Miller Nichols Learning Center.
The IISMA program offers Indonesian students the opportunity to study abroad at top universities worldwide for one semester. This semester, IISMA sent 18 students to UMKC with a challenge to showcase their country’s culture.
“Our scholarships gave us a challenge to promote Indonesia in a fun way, and so instead of just telling people what Indonesia was like, we held this event with food, games and dancing together,” said Talita Soraya, a co-leader of the group and a junior studying civil engineering. “Our plan went well, and I think some people are starting to know Indonesia.”
The exchange students said they came to the U.S. to learn about other cultures and to experience life in an American university, and realized that they could show their diverse culture as well.
“At first my goal was to study abroad in the U.S. to get international exposure, but then I saw that I can bring my culture from Indonesia to the people here,” said Ridho Muhammad, a co-leader of the group and a junior studying geology. “I think that it is good to share my culture with others.”
The main event was a batik workshop, where participants got to try the tradition for themselves. Batik is both the name of the fabric and a practice.
“Batik is a traditional fabric,” said Juan Mone, a senior studying computer science. “You use a special wax, heat it up and paint it to make certain patterns. Each region has their own different patterns and characteristics, with all unique meanings.”
Along with the batik workshop, there was also a food exhibition, showing some important Indonesian dishes and drinks. Some of the foods there were indomie, an Indonesian instant noodle brand, and nasi kuning, a coconut milk and turmeric-based rice dish.
Indonesia is composed of 17,508 islands, 6,000 of which are inhabited. These islands have their own cultures, languages and batik patterns. The souvenir table and the photo booth props at the event mainly had items from a few of the larger or more well-known islands.
“We are not just from one region, there are hundreds of islands in Indonesia that all have their own culture,” said Mone. “Different stuff on the tables came from Java, Kalimantan, and Bali.”
Attendees all came together to play games and dance to dangdut, a genre of Indonesian folk music. Zach Green and Jordan Baker got into it, participating in multiple games together.
“It’s been a really fun experience, with the nice food they had for us and playing the games,” said Zach Green, a junior studying computer science. “It’s nice to learn more about other cultures and connect with people from all across the world.”
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