Visiting the manufacture of rencong (traditional Acehnese weapons) is one of the Nusantara Module activities.
The last or 25th meeting of the Nusantara Module Group IV program at Malikussaleh University took place at the end of December 2021. In the meeting, the students presented their Social Contribution videos in their respective areas. The content is an activity to teach Nusantara Module participants to students or the younger generation about culture and about diversity and tolerance.
Meetings on Social Contributions had to be held twice because many participants could not attend the first meeting due to various reasons, either because there were religious activities or because they had a lot of assignments at their home campus. Regarding this, the Director-General of Higher Education, Research, and Technology, Prof. Nizam, said that there should be no more assignments on the home campus when a student participates in one of the four Merdeka Learn Campus Merdeka (MBKM) programs. As a result, students are not able to fulfill a minimum of 20 credits.
Semarang State University student, Amalia Lusiyana, admitted that with the Nusantara Module program she better understands the culture and traditions of the Acehnese people, to culinary delights that have never been heard of. "It turns out that there are several Acehnese traditions that are similar to those in Java, although the names and some of the rules are different," said the undergraduate student of the Economics Education Study Program.
Apart from that, Amal—as he is affectionately called—also has insight into a number of Acehnese traditional musical instruments and games that are almost extinct which even the younger generation of Aceh has never heard of. "I have experienced many benefits while participating in the Nusantara Module program," said Amal, who hoped that this activity could take place face-to-face in the next semester.
The hope that the Nusantara Module program would take place outside the network had already been voiced in the first meeting. Even in the socialization of MBKM in Jakarta, Prof. Nizam also hopes that the Nusantara Module can take place offline so that students can go to the destination campus and see firsthand the local culture. Not only Nusantara Module but all MBKM programs will also be evaluated and it is hoped that in the second semester it will be better.
For four months, 19 of the 20 students who were in Group IV of Malikussaleh University learned a lot about Aceh's culture, traditions, arts, history, and even culinary arts. Most of the meetings present sources from outside, both permanent and alternate speakers according to the theme. For meetings about culture and art, Lhokseumawe City Aceh Customary Council (MAA) staff, Raisa Agustiana, always accompanies her, regardless of whether her attendance is paid for or not.
Initially, Raisa, who is also an alumnus of Malikussaleh University, was projected to teach pulling and pulling trawls for all participants which would be displayed at the end of the meeting. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic has forced the Nusantara Module program to take place online. However, Raisa continued to help explain several themes related to her capacity as a dancer and staff of the Aceh Customary Council.
“I am happy to be involved in this activity, to be able to introduce the culture and customs of the Acehnese people to students from various universities in Java. From this activity, it is hoped that students will appreciate Aceh's culture more and be proud of the nation's cultural wealth,” said Raisa who is also a former activist of the Meurah Silue Art Student Activity Unit, Malikussaleh University.
Even though they had never met in person, the meeting ended in joy. The Group IV mentor, Maulina, felt that the online meetings for the past four months had built a close bond between them. “I often contact students for various needs. Maybe my service so far has not lived up to expectations, I apologize," said the final semester student of the Communication Studies Study Program.
As the name implies, the Nusantara Module program is intended to make students more familiar with the cultural richness of the archipelago and appreciate diversity in Indonesia. The results may not be immediately visible. However, from a continuous program with a large number of student involvement, in the future, Indonesia can see a generation that is strong and full of respect for differences in customs and cultures. [Ayi Jufridar]
Merajut Kebersamaan di Modul Nusantara
PERTEMUAN terakhir atau ke-25 program Modul Nusantara Kelompok IV Universitas Malikussaleh sudah berlangsung akhir Desember 2021 lalu. Dalam pertemuan tersebut, para mahasiswa mempresentasikan video Kontribusi Sosial mereka di daerah masing-masing. Konten tersebut merupakan kegiatan mengajar peserta Modul Nusantara kepada pelajar atau generasi muda tentang kebudayaan serta tentang keberagaman dan toleransi.
Pertemuan tentang Kontribusi Sosial harus digelar sampai dua kali karena banyak peserta yang tidak bisa mengikuti pada pertemuan pertama akibat berbagai hal, baik karena ada kegiatan keagamaan maupun karena sedang banyak tugas di kampus asal. Tentang ini, Dirjen Pendidikan Tinggi, Riset, dan Teknologi, Prof Nizam, menyebutkan seharusnya tidak ada lagi penugasan di kampus asal ketika seorang mahasiswa mengikuti satu dari empat program Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM). Akibatnya, mahasiswa tidak mampu memenuhi minimal 20 SKS.
Mahasiswi Universitas Negeri Semarang, Amalia Lusiyana, mengakui dengan program Modul Nusantara dirinya lebih memahami budaya dan tradisi masyarakat Aceh, sampai kepada kuliner yang selama ini belum pernah didengarkan. “Ternyata ada beberapa tradisi masyarakat Aceh yang serupa dengan masyarakat di Jawa, meski nama dan beberapa aturannya berbeda,” ujar mahasiswa S1 Program Studi Pendidikan Ekonomi tersebut.
Selain itu, Amal—panggilan akrabnya—juga memiliki wawasan tentang sejumlah alat musik serta permainan tradisional Aceh yang hampir punah yang bahkan generasi muda Aceh pun belum pernah mendengarnya. “Banyak sekali manfaat yang saya rasakan selama mengikuti program Modul Nusantara,” ucap Amal yang berharap kegiatan tersebut bisa berlangsung secara tatap muka pada semester depan.
Harapan agar program Modul Nusantara berlangsung secara luar jaringan sudah pernah disuarakan dalam pertemuan pertama. Dalam sosialisasi MBKM di Jakarta pun, Prof Nizam juga mengharapkan Modul Nusantara bisa berlangsung secara luring agar mahasiswa bisa ke kampus tujuan dan melihat langsung kebudayaan setempat. Bukan hanya Modul Nusantara, semua program MBKM akan dievaluasi dan diharapkan pada semester kedua akan menjadi lebih baik.
Selama empat bulan, 19 dari 20 mahasiswa yang berada dalam Kelompok IV Universitas Malikussaleh belajar banyak tentang kebudayaan, tradisi, kesenian, sejarah, bahkan kuliner Aceh. Sebagian besar pertemuan menghadirkan narasumber dari luar, baik narasumber tetap maupun bergantian sesuai dengan tema. Untuk pertemuan tentang kebudayaan dan seni, staf Majelis Adat Aceh (MAA) Kota Lhokseumawe, Raisa Agustiana, senantiasa menemani, terlepas apakah ada kehadirannya dibayar atau tidak.
Pada awalnya, Raisa yang juga alumni Universitas Malikussaleh diproyeksikan untuk mengajarkan tarik tarek pukat bagi semua peserta yang akan ditampilkan pada akhir pertemuan. Sayangnya, pandemi Covid-19 membuat program Modul Nusantara harus berlangsung secara daring. Namun, Raisa tetap membantu untuk menjelaskan beberapa tema yang berkaitan dengan kapasitasnya sebagai penari dan staf Majelis Adat Aceh.
“Saya senang bisa terlibat dalam kegiatan ini, bisa memperkenalkan kebudayaan dan adat masyarakat Aceh kepada mahasiswa dari berbagai universitas di Jawa. Dari kegiatan ini, diharapkan mahasiswa semakin menghargai kebudayaan Aceh dan bangga dengan kekayaan budaya bangsa,” ujar Raisa yang juga mantan pegiat Unit Kegiatan Mahasiswa Seni Meurah Silue Universitas Malikussaleh.
Meski belum pernah berjumpa langsung, tak urung pertemuan itu berakhir haru. Mentor Kelompok IV, Maulina, merasa pertemuan daring selama empat bulan terakhir telah menjalin keakraban di antara mereka. “Saya sering kontak dengan para mahasiswa untuk berbagai kebutuhan. Mungkin pelayanan saya selama ini tak sesuai harapan, saya minta maaf,” ujar mahasiswa semester akhir Prodi Ilmu Komunikasi.
Sesuai namanya, program Modul Nusantara memang dimaksudkan supaya mahasiswa semakin mengenal kekayaan budaya Nusantara dan menghargai keberagaman di Indonesia. Hasilnya mungkin tidak bisa langsung terlihat. Namun dari program berkesinambungan dengan keterlibatan mahasiswa dalam jumlah besar, ke depan Indonesia bisa melihat generasi yang kuat dan penuh penghargaan terhadap perbedaan adat dan budaya. [Ayi Jufridar]
