BY SAMUEL KARUNIA KORNO
On December 28, the Society of Professional Development in Economics (SPADE) from the Faculty of Economics and Business organised a New Year Christmas Celebration for Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) students who stayed on campus throughout the Christmas holiday.
Christmas is a truly magical holiday that is all about spreading happiness. For Christians, the event commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ. Despite the fact that it is predominantly observed by Christians, it is one of the most popular holidays worldwide. Christmas is a season of joy and love.
For some, this is a time to gather and spend time with their families and friends, but for members of SPADE, the goal is to bring the holiday celebration to those who are unable to spend time with their families and to give opportunities to students from other faculties to interact with one another.
The SPADE committee promoted the event online through platforms popular among UNIMAS students, such as WhatsApp and Instagram, which made it easier to disseminate the news.
Initially, the SPADE committee expected around 80 people to attend the event, but during registration, they were able to obtain close to 90 individuals to join the New Year Christmas Celebration, well exceeding their expectations.
Brendan Bathan, a 22-year-old UNIMAS student and SPADE committee member, was interviewed about the event’s objective and his experience.
“The purpose of SPADE’s event is to give and provide students with the opportunity to promote diverse cultures among themselves.
The exchanging of gifts.
“We wanted to offer that Christmas spirit and ambiance to those who couldn’t travel back home to enjoy with their family.
“We also provide students from other faculties greater opportunities to communicate and get to know each other better through this Christmas event, as not all of us know each other well enough. Thus, they can help each other form and strengthen connections and relationships,” he said.
SPADE Programme Director Stephenia Kedoh Justine, 22, was asked about the challenges that they faced as the event progressed.
“I had no prior experience managing an event, let alone organising one for the faculty, and this New Year Christmas Celebration provided me with the opportunity to do so,” she said.
When asked how she overcame the difficulties, the programme director said that she sought guidance and information from senior students who had previously organised faculty gatherings.
Handling an event is a difficult task for anyone, especially when it involves other faculties and those who have no prior experience.
“Even with limited experience, I learn how to deal with unexpected issues and avoid making noticeable blunders during the event. I’m grateful to have a supporting team who made this event possible,” said Stephenia.
The overall response from the participants was positive, with everyone having a good time. Exchanging gifts, carolling, and a surprise dinosaur mascot made this occasion a delightful time for the students.
Throughout the event, the students got the opportunity to promote diversity among one another.
The surprise dinosaur mascot distributes gifts to participants.
“SPADE provides some content that appeals to a wide range of people,” Brendan said.
“We also bring together a team of people from various racial, religious, and cultural backgrounds. A team that is diverse fosters a great deal of originality and gives a variety of perspectives.
“We could interact with the participants more effectively. It is also easier to have personal conversations with them because we can relate to one another through our shared experiences,” he added.
The SPADE team, as well as the students, benefit greatly from being involved in the Christmas event since they have many opportunities to meet new people and learn about different cultures. Aside from that, they also experience the feel and spirit of unity that a Christmas celebration represents, despite the fact that some of the students and team members are far away from home.
The programme director thanked the SPADE team members and participants for their help in keeping the Christmas spirit alive by demonstrating what the celebration entails. Stephenia concluded her address with the quote, “as days become years, friends become family.”
- This article was written by a student from the Strategic Communication Programme at the Faculty of Language and Communication, UNIMAS.
