T

housands of new Udayana University students attended Student Day on Friday, a two-day orientation to welcome and introduce them to the largest university in Bali.

The annual tradition, which is usually marked by incidents of violence and bullying, was highlighted by an anti-tobacco and non-violence campaign. Freshmen recited the student pledge in unison to mark the commencement of Student Day.

The pledge, popular during student rallies and demonstration against Soeharto’s New Order, was the student activists’ take on the historic 1928 Youth Pledge.

In the Youth Pledge, the country’s youth declared themselves as having one motherland, one nation and one language: Indonesia.

In the Student Pledge, the students declared themselves of having one motherland: a country without oppression; of having one nation: a justice-loving nation; and of speaking one language: the language of truth.

The students highlighted their commitment to non-violence by attracting new students to participate in various extra-curricular activities.

The wushu club put on kung fu performances and a barongsai Chinese lion dance, and introduced members who had placed well in local and national competitions.

Also on hand were the marching band, Perisai Diri martial arts, student press, debate society and science clubs.

Freshmen wore black and white uniforms on the day.

The coeds wore red and white ribbons in their hair, while the male students wore their hair in a crew cut.

Freshmen who showed up late to the orientation, smoked or acted unruly were punished.

“This event is a big draw, especially with the clubs putting on their best performances. I’m glad we don’t have to wear or do anything strange,” said Rahayu Astuti, a pharmacology freshman.

She said she had difficulty making her way from her house in Denpasar to the campus in Jimbaran because of heavy traffic.

Udayana has two campuses, one in Jimbaran and the other in Denpasar. The commute from Denpasar to Jimbaran takes an hour with light traffic on Jalan Bypass Ngurah Rai.

No public transportation vehicles serve the route, so students are forced to use their own vehicles, causing further congestion, as tourists and residents also use the same route.

Udayana University rector I Nyoman Bakta said in his speech that Student Day had stopped featuring the tradition of violence that usually marred the welcoming event in previous years.

“Our spirit is to support the new students and create friendship among them. There is no place for violence,” he said.

The event also included public lectures and debates.

Among the topics discussed were the allocation of state budget for education and the government’s plan to implement the legal board of education (BHP) law.

Although the law was scrapped by the Constitutional Court, critics fear the law would be implemented through other forms of regulation.

“We hope students will not only think about their personal interests. They should have a sense of humanism,” student executive body president Adji Prakoso said.

At the debates, students discussed the cost of education, which will likely become higher due to privatization of educational institutions.