Writing For Better Future

Ika Ayu Prispita Sari is the only one student from State Islamic University Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang who has been successful achieved a champion in the event of language ambassador for East Java in 2011 ago.

Furnishing the best for the faculty was the major purpose of the candidate's language ambassadors of UIN Maliki Malang. This was what they think during their way to go to the competition which was attended by 48 couples.

The candidates consisting of four people had succeeded to follow the selection carried out by the Faculty of Humanities and Culture of the previous month. Four of them had succeeded to beat 50 other students. The selection (13/8), chaired by one of the lecturer of Humanities and Culture faculty, Mr. Miftahul Huda, M. Hum was comprised of several tests, especially about the culture and Indonesian languages. It was because according to the teacher of speaking, the main material for the language ambassadors at that time was about Indonesian culture and its language.

Once they were accepted as the candidates of language ambassador from the faculty of language Humanities and Culture, the four of them consisting of two males and two females, each of which was Irham (7th semester), Ika Prispitasari Ayu (7th semester), Fendi Yugo Sarjono (5th semester), and Annadifatul Churry Illiyin (5th semester) made preparations to confront language ambassador selection held in the Hall of Languages Surabaya (14/9).

One month passed, after they thought it was enough for practice, on the early morning at 06.30 am, they went from the campus of UIN Maliki Malang and finally arrived at 08.30 am. In the City of Hero, the candidate that consisted of two pairs, Ana with Yugo, Irham with Ika immediately followed the test provided by the committee. The first test was UKBI (Ujian Kemampuan Bahasa Indonesia). The written tests that were held at 09.30 am were like TOEFL. However, the difference was this test simply used Indonesia language.

"We thought the written test given was in English and Indonesian culture, but all the tests were presented turned out to be Indonesia language and also the culture," Ika said when met during the interview.

Finally, the test ended at 14.00 pm was announced by the committee. The result, a girl who has a hobby of jogging was entitled to get a chance to continue to the next round by beating 14 other pairs of candidates. "Actually I hoped the juniors can be the finalist. However, Alhamdulillah, there was still representative of our campus," said the student from English Department.

For the second stage test was interview. Ten couples who have successfully qualified to face the three judges who would test them. The first jury has tested the knowledge of Indonesian language. Furthermore, for next judge provided the exam of insight on Indonesian language, then the last jury tested the foreign language skills of the participants. In this case, the student was born in 21st of March 1987 chose English as her language. "At the time of testing, we were not asked about 5W +1 H, but here we had to talk about Indonesian language, then the jury directly assessed by analyzing EYD (Spelling Enhanced)," said the student born in Batu, Malang.

A long time passed, the clock was showing at 17.00 pm, ten pairs of participants who have been through the interview had been preparing for the final test, that was presenting their knowledge about Indonesian language. Each participant had to pick up a shuffle paper then presented it in front of the jury. Ika who was in the fifth rank hoped to be a champion because she did not want to disappoint her institution which had believed in him. "If my God chose me to be a champion, I did not want to be the first winner, but I prefer to be the runner up," said the student who become a tutor at the British International, Malang

Loosing to the time had showed at 20.00 pm and all candidates had completed their final test. Five minutes later, the committee was preparing to announce the winners. As a result, this merry-faced girl was surprised when her name was mentioned as the runner up. Ika succeeded to be the runner-up in pairs with students from the University of Malang (UM), while the winner was won by students from UM and UNEJ.. "Alhamdulillah, my God gave the best thing for me, might be a runner up was a gift for me, because I did not expect to be the first," she recalled.

The reason why the 24-year-old girl did not want to be the first winner was because the winner would be quarantined for two weeks in Jakarta for the preparation of national language ambassadors. "I had been in the last semester and had to prepare for my final examination. However, despite being a runner-up, I also had to be ready when they need me," Ika said.

Ika’s win achieved her success did not escape from the support of the people around him, she admitted that a lot of people who support her when she was elected as the candidates of language ambassador in East Java. "In addition the support was from my friends, and my parents also prayed for my success," she said.

According to Ika, being a language ambassador would be nothing if not followed by other students. As a good example, Ika had a great hope that her achieved can be forwarded by the juniors. "I dedicate this success to my parents who are always with me, for my faculty, as well as to all my friends," said the student who likes to teach. (rif)