Semarang │Unimus (February 18, 2018) In the recently developed education system, every school has to balance between academic and non-academic education. Extracurricular (non academic) activity development at a school makes it possible for the students to have some added value in form of organizational experience that will be useful later in the future and when they are back in the society after graduation. Besides, they also can get chances to develop their own interests and talents, compete, and create achievements. As an effort to facilitate youth’s and students ‘interests and talents, Student Association of Diploma 3 in Medical Laboratory Technology at Universitas Muhammadiyah Semarang (Unimus) organized 2 competitions. They were Scientific Article Writing and Videography Competitions for Vocational High School students on Java Island. Judging of article presentation and videography was held in the integrated medical laboratory building on February 17, 2018 after the opening ceremony by the Vice Rector III of Unimus.
Didin Nurhavidin, the committee chairman, stated that it was a breakthrough to develop the potencies of creative, intellectual, and skillful teenagers. “The event is aimed at motivating the students to get the best achievements under healthy competitions, as well as motivating the students to always enhance their intellectual and emotional abilities dealing with the mastery of applied sciences,” Didin added. Herlisa Anggraini, SKM., M.Si.Med., the head of Diploma III in Medical Laboratory Technology Study Program at Unimus, said that the event was purely organized by the students with some supports from the study program, M.Si.Med. It was held to improve the skills of vocational high school students in order to master science and technology. “In addition to the competitions, the participants will also attend Unimus’ campus and laboratory tour, which will be guided directly by the lecturers so that they will know more about the laboratories and campus of Unimus and also make them love the profession,” she explained.
13 teams from 9 health-based vocational high schools took part in the scientific article writing competition. As for the videography competition, there were 6 participating teams from 4 health-based vocational high schools. At the end of the event, Avicenna Vocational High School from Lasem won the best article award for an article entitled “Effectiveness of Kawis (Limonia Acidissima) Essence as Bio-insecticide Attached to Electric Mosquito Killer in Killing Mosquitos”. The second winner was Bhakti Mulia Vocational High School from Wonogiri for an article entitle “Healthy Lifestyle as a Way of Decreasing the Risk of Chronic Kidney Failure”, and the third winner was Muhammadiyah 4 Surakarta Vocational High School with an article entitled “The Potency of Ginger Flower to become a Natural Food Preservative”. As for the Videography category, the first anda second winners were respectively Theresiana Semarang Vocational High School for a video entitled “Hematocrit Examination” and Nusaputra Semarang Vocational High School for a video entitled “My Laboratory and I.”
Reported by the Technical Unit of Public Relations and Protocol
