07/12/2018 UPH Fest
The 25th UPH Festival has finally ended on August 18, 2018 with a Human Configuration performance by 3.536 new students, with music accompaniment by the Conservatory of Music (CoM) UPH.
The Rector of UPH, Dr. (Hon) Jonathan L. Parapak, M.Eng.Sc., has officially closed the 25th UPH Festival with a heart full of gratefulness.
?We all are very thankful to God for only by His favor we all are called to come here to UPH to glorify His name. Let us live this year?s UPH Festival theme ?Set Apart? which means that we have been separated from other beings to become those who are sent to experience the holistic and transformative education experience in UPH as well as to become blessings for those around us,? said the Rector with a blasting sound of the gong which was hit three times after that as a symbol that shows the 25th UPH Festival has officially ended. The event was then continued with a series of other events such as the umbrella dance, human configuration show, as well as a music performance from the Conservatory of Music (CoM) UPH.
This year?s Human Configuration is a bit more unique because we perform a moving choreography to form six logos. This becomes another challenge for the participants, because there should not be any mistake; the moves should also be done according to the mentors? instruction in order to create a successful configuration of six logos and writings. Accuracy is very important for this performance.
Fransiscus as the coordinator also state that this Human Configuration involved approximately 3536 students and only has a little time of preparation. He said that they only have two days with one hour of time each day. Such a short period of practice time is quite the challenge for us, because in such condition we still have to make sure that the configuration is done perfectly during the performance.
?Each year, we always upgrade our performance. Last year, students held the properties while sitting. This year, they have to walk fast while bringing 6 properties to form 6 different configurations,? Franciscus added.
Those 6 configurations were letters that said ?We Are UPH?, Knowledge, Faith, Character, UPH logo and the UPH Festival ?Set Apart? logo. All configurations have to be completed within the time frame of 16 minutes.
Aside from that, in between this performance we would also have the umbrella dance performance with 146 dancers from the Nusantara Dance Company, a Students Activity Unit that choreographed the whole performance, along with Teacher College, Psychology and Hospitality and Tourism Management students. The umbrella dance will form a circle which symbolizes God?s limitless and unending grace.
This dance would be performed accompanied with a Swahili music entitled ?Baba Yetu?, which means the ?Our Father in Heaven? prayer. We choose this song because it fits the batik patterns that is shown in the human configuration to enhance the ethnic accents.The configuration itself, according to Moses, has two messages: the 4 primary colors used (red, yellow, white and blue) shows a special identity of UPH, and the second message is diversity.
After the human configuration performance, the new students and their mentors are given the time to do a ?meet and great? with parents who have come and waited in the basketball court for about 20 minutes, to come to the Musical Performance and Fireworks events that came after the human configuration. The closing event was so festive, and was filled with new students? enthusiasm
