BIG, Lompatan APEX ke 2012

4/10/2010
Monday,Studio 101

We had attended a forum on monday and the forum was about BIG(Bamboo Interest Group). BIG was being supported by so many professors and Encik Wan introduced them to all of us.

So what is BIG? BIG is one of the collective effort to realize USM's vision of Transforming Higher Education for a Sustainable Tomorrow. BIG also gathers all the people who are interested in bamboo together to carry out APEX .

There are 7 APEX points, they are :

• The future
• Uniqueness
• Sustainability
• Humanity
• Universality
• Change
• Sacrifice

Bamboo, which is just a plant for everyone, fulfills 6 out of the 7 points above. It is just that the sacrifice it does not fulfill, and this is up to all of us. If we are willing to sacrifice, there is nothing that cannot be done.

Encik Wan also showed us a video which its title was "The Awakening". It was about doomsday. Some people does not believe that doomsday might come one day and some people believes. For those who believe, some tried to do something before the day comes and some of them were just did nothing. For me, I couldn't give a definite answer whether I believe in doomsday will happen in 21st September 2012 or not, even scientist couldn't give a sure answer, no one knows what will happen on that day. Since we don't know what will happen on that day, just live happily and appreciate the current moment. There is no need for us to keep worrying everyday and make ourselves down for an unknown.

From the video that we had seen, I think that everyone of us should unite and forget about selfishness. Many countries these days are becoming more and more well-developed, but how about the human behaviour? Are mankind becoming more and more well-mannered? Perhaps the answer is NO. It is deteriorating. The fast development of our world these days has caused mankind becoming more and more materialistic and selfish. This could bring to the corruption of the world. Only with the power of unity, without thinking of only our ownself, by loving each other, putting more care to others, we could bring a better future.

Many of our assignments were based on this 2012 doomsday. I think it is good to being prepared for that day, either as a training for ourselves or for a mental preparation for that day. And throughout the assignments given, I realised that I had learnt a lot which I previously did not had a chance being exposed to this kind of experience; learning with bamboo;learn to work and cooperate with others; learn to mix with another bigger community; learn to be independent; learn to work under the sun, learn how to cut bamboo, learn how to use saw,hammer,parang... I really appreciate the experience I had in HBP. I have started to miss this kind of life when I realise that the end of this semester is approaching...Although studio work is tiring, it is difficult, always rushing for our assignments... Although I might complain about the heavy coursework...Yet...I know still love it!

I think that even if doomsday really comes, it does not mean that it is the end of the world. From the word "Qiamah", it means awakening. So hari kiamat doesn't mean it is the end of the world, it is the awakening of the world, it is time for people in this world to change. The people in this world currently are becoming more and more materialistic and more selfish. It is time for us to change...Let us change for a better future!