USU Students Reflect on Social Issues

The Organizing Committee of the New Member Admission Program (PPAB) of GMNI, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), held a student-focused book discussion on Laut Bercerita by Leila S. Chudori, engaging prospective members as participants. The activity served as an alternative learning platform, using literature to explore critical social issues.

The discussion centered on reflections on the 1998 humanitarian tragedy, particularly the enforced disappearances of activists, and examined its relevance to contemporary debates on the role of the state and democracy. Students actively connected the novel’s narrative with present-day social realities.

Through this initiative, participants were encouraged to strengthen critical thinking, cultivate empathy, and deepen their awareness of humanitarian values and democratic principles within both campus life and wider society.