Once Mekel To Slank Celebrates USU 2025 National Festival

Once Mekel and several other artists at the 2025 GEMA CAMPUS National Festival. (doc USU)

JAKARTA - Music, innovation, and national spirit mix on the campus stage. The 2025 CAMPUS Nationality Festival 'GEMA' presents an atmosphere that is not only artisticly lively, but also intellectually reflective.

For two days, 7 November 8, 2025, the University of North Sumatra (USU) and the Indonesian State University Chancellor Council (MRPTNI) turned Medan into a center for collaborative celebrations between the academic world and the creative industry.

This festival is designed as a cross-disciplinary meeting room to bring together researchers, musicians, artists, students, and the younger generation in a creative ecosystem that links ideas, innovations, research, and expressions of national culture. The activity took place in two locations, namely the USU campus and the Indonesian Prima University (UNPRI).

The event was held on the collaboration between USU and MRPTNI with the Association of Singer Artists, Songwriters and Musicians of the Republic of Indonesia (PAPPRI) and UNPRI.

This initiative is not just an entertainment event, but an affirmation that patriotism must be revived through creativity, scientific thinking, and campus cultural work.

The first day opened with the Coaching Clinic Music Scoring at UNPRI (7/11), which presents a digital music production session for young students and talents. This activity is a place for learning about how the composition of music and sound design can be a medium of expression for today's nationality.

On the second day, November 8, 2025, the activity moved to the USU campus. Since morning, the USU Mini Stadium Field has become a living space for the Innovation Exhibition and Pop Art Market, where students show off creative works and entrepreneurial products.

At the same time, the USU Auditorium held the National Dialogue "Our Expressions" themed Music Reaches Life presenting Alffy Rev, Shanna Shannon, Bimbim Slank, Novia Bachmid, and the Chancellor of USU Prof. Dr. Muryanto Amin, S.Sos., M.Si. This session was hosted by Dr. Ngatawi Al Zastrouw, and closed the appearance of Once Mekel with six students who performed the song Waying the World' as a symbol of cross-generational unity through music.

In the afternoon, activities continued in the 8th Floor DLCB Hall of the USU Rectorate Building with the Rector's Expressions (REx)#2 session with the theme Egy Innovation and Cultural Reconstruction for Sustainable Civilization. Here, the winners of the National Scientific Writing Competition (S1S3) present their research results. The REx Forum also presents interactive dialogue with PTN rectors in Indonesia, with speakers such as Aris Marsudiyanto (Head of the Indonesian Special Development and Investigation Control Agency), Dr. Fadli Zon, M.Sc. (Menteri Culture RI), and Dr. Dany Amrul Ichdan (Vice President Director of PT Mind ID). Events are moderated by Prof. Dr. Garuda Wiko, SH, M.Si. (Rector of Tanjungpura University).

This dialogue confirms that patriotism in the campus environment was born through research, technology, and cultural creativity.

JAKARTA - The peak of the festival takes place in the evening through the National Music Concert with the theme Music of Jiwa Craftsmen'' at the USU Stadium Mini Field. Collaborative performances of D'Lanun, Alffy Rev, Once Mekel, Shanna Shannon, Novia Bachmid, Ki Ageng Ganjur (KAG), Dwiki Dharmawan, and Slank rocked the stage. The concert closed with a national narrative by Dr. Ngatawi Al Zastrouw.

Chairman of the MRPTNI, Prof. Dr. Ir. Eduart Wlok, ST, MT, emphasized the importance of the role of the younger generation in forming national identity.

"The campus generation is a generation that not only reads the past, but interprets Indonesia as a space that is being formed and written every day. Music, innovation, and research are the languages they use to interpret the nation. MRPTNI wants to ensure that energy is founded and growing," said Prof. Eduart.

USU Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Muryanto Amin, S.Sos., M.Si., added that campuses are a living space for national practice.

"USU views that nationality is not a slogan, but practice of nationhood is carried out through work, creativity, innovation, and courage to explore. This festival is proof that campuses are not waiting for trends, but creating landscapes," said Prof. Muryanto.

Meanwhile, Once Mekel said that music acts as a collective memory of the nation.

"Music is an Indonesian emotional identity, it forms our sense as a nation," he said.

Kaka Slank emphasized the importance of solidarity in diversity.

"Indonesia is strong not because we are the same, but because we take care of each other," he said.

Meanwhile, Alffy Rev sees music and sound design as a new ideological medium in the digital era

"The sound design is also a statecraft. Audio can change the sense of pride of the nation's children," said Alffy.

The 'GEMA KAMPUS' Festival closed its series of events with a strong message: campuses are not just academic spaces, but also centers of creativity and culture. This is where the science, art, and national spirit combine to create a new face of Indonesian nationality.