2002 ~ 2006 |
THE PIONEERS
Once I accepted that the course was defined loosely
so that I could roam freely and widely, my world
exploded and I fell in love with learning. There were
no answers except the ones I found true for myself.
I wasn’t here to learn just about how media is owned
and politicized, I was nudged to see how networks of
communication, influence and power spread itself all
over the world, and how it is diffused and perpetuated
in society. I wasn’t here to learn who said what
(a nod here to Foucault, Althusser, Butler, Adorno,
Freud), but was again nudged to evaluate the
usefulness of their ideas to me and my understanding
of society and the world. I am not here to regurgitate
facts, but to find a voice, and articulate my thoughts
and understanding.
20
My cohort had a great time learning that ideas and
definitions are merely constructs, and it was only a
matter of time before we were picking apart concepts
such as race, nation, religion and gender, looking at
it critically and wondering how to stitch it back to our
own “truths”. We had a riot sometimes, talking over
each other, jabbing the air to make our points heard.
Those were good days, I must admit, because we
were young and sometimes bursting to express our
views, and somehow it was okay to have so many
differing thoughts because the learning environment
that we were in was very supportive and safe.
We may not have had the answers or solutions,
but we came out knowing that we make our own
meanings, and we are also responsible in perpetuating
the myths that solidify our identities. To me, that is the
most important takeaway from my 4 years at Monash
(yes, I took an additional year for Honours).
I would actually like to take the opportunity to thank
the lecturers for making our lessons and tutorials so
stimulating. Often times, these discussions were so
lively that they had to be continued out of class.
I may not remember all of them, but some of them
were: Dr Allison Craven, Dr Yeoh Seng Guan,
Dr Patricia Goon, Ms Joanna Kujawa, Ms Bavanee,
Dr Tang, the late Neil Hanley, and the senior journalist
M. Krishnamoorthy.
So, in the end, what happened to me? How has the
degree benefitted me? Well, it was awesomely good
enough to get me into corporate work for seven years,
after which I ventured out to do six years in my own
retail business and am now in an online business.
Some of the understandings gleaned from my
coursework continue to have lasting impact.
Also, I absolutely do not remember anything from the
two engineering tutorials I went into. So much for my
initial belief in “real” facts. :P
Li Li graduated with a Bachelor of Communication
Honours in 2003. After working for several years in
the corporate sector, she now has her own business.