2002 ~ 2006 |
THE PIONEERS
The Memory Box
Kerry-Ann Augustin
At the first COSTA (Communication
Students Alliance) Party in 2005. ▶
26
There were
no shortcuts
– we hitched
rides from
each other
to get
to campus,
we ate
what we
could afford
(mamak),
we made
silly short
films with the
most basic
of set ups.
When I meet fellow alumni, they usually ask me the
same question: when did you graduate from Monash?
Since I’ve successfully failed math my whole life,
I have to do the calculations with my fingers
– and all ten (ten, right?) of them are not enough.
When I was asked to submit a piece for
Metamorphosis, I was forced to claw through stacks
of books, notes and photos of my caffeine-induced,
carefree Monash days – and there they were,
blanketed by dust in boxes: books with Tan Meng
Yoe’s pointless remarks written on random pages;
secret notes my course mates and I exchanged while
pretending to understand what Dr Andrew Ng was
talking about; assignment sheets with favourable
comments (all of two) and not so favourable
comments (most). Then I had to confront the photos
– the horror of unshaven legs, terribly mismatched
clothing and eye bags so severe you could mistake
me for a panda. Then I look in the mirror and I realize
that hasn’t changed.
I must admit, running through this box of memories is
a great exercise, for both my sinuses and my memory.
There were no shortcuts – we hitched rides from each
other to get to campus, we ate what we could afford
(mamak), we made silly short films with the most basic
of set ups. Mr Google wasn’t born yet, so we’d stay
up till dawn discussing our assignments (except Tee
May Yee because she has brains in every fibre of her
body). We had it tough but the bonds built then have
stood the test of time.
Of all the memories, the best and most important
ones come from the SASS study tours Dr Yeoh Seng
Guan pioneered. It was the essential education. The
trips exposed us to the real issues plaguing the world
and armed us with the will to do something powerful
with the knowledge we had. It was through these trips
that I found my calling in journalism.
I do feel old trying to calculate how long it has been
since I left Monash but I’m glad I’ve grown since
– not just sideways, but in my understanding of
people, of friendships, of hardships and of the
issues that matter most.
Kerry-Ann graduated with a Bachelor of
Communication in 2005. She is currently a
senior writer for Air Asia’s travel360 magazine.
◀ A feature on
photography and
the Rohinyas
(2015).
▲ Starring in a student
film made during ISO
Penang (2004).
◀ Food and
Orang Asal
identity
(2016).