Essay competition held on 'Sekaten'

Essay competition held on 'Sekaten'

YOGYAKARTA: In a bid to help the local government to redesign the
currently much-maligned Sekaten night market, Gadjah Mada
University's Center for Tourism Studies is holding an essay-
writing competition.

In a statement on Thursday the center said the competition was
open to all and was free to enter.

"The competition is aimed at selecting constructive ideas on
how the Sekaten night market should be run while maintaining its
cultural, social, and economic identity," the statement said.

Interested participants should send an original essay written
on between seven and eight pages of A4 paper to the organizing
committee by April 29 at the latest.

The three best essays would be announced on May 7. The
organizing committee had prepared prizes of Rp 1,000,000, Rp
750,000, and Rp 500,000 respectively for the first to third
prize-getters, the statement said.

The winning essays would be published in a prominent local
newspaper for the wider community to read.

For the last two years, the Sekaten night market, held in
accordance with the annual Sekaten celebration commemorating
Prophet Muhammad's birthday, has been given a new form that makes
it appear more up-to-date, yet business-oriented.

The Jogja Expo Sekaten (JES) event, however, has met a flood
of criticism from most of the community, which has rejected the
new concepts. -- JP