SHAH ALAM: Although only 120 attended the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies (Masscomm) alumni reunion at Dewan Seri Hatinie, here, last night, it was enough to relive the "boisterous" mood of their good old student days.
And why not, as the former students of the faculty, then known as the School of Mass Communication, were noted for their more mature disposition within the then Institut Teknologi MARA or ITM's (now Universiti Teknologi MARA - UiTM) fraternity.
The presence of many lecturers made the reunion even more meaningful, amongst them Dr R Sankaran who was among Masscomm's pioneer lecturers, Prof Abdul Hamid Mohamad, Dr Illias Salleh, Dr Adnan Hashim, Prof Dr Azizul Halim Yahya, Associate Professor Abdul Rahim Salleh, Dr Massila Hamzah, Abu Yamin Salam and Hariyati Ariffin.
Azizul, who is presently the faculty's Dean said he was very pleased with the event, which reunited old and fresh graduates of Masscomm with their lecturers.
"I am happy with the presence of many alumni members, and wish more will be involved in such activities in the future, as our faculty is the oldest in the field of communication.
"In fact, many of our graduates have gone on to become industry captains in most media companies in the country. If we are together and united, it can be a great help to students who will venture into this field of communication later.
"This is because they also need seniors to share experience. The spirit shown tonight should be maintained," he said at the `Masscomm Night' event.
A donation drive was also organised for Masscomm alumni Mohammad Dawam Badiulzaman (Session 1986-1989) who has to undergo a heart surgery.
Sankaran said he was delighted to be invited to the event, and was proud to be the first non-Malay lecturer to join ITM.
"I may not have earned much from my contribution in the field of education, but it makes me proud enough when a former student comes and greets me, 'Sir, still remember me?' The moral of the story is, we shall always be happy when we learn how to be grateful," he said, eyes glistening with tears as he recalled the nostalgic times with his students.
Meanwhile, UiTM Masscomm Alumni president Basree Rakijan admitted he was surprised with the presence of Sankaran, a lecturer who had contributed immensely to the faculty.
He said the alumni had organised a number of programmes which include visits to welfare homes, donations to members in need, as well as academic activities such as talks with students and industry practitioners.
The reunion event organised by the Masscomm Alumni of UiTM was done in collaboration with The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad, Kumpulan Media Karangkaf Sdn Bhd, Malaysia Industry-Government Group for High Technologies (MIGHT), Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd, SIRIM QAS International Sdn Bhd, Prolintas Holdings Sdn Bhd, Malaysia Rail Industry Corporation, Medyavisyon Sdn Bhd, Hijab & Heels, D'Amante Sdn Bhd, Multi Modal Freight Sdn Bhd, Denai Alam Recreational and Riding Club and Artic Rail Sdn Bhd.