The last week of April at SMAN1 Demak was filled with preparations for Kartini Day, a celebration in commemoration of R.A. Kartini, an important Javanese advocate for women’s education and women’s rights. These preparations also coincided with the English Debate Club’s preparation for a regional debate competition. As the school celebrated a national heroine and education advocate, ETA Sarah Wozniak helped the Debate Club strengthen their critical thinking skills and teamwork. Over the week, they discussed topics as diverse as NATO, national bailouts, and the political importance of the South China Sea. Their examinations of current economic and geopolitical events were fueled by copious amounts of crackers (and other snacks) provided by English teachers Bu Caca and Bu Ani.
During SMAN 1’s Kartini celebration, students competed in various events and sampled food from a plethora of vendors. The celebration’s main event was the Mas dan Mbak competition, during which a pair of students from each 11th-grade class competed to become SMAN 1’s next ambassadors of culture, education, and the goals of their generation.
As the bahasa Inggris judge, Sarah asked them questions about their aspirations for feminism in Indonesia and how they could work toward these goals step-by-step in their daily lives. By the end of the week, the English Debate Club was excited to compete in Semarang. Though their Debate Club was small, Kartini served as a reminder that even after-school meetings in an upstairs library could lead to larger and farther-reaching conversations.
Sarah Wozniak is currently teaching at SMAN 1 Demak, Central Java
© 2025 AMINEF. All Rights Reserved.