Going Beyond Frontiers

What is it that comes to your mind when someone mentions the word ‘Frontiers’? Of course, the boys (and some girls too, perhaps) would immediate think of the Nissan Frontier truck, or maybe for the traveler, visions of boundary-crossing and river rapids come to mind. For me, it is a different story. Frontiers is, to me, a seed which is growing into a solid oak tree, sowed with love. Frontiers is, and will always be, the baby of UCSI University’s 2009 Journalism majors.

For those wondering, Frontiers is an online newspaper project spearheaded by Miss Roslina Abdul Latif, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Music, Social Sciences and Design. Miss Lina is also our Editor-in-chief. We are also assisted technically by Mr Hasrimy Mat Hasan who guides us in terms of technical know-how.  Currently Frontiers is helmed by four Journalism majors, and right now, I am its project manager (or PM, to be glamorous).

To say my experience with Frontiers was different would be a bit of an understatement. Ever heard of multitasking? I always thought I was a person that could not multitask, until Frontiers came along. Now I know how to handle writing, editing and creative management, all at the same time. Plus my crew and I find time to expand our network and attend events as well. Impressive, huh?

Frontiers exposed me to many styles of writing and with our supervisor’s help; we knew how each article can be special with its own nuances and emotions. At first, finding topics to write for was a hassle, but one great lesson I learnt was that stories are everywhere, if only we look hard enough. I definitely polished my writing skills, and flexibility became my forte.

I must add that Frontiers definitely did wonders to my self-confidence. A Mass Communication student is expected to (and should, in my opinion) be vocal and self-assured most of the time. I was not always like that; in fact I used to have trouble speaking out and always considered myself a “Yes Man.” With Frontiers, I learnt how to be firm yet kind, I learnt how to say ‘No’ at the right place, and I learnt how to delegate the right tasks to the right people as the de facto leader of the team.

Frontiers gave me a chance to attend many events that I would not have had the chance to experience otherwise. One of the memorable ones is the World March Kuala Lumpur, where Frontiers and some of our friends participated in an international event for world peace. We also became more aware of the political scenes of countries around the world, thanks to human rights events organized by Amnesty International and such.

Leaving Frontiers would be a hard thing to do, as I have grown to love it and it will always be a part of my life.  All good things come to an end they say, and the lessons and experiences I have gathered during my time with Frontiers will surely stick to me for a long time to come. Thank you for the experience and memories FRONTIERS!