On June 18, 2025, what began as a modest afternoon gathering unfolded into something far more meaningful. Not just an event, but a window where thought, laughter, and new experiences merged into a quiet challenge to our view of the world. Strike & Sinks, a simple yet powerful agenda that combines bowling and billiards, invited us to see beyond surface judgments and into the deeper values that lie beneath even the most recreational moments.
In many societies, Bowling and billiards still linger in the shadows of misunderstanding. They’re often misjudged, viewed through lenses shaped by old narratives or secondhand perceptions. But on this day, through firsthand participation, we sought to shift that lens and invite new ways of thinking. Sometimes, breaking a stigma begins not with words, but with play.
The afternoon began with Bowling. Participants were paired into six teams:
- Team Nasi Padang (Palito & Adhisty)
- Team Juara 1 (Krisna & Naura)
- Team Resiko Bencana (Mr. Rama & Ega)
- Team Rain (Rafid & Indri)
- Team Rana (Rafi & Naila)
- Team BTS (Agus & Putri)
Despite a smaller turnout due to end-of-semester exams, every team showed determination and camaraderie. Each throw was a test of precision, teamwork, and strategic timing. In the end, Team Resiko Bencana claimed victory with the highest score of the day: 41 points. As the energy of Bowling began to soften, the mood transitioned into the calm precision of billiards. As the time slipped into evening, players were divided into two main groups to keep the matches efficient. The room grew quieter. Focus deepened. Strategy replaced excitement.
Where Bowling had encouraged loud cheers and lively collaboration, billiards demanded quiet focus, calculation, and patience. Together, the two games taught complementary lessons.
Bowling was about momentum, timing, and cohesion, how to move as a team, how to adapt.
Billiards, in contrast, offered a contemplative pace calling for concentration, angle reading, and faith in each measured strike.
Through both, we learned that games, too, can teach. Not just about sport, but about how we listen, how we communicate, and how we choose to respond to things we do not yet understand. Several participants shared their reflections:
Rafid: “It was super fun not just a game of strategy, but of chemistry and communication. But honestly? I was bummed to face the strongest team right away!”
Ega: “This was my first time playing Bowling. I loved it! It taught me a lot especially specially to believe in myself first. We become what we think about.” Agus: “Bowling and billiards are still seen as taboo by many. But once you play, you realize how much connection and warmth can grow through moments like these. It really changed my view.”
In the end, Strike & Sinks wasn’t just about sport, it was about reclaiming space for new ideas. About recognizing that activities often misunderstood or dismissed might hold powerful value. That engagement can reshape narratives. That understanding can grow from even the simplest forms of connection. And that sometimes, what shifts the way we think isn’t a lecture or debate but the sound of a bowling ball rolling forward, or the quiet patience of a player lining up a final shot. From those moments, we are reminded: “Education can start anywhere. Understanding, too”.
