Definition
of master of ceremonies
-
a person who determines the forms to be observed on a public occasion
-
a person who acts as host at a formal event
-
a person who acts as host for a program of entertainment (as on television)
Kolej Sakura recently organized “Kursus Pengendalian dan Pengacaraan Majlis”, which is a workshop which main motive is to hone students’
skills as a master of ceremonies. Held on the 25th of
March 2017, the workshop is split into two slots; one in the morning
from 8.30 am to 12.30 pm, and one at night from 7.30 pm to 11.30 pm.
Each slot began with the signing-in process, which lasted for half an
hour, before the workshop starts. The speaker for the morning slot
was Mr. Yulhardy Budiman, a lecturer and an assistant officer from
the Chancellery and International Relations office of the UNIMAS
Global division. He begins his slot with a few anecdotes of his past
experiences as an MC, recalling funny tales and meaningful moments
from the time he was merely a humble prayer reader at a ceremony to
the time when he first became an MC.
Mr. Yulhardy then introduced the key points of becoming an MC;
knowing the guests, understanding the flow of the ceremony, arranging
the placement of objects needed for ceremony, and knowing the level
of preparations needed for the ceremony. He stresses that teamwork
and trust are essential in organizing a ceremony, especially when
things become more stressful. An MC should be confident and does not
rely too much on his or her script. He states that the MC is
basically one of the most important people in a ceremony as any
changes must be informed to the MC first before anyone else. In his
slot, Mr. Yulhardy split the participants into teams in which each
team is given a chance to simulate a ceremony and presented an
obstacle or a challenge which they have to solve to ensure the smooth
flow of the ceremony.
The guests for the night slot were Mdm. Siti Mariana binti Hamlin
from the Undergraduate Studies Division, the principal of Kolej
Sakura, Ms. Siti Nor Ain binti Haji Musa, and the college’s Felo,
Ms. Noorfarida binti Saini. Mdm. Siti Mariana was the speaker for
that particular slot.
She introduced the different type of ceremonies, in which each type
may require different ethics and procedures. According to her, an MC
must be aware of the appropriate dress code, content and types of
preparations needed depending on the type of ceremony. Generally, an
MC should dress his or her best and show confidence and energy during
emceeing. An MC should be as informative as possible, and learn to be
spontaneous without relying on the script given. Due to the potential
challenges in organizing a ceremony, an MC should also know how to
remain calm and collected at all times.
Both slots end with a presentation of a token to each of the
speakers, and a group photo with all the participants.
Prepared by,
Imelia Kyra binti Mohamad Iskandar
