Medan—USU PR: Students participating in the Thematic Community Service Program (Kuliah Kerja Nyata Tematik/KKN-T) of Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) for the odd semester of the 2025/2026 academic year carried out a program to revitalize Karo traditional arts and digitize MSME and tourism data in Lau Gumba Village, Berastagi Sub-district, Karo Regency.

The program was the community service theme of KKN-T USU 2025 Group KR-01, selected based on survey results and the needs of the local community. The revitalization focused on reactivating Karo traditional arts, while the digitalization was carried out through the compilation of MSME data and the tourism potential of Lau Gumba Village into an online platform.

Field Supervisor (Dosen Pembimbing Lapangan/DPL) of KR-01, Ahmad Arief Tarigan, S.Sn., M.Si., stated that the flagship program of the group was the revitalization of Karo traditional arts through the making of keteng-keteng musical instruments, training sessions, and performances involving village children.

“In addition to revitalizing traditional arts, the students also mapped MSMEs and the tourism potential of Lau Gumba Village into digital data, which was then presented through a website,” said Ahmad Arief Tarigan on Thursday (11/12/2025) in Lau Gumba Village.

The Ethnomusicology lecturer from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB) USU added that the utilization of digital technology needs to go hand in hand with community empowerment, particularly in preserving and strengthening local social and cultural values.

The Head of KR-01 KKN-T USU Lau Gumba Village, Herbet Taruli Siahaan, explained that the themes of revitalization and digitalization were determined after the group conducted direct observations and interviews in the field.

“Before the KKN began, we first collected data through field surveys. From there, we formulated the theme and flagship programs in accordance with the village’s needs, namely cultural revitalization and the digitalization of MSME and tourism data,” said Herbet.

The Head of Lau Gumba Village, Benny Bangun, welcomed the implementation of KKN-T USU 2025 in his area. He assessed that the arts revitalization and digitalization programs were aligned with Karo cultural richness as well as the village’s economic and tourism potential.

“This KKN student program is relevant to the culture and potential of Lau Gumba Village. Keteng-keteng training for children serves as a reminder of the richness of Karo traditional arts, while digitalization is greatly needed in today’s information technology era,” said Benny.

He expressed hope that the collaboration between USU and the Karo Regency Government, particularly the Lau Gumba Village Government, would continue in the future.

In addition to the flagship programs, KKN-T USU 2025 Group KR-01 also carried out a number of other activities, such as anti-bullying education, socialization on the dangers of excessive gadget use, the creation of a village bulletin board (mading), as well as routine activities including supplementary tutoring for children and community mutual cooperation activities.

KKN-T USU 2025 Group KR-01 in Lau Gumba Village took place from mid-September to mid-December 2025. The group consisted of students from the Ethnomusicology Study Program of FIB USU and the Psychology Study Program of USU, under the supervision of Ahmad Arief Tarigan, S.Sn., M.Si., as the field supervisor.