The University of Seoul (UOS) held the Daedongje festival from May 18 to 20, after three years of inactivity. As it was the first festival for so many students who had joined the college after the outbreak of COVID-19, the whole campus was thrown into a state of feverish excitement during the three days.

This year, Daedongje was held under the theme “Zero to Hundred (Zero-100).” The theme came from the “zero to sixty record” common in car specifications, indicating the time a car takes to accelerate from zero to 60 mph. According to the Student Council Tomorrow (Naeil, in Korean), the theme was meant to make the festival reach its peak in an instant, celebrating its return after a long hiatus. After a congratulatory speech from Suh Soon-tak, the University President, the festival began in earnest with the loud sound of a car being started.
 

People had to move diligently around the campus to enjoy everything at this festival. The main street of the campus was filled with flea markets, various clubs and college booths, and food trucks. The street was crowded with customers looking for products to buy, students joining diverse games and events at the booths, and people waiting in line to get mouth-watering food and drinks. All the street benches were occupied; therefore, many people borrowed mats prepared by the Student Council to sit on the lawn. Irumae, the mascot of UOS, could be found not only on some of the souvenirs but also in the street as it appeared around the campus occasionally.
 

Entertainment is a must in any kind of festival. At the UOS Festival 2022, rides gained huge popularity at the vacant lot in front of the Student Center. Splendid performances by the several UOS clubs had also been presented, keeping the campus alive with various genres of music. In addition, several celebrities including BewhY, GIRIBOY, and HyunA visited UOS as guest singers, making everyone excited. The Student Council also held special events such as “Running Man,” a game of hide-and-seek in which the teams of 20 people from each college competed against each other, and “The Masked Singer,” a singing contest of masked anonymous students whose identities were revealed later. The winners of each event won quality prizes, and every participant in “The Masked Singer” proved how talented UOS students are.

All the students, faculty members, and visitors felt satisfied by the well-prepared festival with so many things to enjoy. It was such a pleasure seeing every member of UOS bonding with each other after a long period of separation. The UOS Times hopes the endemic to reveal itself in the near future so that people can fully enjoy this normal campus life all the time. 

Lee Seo-yeon
sy001109@uos.ac.kr