On May 28th, 2024, the Dongguk University Spring Festival was held. The school festival is a representative event that shows the school’s traditions and culture. Furthermore, it is a time to bring joy to both Korean and foreign students, as well as to share Dongguk University’s diversity and culture. The spring festival, which is meaningful for everyone, is expected to be a new experience, especially for foreigners. In the previous newspaper articles that the Dongguk Post has published, regarding the festival, the school festival was viewed through the perspective of Korean students. However, this year, the Dongguk Post plans to capture the festival from the perspective of international students. Let us look at how students from various countries enjoy our school’s traditions and culture.
2024 spring festival “Mu-a-ji-gyeong”
This year’s spring festival was held under the name of “Muajigyeong.” Muajigyeong is a Korean term that refers to “a state of transcending the self” in Buddhist philosophy and has a significant meaning for the stage of enlightenment. “As we leave our spring days of May behind and move on to the sunny summer days of June, we hope to create a festival that mesmerizes the participants to a level where they forget themselves,” said the festival planning team regarding the reason for such naming.
What events took place in the festival this spring? First, Paljeongdo performances were held again this year for all three days of the festival. Various clubs from Dongguk University teams participated in the performance, including Dodoomchit, Mupoong, and Hansori. Meanwhile, booths were held throughout Paljeongdo and Manhae Square to add to the festive atmosphere. Food trucks selling various foods such as Tteokbokki, chicken, Octopus Balls, etc., various club promotion booths, and game booths were operated. Additionally, night booths were also operated, and it was filled with students, professors, and outsiders.
In addition to booths, various events were held on campus to celebrate the festival. Photo booths were operated throughout the school, showcasing special templates with the chairman and the president featuring in it. Various sponsorship events were held by companies such as Taegeukdang and Red Bull. In Paljeongdo, Red Bull energy drinks and Taegeukdang Monakas were distributed free of charge to students. Also, 13 Instagram story filters made by the school were released this year. These Instagram story filters were made more diverse and trendy from filters in the form of polaroids to filters with lucky four-leaf clovers.
Through the festival website operated by Dongguk University’s main club, “Like a Lion,” students were able to check various information related to the festival. According to the website, the most popular booths during the festival were You Are Solo, DREAMBUCKS, and Juyajangcheon. The “You Are Solo” booth was a parody of “I Am Solo,” a popular Korean dating show. The booth was managed by the Department of Management Information. It operated a program that allowed people to have meetings while eating at the booth. “DREMBUCKS” was operated by DREAMER, the student division comprehensive admission ambassadors at Dongguk University, and they sold delicious drinks and desserts to students at affordable prices. “Juyajangcheon” The booth was operated by the Department of Chinese and Chinese Literature, which gained huge popularity among students by selling Chinese food to suit the characteristics of the department.
The highlight of the festival, the celebrities’ performances
The highlight of the festival, celebrities’ performances, were held in the main stadium. Singers attended to celebrate the festival in the spring of 2024. This year, the unprecedented lineup received positive responses from many Donggukians. The performing line-up included many popular celebrities such as Day6, PSY, 10CM, and New Jeans. Many students lined up in front of the Grand Stadium, hours early before it started to watch the performance upfront. This year’s festival had not only current students but also many outsiders visiting Dongguk University to watch the performance. This led many people to wait more than an hour to watch the performance. The line that led to the Namsan promenade proved the festival’s heat and popularity. Kim Eun-sung (Department of Business Administration 22) is a fan of DAY6 and has been in line since 11:30 A.M. to watch the performance in the first row. As soon as she received the ticket, she went to the playground and waited for the singers to come from 1 P.M. to evening. Asked if it was hard to wait, Kim said, “I could not go out of the main stadium because I should not leave my seat for a long time. But I was able to see DAY6 in the first row, and it was nice to see them up close.”
The lineup not only entertained Korean students, but also excited many international students. Juliette (Department of Business Administration 24), who watched the performance, said that it was her first time seeing a celebrity come to a school festival because in her country, there are some concerts at school festivals but the singers are not famous. When a student from France (Department of Business Administration 24) asked about the performance, she said, “I knew these artists, especially I wanted to come for Psy, Day6, and 10CM. I had so much fun. I enjoyed the moments.”
On the other hand, the lineup was satisfactory, but the ticket line was too long, and there were many soundrelated problems during the singer’s performance. Actually, during the singer Jannabi’s performance, the performance was delayed for about three minutes due to sound problems and external control problems.
Hearing the experiences of international students
Then, let us find out how the festivals of foreign universities proceed through interviews with international students. Juliette said “My university was not very big and the festival was pretty small. It is only a day long, it starts around noon and finishes around 11:30 P.M.. Like in Korea, there are some food and drink booths, however no alcohol is served so I was a bit surprised. There are games, and some shows (dance, martial arts...etc.) but not many places to sit down and enjoy food for example.” When she was asked about the school festival atmosphere, she said, “Personally I did not participate in my university festival because I lived far from the campus. However, I know many people went, especially to the daytime events.” Additionally, she said that festivals are not considered a big event in schools like Korea and it was so nice and fun because the professor finished the class early for the festival today. She said that the scale Dongguk University festival was grand, which was a new experience. Another international student said “I think my country’s university is much more smaller and less popular among students. I did not expect to have this many things here.” As such, foreign students felt fresh and fun in the school festival atmosphere different from their university festivals. When asked what was the most impressive booth, Juliet replied that it was a food booth. In addition, when asked what her favorite booth was, Juliet answered that it was a food booth because she could try different kinds of Korean food with her friends.
The Dongguk Post looked at the university festival atmosphere in other countries. In Korea, festivals are considered an important event in schools, and usually, students study, but on that day, there is a culture in which people come out and play, not in libraries. Furthermore, through the festival, students get energy and are united as one. In France, on the other hand, the festival is held on a smaller scale than in Korea, and the festival itself is not considered a big event in schools. And rather than having famous singers come, small band groups perform. In addition, many outsiders visit the school festival, not only school students but also their families and residents. However, both are school festivals, and many students participate in the festival and enjoy it for one day. Festivals have something in common: they are university festivals, but they differ slightly or greatly in that they reflect the traditions and culture of each country and its school.
This year’s Spring Festival at Dongguk University was a vibrant hub of cultural exchange, transcending the typical festivities to foster mutual understanding and closeness among all students, both international and Korean. Through the spring festival, Donggukians explored a mosaic of cultures and traditions, enriching their campus experience. Seen through the eyes of international students, the festival offered a fresh and distinct perspective. The Dongguk Post looks forward to more such inclusive events, hoping that they continue to diversify and enhance the festival experience for every Donggukian.