Daedong Festival, the annual school festival organized every May by the Student Government Association (SGA), has been postponed to the fall semester due to the novel coronavirus. Following this decision, the Office of Communications hosted the Sodong Festival to comfort students’ frustration. Two videos introducing a portion of the upcoming Daedong Festival were uploaded on the school’s official YouTube channel at the end of May.
The first video starred Siloam, the school’s Mandolin orchestra club. In the video, the club members made tteokkochi in front of the Student Union Building. Selling tteokkochi, rice cake skewers with sweet and spicy sauce, served with puffed grains has been a long tradition of Siloam.
“When it comes to the food of Daedong Festival, we are proud to say that Siloam's tteokkochi is one of those food that represent Daedong Festival,” Kim Chae-jung, the president of Siloam and sophomore in the Department of Science Education, said. “The Office of Communications requested our club to cooperate and we consented because we wanted to introduce our club’s tteokkochi, which is made with a sauce recipe that has been handed down from our seniors since 1999.”
Although students cannot go around campus with their friends, taste various foods, and enjoy the festival at the moment, Kim believes that watching videos of Sodong Festival can become a pleasurable element for students who have no choice but to stay at home. As for freshmen who have not yet experienced such festival, Sodong Festival can give them an indirect experience of the event. Other students can be entertained, reminisce about their previous memories of Daedong Festival, and look forward to the upcoming one planned to be held next semester.
“Preparing and filming the video was beneficial to our club as well,” Kim added. “Due to the coronavirus outbreak, our club was not able to hold any activities so far. However, by participating in Sodong Festival, our club members were able to mingle and cooperate. Moreover, since we have not yet received many applications from newcomers, we hope that the video will better inform students about our orchestra and lead to promotional effects.”
For the upcoming Daedong Festival, Kim plans to purchase a large amount of ingredients, and make tteokkochi in a hygienic way. The host of Sodong Festival who tried a sample of tteokkochi and commented that it was ‘crisp on the outside and soft on the inside,’ Kim hopes students will experience the nice texture of Siloam’s tteokkochi in the future.
Along with Siloam, the school’s drawing club, Grim Girls also participated in Sodong Festival by presenting their handmade goods in the second video uploaded on YouTube.
Jeong Da-un, president of Grim Girls and junior in the Department of Library & Information Science, explained that Grim Girls were invited to participate in the event by the Office of Communications because the caricature fans and postcards the club sells every year at Daedong Festival were popular among students that they always end up being sold out.
“At first, my members and I were very nervous to stand before the camera,” Jeong said. “However, our nerves loosened up quickly when we met MC Yubaba, the filming director, and a staff of the Office of Communications, who all created a comfortable atmosphere at the set. I hope students receive the joy Grim Girls’ caricature delivers and visit our booth at Daedong Festival. We welcome all students as models of our drawings.”
When asked about the use of profits made at Daedong Festival, both clubs replied that it will be used for their club activities. Siloam shared their plans which was repairing musical instruments and preparing for their regular concert posters and pamphlets. As for Grim Girls, they are considering going to exhibitions and dining together with members of the club.
For the specific date of this year’s Daedong Festival, refer to SGA’s upcoming notice.