The 2021 Orientation (OT) was held online from Feb. 15 to 18, followed by a matriculation ceremony on Feb. 19 which was also hosted over Zoom. Contrary to last year, when the event was planned to be held on campus but was canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions, this year’s OT demonstrated a complete revamp that received positive acclaim. The Postech Times interviewed Park Ha-yun (CHEM 17), Chief of OT Advisory Committee, to gain insight into what made that week’s episode so special.

Summary of Events
The OT was held for four days. On the first day, an ice breaker activity was planned following a brief welcome speech. For the ice breaker, an escape room style game based on the Student Union Building was prepared. For the second day, a mission tour was prepared to help the freshmen familiarize themselves with the layout of the campus. Videos showing how to move between various buildings were prepared. Presentations from student unions and organizations were also carried out this day. For the remaining two days, mandatory freshmen education sessions and presentations from clubs were carried out. Also, throughout the entire course of events, freshmen could play an online turn-based RPG game with a Hogwarts theme to further enjoy the OT.

Hopes and Expectations
I partook in the OT Advisory Committee last year, which was sadly canceled. This disappointment led me to try again this year. Unlike last year, I was determined and ready to prepare an OT that would not fall apart in this chaos. I also wanted to make a pleasing experience for both the freshmen and the Advisory Committee.
As this year’s OT was carried out online, it was possible to replace some tedious activities with shorter lectures instead. This allowed us to plan a more relaxing yet prolific OT for the freshmen who would otherwise have sat in front of computers for a long time. We also tried to modify existing programs to make sure that the freshmen got all the information they needed in a fun way.
Furthermore, to make this OT a bit more meaningful, we invited POSTECH alumni Kim Cho-yeop (SF Novelist) and Park Chan-hoo (Geekble CEO) to give lectures.

Upon Finishing the OT
Of course, this being an online OT, it was a shame that we could not carry out some of the activities that we originally wanted to do. Also, due to the 5-person limit for gatherings, even the Advisory Committee could not get together to prepare, plan, or hang out. Nevertheless, it was a pleasure to be a part of this special online OT that pushed boundaries. Thank you to all those who helped prepare and carry out this event. To the planning team, the guide team, the design team, the video team, the stage club team, and all other members of the committee, I express my gratitude. I hope that the freshmen feel a strong sense of belonging in the POSTECH community after this event.