From May 8 to 9, POSTECH’s annual Sunrise Festival took place under the slogan “RUSH,” which symbolizes the energy and emotions flooding in.

The festivities started at 1 P.M. on the first day, with various activity booths taking place. Student club booths, such as Guerbois’s face-painting booth, were especially popular. Booths prepared by the Advisory Committee of the Sunrise Festival also added to the excitement of the festival, with students crowding around to try interactive booths such as “Portrider RUSH+” and “POstacking.”

Unfortunately, the starting time was delayed by an hour on the second day due to bad weather conditions. However, not even the pouring rain could stop the festive energy. “Culture Muncher,” a booth led by exchange students and PBUD members, had students lining up to try dishes from various cultures. The basketball club POBBA sold bingsu, which was so popular that it sold out in just a few hours.

“I think it’s really fun, especially when compared to Austria,” said Lisa, an exchange student. “All the activities you can do here – it’s very nice. It shows the youth in people. Being adults, just drinking and enjoying your time.” 

Britta, a performer in POSTECH’s dance club CTRL-D, shared her perspective as well. “I’ve really enjoyed it so far,” she said. “For the performance, we worked hard, practicing every day. It’s nice to finally perform.”

Seo Jun-hee (Mueunjae 24), who performed with Bremen and VOCES, stated that both clubs prepared for months. Reflecting the tremendous effort they put in, both performed wonderfully. She expressed that she relished the performances and felt a sense of pride and satisfaction at having performed well. Clubs passionately prepared performances of various genres, making the festival even more enjoyable. Although the rain caused concerns about the instruments’ conditions due to humidity, thanks to the careful attention and support from the partner company, all clubs were able to complete their performances.

Behind the success of the Sunrise Festival, the Advisory Committee played a huge role. On March 6, 38 students came together to form a team, and they spent the next two months working tirelessly for festival preparations. Not only did they plan the stage and student booths, but they also prepared special booths, like the escape room and the haunted house, for students to enjoy. The Advisory Committee had a huge role in ensuring the students’ safety as well, patrolling the area with the medical team and the safety team.

The Advisory Committee also made various efforts to ensure that foreign exchange students could participate smoothly in the festival. They posted English card news on social media and organized the haunted house event in dormitory 16 (DICE), which is primarily used by exchange students. English was used at information and planning booths, as well as during stage announcements.

We interviewed Kim Hyeong-nam (LIFE 22), the general affairs manager of the Advisory Committee. According to him, the biggest challenge was the bad weather conditions on the second day. However, the Advisory Committee worked together to respond quickly, allowing them to conduct stage rehearsals successfully and operate most of the daytime booths.

Despite the setbacks, the Sunrise Festival truly lived up to its slogan, “RUSH.” It was a festival full of energy, excitement, and community spirit. Thanks to the dedication of the Advisory Committee of the Sunrise Festival, along with the participation of student-led clubs and the engagement of Postechians, the Sunrise Festival will live in Postechians’ memories for years.