The long-awaited 2022 Taewool Seoklim Festival was held for three days from May 16 to May 18. The event was organized and promoted by IMGEFFECT, the KAIST Festival Preparation Committee. Due to the persistent spread of COVID-19 in Daejeon, IMGEFFECT withdrew from the annual custom of holding various club booths and celebrity performances, which will instead be organized for the coming Fall semester on a larger scale. However, a combination of online and offline programs was devised under the theme of “Sports Day” to maintain the hype and atmosphere while allowing for wider participation of students. 

Throughout the festival, IMGEFFECT kept in touch with the student community through various media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Youtube, posting rulebooks and information on how to participate and answering any questions posed by participants. A wide variety of incentives were offered to encourage more students to take part and publicize the festival. IMGEFFECT selected several students who liked and shared their posts on social media via a lucky draw to win prizes such as iPhones and gift vouchers. Furthermore, students who partook in the festival received a stamp for each event, which they could collect to receive free goods. 

The online events took place on May 16, which consisted of a relay game and an Instagram Treasure Hunt. In the relay game, students solved quizzes and betted on the final winner of sports games using the given hints in every round. More valuable prizes, including a Nintendo Switch and an Apple watch, were distributed to students who betted the highest number of chips on the top three winning teams. Students who participated in the Instagram Treasure Hunt found and solved hidden problems; winners were selected from those who submitted the correct answers through the IMGEFFECT KakaoTalk chatbot. 

Students also had the opportunity to enjoy the face-to-face programs held from May 17 to May 18 at the sports field next to the Sports Complex (N3). The Sang-Sang (Imagination) Sports Day included the Pool Mission, where students dived into a giant ball pool to find and carry out missions written on pieces of paper inside the ball pool, and other games like the magnetic fishing game, the pirate roulette, and the Giant Pinball Game. Additionally, a photo zone was located next to the games, where students could wear various props and take memorable photos. 

The highlight of the Taewool Seoklim Festival was the evening busking performances that were showcased on May 17 and May 18 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the open space in front of N13-1. More than 30 group and individual performers gave the audience a taste of various genres of the performing arts such as vocals, bands, dances, musicals, beatboxing, and rap, presenting rare talents and unique artistic interpretations. Visitors were freely provided with props such as balloons and small takeaway gifts. 

Despite the restrictions posed by the pandemic, the 2022 Taewool Seoklim Festival brought renewed spirit and energy to campus through diverse online and offline events. A large number of students took part in both types of programs. IMGEFFECT looks forward to organizing more events to increase the scale of festivals compared to any other year.