Normally, the hectic bustle and mayhem of on-campus festivals are associated with spring, when KAIST holds its annual Spring Festival. However, just as the weather is about to take a chilly turn this fall, an ambitious team that combines the forces of both the Undergraduate and Graduate Student Councils (with a little outside help), has organized the KAIST Art & Music Festival (KAMF).Established under the motto, “Enjoy Nature,” KAMF is striving to promote environmental conservation through implementing eco-friendly solutions during all events. All food stalls set up during KAMF are required to use reusable cutlery, such as ceramic plates or glass cups instead of the usual plastic alternatives. All promotional material, especially the posters set up around campus, was printed with recycled paper.

The Events
Set to take place on October 6, KAMF consists mainly of three parts. Number one is, of course, the performances. A wide variety of musicians have been invited, and the lineup includes well-known Korean independent bands such as Delispice, Acoustic Collabo, The Koxx, and Daybreak. There will be outdoor performances at the Outdoor Theater (W9) behind the Mechanical Engineering Building, on the lawn in front of the Digital Science Library (E9), and an indoor stage that will be set up inside the Sports Complex.
Part number two are the street performances - or “busking” - that are scheduled to take place in the area between the Main Administration Building (E14), the Creative Learning Building (E11), and E9. The actual concept, however, is more akin to an open stage where less well-known musicians can apply to perform. Applications were open to anyone with musical enthusiasm, including KAIST students. The busking stage will begin at 3:30 p.m., after performances by Acoustic Collabo and the band “We Play Because We Want To.”
The final piece of KAMF is the “art flea market” which will be open a day before and during the remaining duration of the festival. The flea market, as the name may suggest, is an open air space where various crafts and handiworks will be up for sale. Created with the objective of providing an opportunity for aspiring crafts artists to promote their work, 30 booths have been planned. Much like the open stage, though priority is given to university students or first-time vendors with creative ideas, participation is open to all parties. The flea market will open on the lawn in front of E14, next to the food stalls and the open stage.
Despite the deceptively open nature of the application process, the organizers are being strict with who eventually makes it to the stage. Applicants must submit an initial application online, and if selected by the committee, they then undergo an interview before being allowed to take part. Given the methodical thoroughness of the system the organizers have in place, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to assert that the quality of the performers and street vendors will be very high.

Tickets
Tickets were provided free of charge to all KAIST students up till September 24, but anyone who wants to buy one afterwards will need to pay a fee of 33,000 won. For non-KAIST students, tickets for the performances have been on sale on the online Korean shopping site Interpark (http://www.interpark.com). Tickets can be picked up at the main KAMF office, which will be set up on the day of the festival near the open stage. Regardless of any ticketing options chosen, those interested in only the flea market or open stage can do so without tickets.

Food
To solve any problems with hunger, the organizers have planned to place food stalls next to the flea market, providing a number of culinary options for visitors. For families or groups who want to bring their own consumables, a picnic area will also be set up in front of the library. The only caveat is that once you finish your meal, cleaning up after is a must.

Other Activities
KAMF organizers have planned a number of events to increase student interest. There are a wide variety of events linked to KAMF’s Facebook page, where if you like or comment on posts, you become eligible to participate in a raffle draw to take place after the festival. You can also take a photo of yourself and a KAMF promotional poster to enter a second raffle draw. Look up “KAMF” on Facebook, or head to http://www.facebook.com/KAMF2012 for details. A word of caution, the page is mostly in Korean, so post an inquiry on their page to get directions in English.
For those of you who enjoy photo sessions, KAMF will have Polaroid stations at every event area, for anyone who wants to take a quick snapshot of themselves.

Contacts
For people having a hard time figuring out where events are going to held, the organizers will have an information booth next to the flea market, but if you can’t spare the time to head there yourself, head to the following link: http://kamf.kaist.ac.kr or email the festival representatives at kamf.kaist@gmail.com.