On May 26, from 3:00P.M. to 10:00P.M. at the Green Field, Korea University (KU) held the 40th Annual Ipselenti “Jiya Hamsung (Roar of Wisdom and Wildness)”, an annual festival where clubs and individual students from KU, along with guest celebrities, perform for the audience. This year, a student rapper from the Department of Mathematics and the Korea University Dance Team (KUDT), among others, gave stellar performances. The Korea University Cheerleaders (KUC), new recruits in tow, also effortlessly helped entertain KU students. Throughout the festival, Huh Il-hoo, a KU alumnus who works as an anchorman for Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), served as the host.

 

The guest celebrities that were invited ranged from the nascent female duo band Bolbbalgan Sachungi to more seasoned singers such as Wheesung and Younha. All the guests performed three to four songs, including their signature pieces. “TT” from the female group Twice and “Running in the Sky” by Lee Juck were among the songs that received the most fanfare. KUC also held an event beforehand where KU students who sent KUC recordings of themselves singing one of Wheesung’s songs could be given the chance to sing alongside Wheesung on Ipselenti day. After KUC initially narrowed down the candidates to three students, Wheesung chose the student with whom he wished to perform his song “Heartsore Story.”

 

Although most students were enthralled by the guest celebrities’ performances and cheered in frenzied excitement, this year’s Ipselenti was not without its problems. For one, numerous unauthorized drones were employed during the festival to take photos, which, as members of KUC pointed out, posed a serious danger to the students below. Furthermore, there was a general tendency for students to mill too closely to the stage, which was only exacerbated when Twice arrived, and several guest celebrities had to advise audiences to take a few steps back. Due to the abnormally large number of people who came to Ipselenti, some students reportedly passed out and were escorted to a nearby hospital. Nevertheless, the hugely positive reactions from the audience marked the 40th Ipselenti as a rousing success.