As fall arrived, CBNU was filled with the passion of youth. Held for three days from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, 2026, the Gaesin Daedongje (CBNU’s festival) created memories for students and visitors under the theme “Everis; Forever Rising Youth.” Booths and hands-on events continued during the day, and spectacular performances followed at night, keeping the campus full of energy for all three days.

  The festival nights heated up with spectacular performances. N.Flying, DAYOUNG, and OURBIRTHDAY took the stage on Sept. 30, the first day of the performances, and Ash Island, CHANGMO, H1-KEY, and ODD YOUTH performed on Oct. 1, the second day, drawing enthusiastic responses from the audience.

  Kim Jae-woo (Sejong City, 25) also expressed satisfaction with the performances. He said the “Find Your Ideal Type” guest stage held during the performances was the most memorable, and that he was also satisfied with the various foods he enjoyed after the show. He said, “I hope students fully enjoy the festival, which is considered the highlight of college life, and build good memories.”

  This year, corporate booths were added to those run by students, offering a wider variety of activities. Around the entrance of the Student Union Building (E3), events such as a brand pop-up with Connect Hyundai Cheongju, RED BULL drink sampling, and the “RED BULL WINGS CUP,” the qualifying round of the EA SPORTS FC 27 university league played on PlayStation, were held. Tempting smells never stopped coming from the food booths and trucks, and lines of students eager to participate formed in front of the hands-on booths.

  One of these was the “Insaeng Cham Dalgona (Life Is So Sweet)” booth run by students from the Dept. of Forest Science. Dalgona was made by melting sugar, adding baking soda to puff it up, and pressing it with a shaped mold to harden it. It brought back childhood memories. Making dalgona, talking with the booth staff, and participating in prize draws felt like stepping out of the classroom and briefly returning to childhood.

  Every time someone passed by the caricature booth, two or three groups were standing in line. The basic fee was 5,000 KRW, with an additional 5,000 KRW for each extra person. At the four-cut photo booth across from it, visitors could also capture their memories in photos. Students enjoyed the different charms of the two booths, capturing moments with friends or partners in drawings and photos.

  Lee Jin-yang (School of Semiconductor Engineering, 21), who had caricatures drawn with friends, said, “The caricature the artist drew so passionately became a good memory with the precious people I met at university.” Lee added that even the time spent waiting for the drawing blended with the festival atmosphere and added to the excitement.

  Those who wanted a different experience visited the booth for saju—a traditional Korean fortune-telling based on the year, month, day, and hour of a person’s birth. An expert who has read saju for over two decades drew attention by giving consultations in person while wearing Hanbok. When a CBT reporter sat down and shared a birth date and time of birth, the expert kindly explained everything from natural personality traits to this year’s fortune and future career path. Some parts of the explanation seemed surprisingly accurate. Although it was just for fun, it was a unique experience to briefly look back on oneself and think about the future amid a busy daily life.

  The “Nawara Ttukttak” mini-game booth stirred up competitive spirit with simple challenges. Games such as placing a coin on a lemon floating in water and dropping a coin into a small cup inside a glass of water were prepared. Each challenge cost 1,000 KRW, and participants could win up to 10,000 KRW depending on whether they succeeded. The CBT reporter also took on the challenge but narrowly failed, as it was harder than expected. The games looked easy but were not easy once actually tried, which made them tempting to try again.

  Although the three-day festival came to a successful close, some disappointments remained. Some students raised concerns about the process of selecting the performance lineup, and others complained that “Ju(酒) Jeongcha Guyeok” lacked space for the number of visitors. The outdoor atmosphere was pleasant. However, some said they were disappointed that the drinks they received after a long wait were lukewarm. These issues highlight areas for improvement at next year’s festival.