This semester, I had the opportunity to attend the Korean Festival put on by Ohio State Students. This was particularly interesting me because my roommate is Korean, and since I know little about the culture, I am trying to learn more. It was kind of a spur of the moment decision to go. I had spent the day at COSI for a project for my astronomy class. Then I went to Sloopy’s with my friends that went to COSI with me. One of them had to leave to go to the Korean Festival, and thinking it sounded cool, we both decided to go. Throughout the presentation, I got to see various musical acts, Taekwondo, and several different types of dance. The show also had mini breaks that featured the Korean drama created by Ohio State students. My roommate watches Korean dramas all the time, and it was really cool to see something that she really relates to. As she wasn’t able to attend the show herself, I recommended the show as soon as I got back to our dorm room.
My favorite part of the show was when one of the narrators of the show took a break from the narrating and did a duet with a guy playing a guitar. Not only was it really cute, but the song also featured both Korean and English. I feel that this blend of languages reflects the lives of many of the Korean-American students at The Ohio State University.
I also got to see a presentation that feature a combination of drums. Though the beats were a little intense for me, it showed me that the Korean Festival was a community event. There were older participants in this part of the show.
I also really enjoyed the Taekwondo that Ohio State students presented. What I found interesting about this part, was the majority of students participating were white and not Korean. This wasn’t the only part of the show that featured non-Korean students. A group of students sang several K-Pop songs together. Two of the students weren’t Korean, but that didn’t stop them from rapping in Korean. Being able to speak another language is one thing but being able to rap in another language is an entirely different level. Though Korean culture is most likely not their native culture, it is amazing to see how much they embraced it and how passionate they are about showing their love for anything Korean to the rest of the world. During this, I looked over at one of my friends, who was singing along to the song. I was in awe. I knew she listens to BTS, a really famous K-Pop boyband, but I had no idea she could sing along to the songs.
Overall, it was cool to see how supportive the student body was as the room was completely packed. Experiencing a culture that I know little about was also extremely exciting. When I got back to the dorm, I told my roommate everything.