Experiencing 고연전 (Ko-Yon Games)

As I had mentioned in my previous post, the Ko-Yon Games took place last weekend and it was the most amazing weekend ever! It was two days of non-stop cheering (literally) and the most intense school spirit I have ever witnessed! Even though I am only here at KU for a short time, I really feel an immense amount of pride for this school. I was so moved by all the love and pride that Korean students have for their school and I couldn't help but join in their cheers at 고연전.

Cheering at sports events here is nothing like I've ever seen or imagined. Instead of just sitting and paying attention to the match, we sing and dance along to our school's cheering songs as a form of support for our team. There are cheerleaders who lead the crowd and loud music is playing during the matches and everyone is so full of energy. It really makes me wonder if the athletes ever get distracted by all the commotion! Nevertheless, the stadium is just filled with a great atmosphere~

The first day of the Ko-Yon Games included baseball, basketball, and ice hockey. KU was off to a great start as we won the baseball match which was the first event.

Basketball and ice hockey were next and they were held at the same time. However, basketball required a ticket to get in and seats were very limited so I ended up going to watch ice hockey with my KUBA group. Although we ended up losing in the ice hockey match, we heard from others that KU won for basketball! We were a bit gloomy at the end of the day because of the loss in ice hockey, but we were all still confident that KU would win it all because we already had two victories on the first day and we just needed to win one more event the next day!

So on the second day, the last two events were rugby and soccer. After losing the rugby match, the tension definitely rose by a lot. It meant that we were tied with Yonsei 2-2. The last match which was soccer was definitely the most nerve-wracking match. The game seemed to drag on forever as both teams were not scoring any goals. In the end, luck was in our favor as KU scored the one and only goal near the end of the second half. It was definitely a close game but KU came out victorious in the end! :)

    After the games were over, everyone (including Yonsei students) headed back to Anam, which is the area where Korea University is located. Sadly, I wasn't able to join in the after-game celebrations but I did hear stories about it after.

Typically, you would expect the cheering to be over after the games ended but it was definitely far from being over. That night the streets of Anam were packed with KU and Yonsei students singing and dancing and cheering until the wee hours of the morning. Students were able to go around Anam and get free food and drinks from restaurants in celebration of KU's victory. (My roommate later told me that the free food and drinks were "sponsored" by KU alumni.) When they weren't busy cheering on the streets, some students went back to KU's campus to celebrate some more and enjoy drinks on the front lawn. Celebrations lasted all the way until 5am!

I am so glad I got to be a part of 고연전 and it will be an experience I will never forget.