By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter

Orientation parties for university freshmen are rapidly turning into mini-concerts, causing concern among people who still reminisce that such parties should remain an intimate gathering with seniors.

Popular entertainers such as ``Big Bang'' and ``Girls' Generation'' dominate the parties while there is little time for seniors to talk about romance and problems on campus.

Girls' Generation performed at 15 events, while Big Bang showed up at an Ewha Womans University party, V.O.S and Brown Eyed Girls sang at Yonsei University. Comedian Yoo Sang-moo even hosted the Hankuk University of Foreign University (HUFS) party.

To freshmen, the party is all fun. Students' associations, who mostly manage the events, say they intend to draw the attention of freshmen who do not like hear stories but prefer to have fun.

``I love my school! I cannot believe I can get to see Big Bang. I didn't want to attend the orientation but they made me change my mind!'' an anxious freshman of Ewha Womans University said.

Her friends agreed. `` I thought orientation would be boring, having to listen to other people talking about something I can't imagine. But inviting these stars actually made me want to go there,'' another Big Bang fan and school freshman said.

The schools also prefer such entertainers. ``This year, we filled the Olympic Hall with freshmen. I think it was more of a festival that the collegians-to-be could enjoy. It also was a great promotion for the school, too,'' Lee So-young, HUFS spokeswoman said.

However, there are people who criticize such lavish events. They said the spirit of orientation is to provide freshmen with advice about the schools. ``But they are turning it into a blockbuster party for youngsters. I miss the time when we had little talks about which class was good, which professor was nice or which cafeteria I could recommend,'' Chung Sun-ae, a graduate school student, sighed.

The fact that attending these parties is expensive, is drawing criticism. Many bands reportedly cost around 5-10 million won per two or three songs and some even takes 20 million won per session. ``In the days when college fees mount up to 10 million won, staging those extravagant events seems obnoxious,'' Shim Ja-young, a university senior, said.

bjs@koreatimes.co.kr