The Oasis English Press (OEP) sat down with Sajal Yadav, the President of the Students’ Union and the StuCCAn, Finance, to gather some insight into his work for the upcoming fest.

Sajal explained that he began his work as the StuCCAn, Finance after being elected as the President of the Students’ Union in September . He also highlighted that the preparations for the fest had begun long before he had been elected, with the other StuCCAns having worked for the past six months.

He stated that his work encompassed all aspects of the fest, emphasising that although, on paper he was simply the StuCCAn, Finance, in reality, the job was highly demanding, as finances formed the backbone of every part of the fest. He explained that his duties involved approving and negotiating club budgets, attending tendering meetings, and working towards making the fest as cost-effective as possible without compromising on the student experience. He appreciated the smooth communication and coordination between StuCCA and the various participating clubs on campus and stated that there was no friction between the two bodies.

On the topic of the mandatory Oasis fee-deduction from the student body, Sajal emphasised that it was not his decision alone, but a motion put forth by the StuCCA and voted in by the GBM. However, he did speak in favour of this deduction, saying that it was essential in preserving the legacy of the fest and emphasising that Oasis is something that is very important to the BITSian experience. He also explained that the fee, which he described as ‘nominal’, was crucial in preserving the scale of Oasis and the outward image of the college. Regarding the increased student expectations being derived from these deductions , he stated that there were new and exciting events lined up for the GBM, such as Fake Sangeet and Pet Therapy. He also noted the pre-fest Red Bull Juggernaut event as something that would help live up to these expectations. Sajal also highlighted that each professional show will have two artists in lieu of one artist and opening acts.

On a concluding note, Sajal encouraged the student body to ‘enjoy this fest to the fullest’. He specifically urged the fresher batch not to worry about academics for the duration of the fest and to attend as many events as possible, noting that the first Oasis is always the most memorable.