Abhinav Palaparthy, coordinator of Informalz, looked both weary and excited for BOSM. With less than 2 weeks left, his brain has gone into hyper drive, working out all the event dynamics. ‘This year, the whole planning phase is more structured and allotment of duties is more focussed and efficient’, Abhinav said.

A total of 4 events have been chalked out for BOSM. They range from variations of childhood classics like ‘Seven Stones’ to brainy challenges such as Anti chess. Along with Seven Stones, the other outdoor game planned has been labelled Castle Siege; details of the event are still being worked out. One could spot a makeshift shield and a ton of cans lying around though. Anti-chess contains around 8 to 9 fresh variations on chess every year. A new addition to the list this year is a hybrid between Carrom and Monopoly.

On the role of Informalz in BOSM, Abhinav said, ‘The role of the department has changed over time and rather than keep the people engaged, and the role has become to brighten the mood and market the fest as fun and entertaining as compared to other colleges.’

The department has planned all the events out and the main task of implementation has begun. The upcoming week will comprise a major fraction of the work that the department does for BOSM. Hours that need to be put in are large and academics do take a hit. However, he says, ‘The trade-off is that this leads to a smooth sailing of events during BOSM and makes their functioning easier.’

As coordinator, Abhinav didn’t expect a lot of work load initially, but as the work started building up he realized that attention to detail was a key factor. Fixing details took quite a bit of time. His main job involves managing four second year teams that are working on the events but he also likes to stay involved and participates actively in implementation. He looks forward to ideating for the various events Informalz will conduct throughout this year, as he really enjoys thinking up new ideas.

Informalz events are a major attraction during BOSM. Active participation by the students is always a good sign and encourages departments to step up their game every year. Make sure you do attend the events and have fun!