BITS Pilani’s Poetry Club is a forum for those who are interested in poetry to improve their poetic prowess with regular theme-based sessions. For Oasis, this club organises two events – Rap Wars and Slam Poetry.

Rap Wars is a kernel event conducted by Poetry Club. “It has been happening for ages”, says Mohini, Joint Coordinator. The prelims conducted across India during summer vacations in four different cities – Kolkata, Bangalore, Mumbai, and Delhi – yielded seven finalists. Unlike some of the other competitions in BITS Pilani, this competition is open to everyone, of all ages. You can expect college students and professional rappers locking horns in this contest of words and rhythm.

The first day of this event will be the finals and the second day is a performance by the finalists and the DJ. No judging happens during the second day.

The Poetry Club also conducts Slam Poetry (a verbal expression of written poetry). This time, the Poetry Club has decided to venture beyond the usual, capitalising on the recent rise in popularity of slam poetry. Students and societies involved in this activity from different cities will now be given a chance to perform in this competition. With online entries being submitted by outstation students and live performances being given by BITSians (which also serves as a preliminary round), a few are shortlisted to perform on the day of the contest. Judges from DU and poetry societies in Delhi will be called to evaluate the contenders. “I expect Slam to be a big success, better than any of the previous editions because we had prelims for both BITSians and non BITSians and we are inviting the best ones” says Awaneesh Shukla, coordinator of the Poetry Club.”

The entire club has been kept on its toes to see everything through, given the difficulty of handling online registrations and reaching out to colleges and institutions. It’s tough work, but necessary; perhaps it will pay off with a splendid Oasis ’17.