As the neglected hamlet of Pilani is set to spring alive with the colours of Oasis this October, the campus will soon be abuzz with activity and departments and clubs are pulling out all stops to ensure the running of a smooth fest. The department of Informalz has added a unique tinge to the fest since its inception with unconventional and quirky events. The charismatic coordinator, Jyotiroop Das, required hardly any prompt to launch into an eloquent description of the events being prepared.

Informalz will conduct five events in addition to making the traditional theme based structure. This year, the structure will be using optical techniques to bring to life the essence of the theme, Of Gods and Men. Despite the nearing midsemester exams stealing a fair share of available man hours, Jyoti is confident that his dexterous team will ensure flawless conceptualisation and smooth execution of the structure.

The Oasis Treasure Hunt, indubitably the most hyped and acclaimed amongst informalz events, has always had more than 1300 participants and as usual will be conducted in the FD-II QT. With seven clues including a grand connect, the participating teams are set in a race against time and have to push themselves to the very limits of their intellectual capacities in order to hit the jackpot. It is a usual sight to see the teams shrieking in exaltation after cracking a code and sprinting towards the implied location. The department may come out with an app to prevent teams following in these footfalls and reverse engineering the clues, by ensuring that each of them mandatorily crosses all the checkpoints. The atmosphere is usually pregnant with anxiety and anticipation, and the department members are pestered incessantly for assistance.

The next event – Beg, Borrow, Steal – traditionally takes place the following morning, although this year plans are being made to alter its structure and spread it out during the course of three days, to add intensity to an event that may hit saturation. Teams are required to procure items in the provided list and quirky interpretations of these random items never cease to amuse. The Entertainment Quiz tests deducing power of the quizzers in addition to trivia and boasts of a wide range of fun-filled rounds. The customary new event is built from scratch and Jyoti did not wish to compromise the element of suspense.

Last, but not the least, is Mr and Miss Oasis (MAMO), which witnesses a footfall of around 1500 and garners much appreciation from the non-BITSian crowd. About ten selected contestants attempt to charm the judges and audience with their live performances and perky poise, usually resulting in an ecstatic crowd picking their favourites and chanting their names.

Jyoti is certain that his Department’s events will spice up the fest with their characteristic piquant flavour, by providing intellectual stimuli mingled with electric entertainment. He advised us to keep our fingers crossed as we wait to savour the Oasis experience.