Akshaya Venugopal, the coordinator of Anchor, sat down with the BOSM English Press to discuss the club’s preparations for BOSM 2023. According to her, the events planned for this year are significantly superior to those of previous years. Anchor’s membership has increased considerably, from seven students last year to an anticipated twenty this year, enabling them to assume additional responsibilities during the fest.

Anchor’s BOSM ’23 events will feature their trademark “Pride Stall” and “Pride Run”. The Pride Stall will feature multiple entertaining activities, including the club’s unique take on the Rubik’s cube challenge. In their version of the game, each face of the cube has a pride flag on it. Akshaya emphasised the game’s massive popularity in previous years and is confident about its continued success.

The Pride Run, a previously co-anchored event with FitBITS, will now be organised by Anchor alone. Akshaya emphasised the mutual nature of the decision and their eagerness to assume sole responsibility for the event, urging all BITSians to participate in it.

When asked how Anchor’s BOSM events differ from other fests, Akshaya explained that while the stall remains relatively consistent, Oasis emphasises painting-related activities. However, BOSM holds a special significance for Anchor because it allows them to introduce themselves to first-year students and raise awareness of their work.

Akshaya, reflecting on the development of Anchor and the perception of LGBTQ+ issues on campus, noted that the organisation’s prominence on campus has increased since the pre-COVID era. She acknowledges that Anchor is better established among the post-pandemic batches than their initial online-only presence. In the future, Anchor hopes to have a more significant impact within the BITS Pilani community and throughout India. They are exploring initiatives such as raising awareness, supporting charities, and hosting unique events.