With Oasis just around the corner, the Oasis English Press sat down with Rijul Bassamboo, the StuCCAn of the Department of Reception and Accommodation (RecNAcc), to gather insights about their preparations for the fest.

Rijul explained that they are tasked with handling inventory required by all the participating clubs and departments. This included setting up stalls and managing their resources. Additionally, RecNAcc catered to the accommodation of all outstation participants, guests, performing artists, and their teams. Talking about the theme for Oasis’24 — Regal Roulette — Rijul mentioned that they incorporate it in their panel each year. He revealed it to be the first thing the outstation participants see during their registration.

Rijul explained that the major preparatory work for RecNAcc usually begins  30–45 days before the fest. This year, the department began their work in the last week of September. He mentioned that before the fest began, RecNAcc needed to get permissions from all relevant authorities, as well as oversee the work related to accommodation and resource management. This included, but was not limited to, the movement of trucks, tenting, poling, and managing the hygiene of the various accommodation centres and hostel common rooms.

Rijul mentioned that this year, more than five hundred outstation female participants were anticipated to be a part of Oasis. However, the common rooms of Meera Bhawan were not sufficient to accommodate them. Rijul assured us that the department was actively looking for accommodation sites both inside and outside campus, such as the Staff Quarters or the Malviya Studio Apartments, and that the issue would be resolved before the fest began.

When asked about his experience as a StuCCAn, Rijul talked about the compulsory deduction of ₹1950 that was charged by the StuCCA. He said that this year, major financial crunches were faced and now that the issue has been resolved, the StuCCA is working hard to make the fest a grand success. He expressed his satisfaction about working with other StuCCAns as well as the Coordinators of other clubs and departments.

Rijul concluded the discussion by encouraging all BITSians to stay back for Oasis and enjoy it to the fullest. He even expressed his wish for the final year students, who are currently at Practice School-II, to come back to campus and indulge in the festivities.