Jayant Jain, the coordinator of the Department of Stage Controls, was carefully removing the carrots and onions from his veg maggi when the Oasis English Press went to interview him. After finishing his maggi and preaching his doctrine of ahimsa and brahmacharya, Jayant walked swiftly to the backstage QT where exhausted juniors hammered metal rods into shape in rhythm with the blaring music. The conversation soon shifted to Oasis and everything that goes into making it possible.

The Department of Stage Controls, often called Backstage, is responsible for the inauguration of the fest and for stage operations – maintenance and beautification of the Auditorium, scheduling and preparation of stage events. Backstage assists other clubs and departments in conducting stage events to make sure they run smoothly and on time.

“Every year, we make structures that are closely related to the theme of the fest. For the Inauguration ceremony, we plan to display a string-art rendition of the Oasis logo. We are also making structures of Rick and Morty”, said Jayant pointing to a metal sculpture which currently resembles the silhouettes of the infamous characters.

Backstage also conducts BLAB, a contest based on the hit BBC show ‘Just A Minute’. “There are eight participants on stage, and each one has to entertain the audience by talking about wacky topics such as ‘My three favorite things are eating my family and not using commas’, while the others pedantically point out grammatical mistakes”, said Jayant.

This fest is bound to be quite different from previous editions for the department since it is the first Oasis after the department quit the StuCCA. The department, instead of managing the apparel stall like they did last year, will be helping out with professional shows and hospitality. They’re also looking to get more creative with Auditorium decorations and structures.

The weeks leading up to the fest are hectic for the department. As junior batches toil to make structures out of metal rods, tired and emotional seniors are busy preparing for the inauguration. Apart from working for the fest, Backstage helps regional associations and clubs with stage setup during the semester, if they require it.

“It planted the seeds of self-actualization in me. I realized that empathy requires exploration”, revealed Jayant, talking about his experience as coordinator. When asked what keeps him buzzing with enthusiasm even after a long day of work, Jayant stares up at the stars, letting the wind gently caress his hair.“The smell of grass, and regular exercise of my lungs and joints”.

“I hope the BITSian junta actively participates. There’s a lot happening all around campus and everyone should try and enjoy the festivities. With that said, let’s try to keep the campus safe; while we can enjoy, we should enjoy responsibly”, concluded Jayant.