As Oasis ’26 draws closer, the Oasis English Press sat down with Antra Porwal, the Coordinator of the Chemistry Association, to gather an insight into their involvement and preparations for the upcoming fest.

Antra described the Chemistry Association as less of a ‘traditional study group’ and more of an interest group for the individuals intrigued about chemistry. She noted that their primary goal was engaging students who had lost touch with the subject. She remarked that their relationship with the Faculty-In-Charge was really ‘casual and fun’, rather than of a typical student-professor one.

This Oasis, the association would host their legacy event, High on Helium, alongside a brand new carnival theme event, Check Your Chemistry,  wherein the latter would be featuring cash prizes. The team would also handcraft Arabian Nights themed decors to integrate the fest’s theme, Dawn of the Djinns, into their events.

Antra revealed that while the inventory management and securing decorations had gone smoothly due to the help from ADP, budget constraints emerged as a big hurdle. She pointed out that global supply chain issues had caused helium prices to ‘nearly double’ compared to last year, forcing her to negotiate with nearly ten vendors before securing the order. 

Anrta shared that the preparations for the fest had been underway since mid-September, with daily work sessions lasting up to three hours in the final days before the fest. She highlighted that workload felt manageable because of an active team that shared responsibilities equally.

Antra brought up the fact that people’s misconception about chemistry events being overly academic or ‘nerdy’ had previously impacted their footfall. She emphasized that their new event was designed to be purely entertaining, with just a hint of chemistry to it. Pitching the event’s appeal, she added that the format of the event was a perfect activity for pairs, noting that ‘couples come in pairs’, and encouraging participants to bring dates and friends along to have fun.

On a parting note, Antra urged all BITSians to drop their preconceptions about the association, attend their events, and make fond memories. She humorously added that if anybody was looking for academic perks like SOPs (Study Oriented Projects) or A grades, the association was ‘the best place to come’.