The Coordinator of the Civil Engineering Association (CEA), Alya Singh, sat down with the Oasis English Press to talk about the association’s preparations and events for this year’s fest.
The association would conduct two events: Angle of Repose and Safeguarded Tower. The former, according to Alya, is a new game introduced this year, where participants have to build the highest standing sand pile possible within a given time limit. The game combines civil engineering concepts with the childhood activity of making sandpiles. Safeguarded Tower, on the other hand, is returning after a successful edition last year. In this game, two teams get one minute to build a tower using cardboard boxes. After this, one team throws sponge balls to knock down the other team’s tower, while the defending team uses a racket to block the shots. Each round lasts between one and five minutes.
She mentioned that the games would be conducted one per day and would be open to all fest attendees. They are expected to take place in the NAB, although the venue is yet to be confirmed. Talking about last year’s turnout, she said that around 20 teams, with approximately 40 participants, had taken part. They hoped to see a higher turnout this year, especially because of the nostalgic appeal of the new sandpile game.
When asked about the preparations, the Coordinator explained that the club members conduct trial runs of both games to check if they work properly and to make sure that the rules are clear. They also check that the games are safe and that no one gets injured or any equipment gets damaged. While the sand has been ordered from outside vendors, most of the other materials are sourced from the college’s civil engineering labs.
Alya also mentioned that she had taken over the position just last week and was still getting used to the responsibilities. She shared that she had to fill out fifteen administrative forms in a single day, but was helped by her Joint Coordinator and other club members, who were always ready to lend a hand.
On a parting note, Alya highlighted the effort that had gone into designing Angle of Repose and improving Safeguarded Tower. She urged everyone to come and participate in the games during the fest.