The reality of this year’s pandemic dawned in March when the session was suspended, and students were sent home. As everyone grappled with larger, more global issues, the news that APOGEE 2020 would be first postponed, and eventually cancelled, slipped under the radar. The CoStAA (Council for Students’ Academic Activities) for APOGEE 2021 has proposed a completely online fest—a massive undertaking that has prompted preparations for the fest already. To gain some more insight into this mammoth plan, the EPC interviewed CoStAA to discuss the challenges and innovations we can expect. Here are the major takeaways from the conversation.

While planning for the fest has already begun, CoStAA admitted to there being a great deal of uncertainty over the finer details. The dates for the fest, for instance, are still in the air, although it believes that the usual dates of late March should still be achievable, and that the administration may be convinced to give the traditional holidays for the fest. In case that is not possible, the fest might be spread out over multiple weekends. The CoStAA is uncertain about the feasibility of organising and managing a full-blown fest in the middle of an online semester. They hope that organisations and students involved with the fest will  put in the effort to come up with good solutions for an online version. More clarity is expected in this regard once the Institute announces its plans for next semester with the release of the academic calendar.  

CoStAA recognised that some events like Robots-At-War may have to be cancelled, but were confident that most of the kernel events, along with events like quizzes, treasure-hunts, and exhibitions, can be done online. It is also considering how prof-shows can be migrated to the virtual mode, since online concerts and comedy shows are possible and are indeed happening regularly. 

Nevertheless, with the next semester likely to be held online, CoStAA has decided upon a “hope for the best, prepare for the worst” strategy, working on means to move their events to a digital medium.  They also noted that preparing for this conversion is part of why they have started work early this time, so that adequate ideation is possible. In the event that the next semester, and thus APOGEE, is held offline, the flexibility for a transition to a “normal” fest is being maintained. The RecNAcc CoStAAn explained that they have always maintained good relationships with their vendors and service providers, and have informed them of this possibility. If this best-case scenario does happen, this can ensure a smooth change in plans starting January to ensure that the fest takes place.

The logistics of the fest are primarily going to be handled on platforms that are being built by DVM. These include softwares for online judge-sheets and certificates, which have already been used in the past. The Controls CoStAAn acknowledged that while much was learnt from ATKT during the online pre-Oasis events, they have no such plans for APOGEE. The interface provided by DVM would be more than adequate to handle similar tasks.  

Talking about the finances of the fest, the Sponz CoStAAn acknowledged that the cash flow this year is expected to be considerably less compared to previous iterations. He stated that while there are no confirmed cash deals yet, they expect to bag an amount of about eight to ten lakhs. However, in-kind sponsorships are projected to increase this time, with deals of around five lakhs already confirmed. These are majorly in the form of courses and coupons. The department is taking a targeted approach this time, focusing primarily on the Ed-tech sector, which has performed well during the pandemic. They might also seek companies in graphic design-related fields, which might lead to events or competitions dealing with the same, a potential first for the fest.

The DVM CoStAAn stated that the increased responsibility on his workforce and the greater complexity of the projects are part of the reason they have begun working so early. A novel and ambitious addition is an interactive 2D map of the campus which attendees can use to virtually navigate between different events, similar to programs like Gather.town. All users will have avatars which they can use to travel between venues, simulating an on-campus experience. He also noted that they might collaborate with ACM, Coding Club, and other such bodies on campus in the future to successfully achieve this feat. 

The RecNAcc CoStAAn volunteered members from her workforce to assist other departments if required, and suggested that departments like Stage Controls and Audiforce, which would have reduced or no work in the new format, might do the same. Similarly, the CoStAAn for ADP stated that while much of the publicity and social media work wouldn’t change, graphic designers in the department would be assisting  DVM .

Despite this, CoStAA is optimistic about the prospects of the fest. A major constraint for the normal fests in terms of external participation is the remote location of Pilani, and consequently the difficulty in travel. Now that that has been effectively nullified, more participation is expected from colleges in Central and Southern India. This also means that for events like Think Again, Papyrus Trails, and prof shows, it would now be possible to bring in guest speakers from around the world as travel costs are no longer a factor.

The current situation also presents an opportunity to rethink recruitments and consequently, department culture as a whole. When asked to comment on the same, the CoStAAns concurred that the prevalent system is adequate, if not better than the alternatives. They agreed that online interactions would be neither ideal nor conclusive, and that while members of the department might maintain contact with the juniors, recruitments in this mode are unlikely unless the situation becomes dire. The caveat here is that if one department starts recruiting, the others would have no option but to follow suit. However, the DVM CoStAAn noted that nothing much has changed for them since they recruit on the basis of skills rather than on interactions.    

As everyone tries to cope with the new realities imposed by circumstance this year, the prospect of APOGEE remains both a reminder and a hope for normalcy. The English Press Club wishes CoStAA the best of luck in this endeavour.