The APOGEE English Press sat down with Lakshya Jain, the CoStAAn of the Department of Controls, or just “Controls” for short, to share some insights into the role of the department in the fest.

Lakshya explained that the department is responsible for managing the logistics of the fest, which include: venue bookings, prize money allocation, transportation for judges, artists and participants, as well as collaborating with club coordinators to compile event requirements.

In addition to this, Controls runs an event called Project, a prototype-presentation competition for students across the nation in fields like electronics and computer science, with a large prize pool. The final presentation of the prototype would take place on the first day of APOGEE. 

Lakshya stated that Controls works closely with the other departments. For instance, the Department of Publications and Correspondence APOGEE (PCRA) collaborates with Controls and organises travel arrangements for participants from Delhi and Jaipur. The Department of Art, Design and Publicity (ADP) books practice slots and rooms for their projection mapping project with the help of Controls. Likewise, the other departments also carry out logistical work with Controls. 

When asked about the workload of the team and his role as a CoStAAn, Lakshya emphasised the heavy nature of his commitment, stating that he spent 8 hours of his day sleeping, and dedicated the rest to APOGEE work. Most of the Controls work is delegated to the juniors in their specific “job stream”. On average, a junior would spend 3 to 4 hours working for the department, but it increased as the fest approached. Lakshya explained that the juniors were very enthusiastic about their assigned work, and executed it so efficiently that there was seldom anything he needed to worry about. 

Lakshya explained that the work was very different and much less rewarding than he had expected, with it being essential, yet thankless. However, Lakshya elaborated that he got to take part in the decision making for the fest, and lead a department with a team he had bonded closely with. In addition, the role provided first-hand experience in event management.

As a final remark, Lakshya explained that students often expect APOGEE to be on the more grandiose scale of IITs, which is not feasible given that the college does not fund the fest and securing sponsorships is challenging, especially in a remote area like Pilani. Despite these challenges, APOGEE operates at its highest possible level. Finally, Lakshya encouraged the students to not take the fest for granted and appreciate the efforts of the involved departments who bring the fest to life.