After two years of online fests and no stage performances, the Department of Lights is ready for the auditorium to be put to good use. Seeming thrilled to be back in action, Effy John, the coordinator, filled the APOGEE English Press in on the department’s wheres and hows.

The Department of Lights comes under the wing of Stage Controls, along with the Department of Sounds and Backstage. Lights, Sounds and Backstage collectively work towards ensuring that the events run smoothly and there is little to no delay. They act as an intermediary between the students and the technicians. Gurukul, Music Club, and Dance Club require very specific lighting, which is the responsibility of the Department of Lights to provide. Apart from fests, they also handle lighting for cultural events that occur throughout the year, such as the Dandiya Night last semester.

Talking about their equipment, Effy mentioned that it is nearly 50 years old. To work with such an old machine, they had to create an interface themselves. He also discussed how the department is considering hosting specific shows with extreme forms of lighting. Nothing of that sort has been realised yet though, primarily because the equipment is very expensive.

Effy mentioned that as the head of the department, he has been dealing with recruiting new members.The department is usually a small group of around eight people, but as of now they are down to only four, so recruitments remain a priority.

When asked about the department’s origin, Effy brought up Bahadurji, who had sat down with students back in the 80s and taught them all about the equipment. ‘So the exact origin is shrouded in history. In some sense. We have no idea what actually happened, but roughly it would have been around the 70s. He sat down with these people and taught them how to work with the lights and that’s how the department was born,’ he concluded.