‘Departments are a social construct’, a phrase commonly used to refer to the secretive student bodies at BITS Pilani. Freshers are often drawn by the allure of the departments, and joining one is definitely a canon event in a BITSian’s college life.
One such department is the Department of Paper Evaluation and Presentation (PEP). With APOGEE on the horizon, the APOGEE English Press (AEP) sat down with Ishita Sethi, the CoStAAn of the Department of Paper Evaluation and Presentation, to PEPper her with questions about the department’s work.
Ishita began by noting that it was back in 1983 when a group of students organised the undergraduate Paper Presentation event, which received a good response. From there on, more technical events were added to certain existing ones, and it was finally in 1984 that the CoStAA and the tech teams of that time came together to birth APOGEE.
‘We are APOGEE, basically! [sic],’ exclaimed the interviewer. Although a giant smirk covered Ishita’s face, she had to remind the interviewer that he was present there as a member of the AEP.
When asked about what PEP actually does, Ishita, after expressing a long sigh of someone who had been asked the same question too many times, explained that PEP had expanded its workstreams over time. She stated that the department organised the Think Again Conclave, Papyrus Trails, exhibitions, and workshops during APOGEE, and was also responsible for inviting the Chief Guest for the fest. She explained that the Think Again Conclave was the annual Guest Lecture series of APOGEE, which usually featured an ‘interesting but slightly esoteric lineup’ to interest the otherwise bored BITSians. She added that it began in 2012 after APOGEE partnered with the Ignobel Conclave, a satirical Nobel Prize Conclave, and that eminent personalities like Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, Rakesh Sharma, and Jimmy Wales have graced the event in the past.
However, the interview was interrupted when Ishita screamed, ‘I want a bite!’ to one of her department juniors to give her a bite of the donut that he was about to eat. The interviewer could see the dejected look on the junior’s face as he saw his donut vanish within seconds.
Speaking about the preparations for this year’s APOGEE, she shared that work sessions were in full swing and only a few final details remained to be finalised. With five speakers on board for the Think Again Conclave, Ishita commended the efforts of her juniors. It is customary for PEP to go on a work trip to the Jaipur Literary Fest every year, with the department inviting various renowned individuals to APOGEE during the event. Ishita called it a great ‘bonding’ experience and noted that the department had gotten much closer since then.
Ishita said that she believes in the quote, ‘life is about trying new things’, and a unicorn symbolised that for her, only to admit that it was not that philosophical and she just loved it because ‘it is a horsey with a horn’. ‘Their blood tastes as sweet as cotton candy and has the same colour,’ she added. Both the interviewer and Ishita soon digressed from the main topic and began debating about the usefulness of a Pegasus compared to a unicorn if confronted with danger, but to no avail.
Coming back to the interview, Ishita described her department as having a very ‘parivaaric’ vibe. Although she felt that PEP is full of nosy ‘aunties and buas’, she said the department members cared for each other and had each other’s backs in times of need, as the word ‘parivaaric’ suggests. Ishita was also quick to shoot down all questions regarding PEP being referred to as the “Department of Intellectuals”, as, despite there being smart people in the department, the intellect left when her super seniors graduated. This response forced the interviewer to contemplate deeply for a moment.
Considered a nice and quiet junior by her seniors in her first year, we have come a long way since then, as now her juniors draw comparisons between her and Mandy, the character from the show Billy and Mandy. ‘I feel I am more like Moltres from Pokémon,’ she argued, to which the interviewer paid no heed.
On a parting note, Ishita thanked her fellow CoStAAns and her department’s predecessors for their support. She urged the GBM to ‘attend the fest, as all the clubs and departments have worked really hard to make this fest a success’.
‘I can yap quite a lot [sic]’, Ishita remarked as the interview officially concluded. The interviewer strongly agrees with this now, as is quite evident by his struggle to find a better ending than this one.