With Oasis ‘23 just around the corner, the Oasis English Press sat down with Sarthak Arora, the StuCCAn of the Department of Visual Media (DVM), to learn more about their preparations for the fest.

Regarding the initiatives in the pipeline for Oasis ‘23, Sarthak mentioned that StuCCA was planning to conduct events such as a ‘Halloween Party’, since the dates were around that time of year. He remarked that the artist lineup for this edition of Oasis was better than that of the previous edition despite it having a lower budget.

Sarthak highlighted that DVM had ‘levelled up’ with their technological offerings. He explained that they have integrated Google Maps into their app, devised a master app for other departments to scan QR codes, and also created unique notification and communication systems. Sarthak explained his role in coordinating among the multiple verticals and sizeable workforce of DVM, as well as the StuCCA, as being somewhat like a ‘bridge’.

Sarthak remarked that the major challenge that DVM has been trying to overcome is the tight timeline between the mid-semester examinations and Oasis. Sarthak mentioned that it was quite hard to develop the app, make the necessary tweaks, and also have it uploaded to the App Store and the Play Store in that timeframe. He said that they were planning to tackle this by completing the development of the app shortly after the examinations and then making changes in the following days.

Reflecting on his experience as a StuCCAn, Sarthak said that working with the StuCCA had been really smooth, thanks to the maturity and cooperation of the rest of the members.

Sarthak recollected some of the past hurdles DVM has had to overcome, particularly when it went on probation during APOGEE ‘22 owing to not providing the decided deliverables on time. He remarked that since then, DVM has seen many improvements in their technical skills, UI/UX, and leadership as well. 

In conclusion, Sarthak promised BITSians that Oasis ‘23 was worth a watch and assured them that it would certainly be a great fest.