Naman Jalan, the General Secretary of the Students’ Union, shared some insights about the preparations for APOGEE 2023. As the CoStAAn incharge of Inventory, he highlighted the challenges faced while organising the fest.

Regarding this year’s theme, Naman explained that it signifies the transfer of knowledge between batches. The CoStAA aims to raise the bar for APOGEE and make it an entirely technical fest this year. He noted that the previous edition was more of a cultural fest due to it being the first offline fest in two years. To compensate for the lack of experience, preparations for APOGEE were initiated six months ago.

Naman highlighted the drone show planned for this APOGEE. He pointed out that BITS Pilani will become the first private college in the country to host such a show. He noted that getting permission to host a drone show was no easy feat, and the logistics were very hard to handle. 

Talking about his favourite part of organising a fest, Naman mentioned that he enjoyed interacting with people and learning new things. He had been spending many nights working, even sleeping in his office on multiple occasions to ensure that everything was in order. In terms of managing finances, he highlighted that BITS Pilani is one of the only colleges in India that has fests which are almost entirely student-run and that they try their best not to overcharge the students by minimising losses.

He believes that the fest provides immense exposure to many fields of engineering, and that there is a lot to learn for those interested in the core tenets. He emphasised that APOGEE is a tech fest instead of a cultural fest. However, he noted that there would be professional shows for the entertainment of the participants.

Naman believes that APOGEE provides a platform for students to showcase their technical skills and learn from their peers. He urged all BITSians to participate in the events and make the most of the fest.