Despite the campus bustling with activity and preparation for Oasis reaching its crescendo, Gurukul coordinator, Adarsh Kumar Sadukha does not seem harried by his responsibilities. His disapproval at giving an apparently frivolous interview is quickly replaced by fervent enthusiasm as he begins his description of the three events Gurukul will be organising this Oasis.

The first of the events, Free Jam, generally witnesses a lot of participation from non-BITSians and takes place in the FD-II QT. Gurukul sets up a stage near the entrance of  FD-II beside the array of food stalls. “People come in groups – they listen, they applaud, they jam, and then the next set of people take the stage. It is a different atmosphere, one that can hardly be described,” says Adarsh as he reminisces about the last Oasis. The food stalls also ensure that there is no dearth of people in the audience to cheer the performers.

The next event, Virtuoso, is a series of professional workshops on guitar, drums and vocals, conducted by eminent artists from Delhi. Last year’s workshops, by Sidharth Kadadi, Aadhar Malhotra, and Manta Sidhu, were a grand success. Sidharth Kadadi is a member of the Delhi-based progressive metal band Zygnema, and Manta Sidhu serves the alternative pop band MAP in many capacities – as a songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist. Gurukul is working along with the StuCCA and ARBITS on finalising the list of professionals for this year’s edition.

The last event, Drums Duel, is perhaps the most electrifying. It consists of three rounds, where about fifteen drummers compete to dazzle the audience. In the first round, the Gurukul members choose the cream of the group based on technique, skill, timing, and beat sense. The other two rounds are judged by professionals and three finalist are chosen for the ultimate face-off. Two drum kits are set up, and every finalist matches his skills against each of his competitors, and plays on both the kits, in a round-robin fashion.

Adarsh is certain that this year’s Oasis would not witness a reiteration of last year’s problems and  exudes oodles of confidence in the competence of the current post-holders of the club. “Our events were tightly wound together last year, and the previous coordinator had to rush to different venues due to an overlap of events.”,he complains with obvious disapproval. He finds the experience of working to pull off the Gurukul events and the discussions with the StuCCA body and CRC rather different from the Gurukul practice sessions he had in his first two years of college. These have drawn him closer to the club and the fest, and he hopes the events are executed smoothly this year too. We wish him luck and can’t wait to experience Gurukul’s musical charm.