The APOGEE English Press sat down with Roshan Raj, the coordinator of the Department of Informal Events (Informalz) to dive into their contribution towards the fest.

With his voice completely overpowered by the chaotic bustle at ANC – the department’s regular stomping ground – Roshan delved into the lineup of events they had planned. He stated that they would be hosting four events this year. He further explained that the first event would be For Sale, a real life version of the card game centered around the bidding and selling of properties. The second event, Brain Rot Quiz, was born as a result of popular demand. It would feature a series of trivia questions intent on weeding out the most brain-rotten person on campus. He expressed his immense trust in his fellow members for this event, confidently stating that they had enough brain-rotten people to make it a success. He mentioned that their third event, Speed Dating, was being conducted in collaboration with Toastmasters. It would be an event wherein participants could interact with each other in hopes of finding their ideal partner. 

Roshan added that they had also taken into account the skewed gender ratio of BITS Pilani, and had taken steps to compensate for it by increasing the number of rounds. He said that the fourth event would be their classic, 30-year old legacy event—Treasure Hunt—where students would be sent on a ‘wild goose chase’ around campus on a trail of clues to arrive at the final destination. Roshan also mentioned that the department had hosted a similar Treasure Hunt during the Food Fest, however, they hoped to present a better event for APOGEE.

He stated they would not be conducting the Casino Night this fest—an event synonymous with the department—in order to reduce the workload on the workforce. He also expressed immense trust in the ‘23 batch, stating that he had full faith in their abilities to guide the department. In regard to their evolution as a department, he stated that they had metamorphosed from a largely herb-enthusiastic department to a fermentation-enthusiastic one, lamenting the strain (or lack thereof) it put on his pockets. 

Roshan stated that they would start their work soon—with eight days left until the fest at the time of interviewing him—and that work sessions will begin on the day after the interview. He further said that these sessions generally consisted of ‘thoda sa’ [sic] work, which would then, unfortunately be overpowered by their innate need to gossip when brought together as a group. On a similar train of thought, he mentioned that his joint coordinator Armaan could not make it to the interview due to prior commitments, quoting that he was very upset as a consequence for he possessed a ‘great love for the English Press Club.’

When asked about the effect the current predicament concerning the ambiguous state of the Prof Shows would have on his events, Roshan stated that their numbers could be affected, with many students choosing to go back home. However, he implored the student population to stay back on campus and truly appreciate the effort that goes in hosting the events.

He said he appreciated the ease with which communication and collaboration with the CoStAA and other club and department coordinators took place—adding a special shoutout to Lakshya Jain, CoStAAn of the Department of Controls. On a parting note, he dedicated a more special shoutout to the fellow members of Informalz and ex-OEP coordinators Harsh Panwar and Akshatha Sabaji, and finally the ‘23 and ‘24 batches of the department.