The APOGEE English Press interviewed the CoStAAn of the Department of Paper Evaluation and Presentation (PEP), Anirudh Singla, to better understand his department’s work in the weeks leading up to the fest. The Department of Paper Evaluation and Presentation (PEP) handles three key components of the festival: the paper presentation event, the Think Again Conclave—which consists the official guest lecture line-up of APOGEE—as well as Papyrus Trails.

In the Paper Presentation event this year, there are more participants from other colleges than from BITS. Anirudh attributed this to the popularity of APOGEE as a technical fest across the nation. During the previous semester, PEP had conducted workshops to guide students through the process of writing a research paper. Despite its lower percentage against Outstation submissions, the absolute number of BITSian participants is the highest recorded, over the previous two editions. Furthermore, the Paper Presentation event has collaborated with the renowned Springer Publishing House this year, which has only added to the brand value and credibility of the event.

Widespread appreciation of the speaker line-up for the Think Again Conclave has led Anirudh to expect a significant rise in the participation of students in the fest. Further, as Papyrus Trails takes shape as a full-fledged literary festival this year, over seven clubs and departments have been working in tandem to organize the event’s logistics. Apart from the various talks, events, and workshops, PEP is also responsible for the exhibitions by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), TeamIndus, and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) which are expected to draw huge crowds.

PEP is also organizing the first edition of the APOGEE Entrepreneurship Conclave, in collaboration with the Economics and Finance Association. The Conclave has been conceptualized as a business plan competition – with the top 25 start-ups pitching their ideas to investors—along with a variety of workshops and talks designed for entrepreneurs. The Conclave promises to be a roaring success, with over 200 entries received for the business plan competition.

In the weeks leading up to the fest, the focus shifts towards publicising the events and making travel and accommodation arrangements for the speakers. Apart from arranging the logistics, PEP’s work includes inviting professors for the Paper Evaluation event, organising its participation, scheduling presentations, and participant outreach. ‘We are hosting more talks in a fewer number of days this year; hence, the schedule is bound to get hectic’, comments Anirudh regarding the reduced duration of the fest.

When asked about his experience as a CoStAAn, he said that it had been “delightful” thus far. Anirudh added that he was fortunate to work with some of the most competent people on campus and thanked his fellow CoStAAns for their support throughout.

He dismissed the idea of merging APOGEE with BOSM as a rumour. However, he admitted that the Institute had questioned the necessity of continuing the fest at such a large scale despite the low footfall. Anirudh believes that this year’s CoStAA has worked very hard to sustain and establish APOGEE as a standalone technical festival.

On a closing note, Anirudh requested all students to attend the talks, take part in various events, and not to miss the exhibitions, as there always is a lot to learn and experience in APOGEE.