The Oasis English Press sat down with Ahan Bansal, the President and StuCCAn, Finance, to gather some insight into his work for the fest. 

Ahan began by saying that his main role was approval of events and handling all the finances related to the fest. He noted that the StuCCA started preparing for the fest around six months ago. He added that for smooth coordination between clubs, departments, and the StuCCA, there were various event pitching meets, and Whatsapp groups were formed for fast communication.

Talking about the challenges faced, he mentioned that due to the delay in election results this year, about 80% of the planning and work had been done by the previous President and General Secretary. He said that due to this, he had to understand all the procedures in a very short time. He stated that handling a deficit of about INR 1.5 Cr and dealing with the expectations due to the deduction of INR 1950 was a challenging task. He added that due to the pending reimbursements to vendors, they also had the upper hand in negotiations — some even threatening to take legal action. He assured that they were trying their best to get the payments done as soon as possible.

Ahan further mentioned that since the concerts would be unticketed this time, they were anticipating a large crowd, and that crowd management and security were some of their main concerns. On a positive note, he added that they were actively looking into it and making steady plans.

Elaborating on their plans for Oasis, Ahan remarked that there would be new events like free DJ night at Rotunda, a firecracker show, Rage Room, Wing Snaps, ATV Riding, and Tambola Night. He added that Mr and Ms Oasis, a legacy event that used to happen a few years ago, was also being brought back. Prominent artists like Vishal Mishra, Seedhe Maut, and The Yellow Diary were also set to perform during this Oasis.

Coming to his experience as a StuCCAn, he said that although the job was very difficult, the StuCCA had been helpful and collaborative, and that they had been solving problems together. He added that despite there being an age gap, they had been very sweet to him and he had learnt a lot about event management during his time with them.

On a concluding note, Ahan said that despite the financial constraints, this year’s Oasis would be no less than its predecessors. He added that he was hopeful that Oasis would be profitable this year, and that everyone would be able to enjoy themselves to the fullest.