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Fest madness from other side of the stage: Organising Committee and backstage preparations

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Delhi University fest season is one such phenomenon that students all over Delhi look forward to. The fame of the star nights, reputed college campuses and the crowd, are some of the reasons.

But there is a flip side to this view, the side of backstage preparations and frenzy. From the organising committee to the participating members, everyone is equally involved and occupied. The audience gets to see the flashy costumes, made up faces and the elaborate productions on stage but they miss the hours of backstage practice, the last minute panic, and those jitters right before the final team call.

Once on stage, it’s easy for the next few minutes. We do what we do best, we dance, we act, we sing. For that instant, we lose ourselves in the act, in the art and in the audience. We aren’t individuals here, we are part of a team; our identity isn’t our name but it’s the art that we give ourselves to. The madness returns after our moments on stage are past along with the nervous tension of results, sneaky assessments of rival teams and the adrenaline before the announcement.

This happens every single time, every fest and stage experience. But this isn’t even a challenge any more, because often four or five fests clash on the same day, and the teams perform in all of them! That’s when the grit of the participants really shows, their passion and commitment to their teams is inspiring.

Fest season is so much more than just a hip crowd and food for societies; it is months of hard work, dedication and competition. It’s the paycheck for their blood and sweat.

Feature Image Credits: Chirag Sharma for DU Beat!

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DU Annual Fest Season

LSR gears up for Tarang ’16

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One knows that the fest season is nearby if you clear either one or all from the following checklist – diving into your wardrobe to find out that perfect outfit for the day, making an array of phone calls, desperate for arranging that one pass for a hassle-free entry, and spending a sizeable amount of time strategising, “Of course, I will manage to find my way through the crowd and shake hands with the pro-night star. Right?”

The fest season has finally arrived and it’s time to equip ourselves because it promises to be greater and grander. In the season of firsts, Lady Shri Ram College for Women’s Tarang ’16 deserves special mention – for those who aren’t sure why, it was the first inter-college fest organised in the University of Delhi. Find some warmth this winter weekend as LSR brings to you a cultural extravaganza on the 5th, 6th and 7th of February.

DU Beat Poster

With events ranging across dance, music, drama, photography, quiz, elocution, creative writing and debate amongst others, Tarang has received an enormous amount of registrations so far and they continue to pool in as we inch closer to the fest. All competitive events are a striking mix of conventional and unconventional, and the attempt is to cater to diverse interests. Tarang has an exuberant list of artists for its pro-nights of which DJ Sameer, Jochen Miller and Aerreo are set to perform on day 2, and Agnee for day 3. Informal events will also be held across all three days, through which one can not only enter the fest but also experience the good vibes.

With the pre-Tarang events and contests doing the rounds across social media, the excitement is surely kicking in. A series of crossword contests were recently held, the winners of which were given passes for all three days! The days to follow will bring with them more such opportunities. With over 150 colleges invited, this is the first year of Tarang going national.

In Image: LSR Ttarang 2015

Image Credits: Eminence Group of Entertainment

Shaina Ahluwalia
[email protected]

With inputs from Swastika Jajoo

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Bazinga

Bazinga: University introduces cut-offs to attend fests

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In a shocking turn of events, the University of Delhi (DU) has issued orders for all the students scoring less than 45% marks in the last semester examination to be banned from all the cultural activities in the University including, college fest participation. All these students would not be allowed to attend any college fest this semester and would instead have compulsory tutorial classes from 6 pm-9pm, everyday. Every student would also be provided with a cab service, if required.

“Students with less than 45% marks need to concentrate on their academics, but the fest season with all its distractions would only prove fatal for such low-scoring students and further worsen their academic result. So in an effort to improve their result, the varsity has started with these extra tutorial classes,” said a senior professor, Delhi University.

The official notification has reached all the college departments and a cab service provider has also been hired. These classes would start after Republic Day and anyone failing to attend them would be terminated. Moreover, the college fest entry passes would only be issued after the verification of result of the students, student with less than 45% marks would not be issued the entry pass.

In a bid to improve students’ academic result, the varsity’s latest effort comes as a shock for a lot of students and fest enthusiasts. Student Unions of all the colleges have called up an emergency meeting. According to sources, a lot of protesting and marches are on the nearby horizon against varsity’s new notification.

Featured Image credits- du.ac.in

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Campus Central

Behind The Scenes: Organising a Department Fest

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Have you registered for any upcoming fests? Or are you too keeping a tab on the future ones? While Delhi University has all kinds of students, the fest-regulars, the specific-event participants, the highly competitive win-them-all, or the just-having-fun kinds, fests are a time wherein we can jump from our course to another. However, does the participant ever realise what goes behind the scenes in organising those events, keeping them running and smooth and awarding money? Nah! That is why I take you backstage to the nitty-gritties of department fests, where the Unions work hard to capture that one shot at glory.

Expectations

While the mantle falls on the present Union to live up to the standards of the previous fests and set a future precedent, expectations are the first thing that they are worried about. Trust me, they may refuse, refute or even confess, but everybody is worried about how to make their fest the most popular in the circuit. Everything depends on how memorable your fest is, not just for winners but also for participants, till the next year.

Participation

How much footfall you see matters a lot, almost the same as the above factor. Participation, or footfalls at any event are the single-most significant determinant of the popularity of the event and the fest. How you harbour participation is dependent upon the various logistics, posters, social media marketing, spamming, email invites, calls and other aspects of Marketing and Branding.

Planning

The events, where you participate with so much enthusiasm, are the brainchild of the Union. To even plan the content, various rounds, every little detail, question and query, the Union tirelessly thinks, re-thinks and formulates in what you see as a well-organised activity. The events have to be of a wide variety, ranging from the mainstream to creative first-timers, to fusion of fandoms and field-specific. It is all about giving something that is worth experiencing and piques the interest. Carefully chosen Event Committees work on the set guidelines and facilitate them to your amusement and maybe even victory.

Budgeting

Taking on the role of the Finance Ministry of the department, the Union crosses its fingers in the hope of a college-approved and granted budget that is never too less. Actually, no matter what, it always is less. Add to the disappointment, the soaring budgets of other, more affluent fests. There are also some colleges that go looking for sponsors, which undoubtedly requires how well can you sell your fest and its idea. Some portion of the budget or some goodies are also sponsored by those companies. Left without much choice, then begins the breaking down of the event awards, the cash prizes, the logistics, Honorariums, refreshment budget and the marketing budget. Keeping track of each and every penny used with proper invoices and bills collected, is a major stress factor.

Dignitaries

If you call a famous author, or the Governor of RBI, or any other well-known veteran of your field or not of your field, half of the audience you witness is there to hear that dignitary speak. After all, these are what young undergraduates aspire to be. If you are lucky, during your tenure as a college graduate, some department fest may invite your idol, and that will change your entire college experience.

 Committee members

Apart from just the events, every fest has some behind-the-scenes committees as well, that are majorly responsible for everything from the functioning of an event, to handling conflicts, keeping tab on refreshments, participants, technical equipment and guarding the money. They are the hawk-eyes of the fest, stealthily sliding by your side and never letting you know their agenda. All this requires the acquiring of the role of a Human Resource personnel, interviewing, testing and trusting people to be efficient and up-to-the-mark in their jobs.

 Setting The Date

Everybody wants that the fest be at a time when it is not clashing with any other college fest or department fest, lest it reduce the footfall. After all, a lot of the students go on to attend the concerts and thereby reduce a large portion of the participation. March is the most feared month, my friends! The later you place yourself, the more scared you are.

Department Fests are no cake-walks! They are that stepping stone into the real world, that is forgotten after every year. If you are in a Union, I think you know what I am talking about. Have you started receiving those calls for sending delegations to other colleges? Irritating, right? And if you are a student, well, pity and be proud of your Union and give them a break. Help, applaud and appreciate them.

However, on a general note, please don’t be intimidated by the above, it looks scary but a Fest is the most fun-filled event of the year. I recommend you to be there, to enjoy, to quarrel, to run and to experience the re-birth of a new fest every year.

Happy Fest-ing!

Featured Image Credits: DU Beat

 

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Campus Central

Star appearances at Delhi University Fests 2014: A DUB timeline

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“Cold winter evenings. Crimson – teal hued lights. Deafening beats. One man performing on stage, like a fireball. Innumerable enthusiastic spectators. Dancing to every line, singing along every stanza, cheering with praises, crying with joy, shouting in ecstasy and smiling with lips and with eyes. Flash of cameras to capture the moment and relish it for a little long, for in a few hours, it’ll all be gone.” What if not this, was the scene at the fun replete star nights that we attended and enjoyed? Delhi University college fests have always been like a carnival. The year 2014, was no less. Amidst the competitive air, star appearances added further to their charm and glamour quotient. Not only did Indian and international singers visit for star night performances, but leading Bollywood actors also have routed their movie promotions through platform of these fests. So before all of us get engrossed with semesters preparations, and some of us eventually walk away from being in the DU ambit, here is an endeavor to remind you of all the amazing fest star nights you’ve been to (or you missed) this year. So go through what we call, ‘the timeline of memories’ , catch hold of a thread and maneuver  to your moments. Happy flash-backing guys! Featured Image Credits: Kartik Lav for DU Beat.]]>

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DUB Speak

7 cures for the DU fest season hangover

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The little warmth that the air has started to bear, clear skies and the aroma of fresh flowers blooming around have all announced the breakthrough of spring and signaled towards the approaching summer. However, yet another thing that the ongoing weather signifies is the ringing death knell for the ‘DU Fest’ season. Here’s what you can do to get done with the DU fests hangover and come out of the Disneyland that shall now cease to exist.

1. Go through the photos of all the fests you’ve been to

selfie

Once go through all the pictures that you’ve clicked/ got clicked in the numerous fests. Yeah those selfies with weird expressions and superficial smiles too. Remember how your feet started to ache with the continuous dancing, how your throat went soar due to the loud cheer and how your cheeks began to pain due to continuous posing with elongated smiles.
Maybe that’ll establish in your mind the fact that those days aren’t coming back in near future.

2. Stalk the celebs!

stalk1

What we miss the most about the fest season is the electrifying performances that we’ve enjoyed in the star nights of various colleges. So, follow the performers on social networking sites, go through their previous work, download their songs, skim through their discographies and enjoy. Bolt your room’s door from within, turn on the music, turn out the lights and dance like nobody cares. Unleash the performer within you and try duplicating the star nights at home.

3. Socialize with long lost friends from other colleges for the next fest season!

fakesmile

No matter how badly you wanted to witness Amit Trivedi’s lips embrace the lyrics of ‘Zinda’ live, SRCCauthorities kept the entries restricted to the show of passes. You had a friend there you always avoided and didn’t talk to due to her nagging and now you couldn’t ask for her help to get you in? Sad. Work on your socializing skills for next fest season. See everyone with a ‘shining smile’, and be good to all. Some person, some fest next year might be of utmost utility.

4. Fake excitement for studying!

study

It is just 50 days before the semester exams commence and most colleges shall have internals and practical tests scheduled in coming weeks. Try distracting yourself from the fest season by opening those books. Also, be careful, this experiment might backfire if anywhere you lose control and think about the fests again, making you feel rather more miserable about what your life has suddenly come to.

5. See the ‘rosier’ side of it

there

If this all fails to manoeuvre you out of the pangs of nostalgia and hangover, try seeing the rosier side of it. Think that all good things come to an end, or perhaps, for it all to begin again, it has to end once. Start with something new, Game of Thrones season 5 starts in 10 days. Prepare a list of celebrities you’d like to see next year and so on. There is more to life than the fest of course.

6. DU Beat – Comrade in thy nostalgia!

misss

We at DU Beat, have had a great time at the fests too, viewing the enthusiastic crowd from the other side of our stall, recruiting, recording the everyday happenings at the colleges and reporting them to our avid audiences. We are suddenly workless too! So we can together swim across this. Go through the DU Beat Facebook photo archives, videos, Instagram posts, tweets and stories of various fests.

7. Look eye in eye in the mirror and say it!

it's over

Are you a final year student? Go face a mirror, look eye in eye with it. Muster your thoughts, put together your words, and say out loud, “It’s all over. It is all over.” Let the lump pass your throat, and see if you feel any better. (Though you probably won’t!)

Featured Image Credit: Mehr Gill for DU Beat | Gif courtesy: tumblr.com

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DUB Speak

In’fest’ed with the Fest Bug: A fresher’s perspective

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(Picture this in black & white and slow- mo) You’re grudgingly dragging yourself to an early morning class, the world around you is a scene of despondence and despair as your classmates are unwillingly following suit, when suddenly (shift to colourful mode and normal speed) something on the notice board catches your sleep deprived eye. You move in closer, inspect the poster announcing a college fest and with a thankful tear in your eye you mutter, “It is time!” (Cue hallelujah- type music, confetti optional).

tumblr_mkxnewxFa11qzfjkho1_400

Theatrics aside, fest time has to be the most exciting time of the year, especially (but not only) for freshers. Plucked from the maddening board examination pressure and jolted into the prickly thorns of the FYUP, it is finally time to revel in that glory of DU which we had painted rosy pictures of in our heads. The anticipation for a great month and a half ahead is already evident. The definite dates are up, the Facebook event pages have been created, and I’m sure that in the secret garden of our hearts, the outfits have also been, or are in the process of being, decided.

But let my overly- evident thrill not take away from the venting space my laments against the four year programme that it deserves. Foundation course teachers have decided to finish off with a majority of the presentations and projects before the fests arrive, resulting in a mad rush to get everything done. Scuttling from the World Wide Web to the library and back again, the coming month has turned way more hectic than what we bargained for. Staying up All Night to Get Lucky has taken a whole new meaning with us, burning the midnight oil hoping against hope to meet the onslaught of deadlines. On the plus side, we do get one extra fest season.

30-Rock

So here’s to looking forward to a great fest season that surpasses expectations. Wait, let me rephrase that, optimism and expectations will only get you so far. So here’s to looking forward to a fest season which isn’t a complete dud, or at least, to a few flattering profile picture- worthy photos!

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News

Deep Money to perform at P.G.D.A.V’s Aaghaz

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Aaghaz 2014, the annual cultural-techno fest of P.G.D.A.V. College aims to capture Indian Streets under the theme ‘Dil Se Desi’ from 31st January to 1st February.  After last year’s star night with Bollywood playback singer Aditi Singh Sharma, this year Aaghaz presents a concert with Punjabi Singer Deep Money.

The fest boasts of 25 events including Shor – the street theatre event, battle of the bands, classical singing, western dance and hip-hop hustle. The fest also offers technical events such as Xquiz- IT, Code Drift, LAN wars, Algolics coupled with quizzes, debates and group discussions.

Television actress and politician Smriti Irani will grace the fest as the Chief Guest and inaugurate the show. On 31st January, Sahitya Kala Parishad will be presenting puppet shows and folk dances. The folk performances will be followed by Aayush – the multi genre Hindi band’s performance at 6:30 p.m.

Day two of the fest features a performance by Punjabi singer Deep Money, again starting at 6:30 p.m.

You can visit their official portal for further details: Facebook Page | Official Website

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St. Stephen's

St. Stephen’s College to hold National Science Fest

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The National Science Fest will be organised by St. Stephen’s College on 24th, 25th and 26th January 2014. The event is being headed by the Students’ Union Society of the college, in collaboration with the Computer Science Society, Chemistry Society, Electronics Society, Photography Society, Environment Society, Debating Society and Quiz Club. The fest aims at offering a mix of competitive and academic activities. These range from a paper presentation to a treasure hunt.

Mrittunjoy Guha Majumdar, Senior Secretary for NSF, says, “This year we present yet another edition of the Stephanian scientific extravaganza with many more electrifying events and a lot more enthusiasm to make this event memorable.”

First day brings an interdisciplinary triathlon of events with Debugging Electronicz, Paper Presentations and a Science Quiz. This trail of events continues to the second day with CYSAE (Competition for Young Scientists and Enthusiasts) and the Scientifik Exhibition.

Amal Jahan, General Secretary says, “We are expecting an overwhelming response given the trend that has been set for the past few years. Enormous energy and effort has been invested in planning NSF’14 to make it an interesting and exciting affair.”

The fest promises to pose ultimate challenges for the electronics enthusiasts with events like, “Debugging Electronicz” followed by the NSF talks where revered veterans like Dr. Prasanta Panigrahi and Dr. Patrick Dasgupta will talk about interesting topics such as Black Hole evaporation and Quantum Dots. The new twist to this year’s NSF is for the explorers with a scientific bent of mind with events like the Treasure Hunt.

For those consummate in rhetoric, Day 3 schedules the NSF Debate, with the motion “Whether parents should be allowed to choose the genetic composition of their kids!”

NSF ’14 is expected to conclude with the ‘Scientifik Exhibition’ wherein participants will be presenting posters and models on the topic “Innovative Practices for Conservation of Natural Resources”, which will be judged for the top spot by Dr. Kinkini Dasgupta, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.

List of Events:

Day 1: 24th January, 2014

  •  Opening Ceremony
  • NSF Talks
  1. “Black hole evaporation and information loss problem” by Dr. Patrick Dasgupta
  2. “The Fascinating World of Chemistry” by Dr. Subho Mozumdar
  • NSF Science Quiz
  • Debugging Electronicz
  • Paper Presentation

Day 2: 25th January, 2014

  • CYSAE (Competition for Young Scientists and Enthusiasts)
  • Scientifik Exhibition
  • NSF Talks
  1. “Small Waves are Making Big Waves: Wavelets in Action” by Dr. Prasanta Panigrahi
  2. “From Quantum Mechanics to Quantum Dots” by Dr. Sameer Sapra
  • Absurd Theory
  • Kapture Photography and Digital Imaging Event

Day 3: 26th January, 2014

  • NSF Debate
  • Treasure Hunt

For more information, you can visit www.nsf2014.wordpress.com or write to [email protected]

Note: DU Beat is the official media partner for NSF 2014.

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