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Oasis 2017

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Odd semesters usually start with a burst of energy, (which is visible in the first week only) and give hope to many as a means to seek redemption for the erroneous mistakes committed in the past year. The fest scene is definitely lackluster in the Delhi circuit when compared to the even semester; there are, nevertheless, many moments to compensate for that. We take you through a recap of the semester gone by and dive head-first into the highlights that make the odd semesters so endearing and special.

1. The Admissions Hullabaloo: Clueless freshers and even more clueless professors regarding the syllabus, the first month is a spectacle to cherish — seniors reminisce their college life, and juniors eagerly look forward to interviews and freshers’ parties and competitions. This phase lasts roughly until the end of August and is followed by the reality of elections dawning upon us.

2. The Elections Turmoil: After many days of throwing pamphlets in the air and shouting out manifestos, the entire process of campaigning boils down to one day, the day of elections. Many controversies marked this election season eventful — from AISA’s panel yelling ‘Go back ABVP’ in Miranda House to Rocky Tuseed being barred (the ban was later removed),  from contesting for elections, two days before the election day. This year, elections were conducted on the 11th of September and saw an increase in the voter turnout. Rocky Tuseed and Kunal Sehrawat from NSUI won the positions of DUSU President and Vice President respectively, while Mahamedhaa Nagar and Uma Shankar from ABVP won the positions of DUSU Secretary and Joint Secretary, respectively.

3. Outstation fests, Part 1: Antaragini, IIT Kanpur, cultural extravaganza was a 4-day affair from 26th to 29th October, that had a cumulation of the best talents across India. The audience grooved to the tunes of famous artists like Euphoria, the famous duo Vishal-Shekhar, and KSHMR along with other DJs.

4. Outstation fests, Part 2: Oasis, BITS Pilani was a 4-day fest from 30th October to 4th November that witnessed thousands of students from all colleges all across India competing for the top prizes in various performing competitions. Renowned filmmaker and director of Baahubali fame, S.S Rajamouli declared the fest open. The famous duo Vishal-Shekhar sang their all time famous tracks on the 2nd night, while Candice Redding and, other international DJs performed on the EDM night for day 3. Ashish Shakya and Karunesh Talwar successfully called the fest to an end and threw everyone in fits of laughter in the process.

As ridiculously long this semester seemed to be, it officially ended on the 15th November. Here’s hoping for an even more eventful next semester, with fulfilled promises and newer heights to accomplish.

Image Credits: DUB Archives

P.V Purnima

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Vijeata Balani

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The fourth and the last day of Oasis’17 commenced with Pitch Perfect, the a capella event, wherein seven teams competed singing their out of the box melodious harmonies. Students from different colleges of University of Delhi – Miranda House, Jesus and Mary College, Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Kamla Nehru College, and Sri Venkateswara College faced students of Shiv Nadar University and Pearl Academy as they vie for the title. The winners of the event were Synergy, the western music society of Shiv Nadar University, and the second position was bagged by Zyphr, the western music society of Kamla Nehru College.

The FashP: Pilani’s Next Top Model finals were conducted with Swati Mehrotra, an esteemed personality and maker of the Swati Modo collection, who has taught the inmates of Tihar Jail the art of shoe-making and has won awards by the President of India for her reputable work in the field of fashion. Fashion societies from several colleges including BITS Pilani, College of Arts, St Xavier’s College Jaipur, Lady Irwin College, Bharati College, and College of Vocational Studies bewitched the audience with their enchanting fashion parades that revolved around the theme ‘Realms of Fiction’. The winners of the event were- Manthan, the fashion society of College of Vocational Studies (CVS), won the award for best theme and Elantre, the fashion society of Bharati College was awarded Best Wardrobe.

Before Oasis’17 brought down the curtains, the event N20 entertained the audience with the performances of stand-up comedians Aman Deep, Kajol Srinivasan, Shamik Chakrabarti, Nasif Akhtar. Karunesh Talwar and Ashish Shakya.

 

Feature Image Credits: Vansh Sabharwal for DU Beat. 

 

Kinjal Pandey

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Niharika Dabral

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Radhika Boruah

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Saumya Kalia

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The day two of Oasis, the annual fest of BITS Pilani, started with the resuming of the stage play competition, where the remaining four (out of seven) teams showcased their productions. Out of all four performances, Abhivyakti, the dramatics society of Maitreyi College received the most cheer.

In the street play competition Jesus and Mary College emerged as winners for their thought provoking and touching play, Dua, which was about Indian Transgender community. Choreo Finals, the contemporary dance competition finals, also took place. With graceful movements and physics-defying stunts, the participating teams thrilled the crowd.

The Night Watch: Stargazing was an event organized by the Astronomy Club of BITS Pilani. It was an event held on top of a huge terrace where students gathered to use telescopes to look at the stars. A small tour was also given by members of the Astronomy Club to visitors. The highlight of the event was seeing the craters on the moon through the high-definition telescope that the club used. Mattresses were laid out on the terrace and visitors watched documentaries along with odd episodes of Rick and Morty playing on a screen. In an enclosed space on the terrace, were posters of science-fiction films, decorated with fairy light and other props which acted as a warm photo-booth.

The Photography Exhibition was organised by the Photography Club of BITS Pilani, where entries were exhibited for public viewing. Entries were submitted by members of the Photography Club of BITS, and themes like absence, eyes, and psychedelic were seen in the exhibition. The photographs were dramatic and thought-provoking. The dark-room, which is an exhibition of photography in the dark, is also now complete and open for public viewing. The beautiful photos resonated with the audience and the comments board received immense positive feedback.

Day two also saw Dastak, an impactful play by on harassment and violence against women in society. It was presented by Sukhmanch Theatre and renowned theatre personality, Shilpi Marwah. Despite the venue for the play being changed last minute due to technical issues, the performance attracted a wide audience. The play which talked about the role of problematic lyrics in building up a culture that objectifies women, eve-teasing, catcalling, rape, and slut-shaming, astounded the audience and managed to move the audience.  

The preliminary round for Razzmataz, the group dance competition, was held on the morning of 2nd November, and teams from many colleges performed their pieces to qualify for the final round which is scheduled to happen on Day 3. The following teams qualified: College of Vocational Studies, Shaheed Bhagat Singh College(M), Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology, Ramjas College, Moti Lal Nehru College, Miranda House.

Swaranjali, the group and solo singing competition, was adjudged by students of the Music Society of BITS Pilani, where different group showcased their musical talent. Deshbandhu College emerged as winners in the group singing category.

Day 2 of Oasis’17 ended on a high note with the musical duo, Vishal-Shekhar, putting up a thrilling show, performing hit numbers like Malhari and Balam Pichkari, and singing throwback sings like Jee le Zara.

They actively engaged with the audience and also spent time to share two important messages. While Shekhar talked about the importance of not giving up on hope to young students under immense academic pressure; Shekhar talked about the importance of recognising how problematic harassment and objectification of women is.

 

Feature Image Credits: Photo by Vansh Sabharwal

Kinjal Pandey
[email protected]

Niharika Dabral
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Vijeata Balani
[email protected]