The frat snaz routine!

Not so far back in the past, attending a college fest meant sitting for the usual schedule of a quiz, then a sparsely attended debate, followed by a band competition the next day. The most exciting points were the fashion show and dance competitions and the three-day delight would be rounded off with a performance by a famous city band. Cut to 2015, when a college fest is no less than a high octane showcase of glitzy events and flamboyant guest performances, supported by gigantic sponsorship deals.

This years Bengaluru college fests have clearly outdone their past versions. One of the most recent was Swayam, the annual extravaganza by MVJ College of Engineering.

The organisers were not just happy with guest performances by DJ Aqueel, Zaeden and Electrovertz – they upped their ante by brining in a team of motorcycle stuntmen! Shreya Chatterjee, a third year Aeronautical Engineering student and part of the organising committee, says, “Our main concern is that they should be able to pull crowds. Which is why we brought in the stunt biking – which the young college crowd really loved. Same with DJ Aqueel, because Bollywood appeals to everybody! We also increased the prize amount to as much as Rs 4 lakhs, seeing that the more the prize money, the more the participation. Last year, for instance, we only had 10 teams signing up for Football. But this year, the amount rose to Rs 40 lakhs!”

With more elaborate events comes the need for finances. While festival favourites like Mount Carmel College and IIM Bangalore have had more than 10 big brands backing them up, the journey is hardly easy on the organisers. Manisha, who was part of the 2015 core committee behind MCC’s fest Cul-Ah, says, “Every year, we have to outdo the previous union. So this time we made sure to have multiple meetings and involve lots of students. We brought India ‘s first new age illusionist, Neel Madhav, to Cul-Ah – something that many found ingenious. Because there are so many fests in the circuit, getting sponsorships was a challenge. So we went with innovative pitching ideas – like getting Maybelline as a make up sponsor!”

A successful fest not only entertains but also earns a distinct repute for an institution. This is why the committee of the 2016 edition of IISC Bangalore’s fest Pravega, are already hard at work! Hot in the heels of their popular Indian Ocean and DJ Ansh guest performances, Varuneshwar Reddy, a first year BSc student, is busy preparing for 2016 as a committee member and publicity manager. “We have to give innovative spins to old events. We had a remote control car race instead of the old technology competition and a murder mystery challenge instead of the treasure hunt, this year,” she adds.