Apogee (techfest)
APOGEE is one of the most prestigious college technical festivals, conducted annually by the students of Birla Institute of Technology and Science in Pilani, India. Organised during the month of March, the college swarms with more than 1000 participants during the festival. All outstation participants are accommodated in the institute premises for the entire duration of the festival.
This fest has been a roaring success year after year. Preparations for the festival start in the first semester (November) and are then continued in the second semester. Perhaps the remote location of the college in the midst of a desert is its biggest attraction. Being one of only a few festivals keeps the spirits on a high always. The plush green lawns of QTs and central hall of Students Activity Centre (SAC) are favourite among participants and are also host to a number of events. The breathtaking backdrops for every auditorium event and the different structures set a beautiful ambience.
History
APOGEE was first held in the year 1983. The location of the Institute notwithstanding, it received tremendous response, and continues to be one of the most awaited events in the annual tech-fest time-table of India. Being one of the oldest technical festivals, APOGEE stands out in its organization. Everything, from inviting and corresponding with colleges from every nook and cranny of India, to procuring sponsorship, to ensuring a comfortable stay for the outstation participants is done by the students. From being a 5 day festival a few years back to a night inauguration for the first time in 2010, APOGEE has come a long way. APOGEE 2009 saw a record high participation. The technical festival has been covered by major TV channels.
Events
APOGEE is famous for many of its events, which includes Kernel events, various workshops, Project displays, Paper presentation, online events, Guest Lectures, etc.
Kernels
Kernels are the one of the major events conducted during the festival. This consists of events like Bioloid Soccer league which is a humanoid soccer challenge, Momento Critico where the details of a crisis are provided and the solution is to be found out, Product Pitch which is a potential platform for the budding entrepreneurs, Echo Green which is an initiative to provide solutions to the pressing environmental issues of our times and BITS-MUN, an academic simulation of the United Nations, aimed at educating the participants AbOUT issues affecting the world today and familiarizing them with the geo politics and the ideology of various countries.
Categories of events
The various events taking place during APOGEE are classified in 7 categories namely Build, Code & Simulate, Design, Develop & Discover, Miscellaneous, Online Events and Quiz.
Projects
BITS Pilani welcomes projects in various fields of Science and Engineering for APOGEE. With over 300 projects coming from all parts of the country in last year's competition, it is sure to provide you unparalleled an academic experience. The project presentation competition at BITS Pilani features projects from a variety of scientific research areas. With evergreen categories such as infrastructure and automation to categories dedicated to new frontiers in technology such as mathematical models and simulations, we assure you a platform beyond compare.
Paper Presentations
Paper presentation is a procedure in which the participants present the results of some scientific investigation or research. The oral presentation should use an effective way of communicating the research to the audience such as slides, graphs, etc.
Invited Lectures
APOGEE's guest lectures have always captivated the minds and souls of the multitude of students gathered here for the fest. The brilliant oratory from some of the greatest achievers of the mankind has had been the source of inspiration for the young minds. Prominent speakers like Jimmy Wales, Dilip Chabaria, Michael Hogedal, etc. enlightened the minds of many during APOGEE 2K9.
Special Attractions
Besides the various events taking place during APOGEE the other events which are awaited throughout the year are the Inauguration ceremony of the festival and the ‘Mithali Nite’ which is a cultural night on the second day of the festival.
Inauguration Ceremony
During the ceremony, apart from the Planning & Publicity structure being inaugurated the write-ups of the members of CoStAA body (Committee of Students for Academic Activities) are read out and the honorable Chief Guest is welcomed who motivates the audience with his experiences.
Events by Informalz
Every Apogee, the Dept. of Informalz comes up with various innovative and fun events. These events are hugely popular among the people. This year, Informalz conducted the following events:
Treasure hunt - This event requires participants to solve the clue given by Informalz, leading to a place on the campus and come back with a code written there. The game ends when all the clues have been solved Max no. of participants per team: Unlimited
Jeopardy - This is a quiz with a written elimination round and subsequent rounds for the teams that qualify the elims. No. of participants per team : 2
Wordstock and Brainteasers - This is a written event in which the teams are given a booklet containing an assortment of puzzles, brain teasers, etc. Teams are required to solve them in a given time limit. No. of participants per team : 2
Revertigo - This event has an assortment of known games as various stages of the event. The games runs in either the forward or backward direction. One of the rounds in this event is the round in which the teams get to quiz a pre-selected panel (of quizzers). Teams receive points for every question which the panel is not able to answer. No. of participants per team : 3
These events require you to put on your thinking caps and answer as quickly as possible.
Mithali Nite
The Mithali Nite of APOGEE always sees a grand response from students. Beginning with a CCTV presentation, its biggest attraction are the performances from Dance and Mime clubs. This year the dances were on popular tracks like Dil Se, Carnival of Rust and other songs. Mime Club's performance on ‘How I Met Your Uncle’ received great applauses. The heart-throbbing performance by Music Club stole away the Hearts of many.
ISO Certification
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certified APOGEE with its 9001 certification in 2009. ISO 9001 is the internationally recognised standard for the quality management. It prescribes systematic control of activities to ensure that the needs and expectations of participants and other people involved are met. Implementing a Quality Management System motivates the organisers by defining their key roles and responsibilities. Cost savings are made through improved efficiency and productivity. Registration to ISO 9001 by an accredited certification body shows that we are committed to quality, people, and a willingness to work towards improving efficiency. It demonstrates the existence of an effective quality management system that satisfies the rigours of an independent, external audit. An ISO certification serves as a testament to the highest standards of publicity offered to the sponsors, who receive enormous returns on their investment in to the festival. It also gives a competitive edge to the marketing of APOGEE.
Managing Body
There is no one particular body responsible for the running of the festival, it is a collective effort.
The CoStAA
The main organizing body is the "Committee of Students for Academic Activities" ("CoStAA") which consists of the President and General Secretary of the Student's Union and heads of major departments. APOGEE is organized solely by the students of BITS and the preparation for the next APOGEE begins immediately after the previous. The major departments that work for APOGEE include Planning & Publicity, Reception & Accommodation, Controlz, Sponsorship & Marketing, Publications & Correspondence, Paper Evaluation & Presentation.
Other Departments and Clubs
There are numerous clubs and departments that work behind the scenes like Backstage, Lights & Sounds together. Apart from these the other departments are the Department of Informalz, Department Of Photography(DOPY), CCTV, Firewallz (Security) and Audi Force(Security of the Auditorium). Clubs include Creative Activities Club(CrAC), English Press, Hindi Press, Dance Club, Mime Club, Music Club, Photography, Hindi Activities Society, English Language Activities Society and The Debating Society.
Discipline Associations
The Discipline Associations play a crucial role in the organisation of APOGEE. They work with the CoStAA body for the successful organisation of festival. Various projects are displayed by different discipline associations which represent the creativity and innovativeness of the participants. Various Engineering and Science Associations join hands towards the smooth running of the festival.
APOGEE Review Committee
A unique feature of the organization of APOGEE is the APOGEE Review Committee (ARC). This is a meeting of the entire organizing committee of APOGEE, headed by the Union Council and chaired by the President and open to every BITSian. The committee discusses, in an orderly manner, the goods and bads, the mishaps and the means to avoid them. This ensures that mistakes are not repeated and that APOGEE continues to improve.
References
1. http://www.bits-apogee.org/