The Fine Print

Oasis 2012 - Things

seem to be on track Less than week to go; a look into what you can expect

this time round

With Oasis drawing near, the campus has seen a considerable increase in activity, with every department working diligently in preparation for the festival. Due to the on-going construction there were times when we felt successfully conducting a fest would not be possible. However, overcoming innumerable uncertainties, we have come a long way and made this impossibility a possibility.

In a Pre fest talk, U R Lohi drew an optimistic albeit largely cautious image of Oasis 2012, with work on all fronts still on-going. He talked about the many hurdles and restrictions, and how the StuCCA body was trying very hard to overcome them. He seemed much pleased with the results of a recent StuCCA meeting with the director, where most of their logistical demands were met.

Srisha Haridas, StuCCAn, Department of Controlz, re-iterating the outcomes of the same meeting, informed us that the M-Lawns are going to be available for the fest, hard to imagine as that is. They‘ll play host to the Rec-n-Acc Hut and the Sponz stall. Food-stalls will be set up in VK and non-food stalls are going to be hosted in the Krishna Bhawan parking area.

Sponsorship has been a regular moot point, more so after last year‘s debacle. However, Lohi allays concerns by stating that progress is satisfacto-ry at this stage as compared to last year. He also expects the Prof shows to

generate greater profits. With big names like ONGC, Mufti and VH1 already agreeing to part-ner Oasis, it appears as if the fest may just pull through this time.

On being quizzed about t h e o u t s t a t i o n participation this time, Tariq Khan, PCr StuC-CAn, pointed out that the scheduling of Oasis has created a few has-sles. He explained that most Delhi University colleges have their exams at the same time as Oasis, because of which convincing them to come down to Pilani has been quite a task. Tariq also informed us that the participants are being limited to 1100, because of reduced accommodation facilities.

During Oasis, one can‘t really control where people wander off to on campus. Thus security is a major concern of the institute, considering the fact that half the campus has been dug up. Restrictions on regions accessible are thus casting aspersions on certain events.

Lohi declared that this Oasis is going to be ‗definitely different‘ from the preceding ones. ‗You‘ll see the changes on your own, but the whole street, right from the Institute buildings to the Gym Grounds is going to be very lively. You will be able to have fun every step on the way. Measures have been taken so that the general public have maximum enjoyment. All the constraints imposed on us will only make this fest more beautiful.‘

BOSM Review Committee

The BOSM Review Committee for the 27th edition of the fest was held recently, at the SAC amphitheatre as usual. The objective of the BRC was to discuss and dissect the fest which far surpassed the expectations of the understandably tired CoSSAcans and anxious athletes. The discourse was moderated by the Sports Secre-

tary, Syed Ain Ahmed and the Joint Sports Secretar ies . ...Continued on page 3

Semi -Column

Alumni Re-union

With their sepia tinted ID card pic-

tures and their dark blue shirts it

probably wasn‘t hard to miss the

―bad boys‖ visiting their old stomp-

ing grounds. Our seniors from dec-

ades past were back to reminisce

over a bygone golden era of their

lives and to celebrate the silver jubi-

lee of their graduation. As the years

passed by, these men and women

have become leaders and innovators

in their respective fields but time

has not mellowed the true BITSian

within.

...continued on page 3

Mid-Semester Examinations: A Survey

With so much of ‗Parivartan‘ already, BITSians have rarely had a chance to express their opinion about the same, which, surprisingly, does

happen to be the most important aspect of the entire process. In an attempt to salvage the role of student feedback, we at EPC conducted a

survey following the mid-semester examinations to gauge the response of the student community on the introduction of the new examination

system. The survey saw about 250 responses, with the majority being in favour of the new examination structure.

The findings reflect that the mid-semester exams provide ample preparation time to students, as against the earlier system of T1s and T2s.

This turns out to be a great advantage that the current system delivers. An overwhelming section of students also feel that this system boosts

participation in extra-curricular activities; having just one major exam instead of two/three has made it easier for students to divide their time

between academics and other interests. Moreover, the survey illustrates that there has been a significant increase in class attendance among

students, which again reflects better time management owing to the new structure.

However, a majority of students want the exams to be spread out over a longer span of time. This seems to be the only major concern among

students with a few unlucky souls having had to tackle three exams on a single day. To sum up, the Mid-semester exams seem to have been

well received by the BITSians, with a thumbs-up from a majority. Of course, the examination span could be something worth reconsidering.

Here‘s hoping for change; change for the better!

Given the test syllabus and schedule, How has the mid-semester examination affected

was the preparation time sufficient for you? your class attendance?

How does the current system affect extra-curricular activities? What was your level of preparation for the exams?

FIFA 13 review

With competition to the fran-

chise now seemingly in the rear

view mirror, it might not be un-

fair to say that EA Sports can

afford to rest on their laurels a

little. However, with FIFA 13,

they show no signs of any sort

of complacency, producing a

well-rounded game with many

new features that are bound to

keep the casual football gamer

engrossed.

...read the complete article on page 4

Issue 4, Semester I, 2012 PILANI, FRIDAY, 26 OCTOBER, 2012 epc.bits-student.org

Oasis—An outsti‟s view

From the time you enter college,

especially once you have joined a

society, your seniors will tell you

many things. You will notice a

certain pattern in these gems of

wisdom. There is perhaps only

one topic however, whose men-

tion brings dreamy looks on their

faces

… read full article on page 2

Boosts Extra-

Curricular

Activities 85%

Inhibits Extra-

Curricular

Activities 8%

Can't Say 6%

Other 1%

The Oasis English Press Blog is up

and running. Check the link on

the Oasis website.

Fully Prepared

47%

Decently Prepared

24%

Under Prepared

28%

Other 1%

Increased Attendance

67%

Decreased Attendance

14%

No Change 17%

Can't Say 2%

From the Editor‟s Desk

“Who is the Bass guitarist?! He is insane!” “Rahul Ram. He is the guy who Shubhodeep spoke to; PhD from Cornell after doing an M.Tech from IIT Kanpur.”

After getting pushed, punched and clearly out-muscled from all sides, I figured I should drop the ‗must-listen-to-new-music‘ idea, ditch Megadeth for good; and go for the more comfortable, serene Indian Ocean instead. Bandheh was reverberating in the atmosphere and I turned around to see a group of familiar faces from the college, eyes closed, swaying as the IITian plucked the strings on his guitar. He must have been a bit like us back in those days; cribbing about tight schedules, preparing for fests, going on trips, pulling all-nighters for the test next day, trying to figure out where his life was headed. Well, at least there‘s some comfort in assuming so.

My phone buzzed to life, informing me of the new message I just received. “Alumni visit’s article written and sent”

I was reminded of the time in first year I was sent to cover the exact same event. Those numerous alumni telling us stories of how their lives turned out to be completely different from what they thought it would be. Of how all they learnt from friends/wingies/ clubs/ departments during their four years here helped them more than what they learnt while poring over their books.

Rahul Ram was in a trance too, clearly enjoying every bit of his work. Playing, whistling, and singing along. Bowing down – acknowledging all the appreciation he so richly de-served. He was living a life which, in his own words, he had never planned out when he started his under-graduate days. The concert came to an end, I nudged my ex-editor (who very graciously agreed to house me) and we started heading back, regretting that it all had to end.

“Ah! Work again tomorrow. I hate Mondays.”

“The work is already getting to you? You got placed less than six months ago!”

“Well, you know, it’s the same monot...”

He started on a very long rant about his job; during which time I promptly chose to phase out. My mind was still stuck in the music those guys had just created. Or maybe, it was

just the chocolate cake I had on the way. Now that, my friend, is magic!

96 hours of madness, 60 odd events and a

construction-ridden campus; more often than not

such a situation would deter the most capable minds

in the country. But being ranked No.1 in all-round

development certainly makes a mark on how we

carry out things. From the possibility of no Oasis

this year, to having an incredible line-up for the

Professional shows, we have indeed come a long

way this time around. The combined efforts of the

StuCCA body, Jhankar, HAS and ARBITS have

been paramount in persuading artists like Neeraj

Shridhar, Vir Das, Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ)

and The Shakey Rays to adorn the elusive centre-

stage this Oasis.

For the Hindi Prof Show, we have Bollywood singer

and lead vocalist of Bombay Vikings, Neeraj

Shridhar. Shridhar is the frontman of the rock-pop

fusion group Bombay Vikings, a group most cele-

brated for their unusual combination of classical

Bollywood style with a distinct European touch. He

also sparked off the hugely popular trend of infusing

hinglish lyrics into his music. So watch out for his

performance, live, this Oasis.

Must Listen: Twist – Love Aaj Kal, Race Saanson Ki

– Race, Prem ki Naiyya – Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab

Kahaani, Bhool Bhulaiya, Tumhi Ho Bandhu – Cocktail

Bragging Rights: Delivered chart-busting Bollywood

hits; Co-wrote some of his incredibly versatile songs;

has performed all over India, drawing huge and di-

verse crowds to his concerts.

The English professional show, now known as the

‗VH1 Pro Nite‘, will be headlined by TAAQ –

Thermal And A Quarter, a Bangalore-based rock

band. Their varied urban sound embraces styles as

diverse as Carnatic classical, folk, rock and jazz funk.

TAAQ, formed around 16 years ago, now comprises

of Bruce Lee Mani (guitars & vocals), Rajeev Ra-

jagopal (drums) and Prakash KN (bass). TAAQ has

5 studio albums to its name and the latest album ‗3

Wheels 9 Lives‘ was released this September.

Must Listen: Paper Puli, Chainese Item, Bend the

World, Brigade Street, The Steal.

Bragging Rights: Successfully toured USA, Singa-

pore, Hong Kong, UK and the Middle East; were

the opening acts for artists like the Deep Purple and

Jethro Tull.

An upcoming band from Chennai, the Shakey

Rays, will be the opening act for the VH1 Pro Nite.

The Shakey Rays are an Indie Rock ‗n‘ Roll unit that

combine the ancient traditions of Rhythm ‗n‘ Blues

and swing with the aggressive energy and attitude of

Garage Rock and Punk. The Shakey Rays compris-

ing of Vikram, Dhruva and Niranjan are influenced

by classic Rock ‗n‘ Roll bands such as The Beatles,

The Who and others.

Must Listen: I‘m Gonna Catch that Train, Sleeping

in the Back of Her Car

HAS presents ‗The Killer Comedy Show with

Vir Das‘ which will serve as the closing act to

Oasis‘12. Vir Das is a trained theatre actor and

comedian and his comedy specials like ‗Brown Men

Can‘t Hump‘, ‗Whose Line is it Anyway‘, ‗Who Let

the Das Out?‘ have touched the funny bone of

many. Vir Das first appeared on Indian television

when he started hosting stand-up comedy shows on

channel Zoom. Vir is also the frontman of a comedy

rock band ‗Vir Das Alien Chutney‘. After watching

their performance at the recently held Bacardi NH7

Weekender in Delhi, yours truly can vouch that the

show is going to be a rib-tickling experience.

Must Watch: Vir Das with Rajnikant, Vir Das on Bol-

lywood, Alien Chutney’s VillageMan.

Bragging Rights: Appeared in Bollywood movies

like Namastey London, Badmaash Company and

Delhi Belly; Appeared in shows like Cricket Firsts

and The Great Indian Comedy Show.

With such a promising line-up, Oasis‘12 promises to

live up to our motto of ‗fighting the mundane‘. One

hell of an experience awaits us in the days to come.

From the time you enter college, especially once you have joined a society, your seniors will tell you many things. You will notice a certain pattern in these gems of wisdom. There is perhaps only one topic howev-er, whose mention brings dreamy looks on their faces and a unison of ― Oh, man, those were the days‖ or ―Pilani yaar, I wish I could go again‖.

You are told that you haven‘t lived your college life to the fullest without at least one pilgrimage to the holy land of student fests, BITS Pila-ni. Needless to say, as a first year, you are left in baffled awe and anticipa-tion. What magic does this engineering college hold, that brings students from all over the country, year after year?

Oasis is not just another college fest. It is simultaneously a cultur-al extravaganza and a big party. As part of the Choreography society ‗Srijya‘ of my college, I‘ve been fortunate enough to attend it twice so far. It is as if for one week, the entire University of Delhi and other colleges camp at Pilani. There are dozens of cultural societies, each proudly don-ning their respective college sweatshirts, who participate in the various competitions. The many rounds of the different competitions themselves happen at all sorts of hours of the night and day. A stroll through the cam-pus will make you experience this living kaleidoscope of busting activity. Street play societies practicing at the top of their lungs, little groups of people chitchatting and playing music and a lot of engineering students going crazy to the DJ‘s music in the evenings.

I remember visiting Pilani for the first time with mixed feelings and a hundred stories from seniors in my head. Today, my third year of college hasn‘t even ended yet and I intend on making my fourth visit there. Some odd feeling of fondness and familiarity came over me when I saw the link to Oasis 2012. I tried to put a finger on it. Midnight Maggi at ANC, heart to heart conversations near the lake, watermelon juice at CP, toast and egg by a bonfire.(Evidently, I am a foodie. ). Meeting new people and making stronger bonds with the ones you already knew.

It‘s a very warm and welcoming place, to say the least. At Meera Bhavan for example, me and my Choreography society teammates were rather touched when we found BITS students cheerfully lending us their buckets to take a shower, or letting us skip queues when we were in a hur-ry. The campus, in the same vein, is massive and picturesque, a Pandora‘s Box open for us to explore. Its charm lies in an amalgamation of the phat-phati tempos, the Birla temple, and the many hostels and lawns. All this, in the midst of warm, sunny weather during the day and a delightfully chilly drop in temperature at night.

BITS Pilani makes you feel like you have entered a mini city in-habited only by people of your own age. It‘s a world of its own, away from civilization. However long your stay is, it will be a whirlwind that will just fly by. So cherish it, make the most of it. Build some memories and weave some epic stories to tell our juniors.

THE TEAM

Deepa, Dipto, Iyer, Neetha,

Parikshit, Reuben, Rishi, Satyaam, Shreyas, Shruti, Sriram, Shoo,

Vishwadeep;

IG, Aloor, Angad, Kaustav, Manickam, Mohit, Neo, Pranita,

Spriha, Siddhu, Tanya, Vishala, Shuja ;

Ajay Ramya, Debolina, Neel, Nithya, Passey, Prateek, Ritvik, Sahil

D, Sahil K, Shashank, Shruti, Steffie, Viraj;

Ananth, Prateek, Soumya, Tanay, Tanmayee, Vijay.

“Pilani yaar, I wish I could go again” A guest article by Rupin Mahariya, Hindu College, New Delhi

Professional Shows this Oasis A few more reasons to cancel that train ticket

With their sepia tinted ID card pictures and their dark

blue shirts it probably wasn‘t hard to miss the ―bad

boys‖ visiting their old stomping grounds. Our seniors

from decades past were back to reminisce over a bygone

golden era of their lives and to celebrate the silver jubilee

of their graduation. As the years passed by, these men

and women have become leaders and innovators in their

respective fields but time has not mellowed the true

BITSian within. As they took their first look at the cam-

pus they bid adieu to two and a half decades ago, tears

brimmed in their eyes, more so from the dust due to

―the hole‖ but we‘d like to think that nostalgia had

something to do with it.

As part of the celebrations, BITSAA organized an

interactive session with the visiting alumni at the LTC.

As distinguished personalities in their own fields, they

garnered respect, yet their humble demeanour helped in

easing students into conversation. This panel included

speakers from the conventional academician to the com-

pletely radical organic farmer! The opening topic for dis-

cussion was surprise, surprise, ‗the importance of

CGPA‘ for the professional future of a student. While

not advocating complete negligence (as they call it in

medical terms, getting straight zuks), the panel was unan-

imous when downplaying the over-glorified importance

of CGPA, saying it was more the experiences that one

goes through and the confidence that they gain which

ultimately shapes his or her personality and eventual suc-

cess.

The talk also revolved around the theme of entre-

preneurship and how it can be effectively employed in

the Indian context. There were also many questions

raised about whether one should formulate their goals

and ambitions during college days itself or loaf at Sky,

whether it was fine to be clueless about your passions

and if it was something the panelists had gone through

themselves. The response to this question was varied.

Some members said they more or less had an idea as to

the field they wanted to end up in. Be it technical or the

corporate world, they found something that got them

going, while others admitted to being completely una-

ware of their passions.

The talk then moved on to post –college activities,

such as immediately pursuing a higher degree or engag-

ing oneself in bringing home the bacon. As anticipated,

there was no single correct answer to the question. It

depends entirely on an individual‘s aptitude. The audi-

ence was actively involved in the discussion, especially

the ones who had found it hard to explore their so -

called holistic, broad based passions and multi-lingual

ambitions in their 4 years.

After the interaction, the English Press Club

caught up with a few of the alma mater. Extracting sub-

stance out of the raucous exchanges and unavoidable

speech slurs, the general consensus was of a static Pilani,

although alarm was expressed on the addition of grills to

the bhawan corridors. They felt it added to the prevailing

prison-like aura, unnecessarily justifying the tag of

―inmates‖ given to its present residents.

They also felt that the sudden rise in the use of

social networking sites and smartphones has seriously

affected campus life. The presence of ―screens‖ as they

see it is reducing the close knit nature of college friend-

ships that they had witnessed. ―Likes‖ and ―pokes‖ can

never replace the simple joys of having a midnight beau-

ty at midnight with your wing at C‘not. Food back then

was just as it today, barely digestible yet grub-like com-

pared to IIT messes. They also talked of the Great Mag-

gi Revolution, being the first of many college generations

to supplement their diet with its masala tinged goodness.

From the late nights at Patel statue discussing each and

every matter to the raids at the local redis, we found that

some things never do change.

The silver jubilee was capped off with the music

night jointly hosted by the music clubs-past and present.

With a medley of ragas and classical music kicking off

the night, it sure promised to be a musical trip down

memory lane for this batch of ‗83. The medley was fol-

lowed by two upbeat and breezy tracks. Following this

was a virtuoso violin performance from an honorary

member of the batch who captivated the entire audience

and drew a standing ovation from the crowd. The rest of

the night was filled with songs that brought back the

spirit of the rocking 80‘s.

All in all it truly was a day to remember, for the

alumni as well as the current batch of BITSians. If

there‘s one thing that we‘ve learnt, it‘s that no matter

how things may appear to change, in the end the long

standing traditions of BITS as an institute and the bonds

that we forge here will stand the test of time and endure

forever.

The SU Progress Report

A brief look at the Student Union initiatives

When the first thing you see on entering his room is a wall wholly adorned with sticky-

notes and reminders, and a laminated copy of the manifesto stuck slam bang in the cen-

tre - with implemented points carefully ticked - you know that the President of the Stu-

dents‘ Union means business. Here‘s a gist of the rather modest account he gave EPC

when we asked him for a progress report:

Missions Accomplished…

BITS Pilani Consultancy Club- Essentially, this is a club that will help train students

interested in taking up consultancy jobs and internships - by organizing guest lectures,

providing casebooks, and the usual paraphernalia. A pilot programme has been put in

place wherein 15 trainees have been recruited, who will form the core team to run the

club next semester onwards. As of now, however, this is a purely value-addition pro-

gramme; the club will not be contacting or calling any consultancy companies for place-

ments.

The „Library IPC‟- Hitherto unused rooms in the library with air-conditioning facilities

have been transformed into study cubicles, as promised by Lohi in his manifesto. It

seems quite surprising that such a useful and apparently obvious facility had not been

harnessed yet. Queer though it may sound, the ‗Library IPC‘ (as Lohi calls it) is a com-

mendable accomplishment. Go visit it if you haven‘t yet.

GMAT Lecture- GMAC, the agency that conducts GMAT around the world, was con-

tacted by the SU to send down officials for interacting with students of BITS through its

Campus Connect programme. The turnout was rather disappointing, probably due to

bad publicity as Lohi admits, but the sincerity and seriousness of those who turned up

was praised by GMAC officials.

Work in progress..

Technical Repository-The marquee point of Lohi‘s manifesto – to set up a repository

in Akshay where all academic groups with requirements for technical equipment can

place orders - is currently in the pipeline. Plans for the pilot programme to familiarize

BITS Co-op officials with the logistics in Delhi/Jaipur fell through due to mid-sems, so

the field visit would happen once the SU gets an order of up to Rs. 10,000 worth of tech

equipment.

Visit by Nobel Laureates- As part of the Nobel Laureate Lecture series conducted by

Honeywell, Aaron Ciechanover, who won the Nobel prize for Chemistry in 2004, will be

coming down to BITS Pilani on 28th November, which will be co-ordinated by the SU.

Miscellaneous bits- Due to lack of hosting space, the SU Website has not been

revamped yet. Lohi tells us that once the IPC has approved their request for an extra

computer, the process will be started. Stalls will be set up during Oasis for selling YHAI

identity cards. In case that falls through, it‘ll definitely happen during APOGEE, Lohi

promised.

BOSM Review Committee

Accusations and Ripostes flow back and forth!

This year‘s BRC was anticipated to be tedious because of the many technical

problems caused by the on going reconstruction of the campus.

Department of Publications and Correspondence stated that around 50 colleges, with

a total of 860-odd participants, registered for the fest. The decrease in number as

compared to last year, was attributed to the unfortunate clash with YMCA‘s Sports

Fest, conducted at the same time as BOSM. The first among many to be reproached

was the Department of CCTV who humbly apologized for a few minor glitches in the

BOSM website. In turn, CCTV got their back by pointing out that many of the

CoSSAcans had not even logged into their fest-specific email accounts once.

Department of BOSM Sponz gleefully reported that they were able to secure Rs. 8.5

Lakh worth of sponsorship and received a well-deserved applause from the gathering.

The sponsorship this time had high brand-value and most of the brands logically were

sports-oriented. Department of Photography did their bit in adding to the fest coffers

with their 9000 snaps, worth a pretty handsome amount.

Jhankar, given their turn, brought up the first of what was to eventually be many a

heated discussion that evening . In no unclear terms, they expressed their dejection at

not being allowed to handle Street Football - outsourced to a BITSian start-up which,

according to the former, resulted in serious mismanagement. The Sports Secretaries

immediately defended their decision by quite rightly pointing out that outsourcing

helped in cutting costs, and that Jhankar‘s early proposals were way below the

CoSSAcan‘s expectations.

So was the case, until Vishal Chundawat, the Hockey captain, stood up and set off on

a heated tirade, that will not soon be forgotten by anyone who was in attendance that

day. He discussed the problems faced by him and his team which, in his view, could

have been sorted out with better organisation. Though some his points were perti-

nent, and deserved the applause they got, his denouncement of everything the

CoSSAcan did was in admittedly poor taste. His problems varied from the team

members having to level the ground themselves to pointing out that the BOSM vol-

unteers were forced to the ―menial‖ job distributing brochures!

It is important to realize that this BOSM has provided us with a lot of learning oppor-

tunities. Hopefully, we can make these lessons count next year, when hopefully Gym-

G no longer resembles a moto-cross arena and the sun shines brighter on our little

hamlet.

“Bring the Boys back

home!”

The Silver Jubilee Reunion of the ‗83 Batch

The Cookie Jar EPC brings you the latest from Pilani’s very own. A section by you, for you. Not necessarily by you however.

“Gather ye‟ controllers, while ye‟

may!” A review of the newly released FIFA 13

Mid-sems, “jab aayega, tab aayega”, and multiple kicks and bans on DC++. All in the

build-up to the sensation that is the twentieth

edition of the EA Sports’ now legendary fran-

chise, FIFA 13. But was it worth the wait?

The English Press Club presents a review of the

highly awaited football video game.

With competition to the franchise now

seemingly in the rear view mirror, it

might not be unfair to say that EA

Sports can afford to rest on their laurels

a little. However, with FIFA 13, they

show no signs of any sort of complacen-

cy, producing a well-rounded game with

many new features that are bound to

keep the casual football gamer en-

grossed. However, multiple issues with

the PC version of the game (which is

what most BITSians will be playing, de-

spite the various promises of

Playstations by certain H-Rep hopefuls)

are likely to bug you from time to time.

In essence, EA Sports seems to have

blended aspects of their past two editions of the game to create FIFA 13. The

pace and passing engine of FIFA 11 combine beautifully with the tactical de-

fending and unpredictability of FIFA 12. Entirely new aspects have also been

added to the gameplay, with first touch control being refined. Instead of a

Bergkamp-esque first touch every time you receive a 40-yard pass, players are

now increasingly fallible to doing a Gervinho and letting the simplest of passes

go out for a throw, which adds to the realism the game has to offer.

While playing FIFA 12, there were bound to be sequences where you would

find yourself camped on the edge of your opponent‘s 18 -yard box. Such in-

stances occur with far less frequency in FIFA 13, with defenders a lot more

likely to stick out a leg and rob you of possession, or a horrible (or maybe even

sublime) first touch resulting in an unpredictable outcome. The game looks

beautiful when played on a capable computer, clearly showing an improve-

ment in graphics over the past few editions. Players also have the choice of

playing with their mouse along with the keyboard, something most veterans

will avoid, but certainly an innovative feature nonetheless.

In-game modes have also been upped a notch. The introduction of Skill

Games definitely livens up the minute of waiting before a match starts. Manag-

er mode has also seen a number of changes, with the introduction of ―realistic

transfers‖. An 85 % cut on a sale, International Management, putting in re-

quests for more transfer funds, transfer enquiries and trades, and multiple oth-

er such new features offer an elaborate management experience. The superb

online features of the game are, unfortunately, inaccessible to the BITSian

populace, with this mode blocked on the LAN.

Last but not the least, FIFA 13 brings with it, for the very first time, the op-

tion of playing with India. This seemed extremely enticing when first heard on

the news, but it has hardly lived up to expectations, with India getting a mea-

gre 1-star rating on FIFA, second lowest only to nPower League Two min-

nows, ½ star rated York City. None of the players are close to looking like

their real-life counterparts and are highly underperforming, which is rather

disappointing.

All said and done, FIFA 13 is a football gamers‘ delight. With EA Sports ex-

pected to come up with patches to cure the various bugs soon, it looks to have

beaten the superb PES 2013 (seriously, give it a try as well) to the title of the

best football game in the market. Good job, EA Sports (and SKiDROW!)

Photography in Pilani - 101 Guest Article by Bitul Sinha Pilani...a godforsaken piece of land over 200 kilometres from Delhi and Jaipur. A per-son without a hobby can see his(or her) life rot away amidst pointless DC++ searches. For those with photography as their passion, or even a passing interest, Pilani has more to offer than you can imagine! Being a middle class Indian kid, I did not have the luxury of owning a DSLR since the very beginning. So, a simple point-and-shoot was the only option. A few settings here and there opened new doors for me. There are many options in even the most basic point-and-shoots—including different presets for commonly used 'scenes', different colour settings and modes for low lighting schemes. Another thing to play around with on a point-and-shoot is the focusing. While there aren't a lot of inbuilt options for that, apart from macro-focus(close range) and the standard auto-focus, you can get that one picture you wanted by holding the shutter-button half-clicked and getting the plane of focus right. If you're planning to get one, try Canon or Nikon, which offer a wide variety of features at reasonable prices. For some-thing a bit better and and leaning towards professional, but still light on the pocket, there are prosumers, the middle ground between a 'professional' and a 'consumer'. A prosumer is an advanced digicam and is like a primitive DSLR. It doesn‘t have any detachable lenses, and certain other features and doesn't work on the same principles as a DSLR. Learning: According to me, photography is something which comes out of instinct rather than routine techniques. There are a lot of variables involved—the most important of which is the lighting. Since all the lighting necessary is completely natural, i.e. sunlight, it is very important to be punctual. A difference of even five minutes can ruin or improve the shot. Also, try different sorts of angles and perspectives, as each would convey a different meaning. Experimenting with shutter speed, aperture, etc. is very important. Shutter speed deals with the amount of light that should enter the camera, and any possible motion of the subject. Aperture also controls the amount of light, while simultaneously determining how much of the picture is in focus. There are numerous workshops conducted on-campus which can teach you basic photography terminologies, try them out. Where: Pilani presents itself with great opportunities for people interested in nature, silhouette and portrait photography. The best places to click in Pilani are: Shiv G: great for nature, silhouette photography. Best time to click : Evening. Glider‘s club: apart from the helipad and hangar, glider‘s club has large maize fields spread all around it with hundreds of parrots nesting in them. The place gives a proper village-like feel. It also provides you with a phase-by-phase sunset/sunrise. Best time to click: Late afternoon, sunrise and just before sunset. Devsariya: to capture the basic mood of a town marketplace, devsariya is a must-visit. It is best to try out different styles of portrait photography. Remember, each person has a back-ground story and it is important to make the viewer understand the emotion connected with it. Experimenting with colour settings like B/W would be a good idea. Best time to click: Any time of the day.

Apart from these, you can explore pahadi, sky lawns, back sky, library(gardens), faculty quarters, etc. and try your hand at night-time photography. Photography is not about going around with an expensive camera looking for something that could make a good image; it's about trying to make the viewer see what you see, and feel what you feel. So, explore the campus with your and your camera‘s batteries charged.

Team Baaz — BITS‟ team for the HPVC

A brief round-up

HPVC, or Human Powered Vehicle Challenge, is an international competition organized by

ASME. It provides an opportunity for students to put to use the engineering skills they‘re

gaining in college by letting them develop sustainable alternatives for transportation.

BITS has a team that is involved quite passionately in this avenue-- Team Baaz was

started in 2009 to participate in the Human Powered Vehicle Challenge, with the aim of fabri-

cating India‘s fastest HPV. Since its inception, the team has gone from strength to strength,

winning the title of ‗Best in Ergonomics‘ earlier this month at the SAE Efficycle.

After battling through many difficulties related to manufacturing the vehicle within the

specified time period, managing finances and finally carting the vehicle all the way to Califor-

nia, Team Baaz became the first Indian and second Asian team to participate in HPVC 2010.

In spite of participating for the first time, Team Baaz defeated fifty other highly experienced

teams from all across the world and came first in the Analysis category and third in Design

and Innovation. In HPVC 2011, held at Montana State University, Bozeman, Team Baaz

bagged the 4th spot and achieved a top speed of 50.32 Km/hr. This was followed by the 2011

Indian version of HPVC, organized by SAE Efficycle, which aims at designing and fabricating

a hybrid trike. Team Baaz proved its mantle once more by winning second at this event. The

team also won the first prize in Student Design Exposition organized by ASME in APOGEE

last year. Team Baaz has designed and manufactured 5 different HPVs thus far, the latest tad-

pole configuration being the most successful one. We wish them all the best for their future

endeavours.

FIFA ‘13 : The wait is over!