An Introduction to Spandan Part 2

Spandan 

Aug 30-Sep 3, 1993

Committees are everything in Spandan. The whole festival is organized by the student body and from the crowd on the first day and the atmosphere, I can see it will be quite a success. While some Committees are the backbone and the face of Spandan, many others are equally, if not more important, but remain behind the scenes. Naren never fails to remind us what an important job we are doing, but it's difficult to focus when one is carrying chairs, the "Technical Snake", fridges and chillers and then barely managing to make it back to the room to face yet another hard day. 

The other Committees are not exactly twiddling their thumbs though and some of the "behind-the-scenes" Committees are, again, in no particular order: 

1. Technical
"Tech" is a very exclusive domain. People here have, or think they have, some knowledge of wires, equipment, sound systems and the like. Tech is a support behind the scenes Committee but perhaps the common thread connecting all the others. Without it, Spandan would be a lightless, soundless affair.
Tech has a permanent room allotted to it in Lister House Annexe (104) and since it is needed for events throughout the year, it is indispensable. People not in Tech think that Tech members are some kind of electrical engineers with an interest in Medicine. The people who are in Tech don't think so. They are convinced and make sure everyone else think so too.
When involved in outdoor events like Spandan, Tech works from a makeshift shed called the "Tech Hut". The mixer and every other piece of equipment is located in this shed. I see that Tech Hut is strategically located right in the middle of Lister Square facing the stage, with "The Snake" snaking its way from here to the stage, the bundled up wires neatly dividing the neatly arranged chairs on either side. (Chairs neatly arranged by Transport, The Snake carried all over the campus by Transport. Of course).
By now, a few days into College, I know most of the equipment that Tech has-from speakers to the "mixer" to the "snake". That's mainly because I have carried them, across Lister Square, across the football field, to the dog van, out of the dog van, to the lecture halls, to Banting Hall, out of Banting Hall, down various stairs and back to the Tech Room again.
The "Snake" is a contraption with lots of wires wrapped in brown plastic and wound around a wooden circular thing. The damn thing is very heavy and no one wants to volunteer to lift and carry it. Of course, in the Transport Commitee, the word "volunteer" does not exist.

I was in Tech Commitee for about 2 days before making the leap to Transport. This was too short a time to actually learn any ropes but it did provide Nandu, the Head,  the opportunity to do some Technical ragging. With 2 wires in his hand, he says "I want to fry your bal**". He stands there with a grin he thinks is menacing and I stand there pretending to be terrified but the whole thing was boring and irritating. Since I could not afford to show that I was bored and irritated, the whole episode was total torture. Maybe that was the whole point.

2. Prize
Spandan, for all it's fun and games, and when all is said and done, is after all a competitive festival. This means that for everything, there are winners and there are losers. For many people, it's all about taking part and having a ball but there are plenty of serious egos here, many of whom have been preparing to win something for a long time. It is a prestigious thing.
The certificates and prizes fall under this Committee. It sounds simple enough but there is a serious lack of people with good writing to write on the certificates and also a serious perceived lack of people deemed good looking enough to go out and give the prizes. The major part of the Prize Committee is looking for these people and when found, making sure they don't run away. There are many hundreds of certificates to  write.

3. Finance
This is as drab as it sounds. It is also very unpopular. It consists of the usual-budgeting, accounting, allocating funds, fighting with Committee heads over funds.
The Finance Committee is stingy and that's a good thing since Spandan seems to be perpetually running short of money.
Finance Committee reputedly has the best party after Spandan. Expensive.

4. Co-ordination
This is the Mother of all Committees. It oversees everything. Co-ordination is headed by Hafiz, a serious guy and President of the JSA. All problems in everything are ultimately decided here. This is the Supreme Court of Committees. The Co-ordination Committee is where everyone goes crying with all their problems and where the massive egos of all the Committee Heads receive massages.
This is probably the most thankless Commitee to be in.

Next post...The Main Frontline Committees.