After two years of zero on-ground activity in college campuses, the Delhi University (DU) fest season has recommenced. Considered the most awaited time of the year for college-goers, this is when one experiences joy in the little things. We witnessed snippets of this revelry at Quintessence 2022, the two-day annual cultural festival of Lady Irwin College that concluded on Tuesday.
Talking about putting the fest together, Vimita Varshney, president, Lady Irwin College, shared, “I am glad we were able to organise a fest before we graduate.”
A series of events
Quintessence 2022 was a mix of dance, fashion, games, and art. The first day had a line-up of 12 events conducted by various societies—A’la mode, the fashion show; Virya, solo dance competition by the dance society; Digi-pedia, a quiz competition by NSS; and more. We also saw many food and art stalls at the venue. Day one ended with groovy music by DJ Sumit Sethi.
On the second day, there were six events—Vyam, a group dance competition by Nrityanjali, the dance society; Soliloquy, an open mic by the debating society; Yatharth, a competition by Akaar, the street play society etc. The fest drew to a close with singer Shahid Mallya performing soulful numbers.
For the love of performing
The fest season is especially important for societies since this is a time when college-goers aim to deliver their best performances on stage. Given the opportunities lost in the last two years due to the pandemic, college societies tried to make the most of this season.
“I am glad the current first-year batch is not missing out on fests the way we did,” shared Tanmay Kohli (21), member of the fashion society of Ramanujan College, CR Park. Kavita Mawari (20), president of Mukhauta—the stage play society of the Lady Irwin College—added, “It was difficult to return to the stage but I am happy there is a platform.”
When security is paramount
Given cases of trespassing amid DU fests in the past, security is always a concern, especially for women’s colleges. Addressing the same, Varshney concluded, “We made sure we had the casual performance licence. We had 66 bouncers, both male and female, present on both days. There was police barricading. Around the stage, there was a ‘female area’ so they [women] feel safe. Entry could be made using ID cards and passes to ensure everything is in check.”