Revels—it has been a roller coaster of experiences and emotions. I have never witnessed such a marvel of a college fest in my life. These four days were undoubtedly one of the most memorable moments of my novice year. A multitude of people bear witness to the marvelous fest period; for each orb views the magic in different ways. So come, take a glimpse of MIT’s cultural fest through my eyes.
The excitement for Revels started months ago when the volunteering forms came out. I remember being overwhelmed by the sheer number and diversity of the categories and spent hours debating over which ones to choose. Revels, however, slipped out of my mind by the end of the week, and it wasn’t until much later when the fest’s theme — Excelsior was announced, and we were sorted into the different categories that the hype returned. The college began to buzz with energy as the pre-Revels activities commenced and I started spending my evenings in the Student Plazza—watching the performances and playing games; this was fun despite the occasional hour I had to spend volunteering at info-desk. Anticipation was at its peak as we transitioned into the main fest.
The campus lit up (literally) overnight with LED cups on the streets and the Phoenix near AB1, which were complemented with the legion of Marvel posters at Student Plaza during the day. It was surreal to witness the heroes of our childhood be embraced at such a large scale― which was especially evident with the signature wall painting on the 13th block stretch― a mural capturing the essence of the fest, complete with colourful illustrations and “REVELS ‘19” sitting in the centre. It wasn’t uncommon to spot people stopping by to get a picture wit it. The posters hanging outside the Chemical Department were another sight to behold―masterfully made and ever so charming.
I was no stranger to the energy of a delirious crowd, but this was something else. The intersection of IC and NLH is where the heart of Revels resides. Between the ingenious photo booth, the singing/slam poetry/dance performances beside it, and the photographers busy clicking candids, it’s tempting to spend an entire day there. And yet, even with an extended curfew, it felt as though four days weren’t enough to truly experience the fest. There was always another event to participate in, or another performance to watch.
Every night ended with a performance under Proshow―which was arguably the biggest attraction of the fest itself. The organisers for this were truly off the charts―from being extremely tight-lipped about the artists to orchestrating an elaborate reveal for the same. As they say, the hype is real. The excitement sustained from the day the artists were announced (to a crowd-pleasing response) till the nights of the actual performances. Everyone and their mother rushed to the venue to see these artists work their magic. For some, it was a dream come true to see these musicians and comedians in the flesh, and for some, it was an initiation into the same. Regardless, it was a heart-pounding, ear-blasting celebration of everything we’d hoped it’d be.
No stories, anecdotes or words of praise can describe the emotions I felt through these four days. The events, posters, games, and every person had their own story to express.
Revels was a true extraordinaire not just for what it was, a fest—but the transcendence of vision to reality. And I am sure that Revels will exceed my expectations and will go upwards with every year.
Excelsior.
-Written by Alankriti Singh, Melvin Jacob, and Naintara Singh for MTTN
-Featured Image by Almas Khan
-Images by Adwitiya Shukla
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