ZAVION’21 TECHFEST

"Sometimes it is the people who no one imagines anything of, who do the things that no one can imagine."

This quote from the 'Imitation Game' perfectly captures the spirit of Zavion 2021, a nationwide college-level tech-fest, the brainchild of the Department of Data Science, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Pune Lavasa Campus - "The Hub of Analytics". Zavion is a platform for the participants to explore their hidden talents and unlock their true potential. The fest was organized from 8th October 2021 to 9th October 2021.

The fest commenced on 8th October 2021 with the inauguration of the first-ever edition of ZAVION. The event was graced by Dr Fr Jossy P George, the Dean and Director of CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Pune Lavasa Campus, Dr Fr Arun Anthony, the Academic Coordinator, Dr Samiksha Shukla, Head of Department of Data Science. Dr Arpan K Kar was the Chief Guest for the event. It was attended by all the esteemed faculty members, participants and students.

The inaugural ceremony commenced propitiously with a virtual lamp lighting ceremony. Dr Samiksha Shukla, Head of the Data Science Department, extended a warm welcome to all the attendees. The Presidential address by Dr Father Jossy P George, Dean and Director of CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Pune Lavasa Campus, got everyone's enthusiasm levels soaring.

Ensuing this was an enlightening talk by Dr Arpan K Kar, the Chief Guest, Associate Professor in Information Systems, Department of Management Studies, IIT Delhi. His expertise in Data Science allowed everyone valuable insights into the field and its various aspects. He brought forward fresh perspectives regarding the evolution of big data, machines, deep learning and much more during the interactive session.

Dr Pooja Batra extended the vote of thanks, and the ceremony ended on a patriotic note with the national anthem. The inaugural ceremony of ZAVION 2021 set the stage for a plethora of innovative, mind-stimulating events, out-of-the-box ideas and a whole lot of fun.

Zavion' 21 celebrated the amalgamation of technology and creativity with four technical and five non-technical events. Spread across two days, the fest had about eighty-eight participants across nine events. There were participation from twenty-three universities and colleges across India. It was indeed a wholesome platform to interact with new people, share knowledge and celebrate creativity.

The technical events include Mastermind, Moneyball, Back to the Future, and Parasite. Coding, logical reasoning, and analytical skills alongside presentational expertise were tested in these events. Parasite tested participants' eyes for details or errors in coding, while the brain's speed to find logic was put under a microscope during Mastermind. Back to the Future truly gave a glimpse of what the future holds with innovative ideas from the participants to bring forth one-of-a-kind futuristic products. Moneyball was a platform where participants presented their analytical skills by performing Exploratory data Analysis in exciting datasets.

The non-technical events were further sub-divided into Economic events and Cultural events. Economic Events included A Beautiful Mind and Wolf of Wall Street. In A Beautiful Mind, participants used their creativity and wit to find economics by observing and bringing objects around them. In Wolf of Wall Street, the Current World Crisis (bankruptcy, economic emergencies, disasters, etc.) was discussed and solved using fundamental tools of Macroeconomics. The cultural events included The King’s Speech, where the contestants were asked to impersonate various personas under a given situation, Objectified, the Logo Designing Competition, and Avatar, where the participants expressed various forms of humour such as sarcasm, juvenile, morbid, etc. through art.

Each event of Zavion had a Student in charge, who was leading the organization of the event with the help of other student volunteers. The below table shows the details of every event that was conducted as part of Zavion.

To wrap up the events of ZAVION 21, which lasted for 48 hours, Ms Prathna Khanna and her excellent speech kicked off the felicitation ceremony. She extended her warmest regards and welcome to the dignitaries and divulged information about the fest and the events. Prof Akhil Nair extended the warmest welcome to the felicitation ceremony. This was followed by an inspiring speech by Dr Fr Arun Anthony. He congratulated all the volunteers and the heads of ZAVION for conducting such a spectacular event and the enthusiasm behind the festival's organization and execution. An exciting and beautiful video wrapping up the various events over the last two days was prepared and presented by Ms Arundhati Kolahal. Finally, the results of the various events were announced.

As a surprise and the last chance at redemption, all the third-place holders were invited to participate in a surprise event. In this event, the participants were given a set of pictures, and they had to come up

with a product and pitch it on the spot. The participants came up with enlightening and exciting ideas. Members of the audience also decided to take a shot at this rather intimidating event. The event and thus, ZAVION ended with a vote of thanks, delivered by Ms Kritica Bisht. The fest witnessed various out-of-the-box and unique events that brought out the best of the best in the participants from various colleges all over India. The perfect way to summarize the event – A perfect blend of competitive spirit, fun, and laughter.