An Interview with Vihaan Kanchanapalli
SHRAVYA NALLA | NOV. 1, 2022 | FEATURES
Due to the heavy workload at Stanton College Preparatory School, students are often faced with many challenges, especially for incoming freshmen. As ninth graders enter high school, they begin to discover a new lifestyle, making it difficult for them to adjust to this environment consisting of new people and experiences. In this interview, freshman class president Vihaan Kanchanapalli explains how he deals with the workload at Stanton and simultaneously takes part in the duties of class president.
Devil’s Advocate: How was your first quarter experience at Stanton?
Vihaan Kanchanapalli: It was pretty good. At first, there was workload to get used to, but as time progressed, it got easier and it was pretty fun.
DA: How did the change in workload from middle school to high school affect you?
VK: In the first couple of weeks, I was staying up way later than [normal] doing homework. But after some time passed, I got used to the workload and I did not sleep as late. In middle school, I was able to finish my work by 9:00 p.m. and in the earlier weeks of freshman year, I was finishing my homework by 11:00 p.m. or 12 p.m. But now I finish by 10:00 p.m.
DA: How did you manage this change throughout the first quarter?
VK: I started doing my homework whenever I got home and then I did the [things] that I wanted to do, such as going outside and meeting up with my friends.
DA: How did you prioritize both your academics and your role as freshman class president?
VK: We have a president and four officers, so we all share an even amount of work. Since we all work together, there is still time for each of us to get our homework done.
DA: What motivated you to run for freshman class president?
VK: Since elementary school, I have been running for positions such as student council, and secretary for the National Junior Honor Society. This year, there were only two leadership positions open, either officer or president. I wanted to be more involved with the school and I decided to go big and apply for president.
DA: What did you accomplish during your first quarter as the president?
VK: During quarter one, we conducted the t-shirt and pep rally theme voting. We started working on our banners for the pep rally. For the t-shirt voting, I had to post an Instagram and Teams message regarding the t-shirt design with the help of my officers.
DA: What do you hope to achieve moving forward?
VK: I definitely want to get more events and fun plans for the freshman class. I want to arrange a field trip more towards the end of the school year and organize fundraisers to help out the local community. I want the freshman class to realize the different ways we can learn about the community.
DA: How has your leadership role impacted your focus on academics?
VK: As freshman class president, I cannot invest 100% of my time on homework. Instead, I have to be involved with freshman class president responsibilities and the freshman class as a whole. The officers and I split the work evenly amongst each other, so we do still have time to focus completely on our academics. However, I would have had more time if I did not take the role of president.
DA: What challenges have you faced so far as freshman class president?
VK: At first, it was difficult to get to know the officers and be organized. But, I ended up talking to them and becoming friends with them. We are all pretty close now.
DA: What do you plan on doing next quarter to combat these obstacles?
VK: Definitely knowing what events are going to happen next so we can plan ahead because when we have a short time it leads to less preparation. For example, during our first pep rally, we were all wearing red shirts because we were not aware we had to process things with the bookkeeper. So, next time we will order the shirts ahead of time so we can all be with more spirit.