EB- As we all already know, the school offers a lot of extracurricular activities for the students, so do you think that rather than focusing so much on these activities, the school should focus on studies?

Sir - Extracurricular activities are great for the personal growth of the student. In my time such activities were considerably low, so I believe that there should be a balance between studies and these activities so that neither of them come in the way of each other.

EB- Rumours spread like wildfire in school. Having said that, do you think if you come to know something about a particular student, it would be ethical for you to discuss it with the staff?

Sir- I was a student too, and I know how rumours play a prominent role in school. But honestly in such situations it is always better to keep your mouth shut, especially within your own friend circle. Nobody likes the big mouth who can’t take a secret. In school, sometimes the students grow a sense of trust with the teachers, because they don’t want to share it with their parents or their friends, because they think they’ll be judged by them. And most of the time teachers have good advice to give. Other than that, I think that teachers should know about what’s going on in the school. But even though such things should not be talked about, the hard and bitter truth is that they are.

EB-How has your experience been in St. Mary’s since you’ve joined the school?

Sir-Upon joining the school, I was a bit apprehensive about the number of disabled children in school. But gradually I have noticed that this allows many other students to grow empathy towards them. In my time corporal punishment was really eminent, I see that it’s far lesser now. Another thing about St. Mary’s is that the teaching community is fantastic. Teachers over here talk about stuff related to school. I feel that the teachers here are genuinely excited to teach.

EB- Many students have passions and desires, whether it may be sports, music, painting, etc. And they aspire to do something else, rather than the conventional jobs. Although due to parental pressure, or the need to get marks, or any other reason, they fail to do so. What advice would you give to these young aspirants to follow their dreams?

Sir-When I was in school, I mainly had two passions, that is, Football and playing the guitar. So when I was in school I used to think I was great, and similarly many students at this age feel the same. But presuming with enough amount of hard work, you do make It into a profession, ask yourself, ’do you want to make money off of this?’ because at the end of the day, that is what matters. And the thing is that there is stress everywhere, even if you are doing something you love. Why parents push you to do the convention jobs is that they know that you would, one way or the other get a decent job and settle down. And in these careers, success is not a guarantee. I’m not saying that it’s not possible, but it requires a great deal of sacrifice, dedication and perseverance. And after some time,even this passion turns into something that you have to do. And lastly, having a talent is one thing and having a dream is another. So, whatever happens, you should be ready to face years of stress and hardship.