By Raaid Ihthisab
This is the interview between me and Head Prefect - Shria Nair, there’s not much else to say, no really, there isn’t, she went in with full detail, as did the other prefects.
How does it feel to be the head prefect?
It's a rewarding and honorable position to be given. It felt unreal at first because I had always looked up to my seniors, when growing up and to achieve something similar to their level gives me pride. I feel grateful to be entrusted with the responsibilities. What was more heart touching was the fact that two head girls were chosen this year, something that hasn't happened in quite a while. I respect the school for making such a humble decision. However , apart from being great full, with great power comes great responsibility with this post.
How do you organize yourselves?
We create an official WhatsApp group with our guild and update the prefects regarding school events and such. Additionally, we conduct weekly meetings with our guild to give feedback, discuss what we need to improve on and what we have in mind for the coming weeks. I would call it a platform for open discussion and we create a space where everyone's opinions are heard and acted upon. In this way we help organize ourselves.
What sort of relationship do you have with the prefects?
I would call us a family. I feel like I have a strong bond between the lower 6 and upper 6 prefects. This bond has been present between us even before prefect-ship and has kept growing stronger the past few weeks. Hence, this mutual connection has helped me, Chathma and the student council lead the perfect-body much more efficiently. However, when it comes to school work and duty, we keep things formal and diplomatic as we know that the school's needs come before ours. Duty comes first, before anything else.
What exactly are your duties and what is the extent of them?
The head prefects usually lead the student council and the perfect-body. We basically delegate tasks to our guild, these tasks mainly consist of morning, interval, afternoon duty and is followed through the course of the year. Moreover, we take on the responsibility to maintain discipline during official school events.
Does your role as a prefect interfere in your school life and academics, if so, how?
Yes it does interfere up to a certain extent. Like I mentioned before,'With great power comes great responsibility'. The duty of a head prefect is never ending, you will be given work at all times. Work comes under organizing school events, helping teachers and students, looking over the student as well as the prefect's discipline and ensuring things are in order during school hours and much more. However, I would say it's a matter of balancing. If you find a balance between your academics, extra curricular and duties, you are safe. It can be difficult but it isn't impossible.
Now this is an interview with Chathma Punchihewa, co-head prefect.
How does it feel to be head prefect?
That’s a really hard question to answer. Because there’s such a broad spectrum if that’s the right way to put in I mean the prefect kids will grow up. Teachers will say it’s not a reward just another responsibility and the School trusted you with it. One thing is I’m grateful that the school trusted me with the responsibility and I’m grateful and won’t let them down. And at the same time it is great recognition for everything I’ve ever worked for. It’s not necessarily all for head prefect, but, honestly grateful is the word since it makes me happy to know that some kids probably look up to me and so I’m glad and I want to be the person that Form 3 Me would be like “oh! I wanna do what she does,” I want to be the person kids look up to, that’s who I wanna be
How do you organize yourself?
To be honest, months ago when I was in form five or lower six - when I was a prefect - I honestly went, ‘I know how to answer this question’. And actually to this date, I don't think there's like one set answer I give whenever someone asks me this question.
How do you organize yourself or how do you handle things or how do you manage? What do you do?
It's that I want to make it a point that what works for me, isn't what's gonna work for somebody else. because my priorities and what I do are completely different, to what somebody else might want to do. So because of that, there is no ‘time management 101 book’ out there for everybody
because I said it's so different with each person, but I think the main thing is that what someone actually told me when I was in Form 3, and when I was writing for the Middle School newsletter, I interviewed Kenny Kimiko Rahim and something she emphasized on, when I asked her this question, was prioritization and what to prioritize again is related to yourself. I think it's important that you recognize what you need to prioritize; like, there's gonna be times where you need to prioritize your studies, there's going to be times where you need to prioritize your family time, there's gonna be times for you to prioritize your social life and having fun with your extracurriculars.
So it's just figuring that out for yourselves and it doesn't come easy. It doesn't come easy to anyone, I had to fail so many times to figure it out and I still haven't figured it out. It's just trial and error. When you get older, I feel something a lot of kids don't understand and I only realized when I was in Form 5 that I have to lose so many times to win but when you get it, you know this is why you do it. So even if you fail multiple times, don't be discouraged and just keep going and just prioritize and cater to yourself. Don't look at what somebody else is doing and try to do what they do because it's not gonna work for you. Focus on yourself and things will fall into place.
What is your relationship with your other prefects and your fellow head prefect?
So I'm gonna start off with my head prefect. Yeah, because she's an amazing human being and she is like Wonder Woman. It’s just amazing.
Working with Shria has taken weights off my shoulders because when she works I work hard but Shria works 10 times harder and like she's just such an amazing person to work with because she's so understanding and I think for the both of us, we understand what we're our strengths are, what I'm good at isn't what she was good at but then she is good at what I'm not good at and I think in that way like it's like the perfect match because we can both cater to specific things. and that's kind of what got this Guild working, you know? amazing, and It’s just so great she is the person I get to work with because I honestly wouldn't be able to do it alone. But we've done so much. I think she's the perfect person because literally she never backs down from anything, she is like a powerhouse. She never steps down from a challenge and I think that's such an important thing to have in a leader.
How's my relationship with my fellow prefects? Honestly, I feel like that's a really good question for you to ask the Lower 6 prefects. I feel like they'd be able to give you a better perspective. If you want a better perspective, but for me personally something we spoke about before, you know, anything was that, we want the lower six prefects and just all the prefects to feel like they're all included and that they're just as important as anybody else in this Guild. We don't want them to respect us out of fear. We want them to respect us because we respect them and that's something we value a lot. And something we wanted to translate was that, we know where they're coming from. And that’s because we were all in their position at one point when we were in the lower six, I knew where they were coming from and I just want them to know that I know where they're coming from and they can come talk to me, you know about anything. It doesn't have to be school related and I think that message has been translated because we really are one amazing working unit and we're so open about a lot of things. So we're really strong together and that's awesome because I think that leads to a really good foundation for the rest of the year for us to do some incredible things together, but I love the whole experience. I think they're amazing and I love the operations. I love our entire guild and I honestly think we're gonna be the best Guild this school will ever see
I just want to add to that. I'm sorry for Sheno and Venuki.
So what exactly are your duties and what is the extent of them?
So it's kind of hard to say like this is what we do ABCD, honestly, we kind of look over. Whatever needs to be looked over by students, whatever teachers can’t do. That's what we do. Obviously one is, you know, setting the school rules and making sure kids follow them and calling them out when they don't.
Another thing is that we're basically supposed to be role models. for kids to look up to like, oh I want to be this person when I grow up because I did that. I looked up too many prefects like Harin Perera and Chevaan Wikremasinghe. I looked up to all of them. And so I think a huge part of what we do is being role models and show like leading by example. and preach what we teach if I should say that.
And another thing is just being kind of open to any kid that needs someone to talk to. You know, just spend some time with them if they need anything. That's something I know that doesn't translate as well because we're all so always catching you for every slip-up, but that's what we're supposed to do, and we're trying. The prefects are essentially there to close that bridge between students and teachers. That's what we're usually there for and me and Shria look over the entire guild. Make sure everything's running smoothly. Make sure there's no problems or that our prefects aren't messing around because if we mess around then that gives the entire School an excuse to go insane and we don't need that, you know. So yeah, that's about it. And if the teachers need assistance in anything, that's where we come in and organize events. a lot of things like Founders day, it was organized by us and we filled in at the last minute, so if there's any last minute things that need to be done, we’re there.
Does your role as a perfect interfere with school life and academics?
I wouldn't use the word interfere, but I would just say it's become a huge part of my school life. I don't see it as an interference, I just see it as an add-on. of course there's gonna be times. We're like, you're gonna miss class and this is gonna sound really lame, but there's gonna be a time where you're going to miss so many classes that like, you're not gonna want to miss class and it’s just gonna annoy you every single time you miss class. Actually yeah, in some ways it can interfere with your academics.
But then again, we're not five year olds.
We have to learn how to deal with that and sort it out. We keep moving forward and making sure regardless of whatever it is we keep up with our academics because at the end of the year That's what matters and that's what's gonna keep us moving forward so it doesn't interfere, but it's also our job to manage it and get our work down regardless of what happens.
What is your take on cats within school grounds?
I think they are adorable. I think they're the cutest thing ever and honestly if they are cleaned and if they are looked after properly and fed and I don't know. I think they could be like our school pet and like I think everyone can just look and care after them because they're so cute and they're so adorable and they don't even do anything (gets a bit squeaky here, no offense). But yeah, and anybody that is mean to cats you’re just lame, like you guys are lame. They're really cute though. And I really hope we could, you know, take care of them better.
What is the range of your Prefect Powers?
I cannot disclose that information, unfortunately, they’re called top secret powers for a reason but when you become a prefect. You'll know what they are. So keep working towards that. and you'll find out that if you're really that interested, trust me it goes a long way ,a really long way.
I’ll keep that in mind, and I think the readers will, too.
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