Seniors of CPS: Arjun A.

Interview conducted by Wells R.

Wells: Hi Arjun!

Arjun: Hi Wells!

Wells: First we’re gonna start with some rapid-fire questions just to get the interview started. Which do you like better, the Gym Deck or Student Commons?

Arjun: Ohh, I’m gonna have to go with the Commons. It’s nicer.

Wells: Favorite Trader Joe’s Snack?

Arjun: The knock-off Takis—you can’t beat ‘em.

Wells: Freshman Physics or Asian Worlds?

Arjun: Asian Worlds all the way.

Wells: And favorite bathroom at CPS?

Arjun: I’d say it’s probably gotta be the Hill bathrooms or the ones in the dance studio, because no one ever uses those.

Wells: I do agree, those are some pretty nice bathrooms! Now we’re gonna get into some more open-ended questions. What's something that not a lot of people at CPS know about you?

Arjun: That’s tricky. I think what’s been on my mind recently is I’m not a bad skier, so I’m heading up for the first time in about a year. I’m excited for that.

Wells: Nice! Where do you usually ski?

Arjun: Heavenly. So, not bad. It’s gotten a good bit of snowfall earlier and over break, so hopefully it’ll keep up!

Wells: Do you do more tricks or do you prefer just downhill skiing?

Arjun: More downhill skiing. In a different world, I’d like to be the guy who goes to the park and does all the flips and all that, but nah, not now at least.

Wells: What’s been your favorite CPS class and why?

Arjun: That’s really interesting. I’ve been really enjoying econ so far. I highly recommend anyone going into senior year to take it, because Ms. Gumbert has been an incredible teacher. It’s been a really, really interesting and engaging class. I also liked Dr. Witt’s Toni Morrison that she taught last spring and I think this spring as well. Fantastic, fantastic English seminar and I hope everyone has the chance to select that as one of their courses.

Wells: Wow! Where do you see yourself in five years?

Arjun: That’s tricky. I see myself, fingers crossed, out of college where I feel comfortable and settled. I want to at least have a greater sense or purpose. Or in life, I want to feel comfortable in my direction and not be anxious that I’m missing something or that I still have a lot I need to figure out in my path. Even though in five years, I’ll still be early on in my life and still gonna be young and somewhat naive, but a little more assurance that I’m not throwing it all away would be nice.

Wells: I know! Just out of college and you’ll still have endless opportunities ahead of you. What’s one of your favorite CPS memories?

Arjun: There are a lot of good CPS memories I’ve had. I think one of my favorites has been the Holi celebration that SAA throws; especially the one this year was really fun. It was a fantastic day. It was, I think, the biggest one we’ve had in a while and just a really incredible memory. I don’t think many other schools do something like this, and that was just very special to me. 

Wells: If you could give advice to your freshman self, what would it be? 

Arjun: There’s a lot I’d want to say to my freshman-year self, but I think it would be to branch out and take more risks. Even in your freshman year, you really don’t know who you are, so it’s okay to explore and try to challenge your preconceived notions of what you like, who you spend your time with, and who you are as a person. That could have helped me develop, mature, and find new passions and interests earlier on just to get out of my shell a bit earlier. 

Wells: If you could say thank you to one room at CPS, which one would it be and why? 

Arjun: There are a lot of rooms that have been pretty impactful to me at CPS. That is a tough question. You know what, I think I’ll go with the sophomore English classroom, because sophomore English was a class that I really struggled with. But it really taught me to build resiliency even when I thought that I wasn’t getting something or things weren’t going my way. Also, we planned CPS Day, and there are a lot of fond memories. I think that room does represent a lot of my CPS experience of growing and maturing and learning how to adapt to situations I may not be the most comfortable with and still find joy and purpose and satisfaction. 

Wells: And one last question, I’m not sure too many people at CPS know this about you, but you are a very accomplished policy debater, so can you tell us a little bit about how you got into debate and what you’ve taken away from it?

Arjun: Yeah, definitely! I was drawn to debate when I first saw it as an elective. It has always been something I was interested in, even though I didn’t go in with much of a background in debate. But I’ve stayed for so long partially because of the competition. It’s a really rewarding activity if you’re able to put a lot of time and effort into it; you get a lot back from it if you just keep going at it for years. 

Also, the research element is fantastic. You get to explore so many new concepts and things you would never have had exposure to. But mostly, it’s because of the community. Even though it’s scattered across the country and across schools and people from entirely different backgrounds, it is a surprisingly tight-knit community and incredible to be a part of. You feel like you are part of something a lot greater than yourself, and you have something meaningful to contribute to a group of people who share your passions and interests.

Even when you might have a bad tournament or feel swamped with work, that’s what keeps you going, knowing that you’ll see your friends at the next tournament. So, in terms of the experience of debate, it is a lot of work, but at the same time, it is really rewarding. And once you’re able to hit the ground running, it can be really fun and a really great way to use your time. I would recommend that any freshmen or sophomores who have just been introduced to the activity or maybe are having second thoughts about staying in it, keep at it. If you keep pushing, it can be something really special by the time you get to junior and senior year.

Wells: Thank you so much, Arjun! That's all we have for today.

Arjun: Thank you!