For Lucas Hughes ’20, serving as the Prefect of Zeal is all about building connections. “My role has given me a pathway to meet everyone and really get to know them,” Hughes began. “And it allows other students, who may not necessarily know one another very well, to come together in the same place, doing the same thing. It’s so rewarding.” As the Prefect of Zeal, his main focus is school spirit — keeping the excitement and support high in the stands, on the sidelines, and across campus.
When Hughes was first given his zeal assignment by Headmaster Taylor, he initially felt uncertain. “I’ll admit that it was hard to navigate at first, but the more I do it, the more I’ve realized that being the Prefect of Zeal really just means leading by example,” Hughes shared. “When I’m hyped and cheering at our games or school events, it helps to rally everyone to do the same.”
With the fall term behind us, Hughes is proud of his school spirit efforts and plans to keep that momentum. “Spirit Week was by far my favorite part of the fall term. Organizing the events was challenging at times but I think everyone had a blast and that makes it all worth it,” Hughes explained. “I’m so thankful for Ms. Najman, Mr. Keel, and so many other teachers. They really helped to put my ideas into action!” The fall Spirit Week featured a series of themed dress-down days, spike ball, dodgeball, and Capture the Flag tournaments in the Smith Field House, a free throw competition, ping pong tournaments, and much more. To top it all off, at the Friday night football game, Hughes put together a group called the Style Boys to perform a song and dance at half-time. “It was another fun way to get everyone excited, entertained, and having a great time. That’s what it’s all about!”
The fall athletic season may be over, but Hughes hasn’t missed a beat with keeping school spirit high. “I have some big plans for the winter term,” he shared with a smile. “I want to organize sled races, pond hockey tournaments, and ice-skating races. I’d also like to organize events on campus that help to raise awareness of important and relevant issues — like men’s mental health. And of course, another Spirit Week is in the works too.” It will be a busy term for Hughes, as he balances his senior wrestling season, AP classes, and extracurriculars; but he is excited to continue building the spirit of brotherhood that makes Trinity-Pawling so special.
“There’s nothing else like the support of the T-P brotherhood. Coming together and being there to cheer each other on is what makes this school so great, in my opinion,” Hughes concluded. “It’s about something bigger than ourselves. We can do anything with the right energy and support behind us. And that’s what we have here in the Pride.”
by Emma Christiantelli