Diving into SPLASH Week 1!

          The 2024 Splash season is officially upon Lawrenceville. Each year, Lawrenceville students and teachers register for Splash, the greatly anticipated school-wide game of water tag. On April 18, following School Meeting, the 2024 game of Splash commenced. 

Despite a new team of Splash Operators, the fundamentals of Splash and its traditions remain the same as years past. “Players must eliminate their target without getting splashed by the person pursuing them. During the final round of the game, both the winning contestant and the player with the most kills will be awarded with prizes. Throughout the game, there will be different clues and updates on the new website,” explained Splash Operator Chris Bai ’25.

          Nick Voultos ’25, who currently holds the first rank, got splashed recently by History Teacher Ms. Jennifer Parnell P’23. When it comes to strategy, Voultos remarked, “the biggest one is just to be aware of what’s going on around you and keep your eyes open for your target because there’s a good chance they will pass you at least once throughout the day.” In terms of the “splashes” happening around campus, Voultos coined his favorite witness as “seeing Ted Rawson chase Anson Beard.” “They jumped over the yellow rope by Tsai, and Ted eventually got Anson [after he took a tumble]. This one specifically stood out because a lot of people watched it happen in Tsai, and it showed how serious this game is,” he explained.

          Ellie Turchetta ’25 attributed her success of surviving and killing multiple targets to pure luck. “It feels weird to me because I didn’t really try that hard to get as many kills as I did,” she explained. Unlike many others on the leaderboard, Turchetta confessed that she did not “chase after [her] targets,” or develop any specific strategies to spot them. “In fact, I only had one kill before [Tuesday, April 23],” she said. Turchetta is, however, actively involved in the Stanley House’s alliance, where the girls formed a pact stating that “if [someone] breaks the alliance, they will have to dye their hair green.” She admitted that “significant consequences of breaking the alliance incentivize people to help their housemates.” For Turchetta, the House system isn’t the only community that benefited from Splash. “Even though Splash puts us on edge,” she added, “it gives us things to look forward to and helps us meet new people.” One of the highlights of the game for Turchetta was when “one of [her] friends got splashed by their housemate in front of their House.” However, even though she found “watching students run after each other [to be] really entertaining,” Turchetta states that she is “unwilling to take part in the running.” “Anyone can be great at Splash,” she remarked, “I honestly do not try that hard.”

          Similar to Turchetta, Sofia Swindell ’25 was also “surprised that [she was] ranked so high” on the leaderboard. “I never considered myself a serious Splasher, but I like seeing my name up there” she commented. While Swindell had never waited extensively for her targets before, she emphasized the importance of “seizing opportunities when they are present.” For example, “just [waiting] a few extra minutes for your target to exit their class can get you an easy kill,” she elaborated. Unlike Turchetta, however, Swindell does not believe in the alliance system. “I think big alliances never really work out because you’ll end up being each other’s target,” she explained. Presently, Swindell does not see any competition “because [she is] okay with getting out at any moment.” “This is the farthest I have ever been,” she remarked. Overall, Swindell believes that “Splash is a great way to bring the school together.” She shared Turchetta’s sentiment, stating that “[she] came across many people that [she] probably never would have met if it was not for Splash.”

          David Kwafo ’25, who has eliminated five targets, has been looking forward to Splash ever since his unfortunate loss last year. “Last year was a great year. I ended with 15 eliminations. Unfortunately, I did lose, so this year, I’m coming back for the crown,” Kwafo asserted. When it comes to alliances, Kwafo avoids them, explaining, “word gets around quickly and it’s best to not tell people.” Unlike Turchetta and Swindell, Kwafo follows a strategic approach by splashing his targets with “no mercy.” 

           With the commencement of Splash comes a campus-wide competitive spirit. While some students are guided by luck and others are determined to claim their throne, Splash brings together the Lawrenceville community and gives the student body something to look forward to each year.