By Jack Horsman ’18
This week the typically quaint and picturesque campus on an elm tree-shaded hillside has turned into a scene full of “chaos” and “paranoia” (hyperbole intended) all because of a game.
That game, of course, being spoon hunt…
A long-standing LA tradition, spoon hunt turns friends into enemies and classmates into competitors. For one week during the fall, students participate in this campus-wide game of tag that involves strategy and skill. As if that wasn’t enough, it’s also “spirit week” on campus, meaning kids run around in a variety of outfits, adding another element of entertainment to the game.
Oh, and midterm assessments were last week – adding an element of “blowing off steam” to the festivities.
“I think spoon hunt is a great opportunity to bring the community together,” says Mady Dicks, a senior boarding student from North Andover, MA. “I enjoy playing, but also watching people get really into it and [enjoy] getting to meet a lot of new people.”
“It’s a good way to meet new people,” echoed Associate Head of School Rob Moore, who has been at LA since 1983. “You’ve got people saying ‘I have to tag so and so; I need to find that kid.”
A very cool aspect of this tradition is that it is, and always has been an entirely student-run event. “In terms of faculty [involvement], I bought the spoons, I bought the markers… it definitely is student-run,” Kimberly Poulin, Assistant Dean of Students, remarked.
With such a strategic game, you’re bound to see some trickery. This year is no exception. There are the typical moves such as using rear entrances and side doors, but there are also schemes that are much more planned out.
“I’ve got an advisee that today packed her own lunch so that she wouldn’t have to leave Ansin until 3:00,” Mr. Moore noted.
The best moment so far this year, at least according to Mrs. Poulin, is when she got to tag her own son, Hunter ’21.
“I tagged him on the quad. He walked right up to me and was like ‘mom, spoon hunt. I can’t find [my target], it’s driving me crazy.’ And I [put my hands on his shoulders] and go ‘I’m sorry, buddy, but you’re out.”
This moment won’t soon be forgotten, adding to the great legacy that spoon hunt has on the LA campus.