By Matthew Gao ‘26

Water polo is like two sports in one: individual athletes must be able to swim fast while also having the dexterity to play as a team. The sport is extremely physical and requires countless hours both in and out of the pool. Not only is the sport extremely entertaining for spectators, there are many things about the sport that you may not know. We consulted with Andrew Yang ‘26 to learn more.

Next spring break and summer, Lawrenceville students will trade traditional classrooms for real-world learning through the Harkness Travel Program, embarking on transformative journeys across the globe. Director of Experiential Learning John Hughes announced the spring and summer 2025 slate at this afternoon's all-School Meeting.

By Sathvik Samant ’26 & Kevin Xu ‘26

At The Lawrenceville School, athletics are more than just competition—they are a reflection of the school’s deep-rooted traditions and the spirit of camaraderie that runs through every team.

Student volunteers and staff from the Health and Wellness Center recently joined forces to plant a native garden in the courtyard behind the building.

For Lawrenceville students with a passion for discovery, Welles Grants offer more than just financial support—they provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform academic dreams into reality.

By Eli Lacey ’25

Eli Lacey ’25 is this year’s Lawrenceville School President. He is a captain of the Big Red varsity football team, co-founder of the Mixed Martial Arts Club, writer for The Lawrence, varsity wrestler, and has performed in Periwig Club productions for three years.

As Tsai Field House began to open up last spring, my friends and I would often roam the new facility. While we admired the new architecture and cutting-edge sports facilities, there was a sense of excitement amongst all of us. This growing sense of excitement wasn’t just felt between my friends and I, instead it was a shared feeling all throughout campus.

Today, Lawrentians gathered at the School Peace Pole to remember those who perished in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pa.

When Emilie Kosoff added “Inciting Joy” to her summer reading list, she found inspiration in its pages – and ways to rethink Lawrenceville’s annual Orientation Week. “What incites joy?” and “What does joy incite?” are questions author Ross Gay asks his readers to consider in his book. Kosoff, Lawrenceville’s acting co-head of school, was intrigued, and brought those queries to a retreat for Student Council members and Prefects.

The Lawrenceville School has donated $15,000, proceeds from its 21^st annual Big Red Race, to HomeWorks Trenton, a free, community-based, after-school residential program equipping the next generation of community leaders and embracing the goal of "changing the world, one girl at a time." The 5K race was held on May 5 both on The Lawrenceville School campus (Lawrenceville, N.J.) and virtually.

Welcome to our digest of some of the exciting accomplishments of Lawrenceville’s outstanding students. Please email future suggestions to lgillard@lawrenceville.org.

By Big Red Farm Intern Gabriel Vermut ’27

Every morning, just as the sun starts to rise, I head to the Lawrenceville Big Red Farm with four other Big Red Farm student interns. Eager for another day of farm life, we usually begin with the discovery that a few chickens have escaped from their coop. Taking care of them is a big job, but it's been one of the most rewarding parts of my time at the Farm.

Sitting in on Ash Shah’s “Case Studies in International Policy and Strategy” class is akin to having a front seat for the critical questions of modern geopolitical history. 

A community service-based environmental education partnership between The Lawrenceville School, Slackwood Elementary School in Lawrence Township, and The Watershed Institute, a local environmental education and protection nonprofit, was recently recognized for achieving excellence in environmental teaching and learning.

The Lawrenceville School’s Stephan Archives is getting an early start on the celebration of America’s 250^th anniversary with the exhibit "Canceled Culture: First Day Covers and Historic American Stamps." 

By Jennifer Parnell 

Each year, the Lawrenceville Fifth Form selects a member of the faculty that they would most like to address them the day before graduation. This honor, given annually to a teacher who has deeply influenced and touched students with their kindness and spirit, was presented to Jennifer Parnell, history educator and AI coordinator, who spoke on “Connection and Community” at the Fifth Form Prize Awards.

Lawrenceville bid farewell to the great Class of 2024 at Commencement on May 26, an occasion that culminated not only their high school years, but also a joyous week-long celebration of these outstanding students.

The final Villeage Voices of the 2023-24 School year is the valedictory address by Emily Pan ’24, who shared her thoughts with her classmates at Commencement on May 26.

Cheers to the Class of 2024, Lawrentians who have distinguished themselves in so many ways. The School is proud to honor some of members of the Fifth Form class for their excellence in academics, athletics, leadership, and service.

Lawrenceville celebrated achievement by Second, Third, and Fourth Form students at this evening's annual Underform Prize Ceremony.

The spring issue of The Lawrentian, Lawrenceville’s quarterly magazine, will land in mailboxes shortly, and with a fresh new look after a full redesign. For the first time, the publication will also be complemented by a digital edition, which can now be accessed on your desktop, laptop, table, or smartphone, at thelawrentian.lawrenceville.org.

Standing ovations, emotional remarks, and expressions of gratitude marked the dedication of the H. Lyals Battle ’67 and Darrell A. Fitzgerald ’68 Atrium in honor of the School's first Black students. The Atrium is located in the second phase of the newly unveiled Tsai Field House, a 250,000 square foot athletic, dining, and social hub on The Lawrenceville School campus.

Lawrenceville honored over 50 students at the McClellan Society dessert on May 15, honoring these Lawrentians for their dedication to community service.

This month, Lawrentians are taking time to reflect and celebrate the contributions and achievements of individuals with Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander heritage. The School’s Office of Multicultural Affairs has facilitated several events over the past two weeks to celebrate the histories and cultures of these groups through discussion, art, and cuisine.

May is a month of celebration at Lawrenceville as the School community recognizes the varied and impressive achievements of its many students. The School is pleased to honor members of the Class of 2024 who will continue their careers as student-athletes at some of the nation's best colleges and universities.

The 2023-24 Weeden lecturer, Yale University Professor Beverly Gage, took an esoteric topic and used it to frame the political and social history of America in the 20^th century. The result was an engaging view into the life, career, and outsize impact of one of the period’s most enigmatic – and often maligned – personalities, former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover.

Amazing.

 Awesome.

This is how Fifth Formers Jane Rubenstein and Liza Strong described the feeling of delivering a $20,000 check on behalf of Lawrenceville’s Community Reachout Club to PEI Kids, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and maintaining a safe environment for all children.

By Story Taylor ‘27

Lawrenceville’s production of “Puffs,” which follows the story of three young wizards trying to make it through their time at a magical school, will be on stage at the Kirby Arts Center May 10-11.

This month, Lawrenceville is honoring the many generations of Jewish Americans who helped form the fabric of America's history, culture, and society. Four alumni, who graduated between 1960-2002, discussed their experiences as Jewish American students at Lawrenceville and how their time at the School continues to influence them.

Lawrenceville’s most experienced language learners don’t have to travel to Paris (as delightful as that might be) to put their français to meaningful work. Instead, France comes to Pop Hall with Honors French students dedicating fall study to French autobiographies, winter to French Impressionist painters, and the spring to French cinema.

Lawrenceville’s Holocaust Torah was rededicated this morning in a ceremony held in the lobby of Bunn Library, where the Torah will reside on view to the School community.

by Alexander Donne ‘26 and Claire Zhou ‘26

To help you prepare for the boys’ and girls’ varsity crew MAPL Championship Invitational on May 4, we’ve enlisted two experts. Big Red varsity crew captains Charles Vachris ‘24 and Vivian Teeley ‘24 gave us the Top Five Things You Need to Know About Crew, as well as some details about the Invitational. 

By Brian Jacobs

Brian Jacobs has been at The Lawrenceville School for nearly 16 years and is the Chair of the Language Department where he teaches French. Jacobs is also a Faculty Interviewer in the Admission Department and Faculty Advisor to Lawrenceville’s student Gender and Sexuality Alliance club. He is a past Head of the McPherson House. In this edition of Villeage Voices, Jacobs talks about how learning a second language can change your life in unexpected ways.

Lawrenceville’s advanced dance students enjoyed the rare opportunity to take a masterclass – on campus – with Fernanda Oliveira, a member of the Philadelphia Ballet Corps de Ballet. 

Staff Report/The Lawrence

 The Class of 2024 is in the homestretch of its final year at Lawrenceville – graduation is on May 26 – and end-of-year festivities are just around the corner. Emily Pan ’24 has earned Valedictorian honors and she and her classmates have selected Claire Jiang ’24 and Gordon Gruber ’24 as their Aurelian Speakers and history educator/AI Coordinator Jennifer Parnell as Faculty Speaker. Learn more from The Lawrence.

By Matthew Gao ‘26

Fifth Former Reid Farrington is captain of the 2024 Lawrenceville boys' varsity tennis team. A four-year member of the squad, Farrington competes at first singles for Big Red.

The Lawrenceville School is rooted in the tenets of House, Harkness, and Heart. Our Olmstead-designed campus centers around the Circle, Crescent, and Bowl. Our community is full of remarkable individuals who are dedicated to our mission of inspiring the best in each to seek the best for all. But the 214-year old school has been missing one thing: a mascot.

Until now!

Welcome to our first monthly digest of some of the exciting accomplishments of Lawrenceville’s outstanding students. Please email future suggestions to lgillard@lawrenceville.org. 

By Claire Zhou ‘26

Softball is a definitive example of a team sport where, to be successful, all members of the team must  collaborate and be flexible. Hayley Williard ’25, co-captain of the Big Red varsity softball team, epitomizes these values.

by Alexander Donne ‘26

Lawrenceville’s boys’ varsity golf team is currently undefeated – and co-captain Adrian Jordan ’24 has been integral to that hot start.

As part of Lawrenceville’s continued efforts to engage speakers on a range of topics and perspectives related to Middle Eastern history and politics, the School welcomed international affairs practitioner and scholar Hugh Dugan P’20 ’21 to campus on April 4. This was the second event in Lawrenceville’s Community Conversations speaker series, which began on January 8 with award-winning journalists Jane Ferguson ’04 and David Ottaway ’57.

By Kaci Treasure

Chi Modu ‘84, a photojournalist, documentarian, and cultural enthusiast with a career spanning decades, gave viewers a unique glimpse into the world's candid beauty. Lawrenceville is honored to showcase his work in "Uncategorized: Fortune Favors the Bold" at its Hutchins Gallery from April 29 - June 8, 2024. An opening reception will be held on June 1, in the Hutchins Gallery, beginning at 4 p.m.

When Lawrenceville’s Artist-in-Residence Stewy Robertson ’11 was engaged to revitalize the entrance of the original portion of what has become Tsai Field House - the H. Lyals Battle ’67 and Darrell A. Fitzgerald ’68 Atrium in honor of the School's first Black students – the educator knew it would be an extraordinary learning opportunity for his students.  

Lawrenceville’s academic departments are joining forces to offer a unique educational experience to its first-year students. Through a collaborative effort between the English, Performing Arts, and Visual Arts Departments, the annual Second Form Shakespeare production has become a hallmark of interdisciplinary learning at the institution. This year, the Class of 2027 took on the challenge of staging the timeless comedy, “As You Like It.”