Dating all the way back to 1887, Lawrenceville weekend has officially returned for the 134th year. This will be the second year of the Meigs-Green Cup, an award given to the school with the most victories during The Hill vs. Lawrenceville week. Arguably one of the most special traditions at Hill, the faculty and staff have been working very hard to make this weekend as normal as possible. 

As students and faculty continue to hear about all of the upcoming plans, they could not be more excited to rekindle this tradition. Director of Student Life David Hoffman ’01 stated in an email, “The whole weekend is really just a great opportunity for students to support one another and take pride in our school.” 

On Monday, Nov. 1, the usual fanfare will begin with Spirit Week. The JV football team will compete away at Lawrenceville, and both the girls and boys water polo teams will take on Lawrenceville at home on Wednesday. Head of School Zack Lehman will address the community on Thursday with a Chapel talk about Lawrenceville weekend traditions and the long history of this rivalry. 

On Friday, there will be a special alumni luncheon and many of their teams will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. From the time the Hill School Alumni Association purchased Hill from the Meigs family in 1920, the school has been trying to expand the athletic program. The Alumni Centennial Hall of Fame was created in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Alumni Association. 

The traditional red meat dinner is happening on Friday night, along with a separate dinner honoring the 2020 Hall of Fame class. Following the dinner, there will be a pep rally and bonfire. 

All of the major sports competitions will occur on Saturday, including tennis, soccer, football, cross country, field hockey and debate (which returns this year after a hiatus). There will be lunch at the Far Fields and a Fan Zone with yard games, in an effort to encourage students, alumni, and fans to support the Hill teams. Director of Athletics Seth Eilberg said, “I could not be more excited for Lawrenceville weekend. It is an incredible rivalry and a chance for you to be a part of something bigger than yourself.” 

On Saturday night, the school will host the Blue Gray Ball, which will include a 6th form reception beforehand. Head of School Zach Lehman said, “Having a rival is awesome, especially one of this historical length. Even if you have had a tough season, beating L’Ville makes everything better.” 

All of the Lawrenceville weekend events will be normal this year with only a few exceptions. The pep rally will occur on the Quad and the Blue Gray Ball will take place on the Seal Patio. The school wants to ensure students do not have to wear a mask during these activities. Also, jumping into the pool to celebrate a water polo victory will not be allowed if Hill beats Lawrenceville this year because this is an unsafe situation. 

Not being able to have Lawrenceville weekend in the fall last year was very challenging for the entire Hill community. Jojo Zhu ‘22 said, “I have really missed being physically together, and I am so excited to cheer on the Hill teams this weekend.’’ Adele Harris ‘22 added, “Even if we don’t win, Lawrenceville week is one of the best weeks of the year!”