A true sign of spring, Seawolf Strike has begun at Tabor Academy. It’s a fan-favorite game that involves the student body and faculty using their squirting devices, which are none other than whales (or Seawolves). The objective of this intense game is to eliminate your assigned target with the whale while avoiding elimination by the Seawolf who is after you. Safe zones consist of parking lots, sidewalks near roads, and designated cones near Lillard and the Dining Hall. Danger zones are any walkways and grass on campus. The last Seawolf standing is victorious. Both the winning player and the Seawolf with the most eliminations will receive a prize to recognize their clear determination and willpower in the game.
At 7:00 a.m. on the first day, it was evident that the game had begun, with 336 Seawolves chasing down one another in the danger zones, hoping either to get their target out or make it to the safe zones before too late. With the game on pause at 7:45 p.m. during the school week and all day on the weekends, the Seawolves have time to rest mentally and physically for the demanding days ahead while simultaneously planning offensive and defensive strategies. Just to keep the players on their feet, after 72 hours, if someone has yet to eliminate their target, rogue players will be sent after them. This has led to an even greater incentive to be an offensive player and to keep the game moving. After the third day, 217 Seawolves were eliminated, and 119 remained. This means that a whopping 65% of participating students and faculty were eliminated within the first week. Ms. O’Brien’s most recent update concluded that there are now 237 Seawolves who have been eliminated, and 99 players remain. One Seawolf who has stood out beyond the others is Franklin Roy ’28. He has eliminated 7 players so far, so watch out!
Tips from Charlie Jackivicz ‘26, Seawolf Strike Winner of 2025
What was your strategy last year that made you so successful?
“I mostly stuck to the parking lots outside of the entrances. So, for example, in the Trav (Travis Roy Campus Center), I would always leave at the top next to the parking lot, and for the Acky (The Stroud Academic Center), same thing, but with Spring Street. When I would come to school, I would always stick to the roads and make sure I entered the buildings through the closed safe roads.”
Your strategy seems primarily defensive. How was your offensive gameplay?
“I don’t think I was very good offensively. I kind of just got lucky with the people I had because they were all in my classes and I was able to follow them as they were leaving.”
What are your thoughts on this year’s game so far, from an outside perspective, as you are not playing this year?
“It is really fun to watch, especially how seriously people are taking it this year. It’s fun to be an outside watcher.”
Who is standing out, or what has been most interesting this year?
“I heard one kid has 11 eliminations, which is crazy. I don’t know what he’s doing, but whatever it is, just with the constant eliminations, it’s fun to see.”
What advice would you give to a prospective player?
“Play smart. Play defensively. If you know your target, that’s good, but always make sure to ask everyone you know if they have classes with them. Information is the most important thing to win the game.”
If you could add or take away an aspect of the game, what would it be?
“I guess on sort of a vibe level, people taking it too seriously could be taken away. It could be made more interesting with the rogue players or by giving Seawolves second chances. Maybe two lives.”
How do you think being a day student plays into it?
“You kind of have to be a day student to win,” Jackivicz shared while laughing, as he himself is a day student. “There are more opportunities to get boarders. There are only so many exits from dorms, while day students can come from anywhere and leave whenever they want.”
As Seawolf Strike is tightening, the stakes are rising. Tabor Academy is excited to see how the rest of the game will play out in the upcoming weeks, and as Charlie Jackivicz ‘26 said, “Play smart. Play defensively.”
