Gotcha!
By EMMA BRADLEY ‘20
As I slink out the back door of Forbes Dining Hall in my all-black tracksuit, I feel invincible. God-like, even. I am a shadow. Or Batman. It is Wednesday, during mud week of my freshman year, and I have, so far, deftly escaped the fingertips of all the upperclassmen trying tirelessly to tag me out of the game I’ve just been introduced to. A novice just two days prior, I now understand the nuances of this game. As I round the dumpster behind Robbins, continuously checking to see if anyone is creeping up behind me, I turn back towards the Stu and suddenly feel a hand slap my back as I hear the treacherous term: “GOTCHA!” Feeling defeated, I pick my head up and move my gaze from the quad to my enemy standing in front of me. She who shall not be named smiles at my defeat as she asks me who my target is. In this moment, I realize that dressing in all black does not make you invincible, nor does it prevent others from seeing you walk into the dining hall, trapping yourself. Embarrassed, I return from my previous state of grandeur to the dark depths of the cave.
Gotcha, though one of Milton’s oldest and– might I say– classiest traditions, has always evoked mixed feelings for me. Initially, the idea of Gotcha, a schoolwide game of tag, is very appealing: students enjoy the week de-stressing from the rigorous fall schedule, packed with major assignments and difficult athletic matchups.
However, this distraction from our busy school days can sometimes prove to be too much of a distraction. Cutting class or other commitments to increase your number of Gotcha tags demonstrates where the goal of Gotcha gets muddled. Gotcha can also be dangerous at times. I vividly remember a time my sophomore year when I crutched away from my predator at an alarmingly unsafe rate, only to end up getting tagged.
Despite these issues, I feel that Gotcha has many positive effects on the Milton community. First, Gotcha, though dividing the community along the lines of who everyone wants to win, really unites Milton. It gives us a common activity to discuss and take joy in, an activity that everyone in the Milton community can relate to. At a school as diverse and busy as Milton, it is rare to have certain events everyone– whether they choose to go ham or never leave their dorm– feels connected to. Additionally, Gotcha serves as a good distraction from the rigor of Milton that inevitably occurs as Thanksgiving break approaches.
Overall, I feel as though Gotcha is a good way to show some pride for Milton in a new way. Though Gotcha may have its dangers and distractions, it is one of the few ways all Milton students can be united.