Yesterday, Wednesday, November 10th marked a ceremonious day for senior athletes across the nation. Magnet in particular chose to have our signing day festivities in the gym lobby, an interesting choice of location, at the beginning of lunch. Spectators included around 40 upperclassmen, Coach Kamp, Coach Williams, Mr. Perlmutter, and Oliver Abar’s family. Oliver Abar, who is the Class of 2022’s only college athletic commit, had the spotlight all to himself. The ceremony began with some words from Mr. Perlmutter, who gave a lengthy recount of Oliver’s many lacrosse honors, including his spot as an All American and Defensemen of the Year. We then heard from beloved Coach Kamp, who had some kind words for Oliver seeing that he has coached him for the past four years. Then, the moment we had all been waiting for: Oliver signed a paper–sidebar, I always thought they signed a blank sheet for looks, but I can now inform you that it was actually an official document–and then victoriously placed the distinct Haverford hat on his head.

The ceremony lasted all of ten minutes but was very exciting and it was great to celebrate Oliver. Fun fact, Oliver is actually the third Academic Magnet athlete to attend Haverford, as he is following Evan Daniels (2021) and Mr. Perlmutter’s sister who both were cross country athletes. After many photographs and well wishes, I caught up with Mr. Abar and some pals to learn more.

How long have you been playing lacrosse? 8 years.

What position do you play? Close defense for travel and Long Stick Middie for school.

Do you have a favorite memory of lacrosse at Magnet? When we caught Coach Kamp’s son watching a Youtube video called “How to Catch a Zombie with a Cardboard Box.”

Do you have any goals for this season? I want to be named Player of the Year.

What do you do in the off season? Speed training, power lifting, and playing football.

Would you rather win a game or have fun? Have fun.

Do you play for a travel lacrosse team? Team UNRL National and Sweetlax. Loggerheads

Why Haverford? The campus fit me well and I liked the coaches. I also decided I would rather go DIII than DI.

Additionally, many of Oliver’s friends had thoughts on the ceremony and well wishes for him.

Gray Willits: “No one at Magnet deserves this more than Oliver does. He works so hard and still finds time to put others first even as a committed athlete. Magnet is lucky to have someone like Oliver.”

Gus Dickinson: “I am proud of Oliver. He worked very hard and I’m sure he’ll be a great fit at Haverford College.”

Lilly Claypoole: “Without a doubt, Oliver has impacted mine and many other’s lives with his selfless and compassionate nature. He has put in so much hard work throughout freshman to senior year and is deserving of this achievement. We are all beyond proud of him and know he will accomplish big things.”

Vishwa Veeraswamy: “Very proud of him. Dude’s a complete stud. To be able to do what he’s done on the field and keep up his academics is so impressive, I have so much respect for him.”

Clay Hershey: “I would say my top moment was seeing Coach Kamp in the flesh. I have never seen him before.”

Christian Anderson: “Oliver has worked very hard both on and off the field and it’s very good that he’s going to a school known for its academics and its lacrosse program. He’s very deserving of this honor.”

Lilly Praete and Sophie McLean had a lot to say. These onlookers sprinted from 3A to the gym lobby and claimed, “We got barricade at signing day.” They also had some well wishes for Oliver, as they said “I guess you can say we are deviously proud.” When asked about the ceremony in general, Sophie McLean described it as “Lit, crazy, movie” and Lilly Praete said “#Icried.” These two wanted to end with “Let’s just say squirrels for life.”