Planning. Running. Paranoia. Victory. Starting April 13th, 235 seniors joined Senior Assassin to participate in a long-standing tradition, which lasts until the end of May.
At the end of the academic year, many students in the graduating class chose to participate in Senior Assassin. They eliminate their assigned targets with water guns while trying not to get shot by the person who has them. Each student pays $10 to play. The ultimate goal of the game is to stay alive and get as many targets out as possible to win a cash prize. This year, seniors Jacob Letterman and Emilie Ferdinand organized the game. Their roles are to assign targets and ensure the rules are being followed. They also run the Instagram account that publishes each kill.
Letterman said he thought it would be a good learning opportunity to manage such a large group.
“I felt it would be something fun to do my senior year,” Letterman said. “I personally didn’t really feel like playing [Senior Assassin] but thought running it would be fun and a learning experience on how to be a leader and manage a large communal event.”
The game follows a set of rules, managed by Letterman. He determines if certain controversial kills should count, such as if the elimination was on campus or not. Letterman also manages conflicts between students.
“I just refer back to the Instagram. I have this baseline document that I use as the rulebook and then I interpret if [kills] should count,” Letterman said.
Senior Theo Nistler was the first to eliminate his target in round one. He said he has been looking forward to the experience since before senior year.
“It seems like a lot of fun,” Nistler said. “Even going back a couple years, I just wanted to participate. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing.”
Senior David Liang, who also got his first target out early on, said the game has been overall enjoyable.
“My favorite parts are probably getting to know your target and making a game plan,” Liang said.
Letterman said that for many, the game has also been stressful, especially because there is about $2,000on the line.
“I think for a lot of people playing, it’s been stressful, but for me, leading it has been so much fun,” Letterman said. “It feels like a very good exercise on how to lead, and I find it really fun.”
Letterman said he deals with disputes and other issues among the players. He said that some have gotten angry or upset playing the game, which has a negative effect on others participating.
“People need to realize it’s just a game,” Letterman said. “Yes, there’s a lot of money on the line, but if you take all the fun out of it and you get seriously mad about it, then it ruins it for a lot of people.”
Although highly competitive and often stressful, Letterman said Senior Assassin is designed as an enjoyable and exciting event for seniors. Students come together to have one of their final group experiences as a class.
“It’s meant to encompass every bit of your high school grade,” Letterman said. “It’s supposed to be this culminating event that is essentially a battle royale.”
