Getting Tagged A look into a popular senior tradition

Getting Tagged

A look into a popular senior tradition.

BY GRETA MILLER, ’23 AND GRACIE HELFRICH, ’23. GRAPHIC BY MOLLY HENCH, ’22.

Senior year comes with many memorable traditions including graduation celebrations, senior nights and prom. Along with these typical traditions, is Senior Tag. Unaffiliated with UAHS, Senior Tag is a game played by a large group of seniors who compete against each other in teams of four in a prolonged game of watergun tag. People are eliminated from the game by getting struck with water by opponents, and while this may seem like a simple process, when looked at closer, it is much more. This year, the rules for Senior Tag were ten pages long. Rules included not being able to tag people out while they are at work, not being able to tag people out during safe time periods before and after school and not being able hide in people’s garages. Additionally, one way players are safe is if they are wearing swimsuits (plus shorts for girls), no shoes and are not holding anything.

Each year Senior Tag is played, two seniors self-appoint themselves to be the gamemasters of Senior Tag. They create the rules and regulations and make individual judgments regarding disagreements about tags. This year’s gamemasters are Emma Morris and Grant Overmyer. Their job is to regulate the game, along with creating the rules and making judgments upon them.

Among the Senior Tag players is Claire Stoeckinger. Her and her entire team have yet to be eliminated. If her or her teammates were to break any of the rules or if all of them were struck by water in the same week, they would be eliminated from the game. “You get eliminated usually if [an opponent tells] the gamemaster [of rule-breaking], and the gamemasters are pretty strict. And if you’re mean to them about it, you’ll especially get eliminated,” Stoeckinger said. 280 seniors played the game this year, but not every senior was interested in participating. Senior and non-player Nathan Olson is not fond of Senior Tag.

“I think it’s incredibly annoying. I really do; I mean it’s not a waste of time, but it’s kind of a waste of time. I just don’t see the appeal,” Olson said. “Nobody ever shuts up about it ever. It’s like all discussion at this stupid school was for like a month.” Students aren’t the only individuals with concerns about the game and the way it’s played. UAHS Assistant Principal Jennifer Mox has been familiar with the concept of Senior Tag for many years. “The first time I ever heard about it was quite a long time ago, probably the first district I ever taught in. On the one hand, I thought it was fun; it’s a great way to remember the fun you have as a senior and your senior year,” Mox said. “What got me a little bit nervous was that people were doing things like putting themselves in harm’s way…like speeding, not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign, not obeying the traffic signals.”

Although administrators have concerns for safety, many students still choose to participate.

“[The administrators] recommend you don’t participate because it’s like dangerous, but it’s a water gun, so…it’s as dangerous as you are. You don’t have to play dirty,” Stoeckinger said.

Even though Senior Tag is a game, there is a significant cash reward. This year the entry fee for each Senior Tag team was $50, or $12.50 per player. The gamemasters receive 8% of the pool, 10% goes to charity, the runnerups receive their money back, and the winning team gets the rest of the pool. There were 70 teams participating this year, meaning the winning team will receive $2,820. Divided among four team members, the prize is $705 per person.

Many seniors participated in senior tag this year, continuing the tradition and having a shared experience before graduation.

◀ TAG, YOU’RE OUT Seniors Mollie Sandford and Emma Onifer eliminate Jimmy Chieffo from the game for a week.

PHOTO COURTESY EMMA MORRIS