Senior assassin has been cancelled

Campbell Micek

Commentary Editor

Senior Assassin is a game that is played nationwide at numerous high schools.

While there is no clear origin of the game or designated rule set, the general idea remains the same: seniors in high school pair up and are assigned a new pair to “kill” every week.

“Killing” a pair entails shooting a member of your designated pair with a Nerf gun.

While Senior Assassin was fun during the week that it occurred, the game is now indefinitely suspended for the remainder of the year.

“The game ended because of police and school interference after multiple mishaps happened regarding the game in the community,” one of the organizers, senior Brielle Bates, said.

Senior Assassin was designed to last 13 weeks, until there was a final winning pair. There was a $5 buy-in per group, and this year, 149 teams and 298 players participated.

“I am sad that the game had to get to this point, as we were excited to run it, but relieved that there isn’t police involvement anymore,” Bates said. “From what we know, the school does not want it to continue this year, but we have no insight for next. Seniors now need to decide if they would like their $5 back or to donate it to the SchoolWide Fundraiser.”

Senior Assassin started at Maine South in 2019 and has continued annually since.

Since Senior Assassin is not school affiliated, a particular senior in the senior class volunteers each year to coordinate the game. This year, Bates and Jillian Beck collaborated in coordinating the game, and all communication happened through Instagram and sign-ups via Google Docs. They even created an elaborate handbook detailing all rules of the game.

“A LOT of time went into preparing this game”, Beck said. “It seems fairly easy to put together from the outside, but there were so many intricate details and factors that went into every rule, every decision, etc. Especially given that there was such a large number of people playing this year, we spent an immense amount of time preparing for this year’s game. Typically, runners of the game incorporate and/or reference the rule book from previous years in order to create their own rule book. So, we incorporated all of the rules from past years into our rule book, as well as adding some additional ones.”

While there are rules regarding where you are and aren’t allowed to shoot, often the game may end up violating people’s personal space. Many students at Maine South have been caught off guard in unexpected places.

“I was enjoying my workout when I found out there were two people outside of the gym there to kill me when I left,” senior Tommy Porrello said. “However, when they weren’t able to get me, they showed up at my house before school.”

Senior Assassin is one of the many activities that seniors look forward to during the duration of the second semester, and some may even say it is the epitome of the “high school experience”.

“I think it is a fun tradition that brings some joy in the middle of the winter months and makes senior year fun,” Assistant Principal of Student Experiences, Mr. Michael Edwards said. “With that said, there is a line that can get crossed that impacts students’ home life and work life, and could lead to conflict. It’s a delicate balance.”

While the class of 2023 did not get to experience Senior Assassin in its true form, there is a hopeful future for the current juniors, and years to come. As a student-run game, it is truly up to the behavior of those participating to determine the fate of the game.

“Senior Assassin is something that I have looked forward to during my time at Maine South,” junior Tudor Cupcea said. “I hope that things will look up for us.”