Towards the end of the high school year an event going by “Senior Assassin”. The gained has gained popularity over the years serving as a reminder that the year is almost over. Senior Assassin typically begins as a harmless competition among classmates. The rules can vary from school to school, but some factors remain constant: participants pick a teammate and pay a $10 duo fee, participants pick a partner and are later assigned targets, the objective is to eliminate your opponents before the next round starts, eliminate your opponents with a water gun. The last player standing claims the prize of all the funds payed to join the tournament. In this game strategy and surprise are crucial, being able to get info from others on your opponent’s whereabouts, from finding where they live or work. Some other universal rules addressing concerns are implemented. This game has seen many controversies. Concerns regarding safety and fairness as well as disruption to school environment have led to mixed reactions from participants, parents, and school faculty. Instances of players trespassing on property, reckless behavior, and causing stress to non-participants have sparked debates about the game. To shed light on these concerns, many schools have required moderators of the game to implement guidelines and boundaries. These rules include, safe zones, types of weapons, time and place that assassination is allowed. School grounds and sporting events as well as place of work are all off limits. Places where religion is practiced also is off limits. If one member of a team is eliminated the team is still in. To verify that you eliminated a team, a video or picture has to be submitted to the moderators. There are also special days such as days of immunity where no killing is allowed, a day where water balloons are allowed, and a purge day which the elimination of anybody is allowed. Strategic thinking and teamwork are the way to win this event. In 2022-2023 year the class of 2023 had a lot of troubles maintaining rules. A personal account as a friend of Brice Hankins, he had a target that lived on my street. This evolved into the loitering around his home as well as trespassing. Paying people for information, leaking information, lying and deception also play very big parts in this game. Having the ability to mislead others in order to protect a team your friends of happens frequently. Inducing amount of paranoia, anxiety,

and trust issues have set into towards the ending stages of the game. Despite controversies this game has been celebrated throughout the years. As with any tradition, Senior Assassin evolves over time, adapting to the changing dynamics of each graduating class and the broader landscape. While some consider it harml

ess diversion, others may question its place within the educational setting. Ultimately this game is fun for everyone it creates memories, friendships made, and the lessons learned. I hope to participate in this next year when I become a senior, with the confidence to win the whole thing.