If you’ve noticed seniors walking through the halls with goggles around their necks or lurking in Tenley with water guns in their hands, it’s probably because you’re witnessing one of the most anticipated end-of-year traditions 12th graders participate in: Senior Assassin.

The goal of the game is simple: get your assigned target out by splashing them with water while they aren’t wearing goggles. “We use the ‘Splashin’ app,” said Eva Okoobo, one of the two seniors organizing it this year. 

”Once you register and enter a buy-in, you’re both assigned a target, and become one.” The buy-in this year was $20, and while the app shows individual target locations, many seniors opted to pay monthly for the premium version to view everyone’s live location. 

This year, over 100 seniors are participating, which has turned everyday locations into high-stakes battlegrounds; that is, except for designated safe zones. 

“The school is a safe zone, along with workplaces, hospitals and places of worship,” explained Kamryn Booker, the other  senior organizing the game. “We added some new rules this year to make things safer, like you can’t do a drive-by and the driver is always safe if the car isn’t parked. The water guns also can’t be electric or dark-colored.”

Okoobo and Booker decided to help organize the game rather than play themselves. “We have really busy schedules… and also didn’t want to be looking over our shoulders 24/7,” they said. “But we still wanted people to have a fun experience, so we managed to organize it and are trying to make it enjoyable for the rest of the senior class.”

That experience has included everything from creative ambushes to controversial eliminations. People have been waiting outside houses, hiding under cars, and even using their siblings as decoys. 

“At a party, someone tried to get me out and I stole his water gun and shot him with it,” said senior Kiyan Weigert. “It’s been really fun to see people get eliminated in silly ways. But honestly, I wish it was easier to get people out.” 

Senior Edilson Canedo said he was just eating at Panera when he was caught off guard by his assassin. “I swear I put my goggles on on time – we even had an Instagram poll and most people said I shouldn’t be out.” (He was still eliminated). 

Moments like these underscore one of the biggest challenges of running the game: fairness. “As organizers, we try to be as fair and morally right as possible,” said Okoobo and Booker. “At the end of the day, people trusted us by buying into the game, so we’re just trying to make it fun, safe, and enjoyable. We know we can’t make everyone happy, but we’re doing our best.” 

Behind the scenes, that responsibility has been more demanding than initially expected. “Organizing it has been hectic,” they admitted. “We’re on the app like seven hours a week fixing things and answering people.”

Despite the chaos both on and off the scene, the game continues to pick up momentum. When players successfully assassinate their target, they inherit their target’s assignment. To win, one must eliminate four others and be either the last person standing or, if it comes down to it, the person with the most kills. The winner gets a cash prize, and this year its winner takes all.

“Overall, we’re really glad we had the opportunity to run it,” they said. For next year, they recommended keeping the rules really clear, having waivers, and just reminding people that it’s supposed to be fun (take notes juniors). 

“When people take it too seriously, that’s when it gets stressful, but regardless, it really has been a fun way of ending our last year together as high-schoolers.” •