By Megha Lakha and Maxine Smith
For better or worse, senior Assassin has been on the minds of the Class of 2026; some players have strategic moves, some are just hoping for the best, and others have already been eliminated.
This is the second year Lovett’s oldest students have taken part in this most definitely not school-sanctioned game. To win, you basically have to avoid getting squirted with a water gun. Players can be safe by wearing goggles on their foreheads or eyes. Seniors use an app called Splashin’, which assigns every team a target team to eliminate.
Through Splashin’, you get access to your target’s location and try to get them out of the game. The game also involves a “Purge day” every Sunday for teams who fail to get their targets out, meaning fair play for all teams, and you’re only safe with goggles on your eyes.
The game offers a cash prize of $ 1,400, which is quite enticing. The prize is funded by players who each pay $10. Some people play solo, but the bulk of players are in pairs of 2.
Before the game started, Ms. Hooker, the Senior Dean, and Mr. Boswell called an assembly for the senior class. According to Ms. Hooker, the main goal of the assembly was to inform seniors about the possible dangers of the game.
“I think the idea of there being some type of weapon, whether it’s fake or not, is risky because people make assumptions quickly, especially in the climate we’re in today,” Ms. Hooker told us. “If someone doesn’t know about the game or your intentions, it can be problematic, and worries me for your safety.”
The biggest expectation the US administration has had for the game is that students not bring it on campus and be safe when playing. They specified that our water guns shouldn’t resemble a real weapon. Even with these expectations, they’re still worried. “We understand why it’s a fun game, but also think it’s very dangerous,” Ms. Hooker noted. “I have mixed feelings, but I get why your grade would want to do it.
These more significant concerns aside, the students are focused on staying in the game. If eliminated, players have the option to revive themselves by undertaking challenges. For instance, one challenge was wearing goth makeup to school, and another challenge was dumping a gallon of milk on yourself in the school plaza. Let’s just say the US administration was rightfully unhappy about this. Ms. Hooker said she “had conversations with those involved in the challenge and students who were running the game.”
What was frustrating for her was that the admin hadn’t told “students not to have fun. “We just said don’t make it a part of what happens on campus,” Ms. Hooker said. “That was the one thing we asked, and it was ignored.”
Zaynab Farid, the coordinator of the game, understands her point. “We definitely should have kept it off campus, which we will do from now on,” she said. Zaynab is “committed” to keeping things under control and having everyone follow the rules.
She has had second thoughts, however, about volunteering to be in charge. “Overall, I regret choosing to run this because it’s too much work and I thought people would be more grateful,” Zaynab said. The game has been stressful “since everyone has their own opinions on how it should be run.” She also stated that “the guys, especially, have trouble respecting my authority.”
As for the players, many have had high expectations for how far they would get in the game. “I think I will win,” said Patrick Smyth at the time. He got out a week later (He may have been too confident).
Carter Rumph confidently predicted that Dunning and Grant or Tristan and Dom would win because they are super committed, though Tristan and Dom have been knocked out since then. Dunning is still holding strong, and the senior class has coined the term “Sir Splashin” for him, though Dunning’s partner, Grant, doesn’t seem to get as much praise.
Others had little intention of advancing far in the game and just played for fun. “I don’t wear my goggles that often,” Amelia Friedman said. “It’s a lot of work, and my main goal is making it to the next round.”
The game started strong, with people more determined to get their targets out. “A lot of people seem to forget about the game because they underestimated how busy they would be,” Zaynab said. “That’s why we added new rules, so it ends before winter break.”
Getting people out in senior assassin takes a lot of dedication. “We have to travel to people’s houses, and we also pay attention to people’s schedules,” said Patrick Smyth. Many people’s strategy is to hide out in bushes in front of their target’s house and jump out once the target is outside without goggles on.
Ultimately, senior Assassin has been a key bonding aspect for the senior class. At the same time, “people argue,” Amelia said. In fact, there is a GroupMe, where players sometimes squabble over the game.
