Senior assassin is a game that has become hugely popular among high school students. The game, which is either played with water guns or NERF guns, combines strategies and uses different apps to track kills and reload targets. At the core of the game, students are assigned “targets” who are fellow classmates and must “eliminate” them using the gun of choice for the game. The last remaining player alive with the most kills wins the game and at North Creek specifically, a hefty cash prize.
One reason for the games popularity is the fact that the whole senior class comes together, it fosters excitement and anticipation daily with friends betraying friends and smart kills that shake up the game. Social media has also helped the game spiral and has helped the rules become more clear to cause less confusion. Many schools including North Creek have dedicated Senior Assassin pages, which feature kills and explanation of the rules. Assassin is technically not a school sanctioned event but the administration at North Creek are all aware of the game being played and surprisingly all have incredibly conflicting views.
Assistant principal Redshaw supports the game. “I think a senior assassin is a right of passage. I think it’s a culminating activity of your whole all four years of high school and I think that this is a great way for you to kind of celebrate the end of an era right 13 years of education and what better way to do that then to take each other out I mean, come on right it’s fun,” she said. “I think it’s fun. It’s as long as the rules are followed and that we’re not bringing it onto campus when we’re on campus. We’re still following school expectations but I think off campus as long as you are you know doing what you need to do and not taking it to the excessive level. I just think it’s a great way to celebrate and you know walk out of here sort of with a mic drop but just like I mean and come on the winner gets how much money this year quite a bit right and that’s a celebration in end of itself as well I mean, like I said it’s right a passage and I think I support it.”
However, not all staff agree. Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Pinder disagreed. They both believe that the game is dangerous and causes more harm than good.
“It’s dumb. Why would you point a gun at somebody, even if it’s shaped like a unicorn it’s still a gun,” Jefferson said. “If admin can’t do it, students shouldn’t do it. I don’t agree with it anywhere.”
Pinder agrees. “I hate it, it’s too much attention and kids get consumed with it and someone’s going to get hurt,” he said”
Many parents view this as the correct opinion with students not being allowed to play the game just because students’ locations have to be on at all times and that could cause concern for families safety. Parents share concern for students running around with guns at unsafe times. In many cases, the parents who dislike senior assassins just want to make sure safety plays the biggest role in senior year activities.
