On Feb. 11 after school, Ryan Siegle ‘25 was walking up the stairs of his front porch when he felt a spray of water, eliminating him from a game of tag that has consumed many seniors.
Senior Assassin is a game played by the senior class in the second semester of the school year. Each eligible senior is assigned a target that they must eliminate by spraying them with a water gun before the round is over. Each round, players are allotted an immunity item, which prevents them from being “killed.” The last player remaining wins a prize of $1,200, and the player with the most “kills” wins a $100 consolation prize.
“I wanted to play Senior Assassin because I thought it would be a fun game that included the whole [senior] class,” Siegle said. “During winter there is not much to do, so the game really brought some excitement to the [senior] class.”
Players paid a $6 entry fee to play. Once officially joined, all players receive their target and have to spray their target with a water gun before their assassin gets them first, or the round is over. When a player successfully eliminates their target, the eliminated player must tell their assassin their target so the game can continue. To confirm a “kill,” a picture of both parties must be taken and sent to the Instagram account to be posted by the seniors running it, Kara La Rocco ‘25, and Liam Bruederle ‘25.
“There are definitely benefits to running it, like knowing who everyone has,” co-runner of the Senior Assassin Instagram account La Rocco ‘25 said. “I really do like running the account, but I wish I was able to play just one round.”
There are rules in place that help players protect themselves from being eliminated. Each round has an immunity item: round one was swimming goggles, baby pacifiers for round two, pool floaties for round three, and surgical masks for round four. If a player is wearing an immunity item, they cannot be targeted. However, there are certain times when immunity items are deactivated, and everyone is fair game. There are also safe zones where a target cannot be “killed.” Some places include anywhere in NC or SC, LT sporting events, houses unless invited in by an owner, jobs, gyms, religious services, etc.
“As [senior assassin] is not a school-sanctioned activity and is not affiliated with or recognized as an official LT club, the school has limited oversight over the game when it occurs off-campus and outside of school hours,” Senior Assistant Principal Adam Davis said. “Despite this, the safety and well-being of our students remain a top priority, and we will address any individual concerns or issues that arise as a result of student participation.”
With recent developments with the danger of Senior Assassin with other schools and water guns being mistaken for real guns, the seniors in charge of the game have added precautions to protect the well-being of students and staff. For example, students participating in the game must use a vibrant color to clearly resemble a water gun, and no black or grey water guns are allowed.
“I definitely have some tricks up my sleeve for the game, and people need to stay on their toes,” La Rocco said.