As the year comes to an end, the seniors are in full swing, celebrating their upcoming graduation. From Senior Day to Beach Week, students partake in traditions that make up Flint Hill’s culture, and the excitement underclassmen possess when seeing what their future years hold. One tradition in particular, Senior Assassin, has gained popularity across the United States and is part of the Huskies’ annual sendoff.
Senior Assassin is essentially a water fight spanning multiple weeks, each week divided into “rounds”. In order to play, students must contribute $20 to a shared pot that the winner at the end of the game will receive. Currently, the seniors’ pot has amassed over 1500 dollars. In order to move on to the next round, players must shoot their assigned target with a water gun- while avoiding being eliminated by their own Assassin. Seniors who choose to play all download an application called “Splashin” that shares other players’ locations and tells you who your target is.
Certain boundaries have been set in place to protect seniors’ safety, including certain off-limits zones such as the school campus, senior project locations, and places of worship. When players are not in their allotted protection zones, they must wear a floatie to stay “safe”. Even with a floatie, there’s a catch: certain days are designated “Purge Days” when floaties don’t provide immunity from being shot.
Even with boundaries set in place, there are multiple concerns with Senior Assassin, such as privacy risks and safety concerns. Across the nation, high schoolers have been in car crashes while playing Senior Assassin. Even at Flint Hill during the first round, there was a fender bender of two students chasing after another. Senior Maggie Hennessy told me, “I think senior assassins should start in May when school is over, so people have less stress to get their target out while balancing extracurriculars and busy schedules. It would be more fun and less associated with Flint Hill itself.”
Numerous perspectives have been shared on whether Senior Assassin should be allowed in our community. The question of whether the class is responsible enough to partake in a competition without taking things too far is unknown. In counterance, there are many positive aspects of the game. Seniors are getting to know people in their community they otherwise wouldn’t, and are spending time away from social media. Senior Assassin is an opportunity for students to act like kids, getting their minds off the stressful transitions ahead. Good luck to the leaders and eldest of our student body in their future endeavours- and for those choosing to participate in Senior Assassin- let the odds ever be in your favor.
