By TARA JENNINGS, Staff Writer
May 2, 2019
On Friday, April 5, 2019, North Brunswick Township High School’s Class of 2019 began this year’s Senior Assassins Game; a longstanding tradition at NBTHS, this competition requires students to “eliminate” each other by getting their target wet (using either a water gun, water balloon, or water bottle) on camera. Over one hundred students participated in this year’s event, with each student having to pay five dollars to play; whoever wins the game will win the sum of this money, but if there is no winner by July 15, the money will go to charity instead.
The premise of Senior Assassins is simple: every participating student is given a target, who they must eliminate by getting them wet on camera. (This can be done with a water gun, water balloon, or water bottle, but some restrictions apply; for example, students cannot uncap the water bottle to get their person wet, and must have a hole poked in the cap instead.) The “kill” must clearly be shown on camera for it to count; if it does, the student who was “killed” is knocked out of the game, and the person who eliminated them acquires their target. The game continues in this way until targets are switched (as was done on Friday, April 19) or until only one person is left standing.
Other aspects of the game, however, make it more difficult. Students are awarded certain “safe zones” (such as work, practice, and school events) where they cannot be eliminated. No one can be eliminated at school, and students are given a safe period of twenty minutes before and after school―as well as activities for school sports and clubs―where they are allowed to get home safely. No one can be eliminated while working (or even ten minutes before, to guarantee that they are able to show up to work without a uniform that is soaking wet) and trespassing on personal property is strictly prohibited. If there are any disputes about whether a kill should count, the two girls who organized this year’s game―seniors Kelsey McCann and Agny Valle―will either making a ruling or host a poll on Twitter to allow everyone to vote. Twitter is used frequently in this game (along with Remind 101), as students are encouraged to submit anonymous tips about other seniors’ locations that will be sent out so their “assassin” is able to find them and knock them out.
Participants in the 2019 Senior Assassins Competition use Twitter and Remind 101 to share important information and send out tips about other players. Videos are also used to show the "kills", which must be captured on camera in order to count. (Photos Courtesy of Tara Jennings)
McCann and Valle have had to put in a lot of work to organize the game, but neither girl seems to mind. “I decided to organize senior assassins around sophomore year, mostly because I’m a pretty organized person and a lot of people were telling me to,” McCann admitted, with a laugh. “It’s definitely stressful, but I like having a part in our senior year memories.”
Renee Hales, a senior who decided to take part in this year’s game, echoed McCann’s sentiment. “I think it’s going good,” she said. “I wanted to participate in a senior tradition and I think it’s been really fun so far.”
While several students have already been eliminated, there are still lots of seniors fighting for first place. With the school year beginning to wind down, only time will tell if one senior will rise above the rest and earn the title of Senior Assassins Champion for 2019, or if the money will be one final charitable contribution from NBTHS’ Class of 2019 instead.
Comments