Stalking his next target on Life360 and camping out at her job, Jackson Butler, senior, cornered Tara Deshpande, senior, in the parking lot where she works, making her drive over the median to escape him. Although Deshpande got away, she would eventually be one of Butler’s 13 eliminations.
“I like the adrenaline rush,” Butler said. “It’s weird because whenever you’re chasing someone, your heart starts racing and it’s just fun.”
Butler is one of 110 seniors playing Senior Assassin from March 25 to April 28. For three weeks, the participants each get a target to “eliminate” by shooting them with a water gun. Seniors can wear floaties or goggles to avoid being shot. The assassin is eliminated if their target isn’t eliminated by the end of the week.
Seniors paid $5 to participate. Eliminated students can pay their way back in, $10 for the first round, $20 for the second and $50 for the third, making the current prize pool at around $970.
“You can’t really trust anyone because I know I’d betray all my friends for the money,” Butler said.
Seniors Grace King, Liv Trost and Katelyn Heitert organized the game. They collect money, assign targets and post updates on the @mhs_waterwars2024 Instagram account. Although she isn’t participating in the game, King said she understands why so many seniors feel inclined to join.
“It’s a fun game that only the seniors can play which has a spark of interest,” King said, “It’s also not run through the school so there aren’t really any consequences or penalties other than getting out.”
As the rounds continue, fewer seniors move on, and King said this allows students to compete directly against others they may not know very well.
Blake Fenton, senior, said Senior Assassin positively impacts the students and brings them closer together.
“When you have that interaction of trying to find them, or you’re in the action of shooting that target, it’s one of those moments where it’s kind of funny,” Fenton said. “It’s someone you see all the time at school, and now you’re interacting with them in a fun sort of way.”
With many different seniors working together and competing against each other, it has allowed seniors to create lasting memories, win or lose, Fenton said.
“Some fun memories have been leaving school in the middle of class so I can get my water and floaties, so I can be safe, or me and my friend driving all over the place trying to find his target and all the strategies we’ve planned,” Fenton said.
With 105 students eliminated, the last round started Friday, April 26, and has 5 seniors left competing to win the money.
