One week in early March, senior Ethan Boren brought up an idea at the senior Student Council meeting. “My cousin goes to Chatfield, and he told me about this thing that they do called Senior Assassin,” Boren said.  “I thought it would be fun, so we started to set it up.”

Here’s how the game works: there are 30 teams of two players. Each week, every team is assigned another team to get “out.” Teams get opposing players out by spraying them with water guns, but players are immune if they are wearing goggles around their necks or on their faces. If a teammate is eliminated, you have the rest of the week to get both of your assigned targets out to get your teammate back in.  It is a complicated game, but one that caught on quickly, with 59 participants in the inaugural game. 

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Many places are off limits in Senior Assassin. Players can’t be eliminated on school property before 5:45 p.m., at practice, at work, while inside of their house, or while driving. Players can’t just shoot opposing players though and say that they’re out. Video proof of elimination is needed to officially get someone out. These videos are posted to the Senior Assassin Instagram page.

There are also Frenzy Days, where no matter what, the goggles do not protect players from getting eliminated. Every elimination gets voted on via the Senior Assassin Instagram account that is run by a non-participating party.

“When I first heard about it, I thought it sounded fun, so I said ‘Let’s do it,” said senior Parker Salladay. “So far I’ve gotten out Mary and Nian. Alyssa tried to get me out one time. I was helping my girlfriend out to her car, and Alyssa came up and started talking gibberish. She pulled out her water gun and started chasing me. I made it to my car before she got me, but it was funny.”

“I would try to solidify the rules beforehand. There wasn’t a set rulebook until almost three weeks in,” Salladay said.

Addyson Sheffield signed up to participate as well. “My friend Rylie Battig approached me after Ethan told us about the game in Anatomy and Physiology,” said Sheffield.  She has not personally gotten anyone out, but Rylie got Anna Kilpela.  Sheffield said she lives in constant fear of getting eliminated.  “Atticus waited outside my house for hours for two days, Audrey chased me in her car and Henry ran up to    my car to try to get me and was pulling at the doors,” Sheffield said. 

Sheffield believes that the game would benefit from more structure. “I would be more strict with it, rather than let people negotiate,” Sheffield said. “It is much scarier and more stressful than I anticipated.”

Since the game is regulated through Instagram, players can check to see who has been eliminated at any time, but not all seniors have social media. “I first heard about Senior Assassin through my friends, since I don’t have social media,” said senior Jackson Dunlap.  “I’m on a team with Nian Crouch, who has told me

everything about the game.” 

Dunlap formulated a strategy for success in Senior Assassin. “You have to look at it one day at a time and take it from there because that’s what it’s all about,” Dunlap said. He also believes that the game should be simplified. “We should try to make it faster so that less people would get burnt out,” Dunlap said.  “I would also get rid of the poll system. A committee that’s not involved should decide on eliminations.”

Multiple seniors said that Team 27 (Max Goede and Aaron Clune), was the most intense and feared team in the game so far. “I first heard about Senior Assassin through my man Aaron Clune,” Goede said. “I’ve personally tried to get out Paige, Claire, Henry, Ayla, Colton, and Cami as well, and knocked them all out.” 

Many other respected teams have tried to eliminate this duo; but recently, they’ve slowed down. “As far as I know, they’re all too scared to try to get me out,” Goede said. “I always stay strapped.” 

Like the other teams, Goede had a couple of suggestions for next year. “I like the Bounty List and Frenzy Days, but I feel like the rules could get stricter,” Goede said. Even the most accomplished team is feeling tired though. “After like the first week, it stopped being fun,” Goede said. “Nothing impactful has really happened; but every time I get a kill, I get super pumped.”

It all started as an idea imported from Chatfield, but the Manitou Class of 2022 has made it their own. Though unforeseen problems have popped up, the juniors believe that they will do it again. “We will probably change the rules,” said junior Kaleena Jones, “but I think that we will do it again next year.”