Not every graduating class is very close, but one way Yutan’s class of 2024 is bonding during the last few weeks of school is through a game called Senior Assassin.
Twenty-eight seniors are taking part in this game. Each person is given a “target,” who is another classmate, that they have to “eliminate” some time outside of school, extracurriculars and work.
“You have to eliminate them with either a water gun or a water balloon, and then you also have to record it on camera,” senior Kayleen Pettinger said. “Then once you’ve done that, we’ll just post the video online.”
Pettinger had a main role in organizing and starting up Yutan’s version of Senior Assassin.
“I made up the rules; I found a way to organize everyone to get their targets without me having to do it because if I do, I can’t play because it’s technically cheating,” Pettinger said.
Since this is a trend, many other larger schools do similar versions of Senior Assassin, which is where Pettinger got her inspiration from.
“A lot of the big schools do it, and it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while now, but obviously, I wanted to wait until senior year,” Pettinger said. “Plus, I thought it’s a good way for our class to bond.”
Each senior received a note with their assigned target, and the game began on April 5th. Targets are safe if they are wearing swim goggles unless it is a “Purge” day—which means no one is safe no matter what precautions they take. However, the game got off to a slower start than expected, even with each of the seniors having each other’s locations through the Life360 app. After less than two weeks, only six people had been eliminated, which led to some added game features, such as bounties, who could be eliminated by anyone.
“I’m glad we added ‘bounties’ to the game because I think it jump started people to start being involved in the game,” senior Maycee Hays said. “I was one of the first bounties, which meant anyone could get me out.”
One of the seniors who was eliminated early is Connor Engel, who was eliminated outside his house before school.
“The most challenging part is just trying to always be aware of your surroundings and know when people are nearby when you least expect it,” Engel said. “On my way to my car, Kayleen was around the corner with her water gun…my goggles were just in my pocket.”
Once someone eliminates their target, they get the victim’s target, and this goes on until one winner is left. At the end of the game, this person will end up with cash from each senior who participated contributing five dollars, but everyone will end up with a lot of memories together.
“My favorite part is seeing everybody try to chase each other around, especially with the group chat that we have, conversing back and forth and seeing all the videos,” senior Andi Nelson said.
The hope is that Senior Assassin will continue into future years as one final activity for classes to do together.
“This has been one of my favorite memories with the senior class, and I hope the future seniors decide to carry on this fun game to bond with their class,” Hays said.
Advisor’s note: This game is senior-led and organized. It is not sponsored by the school, nor does it take place during school hours. However, we thought it was worth a story since the game is a source of bonding for the senior class.
