Senior Assassins: harmless tradition or violent game?

In between the Senior Send-Offs, Project Graduations, proms and other events for soon-to-be high school graduates, there is one activity not sanctioned by the schools — Senior Assassins.

For decades, high school students have had a tradition of playing the "killing" game during the last weeks of school. The game, played at schools and universities across the globe, involves graduating high school students — seniors — who hunt down each other.

In essence, every player has a "target" that they attempt to eliminate or "kill" using mock weapons, typically water pistols or water balloons by an established deadline. The "killing" goes on until only one player is left. The game takes place off campus during the last weeks or months of school and sometimes, through the summer.

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In this era of #marchforourlives and all too frequent mass and school shootings, should a game which "kills" fellow students continue? Is this a harmless tradition? Or does it perpetuate an atmosphere of violence? Is faux violence even remotely acceptable in today's society?

According to Rutgers University Dr. Anthony Tobia, associate professor of psychiatry, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, while the concept of the game may look bad, he does not see an overall issue with playing the game.

"The impression I have about the game is as I understand it — that is the Senior Assassins game would not confer any significant risk with regard to violent behavior," Tobia said. "But, the optic of the game — especially today — is poor... and the optic is even worse given the fact that some of these seniors participate in marches and perhaps even lobbied. But at the same time, I do fully understand, especially as a psychiatrist, how one might be able to do that and yet, take part in the Senior Assassins game. There is a distinction. The optic is horrible, it really is, and hypothetically, if there were a way to give permission, as a parent, I would turn to my kid and say, 'Hey, this is a bad time...'. "

Particularly with participants using water pistols or water balloons as the "most egregious form of mechanism," Tobia said that in that context, he feels even more comfortable from a clinical perspective in saying that the game does not support a propensity for violent behavior.

Is it appropriate?

Given the fact that the goal of the game is camaraderie/team-building around the idea that the students are graduating, and is played within the construct of rules, Tobia said that "the organization is a single biggest factor that allows me to say that it does confer risk."

"It sounds to me that the students have really come together and thought this through," Tobia said. "Certainly, there is a lot of variability among seniors and among schools, but if they are getting together for team-building, I honestly don't believe that the use of a water pistol would significantly confer future violence."

Tobia also sees a parallel of Senior Assassins to the first-person shooter video games. In this case, he does not see the same outcome.

"I think there are significant differences between the two," he said. "In the video game individuals can become desensitized — the number of hours the individual plays, what the overall goal is. In the Senior Assassins game, the number of hours is such that I would not believe that desensitization would occur. And there is another clearly stated goal — the goal for the senior is camaraderie while the clearly stated goal for the video game is "to kill'."

While in his 22 years as a member of the Franklin Police Department, Lt. Phil Rizzo said while students have participated in senior pranks, to his knowledge they do not play Senior Assassins. As for students elsewhere continuing to play the game, Rizzo is not sure that they "can have it both ways." 

"While this is a seemingly harmless game, they must realize that it flies in the face of what students all over the country have been protesting," Rizzo said. "You can’t stage protests and walk-outs to end violence while playing a game that involves 'hunting marks' to get a 'kill'."  

Players must be on alert

While the game invades lifestyles — as an attack could happen at any time — it does not cause injury or pain to any player — except perhaps fleeting humiliation at "death." There are numerous rules, such as "killers" cannot enter their target's place of work to "kill," the game cannot be played until after the school day ends, say 3 p.m. and assassins may not attempt to "kill" when a target is driving or biking. Also, no hired assassins are allowed, so players cannot pay another to "kill" a target for them.  

Students who participate pay to play, with the collected amount going to various winners, such as the assassin who gets the first "kill" and the one man/woman left standing at the end of the game. 

Often, due to the advent of social media, the rules, "kills" and strategies are posted on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter under groups dedicated to specific school's games. Some groups require that the assassin show proof of the successful "kill" via a photograph of their wet completed target.

Why do they play? For the senior class, it is one more bonding moment before they all separate and start lives as high school graduates. It's also a way to let off steam and maybe make a few bucks in the process. 

Somerville High School seniors, who started playing in April, completed their six-week game on June 3 — Congratulations Tiny Meat Gang — with 35 teams and 140 students participating. The students played as members of teams of four students each, said Brian Morris, one of the coordinators of the 2018 game. There was an established safe zone surrounding school grounds as well as areas including the Polar Cub, Branchburg Sports Complex, Little Red School House, Raritan Valley Community College and any and all healthcare facilities and churches.

Their game, known online as "SHS_Assassins18" was an independent game and not affiliated with Somerville High School, Morris said.

"Playing this year, we were more cautious than other years," Morris said. "My friend and I (the coordinators) did our best to make sure that the rules would protect public areas, such as hospitals, churches and schools. We believed that it was not worth even the slightest risk to have players be misidentified by someone who was unaware of the game and have a situation develop. As this game is tradition for the senior class, no one felt as if the game shouldn't be played this year."

The buy in for each team was $80 or $20 a player and teams had a week to "kill" members of their assigned target team.

"This game is stressful," said Morris, who was on call for the game "24/7." "For the players, every minute they are not inside or within the grace period — 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. — they were worried about getting eliminated. As a large jackpot was on the line, tensions were high for many. Eliminations would constantly be debated and would eventually lead to a coordinator being called to sort it out." 

A last bonding moment

A member of East Brunswick High School's Class of 2014, Rebekah Makin, 22, of East Brunswick, recalls Senior Assassins as one last "bonding moment" for the soon-to-be graduates. While she could not take part because of work obligations, many of her friends played and enjoyed the experience. Their game lasted until August, right before most of the seniors officially became college freshman.

"I didn't play because I didn't have the time, but I wished I had because it seemed like fun," Makin said. "There were rules like you can't hurt the other person or scare them or stalk them at their place of work. And at EBHS, we used water balloons. I don't think water guns should be allowed. Water balloons are more of a reminder of being a kid and make it more like a game. It seems more terrifying for someone to be holding a water gun at you. And also, it's harder to throw a water balloon so it makes the game last longer. It shouldn't be terrifying. It's just a fun game."

Caroline Waksmunski, a 2017 graduate of Monroe Township High School, participated in her class' game, which also used water balloons as "ammunition." She viewed the game as a way to the seniors to let off some steam as well as spend time together "one last time."

"I definitely support stricter gun control," said Waksmunski, 19, who is a sophomore at Cornell University majoring in biomedical engineering. "With that being said, I didn't really have a problem with the game, but I see where the issue for some people would be. I think maybe if they change the name from Assassins to something that is not violent that would definitely help alleviate the problem. Even the water balloons, maybe some people would take issue with throwing objects at other people. I know some other schools do highlighters — to mark your target — or where you have to wink at them or something so even that is less violent. I did like the water balloons though. It was fun to throw water balloons at my friends. It was mostly just a fun experience for me. ... It was also sad that we were all leaving so it brought us together at the end of the year."     

As for some schools using water pistols, Waskmunski's response was "Whoa..."

"That's a little bit too much now," Waksmunski said. "Water balloons are definitely more appropriate."

Not sanctioned by schools

As for the schools and administrators, it appears that none sanction the playing of the game. For instance, a warning was placed on the Hillsborough High School website concerning both the Senior Assassins game and any scavenger hunts. It stressed that "the kids who are involved in these activities are all HHS seniors, they are NOT high school activities, and the school and district do not endorse either in any way."

The notice urged parents to "address these activities" with their children "in a very serious way so that what the kids intend to be fun doesn’t ruin future opportunities or turn tragic."

"It has become a tradition with seniors in many towns to run coordinated activities in the weeks before graduation that are meant to be fun but aren’t always in their best interests," the website said. "This is NOT a school activity, and the high school does not endorse this game in any way. Please be aware that kids often drive recklessly, take unnecessary chances, and carry fake weapons in playing this game. The fake weapons are often painted to look realistic and pose a serious safety threat should there be any encounter with local police. Also, imitation weapons on campus are subject to serious disciplinary and legal consequences. All township schools (the high school in particular) are neutral zones, and the game cannot be played there for everyone's safety."

Staff Writer Cheryl Makin: 732-565-7256; cmakin@gannettnj.com