Recently, you may have seen people walking around with goggles around their necks. Why? First of all, it’s an awesome fashion statement and looks great with any outfit, but more importantly, goggles are the only way to prevent seniors from getting assassinated while playing Senior Assassin.
Senior Assassin is a popular game nationwide in which students attempt to “eliminate” an assigned target with a water gun while watching their own backs to prevent their own assassination, resulting in a dynamic game full of intricate planning, heartwrenching betrayals, Oscar-worthy videos of drama, and above all, lots and lots of patiently waiting.
How did Senior Assassin come to be, and why is it so widespread? The game can be traced to the early humans in the era of the 1970s on college campuses and was widely popularized by the 1985 movie “Gotcha!” starring Anthony Edwards (unfortunately not the basketball player) in which a simple game of campus “Gotcha,” which is very similar to the modern version of Senior Assassin, morphs into a “game” involving the KGB and real, deadly, weapons.
This movie led to kids playing “Gotcha” using makeshift projectiles in school (including my dad) in 1980s Denver. This movie and subsequent games likely had a direct impact on the writers of the popular shows iCarly and Gossip Girl, both of which included versions of the assassin game in 2010 episodes. This is likely how it became so well-known in the current generation. Accordingly, it is around this time that Senior Assassin became a popular pastime for second-semester seniors and took its modern form.
Typically, and in the case of Boulder High, Senior Assassin is NOT condoned by the police department or the school administration. In conversation with Assistant Principal Sirio, she stressed that the administration has nothing to do with the playing of the game and that the main concern of the administration is student safety. She said, “Our number one priority and concern is just to make sure everybody is conducting themselves in a safe manner.” This is a warranted concern, and it is not exactly a good idea to bring a bunch of gun-shaped objects onto school grounds.
For these reasons and in the name of safety, numerous guidelines have been put in place to ensure a safe, fun experience. These include a ban on any activity related to the game on BVSD property or any school-sanctioned event or activity, as well as explicit rules against any elimination relating to moving vehicles or entering private property without permission. It is important to note for any future participants that any breach of these safety measures will likely result in expulsion from the game and could lead to legal or scholastic consequences, including but not limited to suspension or expulsion.
The concept of Senior Assassin is simple enough, but numerous variations exist to spice it up. Boulder High specifically uses a bounty board, in which if you have not gotten any eliminations, you are then subject to elimination by anybody in the game, as well as the aforementioned safety goggles. Other variations use teams or require that swim goggles be worn on the eyes. In any case, the playing of the game generally involves an entrance fee for a pot for the winner, a phase of covert information gathering through mutual friends and acquaintances (but be careful not to blow your cover), patiently waiting for the opportune time to strike, and finally springing your trap like a lion after a gazelle. Sammy Brantz, ‘26, is one of the current leaders in eliminations at the time of writing. She has become infamous for her brutal early morning assaults, paying off the loved ones of her prey, and savagely betraying close friends in the name of the game. She had this to say for future generations of Senior Assassins: “Don’t hold back, get whoever you have the opportunity to get whenever you can; and don’t forget your goggles…ever.” Truly inspiring words from a potential sociopath.
With a surprisingly rich backstory, Senior Assassin has become a bona fide tradition throughout the country, helping the school become a community and pitting friends at odds. Good luck.
