As the school year comes to an end, the seniors at Lexington High School gather their water guns and scooters for a tradition that combines stealth, strategy, and adrenaline: Senior Assassins. This highly anticipated game marks the final months of the school year, offering the seniors a unique way to bond, compete, and create lasting memories before graduation.
The game is structured as a large water gun fight, set in cycles. The objective is to ‘kill’ as many targets as possible without getting killed in the process. If a player cannot get their target eliminated in a given cycle, the player is out.
“Every cycle you also get a mission, which can really be anything, like my last one was to do a cartwheel at the track, they’re really random and they just get you out of the house,” Ava Wu, a senior at LHS, said.
One of the most important aspects of the game is communication, as success in the game requires more than just individual effort.
“My biggest strategy was to ask other people for help. The spirit of the game is extremely widespread throughout the school and many people were willing to help, so asking others for information or to join me on an excursion was super helpful in tracking down my target,” Ori Levine, a senior at LHS, said.
However, with communication and collaboration also comes betrayal, which is one of the most notable ways people get out and results in widespread discussions online.
“A memorable moment for me is the way I got out. A friend of mine basically asked me to do our missions together, and I agreed because I thought he had someone else, so I was like ‘yeah sure.’ But instead while I was doing my mission he got me out, but we’re friends, so it’s fine,” Wu said.
Despite all the commotion of individual games going on, seniors were able to develop a stronger sense of community.
“Especially during cycle one, literally everyone is talking about it and it’s a really easy conversation starter, like you can go up to anyone and you can talk to someone you haven’t spoken to ever, about assassins, and you guys will become friends through it,” Wu said.
This LHS tradition also enhances the senior experience and excitement around their last few days of high school.
“It makes senior spring seem a lot more carefree, and adds to the idea that seniors don’t really have to do anything anymore and can kinda just play around, which is probably not great, but it’s fun,” Wu said.
Overall, Senior Assassins will certainly stand out as a highlight of students’ senior years and a unique experience underclassmen can look forward to.
“I was super nervous leading up to the beginning of the game, but it was so thrilling and even after I was eliminated I found myself missing the paranoia and excitement of the game. Just don’t stress or take it too seriously and it will be a super fun experience,” Levine said.
