A tradition among many schools across the country has been adopted by Grosse Pointe South students, a game of senior assassin. Each senior at Grosse Pointe South who chooses to participate must pay a fee of one dollar, and the winner takes all.
The manager of the instagram account behind it all gives each participant a target, who they must “assassinate” within the five day round -if they fail, they will be eliminated. To assassinate someone you must hit them with a water splash, usually from a water or squirt gun and water balloons (excluding buckets, water bottles, and electric and/or paintball type guns), and for an elimination to count you must have video or verbal proof.
With a game like this that could possibly pose harm, the person managing it laid down some ground rules to ensure safe fun, and those not following the rules are automatically eliminated. Some of these guidelines include absolutely no attempts at school or at school sponsored events, no trespassing or illegal actions of any kind, and no attempts on someone currently driving.
Though not every student has chosen to participate, many who have are very excited to potentially win the grand prize. James Peberty ’22 mentioned what he is looking forward to.
“Senior assassin is really fun and intense,” Peberty said. “It shows us what it’s like to be a PI or a detective.”
However, some seniors see it as an opportunity for the senior class to unite just before graduation.
“I’m excited that the seniors get an opportunity to come together and be in a game outside of school,” Jonathon Biter ’22 said. “Although it might be awkward at first, it’s fun to be assigned random people and get to see them outside of school.”
Being a part of senior assassin has raised paranoia for a few students, Elle Ottaway ’23 mentioned her suspicions of even her closest friends.
“I am very suspicious when friends ask me to make plans,” Ottaway said. “I have made a clear “list” to make sure I stay in, but sometimes even with a list it can still be difficult because friends could also be helping (my) assassinator.”
Biter also mentioned how staying alive has constantly been on his mind.
“I’ve been moderately avoiding being in public spaces too long and checking around my car before getting in,” Biter said. “However I heard the person who has me as a target was eliminated, so it’s much less stressful. It’s still good practice to be more aware of my surroundings though, even when I’m not playing the game.”
Ottaway is definitely not the only one afraid of getting assassinated, as Peberty also admitted he basically lives in fear of getting out.
“You need to have a water gun on you at all times,” Peberty said. “I’m in constant paranoia of being assassinated anytime I leave the house.”
A lot of competitors have established a plan of action in order to eliminate their target, many include waiting out their target using the element of surprise.
“I was able to eliminate my target before school by sneaking up on her walk to her car, and it was much easier since I knew my target,” Ottaway said. “However, I know that other players have had difficulty since they don’t really know their target personally.”
If you check the official Grosse Pointe South Senior Assassin instagram page (not associated with Grosse Pointe South High School), you are able to see many have used the same technique to eliminate their targets.
“I feel like this game will get very intense after spring break, so everyone needs to watch out,” Ottaway said.