Assassins is a hallmark of senior spring, as there’s nothing like the adrenaline rush of having a random classmate camped out in your backyard, or discovering the betrayal of a sibling who has let your assassin into the house. Assassins has the power to rip families, friend groups, and cohorts apart -- which is exactly what we need this spring.
So, we were glad to hear from Claire Atkinson and Olivia Lynch, the senior student council members who were picked to run Assassins, that the game was on. In the words of Olivia Lynch herself, when explaining how this could happen while prom and other events were still up in the air, she explains that the administration doesn’t organize, or officially support, the game -- it just HAPPENS to be run by student council members, which is why part of the official rules of 2019 was that “water guns may not be exposed at school or on school grounds.” For the naive and innocent among us, here is a quick overview of this senior tradition.
With an intensity equal to that of the deadly Hunger Games, the game requires that each participating senior stake out and get water on another participating senior -- without getting sprayed themselves. The major rules: you cannot spray someone on school property, at a school event (such as a sports practice), at work, at religious services, in a gym, at a community service event, inside a moving car, or within their house (unless you are invited in -- which you shouldn’t be this year: social distance!!). However, do not abuse the safe zones, or the organizers may find grounds to disqualify you. Possible modes of transportation for the water include, but are not limited to: spray guns, water balloons, water bottles, catapults, hose, etc. Shields can be used, as the water must touch the target or their clothing. However, if the ‘shield’ covers your whole body it is classified as clothing, so there’s no such thing as complete protection. Each cycle, participants are given the name of someone to spray. If they get that person out within the cycle, they are given the opportunity to also take out the target of the person they sprayed; however, they are not required to. In previous years, the rules have stated that if you eliminate three targets in one week, you are given a bye for the next week from having to eliminate someone, but we will see whether this rule is included this year. At the end of the cycle, if you have not sprayed your target, you are eliminated, and new names are distributed to those who are still in the game. However: another key aspect to Senior Assassins, reminiscent of our criminal justice system, is that you need a witness (not your mom! Your witness can be a sibling, or a classmate). A spray without a video submission to go with it is no bueno. This not only accounts for justice, but also allows the competition to be a spectator sport. And, the Instagram account featuring all of these assassin sprays will serve as good training for next year's players. If you are extremely impatient, check out this account from 2018 to hold you over.
The game will begin this year at the end of April or early May, the same timeframe it usually starts in, and will go on (usually) until graduation, at which point the pot will likely be split amongst all remaining players. Fees, which were $10 in 2019 and likely will be the same this year, must be paid before the game begins, so we can understand the stakes, and so that our lovely moderators will begin the random name generation -- and the assignments.
However, like all things fun this year, Assassins will have to be modified to accommodate current circumstances. The cycles will be started on Wednesdays this year, so that each cohort will have equal time in-person during each round. Also, your video will have to be socially distanced and will not count if you are not wearing a mask (as mask wearing seems to be a difficult concept for many of you, you might want to start practicing now). Also, think about investing in a water gun with long range capabilities. Water balloons could be another brilliant solution to overcome the distance, but we can’t give you all the answers -- we’re going to have to take you out at some point. The Hilltopper team has to win to pay off our staggering printing debt to the school and buy swag club merch. While you might think these COVID regulations will crimp your style when it comes to Assassins, as Olivia Lynch herself says, of the difficulties surrounding the game this year, she is not worried because “Every year people get really creative.”
Cohort bonding this year has been strong, but that may come to an end with Assassins. The masterminds behind the game have not yet determined how to deal with all the cohorts. Will it be divided by cohort? Will the red and green cohorts be able to play? We’ll have to stay tuned for the “unofficial” stu-co updates they’re sure to release.
Other student council news which, as always, has left us with more questions than answers: Will we have prom? Where would it happen? Would we be able to bring outside guests or guests from other grades? What about senior BBQ? J-Harb? Field day? Underclassmen Spring Fling! Is that too much to ask for? Everyone knows Underclassmen Spring Fling is an essential part of the NHS experience! We posed these questions to our stu-co members on the inside, and were answered with the typical ambiguity associated with the secret organization that is the student council. However, we were given some insight into the inner turmoil of the council, with Lynch telling us that the matter of bringing dates outside of school to prom was a matter of “heated debate,” which is not really within the council’s control (a matter we may weigh into in a future op-ed, so stay tuned, and, as you can see by the shift to two way hallways, Hilltopper op-eds can be very convincing). As our fearless leader Mr. Sicotte has reminded us, our “class officers and advisors are working hard to find ways to bring your classes together this spring.” We look forward to (eventually) finding out what this entails! And, even more importantly, we look forward to spraying our fellow seniors with water in the upcoming months!