Blastin’ Senior Assassin

By Chelsea Lu & Niru Shivakumar May 21, 2025

Before receiving diplomas and throwing caps into the air, seniors are shooting water guns and chasing glory. As one of the last farewells to high school, senior assassin is a thrilling tradition that creates lasting memories for students before the responsibilities of college and adulthood.  

The rules are simple—originally starting with 154 players, each participant was required to eliminate their assigned targets within a 10-day period, or one round, to stay in the game. The game ends when only one person is left standing. Hunters can take out their player by shooting them with a water gun, but the target is safe if they are visibly wearing goggles or flotation devices. The app “Splashin” displays target locations to aid elimination, and each kill must be recorded and posted to the app in order to confirm its authenticity.  

In addition to wearing aquatic equipment, players can also find protection in safety zones at locations such as the school campus during designated hours, sports games and practices, jobs, religious grounds, appointments and any formal event. Playing during school hours is strictly prohibited, and violations can face serious repercussions, the most serious being expulsion. For those that get eliminated, buy backs are available, allowing them to re-enter the game for $15. The money accumulated becomes the approximate $4,000 prize awarded to the winning team, along with the admin receiving 5% of the total pot as well. 

“Senior assassin has been really fun andso far—it has kept me on my toes. The most exciting part is when your friend is your target, since you can plot more elaborate ways to eliminate them,” Senior Clara Gonzalez said.  

To raise the stakes, bounties can also be placed over a target, allowing anyone to eliminate them for a 24-hour period. Anyone who succeeds earns $15 in addition to bragging rights, although the bounty does not count towards the hunter’s kill count. Additionally, getting too comfortable with the immunity items can lead to trouble on purge days. Happening once every round, these 24-hour periods remove the use of goggles and flotation devices for immunity; safe zones still apply. If one fails to eliminate their target within this time frame, they themselves are disqualified.  After the first purge day,  only 80 remained, meaning 74 were eliminated before then. 

“Although the idea of no protection definitely increases the suspense and excitement factor, the time crunch of purge days is stressful since planning out the attacks takes a lot of thinking,” Senior Sonia Wang said. 

More than just a game, senior assassin gathers students together for one last round of fun before graduation. Whether it is the satisfaction of a well-timed attack or the chaotic tension, the competition serves as a final display of spirit before students part their separate ways.

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About the Contributor

Chelsea Lu

Chelsea Lu is a staff writer and this is her first year in Journalism. She loves hanging out with friends, building legos, and rotting in bed. She also loves writing stories.

Niru Shivakumar

Niru Shivakumar is a Senior at Leland High School and is a staff writer for The Charger Account. During her free time, she enjoys playing sports, hanging out with her friends, and listening to music.