Published Apr. 7, 2022
BY SHAYLA DUTTA
‘Tis the season. The air is heavy with betrayal and charged with determination. Paranoia runs rampant, a disease no participant is free of. Students are dropping left and right as friendships fall apart and trust dissolves long-standing relationships. Nerf guns have become a universal accessory…at least for the 98 competitors in this year’s game of Assassins.
For over a decade, Carmel High School seniors have come together–independent from the school–for Assassins, a game in which each participant is assigned a target to “kill,” either by shooting them with a nerf gun or tapping them with a spoon. Students join for a variety of reasons, primarily for the class-wide experience, but also motivated by the prize funded by a $10 entry fee.
“I wanted to win the pot,” says senior Jack Cassady, in lament of his early in-game assassination. “But I also just wanted to be a part of a game with all my classmates.”
As a large portion of the senior class participates each year, many seniors view it as an opportunity to bond as a class.
“I’ve tried to participate in every senior activity just because it’s our last year,” explains senior Abby Weisenfeld, “but I don’t think I can win this. I’m not that competitive.”
Weisenfeld is among those who failed to knock out their target within two weeks. This group is put on the “kill list,” released weekly through the game’s Instagram account. The people on this list are fair game to any competitor, motivating students to eliminate their target quickly. Once they do so, they receive the student their target was assigned to eliminate.
CHS senior Kate Campbell takes a photo with classmate Stevie Dean, her target, whom she eliminated in an effort to secure a victory in this year’s Assassins. (photo by KATE CAMPBELL)
“It’s kind of fun just watching it all play out and watching people socialize with people they’ve never talked to before,” says senior Oliver Whittaker, who volunteered to run this year’s game.
While the school is aware of this popular year-end game, it is completely student-run, and CHS does not endorse it. In fact, past incidents have led the administration to establish rules surrounding the school, barring “kills” from happening at school-related events and during the time immediately surrounding them.
“It usually takes multiple months, and the game is played all around Carmel and Monterey,” explains Dante Garderet, a CHS alumnus who ran the game for the Class of 2020. “There are restrictions in place only around the school and places of work and worship.”
The long list of rules necessary to keep the game running smoothly and safely still don’t infringe upon action. When Weisenfeld and her friend attempted to lure her friend’s assassin, who doubled as Weisenfeld’s target, into a trap, her own assassin appeared in a surprise attack.
“She came out of nowhere from above the bushes across the street,” the senior explains. “She started running at me, but her Nerf gun wasn’t working, so I stunned her several times.”
Cassady wasn’t so lucky.
“I was feeling confident because I live in a gated community, and I had my sister walk out before me,” Cassady says. “But she didn’t see Ariana Smith, my assassin, and she popped out of nowhere and hit a really nice shot. It was pretty depressing.”
While thrilling, the game is also demanding and stressful, deterring others from participating.
“I think I made the right choice in not doing so,” says senior Darrell Wang, who decided on a more relaxing spring semester. “Overall it seems very fun, but for me it would be too inconvenient. It’s fun to watch other people be stressed, but I’m not trying to do that for myself.”
The game continues to play out with about 55 remaining competitors as seniors hope for a conclusive resolution before graduation.
