Senior Assassin Recap
By Reagan Rozzi
Senior Assassin, although not a school sponsored event, takes place annually as one of the most highly anticipated last hurrahs of the school year. Beginning with a $2 entry fee—culminating in a $300 cash prize—this year’s seniors have shown no mercy in their water gun crusade.
Upon entry, students download the Splashin’ app to their phones, within which they are assigned their temporary targets. The app tracks the location of its players—with an intentional 15 minute delay—to aid its users in finding their targets. As rounds progress, the players must shoot their assigned target with a water gun. The battle calls for “purge days” where targets no longer matter; anyone in the group is fair game. The only way for any player to prevent their elimination is to wear a pair of goggles, a swim cap or an inner tube at all times, excluding their safe spaces: work, home and school.
Several seniors shared their chaotic stories that took place during the several weeks that the game was in action.
On the first day of the game, player Sean Kellough paired with his friend to get their assigned targets. While his friend’s mission was easily completed in the parking lot of a local grocery store, Kellough’s prey was more difficult to catch.
“It was the first day of Senior Assassin and [my friend] was like, ‘hey, let’s go get our targets out really quick.’ We drove to where [my target] was at and we pull up on him and he was fishing and he did not have his goggles on. He was on a peninsula so he couldn’t run away,” Kellough described. “I hopped over to where he was at, and as I was running over to him he took off his shirt and he dove into this pond.”
The hindrance didn’t deter Kellough, however. He waited patiently for his target to realize how exhausting swimming was going to be before his victim finally surrendered.
Another victim, Austin Tate, was at the local tennis courts when his assassin found him. With his goggles on, Tate believed he was safe from elimination. What he failed to realize was the lengths that his assassin would go to ensure his own win.
Tate laughed, “I was playing pickleball with my friend, and I got back into my car and all of a sudden this white truck closes me off so I can’t back out, … my first thought was ‘oh my gosh, am I gonna get jumped?’”
After a several minute stand-off, the driver got out of the car and approached Tate. He realized it was a classmate attempting to get his target for Senior Assassin, so he quickly put on his goggles. However, no swim gear was going to save Tate from his elimination.
“[My assassin] opened the door and he starts pulling at me, and I’m grabbing my friend. My friend is pulling me back and there’s just so much chaos going on,” he shared.
Tate finally decided that after a long day of school and an intense game of pickleball, wrestling with an assassin was not worth his exertion. He then removed his goggles and accepted his fate.
Lauren Collins was also dedicated in her work for Senior Assassin. During her target’s senior photos, she followed and eliminated her target in the midst of the photoshoot. Collins also shared her assassin’s own persistence in attempting to eliminate her.
“[My assassin] tried to get me three times. … I went to get my new target on purge day and I waited outside her job for two hours ‘cause I didn’t know when she got off. My assassin tried to get me [then] and he still didn’t [eliminate me]. On his way home he got assassinated, so good for him,” Collins softly laughed.
While the end of the year may be a light-hearted time of nostalgia and camaraderie for other schools, Owasso’s second semester for seniors is no laughing matter. The Class of 2025’s dedication to the game and their crazy stories they leave with the school display our student body’s commitment to their work.
Photo of anonymous note that reads, “I know eggs-actly where you live Addie,” left on Addie Roberson’s car taken by Addie Roberson