On any given morning in April or May, Hamden High seniors can be found peering around corners, scanning parking lots, and in at least one case, avoiding showers altogether.

That’s because on Apr. 20, the annual game of Senior Assassin began, turning everyday routines into potential ambushes. Organized by senior Xaunder Chevannes through Instagram, in the game, participants are assigned a random target, whom they must eliminate with a water gun. This year, 115 seniors signed up.

Now in its third consecutive year, the game has evolved. Chevannes adapted last year’s rules, expanding team sizes to two to four people and modifying the threshold for full team eliminations. The competition is expected to run through Jun. 11, per Chevannes.

The game takes place on an app called Splashin, which shows the location of people’s targets on an interactive map. One cannot be eliminated if they are wearing arm floaties or goggles, though there are “purges” when these items are rendered useless. There are two types of purges: regular purges, in which the floaties and goggles do not work, and full purges, where anyone can shoot anyone, regardless of one’s assigned targets. 

The game is overseen by three seniors, Ava Eramo, Xavier Gilbert, and Cameron Saunders. “My job is to ensure that players are heard,” said Gilbert. “People have been asking, is this okay to do? Is that okay to do? We hear people out.”

People had varying strategies in choosing their teams. “I had decided I wanted to participate with a friend, Sky,” said senior Francesca Debs. “From there, we joined forces with two of our mutual friends who we knew also wanted to play, and from there we had a team.” Senior Erika Zarate wanted to go against her boyfriend, but she “thought [she] wasn’t going to win if [she] did that.” Senior Theodora Zuccardy said that she chose to work with Ciara Vasquez because, “[Vasquez] is someone I enjoy spending a lot of time with, so I knew the game would feel fun and enjoyable, despite win or loss.” On the other side of the spectrum, Tobias Haxhi was exceedingly strategic in his choices. “In making a team, having a strong man in the chair such as myself is exceedingly important,” he said. “Then I chose the fastest man in New England, Alex Medina, and the strong and sturdy Zayd Vohra.” He elaborated on his responsibility as the “man in the chair,” saying, “all assassination attempts have been planned by me, myself, and I.”

Their motivation in choosing to participate varied in equal measure. “I chose to participate because this is my senior year and it’s fun to bring everyone together for one big game,” said senior Alexander Medina. “I love it,” Zarate said. “It is a way to get closer to your acquaintances and people you wouldn’t normally talk to, and sharing nervousness about being targets unites people. I feel like it is one of the core parts of being a senior. The COVID pandemic messed up 6th grade, so I missed going to the Paradise Country Club and other opportunities. So, I am taking advantage of all the fun things this year.” Senior Madison Poole said that she is participating since it is “ just a classic high school tradition.” She also remarked upon the prizes awarded to the winners, saying, “Right now it is 1.7K dollars to the winning team and could be up to 2K dollars, so it’s like a mini scholarship.” Debs chose to participate because she “thought it sounded like fun.” Initially skeptical, and “not super committed to the bit,” Debs said she is now “All in, because of [her team’s] first kill. It was such a rush to make a plan and execute it that way. It was honestly so fun.”

While not everyone is participating, many are interested. “I think it is an interesting idea for [seniors] to engage with, but I don’t think I know the people well enough to play,” said senior Jose Vega Godoy. Senior Tilly Ryder said that she didn’t participate because she “just didn’t want people coming to [her] house at 7 am.” She said another reason she chose not to participate is that the game is also “very cliquey.” Freshman Giuliana Oddo said, “I think it is a fun game, though I am not closely following it.” She said that she does intend to participate when she is a senior, saying, “It seems fun to team up with friends and people in my grade.” Ryder said that while she is not directly participating, she has been following it very closely. “Seeing people try to run and escape is hilarious,” she said. “Rocco Cossaboom’s elimination was really funny because he just took off running and kept going.” 

Teachers are seeing its effects as well. Math teacher extraordinaire Angela Ames said, “I think kids have a lot of fun with it and get to know people they might have not heard of before, though a significant drawback is the time spent discussing it in class.” She added, saying, “It sometimes overtakes kids’ classroom duties.”

For all its strategy, stress, and sporadic squabbling, many students say the appeal is simple.

“At its core,” Debs said. “It’s a very silly game, with the child goggles and floaties, but surprisingly, it has created a kind of unity between the seniors.”