Every year in late March, high school seniors grab their water guns and goggles, preparing for Senior Assassin. But while the game is meant to be a fun game to wrap up high school, it has turned into a chaotic, poorly managed mess. It’s time we admit that if Senior Assassin wants to survive as a meaningful tradition, it needs structure and basic common sense.

To start, the organization is bad. Senior Assassin is usually managed by a senior or a few seniors who make rules that are fair but also keep the game active. It’s advertised through Instagram stories and runs through an app called “Splashin,” which has its own rules already.

Players are left confused about what counts as a legal “kill,” when safe zones are enforced, or whether someone has actually been eliminated. Disputes are common, and since the rules are vague, arguments are inevitable. What was supposed to be chill and fun is now a big fight.

There’s also the issue of safety. Without official coordination with the community, it’s easy to see how this game can veer into dangerous territory. Students sneak around neighborhoods and stores in hoodies with water guns that, from a distance, look like real weapons, and chase each other through traffic. Someone is going to get seriously injured.

We’ve seen a real shooting in town, and how fast that sparked a police response. So, having teenagers around the same age running around with water guns isn’t very safe.

There is also the money problem. Some students don’t play because they don’t have the time or money to participate. The entry fee might be small for some but not for others. If Senior Assassin is going to be a school-wide tradition, it shouldn’t just be for the people who have money to spend easily. It should be something inclusive, safe, and organized for everyone who wants to participate.

So, this needs to be taken seriously. It needs to be a group effort to decide on rules to help spread a consistent rulebook. The students who run it should think beyond just the game itself. There needs to be fairness and safety. If we’re going to keep this tradition alive, we owe it to future seniors to show them what good rules and guidelines are.

Senior Assassin has the potential to be a highlight of our senior year, but it needs to be done properly.