Cal High Student 'Assassins' Spark Controversy

For two weeks in February I performed stakeouts, Facebook-stalked my peers, perfected my Nerf gun marksmanship and suffered from constant paranoia.

That is what it takes to be an assassin.

Since the beginning of February, 200 seniors have participated in the game known as assassins, an annual tradition for local high school seniors.

Assassins is a tournament-style Nerf gun game in which each team’s objective is to eliminate another team that has been specified as a target. Teams, made of two students each, must therefore pursue a target while simultaneously avoid being pursued. 

To be eliminated, a player must be hit in any part of the body by a Nerf dart fired from the gun of the assassin.

At the beginning of each week, the game’s two student organizers send out assassination assignments to each team, and players have two weeks to eliminate their target or they will be disqualified. The game will last as many rounds as necessary until the one team left standing is declared the winner. 

For the Cal High assassins game, each of the 100 teams paid an entry fee of $10. Half of the $1,000 raised was donated to the George Mark Children’s House for the terminally ill and the other half will be given to the winning team.

Needless to say, excited high school seniors plus the promise of a $500 prize equals intense, adrenaline-filled competition. 

The first step for every team was to acquire state of the art weaponry, a task that required at least a good 30 minutes perusing the Nerf gun aisle in Target or Toys R Us.

Everything from double-barreled shotguns to rapid-fire machine guns could be found on the store shelf. And teams that wanted the best of the best in Nerf technology were willing to spend a pretty penny on it.

The next step for teams was to investigate their targets. I must admit that because of assassins, I became well versed in the subtle, yet powerful, art of Facebook stalking. 

A few minutes of stalking the Facebook profile of one of my targets was enough for me to obtain her place of work and when she would be there.

I also asked around at school until I found a “friend” of my two targets who was willing to give me their addresses, car models, and general information regarding their daily patterns.

Some might call this creepy. I agree. But being an effective assassin requires a certain level of creepiness. 

The final step was of course the actual assassination.

Before the game started, players signed a waiver that laid out basic rules prohibiting the game from being played anywhere on campus during school hours, at school events or sports, or while a target was working. Trespassing and drive-by shootings were also not allowed.

Apart from that, the game was on 24/7 and in all places. For several weeks in February and March it was not uncommon to find seniors armed with Nerf guns hiding in the shadows, chasing each other down the sidewalk, and staking out houses in the early morning before school.

Though the assassination attempts were the most exhilarating part of the game for participants, they were the most concerning aspect for Cal High administration. 

Administrators caught wind of the game the week before it began, inciting Principal Mark Corti to call the game’s organizers to his office.

“It was highly organized, but there are still safety concerns, especially around moving cars,” said Corti. “There’s also a monetary prize, which tends to elevate the level of competition.”

Despite the administration’s opposition to the game, students vehemently assured administration that no Nerf guns would be brought on campus and that the rules of the game ensured safety.

Corti sent an email to senior parents, warning about the possible dangers of the game, but no action was taken by the school to stop assassins from continuing. 

But administrators were not the only adults upset by assassins. My mother made clear to me that she did not approve of the violent connotations of the game and was concerned about the possible dangers.

To members of the community with similar feelings, I argue that the risks involved in assassins are not so great as to warrant its prohibition.

Yes, it is possible students could be injured. But the rules of game are meant to prevent this. So far no injuries have been reported, and Corti said he has not received any complaints from members of the community about assassins.

And as for the idea of “assassinating” others with Nerf guns, I would contend that high school seniors understand that assassins is a game for the purpose of having fun.

Assassins does not promote violence. At most, it is simply a reflection of how ingrained violence has become in modern culture, as seen when kids try to mimic James Bond or Jason Bourne as they perform Nerf assassinations. The role of violence in our society will not be changed by prohibiting kids from playing the game.

Seniors at other local high schools, including Dougherty Valley and Monte Vista, also play their own annual games of assassins, and students should be allowed to continue the tradition.

In Cal High’s game, only three teams now remain, and sadly I am not one of them. Even more saddening is the fact that I did not have the honor of being assassinated, but rather my partner and I were disqualified for not killing our targets before two weeks was up.

I might not have been very good at it, but assassins was a fun distraction from the daily grind.

I only hope future senior classes can participate in this tradition and follow in the footsteps of former assassin masters.