Senior assassins has become a unifying event in the high school experience, in which second semester seniors spend invaluable time with their classmates one last time, embarking on what should simply be a harmless yet, competitive game.

Senior assassins serves as a way to unite the senior class. However, when players take the game too seriously by violating others’ privacy or nitpicking at the small details it can diminish the positives of the experience.

The main purpose of senior assassins is to “kill” your assigned target out of the other players by pouring water on them through a variety of means.

There are a set of rules, decided entirely by the gamemasters, seniors Gabi Taylor and Sol Ibanez, including locations that you can and cannot “kill” your target, ways of protecting yourself with floaties or goggles and when you can get said target.

The specifics of these rules are instrumental in the strategy of the game as there are certain windows of opportunity in which players can get their target.

Despite the friendly nature of the game, players who invest time arguing in the comments or disputing “kills” have made Portola High’s first game less enjoyable.

“I think the fact that people are trying to argue with every little thing is concerning,” senior assassins co-game master and senior Sol Ibanez said. “People take this game too seriously and end up causing those who are still in to stop playing because it is not enjoyable anymore.”

While taking the game too seriously can be a mild annoyance to players trying to casually play, a more severe issue arises when players employ the mentality of attempting to win by any means.

Following players around for hours is an extreme violation of privacy, especially for the students’ family members not involved in the game.

“I don’t think anything is fair game,” Ibanez said. “I think following someone out for lunch or going where they know someone is is okay. But it is not okay to violate someone’s privacy or break the law.”

With some players getting into petty arguments regarding how they ended up getting “killed” or the ambiguity of how the rules are determined, it is important to be cognizant of why the game is being played.

Ultimately, regardless of matters of pride or money, senior assassins is an opportunity for everyone to enjoy one final senior experience with people they may never see again, and engaging in the game light-heartedly rather than going all out gives all players the opportunity to have fun.