For years, Senior Assassin was more than just a fun game—it was a special tradition where Sixth Formers bonded over friendly mischief. The game was simple: Sixth Formers would get a target and try to eliminate them by spraying water on them. Targets would be safe if they had a specific item, such as a Barbie doll.
However, following a car crash that occurred while the game was being played, school administrators forbade the game, prioritizing student safety above tradition.
Dean of Students Mr. Luqman Kolade weighed in on the decision process.
“The decision to stop the game was based on wanting to keep kids safe,” Mr. Kolade said. “We thought it was going too far. To be honest, the seniors expected it, as I have seen multiple kids knowing it was done at that point.”
Could this be the last senior assassin ever?
“It could stop entirely. It’s a thing that I get the fun of it and I love the idea to an extent, but it also can be potentially problematic,” Mr. Kolade said. “Senior Assassin isn’t a thing that is authorized by the school. We could very well decide that we won’t allow any of the accessories or safe zones of the game to happen in the school.”
Even though many students and alumni have fond memories of Senior Assassin, the accident served as a reminder that if we want to have fun, we have to make sure that we keep everyone safe.
“I feel like it’s the right decision,” Student Body President Josh Williams ’25 said. “I am upset the game got cut short, but I believe that continuing the game after an event like a car crash would’ve looked bad for the school. So many things can go wrong, far beyond a car crash. I mean, if someone died that day, the school would be liable for knowing about the game and not stopping it or regulating it more. I think the crash forced the school’s hand so that they had to step in.”
Players can be very secretive and sneaky in the game, which can lead to accidents. Students may even get into troubling activities like trespassing on private property and chasing each other in traffic, all in the name of competition.
Although the game is fun, it also comes with its risks. The game is meant to be played with water guns and spraying friends with water, which can lead students to engage in some unpredictable behavior. Players can be very secretive and sneaky in the game, which can lead to accidents. Students may even get into troubling activities like trespassing on private property and chasing each other in traffic, all in the name of competition.
Haverford prioritizes student safety, so the administration has set a strict policy forbidding water guns. Eliminations were also not permitted on campus during any school-sanctioned event.
While the cancellation of Senior Assassin could become the end of a recent tradition, could it have been continued if there were more safety measures in place? “It wouldn’t have been the right thing for the school to do. In my opinion, at some point, too much regulation takes away the fun of the game. I think more rules would just worsen the problem,” Williams said. “We already saw that the ‘no kills on campus’ rule was making the game slow and uneventful, and continuing it would be seen as putting the students at risk, which the school should not be doing.”
