By Jack Kothari ’20 News Reporter
Question: Where do assassins shop?
Answer: Typically Target, but on campus, the senior class has been shopping for their targets in places ranging from the basketball courts to the Harkness tables.
Also referred to as “Spoons” or “Gotcha,” the game of Assassin is taking no prisoners among the senior class. Initially conceived by Anabelle Oldham ’20, class director of finance, as a way to energize the class between Fall and Winter break, the highly competitive game ensured that seniors didn’t get lazy amid the winter lull.
One may wonder: “How can I be an assassin?”
Well, to be assassins, the members of the class of 2020 each picked a weapon of choice: plastic spoons. Participating seniors received initialized spoons. The game keepers, Oldham and Jack Kothari ’20, assigned each assassin a target to kill with a weaponized plastic spoon. The assassins were released into the dangerous wilderness of the Mercersburg campus unaware of the identity of their own assassin. The dangerous wilderness may be wide, but it did not include active classrooms, PGA practices, or family-style lunches. Otherwise, the assassins were on their own. If and when the assassins, with their spoons on person, caught their target sans spoon, the crime ensued. Afterward, the deceased transferred his target, and the assassin continued the plastic bloodlust. Hence, the circle shrunk gradually, as nature decided who would survive, and who would be assassinated.
When the clock struck 3:40 pm, marking the end of the academic day on December 10, the mayhem commenced, and seniors all around campus gripped their spoons with intense exhilaration and heightened senses. I happened to be finishing a math lecture in the same moment as the game began. Shannon Fan ’20, arguably the most sincere person in the class, went for blood. She stood up and assassinated Max Yang ’20, claiming first blood within mere seconds. From then on out, I knew this would be no ordinary game of Assassin. And it makes sense because the senior class doesn’t do anything ordinary.
Over the next few weeks, friends turned on each other and hopes of winning the cash prize pool were crushed with a single tap on the shoulder. Jesse Zhang ’20, Senior class president, said that the game served its purpose of engaging the class and offering good (yet stressful) fun. “I’m glad that people were able to rally around the game, start talking to each other, and that nobody got hurt!” This idea was echoed by Oldham, the ringleader, who said, “I really enjoy things like this so it was super fun.”
When the dust settled, one Senior claimed glory. Annaliesse Cantera ’20 emerged victorious, winning the cold-blooded cash and bragging rights. She revealed her master plan: “My strategy was to keep a low profile, until one night when I chased Ranveer Sodhi ’20 halfway across campus and into Keil. He ended up committing suicide!” Congratulations to her on her success. It must be nice knowing that she has a fall back career if the need arises.
As a result of this game, the Senior class has gotten closer than ever (and perhaps more paranoid), key to cherishing the time we have left.
If you are an underclass student reading this, know one thing: the senior class is lethal, so think twice before crossing us… Happy Hunting Mercersburg!