HUDSON — For the seniors at Hudson High, the end of the school year brings more than finals, tests, and graduation — it brings Senior Assassin season.
Since the quick first elimination of senior Cooper Stuhr by Makenna Mcguire in early April, co-champions Guilherme Cury and Lilly Graca had to create smart gameplans, to make it to the end.
Although Senior Assassin is considered a game, the seniors took the fight for the $316 prize pot seriously.
Some seniors even double-crossed friends in order to survive.
“My strategy changed depending on the person because everyone plays differently. Sometimes I’d leave my phone somewhere else and have friends who were still in the Life360 circle help me figure out where people were,” Graca said.
Other seniors were more sneaky to eliminate their target.
“My strategy was mostly tracking patterns, and catching people when they least expect it,” senior top four finalist Annmarie Mendonça said.
With some seniors being eliminated earlier than expected, buy-backs were available in all rounds before the final purge round, costing each player $10. For the competitors, the opportunity to buy-back was a huge benefit.
Each year, when Senior Assassin rolls around, some seniors tend to change their daily routine, based on how much they strive to win.
“I definitely became more cautious. I paid more attention to my surroundings. I stopped going on walks with my friends because I felt like I was just asking for it at that point,” Graca said.
Others felt confident enough to go about their day, not worried about the bounty on their head.
“My routine hasn’t changed much other than always having a water gun on me as well as checking to make sure nobody’s camping me,” Cury said, when asked what he changed about his daily routine.
Senior Assassin is a time where soon-to-be high school graduates come together and have one final, fun memory to close off their senior year.
“It feels extra special because it’s one of the last fun things we get to do together before graduation, since everyone will be going their separate ways soon,” Graca said.
Senior Assassin was a good way for seniors to build relationships with people they’ve never been close to.“A whole grade comes together to play this game. People interact with people they probably haven’t ever interacted with, and it’s just cool to see how bonds can be made,” senior Matt Leal said.
With most seniors seeing the game as a fun way to end their senior year, the senior running the game has to hold the weight of keeping everything under control.
From creating and adjusting game rules, randomizing targets, and posting on social media, senior Kari Flood shares her experience of running the game.
“As much fun I’ve had running the account, it’s been very stressful. I’d like to say I’ve done a decent job, but at the end of the day it is a lot of responsibility and accountability,” Flood said.
If given another chance to play, Flood says she would want to try playing in the game, giving the responsibility of running it to another person.
Overall, being one of the first eliminated or coming out on top with the win never mattered much. It was all about the connections for the last time, before the next chapter in all the seniors’ lives.
“I met new people who helped me during it, which made it even more memorable. It’s more about making memories with your classmates than just winning,” Graca said.
