This article was originally published in Kaleidoscope‘s Spring 2025 print edition. It is being published as a separate online article now for easy access.
Each spring, Ward Melville seniors take part in a tradition that turns daily life into a game of strategy, timing, and water. Senior Assassin, an unofficial student run competition, challenges participants to eliminate assigned targets with water guns while avoiding being taken out themselves. With 223 players and over a $2,000 prize pool, this year’s game has been one of the most competitive and entertaining yet.
Organized by seniors Henna Rashidzada, Courtney Grange, Ethan Tam, Patrick Scali and George Oliva, the game kicked off in April. Entry was $10 per person or $20 per team, and eliminations were tracked through the Splashin app. Players were only safe when they had “immunity,” meaning they were wearing floaties and goggles, creating a daily struggle between staying protected and making a move.
As the game progressed, public places like Stony Brook Village, Setauket Plaza and school parking lots turned into unofficial battlegrounds. Seniors camped out in cars, tracked targets through Splashin and filmed every attempt to prove a valid tag. According to Tam, some students went “above and beyond,” waiting hours just to make a move. “You’d see someone crouched behind a car or casually ‘shopping’ for 45 minutes,” he said.
Alongside the dedication came drama. Disputes over footage, rule interpretations and boundaries became a regular part of the game. One instance involving a player entering a garage stirred debate about fairness and privacy. But these challenges didn’t derail the excitement; instead, it only made it more engaging. “There were daily arguments, but that just meant people cared,” Tam said.
The most discussed moment of the game came with the elimination of Farhan Sinha and his teammate outside Bango Bowls. Matthew Blumenthal had been waiting for an opportunity, and got it. Sinha and his partner arrived without floaties, and the moment they were spotted, the chase began.
“I was shaking. My hand was trembling while I was recording,” Blumenthal said. “We were in the car, and we saw them pull up to Bango Bowls without floaties. They were walking in, so we ran out.” As the video shows, Sinha began running but tripped and fell, spilling his drink right before Blumenthal tagged him.
“I just remember running and seeing them and going, ‘Oh no,’” Sinha said. “It was so unexpected. I tripped and was like, ‘Wait, am I actually out?’” The video of the elimination quickly went viral and was shared widely across social media and group chats. Blumenthal described the reaction as surreal. “It was kind of funny seeing people repost it. That moment kind of made the whole game for me.”
To keep things unpredictable and flowing, the organizers introduced “purge nights,” temporarily suspending immunity rules to force more action. During those hours, players were never safe, leading to even more eliminations and tension.
In the final stages of the game, when there were only a few players remaining, all gear-based immunity was removed. The final stretch was a free for all, where players could only rely on timing, stealth and luck. According to Tam, the endgame was fast-paced and intense. “Every day, someone’s out. It’s wild,” he said.
Senior Assassin has evolved into a cherished spring tradition that’s about much more than winning a game. It’s a shared experience woven with strategy, tensions and moments of unexpected friendship. For many seniors, the competition offers a rare chance to connect one on one, helping to forge bonds and memories in the final weeks before graduation. After years of growing up together through classes, clubs, sports and countless school events, this game becomes an almost full circle moment, where classmates get to know each other in a new way before parting ways into adulthood. Whether teaming up or facing off, the game fosters community, making it one of the most memorable ways seniors say goodbye to their peers.
On Sunday, June 8, after a month and a half of competition, Vincent DiCarlo was announced as the winner of Senior Assassin. DiCarlo said, “Senior Assassin was a really fun time. It did get nerve wracking during purges and always having to be careful wherever I went, but the crazy chases I had and long car rides were definitely worth it.”
