At Roseville Area High School, an annual tradition has seniors on edge and on the move. Known as “Senior Assassin,” the game turns everyday life into a high-stakes competition where students use Nerf blasters to “eliminate” opponents, all while balancing school and social life.

Though no one is entirely sure how it began, Cortez Barbosa (12)  explained that local police have said similar games have been around for years, even dating back to before the early 2000s.

This year’s game is organized by a group of student admins, including seniors Ache Tembeli, Cortez Barbosa, and Corvyn Plant. Together, they oversee teams, enforce rules, and settle disputes. According to Tembeli, the game follows familiar guidelines from previous years: no Nerf activity is allowed on school grounds, and once a player is hit, they are officially out. Players also have some input in shaping minor rules, helping maintain engagement and fairness.

However, the competition hasn’t been without controversy. Reports of cheating have surfaced, including students fleeing encounters, shooting from cars, failing to follow safety rules like closing doors, and even altering timestamps on screenshots to fake eliminations.

Barbosa (12) and Tembeli (12) noted that admins review these cases carefully and issue consequences such as disqualification or loss of lives.

One incident even involved confusion over a rule change that wasn’t communicated clearly to all teams, raising concerns about transparency.

To keep the game fair, strict measures are in place especially for admins who are also players. They are not allowed to make decisions in situations involving their own teams and must rely on non-player officials for final rulings.

While allegations of “admin abuse” have circulated, Barbosa (12)  emphasized that the goal is fairness above all. With money on the line and reputations at stake, Senior Assassin continues to be both thrilling and controversial, making it one of the most talked-about traditions among seniors this year.