In the midst of a return to campus this Fall Term, student council representatives for each grade brought back a commonplace Andover tradition: games of class assassin. In the Class of ’23 assassin game, Uppers signed up for the challenge via a Google Form and received their assignments or targets for the game. The game of assassin started with one goal: to tag the assigned target while they have their phone in their hands, and then take a photograph with said person, eliminating them. However, with the Class of ’23 nearing the end of their game, the rules have changed during periods called purges, times in which anyone can get anyone else out. During the most recent purge, lasting all day last Thursday, students were required to carry a book around with them at all times. If any ‘assassin’ was found without a book by any other participant, they would be eliminated.
Danielle Sarno ’23
I think for our grade, we needed aclarification of rules, because… I was my friend’s assassin. I thought I got them out because they opened the tutorial of the game, but apparently… tutorials didn’t count. I feel like they need to be clearer on what their rules are, because for weeks, it wasn’t fun for me because my friend knew I had them, so all they had to do was not have their phone around me. I also feel like they should delay posting who’s out because if people know who had them as an assassin, and then they get out, they can see on Instagram who their new assassin is, which I think kind of ruined it a little bit. [For next time], they could change it up a little too, like not always do phones or do something else for the assassin, so that it doesn’t impact peoples’ grades or performance.
Trevor Moss ’23
I think it has been fun. I think it’s been kind of a way to have something that is interesting, some excitement, a little bit of competitiveness. It makes things fun, it’s a good time. I have to say that the most recent purge where we had to hold a book and one of our hands for the whole day, it was a little frustrating. People found ways to kind of tuck it under their arms, which worked and kind of helped of course. Overall, if that went on for longer than just a day, I think it would have been iffy.
Elena Dainora Cohen ’23
I liked the challenge of it. For me, it wasn’t much of a challenge. Most of the things I would do on my phone, I could do on my computer, especially with the advanced technology we have. I have texts on my computer, so for me, it wasn’t that big a deal. But, I thought it was interesting seeing which people couldn’t stay off their phones… At a certain point, lots of people knew who had them, so they could just avoid them. I think it’s good we had a purge the other day, so that was helpful, but there was a certain point at the end of last term where it was pretty stagnant.
Pierre ’23
I got out in the first two weeks, so I’ve been existing in peace for most of the game. It’s been fun seeing who has to assassinate who, because some of the pairings are interesting… I think it helps people meet others in their grade they may not already hang out with… While I was playing, I was so anxious 24/7, so I made bad decisions and my target figured me out. [For next year], maybe we could use a different object because being off my phone was annoying since I couldn’t text any of my friends.
