By Cassie Follman
Staff Writer

For the past few years, Assassins has been considered a senior tradition and a highly-anticipated event for both the students and faculty. However, suspension of the game this year created controversy throughout the school. Since many students and faculty either argue for or against assassins, the game and the theory behind it have come under scrutiny. Although many may disagree with the suspension of assassins, they need to recognize that the negative impacts of the game far outweigh the superficial benefits.

Despite the fact that this school year is nearly over, all the students, including seniors, are still expected to maintain their grades and continue to follow the school rules. Assassins starts about a month before school ends, and the competition usually leads the seniors to abandon their school work and obsess over winning. Even though rules exist to avoid disruptions during the school day, these did not stop students from interrupting classes and distracting non-participants from schoolwork.

In addition, many school rules were broken as a result of this “tradition.” Rooms were broken into and visitation rules were violated; in some cases, students disregarded faculty in order to “assassinate” their designated targets. As a result of this blatant misconduct by some members of the senior class, the privilege of playing Assassins was taken away from the entire class. This violation of privacy and policies is unacceptable, and it is shameful that even a simple game can cause students to feel unsafe in their own dormitories. Assassins is meant to be a fun experience for the seniors and the faculty, but the complete negligence for the rules has turned Assassins into a troublesome game in which academics are neglected and respect for others is abandoned.

Breaking school rules is only one of the harmful impacts Assassins brings. The game encourages violence and shows insensitivity about tragedies that have occurred this year, like the Sandy Hook shooting in which 26 people lost their lives. Although the connection between this incident and Assassins may seem extreme, the very name of the game, “Assassins,” promotes violence in schools. This crude name is disrespectful to the people who have lost their lives or their loved ones. Even so, simply changing the name would not justify the misbehavior of Assassins participants. Due to the recent events, the suspension of Assassins is even more acceptable because of the inappropriate nature affiliated with the game. The time off from the game also gives the students and faculty the opportunity to rethink the message of the game.

Assassins is meant to be a fun and lighthearted game, but not everyone feels this way. For far too many students, Assassins has been taken too seriously, creating a hostile environment at Peddie and affecting schoolwork. The underlying violence behind Assassins is also a major concern because, although not real, the game stimulates an indifference towards “killing” someone. Thus, the administration’s decision to suspend the game shows both caution and consideration.