A hit can be nothing more than a light touch on the arm or a splash of water on the back. But for the unsuspecting prey, the feeling is more like hot steel burrowing through the flesh, permanently scalding one’s ego. There is no memorial service for those fallen in battle, only a lingering red hand-shaped mark to remind the victim of his shame and regret.
Since noon of February 21, a game of Assassin has paralyzed Thayer, making recluses of the first-years who inhabit this once peaceful dorm. The rules of the game, as played in Thayer, are simple. At the game’s beginning, a single organizer randomly assigns each player a “victim.” In order to assassinate one’s victim, the assassin must either tag or water-gun him with at least ten feet of space from the nearest person. If the hit is successful, the assassin then pursues the victim of his newly slaughtered prey.
No one can be quite sure how many people are still involved in the game, which began with over 70 Thayerites. For the first few days, random shrieks could be heard throughout the building as forgetful victims strolled through the hallways alone and unprotected. But as the days passed, the remaining participants became more wary, making sure to have a companion before venturing into the newly formed battlegrounds.
Naturally, with such an intensive, harrowing game, there will be those who are much more involved than others. Aaron D. Chadbourne ’06, despite being recently killed, prides himself as being one of the game’s most passionate players. “I killed eight people,” he says. “I think that’s the highest body count of any of the players.”
Chadbourne quickly developed a strategy for his killing. “You have to adapt your approach for the different people,” he says. “With some people you have a friend lure them out of the room and you wait to make your kill. With others, you know they study alone in their room, and you burst into their room when they’re not expecting it.”
Other would-be assassins have been less successful. Kimi N. Kanada ’06 says that everyone on her floor is aware that her killer has been stalking her, although his assassination endeavors have proved fruitless. “The other day he was there with a couple people, and they took turns knocking on my door. But I could see him standing to the side the whole time, and it was just really dumb,” she says. Kanada adds that “someone told me that he dressed up as a pirate to disguise himself.”
The game has created an atmosphere of constant suspicion and fear. Anna Solovyev ’06, who as of press time is still alive, says that the game is fun, but “it makes people really paranoid, like me not wanting to go out of my room.” Chadbourne, on the other hand, sees the paranoia as “what’s great about the game. If you let your guard down for a minute you lose.”
As the game draws to its close, rumors have been floating around about another game to be held between the residents of Thayer and sister dorm Holworthy. James W. Murrett ’06, who has so far performed four “kills,” foresees a much less challenging game. “Those Holworthy people are pushovers. The game will be over in a week.”
