Water assassins brings NPHS students from class to splash
Run! Hide! Splash! Newbury Park High School [NPHS] students have been extra cautious when walking out their front door since this year’s water assassins started on Jan. 6. With around 45 teams and six players on each, students are determined to win points by splashing those on their assigned lists of six targets with water. A $10 entry fee was required for each participant and the bottom eight teams are eliminated each week, with target lists being refreshed each round. The winning team with the most points, gained by splashing targets, is rewarded $225 per person.
Despite water assassins being a widely enjoyed activity by many students in NPHS, it is important to remember that it is in no way affiliated with the school. Students are not permitted to bring any objects related to water assassins onto school campus, nor should they carry out any “stakeouts” or “kills” on school grounds.
Carter Taylor, senior, became a commissioner for this year’s water assassins after placing second with his team last year. The role has been passed down to him by last year’s organizers. “As a commissioner, I am leading the Instagram account. So I run all the [direct messages] and submit all the kills, and I also help with the points,” Taylor said. Taylor recalls how he has seen teams do whatever it takes to win the game. “Last week, a team was camping another person in Cronies for three hours until like an hour after closing, and eventually they got kicked out by Cronies and they got shot,” Taylor said.
Although water assassin commissioners honor the title and authority that comes with it, sometimes the pressure of taking on this role can become overwhelming for students. Owen Creed, senior and commissioner for water assassins, expands on the struggles of being a commissioner. “The amount of people complaining is ridiculous because everyone wants to win and no one wants to lose,” Creed said. However, the relationships he develops in water assassins makes it worth it for Creed. “I think it gives you something to do outside of school, and it helps you connect with people and team building,” Creed said.
Her second year playing, Natalia Patterson, senior, takes the role of captain on her team this year. With a position comes responsibility, and Patterson tries her best to stay extra cautious for her team. “As a captain, I am in charge of submitting the photo and video evidence to the commissioners every time we get a kill, and my goal is to not die because if I die, my team loses double the amount of points as if one of them died,” Patterson said. Through her experiences, Patterson shares advice to anyone looking to participate next year. “Definitely do it with a group of friends that have the same motivation and interest in playing and just be really careful and watch your surroundings if you’re going to go outside,” Patterson said.
Nicole Kennedy, senior, is a player on her water assassins team. She highlights her team’s main strategies to maximize as many points as possible. “The main tactic we use is just hiding out in front of people’s houses, or in front of their works, or wherever they are at the time,” Kennedy said.
Like Kennedy, Laura Coulter, senior, carries the role of a team player and is also known as the driver of her group. Although she finds the game very enjoyable, Coulter also warns participants to be cautious when finding their targets. “You have to look out for parents and the police when you’re driving badly on people’s property. But definitely parents because they’ll definitely kick you off of the property,” Coulter said.
Chloe Lin, junior, experiences her first year participating in the game. Lin finds excitement in the innocent rivalries of water assassins. “I think it’s important to participate because it adds a lot of friendly competition in your life, and it’s just a fun activity to do with people you know,” Lin said. Water assassins often include catching your targets by surprise, which can conflict with extracurriculars and school work. “I balance it with school and other activities by doing my best to manage my time and getting all my work done before going out,” Lin said.
Water assassins provides a way for Newbury Park teens to engage in harmless fun that is separated from their school lives. Despite the potential anxiety and paranoia that comes with the game, Taylor believes participants will not regret the experience. “I feel like you’re missing out if you don’t play [water assassins] and it is just fun even if you don’t make it too far. It’s still fun to go after people, even for a round or two,” Taylor said.
