Juliet Zuckerwise
Business Manager
The annual tradition of Senior Assassin is officially underway at Mira Costa, but it is taking a different look. New safety-related restrictions involving the school parking lots have changed how the game is played this year and, as a result, encourages more creativity.
This year, students have been advised that eliminations cannot take place in school parking lots, as some have in the past. The rule is set in place because new campus surveillance cameras will now mistake water guns for real firearms, potentially triggering an immediate safety response.
Senior Assassin, a non-school affiliated competition played by graduating seniors annually, is organized in pairs. Each pair is assigned another pair as their target, and teammates work together to “eliminate” both players using water guns.
As teams continue to get eliminated, new targets are set, and the process continues until there’s a winner. In order to know where people are, participants must share their location on Snapchat and be active at least once a day.
Senior Charlee Rainey said that she learned about the camera concerns through the Senior Assassin Instagram account.
“Everywhere on campus is safe at all times,” Rainey said. Although the rule itself is not new, she explained that the reason behind it feels more significant this year.
In previous years, parking lots and after-school hours were considered “primetime” for eliminations, but updated surveillance has altered many students’ strategies.
“I think the game is more creative because a lot of people used to get out in school parking lots or after school so people are having to find new ways to get people out,” Rainey said.
Rainey also noted that the new restrictions have made certain aspects of the game easier for participants involved in after-school activities.
“Now [being safe] feels so much easier because you don’t have to worry about wearing your goggles at school especially if there’s on campus practice or activities,” Rainey said.
Senior Caitlin Kawalec also agreed that the presence of the cameras has changed the intensity of the game.
“The new camera restrictions make the game much harder because last year so many people got out in the parking lots or after practice,” Kawalec said. “Overall, it definitely has made people become more creative with the way they get their targets out.”
Kawalec added that the limitations have made strategies less predictable.
“I have noticed that there are more unpredictable routines and plans because of this parking lot rule,” Kawalec said. “Since this rule rids of so many opportunities, people have to learn more about their targets and catch them off guard and at random locations.”
The updated surveillance technology reflects broader security measures taken on campus, but also has unintentionally reshaped the way students approach the game.
“I do think that the camera restriction has made the games more cautious and competitive,” Kawalec said. “Especially with the time limits each round, it makes the games much more thoughtful and honestly harder.”
Although Senior Assassin claims to be unaffiliated with Mira Costa, the installation of new cameras has made students more aware of how the game may appear in a modern security environment. For the Class of 2026, strategy now involves more than just tracking targets on Snapchat, it also means understanding how evolving campus technology impacts annual traditions.
“[Senior Assassin] feels more competitive in a good way, and I think it’s made our senior year even more memorable,” Rainey said.
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