After waking up to the ear-splitting sound of his alarm clock, an immediate feeling of paranoia rushed through Pat's blood stream.
He could not help but remember the events of yesterday. Threatening letters, rumors of poisonings and mail bombs'what is a guy to do? In an attempt to conceal his identity, Pat slipped into the one disguise he thought would camouflage him'his red Wisconsin sweatshirt. With his hat shadowing his face, he raced to Ag Hall, his heart beating faster with each step he took. He breathed a sigh of relief as he made his way up the staircase.
'Not today,' he mumbled to himself. But before he could even finish the words, he fell to the ground in despair. A gun was pointed firmly against his back and the liquid trickled down his sweatshirt and onto the floor of the foyer.
'You're dead,' he heard.
As one of the more popular games on campus, 'Assassins' seeks to promote an atmosphere of paranoia while maintaining a fun-filled tradition. Though Assassins is merely a sophisticated version of tag, UW-Madison students do not seem to let this childishness stop them from participating. In fact, some students hope to organize it into an official activity at UW-Madison.
Since many people are only involved in the game during their freshman year, some students think Assassins would continue to thrive if the game were considered an intramural activity. There is even a group on theFacebook that is specifically designed for people who would like to get involved.
According to UW-Madison sophomore Jill Schmitz, many different versions of the game exist; however, there seems to be one in particular that stands out on campus. Basically, the most common game is a live-action, role-playing competition in which players hunt for targets while hoping to not be attacked in the meantime. Before the game begins, each player is given a card that says the name of the person they are supposed to assassinate. Each person, in turn, is the target of another assassin. Players must complete a hit using only the squirt gun or silly string that is provided for them. 'Kills' can be made only in zones that are permitted. Safe zones such as classrooms, lecture halls and churches limit the places in which an assassination can occur, because it forbids kills to be performed in these locations.
Schmitz learned about the game during her freshman year in Sellery and said she was excited about getting involved.
'I liked the element of surprise that I experienced every time I stepped out of the dorm,' she said. 'It was funny when you saw someone from your dorm and jumped, because you assumed that they were your assassin and would spray you.'
Schmitz explained more about how the game actually works. It is the player's mission to kill his or her target before he or she is killed. To keep the mystery alive, players are told not to reveal the name of their victims. Depending on the amount of people involved, the player may essentially not know the identities of any players other than their target. Upon their 'death,' the victims must give their target cards to their assassins. The target of the dead victim then becomes the prey of the assassin.
'We played it early in the year, so it forced us to learn about the other people on our floor. It was definitely one of the better bonding activities that we participated in,' Schmitz said. 'Instead of being forced to sit around and tell each other about ourselves, we were able to get to know each other on our own time and in a more fun, recreational way.'
Although players only get one life, the game has been known to continue on for months, said UW-Madison senior Alex Gorbokon. According to him, once a player is dead, they must leave the game but may continue to act as an accomplice for living competitors. An accomplice can assist the killer in planning an assassination, but cannot actually perform the kill. The game is played until only one person remains alive and wins.
To add a little variety, some versions allow other means of assassination to take place. Various games permit the use of bombing, which requires that a timer or alarm clock go off unexpectedly while the target is in the room. Similarly, poisonings can be achieved by adding strong flavors, such as Tabasco sauce, to the victim's food.
Both Schmitz and Gorbokon agree that the game is a great bonding experience for incoming freshmen. As a housefellow, Gorbokon heard of the game through other students and introduced it to her residents.
'My residents were really excited when I told them about the game,' he said. 'Since it can be incorporated into your everyday activities, it doesn't take up a lot of your time, but is a lot of fun to play.'
