Campus trains new assassins

By Susan Luth

Daily Staff Reporter

While walking back from a shower, LSA freshman Rachel Appelblatt thought she was safe - but she was wrong.

Dressed only in a towel, Appelblatt was "stalked" and "killed" by an "assassin" - a member of the Society of Assassins. They have come to the University loaded with Nerf guns, foam bullets, strategy and a list of students to "kill."

"I was still in my towel. What a horrible, although funny, way to die," Appelblatt said in a written statement.

The society, currently boasting 113 members, is a new club comprised of students who participate in a "hunt and kill" type of game with foam "bullets."

Students pick teams of five to work together to find and kill assassins on other teams in the club. Participants choose their favorite Nerf guns to eliminate other players.

The object of the game is to assassinate as many people as possible by shooting them with Nerf guns. Students pay $2 to participate. The money is pooled into a jackpot and awarded to the last team standing.

Although there are some safe havens, students can be shot almost anywhere at anytime of day.

"There's a lot of paranoia when you walk through the Diag," LSA junior Adam Damerow said. "There are thousands of people and anyone could be in the game."

Damerow co-chairs the Society's board with LSA junior Will Calcutt.

"We encourage the societal aspects," Calcutt said. "These aren't just strangers, these are students in the school. We encourage honesty and good sportsmanship and just overall good fun."

Students who play cannot be shot while in class, at work or while fulfilling any other obligation for a club or activity. The only actual buildings on campus that are considered safe are the Undergraduate Library, the Mason and Angel halls, and any building where a particular student had class that day.

The rules of the game are complicated.

Assassins are not allowed to shoot a person from inside a house or residence hall room. However, it is legal to shoot someone from outside. For example, if a student leaves his door open in a residence hall, an assassin can shoot from the hallway. Students cannot be shot while outside of their rooms in the residence halls.

"A good way to find and "kill" people is to find out where they live from the site's Webpage," Appelblatt said. "Then have someone who's not playing get them to open their door so you can shoot them. The Webpage lists where people live, as well as have the pictures of people who are playing. That way we know who's playing."

But on a campus with 30,000 people, strategy is essential.

"The two people I killed just weren't paying enough attention," Engineering junior John Zwinck said. "One guy was walking with darts in his hand. It was obvious he was playing and all I had to do was walk up and pop him in the head."

Another important rule is that there can be no modifications to the guns.

"People would spend more time in their basement welding guns than they would hiding in the bushes," Calcutt said. "And its about hiding in the bushes."

The Society of Assassins hosts games continuously throughout the year, and expects at least one game per month. A mass meeting will be held next Monday in the Michigan Union for people interested in joining the next game.

Shoot to kill

JEFF HUTVITZ/Daily

Members of the Society of Assassins fire their Nerf guns as they gather last night at the Michigan Union to discuss future games.