Senior Soaker Struggles

Lindsey Spencer, Equipment Coordinator

It’s the time of the year where friends turn against friends and unlikely alliances are made.

Jarrett Dattilo and Sterling Yarbrough
Photo credit: @seniorsoaker19
Jarrett Wantye and Ainsley Gordon
Photo credit: @seniorsoaker19
Abigail Clarkson and Mason Kelley
Photo credit: @seniorsoaker19

Senior Soakers, the annual water gun fight between students of the senior class, has begun and tensions are running high already.

There has been a lot of drama and arguments surrounding this game, even in only the second week of the game. Many seniors are upset with how the game is being run by the juniors. The administrators of the game are trying to keep the game fair for everyone, though it has proven difficult to please all of the players.

Senior Soakers began on 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, April 16. Already, there have been countless incidents that have caused one player to be kicked out of the game, multiple players to go on a bounty and countless disagreements about if a player was actually eliminated or not.

The game is very competitive and the players are taking it very seriously. However, senior Chaeli Dossey said, “I feel like everyone is being too sensitive about it and too dramatic.”

Obviously no player wants to get out of the game, but sometimes you cannot help the outcome. Many players have tried to avoid getting eliminated by causing drama and saying that rules were broken, even when there is sufficient evidence against them.

One such incident is when senior Jacob Thomas was kicked out of the game for reportedly lying about having to ride a bike to school because his car broke down. “I fixed my car and did not have to ride a bike anymore. They saw me driving my car after I fixed it and immediately kicked me out of the game,” said Thomas. He said that he offered to show them receipts of getting his car fixed, but they refused to look at them.

Players have been complaining that the administrators have been “playing favorites” or bending the rules for different situations and different people. There have been cases of seemingly unfair bounties and people being let back in the game that shouldn’t have been. Junior Julia Kromenacker, one of the administrators of the game, says that is the quite the contrary. “We really aren’t [picking favorites].We’re just deciding based on who gives us more information, and who has more witnesses,” said Kromenacker.

People are turning to Twitter to bash those that are overseeing the game. Twitter user @macypratttt tweeted: “the account owners of senior soakers are 100% abusing their power lmao. Ruining it for everyone.” Another tweet by user @meganculver_ said: “this how much the rules be bending in this game of senior soakers” and included a picture of a waving inflatable tube man. Kromenacker has said that she and the other Senior Soakers administrators are not letting the words get to them.

The game is run by a group of four juniors, so it comes as no surprise that the seniors don’t have many good things to say about the way the underclassmen are handling the game. “We need ruthless people in this game who don’t need to please everyone and try to give everyone what they want,” said Thomas.

“It’s hard to tell when you’re not there, you know? But we just have to go off of what we know, what we hear and what we see pictures of,” said Kromenacker, “We’re kind of trying to be nice, but still stern.”

As the game advances and more people get eliminated, it is expected to get even more intense as the prize becomes more and more obtainable for those still in the game.

The game will end on May 19 and first place will collect 70 percent of the collected money. Second place and the player with the most eliminations will also receive a portion of the money.