Senior Splashdown, a staple tradition of the State High senior class for the past couple of years, has returned this spring. The class-wide water gun battle has gained popularity in recent years not only at State High, but at high schools across the nation.
While approximately 210 senior students participate in the competition, it is completely unaffiliated with State High and is played entirely off school grounds.
Senior participant Veer Patel noted the wide array of seniors playing in this year’s competition.
“My older sister told me that in past years, it was a lot more closed off and that only a select amount of people did it. But this year, they’ve been very inclusive with everyone who wanted to participate,” Patel said. “You have people from athletics, people who do drama club, and people from all types of clubs. You really have just about everyone doing it, which is great.”
Players compete in duos, and each team’s goal is to outlast the other duos to be the final team standing. The game is played in several rounds; at the beginning of each round, teams receive a target team that they must eliminate before the conclusion of the round. Rules vary by round, but generally, if both team members are eliminated, they are out of the competition unless they eliminate both of their targets first.
A game involving such a huge number of high schoolers, and run by high schoolers, is expected to be messy at times. However, the game managers, Connor Young, Max Herncane, and Michael Powell, as well as the participants, have mediated disputes and competed within the rules.
Patel admired the initiative the game managers took before the game started.
“One thing they did really well was they talked to school administration right off the bat before anything even started and set clear rules. I really appreciated that because…now security guards don’t have to worry about it, and parents don’t have to worry about their kids getting in trouble,” Patel said.
The only people in any trouble are those who go out in public without their goggles or swim floaties, which act as protection in the game. As silly as wearing goggles on the way to work is, senior River Alves spoke about the extreme lengths some go to in order to survive and advance in the game.
“There are a lot of people taking the game really seriously this year, and I think that makes it more competitive and a better experience for everyone involved,” Alves said.
Similarly, many seniors have deemed the competitive nature as the driving factor that has made the game so enjoyable.
Patel mentioned multiple fun memories from the game, but a specific moment stuck out to him.
“I was out at this point, but my partner, Isaac Poole, was still in, and the people who had us went to his work and were camping out,” Patel said. “When Isaac came out of work, it started a little bit of a chase-down where they were chasing him, but our friends were trying to help him get out of the situation. He eventually got out, but that was fun because it showed how people who aren’t even on your team will help you, which is really cool.”
The rules of the game require video evidence of each elimination, and these videos are posted on Instagram to track who is out and who is still in. Moments like Patel’s highlight how the competition isn’t only enjoyable for those competing, but also for viewers who follow along on social media.
Sophomore Daniel Bang commented on the social media viewing experience.
“It’s been pretty entertaining; there’s been some really funny moments, and seeing some people that I know playing is also pretty funny,” Bang said.
With the competition still rising in popularity across the country and continued interest among State High students, it is likely that the Senior Splashdown tradition will live on for years to come.
