Going from class to class at Blackburn isn’t normally very stressful, but Habitat for Humanity’s Blackburn chapter makes the task a little more exciting with their Nerf Assassin fundraiser. On Oct. 19, students on campus paid $5 each to become an “assassin” and receive a target to “eliminate” by shooting them with soft foam bullets. The game can be challenging because there is no way of knowing who is hunting whom. Students walk from class to class always looking over their shoulder. They have to watch out for everyone, including their friends, classmates and even their roommates.
Once the assassins make their “kills” they report them via email to the “Godfathers” (officers in Habitat for Humanity).
While students were able to walk around campus with their various air and spring powered weaponry, junior accounting major and president of the Habitat for Humanity Blackburn chapter Tim Lacy stressed that there are strict rules to the game. “There are certain places and situations where people can’t shoot or be shot at,” said Lacy. For instance, if a player manages to shoot the person hunting them down before they themselves get shot then the would-be assassin is “frozen” for two hours and must wait to hunt again.
The rules are that people cannot be shot while they are in their room, in the dining hall, going to take a shower, in class or at work. The “Godfathers” are also able to give the players of the game ways to remain “safe” for the day by doing some sort of action such as wearing their underwear on the outside of their pants.
The money raised from the event will go towards a spring break trip for Habitat for Humanity members to build homes in New Mexico.
Freshman computer science major Jayson Gomer was enjoying his first time as an assassin for the fundraiser. Gomer was sure that the game was going to be a bit more chaotic but was surprised to find that it is “a bit more controlled” based on the rules. Despite being constantly hunted, Gomer isn’t really bothered by the paranoia. “I’ve been in nerf wars that have gone on for weeks at a time,” said Gomer. Although he had a good time he was disappointed that he could not use his modified nerf weapons.
“The rules say that there are no mods allowed so I had to go out and buy a new gun,” said Gomer.
This year’s Nerf Assassin game winner was junior chemistry major and defending champion Zachary Felkel.