Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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War games in By Karon Addy Staff Writ?r "The ultimate in paranoia" is how USC student Pete Haeseker describes a new fad gaining popularity on college campuses around the country. The fad is "Assassin," a war game that has spread to USC. Participants call it a "James Bond" type game in which players are both stalkers and potential victims. AN ORGANIZER of an assassin game at USC who asked not to be identified explained the rules. The recruited players fill out biographical sheets, telling where they live, their class schedules and what kind of car they drive. A neutral person, called the chief executioner, who isn't playing the game, collects the sheets and redistributes them to the players. Players stalk and "kill" with rubber dart guns the person whose sheet they receive. THE CHIEF executioner, who is the only one to know how the sheets are distributed, makes sure players don't get their own or meir roomate s biographical sheets. "I've totally blown my routine since this game started," student Linda Bennett said. Bennett didn't attend any classes last week in an attempt to escape her killer. She also moved out of her anartmpnt (pmnnrarilu Bennett said she was constantly looking over her shoulder, peeping around corners and even opening doors with her dart gun and umbrella ready to protect herself from unexpected attacks. BENNETT'S ROOM MATE sani Bennett was staying away I from their apartment and often calling in from phone booths. "She's taking the game pretty seriously,"the roommate ] said. Assassins must shoot their victims while facing them, unless the victim turns and runs. Then shooting the victim in l the back is permitted. Once a player is "dead," his assassin takes over his f biography sheet and begins to stalk another victim. The s ' ? ? j ? lUU j 11: 'X I tvLUUir' ivoto'e ~)h.uXu^xlatj LOu b'-3c () -* Sa-tzMfda^ ls * j I y >mi m. 2721 wsevUOOD DR 7719649 ! /1 .fin 1/ ^ , f. ? J ^ . A j ^ . i ,_;uxato * .;jc > l?l<jq.:ahi LKaU. -* y? &o\jjvh 1 pLu^ >vu>e ^ Wf.t/Llur<\.u t * Ci-ttruw' A ' Ci^^s C r 7 I (ARTIST PAY MORE 1 FOR A PIECE NOT ANYMORE | 10% Discount On I scrap Acrylic 1 Frames .?-?J.\ I I 'Drawing \ f; | Boards \ 1 ! 'Drafting Ih , h X *'' ' ,) i Boards \ B ! *Paint J || Pallets \ . ?VJ ^ T?~w V 1*1 sculpture ' * |[ I \-=j\ II Materials j. ; 1 * J_ \ I 8 Acrylic Tubes I ; '** '. t \ I P &Rods ^ f 11 Poly Films |R COMMERCIAL PLASTICS j I 2348 Two Notch Rd? (Corner Harrison Blvd) i ' .. ? Y.?V? ' v.-, vading USC game usually lasts a week, the winner being the last person alive. ONE PLAYER who asked not to be identified said, "At some schools, students interrupt classes playing the game, and professors get pretty ticked off. Nothing like that happened last week, but it may if the game goes campus-wide." Eighteen students particiDated in last wppk's onme* of the students knew each other before the game started. Some of the players said the game was a trial run, with a couple of rough spots that needed to be taken care of. They said the biography sheets made finding victims too easy so less information would be given out for the next game. PLAYERS HAVE used ingenious methods to kill their victims. i reaa in Fiayooy' that one girl set up a date with her victim, then killed him at a very climactic moment," Bennett said. USC student John Coone, who was chief executioner, said players tried to "weasel" information out of him all week, ^oone kept an up-to-date obituary list so people still in the ?ame would know who had been eliminated. "IT'S HUMOROUS to see your neighbors checking the {arage every time they come home and to watch your riends take their loaded dart guns into the shower with hem," Coone said. If tHe* Ooma HfvAo ? ? ?- J ^ ' 1 ?? guuiv. uuto gu cciinwiuc, Loonc saio precautions yould have to be taken to assure that dishonest killers don't ireak into victims 'apartments. Assassin player Joe Byouk said the week was a long one for im. "I PROBABLY won't play it again. It's too much paranoia 3r me. Byt it was a lot of fun," Byuok said. According to Byouk, beer parties held at the start and ^ nish of the game were the best aspect. He said he made o everal new friends and had a good time. c jO Valentine's C a % the ^ &GO JKlj:fr;" ;.$? x^FT fSC student Pete Haeseker prepares to kill an yfjunvni m a war game being played on ampus. (Photo by Chip Lowell) KJ A Celebration If p.m. to 7 p.m jf p.m. to 9 p.m. tt.nni - a mfil I