Unlike previous years when Senior Assassins organizers disappeared with students’ money, this year’s game leader, Diar Setoodeh ’26, is running the $4,500 tournament with his name fully public to ensure transparency and accountability.
Setoodeh has been organizing the tournament since the first week of school in August, openly managing brackets and eliminations that previous anonymous organizers handled in secret.
Managing a game with dozens of players, cash buy-ins, and strict rules isn’t exactly easy. Setoodeh stepped up to take charge after helping run last year’s version.
“I figured being open about it would make everything more transparent and organized,” said Setoodeh. “Having my name public makes it easier for people to reach out with questions or concerns, and it helps keep the event running smoothly. Plus, it builds trust that everything is being run fairly.”
Managing the tournament has presented challenges. “There are some people who lost interest unfortunately but I cannot fix that,” said Setoodeh. “There were a few close calls and rule clarifications, but overall it’s been smooth.”
Between updating brackets, tracking eliminations, and handling the prize money, there’s a lot at stake. “It is a lot to manage, but it’s also been an interesting experience,” he said. “People are trusting me with their money and the rules of the game. Having this much money as a teenager is definitely a new thing.”
For Setoodeh, running Senior Assassins isn’t about control; it’s about keeping a Brophy tradition alive. “I helped run the bracket last year with Sam Kerkhove ’25,” he said. “I helped run last year’s assassins and I figured that if nobody was going to make an account for this year, I already did it once, so why not do it again?”
What started as just helping with brackets turned into leading one of the most anticipated student-run events of the year.
As round three approaches, the competition is heating up, but Setoodeh stays focused on fairness, fun, and finishing strong. The game might just look like water guns and chaos, but for many seniors, it’s one last chance to laugh, compete, and make memories before graduation. And with Setoodeh keeping everything on track, the Brophy tradition of Senior Assassins lives on; soaked shirts and all.