Certain honors students will be watching their backs a little more closely during the next two weeks.
The Honors College is introducing a new program called “Stick It To ‘Em,” a 24-hour, campus-wide game of tag among its students.
The idea for the game was proposed by Mark Dochterman, Honors College student activities coordinator, who played a similar game, “Assassin,” as an undergraduate.
Participants pay $5, which includes an entry fee and photographs. When the game begins tonight at midnight, participants will be e-mailed the name and photograph of their target.
Players must track their targets and place an officially-sanctioned sticky note on their body to eliminate them.
Players must then track down the target of the person they just eliminated. The game will extend until midnight Friday, May 5, or until only one participant is still alive in the game.
Targets can be tagged at any location except for in official “safe spots,” which include places of employment, places of worship, libraries, classrooms, bathrooms, showers and the target’s residence. Tagging in the residence halls must comply with Residential Life rules.
Players can evade their assassins by any means – running away, hiding or wearing a clever disguise – but cannot brush off a sticky note once they are tagged.
“Be clever, be sneaky, have fun and watch your backs,” said Jessica Platt, Laville Community Council president and international studies and Spanish freshman.
Katie McVaney, mass communication senior and co-chair of the Honors College Advocates, said the winner will receive a grab-bag prize basket with donated gift certificates, and the first person eliminated will also receive a prize. In the event of a tie, the player with the most recorded eliminations will be the winner.
“The Honors College might be portrayed as boring, but this provides an opportunity to show that it can be fun,” said Brandon Cole, economics freshman.
Cole’s friend, accounting freshman Matt Nalls, also entered the game.
“We did [the Honors College’s] speed-dating program, so we know these events are fun,” he said.
Liz Dunn, business administration sophomore and Honors College Student Council representative, said she entered to help the fund-raising effort.
“I entered because I’m in an Honors organization, and we need support and a fund-raiser,” she said.
Platt said she expected a higher turnout than the 44 students who entered.
“[Forty-four] is a good number, but I was real excited about this,” she said. “I think it’d be fun, even though I’m a big chicken, and I’d be afraid with someone coming after me. If I weren’t helping run it, I’d play.”
Trey Smith, political sciences senior and HCSC president, said new and obscure events like “Stick It To ‘Em” will take longer to become popular than recognizable events like the quiz bowl, which the Honors College held last month. Smith said approximately 75 people participated, and more than 100 people were present.
“If [“Stick It To ‘Em”] is really popular, it’ll just grow,” he said.
Student Organization Council members hope the event will be successful enough that in the future it could be expanded to include all interested University students.
The funds raised from the entry fees will go toward paying for student-created Honors College activities and events.
The event is a collaboration of the LCC, the Laville Honors House Fellows, the HCSC and the HCA, which are all part of the Student Organization Council.
Honors students interested in participating should visit Dochterman in the West Laville Hall lobby before 4:30 p.m. today with their $5 entry fee.
 
Contact Parker Wishik at [email protected]