The 2019 Park Assassins game commenced April 21 with leaders anguishing over the details of the game, yet failing to account for the game’s inclusivity as cost could be keeping people from participating.

The objective of Assassins is to kill everyone on the six-person hit list the leaders of the game provide for each team, according to the game information packet sent out by the Park group leaders. Once a team has killed all six people on their list, they are able to kill whomever they want. To prove a kill, a team can submit a photo, video or witness statement to the Assassins Facebook group.

While this year the leaders have done an excellent job at keeping safety precautions in mind — as rules automatically disqualify a team if any laws or game rules are broken — the game is not as inclusive as it could and should be.

The cost of participation for Assassins varies depending on grade. Freshmen have to pay a fee of $16 per person, sophomores pay $10 and upperclassmen pay $8. Although this entrance fee is reasonable, the cost of Nerf guns needed to participate is high. Nerf weaponry at Target can span from a cost of $5 to $50.

The Echo Editorial Board encourages future leaders of Assassins to make the game more inclusive by lowering the cost of participation. To do this, there could be a program where past players lend their previously used Nerf guns to those who cannot afford or do not own them. In addition to this, decreasing the overall price of signing up for the game for each class could allow for a more all-inclusive, fun school game.

We also believe notifying the St. Louis Park community about the game being played ahead of time is a necessary precaution to take, as some community members may find the game to be offensive.