No Guns, No Glory After FDO Bans Assassin Game

Eight days after the Lowell House Masters reaffirmed their House-wide ban on the game Assassin, the Freshman Dean's Office (FDO) notified all first year students by e-mail yesterday that they are also forbidden to play.

"Please do not take part in these games. Any such participation will be reported to your Assistant Dean of Freshmen," the message said.

While Dean of Freshmen Elizabeth S. Nathans said the message is just a restatement of a longstanding FDO policy, it has provoked a furor among students who said the ban has never been enforced before.

Organizers of the current Assassin competition between the Harvard Computer Society (HCS) and the Harvard Radcliffe Science Fiction Association (HRSFA) and the annual Harvard Radcliffe Hillel game, now more than four years old, said they had never heard of the FDO's ban until now.

But Nathans said the ban is necessary because the game is "fundamentally at odds with basic standards of behavior and interaction in the College."

Participants in the game are assigned "victims" from among the other players, who they find and "kill" with plastic guns or other "weapons."

"Assassin is a stalking game, involving by its very nature behavior otherwise deemed inappropriate, unacceptable and destructive in this community," Nathans said.

The FDO was also concerned with security risks associated with the game, according to the message sent to first years.

"Simulated stalking looks very much like real stalking, and fake guns can look like real guns," the message said.

But where the FDO and some House Masters see stalking, game organizers see safe, simple fun.

"This is just another example of Harvard's trying to ban fun at Harvard," said Michael J. Epstein '00, one of two organizers of the game sponsored by HCS and HRSFA, which includes some first year students.

Epstein said he encourages players in his gameto respond with stealthy disobedience.

"There will be no changes in our assassingame," he said. "Freshmen should just try not toget caught."

But first-year students who continue playingwill have to dodge administrators as well asbullets, and some first-year participantsexpressed doubts about the risks.

Bryn M. Neuenschwander '02, a resident ofHollis Hall and a participant in the gamesponsored by HCS and HRSFA, said she is "notcertain" whether she will continue to play.

"I haven't been very active with the game overthe past couple days, but I'm definitely not goingto just walk outside and let someone shoot me,"Neuenschwander said.

She said she thinks the FDO's policy creates adouble standard for first-year students.

"I heard that some of the Houses run games ofAssassin," Neuenschwander said. "If it's permittedfor upperclassmen, I don't see why first-yearscan't participate in it."

The message provoked anger among members of theUndergraduate Council as well, eliciting a flurryof messages on the council e-mail list.

"Frankly, such an edict from the FDO ischilling and begs the question, what next? No sexin Freshman Dorms because sex is a 'dangerousactivity' through which various diseases can bepassed?" said Michael A. O'Mary '99-'00, a formercouncil member.

In addition to the game organized by HCS andHRSFA, annual Assassin tournaments are organizedby Quincy and Pforzheimer Houses, among others.Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 said lastweek that individual House Masters should decidewhether to permit the game in their Houses

Epstein said he encourages players in his gameto respond with stealthy disobedience.

"There will be no changes in our assassingame," he said. "Freshmen should just try not toget caught."

But first-year students who continue playingwill have to dodge administrators as well asbullets, and some first-year participantsexpressed doubts about the risks.

Bryn M. Neuenschwander '02, a resident ofHollis Hall and a participant in the gamesponsored by HCS and HRSFA, said she is "notcertain" whether she will continue to play.

"I haven't been very active with the game overthe past couple days, but I'm definitely not goingto just walk outside and let someone shoot me,"Neuenschwander said.

She said she thinks the FDO's policy creates adouble standard for first-year students.

"I heard that some of the Houses run games ofAssassin," Neuenschwander said. "If it's permittedfor upperclassmen, I don't see why first-yearscan't participate in it."

The message provoked anger among members of theUndergraduate Council as well, eliciting a flurryof messages on the council e-mail list.

"Frankly, such an edict from the FDO ischilling and begs the question, what next? No sexin Freshman Dorms because sex is a 'dangerousactivity' through which various diseases can bepassed?" said Michael A. O'Mary '99-'00, a formercouncil member.

In addition to the game organized by HCS andHRSFA, annual Assassin tournaments are organizedby Quincy and Pforzheimer Houses, among others.Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 said lastweek that individual House Masters should decidewhether to permit the game in their Houses