Students consult police to make senior tradition safer
RIVERSIDE, Ohio (WDTN) — As graduation season nears for the class of 2025, some seniors are looking to make one final big splash.
While many senior classes have games to celebrate the end of their high school career, some make headlines when the competition goes too far — with some games causing property damage or even physical injury.
After seeing a lot of buzz on social media about 'Nerf Wars,' one group of seniors at Stebbins High School came across a potentially safer alternative, 'Water Wars.'
'We talked with some teachers and people in our school and kind of looked at other schools and their rules and see what we can implement ours,' said Eli Goodpaster, Stebbins HS senior. 'And we just tried to make it as safe as possible.'
As the group, who call themselves the 'game masters,' created their plan, they knew they wanted to do it the right way, calling in the local police department to help.
'So going into it, there's concerns because in the past, there had been some Nerf wars, as they call them,' said Maj. Matthew Sturgeon, Riverside Police Department. 'When it was those Nerf guns, they shoot a lot harder.'
Instead, the students would use water squirt guns.
Police gave recommendations to make the game safer for the students participating and the surrounding community.
'Don't do it in public areas of business and don't do it on school grounds and within the school system,' said Sturgeon. 'And then don't wear anything that disguises your face or makes you look like you could be a threat.'
The competition has been going on for two weeks now, and so far there have been no reports of things getting out of hand.
For those who are still in the game and haven't been eliminated, a grand finale is set for this weekend. A winner will be crowned after a battle royale starting at 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon at Shellabarger Park in Riverside.
Mad River Local School District said they are in no way affiliated with the competition, emphasizing that all activity has to happen off of school grounds.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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