**The media below contains the opinion of an individual student and therefore does not represent or speak to the values of Vestavia Hills High School and Vestavia Hills City Schools**
Paranoia, a game where teams shoot at assigned teams with a Nerf gun, has gained much popularity over the years. This year, 34 teams of 10 players competed for over $3000. In this game, players stalk their opponents, ultimately trying to shoot their opponent. Each round lasts about roughly one week, and the team with the least amount of people shot advances to the next round.
Juniors Victor Altamirano and James Bentley made the calls for the kills and were in charge of Paranoia this year. They have both put a lot of work into Paranoia having to deal with controversial calls, police reports, repetitive questions, and arguments in general. Both Victor and James agree that Paranoia is more enjoyable as a player since being the host comes with a lot of stress mentally and also arguing. Some teams have been so frustrated with the calls that Victor and/or James made that they verbally abused and threatened them which leads to a “multitude of daily challenges and psychological battles” for them to deal with. While they knew they were getting into this when they decided to become the hosts this year, nothing can prepare you for getting slandered by your classmates and dealing with the police.
Many teams dealt with disqualifications, laws broken, angry parents, and cheating, but there were still a lot of positive memories made. Paranoia allows people to go all in, get excited, and connect with their classmates. Paranoia also brings out the competitiveness in many students and the “level of fun that comes from getting an elimination or staking out with a friend for hours brings a new name to fun.” One player stated, “If you play the game right and follow the rules, everybody is going to have fun and no one’s going to get hurt.” Many of the players agreed with this while some of the players learned the difficult way.
From a player’s perspective, Paranoia makes you feel paranoid as you never know if someone is going to try and shoot you. Many players describe the feeling of being paranoid as an “exciting” one that keeps you on edge but in a good way. Many players love staking out houses with their friends. Having a newfound sense of fun be brought alive is something that many players find the most memorable. Paranoia is “memorable” for sure. Throughout the month of January, students from all grades and even teachers could not stop talking about Paranoia.
Now that you have heard from both Victor and James along with a few players, there are two sides that people can choose to side with: fun or harmful. Paranoia can be a fun game as being on a team can build relationships or strengthen them. However, it can also be harmful as it can lead to problems with the law and general violence.
The final two teams are playing this week for the winning money prize of over $3000. Make sure to follow @stav.paranoia for updates and general information!
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