Game with no connection to school prompts concern

A student-initiated game through the streets of Whitefish on Sept. 22 sparked a number of phone calls to police, but Whitefish High School says the game was not sanctioned by the school.

WHS Principal Kerry Drown says the school had no connection with the student-led game that occurred during the late evening hours of the day.

A large group of students gathered at the WHS parking lot to play a game, which involves a number of “fugitive” players running from “police” players and combines elements of capture the flag and “cops and robbers,” according to Drown.

Whitefish Police received more than 20 calls from concerned citizens about kids screaming, running through private yards and driving recklessly.

Assistant Chief Bridger Kelch said officers made four traffic stops for a headlight violation and reckless driving, but no citations were issued.

Students were counseled on their behavior, he said.

“They have the right to go and gather like anything else, but they have to follow the law — don’t disturb the peace, trespass, those types of things,” Kelch said.

Drown said he met with the WHS Student council last week to discuss the issue and discourage any future instances of the game, which he thinks has evolved as a student tradition through the years, though the timing of the game is unpredictable. The game appears to have been organized by students through social media.

“These are really good kids, in a really good community, but things didn’t get thought through all the way when they planned this game, and now is the time to think ahead so we don’t end up in a serious situation,” he added. “I think we can make it a learning opportunity.”

Drown says his major concern is the students scaring community members unintentionally and the possible consequences those actions could have had.

“[We’re telling them] if they want to go out and do an activity as a bunch of students outside of school on their own, what can they do to plan that so it’s safe, productive and respectful and that this game called fugitive no longer exists in the city,” he said. “We’re fortunate nothing serious happened that night in terms of an incident or an accident.”