Humans vs. Zombies storms campus

Nearly 200 students donned bandanas and toted brightly colored toy Nerf guns, ranging from handheld to all-out bazooka models, this month to play the round-the-clock game.

Bands of three or four human students would travel together with Nerf guns at the ready, while students marked Zombies wove silently through crowds trying to attract little attention so they could sneak up on humans and change them into Zombies by tagging them.

Basically, it’s a game of tag. There are rules, but once you’re in college, Mom never calls you in for supper.

“I think people enjoyed it so much because it brought back their childhood games,” said Sierra Kelly, a psychology major from Claystown who started the game as part of her duties as a resident assistant to provide programming for campus residents.

“Nerf guns have been around for years and years, and the chance to play with them again without looking like a child was a big stress reliever,” she said. “A lot of the students would comment, saying that it was like playing warriors, war or adventuring when they were little. I mean, psychologically and biologically, humans want to participate in a health competition with fighting, and I guess that provided an excuse for the students to play.”

The rules were pretty basic. At the beginning of the game, three students were designated zombies, which was denoted by bandanas tied around their legs. The rest of the students wore bandanas on their heads or arms to show they were humans playing the game.

If a zombie touched a human, the human became a zombie. If a zombie was shot by a human with a bright foam dart, it could not attack for 12 minutes. Safe zones were set for the safety of non-playing members of campus and to preserve the sanctity of study.

The only prize involved was the glory of being the last human.

But for such a simple game, it had some real benefits.

“This was a good stress reliever for students in the middle of mid-term exams,” said Dr. Ron Binder, associate dean of students.

Shane Mann, an accounting student from Smithburg, Md., said he had fun and met new people through the game.

“It was strangely amusing to watch hordes of people chase after a ‘zombie’ with plastic Nerf guns,” he said. “Also, it was a great way to meet people from other parts of the campus. I saw many new faces playing the game and now it seems that no matter where I go on campus, there is always someone I can have a conversation with.”

Lyndon Orinion, a computer information systems and technology major from Washington, D.C., agreed. “I had a great time playing,” he said. “I felt like a kid playing an intense game of tag, and it was  great even to socialize with members of the campus community, especially the freshmen.”

A second round of Humans vs. Zombies is planned for spring.

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