HUMANS AND ZOMBIES?!
Students battle for their lives
Aviva Hope Rutkin
Issue date: 5/28/09 Section: News
The campus has been populated for the last week by shady characters stalking across campus, dark green or yellow bands around their arms, bright plastic guns ready for battle.
They were students playing Humans vs. Zombies, a Assassins-style group game that this year captivated over 100 people. This was the third time that HvZ, took place at Union College.
"The reason for starting the game is to spice up the mundane routine of mindlessly walking to classes and dining halls and living action-movie-moments," explains Steve 'Smalls' Boddorff '08, who organized the game this year, "all the while meeting new people and making new friends."
The rules are simple. All players but one start out as Humans, with the exception being the Original Zombie. The Original Zombie tags Humans to turn them into Zombies. The new Zombies, in turn, have 36 hours to 'feed' on another Human before they 'starve' to death.
Everywhere on campus except for Reamer?Campus Center, classrooms, and the Human's own dorm room were fair game at all times.
The game also features regular 'missions', where players are asked to perform tasks such as escorting other players across campus or clearing a Minerva House of zombies. Rewards are given to the winning side.
The players often demonstrate extreme dedication to the game.
"I got held up in a theater on Wednesday night," relates Joey Abate '12, who lasted most of the game before being caught. "There was a giant horde of zombies, about 12, waiting for me to come out. I ended up waiting it out until midnight! It was worth it, though, because I didn't get tagged."
Humans vs. Zombies was originally started in 2005 at Goucher College. The website, humansvszombies.com, claims that it is played at colleges not only in the U.S. but also in Brazil, Korea, Australia, England and Canada.
The site also features a documentary about the game, a community message board, and Humans vs. Zombies merchandise.
"There are a variety of merits to the game," said Boddorff. "Often, the friends you make while fending off zombies or stalking humans are people from a different class-year, friends' circle, or background than you would normally interact with. Another merit to HvZ is that it gets people outside and running around, enjoying the outdoors."
Some players offered other, simpler explanations for their participation in HvZ.
"I played because I wanted to be part of the greatest alternate reality experience on the Union College campus," said Ajay Major '12.
"I heard about it from my upperclassmen friends," said Abate.?"They told me how much fun they had playing in the past."
While non-players are often bewildered by the game, the opportunity to watch a battle on the way to class makes walking on campus a more festive experience. ?Boddorff hopes that more people are intrigued by the game and play next year.
"I'm especially proud of the Deltas for participating and being willing to wield a nerf gun proudly," he said. "I hope their example reminds the most serious students here at Union that the inner child and imagination are things that need to be exercised everyone in a while."
They were students playing Humans vs. Zombies, a Assassins-style group game that this year captivated over 100 people. This was the third time that HvZ, took place at Union College.
"The reason for starting the game is to spice up the mundane routine of mindlessly walking to classes and dining halls and living action-movie-moments," explains Steve 'Smalls' Boddorff '08, who organized the game this year, "all the while meeting new people and making new friends."
The rules are simple. All players but one start out as Humans, with the exception being the Original Zombie. The Original Zombie tags Humans to turn them into Zombies. The new Zombies, in turn, have 36 hours to 'feed' on another Human before they 'starve' to death.
Everywhere on campus except for Reamer?Campus Center, classrooms, and the Human's own dorm room were fair game at all times.
The game also features regular 'missions', where players are asked to perform tasks such as escorting other players across campus or clearing a Minerva House of zombies. Rewards are given to the winning side.
The players often demonstrate extreme dedication to the game.
"I got held up in a theater on Wednesday night," relates Joey Abate '12, who lasted most of the game before being caught. "There was a giant horde of zombies, about 12, waiting for me to come out. I ended up waiting it out until midnight! It was worth it, though, because I didn't get tagged."
Humans vs. Zombies was originally started in 2005 at Goucher College. The website, humansvszombies.com, claims that it is played at colleges not only in the U.S. but also in Brazil, Korea, Australia, England and Canada.
The site also features a documentary about the game, a community message board, and Humans vs. Zombies merchandise.
"There are a variety of merits to the game," said Boddorff. "Often, the friends you make while fending off zombies or stalking humans are people from a different class-year, friends' circle, or background than you would normally interact with. Another merit to HvZ is that it gets people outside and running around, enjoying the outdoors."
Some players offered other, simpler explanations for their participation in HvZ.
"I played because I wanted to be part of the greatest alternate reality experience on the Union College campus," said Ajay Major '12.
"I heard about it from my upperclassmen friends," said Abate.?"They told me how much fun they had playing in the past."
While non-players are often bewildered by the game, the opportunity to watch a battle on the way to class makes walking on campus a more festive experience. ?Boddorff hopes that more people are intrigued by the game and play next year.
"I'm especially proud of the Deltas for participating and being willing to wield a nerf gun proudly," he said. "I hope their example reminds the most serious students here at Union that the inner child and imagination are things that need to be exercised everyone in a while."
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