If you’ve been walking around campus at all this past week, chances are you’ve noticed a large amount of people wearing yellow bandanas. This isn’t a new fashion trend, nor is it a large gang. The people who are wearing these bandanas are actually a part of a campus-wide game called humans vs. zombies. This game has become a way for students to enjoy college life and meet new friends.
The rules of humans vs. zombies are fairly simple. When the game starts, a random player is chosen to be the alpha zombie. The first zombie’s identity is not revealed until the game begins. Zombies make a kill by firmly grabbing a human, who becomes a zombie one hour later. Zombies are required to make a “kill” every 48 hours, or they will be out of the game. Each game last one week, and there are typically three to four games per semester.
So where do the yellow bandanas come in? Anybody who is playing the game is required to wear a yellow bandana that is given out before the game starts. Humans wear the bandanas around the legs or arms, while zombies are required to wear them around the neck or head.
Humans are not defenseless, however. If a zombie should attack them, humans are allowed to defend themselves with balled-up socks. When a zombie is hit with these, they are unable to make any “kills” for the next 15 minutes. Also, humans are safe when they enter a building. This is so humans can have a safe zone, while also allowing participants to attend class without being harassed by zombies.
WCU isn’t the only campus that is playing humans vs. zombies. Many campuses across the nation are playing, as evidenced by the number of Facebook groups dedicated to humans vs. zombies.
What’s it like to actually play as a human? According to WCU senior and Humans vs. Zombies officer Donald Paris, it can get pretty intense. “After a few days, there are so many zombies that you pretty much have to stay inside as much as possible.” Paris says that he knows many students have had to take different pathways to class in order to avoid getting tagged by zombies.
Paris believes that the best part of this game is its unpredictability. “The first game this semester ended in about 3 or 4 days, since humans were dropping like flies. This past game, five humans were able to survive until the zombies starved out,” said Paris. “You never know how it’s gonna go, and that’s why you need a plan.”
Though this will be the last game of the year, the group may be doing more games in the future. If you would like to get involved, you can contact the group and find more information at their website http://smokesgroup.hvzsource.com/index.php, or you can email them at wcuhvzsource@gmail.com.
