Video: Humans Fighting Zombies
The zombies are back and roaming our campus this semester.
UCA students battle zombies
It's the latest version of the Humans vs. Zombies game.The game has been sweeping across college campuses for the past six years and arrived here last semester. It has been featured on national news networks and in such newspapers as The New York Times and Washington Post. Comedian Steve Colbert once named it "the number one threat to America."
The game attracted about 30 students this semester, down from about 160 last semester, but they have been chasing each other around campus for a week. You might have seen them. The "humans" are carrying foam swords and sock projectiles and they have to battle their way across campus while fending off infection from the "zombies."
The premise of the game is simple. One player is selected as the zombie. Like all good zombies, he or she wants to infect other people. Other players begin the game as humans and carry their weapons to defend themselves. If a zombie touches them, they become zombies, too. If they hit the zombie with their sword or a sock bomb, the zombie freezes for 20 seconds, long enough for a human to escape. The goal is to survive as long as possible.
The game is carefully orchestrated by moderators who organize teams and enforce the rules. The moderators are responsible for ensuring that the game operates properly and nobody gets hurt. They also design "missions" for the humans that challenge their ability to fight their brain-hungry enemy.
The current game ends Sunday but organizers are already planning another one this semester. The game is open to all students, faculty and staff. You can register for the next game at their Facebook page.
What motivates people to play? Tommy Garrison, one of the moderators, said that the game is different from most forms of entertainment on campus and is a great way to meet new people.
"Nothing quite bonds you together like running from a horde of zombies," Garrison said.
Here's the story we wrote about the game last semester.
Here's a video of our students playing the game this semester. They produced this and shared it with us.
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Tommy here, from Humans vs. Zombies.
If you want to check out the rules for the game that goes on at UCA, you can check them out at:
http://www.hvzsource.com/uca/rules/
They are subject to change between games, so if you intend to play next time, check them out when you sign up!
This game is one of the things that makes UCA so much fun. It ironically relieves stress from your school work and projects and lets you get a chance to meet new people. I started playing this game in the Spring of 2011, and it's the best extracurricular activity this university has to offer. I highly encourage playing it.
Kristen Martin here (i'm actually one of the people in the photo..green shirt)
so i just wanted to tell everyone that this game is amazing. I started playing it here last semester and have played every game since then. Its a great way to shake up the everyday walk to class schoolwork student center routine. You get to meet new people and make lasting friendships. Gets you to interact with others you might never have before and it really is great for dealing with stress. The game might be intense but its a good outlet for some pent up energy (especially if your a zombie) I look forward to each game with eagerness.
So if you want to try something new and have some fun and make new friends while doing it i highly recommend you to sign up and play this game.
HvZ is by far the best part of UCA! Everyone should play. This game takes the thrill of playing tag as a child to a whole new level! Everyone should play!