A scene of action between the humans and zombies
Aaron Vento | Staff Reporter
Published Sept. 25, 2015; 1:20 p.m.
The dawn of the dead is approaching
Lindenwood University is preparing for the dead to rise once again for this semester’s edition of Humans vs. Zombies. From Monday, Sept. 28 to Friday, Oct. 2, students take part in an epic form of tag in which humans (students with bandanas on their arm) try to survive the week without being tagged by an ever increasing horde of zombies (students with bandanas wrapped around their foreheads). Humans may defend themselves through the use of Nerf weaponry and sock grenades for the purpose of stunning zombies and giving themselves a chance to escape. If a human is tagged by a zombie, though, then they become a zombie and must try to tag other humans themselves.
An undead Brigita Martin stalks the battlefield
Humans do their best to stick together during the week, especially during the day, so as to stand a better chance of surviving. The game is a popular tradition on the LU campus and is played by upwards of 100 students if not more each semester. During the day, humans must navigate the campus and make it to their classes without being tagged by zombies who stalk the campus during the week. At night, humans band together to take on missions directly against the zombies in the hopes of winning special bonuses to help keep them alive throughout the week until the final mission on Friday. The game encourages teamwork on both sides as the humans try to stay alive and the zombies work together to try and tag them.
Moderator of last semester’s HVZ, Morgan Albertson, leads the humans in battle against the undead
The rules of the game are heavily enforced by moderators who help keep the game fair and fun. This semester HVZ is being run by the newly formed Nerf Alliance, a group founded by active participants of HVZ and the Nerf wars on campus. HVZ has quickly become a beloved tradition at LU and is used as an appropriate way to engage students in the Halloween spirit.
