Zombies invade the campus of UNCG
Joel Leonard
Issue date: 11/17/09 Section: Life
The past few days have marked a drastic change in wardrobe for some UNCG students. Some students can be seen sporting bandannas around their arms, legs or head, while others have added a Nerf gun to backpack and coat as the thing that they carry in between classes. But all of the behaviors can be explained by the game of Humans vs. Zombies that is currently being played on the UNCG campus.
According to the website, humansvszombies.org, Human vs. Zombies, or HvZ, is a game of moderated tag. While Humans Vs. Zombies has been played on college campuses around the country since 2005, Fall 2009 marks the first time that a game has been played on UNCG's campus.
Humans vs. Zombies is played using bandanas, Nerf guns, and 3X5 index cards.
"You need a bandana and you use it to identify people," explains Logan Cox, who is currently playing Humans vs. Zombies. "Zombies wear it around their head or neck, Humans, around their arm or leg.
Players designated as zombies will attempt to "eat" human players by tagging them. Once a human player has been tagged by a zombie, he or she will join the ranks of the zombies and seek out other humans.
The Nerf guns come in to the equation as the weapons that the humans use against the zombies. While a (clean) balled up sock is allowed to be used as a weapon against a zombie player, most students seem to be opting to use Nerf guns. Zombies that are hit with a Nerf gun are stunned, not killed, for fifteen minutes in order to give the humans time to get away. Zombies can only die if they go without eating for forty-eight hours.
When talking about his own Nerf gun, Cox says "I have the Maverick which seems to be just about what everyone has. It's reliable, six shots, it's really the most bang for your buck." Students looking to purchase a Nerf gun have a large variety of options. From blow guns that can be found at the dollar store, to some that can cost almost 45 dollars.
Organized by Guy Gunn the UNCG game, which began at midnight last Friday, has had over 400 students signed up to take part. While, for the most part the game is following the national rules, a few rules have been put in place that are UNCG specific. For example, all indoors are considered to be safe zones where zombies and humans cannot attack one another.
While it's too late to sign up for the current round of Humans vs. Zombies, the UNCG Humans vs. Zombies page is promising that after the game is over, Nerf based games of capture the flag will be organized for those who wish to play.
Though it is new to the UNCG campus, Humans vs. Zombies has been growing in popularity for some time. Articles on the game have appeared in USA Today, The Washington Post, and on NPR. Humans Vs. Zombies has even been mentioned on the hit television show, The Colbert Report as Stephen Colbert's "Number one Threat to America."
Those who are looking for more information on Humans vs. Zombies can find it on their website, humansvszombies.org. Information specific to the UNCG game can be found at uncg.hvzsource.com including a more exact list of rules and a map detailing the safe zones. There is also a list of the players detailing which ones are still human and which ones have been turned into zombies.
According to the website, humansvszombies.org, Human vs. Zombies, or HvZ, is a game of moderated tag. While Humans Vs. Zombies has been played on college campuses around the country since 2005, Fall 2009 marks the first time that a game has been played on UNCG's campus.
Humans vs. Zombies is played using bandanas, Nerf guns, and 3X5 index cards.
"You need a bandana and you use it to identify people," explains Logan Cox, who is currently playing Humans vs. Zombies. "Zombies wear it around their head or neck, Humans, around their arm or leg.
Players designated as zombies will attempt to "eat" human players by tagging them. Once a human player has been tagged by a zombie, he or she will join the ranks of the zombies and seek out other humans.
The Nerf guns come in to the equation as the weapons that the humans use against the zombies. While a (clean) balled up sock is allowed to be used as a weapon against a zombie player, most students seem to be opting to use Nerf guns. Zombies that are hit with a Nerf gun are stunned, not killed, for fifteen minutes in order to give the humans time to get away. Zombies can only die if they go without eating for forty-eight hours.
When talking about his own Nerf gun, Cox says "I have the Maverick which seems to be just about what everyone has. It's reliable, six shots, it's really the most bang for your buck." Students looking to purchase a Nerf gun have a large variety of options. From blow guns that can be found at the dollar store, to some that can cost almost 45 dollars.
Organized by Guy Gunn the UNCG game, which began at midnight last Friday, has had over 400 students signed up to take part. While, for the most part the game is following the national rules, a few rules have been put in place that are UNCG specific. For example, all indoors are considered to be safe zones where zombies and humans cannot attack one another.
While it's too late to sign up for the current round of Humans vs. Zombies, the UNCG Humans vs. Zombies page is promising that after the game is over, Nerf based games of capture the flag will be organized for those who wish to play.
Though it is new to the UNCG campus, Humans vs. Zombies has been growing in popularity for some time. Articles on the game have appeared in USA Today, The Washington Post, and on NPR. Humans Vs. Zombies has even been mentioned on the hit television show, The Colbert Report as Stephen Colbert's "Number one Threat to America."
Those who are looking for more information on Humans vs. Zombies can find it on their website, humansvszombies.org. Information specific to the UNCG game can be found at uncg.hvzsource.com including a more exact list of rules and a map detailing the safe zones. There is also a list of the players detailing which ones are still human and which ones have been turned into zombies.
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