Editor’s Note: A game began Monday on campus, and the Northern Star asked game organizers for a short informative piece about Humans vs. Zombies.

Humans vs. Zombies is an SA-recognized organization that runs a campus-wide game of Nerf-gun tag. The game is 24-7 and generally lasts about a week-and-a-half, consisting of approximately 80 to 100 students. The participants are broken into the Human Resistance and the Zombie Horde. All players wear camouflage bandanas with a strip of duct tape in order to distinguish them from the rest of the student body (Humans wear the bandana on their right arm, Zombies wear it on their heads).

The point of the game is essentially survival of the fittest. When a Zombie tags a Human, that Human becomes part of the Zombie Horde. Humans may stun a Zombie and thereby avoid zombification by hitting them with a Nerf-dart, a marshmallow or a (clean) sock. When a Zombie is hit by one of these items, they are stunned for 15 minutes. If a Zombie doesn’t tag a Human for two days, they are considered “dead,” and eliminated from the game. The game ends when either all of the Zombies “die of starvation” or when all of the Humans are turned into Zombies.

The organization has made great efforts to promote the safety of all players and non-players by consulting University Police and the Student Association, as well as tailoring the rules of game play to fit with existing university policies, such as the Housing and Dining rules for floors in the Residence Halls and the distinction between safe areas and playing areas.

For example, all academic buildings are considered non-playing areas to respect our fellow students and faculty, as well as the learning environment.

The first game of the semester started Monday.

For more information, please visit our Web site at www.niuzombie.com. Our organization is a great way to meet new people and enrich your college experience, so check us out!

Emily Sturnfield

Junior, anthropology and geology

President of Humans vs. Zombies