While some campus chapters of the Humans vs. Zombies competition have come under scrutiny by police and the administration, Ohio University's has kept things relatively quiet.
For one week, terminating at midnight on Halloween, a rivalry between two groups of bandana-clad students ' the Humans and the Zombies ' will erupt across campus. Humans, armed with brightly colored Nerf guns and sock ball grenades
will fight for their survival during the week-long warfare.
H v. Z will start off with 15 pre-assigned zombies working to convert the several hundred human participants by snatching bandanas worn around the humans' arms. Although no humans survived last year's game, the tradition itself did - ' Stevens wrote in an e-mail. Stevens said that, on behalf of college administration, they do not think that is a message that should be promoted on campus and that they are philosophically opposed to such a game.
The Northern Illinois H v. Z chapter had scheduled a game beginning Monday, February 18, when the Valentine's Day shooting left six dead, including the gunman, the Thursday preceding the game.
Emily Sturnfield, the Northern Illinois H v. Z club president at the time, canceled the game with the intention of reinstating it, but the administration rejected the use of Nerf guns for future game play.
The chapter will be playing its major games off campus and playing smaller games on campus, where they are limited to marshmallows, sock balls, pool rods and foam swords as their artillery.
Students aren't really as interested in the club without Nerf guns Sturnfield said. It's one of the things that's been our signature.
Bowling Green players had something in common with Northern Illinois competitors up until this fall: They too were stuck using marshmallows and sock balls during on-campus games after a Nerf gun ban last year.
Bowling Green is again allowed to use Nerf guns after they were banned at last year's game because of violations regarding gun type and overly realistic color.
Kevin Ley, a senior who helped bring the game to OU, said he expects more from OU students.
We like to think that the players have enough common sense not to paint their guns black and make them look like actual guns
and
so far
that's held very true.
Safety negotiations with university administration and police allowed for a compromise involving the use of more obvious, brightly colored weapons and the setting stricter boundaries about off-limit areas at Bowling Green.
Molly Alcox, a senior and third-year participant in the H v. Z game, said that during the minor run-ins she has experienced with the Ohio University Police Department, police were fair and have not attempted to interfere with us in the slightest.
We talk to the organizers on campus beforehand and we usually have things straightened out
said Lt. Dan Stewart. He said that Lt. Chris Johnson met with organizers of the OU group last Tuesday.
-
Stewart said. Most people are pretty much to themselves and there's not a lot of interaction with people who aren't in the game.
The week-long feud isn't just about survival.
Generally
the way if works here
even if you go in not knowing anybody else who's playing
you're going to come out with at least 20 more friends than you started with. It becomes more of a community than just a game
