With the University’s Humans vs. Zombies fundraiser returning to campus at the beginning of week eight, participants are guaranteed three things: Nerf guns, challenging courses and potential bragging rights.
Humans vs. Zombies is basically a giant game of moderated tag that is played across six continents in more than 1,000 locations. According to American political satirist Stephen Colbert,@@http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0170306/@@ Human vs. Zombies is the number one threat to America.@@do we use sports-style styling for No. 1 here?@@
This term’s game is the University’s second; the first was played this past spring. The week starts out with all the players as humans except for a few select, original zombies. To differentiate between the two sides, humans wear a bandanna around their arm while the opposing zombies wear a bandanna around their neck or head. The objective of the zombies is to tag the humans, thus turning them into zombies and boosting the size of their roster.@@cool!@@ The humans, however, defend themselves with Nerf blasters and sock balls. If they strike a zombie with either ammunition type, the zombie is stunned for 10 minutes and the human remains untagged. As a human, the objective is to survive the week without becoming a zombie.
But the University moderators have added a twist to this international game: They have established a pledge system to raise money for the Red Cross. Players sign a pledge to get their friends and family to donate a certain amount of money for every hour they survive as a human. At the end of the week, the moderators collect the money from the pledges and donate it to the Red Cross.
But why should you participate in a giant game of tag?

Humans vs. Zombies moderator Tanner Baldus@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Tanner+Baldus@@ said that it’s an immersion game that is more fun than any other sport.
“I mean with other sports and stuff, you go to practice for two hours,” he said. “But nothing compares to a 24-hour game all week that’s also for a good cause.”
But don’t be discouraged if a zombie tags you and you become part of the “living dead.” In their meeting Saturday, moderators said that being a zombie is more fun and more exciting.
“A warrior stays a warrior even when he’s dead,” Humans vs. Zombies moderator Christian Erichsen said.@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Christian+Erichsen@@
Aside from regular missions in the evening — such as Frisbee and a scavenger hunt — participants also have to be aware of attack while walking to and from class. Participants must also wear their bandannas at all times during the week because the game is a 24/7 event. If a zombie sees a human walking to class, the zombie can tag the human, making the human a member of the zombie team. However, the idea of the game is to get people to participate without being stressed during class or while driving.
“Buildings, streets and vehicles are the only safe zones in this game,” said Joe Stepp, another Humans vs. Zombies moderator.@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Joe+Stepp@@
The festivities kick off with a series of three kickoff parties this Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the EMU Amphitheater. For those wanting to play in next week’s game, orientation is mandatory. There is one last orientation this Wednesday at 5 p.m. in the EMU Amphitheater. Moderators will also be tabling throughout this week from 11 a.m to 5 p.m. outside the amphitheater for those who cannot attend the orientation.