At 5 p.m. Saturday University Park became ground zero for the living dead. Fortunately a group of human students banded together to keep alive the hope that mankind will endure this impending zombie apocalypse.
What is it about zombies that have allowed them to increasingly capture the hearts and imagination of the general public?
They have infiltrated classic literature. Jane Austen’s timeless masterpiece novel “Pride and Prejudice” has mutated into “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.”
Their presence is felt in movies like “Zombieland,” “Resident Evil 3D” and “Shawn of the Dead.” There are even self-help books such as “The Zombie Survival Guide” by Max Brooks and “The Zen of Zombie— Better Living Through the Undead” by Scott Kenemore.
In a recent interview for G.Q magazine, Frank Darabont, the producer of AMC’s upcoming TV miniseries, “The Walking Dead,” said: “We’ve got oil being pumped into the Gulf, we’ve got a society and a culture that is unsustainable. We’ve got almost 7 billion people on this planet and the energy’s gonna run out. Everybody’s feeling a little apocalyptic lately and I suspect that has a lot to do with why zombies have made such a deep cultural impact.”
It was only a matter of time before this zombie infestation descended upon the Eastern Michigan University campus.
These students who have vowed to battle the undead together are members of Outbreak: Eastern, an EMU sanctioned club that engages in a 21st-century version of the basic premise for tag.
The game asks its members to imagine they are either a human or a zombie. Those who choose to be humans arm themselves with a Nerf soft foam dart launcher to pick off zombies and those who choose to be a zombie must stealthily entrap the humans in a bear hug to eliminate them from the game.
According to their Facebook page, Outbreak: Eastern was inspired by a humans vs. zombies tag game that started at Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland. This tag game has since spread like a zombie plague across college campuses worldwide. Here on the EMU campus, the club has also seen its membership grow since last year.
This was evidenced by the many rookie zombie slayers who came out for their first time at Saturday’s event to find out what Outbreak: Eastern was all about.
“I like zombie movies, and I’d like to make some new friends, so this seemed like the perfect place for me to do that at,” said Samantha Stamper, a rookie zombie slayer and fine arts/ psychology major.
“It was a great way to meet people and I will definitely be coming back,” Elaine Parker, who played as both human and zombie.
The returning veterans from last year also seemed pleased at the event’s turnout.
“I’m glad to see that the events this year have more people and a better turnout, I really think the idea of this game is building momentum,” second-year vet Chris Svinicki said.
For more information about participating in Outbreak: Eastern’s next event check out their website at outbreakeastern.tk or find them on Facebook or Twitter.