If you hear the tired moans for brains across campus next week, do not be alarmed. The shuffling of the recently re-animated dead is part of Zombie Awareness Week, a week-long event put on by Outbreak: Eastern.
The week long awareness event offers games, haunted houses and an obstacle course all with the zombie touch.
The event starts Monday with “The Dead Walk!” It begins at 3 p.m. at the Ann Street parking lot, with makeup prep beginning at 2 p.m. for those seeking to look a little more George A. Romero-esque.
The walk crosses campus to the Tower Inn Café for the enjoyment of “The Walking Dead” Season 1 TV series. The event is free.
Monday’s zombies will also be handing out flyers to raise awareness to the upcoming week’s events.
The Zombie Squad of Southeastern Michigan is helping with the walk to keep the event organized and keep zombies on the correct path through campus.
Tuesday offers “Undead Game Night,” in collaboration with Coupe de Gras, a student gaming organization, turning up video and table-top games of the zombie flavor. The event will be in the Student Government breakout room located on the third floor of the Student Center.
Bring your games for this free event, which lasts from 7-11 p.m.
Events cost no more than $4 each.
“The week starts out for everyone and the people who want to keep doing it, it’s just a couple more dollars each day,” said Dustin Miller, an Eastern Michigan University senior and President of Outbreak: Eastern.
Wednesday is the “Zombstacle Course:” Instead of racing against an opponent over obstacles, you will be chased by zombies. The Bowen Filed House will be turned into the Zombstacle Course, which opens at 7 p.m. and ending at 10 p.m.
“The Zombstacle course should be the best event,” said Garry Mundy, a board member of Outbreak: Eastern.
The cost of entrance to the course is $2 or one non-perishable food item. Food and money donations are going to the Food Gathers of Ann Arbor, though Outbreak: Eastern.
Thursday night is set for “Southern Discomfort,” a haunted house on the first floor of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity house at 411 Ballard St.
Tau Kappa Epsilon approached Outbreak: Eastern about doing a haunted house this year.
“We are basically filling it with actors and blood-gory awesomeness,” said Miller. It will be a combination of “House of a 1,000 Corpses,” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Deliverance.”
Doors open at 7 p.m. The cost is $3.
Friday night is “Dead Gallery,” which has been a haunted house in the past, but this year will be a haunted show in the Sponberg Theatre, starting at 7 p.m. There will be crowd participation as the Players at EMU put on the freak show.
$4 gets you in the doors. Because of the low cost, the $20 and $50 bills will not be accepted.
“Somebody showed up last year with a $100 bill and we actually had to turn them away,” said Miller.
Saturday is the kill-shot for the week-long Zombie Awareness event. It is the first time Outbreak is being advertised to the public. All five floors of the Rec-IM building are being taken over by zombies, and where there are zombies, there is always those trying to survive them.
Participation is open to whoever shows up. Those who do attend need to dress up as either a zombie or a survivor. Zombies can come as-is, while survivors need to pack a Nerf gun. Both need to bring eye protection. The event is free, with the briefing starting at 7 p.m. and the hunting at 8 p.m.
Like any awareness week, Outbreak: Eastern will be selling Zombie Awareness Week ribbons for a suggested $0.75 donation.