On Feb. 26, Harding students met in the Heritage auditorium around 10 p.m. to begin Humans vs. Zombies, according to sophomore Wesley Bland.
Students went over the rules, then the game began around 10:40 p.m. The game ended March 2. According to Bland, a ministry intern for the Rock House who oversaw Humans vs. Zombies, an estimated 180-200 Harding students participated in what he called “a grown-up game of tag.”
“Back in kindergarten, what did you play? You played tag,” Bland said. “That’s how you met people, you played tag.
Bland said the game started with one zombie who in turn tagged a human who became a zombie and from there zombies continue to spread.
“Once you become a zombie you’re part of that team, and you just try to turn the humans all into zombies, or let all the zombies die out by not getting tagged,” Bland said.
The players used fabric strips tied around their arms or heads to indicate their roles in the games. There was also a website connected to the game where “zombies” entered ID numbers when they tagged people.
“It was actually really fun, because like whenever you went outside you had to watch your back,” freshman Rachael Floyd said. “You were kind of always freaked out.”
Bland said that Humans vs. Zombies was made to help people on campus meet other students whom they wouldn’t normally meet.
“That’s what we wanted it to be, an outreach (ministry),” Bland said. “This is just an easy way (to get people involved). Friendships were made; that’s what it’s about — making friends, making bonds and Christ comes up somewhere along the way.”
Senior Rebecca Neely, Rock House intern and moderator for the game, said the purpose for organizing the event was to do a fun event for campus students.
“It brought students together that wouldn’t otherwise have met,” Neely said.
According to Bland the objective was to help people get involved and build relationships.
“There are a lot of people here that are lonely, they get homesick, and they don’t have anybody,” Bland said. “And I hope those were some of the people who played.”
