Does campus seem quiet? Is an unearthly silence filling the air? Sources say that the Northwestern College Health Organization (NCHO) has officially declared, “Level 3 Undead Emergency. Reports confirm the first wave of zombies will reach campus by Sunday night. Survivors are urged to prepare…” NW’s usual zombie outburst will be coming early this year. This fall will be the first-ever Fall Humans versus Zombies on NW’s campus. Keep your eyes open as this fan-favorite, adrenaline-pumping Student Activities Council event comes our way a whole semester early.
Why the sudden change? As long as most students can remember, they’ve enjoyed running for our lives in the snow or rain of the spring semester. That’s just one of the problems SAC wrestled with. The weather of the spring semester in a lovely state like Iowa is unpredictable and sometimes messy. Ice and snow can create dangerous environments for chasing humans or running from zombies. It can take away from the fun when you’re trying to keep your toes from falling off while also running from zombies. While pushing back the date to later in the spring could have been another viable option, this has a few complications as well. As the semester goes on, classes ramp up, tests get complicated, and finals creep towards us. SAC didn’t want anyone to miss participating because they were too stressed with their classes.
Another concern SAC is addressing with the change of date is other activities. Campus is always bustling with activities like sports, theatre productions, internships, and many other time-consuming activities. SAC realizes that some people have busy spring semesters, and others have busy fall semesters. In hopes of accommodating all students, SAC hopes to make HvZ an alternating event. This year it will be hosted in the fall, and next year the event will happen again in the spring. That being said, if the number of participants for HvZ this year is substantially higher than in years past, SAC may be convinced to keep HvZ in the fall. So if you’re a big fan of the idea of zombies running amok in the fall instead of the spring, get all your friends to sign up and enjoy the fun. On the other hand, if you prefer HvZ to stay in the spring, let SAC know. They want to make this event accessible and fun for everyone.
Another reason addressed for this change is the energy levels. Sometimes, by the end of the year, college has worn students down, leaving them less likely to participate in SAC events, especially activities as physically exhausting as HvZ. Hosting the event in the fall leaves the council hopeful that students are still full of energy and ready to race their hearts out. Having such an anxiety-inducing yet joyful activity at the beginning of the year will be a good mix of stress relief and fun.
The final reason noted for this change deals with the community aspect of the game. A huge aspect of HvZ is how you get to create relationships with other humans whilst trying to run away from brain-rotting zombies. They say there’s no relationship like the one built under the pressure of trying not to die from the surprisingly fast, brain-dead, rotting zombies, or at least that is what the movies imply. NWC’s HvZ might not be exactly like the movies, but the friendships that form as groups of humans band against zombies are friendships that won’t dissipate overnight.
Whether you enjoy fighting off zombies in the fall or spring, get ready for the onslaught that’s coming next week. Prepare for better weather, less homework in the way, more energy, and great relationships. No one can say for sure how the event will go; zombies are quite unpredictable, you know. One thing that can be certain is that it’ll be a fantastic time for everyone participating.
