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The Observer

Case Western Reserve University's independent student news source

The Observer

Case Western Reserve University's independent student news source

The Observer

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Preparing for the storm

Greetings fellow humans (and soon-to-be zombies)! It is that time again. If your Nerf guns have a layer of dust, shake it off, because Wednesday is the start of another exciting round of Case’s Humans vs. Zombies. As always, competition is sure to be fierce, because zombies are incredibly hungry. And as everyone knows, Case has the best brains.

If you hope to survive the impending zombie invasion, you might want to consider brushing up on your survival skills. And possibly start training in sprinting. Like, right now. Seriously. These are fast zombies, not the ones in old movies that drag one foot behind them. These are athletic zombies. So running hurdles could also potentially help. Hey, you never know what random skills will help you escape a hungry pack of zombies.

First of all, you are not going to get very far if you have no energy. Monster tends to help with that, and it gives a fantastic sugar rush that adds an extra kick to running like crazy. If energy drinks are not your thing, try something heavily caffeinated and laden with sugar. Believe me, you are going to need it to sprint from Strosacker to Nord between classes.

Another suggestion: go over the rules of the game. Seriously. By knowing the rules, you can gauge how far you can stretch them in order to stay alive. Of course, by doing that you might be the inspiration for a new rule. But if that is your ultimate goal, good for you!

Having a good hiding place from which to ambush your zombie foe could also help you survive to the end of the game. Typically, zombies like to hide behind big things like statues, rocks, trees, and even buildings. Try doing the same thing. Of course with this strategy, you need to be careful when choosing a hiding spot. It kind of defeats the purpose if your hiding spot happens to be where a group of zombies is lying in wait to get the jump on any unsuspecting human than crosses their line of sight.

So far I’ve mainly been giving advice to the brave souls who will step into the arena of active play during HvZ. But what about those of us, myself included, who are not playing? Fear not, dear readers! HvZ is active across campus, which means you are likely to catch some pretty sweet action on your way to class. Case in point: last semester was a bit like watching an old Tom and Jerry cartoon. Zombie chases human behind building. After a few seconds, zombie comes back being chased by human. Give it a little time, and next thing you hear is a shout and the human is being chased by an entire pack of zombies. Trust me when I say that this is far more entertaining than television.

Missions also provide prime viewing. Sometimes the only thing missing is popcorn and a soda. And possibly a comfy chair. But that is up to you.

The main point of HvZ is this: have fun. Yes, it’s kind of goofy. But come on, when else will you have the chance to take a Nerf gun to class and pelt your friends with rolled-up socks? It’s entertaining and a much-needed break from the seriousness of school, jobs, and everything else that we take very seriously.

Of course, that’s just my opinion.

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