Not one hour ago one of the photo editors asked me one of the most fearful questions that can be asked here at CWRU: “What is going on with all those green headbands?” It then struck me, the time of Humans vs. Zombies is once again upon us.

There are two types of people on this campus: people who are playing Humans vs. Zombies, and people who are just trying to go to class and are suddenly collateral damage in a sock-based apocalypse.

I am the second type.

I did not sign up for Humans vs. Zombies. I did not agree to live in a society where I have to evaluate whether the person walking toward me is a zombie, human or just someone studying for an organic chemistry exam. And yet, every semester, without fail, I am forced to participate emotionally, psychologically and sometimes physically (when someone almost plows me down on the quad).

For those lucky enough to be unfamiliar, Humans vs. Zombies is a campus wide game of tag where humans try not to get tagged by zombies, who are trying to grow the horde through tagging. It lasts 10 days, which is about nine days longer than any game of tag should last.

Day 1: Confusion

At first, you don’t know what’s happening. You see someone wearing a green bandana. Then another. Then five people sprint past you. Then someone dived behind a tree. Then someone else whispers, “They’re coming.”

You start to wonder if you missed an email. Or a major world event.

Day 3: Fear

By day three, the campus atmosphere has changed. Normal students walk. HvZ players move with purpose. They travel in packs. They whisper. They check corners. They text constantly. They look behind them every 15 seconds like they’re in a spy movie.

Meanwhile, I am just trying to get to class, uninvolved.

But suddenly someone yells, “ZOMBIES BY THWING.” and a group of 12 people sprints directly toward me. I am not a participant, but at this point I am running too, because mob mentality is real and I value my life.

Day 5: Sociological Observations

Not participating in HvZ turned you into a wildlife observer. You begin to notice patterns:

1. Zombies stand very still in places that make no sense.
2. Humans refuse to walk alone.
3. Both groups take this far more seriously than any game involving socks should be taken.
4. Everyone is late to everything.
5. The green bandanas begin to look less like game gear and more like a campus-wide militia.

Day 7: Academic impact

At this point HvZ players have stopped pretending this is casual. I overheard someone say:

“I can’t go to class that way, there are three zombies by Crawford.”

Imagine explaining that to a professor. Honestly though, from what I’ve heard, being a zombie is less stressful than being a human, which feels like an unintentional metaphor for life.

Day 9: Emotional Fatigue

Even as a non-player, you get tired.

You’re tired of being almost trampled. You’re tired of people whisper-yelling “SAFE ZONE.”

You’re tired of watching someone you know, a lab partner, a friend, a former romantic interest, crouch behind a bike rack and throw a sock at someone.

Mostly, you’re tired of not knowing if it’s socially acceptable to laugh when someone sprints full speed across the quad.

Day 10: Acceptance
By the final day, something changes. You start rooting for people. You start recognizing bandanas. You start getting invested. You have never played the game, but emotionally you are now part of the team.