Snow can't slow zombie apocalypse

Humans vs. Zombies game runs wild in Bowring Park, hopes to bring fun to MUN campus

By Shane Belbin

When there's no room left in hell, the dead will walk the earth—or at least Bowring Park, which is what occurred last Saturday, Nov. 26. OK, that might not actually be the case, but this reporter went to see which side would hypothetically win in a Humans vs. Zombies real-life match-up.

This past Saturday, approximately 40 young people came out to Bowring Park to participate in an event known as Humans vs. Zombies (HvZ). At its core, the event is a game of Nerf tag, but it doesn’t take long to realize that there is much more to this game than that. With an elaborate storyline—involving a rip in the space time continuum—and costumed NPCs (non-player characters), the organizers planned well in advance to create a unique experience for their players.

Much like the zombie culture the game is based upon, interest in the game is spreading.

“Every game we get some of the same people—the same die-hard fans showing up—and every game we have been getting some new people as well,” said Chris Parmenter, a fourth-year geography student at Memorial University and one of the co-organizers of the event

Originally started at Groucher College in the United States in 2005, the game was recently picked up in St. John's. With events starting only earlier this year, organizers have been busy planning and have managed to hold a game approximately every month. The game is free to play, and past events have drawn within the range of 30 to 80 players per game.

True to Parmenter's word, it was not just the “die-hards” who showed up on Saturday, despite a record snowfall being dumped on St. John's two days before the game.

For zombie apocalypse first-timers Tony Preston and Brandon Furlong, the game seemed like a very interesting experience. The drawing factor for these two prospective hunters was hours spent playing zombie video games, and just a general interest in the subject.

“I've always loved the idea of shooting zombies in the head,” said Preston with a laugh.

When questioned why they were willing to brave the weather for the event, Furlong simply stated the obvious: “Zombies aren't going to care about the weather.”

For the upcoming winter semester, Parmenter is hoping to bring the game out of the park and on to the campus in January for a non-stop game that would last from Monday to Friday.

“We're hoping to get a MUN game on the go. It's going to be about a week long, and we'll basically try to get from class to class without being tagged,” he said. “It's pretty much a giant version of this.”

Although the game utilizes brightly coloured Nerf guns, the notion of guns on campus is a controversial topic. In order to work through the administrative red tape, Parmenter and the other organizers have been in contact with Student Services and the MUN Students' Union (MUNSU) to revise the rules of the game to make it suitable to the university setting.

“We'd be able to work with the group to help them find a way where the game can occur without making other people feel unsafe,” said Michael Walsh, Director of External Affairs for MUNSU.

For more information about upcoming events, visit facebook.com/groups/MunZombies/

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