Humans - Student Organizations

NACURH Programming on the Go DVD
Submission Cover Sheet
***Please save this document as: Region_School Name_Program Title
Title of Program:_Humans vs. Zombies______________________________________________
Presenter’s Name: _Danielle Sutton________________________________________________
School Name: _Syracuse University_________________________________________________
Contact info: _Dssutton@syr.edu __________________________________________________
1. What kind of program is this? Please HIGHLIGHT one of the following
NACURH U:
President
NCC
THEME:
Diversity & Multicultural Awareness
Team Building & Transitioning
NRHH
First Time Delegate
Current Issues
Start to Finish Programming
Personal Growth
Passive Programming
2. Please provide a brief description of the program.
The ultimate community building apocalypse is coming. Come find out how this elaborate game of
tag can become a campus-wide phenomenon and build community at your college/university for
FREE.
3. Who was the program for? Name your target audience.
This program is for anyone who enjoys playing tag and likes to play with Nerf guns.
4. How much did the program cost? Who funded it? Please provide a brief budget breakdown.
Free for the basic game without any frills. The only expenses for players (which could be funded if you
chose to do so) is for a bandana, a notecard, and a Nerf gun (approximately $10). Frills could also be
added by having “rejuvenation stations” with water, energy bars, extra ammo, etc… at the end game
and in between, prizes could be given out to the winners or raffled off, and it would also be pretty
sweet to get custom made bandanas with your RHA’s (or other organization) logo on it.
5. How many people were involved in planning the program AND how long did it take to plan?
When this was originally planned at SU there were only two people involved in the planning, who
were not part of any student organization and had limited resources and it took them about a month
and a half. Going into the second year of doing this program there are about 10ish people helping.
The best advice would be to get as many people as possible to help in the planning. For more
information on a better breakdown for time please visit: http://dmg.humansvszombies.org/SettingUp1.html
6. Why was the program started on your campus? How does it benefit the university and/or
community population?
This program was started by two residents at SU who loved zombie movies and heard about the game
at one of their friends high schools so they decided to find a way to get a huge game started at SU.
They did it purely to have fun.
The game benefited the university by bringing people together who otherwise might not have ever
spoken to each other, let alone guard each other’s “lives” and go zombie hunting. Because this
program was played outside around campus for a full week, it was incredible to see how many people
knew about the game and was excited to play or watch. Another added benefit was that this went on
during one of the campus tours for high school students and there were some students who said they
couldn’t wait to play when they are in college.
7. What were some pros/cons of the program? How could the program be improved?
Pros: The benefits definitely outweigh the costs. This is a great community building program and it’s a
lot of fun. Many people play that might not go to any other programs throughout the year, we even
had some professors and staff members playing. This program is also a great stress reliever and it
gives people the chance to get out and exercise and socialize with people all around campus.
Cons: It takes a lot of time and commitment to get a game going and you have to go about it the right
way to your administration or you will get shut down pretty quickly. The best advice is to go through
all the steps to make sure everyone is informed about the purpose of the game and take their
concerns and try to compromise. Another con is that you might get a player or two who is out of hand
and doesn’t want to turn into a zombie even if they were tagged and you have to make sure they are
playing by the rules and not doing anything that would alarm people on your campus.
This program could be improved by better advertising for special events throughout the week and the
end game more in advance. It could also be improved by adding the frills mentioned above (if the
funds are there).
8. How could this program be adapted for other universities?
This program could easily be adapted at other universities because it is done outdoors and can be
played for free. The struggle at any university will be talking to the right people (Public Safety,
Programming Center, etc…) to make sure administrators are informed and comfortable with the game
taking place.
9. Additional questions, comments, notes, or concerns:
Almost anything you need can be found at http://humansvszombies.org/ Please contact me at
Dssutton@syr.edu if you have any questions. Moose Love 
Presented By: Danielle Sutton
Syracuse University – RHA President (2009-2010)
NEACURH ADPR-elect (2010-2011)
What in the World is HvZ?
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Campus-wide program
Basically an elaborate game of tag.
Awesome community builder!
FREE unless you add a bunch of frills, which are not needed
Everyone is welcome and encouraged to play!!
It’s pretty much the most awesome game EVER!!!
Background at Syracuse University
Erica
Victoria
• Two random residents
who wanted to have fun
• Had 90 participants the
1st time and 125 the 2nd
• Professors and staff
participated
• 536 people signed up on
Facebook currently
• Possibility of becoming its
own Student Org.
HvZ Basics
• Players begin as humans
• Two people are randomly chosen to
be the “Original Zombies”
• The Original Zombies tag human
players and turn them into zombies
• Zombies win when all humans have
been tagged and turned into
zombies.
• Humans win by surviving long
enough to win the “end game”
• Typical game lasts one week with
the “end game” on the final day
Required Equipment
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Bandana
Nerf gun
Darts and/or socks
One 3×5 index card
Cell phone/walkie talkie
Safety Rules/Zones
1. No realistic looking weaponry
2. Game can only be played
outdoors. All buildings and
residence halls are safe zones
3. Guns may not be visible inside
any buildings
4. Darts must not hurt on impact
5. Players may not use cars
6. There is a 15-ft safe zone in
front of all busses and cars
Teams: Humans and Zombies
Human Rules
• I.D. Number: Keep one index card with your unique
identification number on you at all times.
• Headbands: Wear around an arm or leg (not head) to
identify as a player of the game at all times.
• Stunning a Zombie for 15min: Shoot them with a Nerf gun
or throw a sock and “tag” them with it.
• When Tagged By a Zombie: Distribute your ID card. One
hour after being tagged, Humans become Zombies.
• See Zombies rules for what to do next.
Zombie
Human
Zombie Rules
• Headbands: Wear around head to
identify as a player at all times.
• Attempting to Tag a Human: A tag
is a firm touch to any part of a
Human using only your body.
• Successfully Tagging a Human:
Collect their ID card and report it
within a specified amount of time.
• Getting Shot: When a zombie is
shot with a Nerf gun or hit with a
sock they are stunned for 15
minutes. **
**Stunned zombies may not interact with the game in any way. This includes shielding
other zombies from bullets or continuing to run toward a human**
Misc. Rules for ALL HvZ Players
• Shooting/Tagging Non-Players: Bannable offense or have warnings
• Non-Player Interference: Non-registered participants may not
directly interact with the game. This includes bringing zombies to
humans or spying for either team
• Safe Zones: Zombies must have both feet outside to tag a human
• Shields: Zombies may not use shields to deflect darts or socks
• Athletes: Athletes are safe during official practices, but not to/from
• Required Academic Events: Students at required academic events
are safe even if it is in a free-play zone, but not to and from the event
Most Importantly:
Have FUN and make
new friends!!!
Missions
• Defend/Secure Location: Humans
must keep a person/item in a
particular area for x amount of time
• Item/Object Retrieval: Humans
must find an object and bring it
back to set destination by deadline.
• Assassination: Humans must kill a
particular zombie set by mods.
• Puzzle: Humans must complete a
puzzle given by mods.
• Escort: Humans must move a
person through a set path.
Path may be marked by checkpoints
that must be interacted with by
escorted person.
• Pick up “radioactive trash” or
everyone will be infected
Ten Steps to take HvZ Back Home
1. Assemble Your Team
• This is one of the most important steps to a
successful HvZ game!
• Make sure they are dedicated to HvZ
• Make sure they understand the campus and student
population
• Realize that they are the backbone and set the tone
of the game
• Have the ability to remain objective
• Have time management and team working skills
• Be responsible and trustworthy
• For 170 players there should be no less than 4 mods
2. Meet with Administrators
• Every HvZ game should have the backing of your
administration or you will have a lot of problems
• Protect your players, do the dirty work ahead of
time. Meeting with administrators can take time.
Schedule far in advance in case problems arise.
• Meet with the Dean of Students or advisor who will
direct you to Public Safety and other departments
• Due to using Nerf guns, there may be push back
• Listen to concerns and offer compromises to the
rules and negotiate if need be.
• Use only socks if the guns are causing problems.
3. Plan Missions Specific to your Campus
• Make missions intricate and exciting
• Use landmarks and trivia
• Keep in mind that humans might “leak” info if
they are turned into a zombie
4. Make a Calendar
• How do you want your game to play out?
• How long do you want it to last?
• Keep classes and other events on campus in
mind (such as finals and homecoming)
• Put all planning & event dates on the calendar
• You want to keep the humans terrified, busy,
and outside to keep the game exciting
• Plan out each day of game play so nothing
gets out of control and no one gets bored
5. Write your Plot
• This is completely optional, but
definitely enhances game play
• Only let one or two people know!
• Give clues that are not too hard
or too easy
• Look for ALL the loopholes, but if
anyone finds one then they
deserve to win
• Add “flavor” elements, such as
props, like a scientists briefcase
with a cure for the plague
• Make sure there is always a
resolution to the plot…even
when the zombies win
6. Set Up Software/Website
• Should have the following:
– Ability for players to register and enter contact
information like e-mail address
– Ability for players to learn who else is playing so
humans know who to avoid and zombies know who to
tag
– Ability for Zombies to enter a tag into the website
– Messaging abilities to send out missions
– Photo uploading and forum capabilities
• The following are programs that have worked for
Syracuse and other schools
– HvZ Source (right on the official website) – FREE
– Facebook – FREE
7. Market Game and Open Registration
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Start a Facebook group
Press Releases
Chalk the Quad
Table in your Student
Center (with a laptop
to easily register)
• Make sure flyers tell
where to go and what
to do to play
• Avoid traditional
zombie photos
8. Host an HvZ Rules Meeting
• Get every one together so they can mingle and
start to form alliances
• Go over ALL the rules
• Answer ANY questions so there is no confusion
• Register anyone who isn’t registered yet
• Sign safety waivers and liability releases
• Ask players to bring their Nerf guns to be
inspected to make sure no one is breaking rules
9. Begin Game & Run your Missions
• Have plenty of moderators available to avoid
conflict (*Note: It’s fun to have mods dress up
and wear facemasks to avoid the “plague”)
• Have mods monitor zombie “stun” times and
make sure they are not participating
• Keep in communication with players via
Facebook, texts, etc…
• Let players know of rule changes ASAP
• Only let mods or non-players help set up
missions or it will ruin the game
10. Moderate Dispute
• Remind players that it’s a
game and to have fun
• Stay objective/listen
• Stay calm no matter what
• If an agreement cannot be
made do best out of three
rock/paper/scissors
• In extreme cases you may
need to ban a player so they
don’t ruin it in the future
Ways to Enhance HVZ
• Rejuvenation Stations
– Drinks
– Energy bars
– Extra ammo
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Bandanas with your logo on them
Zombie movie marathon after the “end game”
Prizes/Raffles (zombie movies, cash, etc…)
Get creative with the HvZ theme
Resources that will Save your Life ;)
• The Domain to everything you need
to know:
http://dmg.humansvszombies.org/
• Default HvZ website (not used for
planning)
www.humansvszombies.com
• Syracuse Universities HvZ Facebook
Group:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.ph
p?id=1480110534&ref=ts#!/group.ph
p?gid=312241337441&ref=ts
The Zombie Apocalypse is Coming!!
• This PowerPoint will be on Programming on the
Go CD’s that will be given to your delegation
• Please don’t forget to fill out program Evals
• Feel free to email me at Dssutton@syr.edu for
a copy or if you want to chat about anything!!!!