It’s that time of the year when people start wearing handkerchief bands on their arms and heads while they are roaming around campus. That time only means one thing. It’s Humans vs. Zombies week at Simpson College.

In its fourth year at Simpson College, this game is held for a week per semester. One zombie, the original, wears the band on their arm until they tag two other humans. Then the game has begun.

From there, zombies start wearing bands on their heads as they try to tag other humans to transform them into zombies. Humans can stun zombies by throwing a pair of socks at them.

Throughout the week, missions are given each day that give humans different tasks they must perform to help keep the human race alive.

One day throughout the week, humans may be required to go around campus to find materials in order to help immunize themselves and other humans.

Another day, humans can be required to defend a specific area or building for a certain period of time.

One last mission can require the humans to escort other humans to places so they can make the area safe.

The final mission on the last day of the week involves a combination of all the missions from throughout the week.

Outside each academic building, or residence hall, some green tape can be found by each door or entrance. Once a human passes this green tape to go inside a building, they are protected from the zombies, since they can only be tagged outside the green tape.

Nathan Schneider, sophomore and one of the admins of the Humans vs. Zombies game, confirmed that there were around 65 students participating this past week. This was a relatively low number compared to the regular 80-100 people that participate in the event each semester.

According to the Human vs. Zombies web page, this game has been played at schools, camps, neighborhoods, military bases and conventions across the world. The game has drawn attention from prominent press coverage sites such as the New York Times, the Washington Post and FOX News. Human vs. Zombies has spread virally across the Internet as students have expressed strong interests in the game.

“I enjoy being active and interacting with new people on campus,” Schneider said. “I think it is a great way to get to meet new people, and it is a ton of fun.”