Great Op-Ed from SUNY Geneseo

You have got to read this op-ed by SUNY Geneseo HvZ player Aaron Davis:

[...] What happened during Humans versus Zombies was interesting, unexpected and wholly incredible: A disparate group of people from all social circles and points of interest collaborated and played a game together. I met people with whom I’d have no occasion to talk were it not for this game, and I think that I’ll do a decent job of staying in touch with them.

Leaders rose to the top. Consider the sociology of this: In a completely arbitrary environment, people rose to positions of leadership based not on income or popularity or looks, but on raw ability to adapt and excel in a game nobody had played before.

These people are the people we want to be politicians. They’ve shown they have the goods, in whatever geeky (but completely awesome) way you like, and they’ve shown a remarkable ability to adapt. Crazy how fun imitates life.

Legends grew. I’m sure everyone who reads this knows the name, if not the face, of sophomore Nick Spengler, the man who, it is said (probably incorrectly) wrapped socks around his hands and beat the zombies back with bare fists. You know of sophomore Mike Lanni, who wore a Spartan helmet to the final battle and kicked ass and took names until the last moments of battle. And you’ve heard of junior Darrin Policar, the pirate captain of the zombies. Seriously, within one week, we created a mythology.

Most importantly, in a “life” or “undeath” struggle, we realized what it takes to stay “alive.” We learned, by necessity, to work in groups, either human or zombie. We walked around campus with a healthy eye for what was going on and, in the words of fellow player and sophomore Kate Hayden, we took part in a “delightful exercise in situational awareness.”

Thanks, Aaron! That’s why we love Humans vs. Zombies too.

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 15th, 2009 at 12:49 pm and is filed under Content.