* Blasters can cause problems for universities when the weaponry looks realistic. * University Police Department received no complaints during Ball State’s weeklong even “Humans vs. Zombies.” * The number of complaints regarding “Humans vs. Zombies” at participating universities has decreased since the game’s creation.
Despite 189 students swarming campus late at night with plastic weaponry, campus safety officials say they had not received any complaints during the Urban Games League’s biannual “Humans vs. Zombies” event.
The league also said it has received no complaints from the university regarding vandalism, trespassing or students mistaking the group’s harmless “blasters” as deadly weapons.
During the game, the “humans” use blasters — Nerf foam dart guns — to stun zombies, during the weeklong game.
In the past, the realistic appearance of some participants’ blasters has been an issue. Many UGL members adapt their weapons, which may include spray painting the devices an array of colors, including silver or black. Burton said this can become dangerous when they appear real.
“When a toy gun looks realistic, it’s a nightmare for police officers,” he said. “In a quick situation, they have to determine whether something is real or not and act appropriately.”
Max Temkin, one of the original creators of “Humans vs. Zombies,” said in the past, a U.S. campus was placed on a brief lockdown after blasters were mistaken as guns. The misunderstanding was mainly a result of people not communicating with university administrators ahead of time.
The New York Daily News reported in April 2013 that a student mistaking a player for a potential campus threat may have caused a campus-wide lockdown of the University of Rhode Island.
Similarly, in December, Missouri State University considered banning Nerf guns from campus after a lockdown during a “Humans vs. Zombies” game, The Associated Press reported.
Temkin said there has never been what he considers a major incident at any of the approximately 650 universities worldwide involved in the game.
He said the number of complaints have decreased considerably since the game started in 2005.
Initially, about a dozen schools tried to ban the game or Nerf guns on campuses. The organization helped work with the students to organize a response to the administrators. Now, most administrations are on board, Temkin said.
“When it’s new, it looks very foreign and different,” he said. “Now, it’s become a big part of campus life.”
Gene Burton, University Police Department police chief, said there were no issues with people mistaking blasters as guns at Ball State this year.
Pietre Nordell, administrator of “Humans vs. Zombies” on campus, said the league notifies both UPD and university facilities each year before the event.
“There’s really nothing that we do around here that someone doesn’t know,” he said.
Burton said his department doesn’t change its procedure during the game, although he makes sure to inform his staff that “Humans vs. Zombies” is taking place.
Additionally, he doesn’t increase the staff size at night.
In the past, Burton said there have been a few calls for minor things, mostly in the game’s early years before it was an established campus tradition.
“It’s like any other university activity,” he said. “As long as they’re doing what they’re supposed to do, things work out alright.”
Overall, Temkin thinks the games are safe. While there are occasional incidents, Burton said most players are conscious of concerns.
Kevin Kenyon, associate vice president of facilities, said the department doesn’t experience major problems with the organization.
He said the worst facilities have a few darts lying around or minor damage to a shrub.
“At this time of the year, everything is destroyed from the winter anyway,” Kenyon said. “It’s just people doing fun things. The campus is here to be used.”
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