What if zombies were to rise tomorrow? What would you do? It's well-known that the living dead transmit their virus to the living through fluid contact, much like HIV.
Therefore, your goal must be to survive as long as possible on the Ball State University campus without being bitten or otherwise compromised. Zombies feast on living flesh and have excellent hearing; thus, the stake in this game of tag is your life.
The outbreak may last as long as a month before the military arrives to expunge the campus and restore order to the Muncie community. You will need to find ample water and food supplies and a place to rest until authorities do arrive.
Given that dorm rooms and apartments often don't contain enough food to last a week, let alone a month, remaining in your dorm is not feasible. Rather, it's better to find some easily-defended store, possibly Out Of Bounds in the LaFollette Complex. There, you'll find all the supplies you'll need for a month, so long as you ration them; moreover, so long as there are several people, you'll be able to hold the doorways against zombie infiltration and attacks.
Also, keep in mind that zombies are only killable by severe cranial trauma. You will need to be able to bludgeon or slice the heads of any zombie you encounter to survive; by contrast, to win, only one zombie needs to bite you or scratch you.
Are you fit and agile enough to engage in hand-to-hand combat with zombies and beat them to death without actually being bitten or scratched? You must identify potential weapons: Are there heavy pipes you can use? Sturdy pieces of wood? Remember, your survival could depend on your reactions in this scenario.
What if a 500-meter diameter asteroid strikes Earth, releasing energy the equivalent of 3.7 million Hiroshima bombs in one titanic blast? Are you prepared to survive and build a family in this post-Apocalyptic scenario? Like the zombie scenario, you will need short-term survival gear: food, water, shelter; unlike the zombie scenario, you can expect the immediate destruction of Western civilization, and thus will need to be able to survive in the wild for an extended period of time. Do you know the first thing about this? Will you be able to subsist as Earth's biosphere collapses?
Of course, these two scenarios are tongue-in-cheek and aren't likely to happen in our lifetimes. The point, however, is not that you ought to be able to survive in any possible apocalypse, but rather that planning for far more probable eventualities is something that we, as students whose lives are still ahead of us, ought to do.
What will you do if somebody steals your credit cards? What if you come down with mononucleosis and can't attend classes for a month and a half? What if you slip on ice tomorrow and break your leg? What if you see someone else do the same? Are you prepared to give first aid in most any eventuality? Students are notoriously epimethean; it is up to each of us individually to buck the trend and save ourselves the pain of maturing through unhappy circumstances.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
