Zombies Invade Randolph College

Desperate to make it to her next class, she peeks around the corner then takes off. The zombies spot her and give chase. A hail of Nerf darts takes them down and she sprints away. In a rush of relief and exhilaration, she survives... for now.

Such was life at Randolph College during the First Annual Humans vs. Zombies Challenge.

More than 60 students took part in the week-long game trying to survive as humans or thrive as zombies.

"The game brought students together who might not have otherwise never met," said Chris Zielewski, one of the game organizers. "Theatre kids were hanging out with jocks; art majors with physics. Men and women, evens and odds - all working together and having a great time."


Humans prepare to go zombie hunting

About the Game

Humans vs Zombies (HVZ) is played on more than 70 college campuses across the United States.

The game starts with all players on the human "team" wearing flourescent green armbands and one anonymous zombie. When a zombie tags a human, that player becomes a zombie (signified by changing her armband to a headband) who must then try to tag and "turn" humans. Shooting a zombie with a Nerf gun "stuns" them so they are incapable of tagging a human for 15 minutes. If any humans survive the week without being turned, then humans win. If there are no survivors, well then...

The game is restricted to campus with specific "Safe Zones" (classes, dining hall, the Skellar, etc.) where no zombie combat can occur. Zielewski credited the College's Honor Code with keeping the players within bounds. "Not a single social violation, honor code infraction, or judiciary hearing resulted from any player for actions relating to the game," he said.


Defending against the zombie onslaught

The Aftermath

In the end, seven humans survived: Nick Gentile, Melissa Gilbert, Evan Pai, Sarah Bramhall, Donald Wells, Kendrick Williams,and Liliana Stevens.

After the dust settled, the WWRM radio station sponsored an Apocalypse Party: Radioactive Zombie Rave.

"We thought it was pretty immature at first," said one professor who wished to remain anonymous. "But it was a great way for students to let off steam. Next time, I want to play."

Zielewski and fellow organizers Laura Allan and Nick Gentile are planning a spring semester HVZ game. More than 160 students have already expressed interest in playing.

Learn more...

Randolph HVZ Facebook Group

Humans vs Zombies at Wikipedia

National HVZ Site

WildCat Men off to 5-0 start in second season

Coach Clay Nunley and the men's basketball team are off and running for the 2009-10 season. The WildCats have reeled off victories against Gallaudet, Ferrum, Christendom, Shenandoah, and Virginia Intermont en route to a 5-0 start.

Picked to finish 10th in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC), the WildCats are determined to prove the naysayers wrong and make the conference tournament.

“We have to play with a chip on our shoulders,” says junior Timothy Clarke, a 2009 all-ODAC honorable mention honoree.

The WildCats return five starters including ODAC Rookie of the Year Derrick Woods Morrow, Clarke, Pete Hamilton, Caleb Pearson, and Jason Rutschman.

“These guys got a taste of the ODAC last year,” says WildCats coach Clay Nunley. “We will have a more veteran presence. These guys played a lot of minutes last year. It is a maturation process and they accepted a lot responsibility early. Now is the time to reap some of those benefits.”

Follow the WildCats at wildcats.randolphcollege.edu

Katie Rechnitzer Joins 1,000 Point Club

Senior guard Katie Rechnitzer scored her 1,000th career point on November 22, 2009 as the Randolph Women's Basketball Team defeated North Carolina Wesleyan 68-65.

Rechnitzer, who needed 12 points entering the game to hit the 1,000 point mark for her career, notched the milestone at the 12:34 mark of the second frame when she scored in the paint cutting the lead to 46-44.

Rechnitzer finished with 16 points and a game-high seven assists, becoming the ninth WildCat to reach the 1,000 point plateau. She joins her sister, Sara Rechnitzer '07 who finished her career with 1,009 points.

Game recap > > >

WildCat 1,000 Point Club > > >

• Tara Carleton


• Meghan Stensrud


• Marta Ruggles


• Kai Felton


• Jenn Baptist


• Amy Dameron


• Katie Rechnitzer


• Sylvia Bailey


• Sara Rechnitzer

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WildCat Women Gunning for ODAC Tournament

It's been 10 years since the WildCats tasted the post-season and women's basketball coach Melissa Wiggins says it's time to return to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) tournament.

“It is way overdue,” says Wiggins. “It’s going to be a challenge, but I’m certain we will step up to it.”

The top 8 teams are invited to the playoff. Last year Randolph finished 10th, the same spot they're predicted to finish this year by ODAC coaches.

However, Wiggins is optimistic due to the shooting talent and quickness of her team.

“I see it as a challenge for the other schools,” Wiggins said. “If everyone can play every position (for us) then it is going to be a challenge for them to defend us.”

The WildCats return three starters: Lindsay Cross, Megan Carney, and all-ODAC honorable mention Katie Rechnitzer.

Read the full story in the Lynchburg News & Advance...

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Physics Students Teach Cub Scouts the Science of Speed

Members of the Randolph College Society of Physics Students spent their Saturday morning with the Cub Scouts of Pack 48. They conducted a hands-on workshop, applying the lessons of physics to build faster Pinewood Derby race cars.

A longtime scouting tradition, the Pinewood Derby challenges scouts to build a wooden race car from a standard kit and then race them on a track. The competition begins within a pack and carries over to regional councils.

Professor Peter Sheldon and his students gave a physics lesson on how weight, gravity, speed, stability, friction, drag and other variables affect a car's performance and then broke out into groups to test different designs and setups.

Read more > > >

Dodgeball: Students vs Faculty and Staff

Sunday, November 16 brought us the Second Annual Faculty/Staff vs. Student Dodgeball Tournament. According to eyewitness reports to the carnage... students dominated.

Faculty/Staff Team
Peter Sheldon, Kim Sheldon, Ben Downs, Kirstin Kuchler, John Klein, Bob Lanning, Angela Greene, Chris Burnley, Carter Burnley, Amanda Denny

Student Team
Duquan Little, Blair Shepherd, Octavia Rodney, Martin Wiley, Tory Brown, Chris Staats, Nashiva McDavid, Gage Stuntz, Risa Koenig, Karen Rose, Jamaine Harris, Vicki Degatano

Randolph Students Volunteer to Stop Hunger

Randolph students were among the more than 100 students from area colleges who combined their manpower to take a bite out of world hunger Saturday.

Students from Randolph, Lynchburg College, Central Virginia Community College and Sweet Briar College teamed up with Raleigh, N.C.-based Stop Hunger Now and Lynchburg-based Sacred River Productions at a benefit event at Amazement Square’s Rotary Centennial Riverfront Skatepark.

Over a few hours out of the eight-hour event, volunteers bagged 20,000 basic meals of soy protein, dehydrated vegetables, rice and a chicken tablet, to be distributed by Stop Hunger Now.

The event also included a festival concert featuring music from local bands, as well as a skateboarding showcase.

Learn more about the event > > >