Issue date: 4/18/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Allison Singer Prospective students were treated to the sight of students dressed as zombies during Saturday's Open House.

Media Credit: Allison Singer

Media Credit: Allison Singer A zombie prom king and queen pose outside Brower Student Center.

Blood-splattered, pale-faced, brain-eating zombies staggered across campus on Saturday afternoon to the obvious surprise and shock of members of the College community and visitors attending the College's Open House.

The mob of over 30 zombies consisted of College students who dressed themselves in zombie attire to roam the campus, led by senior secondary education/English major Doug Lehnert. Lehnert named the event TCNJ Zombie Walk 2007. According to Lehnert, the zombies weren't marching for any particular cause or to make any particular statement.

Participating students gathered outside Brower Student Center at noon to add the final coats of face paint and spritzes of "blood" - red food coloring mixed with corn starch. Some participants wore everyday clothes splotched with fake blood while others took the more creative route. Two of the zombies walked dressed as an undead prom king and prom queen couple, and a fellow zombie donned ripped jeans and a torn shirt with "666" written on the back.

Before the official Zombie Walk began, Lehnert warned the bloody bunch not to interfere with the tours or Open House.

The walk, which began at 1 p.m., took the pack past the student center, through the Science Complex, into the library and around the N.J. Invitational track meet. The student zombies also paused outside Travers and Wolfe halls to bang on the windows of the T/W Lounge where students holding a gospel prayer service seemed extremely confused.

Beth Huch of Tucketon was watching the track meet when she heard the loud, incoherent moaning of the zombie pack. "Initially, I thought it was a herd of cows coming up behind me," she said.

Arielle Falcone, sophomore secondary education/English major, was approached by the zombies while waiting in line at the Library Café. "I was scared," Falcone said. "I mean, I really just don't quite get it."

"I don't even know what it is," Andrew Jacobs, freshman member of the Cabrini College baseball team, said as the crew of corpses crawled past the baseball field. "Zombie people, I guess."

One student was brave enough to approach the ghoulish gang. Matt Owen, sophomore communication studies major, cautiously neared the herd before screaming "Zombies!" and running off at full-speed.

"I saw zombies, so I ran," Owen later said. "If you see zombies, you don't question it: You run."

The pack then made its way back toward the student center where it dispersed among the crowd of prospective students, their families and College ambassadors. After the group left the student center, a Campus Police officer pulled up in a squad car and notified the zombies that the march had to be stopped due to "complaints."

The zombies told the police they had finished walking anyway and the police officer drove away - but not before high-fiving one zombie's dismembered rubber arm.

Zombie Lisa Schwicktenberg, '06 alumna, felt that the group had a successful day. "We hit some fields, we banged some glass, went to a church, chased some people … I'd say it was a good run."

According to Scott Osborne, junior secondary education/history major and College ambassador, the ambassadors working the Open House were notified of the zombie invasion by a "walkie-talkie shout-out" prior to the arrival of the prospective students. He wasn't concerned about the zombies having any negative effects on the visitors' experience at the College.

"Some people think it's funny and others may think it's kind of disturbing," Osborne said. "But I don't think it will make anyone not want to come to (the College)."

Many of the prospective students and their families seemed to be entertained by the mass of the undead lurching past their tours and through Brower Student Center. Erin Hurm of Bergen County, a high school student attending the Open House, said the zombie display wasn't affecting her opinion of the College. "I don't care. I just think it's funny," Hurm said.

One visitor joined in on the fun and suggested to a particularly pale zombie that she "could use a tan."

"Afternoon of the living dead?" another College visitor questioned the herd. "I love it."

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