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Last week, the University of Maine was subjected to another round of Humans vs. Zombies. Campus came alive with students completely disconnected from reality, running around in ridiculous outfits ranging from army fatigues to Superman costumes. At every turn, some Nerf-gun-wielding wannabe hero was trying to protect his or her “human” brethren from the “zombie” onslaught.
This game is a huge annoyance to everyone not involved, but perhaps there is one redeeming quality. The sense of camaraderie among the humans was certainly commendable. So commendable in fact, it’s a shame it has to end when the game is over.
UMaine can be a cold, scary and foreboding place — especially at night. If people are willing to run around at night across campus to escort someone to the library during HvZ, why hasn’t a band of people assembled on any given night to help protect regular students? A UMaine chapter of the Guardian Angels might be taking it a little too far, but why not try something close?
It seems some people at UMaine have already come close. Last year, my roommate was walking home in the cold from just off campus when a blue car pulled up and told him they could give him a ride to his dorm. Without hesitation, he got in the vehicle. When it pulled up to his dorm, the people inside gave him specific instructions — he must “never forget the Blues Cruise.”
Whether this band of people was actually driving around looking for weary souls to drive home is beside the point. They still acted as good Samaritans and portrayed a mythic sense of community protection. The Late Night Local operates in the same way — a mysterious van in which, if you are lucky, you just might catch a ride.
UMaine doesn’t need a group of modern-day vigilantes thinking they can stop every bike from being stolen or every woman from being sexually assaulted. But a simple group concerned with the well being of the campus and accessible to all students would make this an even greater place.
Most critiques of citizen peacekeeping will bring up the police. The university is lucky enough to have a great public safety department, as well as the protection of the Orono and Old Town police. Public safety’s escort service is a brilliant one, and the blue boxes around campus are comforting.
The authorities can offer services citizens can’t, but citizens can offer services the authorities can’t. A community watch group would provide protection with amnesty. The threat of getting in trouble scares many people away from alerting the police in troublesome situations. With a community watch group, this scenario could be avoided.
Incorporating students with medical knowledge would be invaluable as well. Who knows what lives could be saved if someone with the same knowledge as a UVAC employee could be called upon without the resulting medical bills attached.
Even acts as simple as giving people rides home in the below-zero winter weather would be good deeds public safety fails to provide. Weather like that is dangerous, especially if the people walking in it are intoxicated.
Community watchers could also work with police, going places they can’t. Perhaps while on patrol, they hear a window smash. What may have been an unsolvable case of vandalism is now made easier just because concerned students are on the lookout.
People running around with Nerf guns are a far cry from an effective safety program, but if this attitude of amity exists, then it should be acted upon. Costumed heroes should be left for the comic book pages, but honest citizens interested in helping out their college community could be a positive, possibly life-saving presence on this campus.
Kegan Zema is style editor for The Maine Campus.
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- Students dance the night away at showcase (December 11, 2008)
- Thursday night rocks at Field House (October 15, 2001)
Humans vs Zombies is a charity event, that this year donated about 6,000 dollars worth of food to Food Shepard food bank.
The event is not about vigilantism at all, it’s about getting out of your dorm room for a bit and having fun. I consider many campus events I do not take part in to be annoying, such as football game fireworks when I am trying to study, along with some of the post-game drunk revelers, and not to mention a year or two back the Red Sox World Series riot. But dealing with other people and their chosen activities is part of liveing on such a large diverse campus, and both as groups and individuals we have to try and make compromises so everyone can enjoy the parts of their college life that aren’t academic.
Also, to be honest as a female walking alone after dark, when strangers pull up to me in a car offering me a ride, the thought that they are just good Samaritans is the last to cross my mind; an unfortunate result of our culture.
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