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The Wichitan
January 26, 2011
Zombies, humans fight for control of campus Chris Collins Managing Editor
The infection spreads from there. Once tagged by a zombie, a Tag, you’re infected! player will have to move his or MSU students are waging a her bandanna from the arm to the war between the living and the neck. After an hour has passed, undead this week. the transformation is complete! The game is called ‘humans vs A new zombie will have joined zombies,’ and it’s become increas- the ranks of the undead. ingly popular on college campus“They then pursue their own es, said Cammie Dean, assistant human victims to tag,” Dean said. director of student development Human players can defend and organization. themselves against the onslaught, The hunt of flesh officially be- though – a well-placed sock can gan Thursday morning. stun zombies and allow a human “Students seem to be having enough time to make a quick geta great time with it,” Dean said. away. “We’re always looking for new, “On other campuses they have fun things to do. I think it’ll be a used Nerf guns,” Dean said. “We lot of fun.” opted out of that because of camHere’s how it works: players pus violence concerns and being sign up with the Office of Student sensitive to that sort of thing. So Development and Orientation to we’re using socks. That’s really the play in the game. One player is only concern I heard from admindesignated the “original zombie.” istration. But that’s a wise thing That player finds other players to for them to be concerned about tag – students wearing a bandana student safety.” A zombie must “feed” every 48 around their arms or legs are fair hours or risk being disqualified game.
(read: dying from starvation.) If all zombies are disqualified the humans win. The undead horde wins if all the human players have been transformed into zombies. Orignially Dean had intended for players to post player “kills” to an open source Website, but she ran into technical problems online. She’s now counting kills the old-fashioned way – by hand. Each player is supposed to carry an index card with his or her personal human identification number written on it. Once tagged, the player has to give the card up to the zombie attacker. Zombies then take the cards of their victims to be recorded by Dean. Dean hopes that, in time, the game can be played once a semester. It all depends on the participation and enthusiasm, she said. “It’s a good way to get to know people. For folks who don’t know a lot of people it’s a good chance Humans vs. Zombies (Photo by Hannah Hofmann) to get to know someone.
YOUSEF.........................................................................................................................................................................................................continued from page 1 every day there – in the place he considered his playground. “My playground turned into a place of bloodshed for the entire city,” he said. “Palestinian men came and buried men there. They wanted to bury them before Israeli men came and took the bodies.” Yousef was nine years old when Israelis arrested him for the first time. “I have spent more than 29 months in Israeli prisons for the cause of Islam!” he shouted. To date, Israeli forces have arrested Yousef ’s father 16 times. He said this fueled his hatred for Israelis early in life. At age 18, Yousef tried using guns to kill his Israeli enemies. “I wanted to pay back the Israelis for killing our people, for arresting me, for arresting my father,” he said. Turns out the guns he bought didn’t work. Yousef said that even though his dad was a leader of Hamas, he didn’t want his son involved in the political or militaristic side of the operation. “He wanted me to take care of my mother when he’s gone and take care of my schoolwork.” But it was too late – Yousef was captured by Israeli forces during an attack. “I wanted to be a hero and I didn’t want to listen (to my father). So I was captured and I was tortured. This time it was by the monsters I had in my mind – the Israelis,” he said. He was held captive in an underground facility for about a year and a half with other members of the Hamas organization. “I was tortured there. They beat me almost to death,” he said. “Three months I didn’t see the sun. I forgot what I looked like. I forgot what my mother looked like. It was a nightmare.” After hours of interrogation Yousef agreed to work with the
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Mosab Hassan Yousef (Photo by Brittany Norman)
Shin Bet, an Israeli intelligence service. They asked him to give them inside information on the inner workings of Hamas. He was told that he would have to remain in prison to avoid alerting suspicion. Shortly after agreeing to work for the Israeli intelligence agency, Hamas took over the compound where Yousef was being held. Instead of freeing their Islamic brethren, members of the organization began to torture them. They had been told a traitor was in their midst. “They inserted needles under their fingernails,” Yousef said. “I witnessed that. I’ve seen the inhuman side of us. I’ve seen bad things done by people who call themselves civilized. He told the audience that he
Screening......................continued from page 1 take away those quotation marks and share the lives of these remarkable artists with the wholewide world. Chressanthis and his wife, Robin Becker, will display their exhibit, Shadows and Light, at the Juanita Harvey Art Gallery during the British Studies photography exhibit. “We (my wife and I) met in the photo darkroom and though we share interest, we have continued to pursue our own paths in pushing the limits of photog-
raphy,” Chressanthis said. Becker and Chressanthis will also be doing a workshop and demonstration on Wednesday and Thursday in photography, graphic design and design classes. The Center of Continuing Education presents their Speakers & Issues Series with Chressanthis at 7 p.m. The opening reception for Chressanthis and Becker will be a 6 p.m. Friday.
wondered if his fellow Hamas members would begin to torture him if they found out he was working for the enemy. He said leaders questioned him to discover if he was involved with the Shin Bet. “I lived the rest of my imprisonment in fear,” he said. “Some of the people there were tortured to death.” Yousef said he couldn’t quit
thinking about the tortured screams of his people, even after being released from prison. He swore to himself that he wouldn’t ever again partake in violence for the sake or religion. “I will not take part in anything like that – no Hamas, no Israel, no Palestine. That’s it. I’m done,” he told himself. Yousef said the Israelis be-
TAXES................................continued from page 1 system works, and you can really help some families out.” VITA sites open Saturday, so potential volunteers should contact the United Way as soon as possible. Eligible students can also seek assistance filing their tax returns through VITA, Ward said. Volunteers will be set up at Sikes Center Mall every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and at other sites in the area throughout the week. Those seeking assistance can dial 211 to schedule
We Welcome Students
an appointment at the mall or any other location. “It’s completely free,” Ward said. “People preparing the taxes are IRS certified. Financial education is a big part of what we emphasize. We’re helping people become aware of the credits they’re eligible for and getting more money back into the community to stimulate the Wichita Falls economy.” Those interested in volunteering should call (940) 322-8638 and ask for Susanna.
I will not take part in anything like that – no Hamas, no Israel, no Palestine. That’s it. I’m done. -Mosab Hassan Yousef
gan to educate him about the violent nature of his society and religion. It made him very curious. Though he wouldn’t resort to violence, he agreed again to help the intelligence agency. This relationship lasted from 1997 to 2007 and revealed sensitive information about Hamas. “They told me about my father’s movement and all the realities we choose not to face,” he said. “Nobody wants to take responsibility for their mistakes. They blame them on religion. They blame them on the West. I hated that. Now I know we all responsible for our problems.” At one point, Yousef said he was even charged with the dire responsibility of saving the lives of five Hamas suicide bombers, all the while remaining loyal to the Shin Bet. Though he knew the location of the bombers, he wouldn’t let the Israelis kill them, claiming they were just misguided kids. His reasoning: he had converted to Christianity, and he needed to save lives. “It was at this point I was convicted by Jesus Christ’s teachings and it changed my life forever,” he said. “I couldn’t find a verse to condone killing
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even a terrorist.” Akin Auditorium erupted in applause at this remark. “The truth will set people free,” Yousef said. He admits that no matter what side of the war a person is on, everybody has faults. That includes the Christians, Muslims and Jews. “There is no perfect person.” Yousef said he felt like he was living a triple life – hanging out with his Christian friends, pretending to be a member of a terrorist organization and acting as an informant for the Israeli Shin Bet. “I was being paid by everybody. To live this type of life was really hard on my soul.” Yousef told audience members he felt guilty about betraying his father’s confidence to the Israelis. “There was only one person my father trusted with his location at all times,” he said. “That person was me.” Yousef said he believes his father is a good man – he just wishes he would open his eyes to what Islam is doing to the Middle East. “Somebody has to tell the truth. Otherwise humanity will keep paying a very high price.”
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