 |
| Craig Nielsen feels as though humans just don't understand him and his fellow zombies. |
With blood-shot eyes, dry blood caked on his lips and a newfound musk of rotten mold, Utah State University student Craig Nielsen said since he transformed into a zombie on Tuesday, his new features have turned many of his human friends away.
Nielsen is one of many zombies who have claimed humans are insensitive and prejudiced against the undead.
“As a human I could rely on people,” Nielsen said. “Now as a zombie I can only rely on myself and my horde.”
“The humans no longer care about me,” he said. “In fact, they’re frightened of me, even when I’m just saying ‘hi.’”
Nielsen said since he became a zombie, he has lost 200 human friends.
“I feel like I can’t be their friend anymore,” he said.
Although humans might be afraid he is going to eat their brains, Neilsen noted that being consumed by other organisms is just a natural part of life.
“All living and partially living things must eat,” he said.
Nielsen said part of the problem is fueled by selfishness of humans.
“I no longer feel that we can get along,” he said. “From my own personal experience, there’s nothing but the horde.”
Hannah Masco, another student zombie, has felt an increased level of discrimination from her human friends since her transformation.
“They’re not as friendly anymore,” Masco said. “They keep their distance.”
One example comes from her former teammate. The two of them worked together during a Tuesday night mission when Masco was attacked by a zombie. The teammate now completely ignores her.
“He is hiding information from me,” Masco said.
Despite feeling excluded from the humans, she said she felt welcome in the horde.
“Right away everyone feels welcome into the horde,” she said. “We even have a huge group hug that we do to make everyone feel included.”
Alec Player, an intern in the Access and Diversity Center at USU, said the university is working on ways to help zombies feel more accepted.
“There’s definitely a zombie club,” Player said. “And we have a zombie week to concentrate on the good zombies that have come before.”
Player said USU’s Counseling and Psychological Services has a counselor-mediated support group for zombies. He said this gives them a chance to talk, and it also helps to have a different perspective.
“If we have the chance to help, we should help because we are no better than they are,” said Samantha Paterson, a student at USU. “If we can’t help them, we should put them out of their misery.”
Nielsen said the only way to solve this problem is for humans to join the horde. After they join, he said, they will see the error of their ways.
“We know our way is superior,” he said.
UnDeadline reporters Stewart Ulrich, Christopher Campbell, Hannah Hendricks, Emily Lindley and Alora Clark contributed to this report.
