OT - MSU offers zombie apocalypse survival class

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March 6th, 2012 at 12:11 PM
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unWavering
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OT - MSU offers zombie apocalypse survival class

I have bad news, fellow MGobloggers.  When the zombie apocalypse inevitably occurs, there will now probably be a higher proportion of survivors that hail from MSU now that they are offering a zombie apocalypse survival class.

 

Starting May 14 -- the first session of the summer 2012 semester -- students enrolled in the seven-week course will learn how human behavior and nature change after catastrophic incidences -- from the historical to the hypothetical -- through a blend of traditional coursework, online forums and a catastrophic event simulation, which will be in the form of a theoretical zombie pandemic.
 

Part of me wants to crack a joke about academics, etc., and the other part of me really, really wants to take this class.  Is this a waste of time, or a clever plot for MSU to rule the post-apocalyptic world?  

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March 6th, 2012 at 12:15 PM | Tell me that you are making (Score:5 Normal)
jericho
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Tell me that you are making this up.  Please.  It's too good.

"Shiny. Let's be bad guys."

March 6th, 2012 at 12:35 PM | Video intro is epic (Score:5 Normal)
Fake Jim Harbaugh
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Video intro is epic. Unclear why Dantonio does not make cameo. He was born for this role.

SW290 -- Surviving the Coming Zombie Apocalypse: Catastrophes & Human Behavior from swonline on Vimeo.

March 6th, 2012 at 1:11 PM | That zombie has a Mustache for Michigan! (Score:1)
markusr2007
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Awesome.

March 6th, 2012 at 12:53 PM | My first thought too.  I just (Score:1)
Mr Mxyzptlk
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My first thought too.  I just checked the Onion homepage and it's not from them.  And April 1st is still weeks away so..........

March 6th, 2012 at 12:18 PM | Considering a zombie invasion (Score:5 Normal)
gajensen
Joined: 02/02/2011
MGoPoints: -998647

Considering a zombie invasion can be a very productive thought exercise. The CDC and other epidemiologists have used an outbreak as a model for the rapid spread of infectious diseases.

It's a neat idea, props to MSU. At the very least you can be assured that the students will be paying attention to the material.

March 6th, 2012 at 12:23 PM | Agreed completely. Colleges (Score:5 Normal)
Coastal Elite
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Agreed completely. Colleges do stuff like this all the time - "Economics of the Harry Potter Universe," "Geology & the Mayan Apocalypse," etc. They can provide an intellectual laboratory uncontaminated with real-life complexity, while also allowing for a lot of creativity and excitement in the curriculum. Plus MSU has gotten some good press about it. Good for them.

March 6th, 2012 at 12:30 PM | Here is an article that has (Score:5 Normal)
freernnur5
Joined: 03/28/2011
MGoPoints: 456

Here is an article that has some of those courses. The most surprising to me is UC Berkley offering a course on the strategy of Starcraft.

http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2009/02/25/the-15-strangest-college-courses-in-america/

Quick! To the Hindenpeter!

March 6th, 2012 at 1:00 PM | Surprising At UC Berkley? Are (Score:2 Normal)
Wolverine MD
Joined: 08/24/2011
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Surprising At UC Berkley? Are you kidding? Most people who are obsessed with StarCraft are Asians (Enough to the point to take a class on it.). And Asians are well represented at Berkley. Logically follows that at least some people there would be obsessed with SC. 

(FWIW, I bought my last computer with SC2 recommended specifications in mind. Clearly, I should have gone to Berkley.)

March 6th, 2012 at 1:12 PM | While that may be true, (Score:2)
freernnur5
Joined: 03/28/2011
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While that may be true, having a bunch of people obsessed with it doesn't cause the school to automatically make a class about it.

Quick! To the Hindenpeter!

March 6th, 2012 at 1:23 PM | You've identified the chink (Score:5 Normal)
Butterfield
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You've identified the chink in the armor.

#ESPN'd

The swag is back. 

March 6th, 2012 at 1:14 PM | Strategy of Starcraft (Score:4 Normal)
santy
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That's probably mandatory for graduation at colleges in Seoul

March 6th, 2012 at 12:25 PM | I agree, I don't think this (Score:5 Normal)
WolvinLA2
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I agree, I don't think this is stupid at all. I got my M degree in sociology (yeah yeah) and I can appreciate the value in this. It's hardly a zombie apocalypse survival course, and saying so is misleading. Often in social science, unrealistic hypotheticals are used to discuss behavior.

There are a lot of things we can rip Sparty for, but this isn't it.

March 6th, 2012 at 1:04 PM | CDC Zombie Preparedness Guidelines... (Score:3 Normal)
HermosaBlue
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http://www.cdc.gov/phpr/zombies.htm

March 6th, 2012 at 12:18 PM | MSU students wouldn't be (Score:5 Normal)
SAvoodoo
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MSU students wouldn't be targeted anyways, they don't have brains.

March 6th, 2012 at 12:18 PM | Wow I love (Score:0 Overrated)
March 6th, 2012 at 12:18 PM | If my friends at State don't (Score:3 Normal)
Beezy
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If my friends at State don't take this class, they will be more dead to me.

Knock Knock

Who's there?

ZACK NOOOOOOVAK

March 6th, 2012 at 12:20 PM | The real question is... (Score:5 Normal)
BostonWolverine
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If they DO take it, will they be UNdead to you?

March 6th, 2012 at 12:19 PM | You only want to take this (Score:-1 Trolling)
March 6th, 2012 at 12:19 PM | As an adjunct professor, I'm pissed... (Score:4 Normal)
pdxwolve
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I'm pissed I didn't think of pitching this idea to my college (sigh).

March 6th, 2012 at 12:19 PM | They should be pretty good at (Score:5 Funny)
mgordoblue
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They should be pretty good at burning couches for warmth after the apocolypse.

My username is spelled "mgordoblue", but it's pronounced "Throat Warbler Mangrove".

March 6th, 2012 at 12:20 PM | I read World War Z on a whim, (Score:2 Normal)
Profwoot
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I read World War Z on a whim, and was surprised at how well it dealt with a lot of different sociological, epidemiological,  and political issues. If handled well, I think a zombie apocalypse class could be a fun way to get into a lot of important topics. I can say from much experience that making things fun is really important to get the kids to learn anything, even in college. And even at Michigan.

March 6th, 2012 at 12:20 PM | Wow... (Score:5 Normal)
jhender85
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This will be the first time I've ever said this in a public forum;  MSU, I am indeed impressed.

March 6th, 2012 at 12:22 PM | Sorry, but this is awesome. (Score:5 Normal)
Willhouse
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Sorry, but this is awesome. Props to Sparty.

March 6th, 2012 at 12:22 PM | Disaster preparedness is a (Score:3 Normal)
mikoyan
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Disaster preparedness is a pretty good idea despite how it is being portrayed.  Probably some of the techniques that you would use to deal with a zombie apocolypse would be about the same as the techniques you would use to deal with a nasty disease outbreak.  Besides, this can't be any worse than a major in pop culture.

March 6th, 2012 at 12:22 PM | Rule number one: Cardio (Score:5 Normal)
wile_e8
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Rule number one: Cardio

March 6th, 2012 at 12:33 PM | Don't forget double tap. Just (Score:3 Normal)
HttV Wolverine
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Don't forget double tap. Just to make sure. 

And always buckle up... not that I am referring to the possibility of a commitment, although that would be awesome right now.

“What the mind can conceive, the mind can achieve and those who stay will be champions.” - Bo 

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March 6th, 2012 at 12:37 PM | Rule Number 22 (Score:2)
saveferris
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When in doubt, know your way out.

 

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March 6th, 2012 at 2:57 PM | Dont let the hot neighbor (Score:1 Overrated)
thisisme08
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Dont let the hot neighbor across the hall in 4C (sorry forget the actual number) into your apartment even if she is Kate Upton. 

Blue is Faster

March 6th, 2012 at 12:23 PM | Disaster preparedness is a (Score:2 Normal)
mikoyan
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Disaster preparedness is a pretty good idea despite how it is being portrayed.  Probably some of the techniques that you would use to deal with a zombie apocolypse would be about the same as the techniques you would use to deal with a nasty disease outbreak.  Besides, this can't be any worse than a major in pop culture.

March 6th, 2012 at 12:23 PM | Dude knock it all you want, (Score:3 Normal)
Andrew Jackson Jihad
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Dude knock it all you want, but this class looks awesome. I want to take it. 

www.eatacheeseburger.blogspot.com Brian Cook has read this blog!

March 6th, 2012 at 12:28 PM | Speaking of which, I hated (Score:4 Normal)
Magnus
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Speaking of which, I hated the end of Sunday night's "The Walking Dead" episode.

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March 6th, 2012 at 12:29 PM | Admit it though - dale was (Score:5 Normal)
TampaBLUE
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Admit it though - dale was annoying

"Quote it. Let them know" - KK

March 6th, 2012 at 12:34 PM | He was a little bit annoying, (Score:3 Normal)
Magnus
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He was a little bit annoying, but so are a bunch of the other characters (Lori, Carl, Shane, etc.).

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March 6th, 2012 at 12:43 PM | IMO, Shane is, by far, the (Score:4 Normal)
MGoPork
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IMO, Shane is, by far, the most complicated and interesting character in the series.  I love the Rick/Shane relationship.

For the strength of the pack is the Wolv, and the strength of the Wolv is the pack.

March 6th, 2012 at 12:53 PM | Walk on.. (Score:0 Offtopic)
March 6th, 2012 at 12:56 PM | I'm reading them now.  Good (Score:2)
Magnus
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I'm reading them now.  Good stuff.

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March 6th, 2012 at 5:57 PM | The comic, or Dale? (Score:1)
M-Wolverine
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The comic is still ongoing. Dale was VERY different.

(Old) Spoilers-

He ended up looking up with Andrea and being kinda a bad ass, though with one leg. Before much later meeting a cooler demise. Few last long in this world. Shane has already lasted longer than he did in the comic. Whether that lasts....

"I love him, he's a great coach, he's a great mentor, he's a great friend. He's every single thing you want a college coach to be, and he does it flawlessly." -David Molk

March 6th, 2012 at 12:54 PM | If I were Rick, I would have (Score:4 Normal)
Magnus
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If I were Rick, I would have put a bullet in Shane's head a while ago.  But obviously I'm not Rick.

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March 6th, 2012 at 12:59 PM | Had the circumstances been (Score:2)
MGoPork
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Had the circumstances been reversed, I'm sure Shane whould have killed Rick in a heartbeat.

For the strength of the pack is the Wolv, and the strength of the Wolv is the pack.

March 6th, 2012 at 3:25 PM | Totally agree on Lori/Carl (Score:2)
TampaBLUE
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Totally agree on Lori/Carl but Shane is a great character. His actions are pretty believable. Now lori is just an idiot - her decisions suck and she may be the worst mother ever. Who lets their 10 year old out of their sight in a world full of zombies. Heck I don't let my kids out of site at the mall.

"Quote it. Let them know" - KK

March 6th, 2012 at 3:30 PM | I agree that Shane's actions (Score:3 Normal)
Magnus
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I agree that Shane's actions are believable, which essentially means he a real live dumbass and deserves to die.  Of course, that also means he makes for good television and will live.  But yes, Lori is the worst mother ever.

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March 6th, 2012 at 4:00 PM | In this world I'd shoot him (Score:2)
TampaBLUE
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In this world I'd shoot him too but in that world he has some valid points if survival is the goal. I wouldn't want him covering my back alone but in a group fight I'd want him on my team. I'm guessing we're going to see one soon. Then back on the road for season 3.
Storyline true to the comics? May have to check it out. On kindle?

"Quote it. Let them know" - KK

March 6th, 2012 at 12:44 PM | I was getting more and more (Score:2)
jhender85
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I was getting more and more annoyed with him ever since he started flipping out at Shane.  I was pleasantly surprised at the end of the last episode.  As for Carl, I don't see it really happening, but wouldn't be terribly dissapointed if something unfortunate was to happen to him...

March 6th, 2012 at 12:45 PM | I've read that Carl will be (Score:2)
unWavering
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I've read that Carl will be in the show at least for a while longer, and you will hate him even more down the road.  I do think they will knock off one or two more people before the end of the season though.

March 6th, 2012 at 12:53 PM | I figured Carl's too much a (Score:2)
jhender85
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I figured Carl's too much a part of the story to get rid of.  As for who goes next (disclaimer: I've never read the comics), they've been distancing T-Dog enough from the storylines that it looks like they're setting him up to go, and like many, I think this season is going to end with the demise of Hershel.  We shall see though...

March 6th, 2012 at 12:57 PM | That is a good point about (Score:2)
HttV Wolverine
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That is a good point about T-Dog. He has been very absent from the last few episodes. There is only one episode left this season, right?

“What the mind can conceive, the mind can achieve and those who stay will be champions.” - Bo 

][V][

March 6th, 2012 at 1:03 PM | I think they said two left (Score:2)
MGoPork
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I think they said two left during the end credits this week

For the strength of the pack is the Wolv, and the strength of the Wolv is the pack.

March 6th, 2012 at 2:19 PM | Ah must have missed that, (Score:2)
HttV Wolverine
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Ah must have missed that, thank you.

“What the mind can conceive, the mind can achieve and those who stay will be champions.” - Bo 

][V][

March 6th, 2012 at 12:32 PM | Yeah not a fan; however, I (Score:2)
HttV Wolverine
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Yeah not a fan; however, I was kind of glad because the old guy was annoying me with his nose always being in other people's business. 

“What the mind can conceive, the mind can achieve and those who stay will be champions.” - Bo 

][V][

March 6th, 2012 at 12:33 PM | No way...that episode ruled. (Score:2 Normal)
Willhouse
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No way...that episode ruled. Creepy ass Carl got Dale killed. I liked Dale, he was one of the only voices of humanity left. I am sad he was dead.

Best show on TV right now.

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