The smell of rotting corpses lingers in the air. Deep groans grumble from the decaying creature. Oh no! Brain-eating monsters are approaching the high school, but don’t worry, the new Zombie Apocalypse science class debuting next school year will teach students how to survive. The new course will spend time approaching engaging topics like what would happen if an emergency scenario occurred, as well as the scientific aspects that would go hand in hand like communications, first aid, and even government. The class was created as more of a fun science elective for students who don’t necessarily want to take the chemistry or physics route.

     A select few teachers in the school had conversations about finding a more enjoyable and  educating course intertwined with the STEM branch. Ryley Robinson, science teacher, and Andrea Velasquez, special education instructor, brainstormed ideas as Amy Tursi, science teacher, brought up the specific zombie apocalypse project to Chris Raymond, vice principal. Robinson will be the main instructor for this class. He will teach four out of the five sections while Tursi will teach the other one. He has been watching all the shows and researching all the articles on zombies to help make sure the class is as realistic as possible. “Hopefully by the end of it, we know enough about viruses and bacteria that we know how to move forward,” said Robinson. Because of the prior knowledge required to pursue this course, other science classes are recommended before participating. As in any class, standards must be met, but the good thing about electives is that the teachers get to pick and choose which requirements are needed. “We’re gonna try to tailor it towards students who have taken Bio I and Bio II as well as Environmental Science before this,” said Robinson. He is very excited to teach the upcoming subject and hopes the students’ feelings are mutual. 

     Out of the seventy-ish students currently enrolled, one student in particular is especially elated about the new class. Geo Pospisil, sophomore, is looking forward to the unique course. As a science fiction fan himself, when he saw the words “zombie apocalypse” while registering for the upcoming school year, he was ecstatic. Pospisil is very interested in the entertainment aspect of the sci-fi world, so he hopes to enjoy a film with his fellow peers during the class. “I wanna watch a zombie movie and then learn some survival techniques,” said Pospisil. Many students hope to learn about science and have a fun, laid-back class during their school day.

   The smell of rubber gloves and new vaccines spread throughout the town. Cheering and embracing is all that’s heard for miles. Hooray! The high school has channeled their recently learned knowledge into creating a cure and ending the zombie apocalypse. The subjective not-so-interesting subject of science is being combined with something many students are interested in that can help go towards the credits needed for graduation. Try to end the apocalypse by taking the new course in future years.