The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Local News

November 6, 2009

Zombie Prom a thriller

Third annual MSU event captures a trend

By Robb Murray

MANKATO — Although it probably wasn’t on the menu, many of the attendees at a Carkoski Commons party Friday night may have had a hankering for brains.

There were zombies — lots of them — for the third annual Zombie Prom at the Minnesota State University dining hall (and for the record, they probably didn’t dine on brains, that fabled zombie snack of choice).

The event came at a time when zombies — zombie movies, zombie music, flash-mob-like “zombie walks” down thoroughfares of medium-size Minnesota towns — have become an amusing trend.

But in this case, the students at MSU appear to have adopted their monster love prior to the onset of the trend.

Luke Mattheisen, a graduate student and chief organizer of the event, brought the concept with him from his previous institution, the University of Minnesota-Morris.

Back in the day, he and a buddy were talking about ideas for a Halloween party and possible themes. They settled on a zombie theme, and the response was crazy. About 400 people showed up, which is roughly a third of the entire student body at Morris.

So he brought the idea here, and it’s become a hit.

Why have zombies become so popular?

“I don’t honestly know,” he says with a laugh. “I think part of it is the obsession with Halloween and being able to dress up as something you’re not.”

Steve Berg, area director for the McElroy Residence Hall, said the predominance of zombies in current popular culture — the film “Zombieland,” the annual “Thriller” dance event last month, etc. — makes the idea of zombies accessible to everyone.

Many students had been planning their makeup and costumes for weeks for the Zombie Prom, while others reportedly pulled something together (or apart) at the last minute.

The event also fell within the university’s efforts to provide fun programming on weekend nights to provide an alternative to alcohol use.

But Berg cautioned people against thinking it was an event designed solely to keep students from doing something else, something “risky.”

“When you boil it down, it’s a dance, and we themed it zombies,” he said.

The dance, which was for students only, included a “zombie shamble,” or who can look and act most like an actual zombie. “Prom pictures” were also available, as well as “some sort of zombie ring toss.”

Added Mattheisen, “Tattered clothes, fake blood, the ‘Thriller’ dance — just seems to be a pretty entertaining thing.”

They also included a community service aspect: All attendees were encouraged to bring non-perishable goods the local food shelf.

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