Student helping to lead popular campus event

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Fifth-year film and animation student Gabriel Isserlis is filming his thesis film while traveling in Asia. While abroad he has also been planning the upcoming Humans vs. Zombies event on campus.

Humans vs. Zombies has been a part of RIT since it first started in 2007. It is a week-long, campus-wide game of tag open to all students. A team of “zombies” tries to tag members of the “humans” team until there are no humans left. This year’s fall game is set to begin at 9 p.m. on Sept. 8 with the last registration session being held from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. the day of the event. Fifth-year student Gabriel Isserlis is co-president of the club and is helping to plan the event while he is abroad in Asia making his thesis film.

Question: Where are you from?
Answer: I am from London, England.

Q: What brought you to RIT?
A: I first found RIT because I was looking for a film degree with a very hands-on approach, but as soon as I arrived for the tour of RIT I fell in love with the place. I don’t know if it was the bricks, the feel, or the people but something told me this was the place to stay.

Q: What is Humans vs. Zombies?
A: Humans vs. Zombies is, at its most basic form, a massive, moderated game of tag. “Humans” run around campus with NERF blasters and socks for protection in an attempt to survive the “zombie infection.” RIT’s game has evolved over the years, adding new features, like extra missions, to keep the game interesting for players.

Q: Why do you think other students should get involved?
A: It’s a lot of fun to play. This game is meant to be an activity that distracts from daily college life, give people a reason to go outside and to meet new people.

Q: What advice would you give to students just starting the game this year?
A: Older players are always happy to teach newer players the ropes and guidelines of how not to get caught, so don’t just make friends with freshmen. Find more experienced players earlier on and learn from their mistakes. Some amusing sounding story of theirs might just help you later in the week.

Q: What have you been doing in your time abroad?
A: I’ve been touring Asia with the Asian Youth Orchestra and my father, who is a cello soloist. I am making my thesis film on this trip. I’ve spent my time filming and photographing a lot of backstage footage as well as concerts, traveling and sightseeing with the orchestra.

Q: What are your plans for after graduation?
A: I want to integrate all of my interests so in the ideal world I’d be designing classical music applications that integrate cool technology with film, music and audio engineering.