Shuo Zhang was raised in a culture where Halloween wasn't a widespread celebration. The Arizona State University freshman and China native says the fall holiday wasn't popular in his hometown of Shijiazhuang, near Beijing. Perhaps that's why he was so eager to dress up like a zombie and "scare" runners during the Polypocalypse Zombie Run on the ASU Polytechnic campus. But before he could transform into a member of the walking dead, Zhang wanted to attend a job fair where he hoped to speak with representative from General Motors.
Zhang's experiences are part of "Year One: Life at ASU," a periodic photo series following five freshmen navigating their first year at ASU.
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Automotive engineering freshman Shuo Zhang looks over the list of vendors and decides with whom he wants to talk at the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering Career Exploration Night on ASU's Polytechnic campus Oct. 28.
Charlie Leight/ASU Now
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Zhang looks at an off-road race car built by the Sun Devil Racing club at the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering Career Exploration Night. Zhang, who came here from China, started going to the Sun Devil Racing club events earlier this semester, but lost interest.
Charlie Leight/ASU Now
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City of Phoenix recruiter Walter Davis Jr. talks with Zhang at the career exploration event. The city has opportunities for pool mechanics for its fleet of cars and trucks, and with an engineering degree, Zhang would be able to advance to management.
Charlie Leight/ASU Now
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Zhang talks with Briana Del Bianco about the EcoCAR3 project at the career event. He had planned to talk with representatives from General Motors, but they were not availble at the time. Still, the EcoCAR3 project could give him time in a GM car, a Camero.
Charlie Leight/ASU Now
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Zhang was planning to run as a zombie at the Polypocalypse Zombie Run on Oct. 30. But do zombies really run? They'll have an hour to cover the 1.5-mile loop.
Charlie Leight/ASU Now
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Zhang checks out a bloodied shirt as he is about to become a zombie as part of the Polypocalypse Zombie Run on ASU's Polytechnic campus. Roughly 25 students choose their costumes before professional makeup artists turned them into the undead.
Charlie Leight/ASU Now
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Makeup artist Vanessa Robertson paints "teeth" on Shuo Zhang as though part of his face and skull are gone. It's part of the process to becoming a "zombie."
Charlie Leight/ASU Now
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With his makeup complete Zhang gives a menacing groan, as part of the Polypocalypse Zombie Run. Halloween isn't celebrated in his hometown of Shijiazhuang, near Beijing, China. Shopping malls and international schools do have costumes, though.
Charlie Leight/ASU Now
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After the makeup is compete, Shuo Zhang's 11-year-old sister Yuan calls on FaceTime from outside Beijing. Her response to seeing her big brother made up like a zombie: "Mom. Come here. You got to see this!"
Charlie Leight/ASU Now
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Shuo Zhang groans as he staggers toward a group of runners taking part in the Polypocalypse Zombie Run on ASU's Polytechnic campus on Oct. 30.
Charlie Leight/ASU Now
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Shuo Zhang chases some faster runners during the Polypocalypse Zombie Run. Each zombie was responsible for scaring runners in a designated area, about 100 feet of the 1.5-mile loop.
Charlie Leight/ASU Now
See what Shuo was up to earlier in the semester in these past galleries:
Year One: Life at ASU — Shuo takes a break
Year One: Life at ASU — Shuo gets to work
Year one: Life at ASU — moving into the dorms
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