On a beautiful day, unexpected darkness descends among the world. As everyone stares in wonder, the Earth starts to tremble and gradually becomes a violent earthquake. Buildings tumble, roads split, and the world as we know it is ending just how the Mayans predicted.

On Dec. 21, 2012, the world is predicted to end according to the Mayans, Mayans predicted the world would end somewhere near the Winter Solstice and their calendar ends on the 21.

“If you refer to the Mayan calendar, I think they just got tired of making a calendar,” said Science teacher C.J. Jackson. ” I mean how long are you going to make a calendar? It’s good for a certain amount of time, but it’s like counting. Can you count to a million? Yes, but you start to lose interest because it’s so redundant. Just like the Mayans and their calendar. I don’t believe the world is going to end here in December.”

Although the Mayans predict violent earthquakes to bring an end to the world, most people favor the option of the world ending by a zombie apocalypse.

“I think the zombie apocalypse is just a joke, but if it does happen I’d be shocked because there are no signs of anything about that in nature,” said sophomore Bryce Moore. “I’ll still play zombie video games for fun, though.”

Grace Lutheran youth Director Mitzi Lyon shares her realistic views on zombies.

“I don’t believe in a zombie apocalypse,” said Lyon. “I don’t believe zombies exist. When we die, we don’t turn into anything, We go to either heaven or hell, we don’t become zombies.”

Zombies are constantly displayed in movies such as Dawn of the Dead and Zombieland and in video games such as The House of Dead: Overkill and Left 4 Dead 2. A T.V. show that has attracted viewers worldwide is AMC’s survival show “The Walking Dead.”

“Some of the movies and games are dumb and some are fun to play and watch, I like to watch the show ‘The Walking Dead’,”

As some enjoy the world ending shoes and movies, others shed light on what they think.

“They are just trying to make people feel that there is an end coming,” said freshman Grayson Devall. “They make people believe it’s going to happen. Getting people to believe is what is giving them money and that’s all they want.”

Others remain unaffected to the games, shows, and movies that feature the world ending.

“The movies, shows, and games don’t bother me because I know it is all fiction, fiction meaning not true,” said Lyon.

Although most people joke about the world ending, others take more extreme measures. Zombie Survival Camps are stationed across the United States. These camps train ages from as young as seven to adults in basic training in case of a zombie apocalypse.

“The people seriously preparing for a zombie apocalypse or any other event to make the world end are crazy,” said freshman Logan Gilland. “Even if the world does end, there’s not a single person who can prepare for that.”

Devall said the people who are preparing are paranoid and should not be wasting their money on something that is not coming.

“People have better things they should be worrying about and stop freaking out about the world ending,” said Davis.

In the past previous predictions of the world ending have occurred.

“No one can actually predict when the world is going to end,” said sophomore Hannah Baird. “I’ve never heard of a planet spontaneously combusting or being taken over by zombies. People need to get out of their games and movies and focus on reality. There have been so many other predictions about the world ending before and it didn’t happen, so why now?”

Previous predictions of the world ending include Harold Camping and his huge epidemic last year when he predicted the world would end on Oct. 21, 2011. Camping invested in billboard advertisements, commercials, and radio announcements. People interpreted the planets aligning as a sign for the end as well. Jehovah Witnesses have made countless predictions, all that have not come true.

Religion also affects the decision people make about the world ending.

“I’m a Christian and in the Bible it says no one will know when the world will end,” said junior Betsey Brimm.

Devall said no one will know when God chooses to end the world.

“I know without a shadow of a doubt that the world will end,” said Lyon. “I can’t say when this will happen, but I do know it will. The Bible tells us that it will be like a thief in the night, which means that no one will know when it will happen. There are speculations that the end will be Dec. 21. I don’t believe this to be true, I believe that it will happen in God’s time and according to God’s plan, not man’s.”

Scientifically speaking, the world could end with just a small change.

“Every so often something happens where the world is in a tough state,” said Jackson. “The dinosaurs lived 65 million years ago and rocked this world. They didn’t destroy it, but from a dinosaur’s perspective, their world ended. But for us, it will take something much smaller. Like a depletion of the atmospheric layer, the addition of too much pollutant in the air, or a disease that wipes the world out in less that two months because we have no cure.”

With Dec. 21 approaching, anxious people around the world await the day to determine everyone’s fate. Whether the world ends or not, only time will tell.

“If the world doesn’t end after December, those who thought it will end will be really shocked and maybe upset because the money put into it getting ready for the end was wasted,” said Moore. “But those like me who don’t believe it will end will be happy because it means we get to keep on living life.”