UC Berkeley students host first-ever virtual commencement ceremony on Minecraft

BERKELEY, Calif. -- Let's get digital! UC Berkeley hosted its first-ever virtual commencement ceremony at "Blockeley University," a digital campus replica in Minecraft.

Students and their families logged into the ceremony and many more streamed it from around the globe.

"Definitely one of the coolest things, if not the coolest thing I saw while in college. Hands down," said Cal graduate Alexander Walker.

Cal graduate Kristen Kafkaloff felt that the Minecraft event provided the Class of 2020 with a celebratory moment that will help them move on to the next chapter. "It didn't feel like they were trying to replace our in-person graduation, it just felt like an extra experience that they were giving us to kind of give us closure," said Kafkaloff.

Mojang's Chief Storyteller Lydia Winters expressed her thoughts on the virtual commencement saying, "A Minecraft full graduation ceremony definitely feels like a huge innovation. So, now I can only imagine what the idea that the Blockeley team had will actually spur on for other people."

The Blockeley University server will continue to serve as a spot for virtual tours and events, as well as a space for nostalgic graduates to visit whenever they miss campus.

"It's a really unique resource that we created for the university and the orientation teams," said project creator Bjorn Lustic. "People are able to swim in pools, they're able to go through the eucalyptus grove, they are able to do things on campus that you would normally be able to do, and kind of get a feeling for what it's going to be like actually being on campus.

Get more information on how to visit Blockeley University here.