Only at Cal: The Blockeley University Minecraft graduation highlights

Fiat lux! Go Bears! Go Blocks!

Avinash Kunnath

May 19, 2020

The long-anticipated UC Berkeley virtual graduation took place on Saturday. And it took place on Minecraft.

blockeleyofficial

COMMENCEMENT LINK: https://www.twitch.tv/os_operatingsystem

May 16, 2020

An enterprising group of Cal students and alumni came together to rebuild the UC Berkeley campus to give the class of 2020 a place to congregate and celebrate. Developed by Bjorn Lustic and coordinated by Nick Pickett, they and many other Minecrafters built out California Memorial Stadium for commencement festivities.

They built a giant Memorial Stadium (where graduation has been held for the last decade), then placed a giant bear looking over it, which should be part of Phase 4 of Memorial renovations.

Avinash Kunnath @avinashkunnath

I would swear to protect this bear for a thousand years

Pickett, a Cal band member, helped perfect the final implementation of Memorial due to his familiarity with running through that North Tunnel!

Pickett got involved with Blockeley early on after perusing photos of the replica stadium and spotting a few inaccuracies in the North Tunnel — the landmark at the northern end zone where Cal band members meet to march onto the field at football games. Pickett plays tuba in the band and feels a connection to the tunnel.

Here’s a half-hour walkthrough of the entire new campus, UC Blockeley!

Get a virtual tour of Cal’s campus with CalTV.

They even made a fully-fleshed out Haas Pavilion!

Robert Thurman @Th3Thurmin4tor

Happy Sunday! If you haven’t heard, a group of students and professors made an entire rendition of UC Berkeley’s campus on Minecraft. Here’s a tour of Haas Pavilion for all you Cal fans out there. This brought a smile to my face.

In classic Cal fashion, it did not start on time.

Blockeley @UBlockeley

STARTING VERY VERY SOON!

The graduates came out of the Memorial Stadium tunnel in the same way Joe Kapp, Russell White, Marshawn Lynch, and Evan Weaver have trudged out many a fall Saturday in Berkeley.

bean on hiatus @beyabean

IM LOSING MY MIND

laura @laururura

Wth Berkeley had graduation in Minecraft im crying 😭😭 look at the people jumping😭😭

There were a host of speakers, including Chancellor Christ quoting Proust with that giant bear looming in the background.

syddo @_sydneygriffith

other schools: Zoom virtual graduation Berkeley:

Many students downloaded Minecraft for the first time.

rachy @rachy_

so i just graduated... on @Minecraft. Lol. we really do live in a society. 👩🏽‍🎓🥴 #blockeley

The energy was kicking.

Michelle McIntyre @FromMichelle

Impressive commencement ceremony finale — high energy celebration in #Minecraft @UBlockeley @Cal

Susan @sharks_finnatic

Congratulations to CAL’s 2020 graduating class! It is a Blockeley Virtual graduation in a Minecraft game!

The Cal student groups came together with OS Studios to complete the entire production.

Blockeley @UBlockeley

Thank you all for coming to Blockeley Commencement! A special thank you to OS Studios, the UC Berkekey Wind Ensemble, Cal Band, and UC Berkeley Commencement Coordinator Maya Geohring-Harris and her team. We couldn't have done this without you! Thank you!

Some even got trapped. Not the worst place to be virtually quarantined.

Pearse Anderson @PearseAnderson

I am currently stuck inside the stadium at the @UCBerkeley / @UBlockeley graduation ceremony. After some server problems I've finally joined, but we can't seem to leave.

After that, a literal block party that proceeded for the rest of the weekend!

You should be able to watch replays of the graduation and the block party on Twitch. There are plans to continue to Twitch stream from the UC Berkeley Minecraft campus to raise awareness for COVID efforts all summer.

Congrats to the Cal class of 2020!