Brick by brick: RIT students rebuild university in Minecraft

Henrietta, N.Y. - Who said video games couldn’t be educational? For students at RIT, a ongoing project is based all around their university.

The campus may be closed amid the coronavirus pandemic, but students with RIT’s Electronic Gaming Society have found a workaround, building the entire school in Minecraft.

For those unfamiliar, Minecraft is a popular game in which players build the world of their dreams, one brick at a time.

Students are using the game to build a model of the school at a 2:1 ratio, and the results speak for themselves.

“This project is more than just a way to pass the time,” the club says in a video posted to YouTube. “It has become a virtual gathering place for students to collaborate and potentially host in-person events that may have been cancelled or postponed, including the graduation commencement ceremony for the Class of 2020.”

Yes, they even have graduation covered. Students are currently decorating their model of the Gordon Field House and have even customized one of the characters to look like RIT President David Munson.

An in-game commencement ceremony is scheduled for May 15 at 8 p.m. Minecraft users can participate through the game, but it will also be streamed on YouTube, Twitch and Mixer.

The university says this isn't meant to replace this year's commencement ceremony. It's hoping to have an in-person event once it becomes safe.

The Electronic Gaming Society says it’s posting frequent updates about the project on its social media, including weekly livestreams on Twitch.