Cornellians — near and far — build community through Minecraft
By: Cornell University
Tags: Cornell, Cornell University, College Life, Minecraft, Computer Science

When the pandemic forced Cornell to temporarily suspend classes and move all instruction online in March 2020, many students returned home, leaving behind the familiar sights and sounds of campus: the McGraw Tower bell chimes, the sprawling Libe Slope, the serenity of Beebe Lake and other go-to spots for studying, socializing and dining.

While many students opted to return for in-person classes this fall, others continued with virtual learning — in many cases, miles away from campus. Thanks to an innovative effort by a group of students and recent alumni, any person who wants to experience Cornell, from any background, can do so anywhere — virtually, of course.

“We wanted to bring people together, give people a chance to relive their experiences in Ithaca [and] give everyone a meaningful project to participate with.”

The result is “CornellCraft,” a stunning virtual replica of Cornell’s Ithaca campus, which has attracted more than 1,000 builders and players from around the globe since it launched earlier this year.

A team of students built Cornell’s campus in Minecraft, which includes a version of Ho Plaza and Willard Straight Hall student union. Image Provided.

During the unexpected break last spring, Brandon Axelrod ’21, a student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and Jesse Potts ’21, a student in the College of Engineering, filled their extra time with Minecraft, a popular “sandbox” gaming series that allows players to build elaborate virtual worlds. Both had begun experimenting with building a virtual Cornell campus; before long, they connected on Reddit and recruited a group of 25 fellow students and young alumni who signed on as volunteer builders.

What began as a diversion has bloomed into a full-blown virtual campus — with only parts of North and West Campus remaining to be built — and an effort that has united students and alumni from a diverse range of backgrounds.

Striving to replicate campus as accurately as possible, the team built everything on a 1:1 scale, including fine details such as greenery and trees, TCAT buses, the iconic A.D. White and Ezra Cornell statues on the Arts Quad and the intricate details of historic Sage Hall. Building an accurate replica of Cornell’s 2,300-acre Ithaca campus is a difficult task, made even more challenging by doing so from afar. While the team used New York topological data, Google Maps and online images wherever possible, Potts, who was in Ithaca over the summer, would often take pictures when they weren’t available—leading him to appreciate the lesser-known spots on campus.

The glow of the Herbert F. Johnson museum, as seen in Minecraft. Image Provided.

As the build continued, the team leaders seized opportunities to integrate it into the student experience — no matter if someone was taking classes in-person or online. Axelrod, a member of the Orientation Steering Committee, saw an opportunity for new and incoming students to experience Cornell virtually, and the group partnered with New Student Programming to integrate CornellCraft into orientation week programming this fall.

The project’s lead developer, Faizaan Datoo ’23, a Cornell Engineering student, also coded an automatic tour feature into the virtual campus. The tour, led by a Minecraft character equipped with the script that Cornell’s in-person tour guides follow, allows users to pause and learn more about specific buildings or areas of campus. The team also added various multiplayer games, including chess and Tetris. One of the team’s overarching goals was to foster a community for Cornell students — past, present and future.

“We wanted to bring people together, give people a chance to relive their experiences in Ithaca [and] give everyone a meaningful project to participate with,” Axelrod says.

A video walkthrough of CornellCraft offers a closer look at more iconic campus spots.

Potts says that he was surprised and excited by the amount of passion people showed for the project, while Axelrod was impressed by the coordination it took to complete the collaborative builds.

“Every single group project I’ve been a part of has been extremely diverse in various ways, and this is another example of that where you’re working with people,” Axelrod says. “People have one idea of how to do something, we talk about it as a group, we go through with making compromises. What was just a fun video game for us has turned into a really good way of learning how to become a person in the real world.”

The CornellCraft team included many fine details, including the intricate design of Sage Hall and the surrounding landscaping. Image provided.

With the arrival of winter break, the team hopes more students will have time to rejoin the build and complete the remaining architectural aspects, as well as such fun interactive elements as sledding on campus hills. When Axelrod and Potts graduate in the spring, they’re hopeful that the project will be self-sustaining, with Potts saying that the project will give students the chance to “always be connected to campus [and] connected to Cornell students.”

Follow along with the CornellCraft team on Instagram.