Virginia students create virtual graduation in Minecraft

Stories about the coronavirus pandemic are free to read as a public service at tampabay.com/coronavirus. If this coverage is important to you, consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Tampa Bay Times at tampabay.com/subscribe.

• • •

CHESTERFIELD, Va. (AP) — When Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced on March 23 that schools would remain closed amid the pandemic, Trey Powers and his friends were doing what teenagers do: hanging out online.

Powers, at 17 the group's elder and only senior, could only listen as the governor announced the move and the memories he thought he'd get to make vanished, one by one.

The friends joked about organizing a virtual graduation ceremony in Minecraft, a game the Chesterfield teens bonded over in middle school and had revisited, stuck at home and restless.

Then, the invites went out.

"It kind of meant a lot to me, so I wondered if it would mean something to anyone else," said Powers, a student at Midlothian High School.

He said his friends, a group of juniors from Midlothian and Cosby High School who all attended Tomahawk Creek Middle School together, told him to leave the server so they could surprise him.

As of the morning of March 26, about 18 other kids from his class accepted the open invitation to participate.

"It's nice to be acknowledged in such a way when it feels like everything else is falling apart" Powers said.

Students across the country are engineering creative ways to connect as schools have shuttered.

A Minneapolis tv news report this week showed students sitting in the trunk or tailgate of their cars — six feet apart — hanging out in their high school's parking lot. Students athletes at a San Antonio Catholic school made a video of themselves throwing, kicking or passing rolls of toilet paper to each other.

Minecraft is what's known as a 'sandbox' game where players can find and use raw materials in a blocky 3D universe to build tools and structures.

There are various ways to play, but it was originally designed as open-ended game that allows players to create whatever they can imagine. Players construct castles, towers, villages and iconic wonders of the world: Chichen Itza, the Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon — or a high school graduation in a field.

The students erected a stage in the middle of a verdant field studded with white seats. A large backdrop with a blue and yellow Midlothian 'M' anchors the scene. Blue and yellow lights sit behind the stage. A fireworks display triggered by a 'pressure plate' awaits ignition.

Ian Karst, a junior at Midlothian, said a group of about nine people were involved in creating it. He said they expect around 30 people — including the senior honorees — will be involved in the final production.

Keep up with Tampa Bay’s top headlines

Subscribe to our free DayStarter newsletter

We’ll deliver the latest news and information you need to know every morning.

Loading...

You’re all signed up!

Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.

Explore all your options

"I didn't think this would be a thing," he said. "I just thought it'd be a joke."

Jak Roehrick, a junior at Cosby, said Minecraft has helped him, Karst and their group of friends stay close despite being split up in their move to high school.

"We're all older now and can drive, so we all hang out in person now too, usually to grab food or hang out at each other's houses," he said. "We have a big friend group and play a lot of different video games, but Minecraft is something we all have in common."

Powers said he became part of their squad around the start of the school year after befriending Zach Westhaver. They both play tuba in the Midlothian concert band.

Powers said he was soon invited into a text chat group and started hanging out with them not longer after. That kinship helped him overcome the challenges of a typical senior year that is now upside down.

“It’s very surreal in a surreal time. This whole coronavirus thing is crazy and scary. But it’s great that I can trust my friends,” he said.

By C. SUAREZ ROJAS, The Richmond Times-Dispatch

• • •

Tampa Bay Times coronavirus coverage

GET THE DAYSTARTER MORNING UPDATE: Sign up to receive the most up-to-date information on COVID-19 and Tampa Bay, six days a week

ISOLATED ENTERTAINMENT: Lists of ideas to help entertain yourself and your kids at home

NEED TAKEOUT?: Here’s the Tampa Bay restaurants offering curbside pick-up or delivery

FOLLOW OUR COVERAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook. Instagram. Twitter. Reddit.

LISTEN TO THE CORONAVIRUS PODCAST: New episodes every week, including interviews with experts and reporters

HAVE A TIP?: Send us confidential news tips

We’re working hard to bring you the latest news on the coronavirus in Florida. This effort takes a lot of resources to gather and update. If you haven’t already subscribed, please consider buying a print or digital subscription.