Two students have put together a Minecraft server that re-constructs the college site in the finest of detail, observing the sweeping lawns of the main quad alongside the atmospheric low ceilings of the Cellar Bar.

The virtual college, built entirely in Minecraft blocks, has seen multiple online users, attracting a large number as soon as it was announced on the Worcester JCR Facebook page.

Jordan Grinyer, one of the students who created the server, told The Oxford Student: “We made it and announced it straight away, and in the first hour had about 15 people log on.

“Since then, we’ve switched from a survival to a creative server, and we’re trying to recreate Worcester College in Minecraft. At peak times there’s always between 5-10 people online, and lots of people log on just to have a look around every so often.

“I think it’s really important to stay in touch with your friends and college during this pandemic. We’re used to college-based environments, when you can go and see a friend within minutes. We wanted to create a way that people could easily get in touch, call and play games with others”.

The idea comes as a result of the JCR’s encouragement for ways to maintain wellbeing for those who are spread across the globe and are no longer able to see their friends on a daily basis. Other measures include a ‘Worcester College Morale-Boosting’ page, where JCR members  share uplifting posts of what they’ve baked, or pieces of art they’ve created. The efforts of the student body to facilitate regular communication online has helped to preserve the cohesion of the college community in the face of such rapidly changing circumstances.

To view the full article please visit The Oxford Student.