May 26, 2021
The group of about 30 active members began planning in late 2020 to hold a repeat ceremony in 2021, unsure if the campus would have its own. Chancellor Carol Christ and Vice Chancellor Marc Fisher or, rather, their avatars again will take part, in-game, and give remarks.
Then, a new Minecraft server will welcome participants to explore Blockeley’s latest creation in the video game Blockeley 1893, a replica of the university in the 1890s, during the Victorian era, when only about 15 brick and wood buildings and some 2,000 students dotted a much more apparent natural landscape, with uninterrupted views of the hills, Strawberry Canyon and the bay.
Many businesses were forced to shutter because of the pandemic-related lockdown temporarily or permanently. Photo: Tracey Taylor
Since March 17, the pandemic and shelter-in-place orders have transformed the face of Berkeley. Hotels and theaters have been largely closed. Restaurants have pivoted to mostly take-out dining with parklets springing up for the times when outdoor dining has been allowed.
The job market has been devastated by the abrupt closure of many of Berkeley’s businesses. At least 3,000 people have been laid off or furloughed from the city’s largest businesses, and hundreds of others from smaller companies have lost their jobs, according to a new report from the city of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development (OED).