Graduation procession implemented virtually using Minecraft

ITS Campus, ITS News – Due to Corona-virus pandemic (Covid-19), necessitates ITS to host the 121st graduation ceremony of the second day, which was briefly delayed (offline and online), Sunday (2/8). Interestingly again, ITS presents a virtual first-time graduation procession designed using Minecraft, a virtual game type designing blocks.

ITS rector Prof. Dr. Ir Mochmad Ashari MEng gave his speech at the Research Center building which is also displayed virtually

Hadziq Fabroyir SKom PhD, one of ITS Information Technology Department lecturer, explained, that the building of Graha Sepuluh Nopember ITS buildings were virtually using Minecraft Education Edition which has been subscribed by ITS. By using it, himself along with 14 others who liked the game took the initiative of creating a special virtual building to enliven the graduation that should be held offline in March 2020.

Actually, the team had less reference to the shape of the building because there is no one to remember how the shape in detail and not possible survey to the location at the time of this pandemic. “Finally, we’re constructing a maid construction in Minecraft based on the images we collect from the internet,” he says.

Graduation procession implemented virtually using Minecraft

Its operation is also done directly when the 121 graduation ceremony was held. Communication between players joining the Minecraft graduation process is done through Discord. Zoom only accepts video feeds from the OBS Virtual Camera that is transmitted from ITS Minecraft server.

Deputy governor of East Java Dr. Emil Dardak also gave his 121st graduations greeting online

Special again, this 121st graduation also received speech from the deputy governor of East Java Province Dr. Emil Elestianto Dardak MSc which is connected online. The famous comedian Lies Hartono or known as Cak Lontong and national television presenter Brigita Manohara, who happens to be the two alumni, also provides a message and motivation for all the graduates who have been present online.

A total of 570 students from the Faculty of Civil, planning, and geo engineering (FTSPK), the Faculty of Marine Technology (FTK), and the Faculty of Creative Design and Digital business (FDKBD) performed online graduation processions from their respective residences. While ITS leaders attend the graduation procession offline at the building Research Center (RC) ITS by keeping an eye on the health protocols that applied.

Some of ITS graduates are performing online graduation processions in their respective dwellplaces

Of the three faculties that carry out this hybrid graduation, there are I Dewa Made Alit Karyawan, best graduate from civil engineering faculty and I Made Wahyu Wijaya, environmental engineering graduates who successfully become the best graduates in the doctoral program on the second day of the 121st graduations with the GPA 3.97 and the study period of seven semesters and received the predicate of cum laude.

Meanwhile, in the Magister Program, Made Widya Jayantari of civil Engineering managed to achieve the predicate of the man and become the best graduates with GPA 4 and only three semesters. Then the best graduates of the undergraduate Program were won by Kurniawan Sugianto, civil student with GPA 3.85 with the long study of seven semesters, and managed to reach the predicate cum laude.

ITS graduate photo one by one is displayed virtually

In addition, there is also Bobby Ardiansyamiraja, a college student from business management who manages to become an inspiring graduate by successfully issuing five Scopus indexed scientific journals within just a year.

Although implemented online, the rector of ITS Prof. Dr. Ir Mochamad Ashari MEng who leads an optimistic procession if the execution of this graduation can cure the missed moments of the end of the lecture at ITS that was delayed due to many considerations on March 15th. “Actually, ITS has been waiting for the right time so (graduation) can be performed like usual, apparently the condition said another,” he said when giving a greeting.

Related to the next semester or odd semester to be implemented online, the rector who is familiarly called Ashari is revealed that the graduation of 122 ITS later could be implemented offline or back online, depending on the development of the condition at the time. “But actually, many of ITS students prefer to be performed offline graduation,” he concluded. (sof/Anjani/ITS Public Relation Officer)

Cak Lontong, a comedian who is also an alumnus of ITS enliven the 121 ITS graduation by delivering messages and motivation to the online graduates