





STATESBORO — It started out as a joke.

A week after Georgia Southern University canceled its spring commencement ceremonies because of the coronavirus pandemic, senior Becca Hooper started playing Minecraft to pass the time and cope with the loss of a graduation tradition.

One day while playing the game on her PlayStation 4, Hooper and fellow senior Blakeley Bartee jokingly decided to build Paulson Stadium.

"After encouragement from many of my friends, I started on it," said Hooper, who is from Pooler and attended Savannah Arts Academy. "I kept going, got more encouragement, posted that video on Twitter and now I’m almost done making the whole thing."

Hooper posted the video of Paulson, decorated for graduation with chairs and banners, on March 20.

GSU said no graduation in Paulson I said Minecraft graduation in Paulson #HailSouthern pic.twitter.com/TSA3efATd4

— becca hooper (@BeccaBhenH) March 20, 2020

More than 400 retweets later, Hooper was approached by GS officials, who had a plan to integrate her design with the virtual graduation.

"I was in shock at first," said Hooper, a marketing major. "After a while, I talked with (GS Marketing Content Manager) Doy Cave, and now I’m working with them to stream and promote it."

So on graduation day, though the date hasn’t been finalized, Hooper will be streaming her Minecraft creation.

Along with Hooper’s graduation from the virtual Paulson Stadium, graduates who signed up to be recognized will be honored individually on the GS Facebook page. Students will also be allowed to walk in December with the fall 2020 graduates.

"Everyone is invited to watch, just to feel like they’re there," Hooper said. "I am such a detail-oriented person, but it doesn’t feel like a chore. It’s fun."

The soon-to-be graduate said she’s spent more than 20 hours perfecting the "Prettiest Little Stadium in America." The design is made complete with an animated Georgia Southern President Kyle Marrero, a large GS banner and even Freedom, the bald eagle mascot.

Except Minecraft doesn’t have an eagle, so Hooper opted for a parrot.

"It was the only bird other than a chicken that they had," she said. "Freedom had to be there, though."

This isn’t the first time in her college career that Hooper’s creativity has been displayed.

Working for The George-Anne student newspaper all four years, Hooper served as the design editor the past two years. She was in charge of making sure the paper looks good, and she feels that gave her an opportunity to express herself every week.

"I like to challenge myself to create things that other people wouldn’t think of doing," Hooper said. "I’ve learned to discipline myself, with deadlines, ideas, creativity. It’s been beneficial to learn how my brain works and works in the professional world."

Now, with less than a few weeks until she can officially call herself a GS alumna, Hooper is glad she could give one more creative gift to the university and her fellow classmates.

"(Georgia Southern) has been a place where I can finally learn to be myself. After moving here and meeting all my friends, I’ve really gotten to know me."

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