UC uses VR to celebrate Bicentennial

In this vignette, the user meets a virtual UC alumna, Marian Spencer, a lifelong champion of civil rights and the first African-American woman to be elected to the Cincinnati City Council. Spencer shares her experience as a young black student at a still-segregated campus in 1939, and the VR user works with her to construct a vibrant exhibit that recalls the university’s civil rights history and commemorates the struggle to create a modern ecosystem of equity and inclusion in 2019 and beyond.

Since the adoption of the “Baehr-Cat” in 1914, the mascot has been a symbol of pride and accomplishment as Bold Bearcats forge new futures at UC. In this vignette, the user becomes the Bearcat in the fall of 1924, when the James Gamble Nippert Memorial Stadium was dedicated. The Bearcat pumps up the crowd before the big game and participates in a variety of scenes to cheer on UC students, faculty and staff as they boldly serve the Cincinnati community, the Tristate region and the world. 

Evoking the joy a child feels playing with a model train set, the user sees the evolution of UC’s campus in miniature, celebrating the different styles and architectures through the ages. In each year, the user can pick up and play with “toy” cars, trees and other period appropriate models and details while learning more about the history of the UC’s award-winning campus architecture as we dial through the past, present and future.

With the vision from faculty, staff and alumni on the Bicentennial Legacy Committee, the VR installations feature the work, from concept to completion, of students from the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning; the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services’ School of Information Technology; the College of Engineering and Applied Science; and the Carl H. Lindner College of Business.

“What pleases me most is how various university entities collaborated to create this fascinating look at UC’s amazing legacy,” says Bicentennial Co-chair Kim Dobbs. “Using students to develop each vignette is faithful to our mission to engage our future leaders in meaningful ways. Each vignette gives the participant a closer look at how UC is unique and why we are Boldly Bearcat.”

This virtual reality project is a result of the UC Foundation and Bicentennial Legacy Committee going in a more forward-thinking direction in terms of traditional bicentennial monuments, says Chris Collins, senior IT manager at UCSIM. “They really wanted something more alive, more now, something that students would connect with.” Instead of a physical statue or bench, this virtual “monument” is interactive, while providing many with their first opportunity to experience VR.

“We hope it inspires students to think of themselves as being part of the university community and having the ability to have real, meaningful impact,” Collins says. “It’s not just evoking some nostalgia, but the idea that UC’s a place to be proud of.”

• WVXU: Use of virtual reality to experience UC's 200-year history is 'incredibly enjoyable'
• Local 12: University of Cincinnati celebrates bicentennial

Featured image at top: A user engages with the Bicentennial VR installation in a booth inside CARE/Crawley. Photo/Colleen Kelley/UC Creative Services.