COVID-19 forced us to re-think, re-imagine, and re-define social connections. Many students began their first quarter at UCI remotely. In order to generate enthusiasm and give students a way to connect with each other and campus, we launched Anteater Crossing. A play on one of the most popular video games of 2020, we transformed the traditional Animal Crossing island and made it UCI. We gave our island the look and feel of the UCI campus map, complete with Anteater avatars representing UCI's quirky mascot. Students were able to visit our island via the Nintendo Switch system, and engage with our island character, Zots. Our gender neutral ambassador within the game was designed so that any Anteater could connect with them. For those without access to the game, we created a series of social media posts and a video to include them in the fun. The pandemic forced us to rethink what it means to have school pride, and we were able to leverage a popular online game to instill campus pride, and familiarize our students with key aspects of campus culture, such as our mascot and campus landmarks.
From the Judges
Very creative! This program built upon the popularity of Animal Crossing to build school pride and show off their campus culture to new and different audiences, including those looking at colleges. Impressive results for no extra/outside budget.
