July 21, 2026 — The idea for Marist's own Minecraft server started as a passing comment in a group chat among residents in Champagnat Hall.

That idea stuck with Noah Yurasko '28, a computer science major who served as Student Government Association (SGA) Class President last year.

"It could be a wonderfully unique idea if applied to the whole campus," Noah said he thought at the time.

After a year of work, including meetings with administrators, faculty, and IT, and working through school breaks on development and large-scale testing, MaristMC launched on March 27.

The server offers four distinct worlds to accommodate different play styles: a creative build world where students claim their own plot of land and build freely; a socially-focused survival world where players can form towns and nations; a more competitive survival world; and a rotating event world.

At the heart of the project was something Noah says SGA hears frequently: students often feel their social circles are siloed within their own corner of campus. He hopes MaristMC can help change that.

"We're aiming to broaden students' social circles while providing a fun leisure activity," Noah said.

A screenshot from MaristMC. Photo courtesy of Noah Yurasko '28.

Maggie Tran '27, a marketing major who helped build the server's Discord community and captures photos and videos at events, sees that same potential.

"Minecraft is a game with no bias, with no requirements other than having fun," she said. "A lot of people can interact from the comfort of their own home — it's less stressful, but still gives the benefits of a community."

Kai Caro '29, a communication major who designed the server's logo and runs its Instagram page, was drawn in after seeing Noah's campuswide email. 

"Making friends with shared interests can be difficult," she said. "Getting to bond over a love for Minecraft through the server is a great benefit."

The server's first major event, held in April, was modeled after the Hunger Games, and that same week, the SGA Assembly held its regular meeting simultaneously in person and inside a Minecraft recreation of its usual meeting room in Donnelly 225.

In the days following launch, 88 students had registered accounts, with a consistent player base of between four and 15 active users at any given hour. The server now has 141 registered players.

Building on Marist's Infrastructure
The server is hosted on hardware at the Enterprise Computing Research Lab (ECRL) in the Hancock Center, made possible through the support of Professor Chris Algozzine, who manages the datacenter.

"I was stoked to hear about the project and instantly supportive," said Algozzine, who recalled playing Minecraft with his children when the game first became popular. Beyond this particular collaboration, he sees the project as a model for what's possible when students and faculty build relationships.

Noah Yurasko '28 and Professor Chris Algozzine work in the Enterprise Computing Research Lab in the Hancock Center. Photo by Nelson Echeverria/Marist University.

"I'm hopeful that a project like this can get other students thinking about how they could leverage the IT environment in the ECRL," he said. "We have lots of compute capability that students can use for their passion projects or for doing research with their favorite professors."

What's Next
For Noah, MaristMC represents the most complex and meaningful software project he has taken on.

"It feels like the most direct and effective way I can put my skills to use and have a positive impact on campus," he said.

The team plans to expand the server's roster of minigames while increasing its social media presence and advertising efforts.
 
Noah Yurasko '28 shows MaristMC on his laptop alongside Professor Chris Algozzine in the Enterprise Computing Research Lab in the Hancock Center. Photo by Nelson Echeverria/Marist University.

"Provided we build out the infrastructure and the community," he said, "there is no reason why in the future we couldn't host other game services for Marist students."

The server's launch is also a statement, Noah believes, about Marist's identity.

"Marist having its own Minecraft server signals to others — schools and prospective students alike — that our approach to education and life is one that seeks to push the bounds of tradition and provide novel amenities and opportunities to our campus and community."