Shawnee Community College to host March on Washington, “I Have a Dream” Speech virtual reality experience

ULLIN, Ill. (KBSI) – “Shawnee Community College is kind of dipping its toes into the world of virtual reality.” 

On Monday beginning at 10 a.m., it will dip its toes even further into that world by giving people the chance to experience the March on Washington and Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. 

Kevin Hunsperger with Shawnee Community College says the timing is right to provide this sort of opportunity. 

“It’s just never been possible before without this technology, and we thought with the 60-year anniversary of this speech and of the march that it was the appropriate time to do it,” he said. 

Hunsperger said experiencing this historic day in virtual reality will allow participants to learn about it like never before. 

“It’s the next best thing to actually being there,” he said. “We can watch it on TV or watch videos of it on YouTube, but this is going to be an immersible experience where it will take you to that time period and you will have that feeling of what it was like to be there.” 

Which he said for some folks will be: “An emotional day, and it’s going to be one of those things that they won’t forget.” 

And Hunsperger said he can’t wait to experience it. 

“I am excited. Literally as I’m talking about it, I’m so excited I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about how this is going to be because I have never experienced anything quite like this either,” he said.

The event will begin Monday August 28 at 10 am in the commons at Shawnee Community College’s campus in Ullin, Ill.