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70-Year-Old Carnegie Mellon University Event Moves Online During Coronavirus Outbreak

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A 70-year-old tradition at Carnegie Mellon University lives on thanks to the power of technology.

Every year, it's a tradition at CMU for students to "take the fence" smack in the middle of campus.

The fence is such a respected landmark on campus that there are strict rules: Only paintbrushes are allowed and no rollers. Students can only paint between midnight and sunrise.

However, with concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, all classes at CMU have been moved online and the campus is closed.

Ari Cohn, a CMU student came up with a creative solution.

Move the event online.

CMU students can now go to "Paint-The-Fence.com" to paint a "virtual fence."

Ari wants his fellow classmates to check the site each day to see what other students are creating.

He believes it's important to keep a sense of community in this hard time.

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