The Observer, April 27, 2007
Volume XXXIX, Issue 26
Second Life hits Case campus with orchestral bang
Case is always on the cutting edge of technology, keeping its students as wired as possible. Between the internet connection speed, the online software center, and the entire campus being under a wireless web, Case has proven itself again and again. Where is left for us to go? Have we reached the final frontier? Is Case as technologically connected as it can be, or is there some new world yet to conquer?
Second Life has something to say about that.
A virtual world where people from around the globe can come to participate in a variety of activities and virtual environments, Second Life has made a definite splash throughout modern culture. Made up of a variety of "islands," as they are called, Second Life's environments offer nearly everything the real world does. Avatars, which are the characters that participants create, can go shopping and browse through virtual racks of clothes or build their own dream house using the Linden Dollar, the currency of choice in Second Life. Avatars can also fly, to make travel between long distance islands much quicker. And to top it off, avatars are fully customizable, so yours can look just like you, or your the polar opposite. It's all your choice.
Not to worry, parents. Although activities such as clubbing and drinking can be done in Second Life, you must be 18 to do so. There is what is known as a teen grid, where Second Lifers under the legal age participate and communicate, but they are not allowed to leave the grid and travel to other islands.
What has Case been doing with this revolutionary program? To start, Case has been creating its own island through the help of OneCleveland, the island which contains Cleveland landmarks such as the Rock Hall and the Cleveland Clinic. Campus buildings already created in Second Life include KSL, Adelbert Hall, The Village at 115, and even the Silver Spartan Diner.
Second Life may be affecting students very soon according to Mace Mentch, Faculty Support Manager of Instructional Technology and Academic Computing (ITAC) here at Case. "The admissions department already has student ambassadors that man Second Life, and prospective students can log on, meet up with an ambassador, and the ambassador can show them around and answer specific questions about Case," said Mentch. These virtual tours really seem to be effective. One student even commented that it was his Second Life experience that sold him on Case: "If Case is doing something this cool, then it is definitely the school for me!"
Virtual SI sessions and even online classes are still in the development stages, but hopefully these will soon be in full working order to provide students an exciting alternative to the same old routine.
Recently, OneCleveland also hosted a large and groundbreaking event: the first American classical orchestra performance in Second Life was held right in front of KSL, broadcast in tandem with the actual concert, performed by Red {an orchestra}, a local, nationally-acclaimed orchestra headed up by Jonathan Sheffer. The concert was very well received, achieving its goal of spreading classical music to an expanded audience who may not typically choose to listen to this genre.
In addition to the campus as a whole, individual departments are also starting to delve into Second Life to expand their horizons. Stacy Williams, an assistant professor in the Communication Sciences department, has already started to look into Second Life as a possibility for multiple kinds of therapy. "Second Life can change the ways we offer tele-health practice. We will be able to deliver therapeutic services to people we can't physically reach, greatly expanding our ability to help."
To say the least, Second Life is changing the world, Case included. It's safe to say that in a few years, we students could be seeing a surprisingly large amount of university-related programs organized through Second Life, not to mention concerts and the like. Head over to secondlife.com to download the software and to start creating your avatar. You may be using it sooner than you think!
