Extra Credit for Paper 3

I took my paper to the Writing Lab and Kristen Shepard proofread and edited my paper.

Peer Exploration #9 for Paper 3

DavidL Mnemonic and I proofread and edited each other's papers.

Peer Exploration #8 for Paper 3

DavidL Mnemonic and I met in the library and looked for books for our papers and worked on our papers.

Peer Exploration #7 for Paper 3

DavidL Mnemonic and I met in the library and worked on writing our papers.

Peer Exploration #6 for Paper 3

DavidL Mnemonic and I met in the library and continued to find resources for our papers.

Peer Exploration #5 for Paper 3

DavidL Mnemonic and I met in the library and started looking for resources related to our paper topics.

Introduction for Paper 3

While most people are on vacation, family fun is normally based around visiting popular exhibits and monuments. As a result, some families believe that vacations should be comprised of learning something new or furthering their education on something that interests them, rather than hanging out at the beach all day. Since we are vacationing in Second Life, we have endless possibilities to explore fascinating “showcases” of fine arts ranging from spectacular museums to stunning art exhibits to enlightening theatrical performances. Now, all there is left to do is grab a tour guide and let the journey begin to awe and enrich our minds, bodies, and souls! Finally, we need to ask ourselves, “What are some of the most popular museums, theatres, and art exhibits in Second Life, and what are the distinct features these places offer?”

Peer Exploration #4 for Paper 3

DavidL Mnemonic and I met in the library and finished our introductions and proofread them.

Peer Exploration #3 for Paper 3

DavidL Mnemonic and I worked on our introductions.

Peer Exploration #2 for Paper 3

DavidL Mnemonic and I visited places in Second Life related to our paper outlines. We also read and exchanged each other's outlines.

Outline for Paper 3

Introduction

• Visit Museums

1. Animal, Zoo, Marine Biology
2. Classic Cars

• Explore Art Exhibits

1. Art, Photography, Painting, Drawing, and Cultures from around the world
2. Erotic Art

• Attend Theatre Productions

1. Greek indoor theaters - plays, poetry, or musical events
2. Ballet Theatre

Closing

Peer Exploration #1 for Paper 3

DavidL Mnemonic and I met in the library and started to work on our outlines.

Topic and Research Question for Paper 3

Topic: Museums, Theatre, and Art

Research Question: What are some of the most popular Museums, Theatres, and Art Exhibits in Second Life?

Extra Credit Paper 2

I took my paper to the Writing Lab and Ali Leugoud proofread and edited my paper.

Peer Exploration #8 for Paper 2

DavidL Mnemonic and I proofread and edited each other's papers related to religion in Second Life.

Peer Exploration #7 for Paper 2

DavidL Mnemonic and I met in the library and worked on our papers related to religion in Second Life.

Peer Exploration #6 for Paper 2

DavidL Mnemonic and I met in the library and worked on typing our papers related to religion in Second Life.

Peer Exploration #5 for Paper 2

DavidL Mnemonic and I searched on EBSCOHost Database to find information related to our paper topic on religion and spirituality.

Peer Exploration #4 for Paper 2

DavidL Mnemonic and I visited Second Life Synagogue - Temple Beit Isreal. While we were there, we meditated, smoked hookah, and made snow angels.

Peer Exploration #3 for Paper 2

DavidL Mnemonic and I visited St. Georg Catholic Church and the Buddhist Temple for information related to our paper.

Peer Exploration #2 for Paper 2

DavidL Mnemonic and I visited a Catholic Church, Buddhist Temple, and Jewish Synagogue.

Introduction for Paper 2

Most people typically attend some form of a religious service on Sundays. However, in Second Life one can attend many different forms of religious services taking place every day. In addition, it does not matter what faith we believe in because in Second Life there is no discrimination against religion as long as we get closer to and follow who we believe in. The variety of religions that Second Life offers will help broaden your knowledge of religion and understand what people of other faiths believe in. If you are curious about exploring new religions and new ways to express your faith, then Catholic Churches, Buddhist Temples, and Jewish Synagogues is a great way to begin.

Topic and Thesis Statement for Paper 2

Topic: Religion and Spirituality

Thesis Statement: If you are curious about exploring new religions and new ways to express your faith, then Catholic Churches, Buddhist Temples, and Jewish Synagogues is a great way to begin.

Peer Exploration #1 for Paper 2

DavidL Mnemonic and I searched in Second Life for Catholic Churches, Buddhist Temples, and Jewish Synagogues for information related to our papers.

Extra Credit Paper 1

I took my paper to the Writing Lab and Rachel Brown proofread and edited my paper.

Introduction for Paper 1

While the weather outside may be dire, there is no better way to spend that free time than on Second Life. Just think of the many opportunities on which we miss out and cannot do because of inclement weather. Sometimes, people sit at their homes twiddling their thumbs being bored because they do not want to get out of the house and experience an action-packed day. Rather than be bored, all we have to do is log on to our computer and explore the entertainment possibilities in Second Life. Entertainment within a virtual world, such as attending sporting events, going to dance clubs, and even visiting science museums can be an engaging experience in Second Life.

Topic and Thesis Statement for Paper 1

The topic for my paper is Entertainment. The following is my Thesis Statement: Entertainment within in a virtual world, such as attending sporting events, going to dance clubs, and even visiting science museums can be an engaging experience in Second Life.

Location Exploration

There are many distinct places on Second Life where avatars can visit. Some of these locations can be very elegant while others can be very exotic and scary. Every avatar on Second Life should be able to find a location that is related to their preference. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the adventure that is about to happen before your eyes.

Under the featured locations, I decided to visit Inspire Space Park where there were tons of people standing on rocks in space talking with friends and dancing. I decided to have a little conversation with some of the avatars, and I realized that Inspire Space Park is a destination where friends go relax, meditate, and talk by themselves or with friends. Inspire Space Park was a pretty exotic place with numerous chairs to sit on as well as lava lamps. However, I tried my flying capabilities, and I could not soar at the same level or reach a higher elevation, but rather I kept falling down in space. I found a group of males and joined them in tai-chi martial arts.




When I first came to Info Island, I noticed that there are many buildings, many which are houses and a library with a fountain in the middle displaying flags from all around the world. This seemed to be a very good reference place. I visited the Jazz Cat which is a dance club where you can practice a wide variety of dances. The Jazz Cat was created for entertainment. There were no avatars there except for David and me. Upon further exploration, I found a castle that had many different illusions. The third location that I visited was Club UWS. Club UWS is a campus development group for the University of West in Scotland. Surprisingly, the purpose of Club UWS is to provide entertainment. David and I went upstairs and found a dance floor that was very fun. I was unable to locate any spectators. The final stop on my adventure was a visit to the Science Center Group. Here you can learn about just about any type of science and governs all of the science exhibits in Second Life. This museum’s purpose is to give people facts about science. I was able to find a microscope, cells, and atoms on display. After viewing some of the events, I decided to attend the TX 950 Winter Wonderland Dance on January 30, 2009 from 6-8 P.M. at Info Island.

When I visited Pondex, I noticed that there were numerous palm trees and mountains signaling a beautiful setting. As I continued to explore, I found out that there was a beach and boat marina along with numerous docks on the beach located in Australia. After walking around, I visited an art exhibit that displayed beautiful paintings of beach settings. My first impression was that Pondex is a supposed to be a relaxing setting that probably resembles a vacation resort. Another factor that helped me with my idea is that there is a playground area for children to play at. DavidL and I stopped at the playground and took a picture of ourselves on the teeter-totter. I did not see any other people at Pondex besides David and me.

Chakryn Forest is a beautiful and exotic forest that kind of reminded me of a forest in Narnia where a person can get away and dream. There is a big silver statue of a soldier in the middle of the forest where I took my picture at. In the middle of the forest, there is a fancy gazebo surrounded by huge trees with vines springing up the trunks and leaves falling down from the trees. As I was flying around, I came upon a tree house that had several windows and an upstairs with an elegant light fixture and piano. Surrounding the forest there were numerous rock formations with a body of water in the middle. While I was at Chakryn Forest, I met a girl who is from England, and I talked to her. Upon further exploration, I realized that Chakryn Forest is endangered.

As I arrived at Themiskyra, I landed in the middle of a bunch of old-styled houses. Most of these houses were locked and I could not enter because I needed permission from the owners. After talking to a female on Second Life, she showed me around the area where I located some temples and a castle which were very fascinating. The objective seems to be a village where avatars can go and buy a neat looking house and tour some great monuments. Themiskyra was constructed by Amazon Nation and Surina Skallagrimson. I decided to take my picture on top of a house that I thought was fascinating because the house was white and had a lot of windows. This house resembled a piano surrounded by many distinct old-style houses with a brick wall for a castle in the background.

Let Me Introduce my Second Self

My avatar’s name is JoeC Mnemonic. Since I named my avatar after my first name and middle initial, I hoped to give the avatar the appearance of myself in real life. I have the personality that I need to “dress to impress” at times. Most times, my friends notice that I am well-dressed because I regularly wear jeans and a polo shirt. Therefore, I dressed my avatar in a black and grey long-sleeved sweater, black dressy jeans with a silver belt buckle, and shiny black dress shoes to give me a sophisticated appearance. However, I could not find how to change the hair on my avatar, so until I find out, my hair will remain as is. In addition, I tried to match as close as I could to matching my physical appearance and characteristics in real-life, but I could not inquire on how to find glasses.
The initial appearance that Second Life gave to my avatar was very boring. In order to meet my expectations, a complete makeover was deemed necessary to make my avatar unique from everyone else who plays the game. My impression of my initial appearance was very unoriginal and basic. I did not want to keep that appearance because everyone who plays Second Life might have the impression that I do not have my own style or do not care how I look. For now, I am going to keep the appearance of my avatar as is because I can be a perfectionist and creating my avatar appearance took quite some time. I believe that until I find how to change the hair on my avatar and wear glasses, no changes will be made. Once I get better at playing Second Life, I may get a job and buy clothes from the store if I get bored with my current look. The only input that I needed from classmates and others in Second Life was their comments if I had matched the features of my face and skin as well as how to put on the free clothes. No, I have not spent any money on clothes because there seems to be an ample amount of free clothes on the game. Therefore, I just navigated myself throughout the game and experimented with the free clothes that I was able to find. Some of the changes that I would like to make are changing the hair on my avatar and possibly acquiring a pair of glasses since I wear glasses in real life. I have not had too much time to experiment with the gestures and sound features, but I look forward to learning the necessary skills.