A Trip to Educational Venues – Debby Sharma Reporting …

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

~ Nelson Mandela

No matter the world we live in, no matter the technology we use, it is education that has made us who we are today. The thirst of inquisitiveness and the hunger to challenge oneself has probably led to the creation of this world we share together. Together we have built what we call as economy, supporting each other to have a brighter future. The values of education cannot be measure but the fruits are enormous. Second Lie has been an eye opener to many by being another podium to impart education.

The list of educational and cultural venues can be found in the Destination Guide under Culture and Education category. Among the many located in Second Life, here are a few:

Stanford University

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A beautiful replica of the original Stanford University, it has been developed by Stanford University’s Libraries and Academic Information Resources (SULAIR). As seen in the photograph, there is a library with a rare collection of books and first prints of newspapers, Student Gallery consisting of articles about various subjects. There are areas in the sim dedicated to history. One such is the History of Mexico.

The Stanford University Libraries Department of Special Collections held the exhibit publicly, “In Folio: Rare Volumes in the Stanford University Libraries”, featuring more than 30 titles, the exhibit  was on view at Stanford University’s Cecil H. Green Library, Peterson Gallery, second floor of the Bing Wing, from August 4 through November 9, 2003. Biographically speaking a folio is a book whose printed sheets have been folded only once to form leaves of text or illustration; in contrast, a quarto is a book whose sheers have been folded twice; on octave is a book whose sheet have been folded three times. Generally speaking, a folio is simply a large book. Each of the folios in this exhibit at the Stanford University is not only great in size but also significant, being important editions of important texts.

 These folio volumes have something else in colon as well, each has been used in a class or academic presentation over the past two years. These volumes are important as they are vital to the teaching mission of Stanford University. In Folio, features titles spanning the first five centuries of printing. Highlights include the 1469 edition of Pliny’s Natural History, a 1497 edition of Dante’ Commedia, the first edition of the Nuremberg Chronicle (1493), William Blake’s engravings in Edward Young’ Night Thoughts (1797), John Dryden’s translation of Virgil’s works (1697), the Cranach Press Hamlet (1930), the Foulis Press Homer (1756 – 1758) and Abraham Ortelius; magnificent atlas (1595).

Coalition Island

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Another important venue to visit is the Coalition Island. It is a nexus of United States armed forces activity and collaboration in Second Life. It links all the military islands in Second Life that are a virtual replica of the reality with a teleportation panel. More information about Military Lnads in Second Life is available in the Wiki. Visit the link http://wiki.secondllife.com/wiki/Military_Lands

The venue is a beautiful pentagon shaped Island with the wall covered with photographs of armed forces busy in various activities. There are a few stories on the wall that have made history like “The San Diego – based guided missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG 650) fired a missile on Thursday, March 26, 2009 during training exercise Steilar Daggers in the Pacific Ocean. Benfold engages multiple targets with Standard Missile -2 (SM -2 ) Block III A and modified SM 2 BLK IV missiles The Benfold’s Aegis Weapons System successfully detected and intercepted a cruise missile target with a SM – 2 BLK II A, while simultaneously detecting and intercepting an incoming SRBM target with a modified SM – 2 BLK IV.”

“Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.”

~ Malcom X

University of Worcester

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The University of Worcester is one of my favorites. It features monthly learning seminars, a teaching hospital and a library. There is also a lounge to relax or have some serious conversations.

The Library of Bable is a huge library consisting of books like:

·         Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne

·         Bable Volume by Axaxxaxas Mlo

·         Bable Volume by Gray Labyrinth

·         Bable Volume: The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy

·         Bable Volume: The Plaster Cramp

·         Gulliver’s Travels by Johnathan Swift

·         Metamorphosis by Fran Kafka

·         Nonsense songs by Edward Lear

·         Books on Portuguese

·         The Library of Bable by Jorge Luis Borges

·         The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

·         The Republic of Plato

·         The Tempest by William Shakespeare

·         The Time Machine by H.G (Herbert George) Wells

With such collection and so many more books, who would like to leave this library? As this quote says,

“Mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be rekindled”

~ Plutarch