SPOTLIGHT ON BIOLOGY CLUB- A Multi-Genre Experience- Lanai Jarrico Reporting…

“Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure Science.” - Edwin Powell Hubble

Scientists like Edwin Powel Hubble, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Nicola Tesla, and other great minds throughout history helped shape our world with their findings. Science in all forms of study provides us with a greater understanding of the world around us.  

The very essence of science begins with biology. It is the study of all living organisms. Plants, animals, physiology, and behavior are what it is to be alive. Second life is the perfect social experiment that thrives on human behavior. It allows us to experience things to which we may not have physical access.  As a virtual world community, we have certainly evolved bringing together technology and life with a virtually realistic perspective. 

For all you wisdom explorers out there we have a special treat for you! Biology Club is a multi-leveled venue with many areas into which to delve. Dresi Ligati (dresella.joubert) is the mastermind behind Biology Club and with her team, Brit Kitora (holly65) and Solgazer Kitora (solgazer.sittingbull), they are skilled professionals in their field of expertise.  

Much of the inspiration for this venue comes from Dresi’s background as a science teacher. Her love of education combined with over a decade of experience in Second Life inspired this multi-genre marvel. This isn’t her first venue by any stretch. She has also created venues that took visitors back to the prohibition era and to the ice age with dinosaurs.

Like Science, Dresi and her team are always evolving. Recently, SLE met up with Dresi, Solgazer, and Brit to learn more about the Biology Club, who they are, and what they do.

SLE: How did you ladies discover Second Life and come to work together?

Dresi: I got into SL because my RL sister was in world and she brought me in here.  Interestingly, after she brought me in, she was interested in things that were of no interest to me.  So, I took a different path.  I started working in clubs.  Along my journey, I came to know Brit and Sol.  Brit and I started working together when, on New Year's Eve about 7 years ago, she came into one of my clubs (Safari Club) because she was curious about the name and what kind of a club it might be.   She liked the vibe of the place. The next time she visited, she filled out an application.  I asked her to do an audition after my set.  Her favorite story is that the next thing she knew, I was telling everyone in the club that I had a surprise - that DJ Brit would be playing right after me!  LOL  She did, she was great, and the rest is history.  She's my daughter and I can tell you that this feeling goes way beyond SecondLife.  

Brit:  My RL sister played in SL all the time.  She came to stay with me and got me into it.  I played for about a week and got tired of it and then came back sometime later and then stayed. Sol and I met at a club, she took a picture of me to send to her sister.  Then, Sol was helping someone set up some events and I had been working with Dresi and we were doing some events as well.  So I went to one of their events and Sol was there.  She and I became friends and after some time Sol and I started dating each other and over time we got married.

Solgazer:   I actually was playing Sims Online, so when that was no longer available one of the options was Second Life!  I’ve been here ever since.

SLE:  Tell our readers more about your experience with clubs in SL? What other venues have you designed separately and or together and what has drawn you to be in the entertainment business?

Dresi:  I kind of got into the entertainment business in sort of a backward way.  As I mentioned above, my interests in SL led me into hosting at a club where a friend, Rebelheart Sabra, was the GM. I learned to host and then she asked me to open a club with her. Unfortunately, she soon had to leave SL due to health problems and I was left to figure out club ownership on my own.  As a struggling newbie with a club, I was fortunate enough to have met Dave Gran who picked up where Rebel left off and taught me a how to operate a club and how to get into DJing.  I started DJing out of a need to have a backup DJ at my club.  Turns out, that's become a true passion of mine. 

Over the years, I have owned several clubs individually and in partnerships - Heavenly Bodiez/Heavenly Destinations was my first club with Rebel.  Next, I had Xtinction, Prohibition – owned with two other friends, Safari Club, and now, Biology Club.

Brit: At 45 days old, I had a club.  I had met someone named Kelynn who was my first friend in SL.  She worked at a club and the boss of that club had a second club called Mingles and asked me if I wanted to run it.  I was taught to DJ by a woman named Sophie and she was a RL DJ.  I had a lot of music to start with and she felt that I had a good sense of music and would be a good DJ.  She would give me tapes of her real DJ sets and she critiques my sets.  I helped her build a club and wound up DJing for her at her club.  Clubs owned:  Mingles, Club Dragonfly, Dragonfly on the Water, now Biology Club.

Clubs managed:  Safari Club, Sophie's Haven

Solgazer: Before I met Brit, most of my time in SL was spending time with friends dancing.  I ended up helping my SL sister with a club, Backcourt, decorating for themes and fun parties.  I also managed another small club. 

SLE:   This is a pretty amazing undertaking.  Have any of you done anything like this before?

Dresi: Yes.  I’m an ideas person and so I have concocted a few thematic clubs in SL.  My first foray into the themed club approach, Prohibition, was a 1920's speakeasy.  It was co-owned by myself and two other friends.  Xtinction was a themed rock club inside a cave, complete with dino fossils and indoor waterfalls.  Next, I decided to build a club that had animals and the rainforest as its backdrop.  The idea was inspired by the RL Rainforest Cafe and the club was called, "Safari Club".  I was approached by Brit and Sol to go into a joint venture.  Since I am a science teacher by profession, Biology Club was born.

Brit: Yes, after successfully managing Safari Club with Dresi, Sol, and I decided to embark on a new adventure building and running a club called Club Dragonfly.  We began with a smaller place that we eventually outgrew and rebuilt Club Dragonfly to accommodate the need for a larger space.  Then, Sol wanted to have a club with a more intimate setting, so we built Dragonfly on the Water, a waterfront club with a rustic cozy setting.

Solgazer: When I met Brit, she was working with Dresi at Safari Club.  Once we started dating, I became more involved with understanding the DJ side of things as Brit DJs all over the grid.  Once Safari closed, Brit and I opened Club Dragonfly!   We had that for 4 years I believe, but due to some health issues, we decided to close. 

SLE:  Tell us about you three individually?  What skills do you bring to the table to make this Club a success? 

Dresi:  All of us come to the table with a very similar SL skill set.  We all have been in the club business for quite some time.  Sol has developed strong skills in hosting and managing hosts for many years.  Both Brit and I have been DJing for many years and we bring not only those skills but also club management and prior ownership (as does Sol).  Brit and I bring building skills to the mix and Sol is a wonderful decorator.  I also have business organizational skills in RL that I bring.  

Solgazer:  We love what we do, each one of us has a different skill set.  One thing I’m not is a builder, but I love to decorate.  Brit and I have been doing monthly events for as long as we’ve had Club Dragonfly, and we work well together.  Brit gets an idea in her head of what she wants, we put that idea into play and  then I do the final “fluff stuff” as she calls it! Lol

SLE:   How did you come up with the Name, “Biology Club”?

Dresi / Brit: We wanted a way to mesh our independent passions:  Brit and Sol's love for the dragonfly and its meaning and being a RL science teacher, we could also satisfy my passion for science.  Since Biology is the study of living things, we thought it would be a way that we could mesh it all together. 

Solgazer:  Dresi is a science teacher.  We had been talking about different ideas that could incorporate aspects from all our interests.  Once we started talking about biology, she knew where it was going to go from there!    She looked up the name, saw there were none with the same name, and there we have it!

SLE:   Could you share some of the events here...what the club is about?

Dresi / Brit: We are a multi-genre venue that hosts live DJ'd events and live musicians.  We are for adults only (18+).  We have 4 separate party venue sites:  The main club, a futuristic set of science labs; A poolside venue that is adjacent to a beautiful garden site for lovely photo ops; a beachfront venue with a wonderful beach bar; and the Big Event site where we host monthly events with a different theme every month.   At the moment, we are open Thursday - Saturday.  On Thursdays, we feature EDM/dance/pop music.  On this night, you will want to wear club attire and be ready to dance the night away.  Fridays are our naughty nights where explicit music is played and sexy attire is allowed, provided all bits are covered.  Saturdays, Rock music is the focus and we have some of the finest Rock DJs on the grid!  Once per month, we host a large-scale event that spans the entire weekend, from Thursday to Saturday.  It is a themed event whereby participants are encouraged to dress to the theme, making sure that they have on one piece of free club merchandise to join a contest worth Lindens and gift cards.

Solgazer:  If you think of Science, each room is a different lab.  Biology, physics and so on.  We also have Marine Biology as well.  We actually had our first monthly event on May 28th,  “Coming Out of Quarantine.”  It was a huge hit!  We’re looking forward to our next event, “The Masquerade”.  Details forthcoming.

SLE:  The grid has many nightclubs all vying for guests.  What makes Biology Club different from the other places out there?

Dresi / Brit: It is unique in its theme and its approach to multiple party sites to keep guests interested and intrigued.  It is a highly interactive venue with a lot of photo opportunities and exploration potential.

Solgazer:  It’s something that hasn’t been done before!

SLE:  Who are you hoping to attract?  What kind of clientele? 

Dresi / Brit: We hope to attract people who enjoy a variety of music and are looking for a club home.  We work very hard to create a welcoming environment and we want to attract a clientele who wants a regular place to hang out that offers variety and excellent entertainment.

Solgazer:  All those who love all music! Each day is a different music genre!  Thursday is EDM/dance, Friday is Naughty Night, Saturday is Rock!

SLE:  How might someone learn more about this amazing place?

Dresi / Brit: The best way to get a feel for the energy of Biology Club is to actually visit and become a member of our "social experiment".  Potential guests can follow the SLURL below or join our Facebook page (also listed below) to keep well informed about club events.

Solgazer:  We have a Facebook page and a group that people can join.   But everyone needs to come out and see for themselves how awesome a place it is!

SLE:   Anything else you would like our readers to know about Biology Club?

Dresi / Brit: We want to make sure that everyone knows that Biology Club prides itself on providing a welcoming environment for all.   We do not discriminate on any basis whatsoever.  We are all about Love and Acceptance... and are a No Drama Zone!

Solgazer:  You really have to look around!  There is something unique in every place you look and it’s not just in the main club! There is the garden, the poolside dance area, and a gacha area.  Take a trip with the seahorses down to the beach.

Additional information
SLURL:     https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Desert%20Moon/139/129/3002

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/BiologyClubSL/