Posts Tagged ‘college mascots’

Virtual College Tour in Higher Education: Second Life Style

Friday, June 25th, 2010
image

alice_burgess

My College Guide discovered a slew of Second Life campus tours on YouTube – and we thought you might like to see them.  You won’t believe the ways in which the college campus has been reinterpreted within these virtual worlds!

Check out the  Washington State University Second Life virtual college tour with an appearance from the WSU Mascot Butch T. Cougar himself.  There’s also Florida International University that mimics the Miami, Florida campus – right down to the palm trees.

You’ll find the University of Kentucky, Saint Paul College’s tour that shows off The Pavilion (a meeting place with video screens and virtual Coke machine), as well as Ohio University and several learning kiosks.  But YouTube has even more, like East Carolina University, Texas State University San Marcos (with drivable golf carts and boats), San Jose State University, and ECPI College of Technology.

A trip to a Second Life virtual college campus won’t replace an actual college campus visit — but you can check out college coursework, student Second Life projects, and even sit in on lectures, speakers, and events – while having a little fun, too!  Take a look at how the college and university campus is transformed into this virtual world in recognizable (and sometimes not so recognizable) ways.  Watch Texas A&M’s Second Life Campus on YouTube or watch it below.

It’s a Trap! No, Just Ole Miss Students Voting

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

lukeamotion/Luke Pickard

Colleges sometimes have really unusual college mascots – or, possibly even more unusual — no mascot at all!  That’s the  case with the University of Mississippi.  Ole Miss retired Colonel Rebel, their controversial southern gentleman mascot, back in 2003 — and haven’t had one since!

But a mascot is in the future for Ole Miss students.  Tuesday, February 23, 2010, University of Mississippi students voted online as to whether or not they wanted a voice in choosing the new mascot – or if they wanted to leave it in the hands of college officials.  The result? UM students voted yes — well, 2,510 students voted yes with only 856 voting no.

Students selected to serve on the Student Mascot Advisory Committee will begin developing a new mascot, keeping the school colors (red and blue), and the name “Ole Miss Rebels” which only leaves the question – what (or who) should be the next University of Mississippi mascot?

Students, alumni, and the Twittersphere in general have been tweeting all sorts of hilarious mascot suggestions but the favorite by far is currently none other than Admiral Ackbar – yes, you read that right: the Admiral Ackbar of Star Wars fame!  The Mon Calamari and his catch-phrase “it’s a trap” has been appearing everywhere: on his website, Facebook page, Twitter account, and is suddenly one of the high ranking search terms on Google!

What do you think?  Will Lucas Arts permit Admiral Ackbar to become the new Old Miss Mascot or do you think that Ole Miss students should move on?  Do you have a better idea?  Share it in the comments section below!