☠ Día de los Muertos – Spanish Minor Fair 2016

The Smithsonian Latino Center in collaboration with the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) present a Day of the Dead/Día de los Muertos 3D experience in Second Life, an avatar based virtual world, using the Smithsonian Latino Virtual Museum (LVM) digital collections illustrating customs and beliefs varying from ancient Mesoamerica to those currently practiced in today’s Latino culture. This year’s festival is hosted on Second Life courtesy of UTEP.

To join the festivities, follow these steps:

  1. Sign up for a free Second Life account and get your avatar. See this page for more information
  2. Stop by the Valdosta State University Island to say hello and get a free virtual VSU t-shirt! Just enter “Valdosta State University” in the search bar once you are in Second Life, and you’ll be instantly teleported to West Hall.
  3. Once you are in Second Life, click on this link to bring up the map in your web browser, and then teleport to the Smithsonian Latino Virtual Museum festivities!

 

Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a day of celebration for the people of Latin America, particularly in Mexico and Central America, and more recently for Mexican Americans. Rather than grieve over the loss of a beloved family or friend, they choose to commemorate the lives of the dearly departed and welcome the return of their spirits. The history of Day of the Dead is embedded with Pre-Hispanic and Spanish customs. These customs shaped the common elements of traditional Mexican Dia de los Muertos. Today, Day of the Dead has been increasingly popular with Latinos in the United States. Though many of the traditional elements have remained how and where Day of the Dead is celebrated has changed.

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Michigan State University (MSU) Challenges Defending Champs UTEP In Virtual Death Match
“We are looking forward for the opportunity to challenge our good friends and colleagues at the Smithsonian Latino Center and Michigan State University. The Meso-American Ballgame tournament has been a great way for us to collaborate educationally and culturally through technology—and to have some serious fun. Game on!” says Steven Valera, UTEP Mesoamerican Ballgame Captain, and Associate Director and faculty member at Academic Technologies for UTEP.

Sign up for Tournament here…send an email to: ATinSecondLife@gmail.com.

The Day of the Dead Ballgame Tournament, sponsored by the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), is based on the first organized, ancient Mesoamerican sport played almost 3,500 years ago, using a rubber ball. The ball game will take place at the Ballcourt of the Sun located in the UTEP Miner Island. Festival participants are encouraged to learn more about the game by visiting www.ballgame.org, and organizing tournaments with friends and family as the Smithsonian LVM – UTEP Ballcourt of the Sun will be open to visitors throughout the festival.

Click here for more information, or send an email to any of the professors at VSU avatars.