By: Carly Compesi, Staff Writer
Mikaela Taylor roams the Regis club fair while navigating the Sims-like program Degy World with her virtual avatar. screenshot courtesy of Mikaela Taylor
With new safety measures in place, clubs and organizations were left without an in-person club fair. The solution? Regis University stepped into a new world: Degy World.
Degy World is an interactive platform that turns people into avatars. These adjustable avatars can walk, talk, and even dance through the platform. And the biggest advantage? Avatars can do all of their walking, talking, and dancing while users remain in the safety of their own homes.
According to the director of Student Life, Dave Law, the Degy World experience had a certain, Sims-like quality. Much like the life simulation video game, Degy World allowed avatars to roam freely around the event spaces, all of which were customized to better represent Regis University. Using these avatars, students could wander through the “Champions Center” to discover clubs and organizations. Many of these clubs and organizations had booths with club representatives, giving students an opportunity to connect, and exchange information with one another.
Students could even enter the “Oasis Stage,” which featured live musicians on a virtual beach. Their avatars could dance along with other viewers or explore the surroundings from the nearby lighthouse. While the Oasis had me wishing for a tropical vacation, it certainly did its best to bring the sun and the sand to Regis.
For those of you who didn’t make it into Degy World, or for those of you who can’t wait to go back, you may be in luck. Degy World could host future Regis University events, as was suggested by a few RUSGA representatives. The club fair may have been the first time Regis students could enter this virtual world, but there is a chance it won’t be the last.