Splash Fall 2023
Course Catalog

So many games sound fun, but end up being total snoozefests. Why are games so hard to make? In this class we'll make our own games while talking about what makes a game good, bad, or downright ugly.


Class Style
Workshop

Come for an afternoon of K-pop history, music, idol groups, and minigames! On our list: the generations of K-pop, scandals, groups like BTS and Twice, and more. We’ll focus on what makes K-pop both amazing and problematic. There will be themed snacks!


Class Style
Discussion

Trying to build new playlists? Looking to discover your next repeat favorite? From hidden classics to chart-topping hits, we'll cover the tools to expand your music taste.


Class Style
Presentation/Lecture

Ever curious about the magic happening inside your phone or how intricate electronics come to life? Join us for a workshop where we unravel the wonders of electronics in the simplest manner. We'll dive into the fascinating world of batteries, LEDs, resistors, switches, and beyond.

After an introduction, you'll embark on a hands-on adventure in soldering where you'll craft and take home your very own electronics kit, a token of your newly acquired skill.

Whether you're a novice or just looking to refresh your knowledge, this workshop is crafted just for you. Join us for an engaging journey into the heart of electronics, no previous experience required!


Class Style
Workshop

We're bringing back an engineering classic and you guessed it, it's the egg drop challenge. You and a team of 2-3 others will work to collaborate and create a device to protect your egg from shattering after taking quite a tumble. Embrace your inner engineer for a fun-hands on activity to test your collaboration and problem solving skills.


Class Style
Workshop

Robots may destroy the world, but probably not like they did in The Terminator. Come find out what future robots will look like, whether they will think like you or I, and whether you should be afraid of them. **This class does not require a computer science background**


Class Style
Discussion

Our course will highlight how reality television reflects societal norms and dominant ideology. We will discuss how reality television maintains and rejects systemic tensions.


Class Style
Discussion

In many countries, there are active socialist and communist parties, but not in the United States. Why not? Come join as we explore the history of the American left and the labor movement, with everything from all-out battles against the federal government to backroom political backstabbing and everything in between.


Class Style
Presentation/Lecture

Prerequisites
A general understanding of American history can be helpful for understanding the context of the class.

The American Civil War ended in 1865, we abolished slavery, and we don't have to think about what happened afterward, right?

The reality is that one of the most intense political battles in history took place over the next ten years, and proved that sometimes history is written by the losers.


Class Style
Activity

Prerequisites
Content Warning: This class may discuss racial and political violence that occurred during this time period. A basic familiarity with the American Civil War may be assumed.

Have your parents ever roasted you for being on your phone too much, for spending hours scrolling through social media? Have they ever spent hours reading the newspaper? Well, you should inform them that news has evolved, and that those little political cartoons they look at mocking current politics have transformed into witty and sometimes questionable video clips of kids on the Internet giving their hot take on current events. In this class we'll analyze some of the most infamous political cartoons from the past alongside some of the most iconic vines and tiktoks of our generation, and observe how political satire has changed with each generation.


Class Style
Discussion

Come learn about what makes the internet tick, from websites, to apps, to games! We'll learn about how computers talk to each other, how websites work, and to be honest probably far too many acronyms* – a cheat sheet will be included :).

We'll also learn about some of the cybersecurity side. What does it actually mean for someone to know your IP address? How do people "hack" websites? Come and find out!

*Including but not limited to: IP, HTML/CSS/JS, HTTP/HTTPS, DNS, BGP, URLs, DDoS, XSRF, and XSS.


Class Style
Presentation/Lecture

Ever wanted to learn about how those silly little pictures on your phone work?.

Come learn about Unicode, an international standard for text that includes thousands of
characters from the simple letter "a", to the large and mysterious "𒈙", and even "👍".

We'll also learn about why emoji and Unicode tend to break everything, from invisible usernames to text messages that crash your phone.


Class Style
Presentation/Lecture

Have you ever seen a taxidermy and wondered if it really used to be an animal? Or seen a brain in a glass jar and wondered why it's in all that liquid? In this class you will be learning about the wonderful world of biological collections, aka, how to preserve dead things. We will learn about taxidermies, fluid preserved specimens, dried specimens, and more, as well as all the work that is needed to maintain them.

Then- you will get a chance to make your own fluid preserved specimen! At the end of class you will take home your own bug in a jar, that should be well preserved for you to keep for many years to come!


Class Style
Activity

The idea of humans changing themselves at a molecular level proliferates through all sort of science fiction, be it horror or humor. This science fiction concept is no longer confined to the world of fiction, and it turns out that its much more complicated than any story would have us believe.

Come learn the true history and science behind gene editing. Then, we will all work together on a large escape-room-like puzzle that models the work real scientists go through to edit a gene. Will you be the next scientist who prevails in making sci-fi into real life?


Class Style
Activity

Prerequisites
High School Biology

Are you interested in space? Come join us for a deep dive into black holes and get hands-on erupting one of your own!


Class Style
Experiment

a brief yet thorough review of the pre-human history of the universe. Will involve information from a variety of disciplines within science, including physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, geology, and more.


Class Style
Presentation/Lecture

Prerequisites
Algebra II, Geometry, some basic Calculus knowledge.

You -- everything you consider to be your personality, thoughts, identity -- are dictated by electrical and chemical signals in a blob of jelly. That blob is in your head and called your brain! In this class, you'll learn a smorgasbord of things about sentient jelly. Be prepared for wild facts, confusing contradictions, and demonstrations of brain science!


Class Style
Demonstration

Science experiments get more and more expensive! This isn't fair to ordinary people like you and me. In this class, I will show you how to extract slimy DNA from bananas and I will guide you through the process of building your own Gel Electrophoresis experiment! Without all the fancy stuff of course. Join me and I'll show you what you can do with just a little bit of creativity!


Class Style
Experiment

What is college even for? Should I go?? How do I even apply or know which college to choose???

If you've ever had these questions or worries, fear no more. In this class we'll have an open discussion about college - what's it for, is it worth it, and how to help you choose where to go and get started.

Note that we will NOT be reading over people's specific supplements or essays. This will serve as a general discussion and I will provide some insights and tips that I and others have used when it comes to applying for college. My advice is general and not specific to one-college, however I am happy to provide specific information on Northeastern's programs and resources!

(Note: Taking classes at Splash does not affect your Northeastern college application)


Class Style
Discussion

What makes a good photo? Why do we care about what's on the front page of the paper? Photography has more layers than what's aesthetically pleasing.

Learn how to approach photography from a journalistic perspective in this hands on photography class tackling how to photograph ethically and artistically. We'll talk about the ethics of photojournalism and lead a camera workshop on photojournalism basics.


Class Style
Workshop

Prerequisites
Basic understanding of cameras and a willing to learn attitude, you don't have to be an expert! Familiarize yourself on the basics of what ISO, aperture, and shutter speed are even if you have no photography experience.