Splash Spring 2024
Course Catalog

If you've been curious about what happens before a director shouts, "Quiet on set" or "action," actors get together to rehearse a scene for a movie or show, or editors work together to mix the sound and visuals for the content we love, we will talk about how screenplays are created and how you can start your own! We will go over creating an outline, using screenplay formatting, and share ideas of a screenplay you wish to write. No prior knowledge is required, and anyone is welcome to join! A computer is recommended so that you can type, but it is not required. We will make sure to have paper and pencil for you to use if you'd like.

Have you ever seen crocheted projects and wanted to make your own? Have you tried to crochet and just ended up with a tangled ball of yarn? (We’ve all been there) Join us for a hands-on workshop to learn the basic crochet knots and create a project of your own. We’ll be starting out with making a simple square and then kicking it up a notch to crochet an arugami rabbit. All skill levels are welcome and all the necessary supplies will be provided.

Do you find yourself remembering the specific music used in your favorite tv show or movie? Do you enjoy finding songs that connect to you? Join this class to discuss the power of music in different types of media and the ways in which music can affect our interpretation of these media forms.

Dissecting the art of the needle drop in coming of age movies, specifically how they affect the scenes they are in.


Prerequisites
none

This class will provide a brief introduction to lift and the other forces of flight, static stability, and other topics in flight dynamics, through the context of paper aircraft.

The media we consume on a daily basis impacts how we perceive certain groups and the language we use. Tracing language use thus speaks to our ideologies we have about others. In this class, we will analyze how RuPaul's Drag Race has impacted both the language we use as well as our ideologies about queer people.

This class is open to all political ideologies!! This class will look at the ways in which Trump's base resembles a cult. We will take a look at popular cults and attempt to differentiate between the occult and religion. In addition, we will examine the ways in which Evangelicals have turned Trump into a charismatic leader and how Christianity manifests itself in America.


Prerequisites
None!

What is happiness? How does one become happy? What do various philosophical traditions have to say about it? Explore all of these questions and more with Philosophy of Happiness.

Are you curious about the history of NASA, specifically the black history? Then this is the perfect class for you. Future engineers, astronauts, mathematicians, etc. all played a role in discovering significant information about the unknown of the world. In this class, we will discuss and evaluate a few pivotal black members of NASA. We will have students rolepay being an engineer by having them design a rocket fueled by a reaction between baking soda and vinegar.

What makes a rubber band stretch? How does a nonstick pan becomes non-sticky? Why is stainless steel stainless? What makes materials look and perform the way they do? Join us for an adventure through introductory and interactive concepts of materials science, where you’ll learn just how all this stuff works.

Did you know that strawberries have ~5x as many protein-encoding genes as humans do? In this course, we'll get hands-on practice with experimental design while recreating the classic strawberry DNA extraction experiment, while giving an overview of modern genetics research. We'll also be giving a brief introduction to scientific literature, and how to use curiosity to investigate the (fruity) phenomena in life.


Prerequisites
Interest in the biological systems that surround (and constitute!) us :)

Every individual has the potential to realize their highest potential, beyond their wildest imaginations. Philosophies of the East, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism, have critical teachings to offer Westerners, that they cannot get anywhere else. Unlike religions of the West, the Eastern traditions do not focus on dogma, but rather on methods of liberation: liberation from suffering. This means they are concerned with transforming states of consciousness through forms of meditation. Together, we will explore the Eastern approach to life, as well as the simple meditation practices that can bring about transformative and life-changing mystical experiences.

This class can touch on math, physics, biology, and/or psychology, as they relate to spirituality, depending on the interest level of students.


Prerequisites
None

Do you have a business idea but don't know how to start? Or do you want to be prepared for when your next big idea strikes?

In this class, we'll discuss how to pursue a business idea in an efficient, low-cost, and scalable manner. Specifically, we'll discuss how to use a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) — the simplest product you can offer to your customers — to quickly validate your idea. We'll discuss the importance of failing fast, look at different kinds of MVPs you can use for your product, and explore case studies of companies that cleverly used MVPs to launch their businesses. By the end of this class, you'll be prepared to go out and pursue any business idea that you have!

Students are encouraged to sign up for this class whether or not you currently have any business ideas – hopefully this class will inspire you, or at the very least, prepare you for when an idea strikes!

As AI continues to be applied to more and more use-cases, its potential impact on society has grown significantly – both for good and for bad.

In this course, we'll examine several ethical implications of the use of AI in our society. We'll discuss how AI models can unintentionally become biased against gender and race, the privacy and surveillance concerns introduced by AI, and the danger of AI-produced misinformation. AI isn't something that needs to be feared, but by gaining a deeper understanding of the surrounding ethical concerns, we can make sure we can take advantage of the benefits it brings while protecting ourselves from the potential harms.

As a discussion-based class, we'll be flexible in what topics we focus on based on what people are interested in discussing.

No prior knowledge is required to take this class – anyone with an interested in the ethics of AI is encouraged to register!

Presentations are important to any future career. In this class we will learn presentation techniques and make our own. Prepare to get creative...

Ever wanted to see what Northwestern (or any college campus) is like? You've come to the right place!

We'll be heading on an abridged tour of Northwestern, hitting as many important landmarks as possible. Unlike a regular college tour, I'll try my best to fit my tour to any interests you may have.

Please note that I am not an official tour guide! If you'd like to register for an official Northwestern tour by trained tour guides, you can do so on the Northwestern website.

I could make an argument for why you should join this class but I’d rather teach you to make it yourself.

A class where you get taught to argue, win and prove that you’re right all the time. This class covers content on how to construct arguments, rebuttals and we’ll have some in-class debates so you can show off your skills. All interested debaters are welcome. No prior experience necessary