Splash Spring 2019
Course Catalog

Kanye West is a polarizing figure who has captured headlines for over a decade. Virtually anyone you speak to, regardless of how much they follow contemporary Hip Hop, has an opinion on Kanye due to his influential music and controversial reputation.

Love him or hate him, you know Kanye. Or do you? Do any of us? Who is the complicated individual that has time and time again demonstrated an ability to take popular culture by storm and become a household word?

In this class we will try to add some nuance to the man behind the image. We will look at Kanye's upbringing, his music, and the actions that have kept him perpetually relevant 15 years after the release of his first album.

Have you every wanted to learn how to draw a still object? Have you ever wanted to learn how to draw but you were scared to? This class is designed to teach the fundamentals behind drawing still objects or even mental abstractions. This class is meant to be fun and relaxing, even if you are learning something new.


Prerequisites
No prerequisites necessary

Never done parliamentary debate? Want to learn one of the most common forms of debating at the college level? Come to this class!

Attending a fancy gala soon? Need to bop your way into someone's forgiveness? We can help you with that! We'll go over the basics of waltz and cha cha that'll hopefully have you not looking like an newborn giraffe prancing about the savanna/disco.

Learn the basics of block printing! Here you'll get to make what is basically a large rubber stamp of your own design to create prints that you can make again and again!

Enjoy making things and want to impress people of all ages? Want to get over your fear of balloons? Then this is the class for you!


Prerequisites
Ready to learn :)

Do you love reading, and now you want to create your own stories? Do you have Thoughts on the Subject whenever you read your favorite books? Do you already have a grasp of plot, characterization, and setting, and feel ready to move on to bigger and better things in your writing? Most of all, do you want to learn the secrets that professional writers use to draw their readers in?

Then this is the class for you! Taught by a Columbia University creative writing major, we'll be taking a prose- and fiction-focused approach to creative writing and storytelling (and playing lots of fun writing games!). Also, there will be snacks.


Prerequisites
A love for reading and writing, a grasp of the basic mechanics of English and plotting a story, and a desire to play fun writing games!

Come learn the basics of breaking with Sympoh Urban Arts Crew, Princeton's only b-boy/b-girl crew! We'll teach you fundamental moves in top rock and footwork, as well as some freezes. No previous dance experience necessary -- all you need is enthusiasm (and preferably a water bottle).

We will be listening to different kinds of classical music. Specifically, we will be focusing on Shostakovitch's 8th quartet. It is his autobiographical quartet. We will discuss what it means to write in "the language of music," and consider how it is more effective than words. The course is open to students with no musical experience, and all we ask is a a listening ear.

Do you love to write fiction? Perhaps you love reading fiction novels or short stories and always wanted to try it out yourself? Whether you've written fiction all your life or you've never written fiction but always wanted to try, this class is for you! Through a series of fun creative writing exercises and group discussions about published works of fiction, you will unlock your inner writer and explore the power of the written word.


Prerequisites
Come with a positive attitude and a creative mind!

Naacho South Asian Dance Company is a group here on campus that performs a variety of South Asian dance forms like raas, bhangra, hip hop, and Bollywood. In this course, we will be teaching some of our favorite steps to our favorite Bollywood beats. Come join the fun!

Dance workshop teaching the basics of bhangra, a high-energy South Asian dance form.

Ever wanted to learn how to dance Bachata, Merengue or Salsa? Come learn the basics and short combos to some popular Latin dances.

We will use software to observe how molecules behave under certain conditions. Basic statistical techniques used in the molecular dynamics field will be demonstrated, and examples using Hyperchem and LAMPPS will be shown to illustrate the theoretical concepts.

Learn how to build your own personal website hosted on github! Learn the basics of HTML, CSS, and version control with git. Please bring your own laptop if you have one!


Prerequisites
Bring a laptop if you have one! Some experience with git/github would be nice but not required.

Learn how to keep your bike in tip-top condition and ride like a pro! This class will teach you how to repair and tweak brakes, tyres & tubes, gearing, and more. We will also look at techniques for staying safe on the road and general road riding etiquette. By the end, you should be able to safely enjoy all the freedom that two wheels can offer you!

Fake news, conspiracy theories, trolls, and Alex Jones. The internet has brought on so many different types of interactions, political sentiments, and more.
In this 50-minute course, we'll discuss several relevant and prominent current events and media trends.


Prerequisites
A general interest in politics or sociology.

Economics plays a role in every industry and policy discussion we have today. In this course, we will apply the tools of microeconomics to evaluate policies pertaining to labor and the environment. We will look at the equation governing unions, the economics behind natural resource extraction, and the efficiency of proposed policies in both of these areas.


Prerequisites
AP Economics would be helpful, but not a requirement

This is not your third period AP Us History textbook. In here, the primary sources have gone rogue and are telling hilarious anecdotes about people cracking snarky comebacks, an entire country that does everything backwards, strange plants and animals, and fathers getting way too drunk at their kids’ parties. Amidst the chaos there are tragic heroes, wise philosophers, powerful kings, and the deeply unnerving realization that truth is subjective and figuring out “what really happened” is a lot harder than it seems.

Nicolas Flamel is a name most associated with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, but the history of Flamel goes so much further than that. Who was the real Flamel, and how has his myth been as immortal as (according to legend) the man himself?


Prerequisites
Knowledge of Harry Potter would be useful but not necessary.

toki - language; to talk, to speak
pona - good, simple

Toki pona is said to be the smallest language in the world, with just 123 words. Inspired by Taoist philosophy and the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis (language influences thinking), Sonja Lang created the language in 2001 as an experiment: what happens if we boil language down to the bare essentials? Come take part in this experiment!

For inspiration, check out this podcast episode: https://www.theallusionist.org/allusionist/tokipona

I will follow this course: http://tokipona.net/tp/janpije/okamasona.php


Prerequisites
None.

The Korean alphabet!

𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐒

the skin
of my poems
May be green, yes,
and sometimes
wrinkled
or worn

the snake shape
of my song
may cause
the heel
of Adam & Eve
to bleed . . .

split my skin
with the rock
of love old
as the rock
of Moses
my poems
love you

Are you worried about applying for college? Have you heard that the essay can make or break your application, but you're not sure where to start? Do you want to learn from someone who's already been through it how to make yourself stand out as an applicant and turn heads in the admissions office? Then come get all the answers to your questions, and learn how to write a killer essay that'll knock your readers' socks off! (There will be snacks.)

Why do politicians seem to be so bad at their job? Why can't they reach a conclusion that seems so obvious to you? Why do them make bad decisions ALL the time? This examines the underlying theories that explains how political actors make their decisions, and potentially how they can reach unwanted outcomes. The class will be an interactive format with several simulations that follow contemporary and historical examples of political dilemmas.


Prerequisites
None

You may recognize half columns and the crumbling temples of Pompeii, but what was life really like before Mt. Vesuvius erupted and covered the city? We will follow the lives of various Romans to explore the different aspects of Pompeiian life, including daily life, spectacle, diet, culture and art.

This class will show you, in an accessible way (no formal exposure to math needed), some of the simplest and coolest results in the Theory of Machine Learning. Nowadays, this area is mostly known for its far-reaching applications, but the theoretical basis for ML actually offers lots of surprises as well. We will talk about things like the VC dimension, the weighted majority algorithm, and connections to Game Theory!


Prerequisites
No previous Machine Learning exposure required. No Math Prerequisites! We will explain everything. The more math you know, the cooler the results will appear to you, though :)

Fractals are a weird and wonderful intersection of mathematics and art.
Conventionally, we think of the shapes of things as being well-defined, neatly behaved squares, circles, or triangles. But that's boring, and nature doesn't even behave like that. When was the last time you saw a triangular tree or perfectly circular island? There's much more to fractals than those weird colorful images you might see as a screensaver.
In this course, we'll look into some of the interesting and surprisingly simple math behind fractals and create some of our own. In particular, we'll use a paper copier to turn a triangle into a fern, create the famed Mandelbrot set, and go over some of the applications this fun branch of math has to offer.


Prerequisites
Understanding of complex numbers

How do companies like Facebook, Google, and Amazon turn code into extremely profitable websites? Using many computers turned into "clouds", they can deliver their content around the world. Many other companies rent computers from these clouds, powering web sites everywhere. I'll talk about how the modern Internet really works, and why clouds came to be.

Windows vs. Mac. Android vs. iOS. Operating systems are our windows into the computing world, uniting parts of a computer into a usable interface. I'll talk about key concepts in all operating systems, using a coffee shop as a metaphor, and cover some implementations.

Ever wondered why you have to get a new flu vaccine every year? Or why immune reactions protect you from infection in some cases, but cause pathology in others? Want to understand some of the hottest trends in cancer biology? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you should seriously consider joining our immune systems class.

During this class, we will cover the basics of the innate and adaptive immune responses. We will also briefly touch upon related topics such as immunotherapeutics and vaccines.


Prerequisites
High school biology and chemistry

Remember that time when you spent more time than you're willing to admit watching "Planet Earth", "Blue Planet" or any documentary about animal behavior?

Come to this class to learn a bit about the theory behind that whole different world of behavior, learning how to describe and explain some of them.

Human being have long worked to unlock the potential inside of proteins, one of the basic parts in a biological system. By manipulating genes, humans can change the structure of a protein with fantastic results. (The 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was for protein design.) Learn how researchers can design and manipulate proteins, and some of the ways that humans use synthetic proteins!


Prerequisites
High School Biology

Have you ever seen those magnificent flying creatures in the sky while you were walking around and wish that you could have taken the time to look at them more closely? In this class, we will take a nature walk around Princeton's campus and the surrounding area for the purpose of bird-watching. We will provide some pairs of binoculars for students to share and help them identify the local birds, either by sight or by song. No bird-watching experience necessary!

What determines attraction between two people? Where does the idea of "being out of someone's league" originate? What makes for a successful relationship, or break up? Enroll to delve into psychological theories on the development and maintenance of relationships!

Vaccines are regarded as one of the most important advancements in medicine, yet they became a victim of their own success. Many people oppose vaccination due to concerns about vaccine effectiveness and safety, but how scientifically grounded are these claims? What are the truths and the misinformation which have penetrated the anti-vaccine community? How should public health policy address the question of vaccination? Come to share your opinion and learn more about the development, testing and results of vaccines.

I will co-teach this course with Conor Wilson, a Princeton undergraduate in the Department of Molecular Biology. Wilson grew up in Ireland, is the first in his family to attend college, and has served as an undergraduate research assistant in the laboratory of Dr. Fred Hughson, whose work focuses on structural biology.


Prerequisites
Biology, chemistry

Are you broke? Do you wanna glow up but don't know where to start? We're here to school you on Korean skincare. Go from skincare newbie to someone your skin can be proud of. Come learn about how to analyze ingredients, Korean skincare brands, and how to tailor a personal skincare routine.

Students will be introduced to a beginner's method for solving the Rubik's Cube. Students will be taught to solve the first two layers and also look into some of the mathematics behind the puzzle. The rest of the solving method will be taught time-permitting; regardless, the resources to learn the rest will be distributed to the students.

Come learn how to 3D Model! This course is geared towards people with little to no experience with 3D modeling. You'll learn where to find and download a list of FREE programs which you can use to make professional-level 3D models. After learning 3D modeling, you'll learn how you can use free computer programs and your phone's camera to create 3D scans of anything.

The title says it all.

You'll learn how to use lock picks to unlock a padlock. I'll teach you the theory behind why lock picking works, some defenses lock-makers use to guard against picking, and how to make your own set of picks using paperclips.

Your own laptop is required for this course.

Understanding nuclear proliferation in South Asia is essential to any study of international relations. During this course we will first review basic theories of conflict. Then we will take a closer look at recent and historical events, and analyze the strategy of countries such as India and Pakistan. We will then examine the threat of nuclear war in South Asia. Finally, we will discuss the global response to this crisis and nuclear balance today. We will conclude with a crisis simulation.

We will be exploring five conspiracy theories and opening up discussion to the whole class. The five conspiracy theories that we will be exploring are: JFK assassination, Avril Lavigne replaced, Cure for Cancer being withheld, Birds are Government Drones, and Hitler survived WWII.

Part 1 of this class focuses on what to see in Europe. Whether you dream of months exploring, a college year abroad or a couple quick week's vacations, Europe holds many wonders. Far more than just what sights to see, I plan on linking countries through common themes and regions, cultures and history. Europe has gone through some personality changes the past 5 years but still holds immense charm and beauty. This class will help you get to know it a little bit more. (Part 2 is more about the actual mechanics of travelling the area. You can choose either Part or both but if both, please be sure to register for each class separately.)


Prerequisites
A sense of adventure:)

Part 2 of this class focuses on how to plan a trip to Europe. Whether you dream of months exploring, a college year abroad or a couple quick week's vacations, Europe holds many wonders and time is valuable. We will discuss the best way to travel (air, train, sleeper cars, car), where to stay (hostel, air bnb, hotel) and how to budget for maximum time, limited funds but still enjoying the highlights. (Part 1 is more about planning what to see in Europe and less of how to see it. You can choose either Part or both but if both, please be sure to register for each class separately.)


Prerequisites
A sense of adventure:)

Walk-ins welcome!

In this class you'll learn the things we wish our high school health classes had taught us about safer sex, consent, romantic/sexual orientation, and gender identity. We'll talk about when to use protection and what types exist. We'll also teach you how to recognize what is, and what is not, consent. We'll talk about gender and romantic/sexual identities, answering questions about what it means to be everything from bisexual to transgender to demisexual!

Come learn some basic crochet skills, and leave with your first project!

Are you a koreaboo? Do you love kpop and wang to learn the dances? If so, this is the class for you! We will be teaching a popular kpop song either from BTS, Red Velvet, Shinee, GFriend or more. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY, just be ready to dance and have fun!

Ever kept a goldfish or a betta and heard people say "They die easily". Yeah...they aren't supposed to do that. This course introduces you to the things necessary to get started as a fish keeper, including a lot of knowledge about fish species and their natural habitats.