Splash Spring 2018
Course Catalog

Aspiring photographer? Like taking pictures? Come learn the basics of photography and increasing social media presence.

Do you want to step up your Instagram game? Do you want more likes on your photos? Do you want to become a better photographer? If you answered yes to any of these questions then this course is for you!

A (non-professional) beginner's session exploring the nuances of urban dance and all the flavour music has to offer. Anyone is welcome, doesn't matter if you've never wriggled your body or even watched a dance video in your life. We'll be going through videos of a variety of choreographers ranging from Sorah Yang to Dylan Morale and picking up on what makes their dance style unique. We'll also be unpacking the layers in a song that you are able to jam and groove to. There is no actual dancing included in this course

This course will look at various similarities across various works in the medium. The course will include a quick overview of creation of several major superheroes, and how they have evolved and why they remain over the years. The course will also look at several important stories in comic books that utilize the medium in an attempt to show what features make the best stories.

Learn how different movie making techniques change the style and feel of a film. We will dive into all your favorite movies from directors such as Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, M. Night Shyamalan and many others! Get inside the heads of your favorite directors and see how movies are created behind the camera.

Want to learn how to code Python? Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a woman in technology and business? Then this class is for you! We will provide you with an introduction to Computer Science as a dynamic, problem-solving discipline, and teach you how to code and design your own smiley face in Turtle. Furthermore, we will lead a discussion on what it is like to be a woman in the world of technology and business, and why you should consider exploring these exciting fields. This class is welcome to anyone who wants to learn!

This class will cover the basics of what entrepreneurship is, how it works and what skills you need to succeed as an entrepreneur. We will spend time talking about how you can create a business, design a website, and brainstorm new products. We will watch clips from shark tank and look at what it takes to present your product.

Learn how to make your very own website in this hands-on class! By the end of the class, you will have made a complete demo website to show off your own personal achievements (or anything else you'd like). Through this process, you will learn about domain names, themes, plugins, pages, and how websites work. You will make your site using WordPress, a free publishing platform, without needing to write any code! No prior programming experience required.

Explore the intricacies of an entirely new world: Fortnite. Join us as you delve deep into your imagination as we examine the wildly popular strategy video game. Studying YouTube video footage and discussing strategic tactics, we will contemplate the most effective strategies to increase longevity, positioning the player for "Victory Royale." If you are interested in learning more about the game and the underlying strategy, sign up for the class!

Being comfortable with navigating your way around Excel is crucial not only for your success in college but for many careers after as well. This course will familiarize you with Excel and help you become comfortable using the program as a problem-solving tool. After going over how to use basic functions and reviewing examples and applications, we will split the class into teams and have a competition for students to showcase their new skills (snacks and prizes will be provided!!). Our goal is to show you that Excel can be useful, life-changing, and dare we say—fun!!


Prerequisites
Familiarity with a computer

Basic discussion about how can artificial intelligence can help and improve our life in the near future.


Prerequisites
N/A

This course will examine the approach to writing a fool-proof 5-paragraph essay, on any topic. It is meant for any level of writers, group work will be involved.


Prerequisites
Knowledge of the English Language, Grammar, and proper syntax.

1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue... But that was not all that happened! This course looks at the often-overlooked events of 1492 that were crucial in the development of modern Spanish and Latin American culture. This course is for anyone who enjoys Spanish, likes history, or just wants to know more about how modern America came to be.

2008 wasn't the first crisis that has struck America. Time and time again economic crises show the same symptoms - fraud, needless risk, and excessive optimism. This class will focus on different economic crises throughout history and show their common patterns and what we can learn about the current economic situation.

Ever heard of the Dancing Plague of 1518? What about Victorian vampire burials? And what's the deal with Irish bog mummies? Learn about all of this and more as we explore burial customs and practices from all over the world and throughout time.

Did you know Socrates spoke mainly to the youth of Athens? Philosophy is meant for everyone—teenagers included. Though few subjects can seem more intimidating, philosophy is deeply interesting and rewarding. In this introductory class, you'll learn the basic ideas of those old thinkers you've heard so much about—Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Don't be afraid! You're never too young to start pursuing the truth.

I would like to have a class which talks about the value of meeting people outside of class. People should take advantage of the resources around them, and biggest resource around us are the people around us.

Are you an introvert or an extrovert? A thinker or a feeler? Take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to discover your personality type and learn more about how you perceive the world!


Prerequisites
N/A

Ever wonder how many people you should date before settling down? What about whether you should dump your significant other when they ditch you? With this class you will learn how to mathematically prove to someone that you need to be together or break up.

Fantasy literature has become an extremely prevalent genre in modern society, but how did it get there?
This course will look at the journey that led to Tolkien's revolutionary LotR, and what's happened to the
genre since. What philosophy and meaning have people found in the fantastical, and can we still see that in
modern works? Come discuss your favorite and least favorite parts of the genre, and why you read it!

Have you ever been a part of a political conversation and not felt knowledgeable enough to participate? This class will explore major political issues such as healthcare, taxation, immigration, etc. in a nonpartisan way to help students develop their political interests.

Is literature less than exciting for you? Do poems fill you with dread, and novels with boredom? Don't worry. There's more life in literature than you think! Be prepared to discover a whole world waiting for you—a world of intrigue, adventure, tragedy, and the joy of a life lived fully.

Our brains and the way we think are fascinating, and we seem to always think that we have complete control over what we do. This course will show you that this isn’t always the case, and will use examples ranging from the brain level, illusions, and more general behavioral observations.

Has music had a profound impact on your life? Does music and fame take a toll on the creators? Do you ever feel like musical artists are speaking to you directly? Our class will discuss how music can impact mental health in complex ways.
We will be exploring many facets of music and mental health, from the mental health of famous musical artists to using music to relieve anxiety and depression to reflecting on how music affects your personal psyche. We will be discussing a wide variety of genres from hip hop to country, and active participation is encouraged!

There are so many chemicals in our world today, and many people do not even realize it. There are man-made compounds in our food, our personal care products, our cleaning supplies, containers, and even our clothes. While some of these chemicals improve our products, other chemicals are actually harmful to humans. This class will investigate some of these chemicals, how they affect the human body, and the industrial context surrounding them.

This course will look at some of chemistry's foundational scientists and the groundbreaking experiments they performed in the midst of the 18th Century Enlightenment, marking the beginning of the scientific discipline as we understand it today.

Did you know that bats are your main reason for bananas? Did you know that only the vampire bat can walk? Did you know that bats are an amazing critter that you should learn about? Stop on in to learn about the cool contributions that bats make to our world and why they're so important to preserve!

Do you want to try a fun engineering experiment? Spend some time constructing a structure to protect a falling egg! This will be a simple and fun class where you'll use teamwork and creativity to solve a problem. At the end, we'll test our structures and drop the eggs!

We will discuss the basics of molecular genetics, then move into methods used to sequence genes and the Human Genome Project


Prerequisites
A basic knowledge of biology would be helpful

The course will discuss particle physics in a fun and broad method. It will enter into the basic discussion of what everything in our universe is made of - electrons, protons, and even quarks. Without touching the mathematics of physics, the course will provide a simplistic understanding of how beautiful our universe is.


Prerequisites
None

Ever wanted to get rid of that one pimple? Or maybe make that cool fantasy landscape you picture in your head? Come learn the basics of Photoshop and how to make cool effects on your photos!

Boston College's Father Michael Himes poses the following 3 key questions: (1) What brings me joy? (2) What am I good at? (3) What does the world need me to be? In our hour together we will reflect upon these questions and how they apply and shape our life and career goals.
We will spend some time in discussion and self-reflection as the Jesuit education at Boston College so strongly supports and believes in. Just as life is a journey, so is vocational discernment. I certainly will not be able to provide you with direct answers, nor will I tell you what you 'should' do with your career and life. However, my aim is to provide you with some of the skills necessary to jumpstart this journey and gain a clearer idea of what's best for you. One cannot get closer to a goal without first actually having a goal.

Is stress getting to you? Would you like to take control of it? Come learn from a trained and certified health coach (and fellow stressed person) about what stress is, and positive coping strategies like mindfulness and cognitive restructuring, to tackle your stress!

Did you know that colleges provide class syllabi before the semester starts? This course is all about the academic transition between high school and colleges. How to schedule classes, what to do and not to do when picking professors, and study tips for college success. Also a place to ask any questions about the academic side of college. For example, what are majors, what's after college, what is an office hour etc.

Did you know that Mickey was originally named Mortimer? That Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was nicknamed Disney's Folly during production and went 400% over budget? What about the fact that Disney was sued by biologists over the portrayal of hyenas in The Lion King?

This class is meant to bring out the child in you by exploring uncommon facts about all things Disney.

A brief overview of the history of yoga combined with a yoga session! Wear loose fitting clothes!


Prerequisites
None

Ever wonder how deaf people communicate? Fascinated by sign language? Want to talk with people without having to speak a word?

If any of these are true, this class would be great for you. In less than one hour, we will learn how to finger spell (ABCs) and some basic signs.

Do plants have feelings? Come learn more about the importance of keeping plants, for you and the planet. Pot your own sunflowers and see why our generation is choosing plants over children!

Learn a few of the most popular conspiracies, why they are puzzling, and why some people believe the evidence is compelling enough for the theory to be true. Don't miss this opportunity to get educated on the doubts some have about stories we otherwise believe to be fact. Prepare for an engaging class that might just blow your mind!

Ever wonder why the rich get richer? The stock market seems to be completely random yet some people manage to make billions off its movements. Join this class to learn a bit more about what drives these prices and how you might be able to join in on the action.

Why do we sleep? How do we dream? What do our dreams mean? Join Tiffany Brooks '21 and Cayley Bliss '21 for an introduction to this revolutionary dimension of psychology.

In 2018, the Republican Party controls the White House, Congress, and most state governments. One would think it's easier to enact policies when the public and other branches are on your side. So then why have the Republicans struggled to reach a consensus in office on issues that they embraced so fervently on the campaign trail? This class seeks to explore this question by examining the Republican Party's history, how they exercise power, and how they can rally people to vote them into office.

In this course, we will first learn about the disparities that exist globally regarding medicine, education and infrastructure in various countries throughout South America. Following this, we will learn about what we can do to help and enact positive change, both in our home country and abroad. We will end by sharing personal stories and photos from service trips we've taken!

I want to finally sink (pun intended) the ongoing debate. Could Jack have fit on the door with Rose? If no, why does everyone think yes. If yes, whose fault is it? Rose's?The prop manager's? The director's? Yours? Come to my class to find out. Even if we don't find out and we end up even more confused then I'm sure it will still be fun.


Prerequisites
I suggest watching Titanic. Spoiler alert: Jack dies.

Congress is often talked about alongside the President, but what is it? What's the difference between a Senator and a Representative? Why does Congress matter? Wanna learn about it? This will give you a Crash Course 101 breaking down our government's legislative branch.

Case studies of titans in their fields. This course examines their best habits and routines, and shows how they reflect several key principles of the happiest and most successful. This course is designed to broaden students' horizons and empower them to put their dreams to work.

How many universities should you apply to? This course will cover the crucial basics to understanding the college admissions, including how to decide where to apply, what materials to start gathering, and the timeline of the application process. The quality of college admissions counseling that high schools give their students varies considerably from one school to another, and your knowledge about the admissions process should not limit your college potential.