Splash Biography



ABDUL-RAZAK ZACHARIAH, Yale junior studying urban neighborhoods



Major: Sociology/Education Studies

College/Employer: Yale

Year of Graduation: 2017

Picture of Abdul-Razak Zachariah

Brief Biographical Sketch:

Hi everyone! I am Abdul-Razak Zachariah and I am a rising junior at Yale. I study Sociology and Education Studies at Yale. I love to teach people about different topics in social studies and the humanities, especially those related to storytelling and society in the city. I have taught courses in the past with a good friend of mine on the Philosophy of Calvin and Hobbes and the representation of people of color in comic books. I'm so excited to participate in Splash and Sprout and hope I can teach people a lot about ideas that they don't learn about in regular school. I also want to help inspire others to find their voice and their story to share with the world through my classes!



Past Classes

  (Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

H1596: Social Narratives in Comic Books in Splash Summer 15 (Jul. 25 - 26, 2015)
ATTENTION TRUE BELIEVERS! This course will focus on comic books and how they use visual and literary tools to tell fictionalized stories of issues in the real world. It will also lead into a light comic-making session where students will use some of the techniques they learned and personal narratives to write a short comic story. (NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY) The course should end with students having a better idea of how they can share their stories and the stories of others to the world in order to expose new perspectives of the world in creative ways.


S1109: Ethnicity and Culture in Comics in Sprout Summer 2014 (Jul. 12 - Aug. 02, 2014)
The class will discuss how different ethnicities and cultures are presented in terms of both appearance and personality in comic books and comic strips. Humorous comics and superhero comics will be analyzed for their storylines and their depiction of issues common in different cultural communities. The class hopes to explore the change in presentation of ethnicity and culture in this form of media.


H1080: "Let's Go Exploring!": Philosophy in Calvin & Hobbes in Splash Spring 14 (Mar. 29, 2014)
Although Calvin & Hobbes is accessible and fun to read, woven into many of the panels are complex philosophical themes. From discussions of morality and Santa Claus to Buddhist philosophy in tuna fish sandwiches, this popular comic strip offers an engaging and funny way to approach and explore the "big ideas" in life. Both co-teachers are life-long enthusiasts and experts who would love to share their reflections and favorite comic strips.