SPRING 2026


Splash Biography



BRENDAN KAMINSKI, Yale sophomore studying History



Major: History

College/Employer: Yale

Year of Graduation: 2028

Picture of Brendan Kaminski

Brief Biographical Sketch:

Brendan (he/him) is a sophomore from Long Island, New York, studying History, Russian, and Education Studies. He is one of the senators for Saybrook College in the Yale College Council (Yale’s undergraduate student government), the Under-Secretary-General of Conference and Events for Yale’s Model UN conference in Rome, Italy, and a front-desk service assistant at Bass Library. In his free time, Brendan loves to hang out with friends, try new salad recipes, listen to music, and read great books.



Past Classes

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

H5304: The American Democratic Party: From Andrew Jackson to Zohran Mamdani in Splash Spring 2026 (Feb. 28, 2026)
Who was "Old Hickory"? What was Franklin Roosevelt's "alphabet soup"? Is Kamala Harris truly "brat"? Students will answer these important questions in this survey of the American Democratic Party, from its experimental beginnings during the Jacksonian era to its current position following the 2024 presidential election. We will examine pivotal moments in the party’s history, including the New Deal coalition, the Civil Rights Movement, the presidency of Barack Obama, and the election of democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani as the mayor of New York City. This course invites students to reflect on what the Democratic Party was, is, and should be in the future, analyzing its shifting ideologies and role in shaping American democracy.


H5025: The American Democratic Party: From Andrew Jackson to Kamala Harris in Splash Spring 2025 (Mar. 02, 2025)
Who was "Old Hickory"? What was Franklin Roosevelt's "alphabet soup"? Is Kamala Harris truly "brat"? Students will answer these important questions in this survey of the American Democratic Party, from its experimental beginnings during the Jacksonian era to its current position following the 2024 presidential election. We will examine pivotal moments in the party’s history, including the New Deal coalition, the Civil Rights Movement, and the presidency of Barack Obama. This course invites students to reflect on what the Democratic Party was, is, and should be in the future, analyzing its shifting ideologies and role in shaping American democracy.