Splash Biography
BRYAN MENDOZA, Yale Senior - Literature major
|
Major: Comparative Literature College/Employer: Yale Year of Graduation: 2021 |
|
Brief Biographical Sketch:
My name is Bryan Mendoza and I'm an instructor for Yale's Splash/Sprout events. I am happy to be able to contact you guys before the class and introduce myself a little bit. Im a Senior here at Yale University and am a literature major with a focus in Spanish to English translation. I love reading, playing video games, swimming, and cooking. Im originally from sunshiny Florida so Im missing that early spring weather from down south haha! I love education and plan to be a teacher in the future. Here at Yale, I work two jobs, one at the Sterling Memorial library and the other as a Payne Whitney Gym swimming instructor. In my free time I make books in the Davenport Book Bindery and play Dungeons and Dragons with my friends. Hope I will get to meet you in class! Past Classes(Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)X4345: Food Television: Watch What You Eat in Splash Spring 2021 (Apr. 24, 2021)
Have you ever been told to watch what you eat? Well many do so very actively by watching food based entertainment. Anything from cooking competitions, cooking tutorials, travel shows, and even documentaries shape the way we watch and ultimately eat our food. In this class we ask the question, what kind of expectations and norms are created by food based entertainment? And how are we to respond to them? Join me on this trip to flavor town, and lets talk about the entertainment you consume!
A4347: Dante's Inferno: A Journey Through Hell in Splash Spring 2021 (Apr. 24, 2021)
"Abandon all hope, ye who enter here," These are the infamous words emblazoned on the gates of Hell as written by the medieval poet Dante Alighieri. Join me on a lively adventure through hell and find out why we still read his Inferno 700 years later. On the way we will discuss the literary device of Contra Passo—ironic punishment—among other hellish things!
E4076: Introduction to Persian Literature in Sprout Spring 2020 (Feb. 15 - 29, 2020)
Persian literature is rich with beauty, history, and convention. Some of its most famous poets, Hafez, Rumi, and Ferdowsi, were praised for their ability to make even the most overdone symbols and cliches of their traditions feel unique and beautiful. In this course we will read various poems and texts to learn about their place in the Persian canon and discuss some of the wonderful features of the poetic styles themselves.
E4077: The Epic of Gilgamesh in Sprout Spring 2020 (Feb. 15 - 29, 2020)
The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest stories ever uncovered in history. Told over the course of 11 clay tablets, it tells the the story of the King of Uruk, Gilgamesh, and his efforts to become the most memorable hero in the world, in which he fights demons and monsters along side his friend Enkidu. In this class we will discuss the nature of the Epic in literature, aspects of the Epic that have survived throughout history, and the importance of the preservation literature.
E4129: You Are What You Eat: The Human Microbiome in Sprout Spring 2020 (Feb. 15 - 29, 2020)
Did you know that there are approximately 10 times as many microbial cells than human cells in the human body? These microorganisms constitute the human microbiome – the collection of all bacteria, fungi and viruses that we live with every day. They influence our lifelong health, our resistance to diseases, and even the way we think!
In this class, you will learn about scientific studies on the microbiome, how doctors are using this knowledge to treat diseases, and how our microbial companions keep us healthy and happy throughout our lives.
H3950: Food Television: Watch What You Eat in Splash Fall 2019 (Nov. 16, 2019)
Have you ever been told to watch what you eat? Well many do so very actively by watching food based entertainment. Anything from cooking competitions, cooking tutorials, travel shows, and even documentaries shape the way we watch and ultimately eat our food. In this class we ask the question, what kind of expectations and norms are created by food based entertainment? And how are we to respond to them? Join me on this trip to flavor town, and lets talk about the entertainment you consume!
H3951: Food Television: Watch What You Eat in Splash Fall 2019 (Nov. 16, 2019)
Have you ever been told to watch what you eat? Well many do so very actively by watching food based entertainment. Anything from cooking competitions, cooking tutorials, travel shows, and even documentaries shape the way we watch and ultimately eat our food. In this class we ask the question, what kind of expectations and norms are created by food based entertainment? And how are we to respond to them? Join me on this trip to flavor town, and lets talk about the entertainment you consume!
H3952: Dragons In Literature in Splash Fall 2019 (Nov. 16, 2019)
Every fantasy genre draws on the myths of the dragon. Large flying serpents that very from wise and intelligent to greedy and evil. Where do these conceptions of Dragons come from and why are they still so popular today? In this class we will explore the origins of Dragons and their role in Literature through the ages. Excerpts from Beowulf, The Shahnameh, and Lewis Carroll among others.
C3807: Dante's Inferno: A Journey Through Hell in Sprout Fall 2019 (Sep. 28 - Oct. 12, 2019)
"Abandon all hope, ye who enter here," These are the infamous words emblazoned on the gates of Hell as written by the medieval poet Dante Alighieri. Join me on a lively adventure through hell and find out why we still read his Inferno 700 years later. On the way we will discuss the literary device of Contra Passo—ironic punishment—among other hellish things!
E3809: How Poetry Can Change Your Heart in Sprout Fall 2019 (Sep. 28 - Oct. 12, 2019)
Poetry is often considered a daunting subject, but that's because we never get to talk about what it really is. If you have ever been interested in reading, or even writing, poetry, then this class is for you. We will consider what it is that makes poetry special, emotional, memorable, or even bad by using both literary and real world examples. And in doing so, we will try to find ways in which poetry is already all around us and how we can participate in it no matter our background.
H3579: Dante's Inferno: A Journey Through Hell in Splash Spring 19 (Apr. 06, 2019)
"Abandon all hope, ye who enter here," These are the infamous words emblazoned on the gates of Hell as written by the medieval poet Dante Alighieri. Join me on a lively adventure through hell and find out why we still read his Inferno 700 years later. On the way we will discuss the literary device of Contra Passo—ironic punishment—among other hellish things!
H3580: Dante's Inferno: A Journey Through Hell in Splash Spring 19 (Apr. 06, 2019)
"Abandon all hope, ye who enter here," These are the infamous words emblazoned on the gates of Hell as written by the medieval poet Dante Alighieri. Join me on a lively adventure through hell and find out why we still read his Inferno 700 years later. On the way we will discuss the literary device of Contra Passo—ironic punishment—among other hellish things!
E3501: What Makes a Good Short Film? in Sprout Spring 19 (Feb. 16 - Mar. 02, 2019)
One of my favorite parts of going to see a new Pixar movie in theaters is always the short film that comes first. Poignant and full of creativity they capture some of life's most vibrant moments. In this class we will watch, compare, and discuss some of Disney's most famous Pixar short films, thinking about themes of identity and family and how they deliver these memorable moral lessons through the medium of short film.
S3394: The Most Dangerous Animal in the World: The Mosquito in Splash Fall 2018 (Oct. 27, 2018)
In this class we will be covering what can be considered the most dangerous creature in the world: the mosquito. We will look at the many different diseases they spread and their sociological effects on the world. There will be a special emphasis on how to deal with them as a community and the debate on the methods currently being used and those proposed by the scientific community.
H3395: Satire in Literature and the World in Splash Fall 2018 (Oct. 27, 2018)
Come learn about the genre of satire in literature and everyday life and how its aspects of irony, sarcasm, and hyperbole open up the world to conversations that are often hard to talk about or taboo. Excerpts from George Orwell, Jonathan Swift, and Bo Burnham. And we will also look at some forms of satire that are consumed daily in the form of media like SNL and The Onion.
E3294: Satire in Literature and the World in Sprout Fall 18 (Sep. 29 - Oct. 13, 2018)
Come learn about the genre of satire in literature and everyday life and how its aspects of irony, sarcasm, and hyperbole open up the world to conversations that are often hard to talk about or taboo. Excerpts from George Orwell, Jonathan Swift, and Bo Burnham. And we will also look at some forms of satire that are consumed daily in the form of media like SNL and The Onion.
H3108: Thought Experiments and Hypothetical scenarios in Splash Spring 18 (Apr. 07, 2018)
In this class, we will discuss famous hypothetical scenarios that challenge the typical mind processes we go through to solve problems. Come and join for a class full of discussions, and debate over the nature of choice, free will, and responsibility, all the while learning how to craft sound arguments.
H3134: Thought Experiments and Hypothetical scenarios in Splash Spring 18 (Apr. 07, 2018)
In this class, we will discuss famous hypothetical scenarios that challenge the typical mind processes we go through to solve problems. Come and join for a class full of discussions, and debate over the nature of choice, free will, and responsibility, all the while learning how to craft sound arguments.
H3146: A Literary Analysis of The Lorax by Dr, Seuss in Splash Spring 18 (Apr. 07, 2018)
Come join me in an exploration of Dr. Seuss's famous writing style where he manipulates the english language with his unique form of poetic license to talk about serious topics such as responsibility, climate change, and pollution. Examining form to uncover meaning, we will learn more about the complexity of Seuss's ostensibly simple stories.
E3071: Literary Analysis of Edgar Allan Poe in Sprout Spring 18 (Feb. 17 - Mar. 03, 2018)
Come read and uncover the mysteries of Edgar Allan Poe's works. Focusing on his short story "The Cask of Amontillado" we will analyze and discuss uses of mood, tone, irony, and figurative language in order to understand his purpose and prose.
E3072: Dungeons and Dragons: An intro to group storytelling and Roleplay in Sprout Spring 18 (Feb. 17 - Mar. 03, 2018)
Dungeons and Dragons is a world famous RPG style game in which the players have total agency over the course of their adventures. With paper, pencils, dice, and a rule book players can go on journeys to hunt goblins, defeat greedy dragons, or save a town from a military uprising. This game also allows exercise in problem solving, critical thinking, teamwork, and overall creativity. The only prerequisite is an open imagination!
E3073: Thought Experiments and Hypothetical scenarios in Sprout Spring 18 (Feb. 17 - Mar. 03, 2018)
In this class, we will discuss famous hypothetical scenarios that challenge the typical mind processes we go through to solve problems. Come and join for a class full of discussions, and debate over the nature of choice, free will, and responsibility.
H2976: A Rhetorical Analysis of Hemingway in Splash Fall 17 (Nov. 11, 2017)
Learn how to rhetorically analyze a piece of text in order to craft an argument of what the author's purpose or goal is from the evidence hidden within the language of the text itself. Using Ethos, Pathos, Logos, and the structure of the English language, we can unlock secrets within a text that could not be seen otherwise.
|
|