Splash Chicago
5801 S. Ellis Ave.
Chicago, IL 60637

Email: splashchicago@gmail.com
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Splash Biography



ALEXANDER ELNABLI, Zelda/Sheik player interested in philosophy




Major: Not available.

College/Employer: Not available.

Year of Graduation: Not available.

Picture of Alexander Elnabli

Brief Biographical Sketch:

Hi All,

My name is Alex Elnabli, and I am a University of Chicago sophomore exploring the question "What is philosophy?" through a major called Fundamentals. I was born in New York and hopped around with my family until we landed in southern California. I had an incredible high school experience which not only cemented my belief in the ultimate value of secondary education but also affirmed my desire to teach it in the future. I basically encountered two men who changed my life. The first was my Latin teacher, Mr. Emparan, a wily classicist with designs on corrupting youth such as myself with the ideas of Plato and Aristotle. The second and far more life-altering was Mr. Gregory Rhodes, my sophomore English and senior philosophy teacher. With such grace and aptitude he drew me and so many of my peers into whatever subject he taught because he was a lifetime learner, dedicated to his recognition that life demands more of us than we are so often willing to give it. Not only did he commit his time and energy to rigorous study while in school and afterwards but he went above any beyond to live all of the ideas that he fought so hard to discover. For this man, education is practice. I went on to partner a philosophy club with Mr. Rhodes that acted as an alternative classroom to what we were being offered at our school. It was a breeding ground for new ideas, activism, and friendship.

Exploring the philosophical aspects of video gaming, a longtime passion of mine, came from Mr. Rhodes' respect and curiosity of all media and the requirement of writing an extended, 15 page paper in my senior year of high school. With his support we discovered the rich and fascinating thought that has not only gone into the creation of games for the last 40 years but also what has come as a result of it. We spent our entire Christmas break reading and talking about concepts of play, fun, rules, game, technology, systems, and so much more to put together that essay. I had no idea that so many people outside the industry as well as many current game developers are dedicated to producing thoughtful and compelling games which challenge norms we see in games themselves as well as in society or politics.

I was lucky enough to take a class last year at Chicago on whether or not video games can be considered art, which really expanded my exposure to actual games and developers who are making truly groundbreaking games. I am really looking forward to learn a lot more about video games through you because there are so many I have never played.

Thanks for your interest and see you soon,
Alex



Past Classes

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

H417: What was high school for, anyway? in Splash! Fall 2009 (Oct. 03, 2009)
We live in a society that says we have to go to college if we want to be successful. Many of us come from families that have never gone to college and don't make that a priority, while many others of us have faced the constant expectation since we started preschool that we would have to go to the "best" colleges. High school has been a period of so much change and unexpected experiences that it is hard to decide where we want to go as graduation creeps closer towards us. This class offers an opportunity for juniors and seniors to get together and reflect on what high school was all about, why we may or may not want to go to college, and what might be the attitude we should take when trying to decide where we ought to go to college. Through critical reflection and discussion based on your individual experiences and hopes, we will aim in this class to understand what you felt was both wonderful and lacking in your high school educations and why you care enough to see that in the first place. No prerequisites, but confusion about what to do or where to go after high school is highly recommended.


H270: Will we ever get tired of shooting aliens in the crotch? in Splash! 2008 (Oct. 04, 2008)
What do we expect when we cough up $35-$60 for a video game and what ought we expect? Are video games a form of entertainment or pieces of art to reflect upon? We will explore how video games differentiate themselves from other media and what could be required of such a peculiar industry if it wants to take advantage of these qualities (i.e. interactivity, the problematic, rules, fun, and princesses). We will also want to take a look at the role that the military and the original video game demographic back in the '70s and '80s have affected what we now see as norms in video games. Those brave of heart and strong of thumb are strongly encouraged to enroll.


Test in SPLASH (2010)
We're testing this The prerequisites for this class were: none


A2: How to Watch a Movie: the Aesthetics of Cinema in CASCADE (2009)
In this class on cinema aesthetics, we will discuss the basics of filmmaking and criticism. In five weeks, we will ...


B12: Video Games: Possibility on the Digital Playground in CASCADE (2009)
Have you ever heard that video games will get you nowhere? Do your parents ever say that they are a ...