2016 Programs

2016 Burst the Bubble Programs

Burst the Bubble programs are free, student-led, non-credit sessions where students who have a talent, interest, or skill share their knowledge with their peers. Burst the Bubble programs are offered during Winter Term and are open to all students at Elon University. Burst the Bubble programs do not include homework, tests, outside assignments or grades. There is no faculty or staff involvement in facilitating the programs.

BTB 001: Anatomic Body Painting: Where Visual Art Meets Science

Facilitator: Paige Stover, Dawson Nance
Mondays 5:30 – 7:00 pm
Spaces Available: 20

This program is designed to create the experience of a basic anatomy lab with an artistic flair. Participants will learn some basic structures within their own bodies and recreate them using water-based body paints. While previous anatomy experience is certainly beneficial, all Elon students are encouraged to explore this visual approach to learning. This program is inspired by the work of Cynthia Bennett, Assistant Professor of Physician Assistant Students at Elon.

BTB 002: What Do We Deserve

Facilitator: Jacob Gordner
Tuesdays and Thursdays 5:00 – 6:00 pm
Spaces Available: 25

Every day, people say things such as “he had it coming” or “Yeah, I probably deserved that.”  This program will examine the implications of assessing what groups of people and individuals deserve. Together we will study music, popular characters in film, and brief philosophy as well as what justice looks like around the world. We will seek to answer how much of “deserving” comes from our culture and how much is innate.

BTB 003: Psychopathology in Modern Society: Business Leadership and the push for manipulative behavior

Facilitator: Aislinn Gherman
Tuesdays 4:30 – 5:30 pm
Spaces Available: 20

It is hard to avoid the increasingly frequent stories of business leaders acting in manipulative, emotionally shallow, overly-confident manner in today’s business news. After noticing the increasing role and seemingly rewarded behaviors of business leaders who display unethical traits, the important question is what makes these traits more desirable in today’s business culture. This program takes a case-specific approach towards the shift in business leaders, why such shifts might be taking place, and discusses the ethical implications of rewarding unethical behavior as a model of business leadership.

BTB 004: The World of Fine Whisk(e)y: History & Appreciation

Facilitator: Nathaniel Henderson, Albert Waters
Thursdays 4:30 – 5:30 pm
Spaces Available: 20

Participants will learn the differences between a variety of whisk(e)y appellations and regional varieties, the significance of whisk(e)y in history will also be explored.
*Open to students 21 years or older only.

BTB 005: Biscuits, Grits, and Pecan Pie: Food Made in the South

Facilitator: Laura Orr and Dawson Nicholson
Wednesdays 5:00 – 6:00 pm
Spaces Available: 8

Ever wonder how to make homemade biscuits or how to use a cast iron skillet? And what are grits, anyway? This is a cooking program focused on made-from-scratch southern food. Each week will highlight a traditionally southern dish or item, which participants will cook (and eat!) while discussing its place in southern culture. Come have fun in the Moseley Kitchen!

BTB 006: Hip Hop and The War on Drugs

Facilitator: Alonzo Cee
Sponsored by: Black Student Union
Tuesdays and Thursdays 5:00 – 6:00 pm
Spaces Available: 30

This program will delve into the intersection of Hip Hop culture and The War on Drugs, particularly how this political movement created what is known as “The New Jim Crow.” This system of mass incarceration is a subject of political debate, but also used frequently as a subject in Hip Hop. Artists have never stopped writing about the inequalities, racism, and discrimination, especially regarding the War on Drugs, which is sometimes referred to as the “War on Blacks.” Discussions will be based around looking at the intersection between Hip Hop lyrics/culture/etc. and The War on Drugs. Especially with the movie Straight Outta Compton that recently came out, it will be good to talk about some of the underlying issues that occurred during that time period, but how they still influence us today.

BTB 007: The Billion Dollar Business of Dancing

Facilitator: Christian Conway
Tuesdays 6:00 – 7:00 pm
Spaces Available: 20

In the past 5-10 years, dance music has explosively grown in the world. Massive festivals, huge personalities, loud music have all come to characterize a genre that has become one of the most popular music genres of our generation and have created an industry worth billions of dollars. In this program, we’ll look at the past of dance music, of how its grown over the past 40 years. Then we’ll look at some individual sub-genres of dance music and compare the similarities and differences across the sub-genres. Finally we’ll take a look at the modern business of dance music, and the challenges that the industry faces and what the future of the genre will be.

BTB 008: Introduction to Dungeons and Dragons: Role-playing Leadership and Teamwork

Facilitator: Gavan Roth
Tuesdays and Thursdays 7:45 – 9:00 pm
Spaces Available: 20

This program will explore the full scope of leadership within Dungeons and Dragons – from taking part in a team to solving problems and working out solutions to taking the lead and ensuring the success of your group. New comers and veterans of the game will be encouraged to take both roles and to even switch between those roles.  Time will be devoted to teaching those willing to learn to act as Dungeon Masters and how to plan, create, and lead a game.

BTB 009: The Norse Course

Facilitator: Chuckie Hawes
Sponsored by: Elon Classics Club
Mondays and Wednesday 5:00 – 6:00 pm
Spaces Available: 15

THOR. Before he was everyone’s 3rd favorite Avenger, he was the Norse god of thunder gallivanting with his fellow Æsir in the icy lands of northern Europe. Legendary names like Odin, Loki, Yggdrasil, Tyr, Freyja, and a host of other names one needs a pronunciation guide for, flowed from the lips of Vikings and warriors who believed that glory never dies, especially with death. This program is a history/mythology/story-time program where participants will learn about the amazing, sometimes barbaric, sometimes hilarious, and always fascinating classic tales from Norse Mythology.

BTB 010: Harry Potter and the Pursuit of Social Justice

Facilitator: Olivia Guerrieri
Tuesdays 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Spaces Available: 30

“We do not need magic to change the world. We carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to Imagine Better.” – J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series is funny, poignant, and beloved worldwide. But it’s also an interesting framework from which to examine some of the key elements of social justice theory. In this program, we’ll discuss social justice through a magical lens, and talk about how we can apply these lessons in the real world. Previous experience with social justice is not required, but it is recommended that participants have already read the Harry Potter series.

BTB 011: Finding the World Around Us

Facilitator: Matthias Bouska
Sponsored by: GEC Global Ambassadors
Wednesday 5:00 – 6:00 pm
Spaces Available: 30

The overall goal of this program is to expand the students as global citizens. We will connect the world around us to our home, the USA. To do this each meeting will focus on a different section of the world, and we will find stories and events in these regions that directly relate to our home country. Connecting the regions of the world to our own home is an important way to expand one’s global awareness. We hope to inspire participants to think about the world in a new way, and hope they will develop the desire to experience it firsthand.

BTB 012: Hip-Hop Fashion: From the Streets, to the Runways, and back to the Streets!

Facilitator: Kellcee Batchelor
Wednesday 6:00 – 7:10 pm
Spaces Available: 30

In this program, we will discuss the development and evolution of Hip-Hop Fashion and style and how clothing is linked to cultural practices. This program will examine the cultivation of well-known brands in Hip-Hop society and highlight the correlation between distinctive style icons such as: Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, RUN-DMC, and many more. We will discuss the values of Hip-Hop identity and what truly classifies as what’s “Hip-Hop” and what’s not. If you’re down to talk clothes, culture, and swag, then this is the program for you!

BTB 013: Handmade Book Arts

Facilitator: Sarah Riley
Thursdays 5:30 – 6:30 pm
Spaces Available: 10

This program offers the exciting and unique opportunity to explore the process of making a book by hand. These books can be used for a variety of purposes, including journaling, creative writing, organization, scrapbooking, and more. Students will learn the basics of bookbinding, which includes designing their own cover paper, learning the Coptic binding technique, becoming familiar with binding tools, and other basic book arts skills. This program is for beginners and will provide an introduction to the diverse world of book arts. We will also discuss the importance of books and how they can be used to record memories, create art, and make meaning. Each student will leave with a new and exciting skill set and an original, unique book that they created with their own hands, tools, and ideas.

BTB 014: Reel Treble: Irish Dance Basics

Facilitator: Katie Kelly, Kristen DeMaria
Sponsored by: Elon Irish Dance Team
Mondays and Wednesdays 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Spaces Available: 30

We will teach the basic steps of Irish Dancing. Once those are mastered, we will teach participants how to incorporate these steps into jigs, reels, and team dancing.

BTB 015: Juggling, Clowning, and the Sideshow

Facilitator: Joshua Bothwell
Wednesdays 5:00 – 6:00 pm
Spaces Available: 20

Learn to do a number of different circus tricks and skills, such as Juggling, Poi Spinning, Clowning, Acrobatics, manipulation, magic, and so much more. A fun forum like program that allows for everyone to learn and experience new skills.

BTB 016: Villain or Hero: Is it Really that Simple?

Facilitator: Kara Kneeland
Tuesdays 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Spaces Available: 20

Stories often have a clear protagonist and antagonist, but is it really that simple? Many depictions in media present a rich background story of the hero to help you identify with his or her cause. What happens when the background of the villain is shown as much as the hero’s? Understanding the motives behind all parties involved may make it more difficult to definitively assign the roles of protagonist and antagonist. This can be seen through certain selections of media that show different perspectives within their stories, including Star Wars, Maleficent, Game of Thrones, Dexter, and more. In an “us vs. them” situation, can understanding the perspective of “them” change how we view “them” or even dissolve the construct that “they” are so different? This program is mostly discussion based and we will only be viewing clips from these shows and movies.

BTB 017: Yes Means Yes: Visions of a College Campus without Rape and Sexual Assault

Facilitator: Emma Mankin, Kyle Porro
Sponsored by: SPARKS
Wednesdays 6:00 – 7:00 pm
Spaces Available: 20

In this program, we will learn about personal decision-making processes and healthy behaviors that will equip students to work towards creating a positive campus culture around issues of gender, sex, and intimate relationships. Adapted from Colgate University’s “Yes Means Yes” program, participants will explore a wide range of perspectives through reading selections and discussion. Participants will leave this program with the confidence and vocabulary to properly express expectations, limitations, and preferences in any given relationship or interaction.

BTB 018: Beatboxing 101

Facilitator: Adam Gill
Wednesdays 5:30 – 6:30 pm
Spaces Available: 20

Do you want to beatbox in an A Cappella group or even just drop a beat for your friends? Beatboxing 101 demonstrates how achievable learning the basics of vocal percussion is for all. By walking through the core concepts in just three meetings, students will leave with the knowledge and tools of basic beat making as well as a rudimentary knowledge of the music theory behind rhythm. With A Cappella music becoming increasingly exposed in pop culture with movies like Pitch Perfect and groups such as Pentatonix, the timing is perfect to learn how to make a beat with only your mouth. Come on out and start your beatboxing journey!

BTB 019: A Peek into the Middle East

Facilitator: Mike Rossi, Albert Waters
Sponsored by: Arabic Language Organization
Wednesdays and Thursdays 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Spaces Available: 20

This program will educate Elon Students on contemporary aspects of Middle Eastern food, language, culture, and politics.

BTB 020: The Philosophy of Food

Facilitator: Monique Swirsky, Jeremy Keyes
Sponsored by: Phi Sigma Tau
Wednesdays 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Spaces Available: 12

Exploring food from a philosophical perspective through cooking, eating, and dialog. Through exploring the philosophy of food we will reflect on the ethical, political, social, artistic, and identity-defining aspects of food. There will be discussion of how leading philosophers take up questions about food, diet, agriculture, and animals and we will be challenged to consider our diets and eating habits in a deeper and more authentic way.

BTB 021: Media Misrepresentation: What stories are you being told?

Facilitator: Tony Weaver Jr, Rasheed Cheek
Mondays and Tuesdays 5:00 – 6:30pm
Spaces Available: 30

Mass Media is an essential part of the 21st Century. The average person is exposed to thousands of advertisements a day. However, the media an individual consumes is capable of solidifying negative beliefs and unconscious bias. Using the methodology of George Gerbner’s Cultivation Theory, this program will explore the effects of media misrepresentation, how to identify negative media stereotypes, and personal steps individuals can take to prevent bias in themselves and others.

BTB 022: Whitewashed: Conversations About White Privilege and Anti-Racist Activism at Elon

Facilitator: Helen Meskhidze, Felicia Cenca, Meagan Carr, Mary Frances Foster, Claire Lockard, Courtney Crowell, Caley Mikesell, Taylor Wilhelm
Tuesdays 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Spaces Available: 30

This program is for anyone frustrated with the way diversity and anti-racist work is typically done on college campuses. Through short readings and group discussion, together we will explore what it means to think of white privilege as a set of unconscious habits, and what that means for Elon’s community. We hope to address the following questions: What is the nature of the problem of white privilege at Elon? What anti-white privilege activism does Elon need? Where is there room for movement? Throughout the program, together we will discuss philosopher Shannon Sullivan’s vision of white privilege as unconscious habit and explore Lisa Heldke’s argument that persistently white colleges can still do meaningful anti-racist work. Each week, we will apply the ideas we discuss to an Elon context, sharing our own experiences with diversity on campus.

BTB 023: Navigating Relationships: Sink or Swim

Facilitator: Kaitlin Snapp, Emily Thomas
Sponsored by: SPARKS
Wednesdays 6:00 – 7:00 pm
Spaces Available: 20

Navigating relationships can be challenging, especially in such a transformative time as college. This program will allow students to explore the many different types of relationships encountered in college empowering students to reflect upon how to strengthen and cultivate those through time. Join us as we build skills and cultivate conversation around the intricacies of relationships!

BTB 024: Discovering Middle Earth: An In-Depth Exploration of the World of Lord of the Rings

Facilitator: Evan Skloot, India Gill
Wednesdays 5:30 – 6:30 pm
Spaces Available: 30

This program will cover the intricacies of J.R.R. Tolkein’s fictional world in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. We will talk about the incredibly detailed history that Tolkein created, the different races, notable characters, and the potential for allegorical connections to our world.

BTB 025: Entrepreneurship and Networking

Facilitator: Anna Gardner
Thursdays 5:00 – 6:00 pm
Spaces Available: 30

As, an entrepreneur here at Elon who is starting up my first company – I want to help other students understand what it takes to not only be an entrepreneur in an early stage startup company, but also have a chance to meet local entrepreneurs! This is a great chance to network with other entrepreneurs and possibly spark the ideas for a business!

BTB 026: Managing your Finances Post Graduation

Facilitator: Wes Brewer, Caleb Newcomb, Jake Orr, Ryan Herring
Sponsored by: Beta Alpha Psi
Mondays 6:30 – 7:30 pm
Spaces Available: 20

For some students at Elon, their first job after college will be their first job ever or atlas may be the first paid job. This also is a tough time because it is the transition from being supported by your parents to fully supporting yourself. So how do you do this effectively? This is what we want to teach participants during our program. participants will learn how to create a budget, manage debt, and prepare for retirement during the three meetings.