ESP Biography



ELLA SHEFFIELD, Forever GM and storytelling enthusiast




Major: Undeclared

College/Employer: MIT

Year of Graduation: 2027

Picture of Ella Sheffield

Brief Biographical Sketch:

I am a freshman and aspiring astrophysicist at MIT, planning on double majoring in 8 (physics) and 12 (Earth, atmospheric, and planetary science). I love fantasy and scifi, puzzles, and roleplaying games, as well as anything strange and interesting!



Past Classes

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

W15935: Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream! in Spark 2024 (Mar. 16 - 17, 2024)
Want to watch some cool chemistry and eat some cool liquid? Come join us for a delicious treat!!! Lactose-free options are available.


X16002: Intro to Puzzlehunts in Spark 2024 (Mar. 16 - 17, 2024)
Puzzle hunts are a fun way to solve puzzles together with friends! The goal is to solve several puzzles that culminate in a final challenge, called a 'metapuzzle'. After a presentation teaching common solving strategies, you'll have the opportunity to work on a small puzzle hunt with others. You don't need any specialized puzzle-solving knowledge to participate.


X16003: puzzle writing workshop in Spark 2024 (Mar. 16 - 17, 2024)
Have you ever seen a crossword or sudoku puzzle and wondered how people make them? We'll teach you!


P15865: How to Make Your Players Cry: A Guide to Game Mastering and Storytelling in Splash 2023 (Nov. 18 - 19, 2023)
Have you ever wanted to play god? To build and populate a world from nothing but your mind? To force your innocent friends to suffer through your twisted machinations and devilish schemes? In that case, being a Game Master may be right for you! This class is suitable for beginners and experienced GMs alike! No prior experience with role-playing games necessary: the class will focus on being a Game Master in general rather than the rules of any specific system. We will go through the basics of how to GM, including worldbuilding, NPC creation, planning plot, and how to play at the table. We will also discuss how RPGs function as collaborative story-telling experiences, and examine live-action roleplaying as a genre of media.