ESP Biography



NINA PLOTNIKOV, ESP Teacher




Major: Clinical Psychology

College/Employer: Virginia Commonwealth University

Year of Graduation: G

Picture of Nina Plotnikov

Brief Biographical Sketch:

Not Available.



Past Classes

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

P12532: Write Your Own Parody in Splash 2018 (Nov. 17 - 18, 2018)
Have you ever wanted to take a song you know and make it your own? In this class, you can rewrite any song about something you actually know and care about. Or something you don't know or care about, it's all up to you!


H12534: Weird Laws and Cases in Splash 2018 (Nov. 17 - 18, 2018)
In Newark, it's illegal to sell ice cream after 6pm without a doctor's note. Silly string is illegal in Marlborough. Arkansas man head-butted his mother. Twice. In this class, you can learn all about weird laws like this, which exist in cities everywhere in the country. And then we might talk about some criminals that have gotten into some... unlucky situations. People are fascinating creatures, after all.


P12631: It’s a Conspiracy! From Aliens to the XYZ Affair in Splash 2018 (Nov. 17 - 18, 2018)
“Did you hear that?” “No, what?” “That sound, like an authority figure trying to tell me what to do.” “Are you okay?” “How can I be okay when the world is conspiring against me!?” Have you ever felt like you were being lied to or cheated by the government? Have you been called crazy by your friends for sharing with them your entirely valid concerns? Do you not believe in any conspiracy theories but find them interesting/thought-provoking/hilarious? Then this is the class for you! We will go over a bunch of mainstream (and far off the mainstream) conspiracy theories, but be mindful; not all the theories we’ll talk about are real, so listen carefully to pick out the internet favorites from the ones we just made up! We will also bring food, because, as we all know, handing out free food is the best way to make people listen to you (just add a colloseum and it will be like Ancient Rome). So come learn what the people screaming on the streets are all about! Or maybe we’ll just drain your souls and use your bodies as puppets to serve our own nefarious purposes -- you really can’t be sure.


P11743: It’s a Conspiracy! From Aliens to the XYZ Affair in Splash 2017 (Nov. 18 - 19, 2017)
“Did you hear that?” “No, what?” “That sound, like an authority figure trying to tell me what to do.” “Are you okay?” “How can I be okay when the world is conspiring against me!?” Have you ever felt like you were being lied to or cheated by the government? Have you been called crazy by your friends for sharing with them your entirely valid concerns? Do you not believe in any conspiracy theories but find them interesting/thought-provoking/hilarious? Then this is the class for you! We will go over a bunch of mainstream (and far off the mainstream) conspiracy theories, but be mindful; not all the theories we’ll talk about are real, so listen carefully to pick out the internet favorites from the ones we just made up! We will also bring food, because, as we all know, handing out free food is the best way to make people listen to you (just add a colloseum and it will be like Ancient Rome). So come learn what the people screaming on the streets are all about! Or maybe we’ll just drain your souls and use your bodies as puppets to serve our own nefarious purposes -- you really can’t be sure.


S11745: Babies Are Smarter Than You - When it Comes to Learning Words in Splash 2017 (Nov. 18 - 19, 2017)
Googoo. Gaagaa. Googoo gaagaa? Googoo gaagaa! Gaaaaaaa!!! It takes about 5 months for babies to go from incoherent babbling to producing their first words. You still don’t know how to ask to go to the bathroom in Spanish even though you’ve been learning it for the past three years. Give babies their well-deserved credit by learning about words, which are arbitrary combinations of form (sound in spoken language) and meaning. Maybe we’ll show you cute pictures. Actually, we will absolutely show you cute pictures. Let’s talk about words!


H11771: Metamorphoses (not the Kafka book) in Splash 2017 (Nov. 18 - 19, 2017)
So, you think you know about Greek mythology? Maybe you've read over the Odyssey once or twice (extra props for those who read the Iliad). Maybe you've even watched Disney's Hercules and know all the songs by heart. But what if we were to tell you that there is so much more... perhaps even an entire book of myths. In fact, Ovid's Metamorphoses offers us a plethora of myths that we can spend a whole class talking about. We'll cover all your favorite myths (like Theseus and the Minotaur and Jason and the Argonauts) and hopefully teach you about some of your new favorite myths (get ready for Eryschthon)!


P10870: It’s a Conspiracy! From Aliens to the XYZ Affair in Splash 2016 (Nov. 19 - 20, 2016)
“Did you hear that?” “No, what?” “That sound, like an authority figure trying to tell me what to do.” “Are you okay?” “How can I be okay when the world is conspiring against me!?” Have you ever felt like you were being lied to or cheated by the government? Have you been called crazy by your friends for sharing with them your entirely valid concerns? Do you not believe in any conspiracy theories but find them interesting/thought-provoking/hilarious? Then this is the class for you! We will go over a bunch of mainstream (and far off the mainstream) conspiracy theories, but be mindful; not all the theories we’ll talk about are real, so listen carefully to pick out the internet favorites from the ones we just made up! We will also bring food, because, as we all know, handing out free food is the best way to make people listen to you (just add a circus and it will be like Ancient Rome). So come learn what the people screaming on the streets are all about! Or maybe we’ll just drain your souls and use your bodies as puppets to serve our own nefarious purposes -- you really can’t be sure.


S10871: Babies Are Smarter Than You - When it Comes to Learning Words in Splash 2016 (Nov. 19 - 20, 2016)
Googoo. Gaagaa. Googoo gaagaa? Googoo gaagaa! Gaaaaaaa!!! It takes about 5 months for babies to go from incoherent babbling to producing their first words. You still don’t know how to ask to go to the bathroom in Spanish even though you’ve been learning it for the past three years. Give babies their well-deserved credit by learning about words, which are arbitrary combinations of form (sound in spoken language) and meaning. Maybe we’ll show you cute pictures. Actually, we will absolutely show you cute pictures. Let’s talk about words!


H10872: I Object!: A Mini Mock Trial in Splash 2016 (Nov. 19 - 20, 2016)
"Objection, your Honor!" "On what grounds?" "On the grounds of you're stupid!" We don't want you to end up like this silly lawyer. In this class, you will learn the basics of doing mock trial, from planning and writing the case to actually performing it. Then you'll know what to do next time you end up in court.


X10318: It’s a Conspiracy! From Aliens to the XYZ Affair in Spark 2016 (Mar. 12 - 13, 2016)
“Did you hear that?” “No, what?” “That sound, like an authority figure trying to tell me what to do.” “Are you okay?” “How can I be okay when the world is conspiring against me!?” Have you ever felt like you were being lied to or cheated by the government? Have you been called crazy by your friends for sharing with them your entirely valid concerns? Do you not believe in any conspiracy theories but find them interesting/thought-provoking/hilarious? Then this is the class for you! We will go over a bunch of mainstream (and far off the mainstream) conspiracy theories, but be mindful; not all the theories we’ll talk about are real, so listen carefully to pick out the internet favorites from the ones we just made up! We will also bring food, because, as we all know, handing out free food is the best way to make people listen to you (just add a circus and it will be like Ancient Rome). So come learn what the people screaming on the streets are all about! Or maybe we’ll just drain your souls and use your bodies as puppets to serve our own nefarious purposes -- you really can’t be sure.


H10319: Babies Are Smarter Than You - When it Comes to Words in Spark 2016 (Mar. 12 - 13, 2016)
Googoo. Gaagaa. Googoo gaagaa? Googoo gaagaa! Gaaaaaaa!!! It takes 5 months for babies to go from incoherent babbling to producing their first words. You still don’t know how to ask to go to the bathroom in Spanish even though you’ve been learning it for the past three years. Give babies their well-deserved credit by learning about words, which are arbitrary combinations of form (sound in spoken language) and meaning. Maybe we’ll show you cute pictures. Let’s talk about words!


B9952: Babies Are Smarter Than You - When it Comes to Words in Splash 2015 (Nov. 21 - 22, 2015)
Googoo. Gaagaa. Googoo gaagaa? Googoo gaagaa! Gaaaaaaa!!! It takes 5 months for babies to go from incoherent babbling to producing their first words. You still don’t know how to ask to go to the bathroom in Spanish even though you’ve been learning it for the past three years. Give babies their well-deserved credit by learning about words, which are arbitrary combinations of form (sound in spoken language) and meaning. Maybe we’ll show you cute pictures. Let’s talk about words!


P9953: It’s a Conspiracy! From Aliens to the XYZ Affair in Splash 2015 (Nov. 21 - 22, 2015)
“Did you hear that?” “No, what?” “That sound, like an authority figure trying to tell me what to do.” “Are you okay?” “How can I be okay when the world is conspiring against me!?” Have you ever felt like you were being lied to or cheated by the government? Have you been called crazy by your friends for sharing with them your entirely valid concerns? Do you not believe in any conspiracy theories but find them interesting/thought-provoking/hilarious? Then this is the class for you! We will go over a bunch of mainstream (and far off the mainstream) conspiracy theories, but be mindful; not all the theories we’ll talk about are real, so listen carefully to pick out the internet favorites from the ones we just made up! We will also bring food, because, as we all know, handing out free food is the best way to make people listen to you (just add a circus and it will be like Ancient Rome). So come learn what the people screaming on the streets are all about! Or maybe we’ll just drain your souls and use your bodies as puppets to serve our own nefarious purposes -- you really can’t be sure.


X9955: Chainmaille: Not the Annoying E-mail Thing in Splash 2015 (Nov. 21 - 22, 2015)
Let us help you impress your friends with awesome bits of armor that you can make yourself. We’ll be teaching you how to make Byzantine and Persian 6-in-1 chains as well as a celtic flower/star charm, and then you can bring your project home with you. Yay! Brag to your friends about your metal achievements! Double yay!


X9283: It’s a Conspiracy! From Aliens to the XYZ Affair in Spark 2015 (Mar. 14 - 15, 2015)
“Did you hear that?” “No, what?” “That sound, like an authority figure trying to tell me what to do.” “Are you okay?” “How can I be okay when the world is conspiring against me!?” Have you ever felt like you were being lied to or cheated by the government? Have you been called crazy by your friends for sharing with them your entirely valid concerns? Do you not believe in any conspiracy theories but find them interesting/thought-provoking/hilarious? Then this is the class for you! We will go over a bunch of mainstream (and far off the mainstream) conspiracy theories, but be mindful; not all the theories we’ll talk about are real, so listen carefully to pick out the internet favorites from the ones we just made up! We will also bring food, because, as we all know, handing out free food is the best way to make people listen to you (just add a circus and it will be like Ancient Rome). So come learn what the people screaming on the streets are all about! Or maybe we’ll just drain your souls and use your bodies as puppets to serve our own nefarious purposes, you really can’t be sure.


P8669: It’s a Conspiracy! From Aliens to the XYZ Affair in Splash 2014 (Nov. 22 - 23, 2014)
“Did you hear that?” “No, what?” “That sound, like an authority figure trying to tell me what to do.” “Are you okay?” “How can I be okay when the world is conspiring against me!?” Have you ever felt like you were being lied to or cheated by the government? Have you been called crazy by your friends for sharing with them your entirely valid concerns? Do you not believe in any conspiracy theories but find them interesting/thought-provoking/hilarious? Then this is the class for you! We will go over a bunch of mainstream (and far off the mainstream) conspiracy theories, but be mindful; not all the theories we’ll talk about are real, so listen carefully to pick out the internet favorites from the ones we just made up! We will also bring food, because, as we all know, handing out free food is the best way to make people listen to you (just add a circus and it will be like Ancient Rome). So come learn what the people screaming on the streets are all about! Or maybe we’ll just drain your souls and use your bodies as puppets to serve our own nefarious purposes, you really can’t be sure.