What exactly is the power of stories? Why is empathy so integral to a healthy society? Why is connection the lifeblood of personal and societal healing? The goal of Brain Juice is to answer all of these questions, while also providing a platform for the power of stories. We hope to plant those seeds of connection and inspiration in people and empower the empathy that we all have the capacity for. Brain Juice is a podcast created by students in Novus Think Tank, a student organization at the University of Southern California.
Viet Thanh Nguyen is a professor of American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California. Beyond this, he is a cultural critic and author of many insightful books discussing Asian-American narratives including the Committed and The Sympathizer, which won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2016. Recorded in Spring of 2021 during the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes in the United States, this episode feature's Nguyen's insights on the history of Asian-American narratives in this country as well as how we can move forward in a world that remains prejudiced against the Asian diaspora.
Join Brain Juice and Cameron Roper at the protest hosted by FLOW at Sigma Nu on Friday, October 20 and listen to student testimonials about the culture of sexual assault at USC.
In this episode of Brain Juice, Cameron and TJ interviewed Illinois State University's Professor Andrew Hartman in a dialogue about the lingering presence of the Culture Wars in the American conscience. They discussed how it continues, or at times repudiates, American narratives and myths that are used to make sense of the American identity.
In this episode of Brain Juice, Cameron interviewed Aurora, in a conversation about her personal experiences working as a Sugar Baby while being a college student. Hear her talk about what this type of profession looks like financially, what it means for her personal life, and what the dangers are of working as a sex worker.
In this episode of Brain Juice, Camille and TJ interviewed USC's professor William Handley, in a conversation about the tension between personal and group identity throughout one's life, referencing Professor Handley's experience with being gay and part of the Mormon church.
In this episode of Brain Juice, TJ and Cameron interviewed USC's Professor Joshua Goldstein, in a discussion about the narratives obscured by our present economic systems of production, consumption, and disposal, by looking at the lives of laborers in China.
In this introduction to Brain Juice, we hope to bring to light the importance of uplifting unheard stories and using narrative as means of change, while inspiring you to join us along this journey. Presented by Marina Stamato, Manasi Iyer, Cameron Roper, Krishni Satchi, TJ Suh and Camille Rougier (in order of appearance).
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