Brenton's Blog

SmileMore Smile More, Worry Less. Our Why With 62.3% of the global population active on social media, just over 5 billion people, these platforms significantly influence our daily lives and mental well-being.  This widespread online presence of so many individuals presents a unique opportunity to promote positivity on a massive scale. By harnessing the power of a single compliment, I aim to create a ripple effect of positivity and genuine acknowledgment across a new platform. This new app is particularly vital in today’s world, due to the negativity and divisiveness that often dominate most of our social media feeds, which I bet we can all relate too. Though it might seem minor, these dynamics can severely impact mental well-being worldwide and are the leading reasons for the hate that can be seen in our world today. There's a special kind of magic in giving a compliment, though its power is often underestimated. A few heartfelt words can instantly brighten someone's day and bo...

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."  - Leo Buscaglia When I first considered this topic, I wasn't entirely sure where I wanted to take it. To begin, I started with a broad reflection of our world, trying to point out what areas needed improvement the most, based on my personal views. It was during this time that the issue of widespread hate really hit home for me. It’s become something like a spreading disease, fueled by differences in race, religion, politics, hobbies—you name it. What struck me most is how we’ve started moving away from the idea that it’s perfectly fine for everyone to have their own opinions. This shift has led to more and more people seeking comfort in groups of others who think just like they do, which only makes these negative attitudes stronger and more widespread. Moreover, I feel this ha...

In the past decade, fueled especially by the recent pandemic, vaccines and their transparency have begun to be questioned in much higher amounts. However, to understand the truth about vaccines and what they do, we first need to understand where they came from, and why they were ever created in the first place. That's what the author of the article " Five surprising moments in vaccine history", Anna Rothschild set out to do. Using many experts in the field, who have studied human medicine for years, she began by asking them questions about when the use of vaccinations became a worldwide phenomenon. However, before vaccinations existed, people used a very unsettling method of immunizing themselves to diseases through a process called "variolation". It was done by taking the correct antibody of a certain disease, smallpox at first, and ingesting it into the body to allow one's immune system to beat it before the disease could one day totally infect the body. G...

I don't know if it's just me, but I can't wrap my head around how fast life has been moving lately. It feels like just yesterday I was starting my junior year here, with no sense of how quick time would fly. Sure, it has been an amazing year, and probably my best here at USC, but I can't say I'm excited for it to end. I know summer will be awesome, but something about this year has really made me take a step back and appreciate everything I have right now. I know I still have one more victory lap instore for myself next year, but I really am going to miss being the dumb college kid I am right now.   Back at home, I have two little brothers, one is 9 and the other 12. It's pretty cool being able to watch them grow up before my eyes, and it really makes me think back to the good old days. I watch them play their sports, their video games, eat their homecooked food, and it reminds me of when I was that old without a worry in the world, so content with doing whateve...