State of the Human

Reclaiming, part 3: Keep Stanford Wrestling

In the spring of 2020, Stanford University made the decision to cut 11 of their varsity teams due to financial issues and lack of success. This episode follows the men’s wrestling team and their coaches in the months following the decision to cut their team as they navigate the challenges of fighting for their spot back.

BONUS: Story Craft Conversation with Aru Nair on Journey Through Generations

As an added bonus to our Reclaiming series, we’re including conversations with the creators who made them to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the craft of audio storytelling.
In this episode, Alex Strong talks with Aru Nair, the creator of Journey Through Generations, the second story in our Reclaiming series.

Reclaiming, part 2: Journey Through Generations

In this episode, the 2nd in our Reclaiming What's Been Lost series, Aru Nair goes on a journey to India to understand how oral tradition preserves cultures. But when a surprise trip to her father's home town shows her a side if him she's never seen, she emerges with a new understanding of how the stories we tell shape the people we become.

Reclaiming, part 1: Home is Little Tokyo

Little Tokyo is a small neighborhood in Downtown Los Angeles. Since 1905, it has been home to generations of Japanese Americans. Today, gentrification is threatening to destroy everything these families have built. This episode tells the story of one community's struggle for survival and the ways in which historical development has both fractured and solidified its people. For some, home is a bed one sleeps in. For us, home is Little Tokyo.

Wonder Under Water by Gracie Newman

Come on a journey to understand our fascination with sea monsters and what they inspire in humans. In particular, hear about the Icelandic Lagarfljótsormur, the water monster that sparked a 13 person commission of the Icelandic government to investigate its existence.

Feeding

Eating is one of life’s great pleasures, but what about the pleasures that come with sharing your food with others? In this episode, we’re looking at how the act of feeding can bring people together. We’ll hear the tale of an unlikely pet, a meditation on cannibalism, and a story about children on a rooftop garden in San Francisco.

Feeding Story 3: Garden On The Rooftop

Our second story takes us to one of San Francisco's toughest neighborhoods, to look at tender shoots growing on the rooftops of the Tenderloin. By tender shoots we mean fifth graders, who are learning to grow and prepare their own food.
Featuring: Maya Donelson, Rebecca Alonzi
Producer(s): Natacha Ruck and Charlie Mintz

Feeding Story 1: First, Bread

What does it mean to preserve a living being? We follow the life of a sourdough starter, a live culture of bacteria and yeast, that was passed onto producer Parsa Nowruzi as a parting gift by a friend. After hitting a rocky road, Parsa inevitably faces the challenge of how to keep his starter buddy alive: what does it mean to preserve the life of someone else when you are struggling to take care of yourself?
Music: , Artist, Album. Include links and permissions) Sound of Picture (Artist: Podington Bear) Across the River, Piano I: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Podington_Bear/Piano_I/Across_The_River Dark Matter, Thoughtful: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Podington_Bear/Thoughtful/DarkMatter Rain on Glass, Epilogue: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Podington_Bear/Epilogue_1331/Rain_On_Glass Triste, Duets: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Podington_Bear/Duets_1372/Triste Undergarden Sea, Fathomless/Ambient: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Podington_Bear/Fathomless_-_Ambient/Undersea_Garden Wilt, Duets: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Podington_Bear/Duets_1372/Wilt Continue Life, Kevin MacLeod: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3545-continue-life

Feeding Intro Story: Mukbang

Feeding Intro Story: Mukbang by Stanford Storytelling Project

Missed Connections by Neeharika Bandlapalli

Missed Connections by Neeharika Bandlapalli by Stanford Storytelling Project