Slug Stories: Recent Episodes
Students of UCSC College Nine
Slug Stories are personal narratives from students at University of California, Santa Cruz Colleges Nine and Ten. Each episode brings you stories on a theme, written and produced as a group final project for the first-year Core class. The purpose of these stories is to develop narrative skills and discover connections across difference.
For more information, visit slugstories.ucsc.edu
Cover art by Janan Bustami
In this episode, you’ll hear four people’s stories revolving around the fear of failure. From college applications to summer camp, each person in this episode captures a moment in their lives, revolving around this topic, that made an impact on them. Along with letting people know that it is normal to experience the fear of failure, it’s also about how one overcomes the obstacles that they face that prevents them from succeeding.
Act 1: Podium Tears by Sophia Scheler
Act 2: Living Up To Expectations by Derek Uemura
Act 3: Expectations Of Leadership by Aravind Nair
Our podcast includes stories on cultural shocks. Sometimes, when traveling or meeting new people, we are exposed to different cultures. We aimed to tell stories that are unique and interesting to show that we’ve experienced cultures different from our own and demonstrated that we are part of an interconnected world with different ideas from all over.
Act 1: When Color Shocks by Justin Yoon
Act 2: Familiar, Yet Still New by Marcus Chan
Act 3: The Journey from India to the United States by Aditya Pooruli
Act 4: A Shock for Both Cultures by Claude Schroepfer
Produced by Justin Yoon
My peers and I put together this podcast to shed light on the hard work and persistence our families have gone through. We recognize how much harder our immigrant families have to work because they were determined to provide better lifestyles for us. Each of us has a story to tell that contributes to who we are and how we view the world.
Act 1: The Thankless Providers by Desiree Saechao
Act 2: Cheap Immigration? Not So Much by Krish Praseeth
Act 3: The Hardworking Mother by Ivan Cabrera-Perez
Act 4: Olivia's 5th Birthday by Cynthia He
In our slug story we tell three different stories, each from a different perspective. No two families are alike so the same theme manifested itself as three very different stories. Rahul talks about his hard working immigrant father and the dog that tied his family together, August talked about how his mom didn’t get the career she wanted because of his dad, and Elisa describes how her parents made her do extra schoolwork as a kid to “build her brain like a muscle.”
Act 1: Elisa Trejo “Gettin By”
Act 2: Rahul Ganesh ”Work-Life Balance”
Act 3: August “Who Stayed Home?”
Credits
Introduction recorded by Elisa Trejo
Hosted by Rahul Ganesh
Compiled and edited by August
Music: Garden Music by Kevin MacLeod -- Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3796-garden-music License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
How the three of us experienced injustice and how we dealt with that injustice. What we learned, how we grew as people. Thinking about it maybe in some ways it was fair but maybe again it was not fair. How people are treated differently. This and more is told in our podcast.
Theme: Injustice Provokes Anger
Act 1: My Cousin in Florida, by Jack LeValley
Act 2: How wanting to Change the Chinese education system made me a better student, by Gabriel Li
Act 3: Life is unfair but is more unfair for others by Nikitas Politis
Credits: Voiced by Gabriel, Jack, and Nikitas. Editing was done by Jack.
America is a country of immigrants, each with their own story to tell. Some came for economic reasons, others for personal reasons, and others came for their very survival. In this podcast, you will hear three of these stories. The immigrants in these stories originated from places as far apart as Cambodia and Mexico, but all of them were able to build a life here in America.
Act 1: A Dream Across the Way by Skylar Pickens
Act 2: From Harvesting Crops to Studying Crops by Anonymous
Act 3: The Hidden Story by Dede Hoisington
Credits: The hosts of this podcast in the order in which their stories appear are Skylar Pickens, Anonymous, and Dede Hoisington.
Mixing and narration were done by Anonymous
Both Skylar Pickens and Dede Hoisington served as creative and content leads.
We'd like to give an extra special thanks to anyone listening for their time.
"Several Roadblocks at a Time" is a podcast about setbacks a group of friends have each experienced in their lives. Though each story is very different, the underlining theme is the same: life isn’t always fair and there will be turbulence in the water. How you deal with that and push through these roadblocks, is all up to you. Whether you can control the situation, or not.
Act 1, “They’re Failures, Not Me” (Anonymous)
Act 2, “Meliorate”, by Andy Contreras
Act 3, “Overcoming Adversity” (Anonymous)
Shuqi Li, Chyenne Loyd and Anelah Cooper, three teenagers with different childhood experiences, different countries and different lives, have the same 17th birthday. What interesting things happened to them, and how did they react to them? What are their feelings when they look back on their seventeen years? Let's listen to their 17th birthday stories!
Team:
- Shuqi Li
- Chyenne Loyd
- Anelah Cooper
Act 1: Lost in Paris by Yunlong Ren
Got lost in Paris during a trip, I was able to return to my motherland safely with the assistance of the state. A person's character and morality depend on the environment in which he lives. Under the influence of my country, I have acquired the advantage of being ready to help others. Even now, many years later, when I am abroad, I still feel my country is near me.
Act 2: Nurturing Roots by Stephany Lopez
Coming to a new country came with multiple barriers that I overcame with certain skills my homeland had taught me. It’s about remembering what your roots planted but also what they harvested in you. You can be away from your homeland and enter a whole new society but you could never forget your roots.
The story centers around myself and my experience during and throughout a holiday trip with my father, we went to northeastern Brazil to go visit our extended family and to also visit the Sand Dune Lagoons located in the Lencois Maranhenses National park, however along the way we got a surprise.
Theme: “Human Nature is a language”
Act 1: Memory of a lifetime [3:41]
Credits
Produced and Directed by Igor Gaspar Lacerda Moreira
Appearances by Igor Gaspar Lacerda Moreira
Most young adults are stuck in a perpetual limbo of who they used to be and who they want to be. When within such a liminal part of life, it is almost guaranteed that one struggles with what others expect of them and what they want for themselves. The three of us are admittedly naive and have a lot to learn from the world around us, but in the same breath we acknowledge that we have grown from the experiences that we have had. In our podcast, we will be telling stories about our exposure to different events, people, and feelings that showed us immense personal growth and shaped us into who we are today, or at least, brought us closer to who we someday want to be.
Act 1: Jacket by Kevin Zepeda [0:23]
Act 2: It’s Just Hair by Isabella Torres [5:32]
Act 3: Clerodendrum by Diana Yusupova [9:49]
In this episode of Slug Stories, hear from Brian Ha, Gia Francis, Calvin Dees, and Kathleen Barcenas as they share their own personal stories of some of the best experiences of their lives -- and how they came unexpectedly.
Act 1 (Brian Ha): 1:10
Act 2 (Gia Francis): 6:40
Act 3 (Calvin Dees): 11:21
Act 4 (Kathleen Barcenas): 15:58
Outro: 19:24
Credits
Writers: Brian Ha, Gia Francis, Calvin Dees, Kathleen Barcenas
Producer: Calvin Dees
In Lessons to be Learned, we talk to our peers about how their experiences with travel have changed them. Through discussing our stories, it becomes apparent that travel has been significant in all of our lives, in which it has allowed for all of us to share our own unique stories with each other and the audience.
[00:00] Introduction & Theme
[00:26] Act 1: Family Away From Home by Kaitlyn Tran
[05:57] Act 2: Calling the Cows Home by Sri Annam
[10:36] Act 3: A Dream Come True by Om Patel
[14:31] Act 4: Keep Calm and Carry On by Allyson Floyd
Credits: Appearances by: Kaitlyn Tran, Sri Annam, Om Patel, Allyson Floyd
Production
- Episode Mixer - Kaitlyn
- Episode Host - Ally
- Content Lead - Sri
- Creative Lead - Om
“Dong The Unthinkable” is about the theme of courage. We define this as a theme that focuses on an individual’s clarity to know what should be done, as well as their ability to act upon this knowledge despite the consequences. We also believe that it could be defined as an individual’s ability to leave their comfort zone for the betterment of others. Throughout our stories, you will see how this theme can show itself in many different ways.
Featuring: Aryan Shah and Dale Bartolome
Act 1: “Crossing the Red Tape” by Aryan Shah, [1:01]
Act 2: “Can I Do This?” by Dale Bartolome, [5:27]
Credits:
People who appeared in the Sug Story: Aryan Shah & Dale Bartolome
Produced by Dale Bartolome
“Face to Face” is about coming to terms with fear. When horrors start to latch on to your psyche, the ultimate challenge is one thing: the endeavors of life. Monty Modare, Jason Stark and Mike Brown discuss this idea in this episode of the Momo Experience,as they listen to the stories of four unique storytellers.
Act 1: Eisoptrophobia by Niman Kaur [00:50]
Act 2: Drip or Drown by Danielle Padama [05:13]
Act 3: Value of Effort by Monjish Bhattacharyya [09:32]
Act 4: Being courageous is not the same thing as being fearless by Pranav Manoj [13:22]
Credits:
Transitions and host voices: Monjish Bhattacharyya Production/Audio Mixing: Pranav Manoj
Audio Clips used:
https://youtu.be/YeXmtkVegEQ https://youtu.be/Xes-20RDHOM https://youtu.be/1nD3Sp_saz4 https://youtu.be/qR3LkE_o21I https://youtu.be/eE_A-1CPCW4 https://sfx.productioncrate.com/
In Finding Your Passion, we explore the stories of how a newly turned history fanatic, an apathetic child, someone who experienced an identity crisis, and a video game addict embark on transformative journeys where they discover their true passions. Each story will teach you different valuable life lessons about finding your true passion. Prepare to tune in to our Slug Story Podcast: Finding Your Passion.
ACTS:
Act 1: A Passionless Past by Tom Fu [00:21]
Act 2: My Slide to Passion by Samantha Fierro [4:16]
Act 3: Passion in Progress by Eric Xie [7:44]
Act 4: Suns and Stars by Kushal Chigati [11:41]
Credits:
Mixer
Kushal Chigati
Episode Host
Tom Fu
Content & Creative Lead
Samantha Fierro
Eric Xie
Writers
Tom Fu
Samantha Fierro
Eric Xie
Kushal Chigati
Music By
Kushal Chigati
Four unique stories about overcoming challenges and difficulties, “Learning to Break Barriers” is brought to you by persevering young adults who’ve experienced stressful and anxious moments but continued to climb towards the top. These stories range from explosive online arguments to life changing experiences. The narrators talk about the various pressures of growing up and dealing with it the best way they could.
Act 1 : Forgiven but not Forgotten by Nick Aguayo [0:13]
Act 2: Brand New Me by Alejandro Jimenez [4:10]
Act 3: Surpassing My Shyness by Itzcel Juarez [9:15]
Act 4: A Difference in Perspective by Richard Hsieh [13:30]
Credits: Produced by and starting Nick Aguayo, Alejandro Jimenez, Itzcel Juarez, and Richard Hsieh.
Walking in the Wind is about four people talking about their run-ins with death and how it changed their view of life. Ranging from stories about losing family members, to losing close friends or even someone you never really knew. The narrators all share a common pain felt from the effects of death, even though all of their situations were different.
Act 1 Tears of Men by Afzal Khan [0:19]
Act 2 Should Have Would Have by Brittney Russell [4:31]
Act 3 The Day That Changed Me by Lauren Ramirez [7:44]
Act 4 Two Friends, Brothers in arms by Gavin Willnecker [10:55]
Credits
Mixer - Gavin Willnecker
Episode Host - Gavin Willnecker
Content lead - Brittney Russell / Afzal Khan
Creative lead - Afzal Khan / Lauren Ramirez / Brittney Russell / Gavin Willnecker
Songs
Song 1: Persphone - Tamino
Song 2: Hanging Tree - Jennifer Lawrence (cover by Nia)
Song 3: Death Bed (coffee for your head) - Powfu ft. Bebadoobee
Song 4: Walking in the Wind - One Direction (cover by Emma Beckett)
In “Love is Shapeless” Karina, Janan, Shannon and Brooke exchange their unique stories as they undergo their own experiences, encounters, challenges, and relationships. With that comes happiness, frustration, jealousy, anger, sadness, desperation, hatred, inspiration, etc. But in all these stories we see that love is what strings humankind together. Whether it be familial, platonic, or romantic, these stories reveal how love is shapeless, and its simplicity modes into whatever form and extends beyond the grasp of humankind.
Featuring: Karina Aguilar, Janan Bustami, Shannon Chen, Brooke Kim
Act 1: “Quest For Completion” by Karina Aguilar [00:40]
Act 2: “A Musical Love Story” by Janan Bustami [05:27]
Act 3: “You Gave Love A Meaning” by Shannon Chen [10:03]
Act 4: “Appreciating My Identity” by Brooke Kim [15:16]
Credits [19:22]
Credits: Narration was done by Shannon Chen. The audio and video editing was done by Brooke Kim.
Portions of the following songs appear in accordance with Fair Use provisions for educational not-for-profit purposes:
In Act 1, music is from and credited to Eric Godlow on YouTube, titled Lofi Beat “Lovely.”
In Act 2, music is from and credited to Janan Bustami on Youtube, titled “A Prayer for Peace - John Williams, Adventure on Bainbridge Island - Alan Lee Silva | January 2020.”
In Act 3, music is from and credited to Smyang Piano on YouTube, titled “[FULL] BTS Spring day Piano Cover” and other music is from DooPiano on Youtube titled “BTS Spring Day Piano and String Orchestra Version.”
In Act 4, music is from and credited to LAKEY INSPIRED on YouTube, titled “Blue Boi” In the credits, music is from and credited to Prim M on YouTube for the mashup of “What is love” by Twice and “What is love” by Haddaway.
All music is used only for educational not-for-profit purposes .
Slugs on Culture tells stories about learning to get situated or comfortable in a new culture different from our own. When we encounter cultural differences and the obstacles needed to overcome it, we often try to prove our identity, but ultimately realize we have to learn to just be comfortable with who we are.
Featuring: Jasmine Sheu, Jason Gu, Pratinav Sharma, and Manon Diaz
Introduction [0:07-0:50]
Act 1: Chopsticks by Jasmine Sheu [1:11-4:37]
Act 2: Place With No Sound by Jason Gu [4:58-9:21]
Act 3: Hiding Behind My Culture by Pratinav Sharma [9:39-14:58]
Act 4: Popo’s Shop by Manon Diaz [15:08-19:04]
Conclusion [19:20-20:03]
Credits: Slugs on Culture's hosts are in the order of Jasmine Sheu, Jason Gu, Pratinav Sharma, and Manon Diaz. Jasmine Sheu for the introduction, and Manon Diaz as the Mixer. Background music is Blue and Grey from BigHit Entertainment. Special thanks to everyone who listened.
Journey to Self dives into four unique stories about how these moments in our journeys have led to our own self-knowledge and self-discovery. We reflect on these four vignettes and tell of how these experiences have helped us to learn more and better understand ourselves and the world around us.
Featuring: Rishita Wairagade, Samantha Chan, Jennacess Carreon, and Keenan Chau-Pech.
Prologue: [00:00]
Act 1: The Moments I Live For by Rishita Wairagade [00:20]
Act 2: Outside the Zone by Samantha Chan [04:33]
Act 3: Mary Had a Little Lamb… and I Stole it by Jennacess Carreon [08:15]
Act 4: Crossroads by Keenan Chau-Pech [12:35]
Credits:Thank You to Keenan, Samantha, Jennacess, and Rishita for sharing their stories and hosting this podcast. Also a huge thank you to Professor Remy Franky for teaching us the fundamentals of storytelling. And last, a huge shout out to Daniel J. Story for his guidance on producing this podcast.