Sound Effect

KNKX reporter Will James reflects on the closing of the Merkle Hotel , what may be the last remaining low-income residential hotel in Tacoma. Professor Marie Wong gives a history of single room occupancy hotels in the Chinatown International District in Seattle. An elected official talks about how she still uses food banks . We then visit a bicycle-based needle exchange program in Olympia.

This story originally aired on December 16, 2017. To say that Washington State University Cougars have school spirit is a wild understatement, and if you have any in your life, you know they don't hesitate to remind you. Now, Cameron McCoy and many other members of Coug nation have reached a significant milestone in letting their flags fly. Actual flags. Cameron and his accomplices in the Ol' Crimson Booster Club have made it their business to get a Coug to a different city each week during

This episode originally aired on December 16, 2017. This week on Sound Effect, our theme is "One of Many" ... the tension between standing out and fitting in. Host Gabriel Spitzer heads to St. Francis of Assisi school in Burien to talk to kids about how they stand out when they have to wear uniforms. We meet a man who battled addiction and landed a felony conviction, only to become a lawyer after his sentence was over. Jennifer Wing introduces us to a group of women with HIV , who have found

When Caroline Garry first noticed she had a problem with perfection, she was in her bedroom closet scrubbing down a pair of white leather Nikes. Caroline was in seventh grade, and like a lot of kids she had gotten attached to a new pair of school shoes. But unlike a lot of kids, Caroline would come home from school every single day and clean them. In hiding. Whether they were dirty or not. "I just felt this compulsion. I needed to." After she got her first car, Caroline began to realize her

A violinist with the Seattle Symphony talks about having perfect pitch , and offers a demonstration. A University of Washington gymnastics coach discusses the constant pressure for elite gymnasts to be perfect . A Seattle photographer takes us out to try and find the perfect shot . A glass chemist talks about her secret recipe for creating perfect colors. Sound Effect is stories inspired by the place we live. The show is hosted by KNKX's Gabriel Spitzer . The full broadcast version of this week

Kimberly Clark Sharp lives in Seattle but she grew up in Kansas. And when she was 22, she had an experience with her father at the DMV that would change her life. It was not something she was prepared for. “We were leaving the building. I collapsed into and through his arms, and hit the sidewalk,” Kim said. A nearby nurse, a good samaritan and the fire department all worked to resuscitate her. Nothing was working. Kim describes hearing someone say, “I’m not getting a pulse!” “I said, ‘of course

A psychology professor explains how dreams can have a big impact on real-life decisions and discoveries. A researcher searches for a drug that can help veterans kick their PTSD nightmares . A man who used to make teeth transitions into a new career, in dream analysis. Sound Effect is stories inspired by the place we live. The show is hosted by KNKX's Gabriel Spitzer . The full broadcast version of this week's show, available below, also includes a story about a man from Taiwan who was living the

Growing up in Taiwan, Dean Huang always knew he wanted to study abroad, especially after visiting cousins that had immigrated to Boston. “It’s just that Taiwan is really small, and I feel like I can maximize my potential and challenge myself to receive a different education.” When he turned 18, Dean was accepted to University of Washington in Seattle, and shortly after that became an American citizen. He was active in a group of fellow Taiwanese immigrants, and also made lots of friends with

Where does gelatin meet feminism, in a wrestling ring? Jello Underground, an all-female run jello wrestling tournament. It's part performance, part competition, part declaration of female power and sex positivity. Jello Underground began as a Seattle-based burlesque troupe. According to the show’s producer, Gracie Garnet (that’s her stage name), the hustle it took to choreograph, produce, and run a burlesque show became too strenuous. So the troupe, still wanting to perform, took a step back.

This week, stories of the unusual things we can’t get enough of. We meet a scientist who is also widely recognized as an artist who paints cats . A musician from Yugoslavia talks about making art during war time . A man makes a one person stand against those who think vaccinations are bad. A scientist finds herself being responsible for keeping a rare butterfly alive . Sound Effect is stories inspired by the place we live. The show is hosted by KNKX's Gabriel Spitzer . The full broadcast version