Audio Stories
Stories teach us, heal us, and remind us where we come from. They inspire us to action, support us as we face our challenges, and show us how to live with purpose.
These personal narratives, told by our inaugural Fellows cohort in the style of the popular Moth Podcast, chronicle ways to meet the moments as they come.
METAMORPHOSIS | Don't Laugh at Me
Given a chance to stand up to her bullies, Gabi makes a surprising choice.
For Stanford University's Office for Religious and Spiritual Life's Meeting's the Moment program, this story showcases our August '23 theme, Metamorphosis. Told by Meeting the Moment Fellow Gabriela Lipson '24.
This episode features music by Loyalty Freak Music and Blue Dot Sessions.
REIMAGINING GENIUS | Even on a Rainy Day
A meditation on the power of laughter.
For Stanford University's Office for Religious and Spiritual Life's Meeting's the Moment program, this story showcases our June '23 theme, REIMAGINING GENIUS. Told by Meeting the Moment Fellow Evani Radiya-Dixit ’21.
This episode features music by Loyalty Freak Music and Blue Dot Sessions.
FINDING GROUND
A battle over food transforms a relationship between mother and son.
For Stanford University's Office for Religious and Spiritual Life's Meeting's the Moment program, this story showcases our April '23 theme, FINDING GROUND. Told by Meeting the Moment Fellow Suyoun Choi ’24.
This episode features music by Loyalty Freak Music and Blue Dot Sessions.
Story by Suyoun Choi, Produced by Jackson Roach.
EMBODIMENT
When a sudden health crisis derails a career-driven intern, she looks for healing in an unexpected place.
For Stanford University's Office for Religious and Spiritual Life's Meeting's the Moment program, this story showcases our June '22 theme, EMBODIMENT. Told by Meeting the Moment Fellow Alina Wilson ’24.
This episode features music by Loyalty Freak Music, Lee Rosevere, Chris Zabriskie, and Blue Dot Sessions.
Story by Alina Wilson, Produced by Jackson Roach.
Queer Joy and Community Resilience: Voices from Stanford
Part 1: Conversation with members of REFUGE: Queerness, Spirituality, and Religion
Elaine Lai (she/they), who was in the first cohort of Stanford University’s Office for Religious and Spiritual Life’s Meeting the Moment program, visits us again to present a two-part podcast titled “Queer Joy and Community Resilience: Voices from Stanford.” Part one features five members of the student group REFUGE: Queerness, Spirituality, and Religion, founded by Matta Zheng (’22). As a former member of REFUGE, Elaine wanted to create a time capsule for this community to remember the work, conversations, and aspirations created together, and to offer a source of refuge for other queer folks trying to cultivate joy, and a deepening relationship to spirituality and/or religion. The conversation today considers what it means to create safe community, everyday rituals of joy, and the constraints and possibilities to queering institutional and religious spaces. This podcast is made possible by Critical Consciousness and Anti-Oppressive Praxis program hosted by the Office of Inclusion, Community, and Integrative Learning at Stanford.
Featuring: Elaine Lai (PhD Candidate), Matta Zheng (’22), Sequoiah Blaire Hippolyte (’22), and three other anonymous members of REFUGE
Podcast edited by Cahron Cross (’23) and Destiny Cunningham (’23)
Part 2: Conversation with Vivek Tanna on queer mania, and queering academia
Elaine Lai (she/they) who was in the first cohort of Stanford University’s Office for Religious and Spiritual Life’s Meeting the Moment program visits us again to present a two-part podcast titled “Queer Joy and Community Resilience: Voices from Stanford.” Part two features a conversation with Vivek Tanna (’22), leader of the student group Stanford Queer & Asian, who also serves as an LGBTQ+ health trainer. In this podcast, Vivek talks about his undergraduate thesis which is a creative auto-ethnography on queer mania, where he weaves uncertainty as an analytical thread between Religious Studies, psychology and sanity. Questions considered include: How do we queer the space of academia, and collapse disciplinary boundaries? What would it be to imagine a world in which coming out of the closet no longer needs to be actively disclosed to others? This podcast is made possible by Critical Consciousness and Anti-Oppressive Praxis program hosted by the Office of Inclusion, Community, and Integrative Learning at Stanford.
Featuring: Elaine Lai (PhD Candidate), Vivek Tanna (’22)
Podcast edited by Cahron Cross (’23) and Destiny Cunningham (’23)
Elaine Lai (she/they) is a PhD candidate in the Religious Studies department at Stanford focusing on Buddhism. Their dissertation focuses on researching how time is narrated and embodied in Tibetan Buddhist literature, and what this might teach us about otherwise possibilities for storytelling and creating a more compassionate world. Prior to Stanford they spent ten years studying and working in China, Taiwan, India, Hong Kong, and Nepal where they made lifelong friends who have drastically influenced the way they see the world. Outside of academia, they have served as the co-president of the Buddhist Community at Stanford (BCAS). By night they write plays, screenplays, and TV pilots that feature unconventional female and queer characters.
JOY AS RESISTANCE
A defiant poet’s instructions for living joyful resistance.
For Stanford University's Office for Religious and Spiritual Life's Meeting's the Moment program, this story showcases our June '21 theme, JOY AS RESISTANCE. Told by Meeting the Moment Fellow Darnell (DeeSoul) Carson ’21.
Music in this piece:
“Sunday Morning Chant” by Freesound Music
"Positive Hip-hop" by Maxkomusic
"Trial Of Fire" by Catch 22 Beats
"Remember When" by Pieper Beats
"ELEGANCE" by B.EaZYbeats
"4 Page" by Quentin Beatino
Story by Darnell "DeeSoul" Carson, Audio by Allie Wollner
Play
An intrepid girl tears up her schedule and takes the day to play - learning some lessons about the value of fun along the way.
For Stanford University's Office for Religious and Spiritual Life's Meeting's the Moment program, this story showcases our May '21 theme, PLAY. Told by Meeting the Moment Fellow Adesuwa Agbonile ’21.
Music in this piece:
“Funky Little Intro” by Chico Man
"New Soul" by Ketsa
"Thinking Free" by Ketsa
"Dutilgi" - by Mello C
"Rainbow Bridge" by Siddhartha Corsus
"The Flight of Lulu" by Possimiste
Story by Adesuwa Agbonile, Audio by Allie Wollner
Ancestry
A dreamer discovers the surprisingly cyclical nature of ancestry.
For Stanford University's Office for Religious and Spiritual Life's Meeting's the Moment program, this story showcases our April '21 theme, ANCESTRY. Told by Meeting the Moment Fellow Luciana Frazao MS ’21.
Music in this piece:
“Sardana” by Kevin MacLeod
“Sad Saz” by Podington Bear
Story by Luciana Frazao, Audio produced by Allie Wollner
Reimagining Genius
How a sheep becomes a human, fully alive.
For Stanford University's Office for Religious and Spiritual Life's Meeting's the Moment program, this story showcases our March '21 theme, REIMAGINING GENIUS. Told by Meeting the Moment Program Associate Emma Master '19 .
Story by Emma Master, Audio by Allie Wollner
Anger & Justice
Two stories: in light of bigotry and racism, especially from those we least expect, what does true justice mean and why?
For Stanford University's Office for Religious and Spiritual Life's Meeting's the Moment program, this story showcases our January '21 theme, ANGER & JUSTICE. Told by Meeting the Moment Fellow Elaine Lai, PhD Candidate and Cahron Cross '22.
Produced by Allie Wollner