All week long we've been playing you this sound, and asking you to guess what exactly it is and where exactly in the Bay Area we recorded it.

This auditory guessing game is part of KALW's Audiograph, a crowd-sourced collaborative radio project mapping the sonic signature of each of the Bay Area’s nine counties. By using the sounds of voices, nature, industry, and music, Audiograph tells the story of where you live, and the people who live there with you. Every Thursday, we reveal the origins of that week's sound on "Crosscurrents", online at www.kalw.org, and here on SoundCloud.

NORBERT FEYLING: The main brake is the track brake. When you're going down a steep hill with a full load, you can get a nice campfire smell off of those, because they will get so hot that you can really smell 'em.

Congratulations to this week's winner, Chris Cartwright. We'll have a new sound for you to guess and another chance to win next week. 

Is there a sound from your life that should be featured on Audiograph? Call at 415-264-7106 and tell us about the sound of where you live.

Audiograph's Sound of the Week: Cable Car Barn

Back in 1992, toy company Mattel nearly had to recall its “Teen Talk” Barbie. Women’s groups protested the doll’s use of the phrase “Math class is tough.” They called it out for indirectly perpetuating a harmful stereotype-- that boys and men are better at math than girls and women. Research -- especially over the last 10 years -- has shown there is no innate difference in math ability between males and females. And yet the stereotype persists. Women earn 43% of all college math degrees, yet their presence is scarce in the higher echelons of mathematics. The statistics for women of color are even lower.

Stanford education researcher Jo Boaler says the seeds of this disparity are sown well before college. She says it starts as soon as kids first go to school, when they start to get the message that: you’re either a math person, or you’re not.

“Unfortunately, in the US right now, there’s a belief that you’re either a math person or you’re not. Kids believe that, parents believe that, and most devastatingly, teachers believe that. This idea that you haven’t got the brain for math, it’s really outdated, and anybody can grow that brain that’s needed to excel in math.”

Women in STEM: Interview with Stanford math education researcher Jo Boaler

Originally aired on KALW's "Crosscurrents," January 17, 2015.
Reporter: Leila Day

You can find the accompanying article at http://kalw.org/post/problem-sounding-white. 

The problem with "sounding white"

http://kalw.org/post/need-vent-call-warm-line

Seventy thousand people call San Francisco’s suicide crisis line each year. Making that call usually means someone is on the verge of harming themselves due to severe emotional distress. But San Francisco has launched a new service that’s aimed at reaching people before they’re on the brink of crisis – the San Francisco Mental Health Peer-Run Warm Line.

The phone number for the San Francisco Mental Health Peer-Run Warm Line is 1 (855) 845-7415. Counselors are available Monday through Thursday from 7am to 11pm and Friday through Sunday from 11am to 7pm. 

Need to vent? Call the Warm Line

It’s the end of the week at Laurelwood Elementary, and the kids in Katy Howser’s kindergarten class are getting a quick lesson about bugs before they clean up and go home.

Howser has taught kindergarten here for seven years. Her mom was a kindergarten teacher, too. It’s in the family.

After school today, Howser will teach reading lessons to first graders. Then, she’ll hop in her car and drive five minutes to her apartment.

“I live literally down the street from my school, so it’s really nice," she says. "I stop through one stoplight on my way there."

How one Bay Area school district is making sure teachers aren’t priced out

Drew Ackerman works in the Alameda County Public Library system by day, but at night, his Sleep with Me podcast helps listeners around the world fall asleep.

In each episode, Ackerman plays the role of Dearest Scooter, a character who tells what he calls a boring, lulling bedtime story. Ackerman sat down with KALW’s Audrey Dilling, who’s also an insomniac and a fan of the podcast.

Podcaster tells boring bedtime stories to help put you to sleep

Christy Carter: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed a budget that includes major cuts to programs, such as MediCal, that help low-income Californians. The good news is, some services that rely on private donations for funding are still going strong. The Safe at Home Program provides low-income seniors and disabled people in Oakland with home safety equipment such as fire extinguishers and handrails. The group has plenty of funding, but the catch is, it's having trouble finding customers.


The Safe at Home Program #OaklandMills #SanFranciscoCrosscurrents

Alexandra "Alex" Cruz: Most of us think of higher education as a ticket to higher income. What we don't always consider is that one of the biggest factors in determining who goes to college is whether his or her parents got a degree. That's why college counselors can be so important in a high school kid's life. Today we're going to introduce you to Frankie Ramos. She's a counselor at Unity High School in East Oakland, California. But she doesn't spend all her time in the counseling office. She also helps teach a college prep class—which gives students one-on-one assistance with their college applications. Alex Cruz went to Unity High to explore this unique classroom.


High School Counseling #OaklandMills #SanFranciscoCrosscurrents

Belen Trigueros: News of the recession is on all the front pages these days. What gets lost is a story that's been going on all along—the story of illegal immigrants and their struggles to build a life in this country. Here in Oakland, one lawyer has made it her mission to help immigrants assert their rights. 


Illegal Immigrants #OaklandMills #SanFranciscoCrosscurrents

Hazel Utevsky: The neighborhood of West Oakland has gone through a lot of changes over the years. For decades, this part of town has been neglected by city funds, and slipping into disrepair. Some no longer consider it safe at night. But these days, the neighborhood is getting more attention. Some community members are taking action to restore West Oakland to its historic vibrancy. In one corner of the neighborhood, a skate park and mural gallery are being built where before there was nothing but pavement.


Rehabilitating West Oakland #OaklandMills #SanFranciscoCrosscurrents

Joy Wheeler: Artist William Scott's resume reads like a who's who of the contemporary art world: from The Armory Show to Art Basel Miami Beach and the windows of Barney's New York. And he owes his success to a place called Creative Growth Art Center in Oakland. As Joy Wheeler reports, that allows people who might not otherwise have had the chance—to express themselves creatively.


Creative Growth Art Center #OaklandMills #SanFranciscoCrosscurrents #BayAreaArt

California's Prop 19: the end of the war on Marijuana? #SanFranciscoCrosscurrents

May is mental health awareness month. It's an issue for people of all ages, including teenagers. According to the CDC, suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth ages 15 to 24. And the rate is increasing. A Los Gatos teen who experienced challenges of her own started a podcast to give her peers struggling with mental health issues a voice.

Silicon Valley Teen’s Podcast Peeks Into The Minds Of Her Peers

Oakland Poet Tureeda Mikell has many stories to tell. Her first book "Synchronicity: The Oracle of Sun Medicine" is a collection of poetry that covers spirituality and Black culture, while also challenging organized religion and institutionalized racism.

Poet Tureeda Mikell Uses Words To Heal And Push Back Against Injustice

America’s entrenched institutional racism has roots in its schools. In this episode of tbh, Masiyah Edwards reflects on how too often, students in the Bay Area experience severe consequences for their "bad" behavior rather than understanding, mentorship and help.

Schools Should Support Students - Not Criminalize Them

Nearly every election you'll see a bond measure on San Francisco ballots. It’s always the first proposition listed, and it's a way to fund what the Board of Supervisors or the mayor deem essential city services, like earthquake safety, school repairs, or park maintenance.

This year, San Franciscans will vote on Proposition A, the Health and Recovery Bond.

San Francisco's Prop A Aims To Help With Coronavirus-Induced Chaos

In the final weeks before the election, we’re checking in with five locations in the Bay Area with the lowest voter turnout rates. Today, we go to East Palo Alto, a city with a 62% Latinx population. This year they are voting for city councilmembers and on Measure V, an affordable housing tax on hotels. 

Daniel Marquez is a reporter with El Tecolote covering the election in East Palo Alto. He spoke with city council candidates and community groups to understand what has held back voter participation in this largely Latinx city.

This interview was produced by Victor Tence.

Why East Palo Alto Is Struggling To Increase Voter Turnout

California is one of just three states that requires people convicted of felonies to finish parole before they can vote. Prop 17 would change that, and grant voting rights to nearly 40,000 Californians on parole.

Californians On Parole Can't Vote — Prop 17 Could Change That

Ying Liu doesn’t just tell ghost stories, she shows them. Liu is creator of the documentary series "The Haunted Bay," where she and her team investigate haunted places around the Bay Area from gay bars to old ships.

Filmmaker Ying Liu Investigates Haunted Places In The Bay Area

Measure Z is causing debate in Alameda. It would repeal a rule in the city’s charter that limits the density of housing. But some say more dense housing would hurt the island.

Alameda Residents Debate Housing Development Rules Through Measure Z

In these final days before the election, we’ve been checking in with locations around the Bay Area with the lowest voter turnout rates. We’ve gone to Richmond, East Palo Alto, West Oakland, and today we go to San Francisco's Bayview-Hunters Point district to hear what’s being done there to engage voters.

Hoodline reporter Meaghan Mitchell has spoken to community groups working to mobilize voters. In this interview, she shares what she's been hearing in the neighborhood a week before election day.

Issues Like Police Violence May Lead To Higher Voter Turnout In Bayview-Hunters Point

This year has marked a turning point in how American athletes have engaged in political issues. In this episode of tbh, Maddie Johnson catches up with a Bay Area group that has been organizing basketball-themed Black lives matter protests around the country.

Why Basketball Players Shouldn't Just 'Shut Up And Dribble'

In San Francisco, there are 588 polling places spread out across the city. And, most elections, the city needs about 3,000 people to volunteer to work them. This year, the Department of Elections got more applicants than ever -- 14,000! They actually had to turn people away.

Meet The People Making San Francisco's Election Run Safely And Smoothly

It’s around 11 a.m. on a Saturday morning at the 2200 block of the Wood Street homeless encampment in West Oakland.  I’m here because I want to find out whether at least some of the city’s estimated 4,000 homeless people will vote. There’s a lot at stake for them this year.

Voters Experiencing Homelessness Weigh In On Oakland Elections

Over the past weeks, we've ramped up our voter outreach in five communities with historically lower voter turnout rates. We created special voter guides for East Palo Alto, West Oakland, Richmond, Fairfield, and San Francisco's Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhoods. These pamphlets are tailored to each area, and explain where and how to vote.

KALW Voter Guides Make A Splash Around the Bay Area

The country is starting the week with a new president-elect. For many people, it was a weekend of celebration. For others, it was a weekend of protest. And, while we’ve been directing a lot of our attention to the presidential race, we are also following the aftermath of our local elections here in the Bay Area. 

Today, we are looking at Bayview-Hunters Point in San Francisco, and what the results mean to people who live there. Policing has been a big issue, and San Francisco voters passed Measure D, increasing oversight of the Sherriff’s Dept, and Measure E to adjust police staffing requirements. Measure A passed, approving nearly $30 million dollars towards to develop India Basin Open Space Park in Bayview.

Overall, in this historically low turnout area, more voters cast their ballots this election. In this interview, Hoodline reporter Meaghan Mitchell breaks down what the local election results mean for San Francisco's Bayview-Hunters Point.

What Election Results Mean for San Francisco's Bayview-Hunters Point Neighborhood

This election, voters in Richmond elected City Council members, West Contra Costa School Board members, and passed Measure U, which changes the way businesses are taxed — it would generate $5 million dollars a year for the city. Overall, the results show big wins for progressives in Richmond.

Richmond Election Re-Cap: Progressives Sweep City Council And City Revamps Its Tax System

Natalie Devora’s memoir "Black Girl, White Skin: A Life in Stories" is about challenges she faced growing up with albinism during the '60s and '70s in East Oakland.

Natalie Devora Writes About Being Black With Albinism

San Francisco author Marke Bieschke reads from his new book, "Into the Streets."  It’s about how 500 years of protest shaped what’s happening in our world today.

Marke Bieschke Book Explores 500 Years Of Protest And Representation

At the beginning of the Coronavirus shutdown, the city of San Francisco rented hotel rooms for over 2,300 homeless people. For many, it was the first time in years they had a bed and bathroom to themselves. Now, the city is gradually closing these shelter-in-place hotels.

The plan is to eventually move everyone into permanent housing. And if it’s successful, it could be one of the city’s largest rehousing efforts to date. But critics say the plan is moving too quickly.

"The people who are in these hotel units are in very, very poor health condition for the most part. It is likely be a death sentence sending them back to the streets." - Jennifer Friedenbach

Jennifer Friedenbach is the executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness.

Critics Warn People Could End Up Back On Street, As Shelter-In-Place Hotels Close

Jazz vocalist Valerie Troutt tells a coming-of-age story in her new album "The Oakland Girl."

Valerie Troutt grew up in The Town, where the community recognized her talent when she was a kid. Members of her church would buy her tickets to concerts and musicals to expose her to all types of music. That support, plus having encouraging parents (her mom took her to the night club Sweet Jimmie’s!), influenced Valerie.

"The 'Oakland Girl' is someone who gives birth. Someone who is a holder of space and really has a vision for life."

Valerie’s jazz and gospel vocals have been heard all around the Bay Area. 

She wrote second album, The Oakland Girl wrote 20 years ago while living in New York City. But the themes of growth and love still resonate today. Her album is available on Bandcamp.

This interview was produced by Jenee Darden and Precious J. Green and mixed by Gabe Grabin.

Singer Valerie Troutt Opens Her Musical Diary In Her New Album 'The Oakland Girl'

KALW is local public radio from the San Francisco Bay Area. Tune into 91.7FM or find some of KALW's fine programming here, from shows like our nightly newsmagazine Crosscurrents. And check out the sounds from special projects like Audiograph, which is out to capture the sonic signature of the Bay Area. 

KALW 91.7 FM Bay Area

Popular tracks