Noel Gasca
Producer, Soundside
About
Noel is a producer for KUOW’s midday show Soundside.
Prior to joining Soundside, Noel worked as an online editor/producer with KUOW’s web team. She’s also a proud graduate of KUOW’s RadioActive program.
Noel is an alumna of Emerson College and has interned at NPR member stations WBUR in Boston and WAMU in Washington DC. Originally from Lake Stevens, Washington, Noel is elated to be back in the Pacific Northwest and covering the people and places that make up the state she calls home. Noel has reported on labor and education.
When she’s not working, Noel enjoys perusing Seattle’s used bookstores, discussing the lasting legacy of Selena Quintanilla’s music with anyone who will listen, and spending way too much time fixing up her island on Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Location: Seattle
Languages: English
Pronouns: she/her
Professional Affiliations: National Association of Hispanic Journalists, AIR
Podcasts
Stories
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Health
How to get through the U.S.'s Adderall shortage, according to a psychiatrist
A nationwide Adderall shortage has affected people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder since October, and it isn't expected to end until the new year. We spoke to a psychiatrist about the factors driving the shortage and tips for getting through it.
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Environment
Could grizzly bears officially return to the North Cascades?
The last confirmed grizzly bear sighting in the North Cascades was in 1996. But that could change.
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Health
Traffic fatalities spike in Washington state
Ryan Packer of The Urbanist and Yonah Freemark of the Urban Institute join Soundside to discuss traffic fatalities both nationally and here in Washington state.
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Arts & Life
Artists call Seattle's plan to tackle unwanted graffiti 'ethically tricky'
What's the difference between the mural we see outside of a light rail station and the graffiti across the street? What is public art and what is a nuisance? It’s a question Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and the city are wrestling with through a proposed initiative.
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Arts & Life
For the first time, James Baldwin's 'The Amen Corner' takes Seattle audiences to church
For the first time, James Baldwin's 1954 play "The Amen Corner" is being staged in Seattle, at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute.
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Politics
College voters: Increased importance and expanding turnout
Since the 2016 presidential election, voter turnout among college students has been steadily increasing. Take the last midterms for example: In 2018, 40 percent of registered college students voted. It’s too early to tell if that trend will continue during this midterm election, but what can this trend tell us about the power of college students as a voting block?
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Arts & Life
'The Boy Who Kissed the Sky' explores Jimi Hendrix's childhood
We know a lot about the man Hendrix became: the paratrooper who played in a band during his free time, the backup player for musicians like Sam Cooke, BB King, and Little Richard, and eventually, the world renowned rockstar. But there’s a chapter of Hendrix’s life that has gone largely unexplored: his childhood. A new production from playwright and Seattle Children’s Theatre Creative Director Idris Goodwin is inspired by Hendrix’s childhood growing up in Seattle’s Central District. It’s called “The Boy Who Kissed the Sky.”
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Arts & Life
Washington gave Bigfoot wings: the story behind Batsquatch
One of the fun things about Halloween is - it's a day where creepy creatures that we don't usually believe in seem just a little more likely to exist. In other words, Halloween is a great day for cryptids.
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Business
In 2020, consumers turned to Black-owned businesses. But where has that support gone?
Researchers at the University of Washington studied visits to restaurants that identified as Black-owned on Yelp, compared to visits to restaurants without the Black-owned label. They found that across 20 cities in the United States, the support for those Black-owned businesses was inconsistent.
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Environment
Eerie, quiet and so much smoke: Darrington mayor reflects on hazardous air quality
A blanket of smoky particles and pollution continued to smother the Puget Sound region Thursday.