In order to create my video, I had to use some equipment. I used the camera on my phone to film the video, and my roommate helped record the demonstrations. Other than that, the process was straightforward and easy to complete. Overall, I was able to capture the footage I needed, and the final video turned out great.
Additional Images
For my three additional images for my video project, I decided to have one of my still images be of me playing a game in a soccer match. The next image is a still image of dumbbells, and finally the last still image is an AI generated of muscle chart for soccer players. These images are included in my OneDrive link as well.
To create this podcast, I went to the Vocal Booth at UMW, got onto the app Audacity, and recorded my audio along with trimming out any overextended dialogue. I added the intro and outro music to make sure that it was 5 seconds long. It was a bit hard trying to get everything sorted out, but once I got the hang of it, recording was easy.
Welcome to Xavier’s daily chat. I’m Xavier Opare-Kumi.
00:10
Have you just turned 16 and are aiming to learn how to drive? Today, I will go over the importance of a driver’s license.
00:19
Let’s get into it. The first driver’s license was issued in Troy, New York in the year 1899.
00:27
And throughout the years, they were given to those over the age of 15.
00:32
This topic is important because it provides the legal authorization to drive, serves as a primary photo identification card, and unlocks major personal and economic freedom.
00:45
For the first point, legal authorization will help you prove to law enforcement that you have passed the required testing and are legally permitted to operate a motor vehicle on public roads.
00:57
Driving out on the road without a license is very risky as there’s a high possibility of you getting arrested.
01:04
And you cannot blame law enforcement for arresting you because of your own mistakes.
01:10
For the second point, driver license are a universally accepted photo ID used for banking, opening accounts, boarding flights, employment verification, and voting.
01:23
While we have social security numbers and cards, a driver’s license is up there in things that we need to signify our identities.
01:32
For the third point, many jobs require a valid license or reliable transportation, and having one expands your job search radius.
01:41
In conclusion, a driver’s license is necessary for a person to develop and grow.
01:48
With all that being said, my name is Xavier Opare-Kumi and I’ll be signing off.
This audio is designed to leave you understanding the basics of an everyday skincare routine. Skincare is not just a luxurious thing only the frivolous do but a necessary routine to take care of part of your body. It improves skin appearance while also reducing damage and signs of aging. Cleansers are the first step of any skincare routine. They’re designed to remove impurities and excess oil from the skin as well as laying a clean foundation for the products to come. After cleansing, your skin might feel a little dry. Moisturizers contain emollients that help lock in moisture. If your skin is on the oilier side, try a water-based cleanser. Since they’re water-based, they help moisturize without overflowing oily skin with even more oils. If your skin is on the drier side, a traditional thicker cream may be better for you. Last in every skincare routine should be a sunscreen. Sunscreen is not only for days at the beach but should be used daily to avoid cumulative damage from the sun. It is important to find a daily sunscreen that feels comfortable to ensure you follow through with wearing it daily. Once you have the three basics of a basic skincare routine, you can expand to include additional steps such as toners, serums, essences, and ampoules. When adding additional steps and products, make sure to apply the products from thinnest to thickest to prevent the thicker products from inhibiting the thinner ones. I hope you took something useful away from this audio and stay glowy.
Equipment & Editing
Recorded on a MAONO microphone, equalized using SteelSeries Sonar, and edited using Sound trap.
When making this podcast I used the voice memos app on my phone to record. I then moved the audio files to my computer and edited them on iMovie. I have used iMovie before and figured it would be the quickest way to splice the original interview I had recorded. There was a lot of the original recording that I had to cut as it was over five minutes long. I also found using a less rigid script led to a lot of babbling which meant editing quickly became tedious.
Okay, hi, I’m Abbey. Today I wanted to talk about how there’s been an upward trend in reading and how I think a lot of it came from COVID, more specifically a trend in COVID called #BookTok. And I want to talk to someone to understand more about whether or not this increase in reading is a trend or if it’s a movement.
So I’m going to introduce my guest.
00:00:23 (Kate)
Hi, I’m Kate. I love to read and I love books.
(Page Turning Audio)
00:00:30 (Abbey)
What really made you get into reading?
00:00:32 (Kate)
Okay, so I definitely liked reading like in elementary school and middle school, but I haven’t been an avid reader all throughout. Like there have been like dips where I haven’t read a lot or where I have read a lot. Like the summer reading assignments definitely made reading feel more like work, like getting assigned the reading. It just wasn’t as enjoyable as it was to just read on my own free will.
00:00:59 (Abbey)
Okay, and as we mentioned earlier, you do like reading now. So do you think COVID had anything to do with your increase in reading from middle school? Do you think #BookTok had anything to do with it?
00:01:12 (Kate)
I feel like during COVID is when a lot of people were getting on TikTok and social media and stuff and definitely seeing that all around definitely influenced my reading life and influenced like the type of stuff I was reading and stuff like that. So I feel like it definitely did have an influence.
(Page Turning Audio)
00:01:34 (Abbey)
And I know I’ve said a few times that reading did become a trend. Do you think it is?
00:01:41 (Kate)
I hope that people continue to read because I see a lot of stuff about like a literacy crisis nowadays with young people. I think it could be classified as like a trend. And I think it’s a good trend.
00:01:53 (Abbey)
Well, thank you. I appreciate that. All right. That’s all I had today.
I spent 15 years in the U.S. Marine Corps and during that time my friends and I experienced near daily hilarious situations. These stories, often referred to as “Sea Stories” (tall tales) were often told to an audience in designated smoking areas. We believed these stories were unique to the Marine Corps and could, in a funny way, make the branch more…or less…relatable. At some point I started to keep a notebook of my own stories and the ones I picked up while transiting smoke pits. Since most of us didn’t really want our name put into the public, it was a no brainer that the narrator should be a nameless Gunnery Sergeant or “Gunny”. Gunnys are unique to the Marines and often used to symbolize the Corps as a whole. If you want to learn more about Gunnery Sergeants, check out Battle Order’s web post about the Origin of the Gunnery Sergeant.
Episode 1: Deer Choke
Whitetail Deer by Andrew Patrick found at www.pexels.com
Project Process
Since I have never recorded or edited audio before I had to rely on what was already free and available. All of the audio recording was done by my Samsung S22. I downloaded a voice recording app and got to work. My two sound effects clips were done by holding my phone next to the sound I was trying to capture. For the first, I held it close to ground as I walked through some under brush. For the second I just held it in my hand as I turned the keys in the ignition, opened, and closed the door of my truck. For the narration, I found a quiet room and just spoke into the phone. I was surprised by how well my phone seemed to work. Once I was satisfied that I recorded enough content, I saved all of the clips to my laptop. From there I uploaded all of them onto soundtrap.com which I found to be rather intuitive. I was able to adjust the length and order of each clip to make it fit the 2 minute requirement. It didn’t take long for me to learn how to fade certain sound effects or music clips as narration began. If anyone is interested in making podcasts, I highly recommend Sound Trap, its free and really easy to learn.
Credit/Attributions
While editing in Sound Trap I found that there was a toolbar on the right hand side of the site called Sound Library where they offered a lot of melodies for free. In there I used: Drums – Rock Basic Beat 8ths 5, for my intro and outro music. For the banjo effect when learning that Marines had went after the injured deer, I used: Wildfire – Woo (Banjo) E. All of the voice acting was done by me Rob Hatch. The person that wrote the story wishes to remain anonymous, so he’ll just be known as: Gunny.
For context to the “I am green belt” reference, the Marines have their own recognized martial arts discipline known as the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP). MCMAP is a program that every Marine is required to participate in and information about the program can be found at marines.mil the official program web page.
I also want to offer an explanation as to why the fall season was relevant to the behavior of deer. If you are a hunter or grew up around deer hunting, you would consider this to be common knowledge. But for those who do not; male deer (bucks) in the fall months, Sept-Nov will have higher levels of testosterone. So during their breeding season, bucks will often chase females, sometimes into traffic, in an attempt to mate. For a more detailed explanation of deer behavior, the deeranddeerhunting.com web article Behind the Hide is an excellent source.
Transcript
[Drum Music]
00:00:01 Narrator
Welcome to Gunny’s Sea Stories and Smoke Pit Odysseys, where I share stories about daily life in Marine Corps. This story is called Deer Choke. It was a fall day right in the middle of hunting season on Camp Lejeune. A few deer jumped out into the road. A car going the other direction couldn’t avoid it and smashed into one of them. So I turned around, and by the time I walked up, the driver was on the phone.
[sounds of a car door opening and closing]
00:00:33 Narrator
He covered the mouthpiece of his phone and said:
00:00:37 Driver
“I’m on the phone with the MPs.”
00:00:37 Narrator
I nodded and started looking around. That’s when I noticed another car was there, but no one was inside and no one was around either. I looked back at the guy on the phone and asked where they went.
00:00:47 Driver
“That deer I hit was still alive but dragging its back legs. I think they went in after it.”
00:00:51 Narrator
I must have made an exacerbated look on my face. Because before I could say anything, he shrugged his shoulders and said:
00:00:55 Driver
“I have no idea what they’re doing, Gunny.”
[Banjo music plays]
00:01:01 Narrator
Oh, now my Spidey senses are going off. So I follow that trail they left. As I got close, I could hear them talking.
[Sounds of running and crashing through brush]
00:01:10 Unnamed Marine
“Hey, don’t worry. I’m a green belt. I’ve got this.”
00:01:15 Narrator
When I got there, I saw a Marine standing over a deer with both his hands wrapped around its neck, performing a cartoonish looking choke. So I yelled: “whoa, stop, what are you doing?” And without letting go, he just simply looks up at me and says:
00:01:28 Unnamed Marine
“well gunny, we gotta put it out of its misery.”
00:01:32 Narrator
I hold my hand up and I say: “oh my god, no, not like that we aren’t. Let go of that poor thing.” They tried to protest, but I assured them that I’d call the game warden. Then I thanked them for their service and I sent them on their way.
00:01:43 Narrator
I can’t believe what I just saw. This is the last thing I had on my bingo card for this afternoon.
[Drum Music]
00:01:50 Narrator
If you liked this story and would love to hear more, stay tuned for next week.
This was Gunny’s Sea Stories and Smoke Pit Odysseys. I’ll see you all next time.
Why Are Women Walking Away From the American Evangelical Church?
00:00:07 Geneva Dickerson
For generations, women in conservative evangelical churches have been taught that the church is supposed to be a place of love, safety, and community.
00:00:14 Geneva Dickerson
But what happens when that very institution that promises to protect them becomes a source of harm?
00:00:20 Geneva Dickerson
In a 2024 report, the Public Religion Research Institute found that 34% of former evangelical Protestants cited scandals involving religious leaders as a reason that they left their religion.
00:00:32 Geneva Dickerson
In evangelical churches that teach purity culture, women are often taught that they should remain virgins until marriage, dress modestly, and take responsibility for men’s sexual behavior.
00:00:42 Geneva Dickerson
But there’s another issue we can’t ignore, sexual abuse within religious communities and how the churches respond to it.
00:00:50 Geneva Dickerson
A national study of 159 adult women who experienced sexual abuse by clergy found that fewer than 10% reported receiving help.
00:00:59 Geneva Dickerson
About half reported being blamed or ignored by the people in their congregations.
00:01:04 Geneva Dickerson
A 2026 study examined survivors of abuse in the evangelical context who left their churches where the abuse occurred.
00:01:13 Geneva Dickerson
The researchers explored how inadequate responses from church authorities and teachings about purity and submission shape survivors’ experiences.
00:01:21 Geneva Dickerson
Their findings show how these teachings and institutional responses can intersect with abuse and influence survivors’ decisions to leave.
00:01:30 Geneva Dickerson
When churches dismiss reports of abuse or blame the victims who come forward, they can deepen that harm and betray the trust women were taught to place in them.
00:01:39 Geneva Dickerson
For some women, leaving the church becomes a way to reject the teachings
00:01:43 Geneva Dickerson
and institutions that have harmed them.
00:01:44 Geneva Dickerson
Their decisions deserve to be understood in the context of those experiences, not reduced to a simple loss of faith or rejection of religion.
00:01:52 Geneva Dickerson
So perhaps we shouldn’t only ask why women are walking away from the church, we should also ask what made staying so difficult.
Process and Equipment
I recorded my podcast indoors using my Mac and DJI Mic 2 Wireless Microphone. I wanted to ensure my narration was clear and easy to understand, especially since my topic includes research and several key points. After recording, I used Soundtrap to edit my audio and put together the final version. I listened through my different takes and chose the parts I liked best to create one complete recording.
I also recorded my own sound effects and found intro music on Pixabay. I added these to make the audio more interesting and help the different parts of the podcast flow together. One of the challenges was figuring out how to combine the narration, sound effects, and music without making anything distracting. Overall, I wanted to create a podcast that sounded clear and natural while keeping the focus on the research.
Attributions and Sources
PRRI article about why people leave their religion
For pretty much anything I work on for my coursework, I hope I can relate the assignment to my research project on Somerset Beach. For this project, I chose to discuss an observation about past social columns. I have been able to discover a lot of information about people in my work. I think a whole study could be done on the language used in 19th-century news stories.
Oh my goodness, was this process tedious! Writing the script was the easy part.
Initially, I recorded on my iPhone. For the final submission, I used Soundtrap on my laptop. I recorded the room sound as required by the assignment, and it really helps the edits disappear. I recorded the paperboy sound myself. The typewriter sound and the newspaper page-turning sound are credited below. I had to edit the time down significantly, as the first pass was 2:30. I edited out some sections of the script, which are crossed out in the transcript below. It was a challenge getting it to 2:00.
I’m excited to have this podcast created. I have wanted to do this for my project for some time. I will embed this on my project website and update as I am able.
Making my audio project seemed intimidating when I read what I had to do, but once I started working on it, I realized it was simple and super fun. I did, however, have to re-record my audio after my halfway checkpoint because once I began putting everything together, I realized I wouldn’t reach the two-minute mark. So I re-recorded as well as added some other sound effects I thought would help to bring my podcast to life.
Equipment Used
For this project, I started on my laptop where I wrote my script and did a rough draft of how long I wanted to spend on each section. I then switched over to my iPhone, where I recorded my audio as well as my background sounds. I later sent these to myself via email so I could download and access them from my computer. Once I had the recordings on my laptop, I used SoundTrap to begin editing and putting my recordings together.
Attributes
My project is based on the chaotic environment a server deals with in their day-to-day at work, so for my intro, I chose some spooky music by BombinSound from Pixabay. I also read some articles for my project to see if other servers felt the same as I did, or even some things that inhibit servers’ performance or even the restaurant business in general. I read this article called The Secret Life of a Waitress by Esme Gordon-Craig, who writes about some of the things that waitresses have to deal with on a daily basis, and I found myself connecting to the struggles that she talks about in her article. I also read an article called 8 Things Restaurant Servers Wish You’d Stop Doing by Neala Broderick. While reading this article I found it to be funny becuase I relate to it so much and it really is accurate to things I wish my tables would stop doing,
Project Break Down
After completing my project, my timing changed a little. I have my intro music at 15 seconds. My main section is at 64 seconds, my background at 25 seconds, and finally my conclusion at 16 seconds.
Today was definitely not your average shift but it did however start with the usual work. I got my side work done which if you don’t know consists of rolling silver, making sides, and cleaning (squeaking sounds). After standing around waiting for it to be my turn to sit, an hour had passed and I finally got my first table and luckily they were very nice (which I love when my first table sets a positive tone for the day) but I did end up dropping their drinks…. Right in front of them (womp womp sound). My shift continued the same and consisted of some tables who think you’re a robot and others who will talk your ear off. I pushed through though and did the usual getting drinks, putting in orders (Printing sound), and cleaning up after other people’s children (booing) . Finally it’s 10:30 and the restaurant is closed and cleaned. This is where the real fun can begin rolling every piece of silverware used and a much needed gossip session about that day’s drama including me dropping the drinks (breaking glass).
Conclusion
But besides this being my 1st chaotic shift of many to come this week, you all know that I hope you all had a better and more peaceful day than I did, and I’ll be back tomorrow with another chaotic shift breakdown.
Conclusion
Looking at an audio assignment can be overwhelming at first and seem challenging, but I chose to take it one step at a time and found it to be relatively easy. Overall, I found this project to be very interesting and enjoyable. I had fun creating and editing my podcast.
After transferring all the recordings from my iPhone, where I originally recorded them, to my laptop, I got to work in Soundtrap, editing the podcast together. I put in all my recordings and used the quiet room noise I collected to ease transitions. I also added a recording of Jameson Atkins playing guitar that I had not originally intended for the podcast, but it fit as ambient noise. As with the intro and outro, he agreed that the music would be licensed under the same CC BY 4.0 as the rest of my work on this site.
Screenshot by Riley Evans
Final Product
Transcript
Intro music played by Jameson
Hello all today’s discussion will focus on the influences on Billy Strings’ music that serve to set it apart from traditional bluegrass
Thanks to his dynamic approach to the typically very traditional genre of bluegrass music, the Grammy Award-winning guitarist Billy Strings has grown a cult following as well as mainstream status
His presence in the bluegrass scene has been backed by new fans and spirit, re-energizing the sphere
Strings learned guitar from his dad, who brought the bluegrass. He grew up steeped in the same traditional bluegrass that his music is mostly based on. The influence of traditional bluegrass guitarist Doc Watson is quite noticeable in his technique, but is also frequently acknowledged by Strings as a major inspiration.
Ambient guitar
When he was a teen, Strings brought his talent to the stage, playing with a heavy metal band. In an interview for the Bluegrass Situation, Strings said that he never learned how to perform like a bluegrass musician, citing his metal experience as the origin of his distinctive flair; Strings “can’t just stand there and play.”
In my opinion, live performance is where Billy’s light shines most purely. His shows are bursting with energy and possess an animation not often seen in the conventional world of bluegrass.
Today, Strings listens to a wide variety of genres including Memphis trap and heavy metal.
His music taste is extremely diverse, a quality that bleeds into his work, creating a distinct style that draws fans in flocks.
This podcast was written and produced by Riley Evans, with music by Jameson Atkins
Thank you for tuning in to this exploration of Billy String’s musical influence
For my podcast, I talked about tea. To be specific, I talked about the science behind tea. It is a 2-minute educational podcast that briefly discusses the origins and the making of tea. My podcast is titled, “The Science Behind the Perfect Cup of Tea”.
Pre-Production
Researching
To start out, I had to do my research on tea. I searched for what I specifically wanted to talk about which was where tea came from and the process of its creation. I found a lot of useful information from theses two websites:
In those websites they discussed that tea came from a plant from Asia called camellia sinensis. It goes into depth on the process of its making. First it is harvested, then laid out to dry, and rolled to release enzymes and stimulate oxidation. This is all done to affect the color, strength, and taste of the tea. They also gave guides on how to boil tea so it can be of best quality.
Outline
After gathering all the information I needed, I started to write my script. While writing it, I kept in consideration of where I wanted to insert sounds and add music for my intro and outro. Since I needed it to be 2 minutes long, I kept editing it to match the time limit. I even recorded myself speaking and waited 10 seconds twice, imagining the intro and outro playing. I made sure to insert when I wanted to insert the sounds that I would record.
Here is my transcript:
Me: Hello, everyone. I am Mariam and in this podcast we will be discussing the science behind a perfect cup of tea.
*Music plays (10 seconds)*
Me: All tea, whether it’s black, green, white, oolong, or Pu-erh, comes from Camellia sinensis. Camellia sinensis is a sub-tropical plant that is native to Asia. Fun fact: mint and chamomile tea are not actual teas because they do not come from camellia sinensis. Now, how is tea made? First, after the leaves are harvested, they are laid out to dry then rolled.
*rolling leaves sound*
Me: This is so the leaves can release enzymes and stimulate oxidation. Things like the color, strengths, and taste of the tea are all determined by how long the leaves are exposed to oxygen. Did you know that the water quality and the temperature used to boil the tea affects the quality of the tea? It is best to use softer water because it creates a cleaner taste. The temperature should be adjusted depending on the type of tea. Lighter teas such as white and green tea should be boiled at a lower temperature, while stronger teas such as black tea should be boiled at a higher temperature.
*boiling sounds*
Me: Getting the temperature right isn’t just about taste; it ensures you maximize the beneficial antioxidants and polyphenols in every cup.
*sound of water poured into a cup*
*ends with song (10 seconds)*
Production
Recording
I used my phone to record my voice and the sounds. Before I recorded my voice, I wanted to decide on the vibe that I wanted to go for. This was important because the vibe of the podcast would be determined by things like the tone of my voice and the type of music that I picked. Since tea usually makes you calm, I decided on a calm-like theme. So I spoke softly and quietly. For the sounds, I recorded them using objects and tools near by my house or in my house. The first thing I recorded was a water pouring sound. I did that by pouring a full cup of water into another cup. The second sound I recorded was a bubbling water sound. That was created by blowing into a cup of water with a straw. It is supposed to imitate water boiling. The last sound I recorded was rolling a leaf. I went outside and picked up a crunchy leaf because during the process of making tea, a dried leaf is rolled.
Post-Production
Editing
The editing platform I used was Soundtrap. In the website, I first imported my recordings, then inserted the sounds I created where I wanted to. I made sure to adjust the volumes so that the sounds don’t overtake my voice. After doing that, I tackled my intro and outro. First, I had to find a song that can fit the vibe of my podcast and that was royalty-free. The song that I picked was Silent Descent by Eugenio Minnini and the website I got it from was:
To insert the song in the recording, I first split the voice recording after I introduced myself and the podcast name and then split the song after 10 seconds to insert in between the two split voice recordings. I then used the fade feature at the end of the song so it sounded smoother when it transitioned back to my speaking voice. The final thing I did was duplicate the 10 second song audio and put it at the end for an outro.
