PODCAST PROJECT

~About this Podcast~

My podcast is called Humanity Under Attack and this episode discusses the civil war that has taken place in the small island of Sri Lanka. The conflict still exists today but I speak with a guest who lived during the war’s most tumultuous period from 1983-1987. Her story is emotional and traumatic but it made her the strong and incredible person she is today and I hope her words will inspire listeners to get involved in this issue and reevaluate how they see their own freedom. 

~Podcaster Bio~

My name is Saumeya Suseenthiran and I am a senior at Mountain View High School and Freestyle Academy. I am a first generation American with Sri Lankan heritage on both sides of my family. While I am proud of my ethnicity I did want to shed light on an issue that has affected many people I care for and I did so through this podcast. I am someone who is passionate about current events and worldly issues and while it is difficult for me to get involved from where  currently reside, I thought this podcast would be an opportunity to educate others and tell an incredibly important story that millions have experienced but no one really seems to know about. 

~Introduction Section~

I saw the podcast’s purpose and goal to tell a story of importance to us as students. Podcasts provide information but through a conversational form that allows the listener to feel the emotions of the speaker in a way that can’t be done through words on a paper. It allows the listener to laugh or cry with the speaker and hear their story through their true voice and in my case unscripted. My inspiration for this podcast came from various places but a podcast that I used somewhat as a model for my own was Pod Save The World which tackles various global issues from a US perspective. He uses interviews and conversations to explain matters that are sometimes difficult to understand through wordy articles. 

~Process~

I recorded everything except the interview in this closet space because the clothes provided a sound proof barrier so i could have complete quiet when I spoke.
A screenshot of my Pro Tools interface where I complied the audio clips together to create the final product.
This is an up-close version of my album art image. My idea was to have a desaturated globe to represent the idea of humanity across the world being under attack but include the heart in the center as a symbol of hope that one day peace could be achieved.

You can listen to the podcast below:

~Reflection~

The one thing I valued most from this podcast was having the opportunity to speak on an issue that is extremely important to me and tell others my family friend’s story. It was really difficult for me to complete this because her story was extremely emotional and listening to it over and over was really mentally taxing but I am really proud of the final product and grew so much as a person and an artist through it because creating this podcast did really feel like I was making art.