YEB SPOTLIGHT SHINES ON... How We View the Homeless by Zoe High

[Kameisha Jerae]

(This is the image Zoe used to hypnotize me into listening to her piece.)

Not many people are willing to cast a glance at the homeless; however, Zoe High did more than her share to vouch for the homeless in her radio piece. It is basically about what the title states - how people in Portland, Maine view the homeless. Both sides are taken into consideration... the less fortunate, as well as the people who watch and judge them daily.

Enunciation and pronunciation are done extremely well in this piece. Her speech is like a river flowing fluidly, with just enough pauses to transition from narration to interviews. It?s like a hook, line, and sinker for me because she didn't have to recast her words. It starts as a question, which really probes into the depths of one's brain: How do you view homeless people? Giving several responses to the question, one can't help but to visualize each one: alcoholics, schizophrenia-stricken ones, the ones who rummage through trash. Then she catches me off guard with the interview with the ex-homeless man. Hearing his side, it made me think about how I treat homeless people and my demeanor towards them, as well as what I see as other people's initial disposition when encountering the poor.

A job well done, but, it is very neutral in tone. There could be more emotion, whether it is empathy or anger, just to spark some type of reaction from the reader. And more than neutrality, it is informative. Chronic homelessness is one of the less talked about problems in America and Zoe did an awesome job in presenting this information. A little ambient sound or music wouldn't hurt either, but I would definitely suggest that this piece be played during peak radio hours to get more listeners' attention. Kudos Ms. High, you have made my pick for highlight of the month!!!!