In "What's the deal with Adults and Coffee?", Sylvia Hitchcock-Jones investigates why adults are such coffee fiends. She questions a barista and a physician's assistant, but ten year old Sylvia will have the answer to her question soon enough. She already admits that she enjoys the aroma and likes her coffee with lots of cream! An absolutely adorable piece.

The concept of "What Makes You Happy" is intriguing. Everyone has a different answer to the question. Although it is interesting to hear all these aspects, the piece could have been a bit more structured and complex, rather than being solely composed of vox pops.

"Party Chinese People" is Pui Chau's earnest attempt to comprehend Chinese assimilation into the United States. She makes statements on stereotypes, mentioning wrongful assumptions on her intelligence due to her race. Yet, she brings up stereotypes herself. She ponders why some Asians in America aren't obedient as they should be, and discusses her friends' laudable study habits. At the end, Chau blocks out the noise from a party, when earlier she divulges her desires to attend one. Perhaps this is her stance on assimilation. Chau's sincerity and naivety throughout makes for an intriguing perspective piece.

"Take That Stuff Off Your Nails" is a raw insight into a Goth's struggle to maintain identity in a traditional family. The piece puts listeners in Luis Leon's shoes, allowing them to experience firsthand the rejection he must withstand. Living in a neighborhood predominantly run by people dressed like "gangbangers", Luis sticks out like a sore thumb. People blatantly stare in their cars as he walks in his Gothic attire.

From the beginning, Leon's choice of words, keeps the listener interested. Using "my hood" to describe his neighborhood makes the listener wonder whether this was sincere or a mockable imitation of the "gangbangers" he deviates from.

The haircut scene between Luis and his father was beautifully crafted. The intensity and symbolism of the haircut left a lasting impression on the listener. The narrator's ability to express his emotions without using much range in tone was impressive. Instead, his carefully chosen words and personal Gothic music at the end, adequately embodies his frustration.

Zero Tolerance is a wry indictment of a Salt Lake City school's policy towards punishing violence. It is articulate and charmingly self-aware, but it could tighten and support its thesis a little more. Despite some minor problems in unity, the piece is engaging and humorous.

"Poetry" is a concise and touching retelling of a young Bronx immigrant's struggle to carve out a satisfying identity amidst a tableau of highschool cruelty and urban alienation. Quickly paced and energetic, the piece excellently portrays the chaos of young adulthood for a girl who was always more interested in singing opera than popular R&B. It also avoids falling into the genre's common pitfalls of egotism and self-pity and this helps the listener take the narrative more seriously. Our reporter has a very mature tone but almost never gets self-serious (even exuberantly singing along with Inspectah Deck). The piece, as a whole, could be unified a bit more by either dropping or developing certain tired concepts like "pens instead of guns." However, the efficient, intimate tone, and the compelling narrative are what stand out to the listener.