bryanstauffer-blog

[bryanstauffer-blog]

Field Assignment 1

For my first field assignment, I decided to take on the new IPoly High School. My goal was to find out what new features the school had incorporated, the reaction from students and faculty and how long this project has been in the works. The transformation of the high school from portable buildings to a new multi level, super-institution has been remarkable. The school began applying for funds and grants back in 2005, and now, seven years later, the process has finally come to and end with the establishment of the new school. It has been a dream come true for principal Bruce Petersen and previous principal Elsa Martinez. 

I found out that the school's main goal throughout the building process was to turn the high school into an environmental, eco-friendly school ground. And because of this, Petersen said "IPoly will be receiving an award for the high school level of green technology used in building the school." It also features a multipurpose room that can be used for numerous classroom activities and events, a courtyard in the middle of the school with a large eating area for the students and a new student store for the students to stop by on break, or in between classes.

My first source and interview was with principal Bruce Petersen. He was very cooperative and loved that I had chosen to write about his school. He gave my very useful information as well as a background update for the new school and the numbers behind the construction process. The students that I was set up with were very cooperative too. Jamie and Miguel were a bit quiet but they were excited about the new school and talked about some of their favorite new features with me. 

Overall, it was a great experience. I loved learning how the school came to be and how much hard work has gone into the project over the past decade. 

[bryanstauffer-blog]

Definitely can't wait for basketball season. I'll be covering some games for the paper, so good luck!

Basketball season is right around the corner. We have been training hard all summer and fall on the track and in the weight room. November 2 will mark our first scrimmage of the year. We play Cal State Long Beach at their place at 6 pm. The whole team is really excited about this because it...

[bryanstauffer-blog]

Battle of the Birds

Sunday will mark the third game of the year in which the Eagles have played a fellow bird franchise. In week two, Philadelphia came back to beat the Ravens on a last minute touchdown drive from Michael Vick, 24-23. The following week, the Eagles went up in flames as the Arizona Cardinals took it to Philadelphia at home, 27-6.

Once 10 a.m. Sunday morning rolls around, the Eagles will face their toughest challenge yet - and that's saying a lot when you've already played Baltimore, Arizona, New York (Giants), Pittsburgh and Detroit within a five week span.

The red hot, and NFL best 6-0, Atlanta Falcons come into town for what should be an incredible match-up of high profile quarterbacks, playmaking wide receivers and well-rounded defenses.

Both teams are coming off a bye week, and although Andy Reid is 5-0 in games following the rest week, this game certainly has no guarantees. At 3-3, Philadelphia needs this win in order to keep pace with the Giants and Cowboys, who just happen to be playing each other this weekend as well. So yeah, this game is huge.

I would advise football fans across the country to buckle up their seatbelts; week eight is definitely going to be a wild ride.

[bryanstauffer-blog]

I'll be expecting these on the last day of class lol! Pumpkin is the way to go though.

I have been taking advantage of the start of fall by using lots of pumpkin for different recipes. It’s tough pretending its fall in this hot weather, but I am doing my best. My mom always made pumpkin soup when I was younger. I think it is our closest thing to a traditional food, so I thought...

[bryanstauffer-blog]

Griffin redefines NFC Beast

With the addition of Robert Griffin III in Washington, the NFC East has shaped into an even tougher division than before – if you can imagine that. The division has always featured outstanding skill players and deadly defenses that continuously lead the NFL in sacks, but with the addition of RG3, Michael Vick is no longer the premier productive running quarterback (Vick’s turnover frenzy doesn’t help is cause either).

Griffin has turned heads all season long with his ability to escape pressure from the pocket, and now with a top five rushing offense, the Redskins offense is in full swing. All the Redskins need to do now is clean their defense up a little bit, as they have one of the worst rushing defenses in the league.

With Griffins superb play and surprising start to the season, the NFC East arguably possesses the best starting quarterbacks amongst any division in the NFL - not to mention each team’s set of elusive running backs and playmaking wide receivers. 

One question that many analysts and sports writers do have for Griffin is: Will his effectiveness on the ground ultimately lead to injury? Well, two weeks ago Griffin took a massive hit when he was sliding outside the pocket and was concussed. So the possibility is definitely up in there. 

All I know is that as a number two pick in the NFL draft, you can't hold anything back. If you are effective on the ground, run it, if you're effective in the passing game, throw it. Griffin can do it all, so I don't expect the former Heisman award winner to ease up on his aggressiveness anytime soon. 

[bryanstauffer-blog]

This picture just says Autumn, but the inconsistency of the weather in Southern California dampens my mood. I could use some Malbec right about now.

Could it be? Is autumn really here in Southern California? With the rainy evening last night, it sure felt like it was time for cozy season.

Although it is supposed to be 88 degrees by Sunday, I decided to be inspired by the moment and chose to open a bottle of wine that would be appropriate for a chilly evening.

This week’s feature wine is a malbec, one of my favorite varieties of red wine. The Argentinean wine is called La Finca.

I chose this bottle of wine because I recently learned that I really enjoy the purple grape variety. Malbecs are generally a full bodied red wine that are on the drier side, but not nearly as dry as a chianti.

This bottle of wine was actually not as dry as I was expecting. It was not as sweet as a merlot and not as dry as a cabernet sauvignon…

[bryanstauffer-blog]

just in the nick of time

Phew, I just remembered to write my blog with nearly an hour to spare. I don’t know what’s more timely, my senses or the St. Louis Cardinals' offense. I mean, I was and am still in utter disbelief at the result of Game 5 between the Cardinals & the hometown favorite Nationals. 

The Cardinals were down 6-0 through three innings, or better yet, they were down 3-0 after the first. St. Louis’ starting pitcher Adam Wainwright came out of the gate a bit shaky, giving up six runs over two and a third innings. But after their playoff run in 2011, how can you ever count them out? 

They received huge games from two of their most unlikely candidates, second baseman Daniel Descalo and shortstop Pete Kozma. Descalo played the biggest role in the Cardinals’ comeback as he went 3-5 with three runs and three RBI’s. 

What sparked the comeback for the Cardinals were Descalo and Kozma's huge at bats and the veteran leadership of the Cardinals. Guys like Wainwright, Matt Holliday, Carlos Beltran and David Freese have been in this position before and they know how difficult it is to win a postseason series. 

The NLCS matchup against the Giants looks to be a very promising matchup that features a slurry of aces and two explosive offenses. Fasten your seat belts baseball fans.

Oh yeah, the Tigers vs. Yankees should be a good one too.

[bryanstauffer-blog]

October Madness

Every October, eight teams battle it out in hopes of bringing a world championship back to their city. With the St. Louis Cardinals beating the Atlanta Braves earlier today, seven of the eight postseason spots are filled. Baltimore and Texas are battling it out for the last spot as I type this. They are currently tied 1-1 in the third. I’d like to lay down my predictions for the postseason and pick the team I think is most suitable for a World Championship run.

Detroit Tigers vs Oakland Athletics

I see this series going the full five games. Oakland is the hottest team on the planet, while the Tigers have the greatest pitcher and position player in the MLB. The Tigers will win if Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello all hold the Oakland offense to just a few runs. But I just don’t see that happening.

Oakland in 5

New York Yankees vs. Texas/Baltimore

Regardless of who wins between Texas and Baltimore, New York is fully rested and amped up coming off a huge divisional title. I see the Yankees beating the Rangers behind their explosive offensive and the pitching off Sabathia, Hughes and Kuroda. 

Yankees in 5 

San Francisco Giants vs. Cincinnati Reds

This is probably the most even match-up in the postseason. Both teams have killer offenses and a handful of above average, if not exceptional, starting pitchers. I think this series could go either way, but I’m picking the Giants.

Giants in 4

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Washington Nationals 

The season’s biggest surprise showed no signs of slowing down after shutting down star pitcher Stephen Strasburg a few weeks back. The staff is still incredible strong led by 21 game-winner Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmermann. The offense is full of power and speed but so is the Cardinals’ offense. Not to mention Wainwright and Carpenter on the mound for St. Louis. I think Washington edges out the surging Cardinals by the smallest of margins.

Nationals in 5

World Series? Yankees over Nationals. Yankees are just too well-rounded and have the postseason experience that many of the younger teams don’t possess. 

[bryanstauffer-blog]

After Summer, the weeks always seem to fly by. It seemed like June, July and August were just yesterday. Now we are gearing up for the holiday season. "eek" -my wallet. 

This week FLEW by!!!! I coulda swore it was just Monday like yesterday. Anyhoo, I’m at work at the Admissions and Outreach office, and we have to do a report on social media. and guess which website I got assigned toooooooooo????? TUMBLR!!! YES. I personally LOVE LOVE LOVE Tumblr but I don’t think...

[bryanstauffer-blog]

yo

Yo

[bryanstauffer-blog]

Sounds similar to my summer! Vegas pool parties & fun out on the boat, although i went to Havasu. I too am entering my senior year so I am eager to see what the year brings.

This summer I had a few fun activities like going to the river, Las Vegas, and Idyllwild.

At the start of the summer I took a short vacation to Parker to play on the river with family and friends. My parents own a trailer and our family friends have four Seadoos. We spent about 3 days on the...

[bryanstauffer-blog]

Refs Steal The Show

September 26, 2012, a date that will forever live in infamy - for football fans at least. Yesterday marked the day of agreement to end the lockout between the NFL and their regular officials.  

Following three weeks of questionable reffing by high school, college and even lingerie league officials, there is no doubt that every player, coach and fan across America is finally at peace. What the replacement officials brought to the table was inexperience, a lack of knowledge of standard NFL rules and a handful of safety issues, something that Commissioner Goodell and the entire NFL have been working to minimize for the past few years.

The regular referees will make their season debut tonight in Baltimore as the Ravens take on the Browns in a matchup of AFC North rivals. I fully expect a standing ovation from the Ravens’ home crowd as the refs run out of the tunnel and take the field for the first time this year.

However, the one lingering question many fans and I have about the season so far is how big of an impact will the referee debacle that took place in the first three weeks have on the rest of the season? What if the Packers do miss out on the playoffs by one game? And what if the Seahawks do make the playoffs by one game? I don’t see this season getting an asterisk due to the fact that the replacement officials officiated only three of 16 games, but it is an issue that will be embedded in the minds of fans everywhere for the remainder of the season.

We can only hope that the results of the first three weeks of the season do not impact the rest of the season, or even the postseason for that matter. 

[bryanstauffer-blog]

Shoot me an invite to your FF league if you end up having any openings! Watching The League just isn't cut it in in the off-season.

Well, we’re here now.

As we bring the quarter to an end, we welcome summer with bare, open arms. Lucky for you and me, sports never end. Here is your quick guide to enjoying the games you love during the season you love even more.

1. Go to a baseball game.

Eat, drink, be merry. You know, all...

[bryanstauffer-blog]

Ending strong seems to be far more difficult that starting for some reason... especially when all of our friends have been on summer for what seems like weeks! The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter each day haha

So I have been doing this “Pokedex” blog for about 10 weeks now and I have had so much fun doing it. I think I even got some fan mail one week from a random person saying the enjoyed the blog. I thought it was nice of them to say. I love Tumblr. I think it is a great way to express whatever...

[bryanstauffer-blog]

Well That Does It

After 10 weeks of school, and what seems like 20 weeks of stress, the Spring quarter is finally winding down. It seems like just a short while ago I was starting this class and had no idea what tumblr really was. 

I enjoyed my first real quarter as a Journalism major since switching over from the Kinesiology field. Although at times this class did seem to get on my nerves with the writing exercises and lightning rounds, in the end, it was all worth it. I feel like I have gained a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge since day one.

And in the end, who would have thought that I would have grown so fond of yet another social networking site. The blogs introduced me to the world of tumbles and I actually enjoyed posting throughout the weeks. Everyone seemed to express themselves in such a variety of ways.  

I'll probably see most of you around school or on the Poly Post as I will begin my first quarter on the paper in the Fall. But until then everyone have a good summer; we definitely earned it. 

[bryanstauffer-blog]

Memorial Day

I wanted to take a break from my baseball posts and talk about something that seems to have been forgotten by so many people. For most people, Memorial Day is a holiday where we get together with friends, have a bbq and throw back some brews. It also gives us a day off from school that I'm sure everyone is happy with. 

But the true meaning of Memorial Day seems to be forgotten in the mix of what I stated previously. This day should be a time where we honor those who served our country and put their life on the line just so that you could live your very own.

I believe that Memorial Day is much like Christmas. They both carry such deep meanings that I feel many people forget or disregard why we actually celebrate these glorious days in the first place. With Christmas, people just want presents. Gifts. Materialistic items. When in reality we should really be celebrating the birth of our Father. Of course it depends on your faith, but Christmas shares many similarities with Memorial Day.

I think Memorial Day is one of the most important holidays of the year. Imagine what our lives would be like without those troops that fight day in and day out to protect out rights and enable us to live the lives we want to live. I truly believe that we do not give enough credit to those in our nation's armed forces. I can't speak on how it feels to be in their shoes, but I can just imagine what it's like to be in hostile environments and to engage in combat. Not to mention the fact that they are so far from their families that it may seem as if they're all alone in the world. My heart goes out to those serving our country. We would be nothing without these brave and courageous men. 

[bryanstauffer-blog]

She gave such an amazing presentation. I was floored by some of the stuff she showed us and actually experienced first hand. There was so much emotion in that room. Thank you for bringing her to speak! 

This quarter I was a member of the special events planning class that put on the annual Com Day. After 8 weeks of planning it all culminated in the all-day event today. I am hoping that all you communication majors out there found some time to attend. Overall I am very happy with how the event...