These samples were written in the classroom and demonstrate my ability to write for major types of mass communication media, including print media, social media, broadcast media, the web, advertising and public relations.
2 Found Dead, 2 Injured in Alpine House Fire
Early Saturday morning, two people were found dead in the scorched remains of a residential fire in Alpine, California. Flames engulfed the residence, located on the 700 block of South Grade Road, as authorities arrived around 1:15 am. By 1:50 am, fire crews had put out all the flames, which had spread to surrounding areas leaving neighbors with damaged yards and vehicles. The fire crews included Alpine, Lakeside, Cal Fire, and Heartland Fire and Rescue.
The San Diego Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the bodies of the two occupants, were Angel Rice, 43, and Cody Watts, 19. When the fire began, there were four occupants inside the residence. Rice’s husband and daughter, who were able to escape the flames, and were sent to the local hospital where they were treated for smoke inhalation and minor burns.
According to the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, there is an ongoing investigation and cause of the fire is unknown at this time.
Flooding Didn’t Stop the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
August 1 brought record breaking rain to Tampa Bay. With 3.1 inches of rain, the previous 1973 record of 2.6 inches was broken by 3:00 pm that Saturday. The heavy rainfall caused many areas of Tampa Bay to become flooded. With their stadium flooded, the Buccaneers began their training camp under soggy conditions.
Rain storms postponed the first day of training to a later start time and a change of location. For the first time since 2011, the Buccaneers held their training just up the road at the University of South Florida (USF). Head coach, Lovie Smith, said he and his team were thankful to USF for allowing the Buccaneers to use their facility with such short notice. The new location provided the Buccaneers with an artificial turf field which could be drained after the storms that allowed the team to practice into the evening.
Clinton McDonald, a Buccaneers defensive tackle, saw the rain as an advantage for his team. He believes the recent weather conditions could not be replicated for training purposes, and training in this weather will prepare the team for similar conditions during the season. This allowed the Buccaneers to be more flexible and give them an advantage.
The final day of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp was rescheduled last minute for early morning due to threatening thunderstorms in the afternoon. This left some fans upset and unable to attend the practice, but the fans proved loyal and showed the Buccaneers support during the recent pre-season games.
Broadcast Script
Good morning, I’m Haley Bockius and I’m reporting to you from the University of Tampa Studios.
Chipotle Mexican Grille announced the closing of 43 restaurants after its third outbreak of food borne illnesses.
A Salmonella outbreak in Minnesota left dozens ill, while Norovirus sickened nearly 100 customers and employees of this popular fast food chain in California.
Most recently, 22 people have contracted E. coli in Washington state, 17 of whom had eaten at a Chipotle restaurant within a few weeks.
According to Marissa D’Angeli, a medical epidemiologist with the Washington State Department of Health, a fresh food product is most likely the cause of the E. coli.
As of right now, the health department cannot connect the cases to a single instance of cross contamination, but only to various Chipotle restaurants.
Speech
Good evening everyone; my name is Ronald Vaughn and I am the president of the University of Tampa. I would like to start off by thanking the North Hyde Park Civic Association, and the members of the Hyde Park community, for inviting me to be a part of this meeting tonight.
Recently, there have there been a lot of changes happening on the University of Tampa campus and involving the surrounding Tampa Bay community. These changes are very exciting for our university and our community; the University of Tampa truly appreciates the support we have received from this community.
In recent years, the University of Tampa has seen a changing face. Our campus is experiencing a great amount of renovation, remodeling, and new construction, all with hope of improving the educational experience of our students. Since 1998, there has been $530 million I completed or underway construction.
Last year, the University of Tampa’s Sykes College of Business Entrepreneurship Center was completed and opened. The entrepreneurship center includes seven floors of new construction. The seven floors are comprised of three floors of academic area and four floors of additional parking spaces. The new 60,000 square feet of academic area features a Starbucks Reserve, student classrooms, faculty offices, and the previously mentioned entrepreneurship center. The four floors of parking provide 1,200 additional parking spaces for faculty, staff, students, and visitors.
In the beginning of the fall 2016 semester, the university opened its new Fitness and Recreation Center. The new facility is eight times larger than the previous fitness center on campus. The Fitness and Recreation Center is comprised of two floors and approximately 60,000 square feet. University students and faculty members have access to fitness equipment, numerous exercise classes, and nutrition consultations.
One of the university’s current projects is the expansion of the on-campus Palm Apartments. Construction is expected to be completed in August of 2017. The new building will house 600 students, compared to the old facility which housed only 234 students. The Palm Apartments offer a suite-style living space, which is a popular choice among our students.
We strive to provide a unique and exemplary experience for our students. The University of Tampa student body is continually growing and changing. I am proud to say, that for the past 20 years, the University of Tampa has reached record enrollment. Our university is growing at a rapid rate, which is why the University of Tampa is making numerous changes to meet the needs of our current and prospective students.
The University of Tampa student body is not only growing, but it is becoming more diverse. Our student body is comprised of 50 percent Florida residents, while the other 50 percent of the student body includes members from all 50 states and 140 different countries. There are approximately 1,400 international students at the University of Tampa.
I believe that our campus has developed such a diverse student body in part because of our outstanding academic reputation. The University of Tampa features 200 programs of academic study and 13 master’s programs. Our university also offers students an exceptional international study program. Students can choose from 1,000 study abroad programs involving over 60 different countries.
In the past two years, the University of Tampa’s reputation has expanded. Our university has become globally recognized due to our involvement in the Hult Prize. The Hult Prize, in partnership with the Clinton Global Initiative, is a startup accelerator for social entrepreneurship. College and university students from around the globe compete for $1 million in startup capital. The University of Tampa hosted the local edition of the Hult Prize in December of 2015, and will be hosting this year’s local edition on December 9, 2016. Our university is honored to be chosen as one of 25 universities to host the competition.
The changes I have mentioned are just a few of the many that are happening on our university’s campus. It is important that the University of Tampa and the Hyde Park community have a strong relationship. On behalf of the University of Tampa, I want to thank you all because without such a supportive community surrounding our campus we would not be such a success. I hope you all have a wonderful evening, Thank you.
Haley Bockius 