From falconry and football to ice skating and tennis, students in Brock\u2019s Medieval and Renaissance Studies have been exploring the history of sport.<\/p>\n
They\u2019ve taken what they\u2019ve learned and are now getting experience presenting their research in a conference setting in class beginning this week.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe event is an opportunity to have the experience of an academic conference, share research with peers and develop professional skills,\u201d says Teresa Russo, instructor for the course. \u201cParticipating in this way gives students content to include on their resum\u00e9s.\u201d<\/p>\n
Taking place over two weeks on March 9 and 16, the in-class conference is an experiential learning opportunity for students, as they will be learning not only how to present at an academic conference but also how to moderate panel discussions.<\/p>\n
Russo does a conference with her students in MARS\/ENGL 2P95 Reading the Middle Ages: The Heroic and the Chivalric each year, exploring different themes from the Middle Ages.<\/p>\n
\u201cI chose the topic of sport for the conference for a second year so that it connects to the Canada Games while students still consider warriors and knights in their research,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
The conference\u2019s first session explored sports, including ice skating, hammer throw, wrestling, football and tennis, while the second will see students will share their research on horse racing, water sports, golf, \u2018stick games\u2019 and jousting. A special panel will look specifically at women\u2019s participation in hunting, falconry and archery.<\/p>\n