Articles by author: Brock University

• Province’s GO-VAXX bus coming to Brock

  Thursday, August 26, 2021 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 26 August 2021 – R0090

  A mobile COVID-19 vaccine clinic will roll into Brock University Thursday, Sept. 9.

  The Ontario government recently partnered with Metrolinx to temporarily convert two GO Transit buses into mobile vaccination clinics as part of its effort to get as many people in the province vaccinated as possible.

  After making their debut at Canada’s Wonderland in early August, the two fully accessible GO-VAXX buses have been touring the Golden Horseshoe region offering anyone aged 12 and over first or second doses of the Health Canada-approved Pfizer vaccine.

  One of the two buses will be set up in the Zone 3 parking lot at the main Brock University campus from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 9 offering vaccines to students, faculty, staff and anyone from the wider community.

  “Hosting the GO-VAXX bus one day after our Fall Term gets underway offers the Brock community another convenient option to get vaccinated,” said Lynn Wells, Provost and Interim President, Brock University. “Our aim for the coming academic year is to get back to offering students the on-campus experience Brock is known for. Achieving that goal relies on a high rate of vaccination among our students, faculty, staff and visitors to campus.”

  The GO-VAXX buses are first-come, first-served walk-in clinics and do not offer appointments.

  “With over nine million Ontarians now fully vaccinated, we are seeing the benefits of the strong protection provided by the COVID-19 vaccines,” said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “The job is not over yet, and the GO-VAXX bus is another way our government is making it easier and convenient for more Ontarians to receive their vaccine.”

  Anyone wishing to take advantage of the GO-VAXX bus to receive their vaccine is reminded to:

  • Bring your health card. If you do not have a health card or your health card is expired, bring another form of government-issued photo identification such as a driver’s license, passport, status card or birth certificate.
  • Eat and drink something before you arrive to prevent feeling faint or dizzy while being vaccinated.
  • Dress for the weather in case there is a lineup.
  • Wear clothing that allows for easy access to the upper arm such as a loose-fitting top or a T-shirt.
  • Wear a mask that covers your nose, mouth and chin.
  • Do not visit the GO-VAXX bus if you have symptoms of COVID-19.

  For more information on Brock University’s COVID-19 response and measures, visit brocku.ca/coronavirus

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca or 905-347-1970

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  Categories: Media releases

• Paralympics offer athletic excellence worth watching: Brock profs

  Wednesday, August 25, 2021 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 25 August 2021 – R0089

  There are plenty of good reasons to fight off Olympic fatigue and tune in to watch the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games that got started on Tuesday, Aug. 24, says a Brock University professor.

  “Watch it because it’s fun, it’s exciting and it’s one of the rare chances to cheer for your country,” says Assistant Professor of Sport Management Taylor McKee, who has researched and teaches Olympic history and the intersection of sport and society. “Sometimes the way the Paralympic Games are covered is with a patronizing tone of ‘good for you for being there.’ We don’t focus on the athletes’ competitiveness and their desire to win medals.”

  Like many, McKee spent many late August nights watching the compelling and unique sports broadcasts on offer during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He says fans should watch the Paralympics for those same storylines — watching international athletes trying to achieve their absolute best.

  “It’s pure athleticism,” he says. “It’s just a wonderful festival of athletics and the intrusion of corporate sponsorship is so much harder to find in the Paralympics. It’s fantastic to view because it’s more pure. When you watch, you’re going to get hooked.”

  McKee acknowledges that it can be a challenge to maintain interest levels after two weeks of wall-to-wall Olympic coverage.

  “There’s Olympic fatigue, especially with the time change,” he says. “It’s tough to keep the spirit going.”

  Brock Professor of Physical Education and Kinesiology Maureen Connolly says the Paralympics represents a “golden opportunity” to discuss and address a wide range of disability issues such as the need for inclusiveness, access to infrastructure and opportunities, and barriers faced by people with disabilities.

  “We should be having these conversations all the time,” says Connolly, the founder of Brock’s long-running Supporting Neurodiversity through Adaptive Programming (SNAP) initiative offered to children and youth experiencing disability in the Niagara region.

  Connolly would like to see the Olympics and Paralympics merged into one single Games. She says having all athletes performing at the same time, either in overlapping or separate events, helps both the athletes and spectators “spend time” with people they might not usually interact with.

  “It’s the only way we get to appreciate each other’s performances, athleticism, problem solving, strategizing and so forth,” says Connolly.

  “One of the issues with disability in our culture is that so much ignorance is based in how little authentic interpersonal contact there is between able-privileged people and disabled community members,” she says. “This leads to a profoundly absurd sense of discomfort when there’s a lack of exposure and engagement.”

  Like Connolly, McKee believes there are a number of big-picture issues that come into focus with the Paralympics such as the International Olympic Committee’s use and promotion of the Paralympics as a way to improve its tarnished image, as well as the funding disparity both between Olympic and Paralympic athletes, but also from country to country with different nations placing varied level of importance on the Paralympics.

  Brock University also has several other experts who have weighed in on the issues around these 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Read more in The Brock News here.

  Both Connolly and McKee, along with other Brock experts are available for media interviews.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca or 905-347-1970

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  Categories: Media releases