Articles by author: Brock University

• Province invests $5.2M in Brock teacher education as new Burlington Campus opens

  Monday, October 06, 2025 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE – OCTOBER 6, 2025 – R0114

  The growth of teacher education at Brock was in the spotlight Monday as the University opened its new Burlington Campus and the province announced a $5.2-million investment in programming.

  Brock celebrated its new modern learning environment in the City of Burlington’s Robert Bateman Community Centre with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and by welcoming the Honourable Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security, to deliver news of funding that will support 360 new teacher education spaces at the University.

  The Burlington Campus is a hub for Brock’s Teacher Education and Applied Disability Studies programs, supported by state-of-the-art instructional science labs, active learning spaces in the arts, and bookable study and research rooms. The campus first welcomed students for in-person classes this September.

  “The Burlington Campus represents a strong step forward toward Brock’s strategic goals. It’s a reflection of our growth, our dedication to innovation and our deep belief in the power of higher education to transform lives and communities,” said Lesley Rigg, Brock University President and Vice-Chancellor. “Teachers play a significant role in our communities, and we’re grateful that now, through the province’s investment in Brock, we’ll welcome more students into our innovative programs that are readying the next generation of education leaders to have a meaningful impact.”

  The funding will support new teacher education spaces at Brock’s St. Catharines and Burlington campuses.

  “High-quality teachers ensure our children learn the skills they need to thrive in their future education and careers,” said Minister Quinn. “By expanding Brock University’s Teacher Education program, our government is bringing more excellent teachers to communities across the province to prepare our students for rewarding careers.”

  Guests at Monday’s event toured the new campus, which also features a Brock University Library space in partnership with the Burlington Public Library, a satellite office of the Hadiya’dagénhahs First Nations, Métis and Inuit Student Centre, and Professional and Continuing Studies programming designed to serve and engage the broader community.

  “We are proud to welcome Brock University to the Robert Bateman Community Centre and the City of Burlington. We thank the province for this investment, which enhances our vision of creating vibrant, inclusive spaces where learning and community thrive together,” said Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward. “Brock’s presence here is a testament to the power of collaboration. We are proud partners in training the new generation of teachers who will, in turn, train the next generation of leaders in our community — our children.”

  Brock is honoured to share the community centre with “incredible community partners whose presence enriches the campus experience and strengthens the ties between education and community,” Rigg said. “We thank them for welcoming us so warmly and for walking alongside us.

  “We’re excited about what this means for our students: more opportunities, more access and more ways to engage with the world around them,” she said. “This new campus is also a chance for Brock to continue building connections with the Burlington community, which we look forward to seeing grow and thrive.”

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  *Sarah Ackles, Communications Specialist, Brock University [email protected] or 289-241-5483

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  Categories: Media releases

• Brock expert pulls back curtain on ‘showgirl’ history ahead of Taylor Swift album drop

  Thursday, October 02, 2025 | By Brock University

  EXPERT ADVISORY – OCTOBER 2, 2025 – R0113

  As “Swifties” count down to midnight on Friday, Oct. 3, Brock University historian Elizabeth Vlossak is reflecting on a burning question shared by millions. 

  What will Swift’s new album, The Life of a Showgirl, be about?

  “We know the titles of all 12 tracks, who wrote and produced them, and Swift has also explained the album explores what it was like ‘behind the scenes’ while she was on The Eras Tour,” the Associate Professor of History says.

  Easter eggs about what fans can expect of the album and this new era in Swift’s career may also be found in the storied history and evocative images of ‘the showgirl,’ Vlossak says.

  “The showgirl originated in the cabarets and music halls of late 19th- and early 20th-century London and Paris, most famously the Folies Bergère and the Moulin Rouge, and became known for elaborate costumes and risqué performances,” she says.

  The American version of the showgirl first emerged on Broadway in the early 20th century, becoming firmly rooted in American popular culture by mid-century.

  Hollywood movies in the 1930s and ’40s also began to include elaborate musical numbers featuring showgirls that Vlossak says “could also be the main character: a simple country girl who arrives in the Big City and tries to make it big on Broadway.”  

  So why is Swift, who often pokes fun at herself for being more geeky than glamourous, leaning so heavily into the showgirl persona?

  Vlossak explains this is not the first time Swift has adopted the showgirl image. What’s notable, however, is that she’s chosen a version reminiscent of the iconic Las Vegas showgirl, a symbol of the glitz and glamour of “Sin City.” 

  “The promotional photographs Swift released in connection to the new album are a nod to a very particular era,” Vlossak says. “They conjure up images of the spectacular showgirl revues of the Vegas strip and extravagant, over-the-top costumes, like those created by American designer Bob Mackie, who also dressed celebrities like Cher and Elton John in rhinestones and ostrich feathers.” 

  Vlossak says in several of the photographs, Swift is wearing vintage Mackie headpieces that were designed for the Vegas show Jubilee!, which ran from 1981 to 2016. 

  “The end of Jubilee! marked the end of large-scale showgirl revues in Vegas,” she says.

  Although the Vegas showgirl has now largely disappeared as a form of entertainment, Vlossak says the showgirl has endured as an iconic symbol. 

  “Swift is honouring the showgirl — not only for her beauty and poise, but for her artistry, discipline and grit,” Vlossak says. “She might also be asking us to think more critically about what lies beneath the showgirl’s glossy veneer and, by extension, her own life and career.” 

  Scholars and professional showgirls themselves have described the stark reality of the lifestyle, characterized by long hours, exhaustion, physical pain, insecurities, exploitation and ageism.

  Vlossak wonders if Swift is questioning her own legacy through the lens of the showgirl: while some view the showgirl as a form of female empowerment, critics view it as upholding the patriarchy.

  “Is the showgirl a feminist icon? Has she helped improve the lives and, more specifically, the material conditions of other women?” Vlossak asks. “Can Swift, as a showgirl, actually bring about real social and political change or is she purely for entertainment, serving to distract us from the real world?”  

  By referencing a vanished artform, Vlossak also questions if Swift is signalling the end of her own showgirl era.

  “Will she be retiring this alter ego? Or does she have something else in store for us?”

    

  Brock University Associate Professor of History Elizabeth Vlossak is available for media interviews on this topic.

  
  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  *Sarah Ackles, Communications Specialist, Brock University [email protected] or 289-241-5483

   

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  Categories: Media releases