Media releases

• Residences ready for students’ return during Move-in Weekend

  Tuesday, August 27, 2024 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: August 27, 2024 – R0101

  Before hitting the books and tackling assignments, thousands of students will first begin their Brock journey by wrangling boxes, trolleys and a mix of emotions.

  More than 2,700 Badgers will move into the University’s residences on Saturday, Aug. 31 and Sunday, Sept. 1, with Brock staff available to help them navigate each step in this new chapter of their lives.

  An annual tradition, Move-in Weekend marks the unofficial start of the new school year, with new and returning students settling into their home away from home in preparation for Fall Term.

  The new arrivals are welcomed to campus by hundreds of Brock staff and students who not only assist with the heavy lifting but also offer guidance on all aspects of university life to help make the transition easier.

  “Moving in general can be a stressful experience, but leaving home for the first time adds another layer to the equation, both for students and their families,” says Cindy Chernish, Director, Housing Services. “We’re here to offer peace of mind for everyone involved by highlighting the supports available to help them through this challenging and exciting time in their lives.”

  In addition to available supports, a variety of departments will be open this weekend to help students find their footing on campus, including Dining, Parking, IT Help Desk, Brock Card, Campus Store and the Walker Sports Complex.

  Move-in Weekend comes on the heels of the University hosting the athletes’ village for the World Rowing Championships held in St. Catharines from Aug. 18 to 25.

  “Our dedicated team of Brock employees is working hard to transition our residences from an inviting space for international competitors to a welcoming home for students,” Chernish says. “It’s a co-ordinated effort that takes considerable planning, but it allows us to open our doors to the world and to showcase all the University has to offer.”

  To manage the flow of traffic on campus and within residence buildings, Move-in Weekend operates like a well-choreographed dance, with each student provided a one-hour window to move between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

  All of Brock’s eight residences will be operating at capacity for the Fall Term, with options for both undergraduate and graduate students in any year of study. The University guaranteed a space in residence to full-time undergraduate students in any year of study who applied and paid the residence application fee by the June deadline.

  Move-in Weekend kicks off Brock’s packed Welcome Week lineup, which runs until Sunday, Sept. 8 and includes a variety of events and activities hosted by the University as well as the Brock University Students’ Union and Graduate Students’ Association. Among the highlights is the New Student Welcome and Academic Orientation, a live burn fire-safety demonstration, consent workshops and the annual Brock Cares Day of Service, which will see Brock students and employees head out into the community to volunteer with a variety of organizations.

  NOTE: Media are invited to attend Move-in Weekend. Brock University President and Vice-Chancellor Lesley Rigg and Housing Services Director Cindy Chernish will be available for interviews Sunday, Sept. 1 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Maryanne St. Denis, Manager, Content and Communications, will be on site Sunday at Residence 8 to help co-ordinate interview and photo requests. 

   

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Maryanne St. Denis, Manager, Content and Communications, Brock University mstdenis@brocku.ca or 905-246-0256

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  Categories: Media releases

• The benefits Mega World Rowing Championships bring to Niagara

  Monday, August 19, 2024 | By Brock University

  EXPERT ADVISORY: August 15, 2024 – R0100

  When the 2024 World Rowing Championships officially set sail in Niagara this weekend, they brought with them more than the thousands of athletes who came from around the world.

  With the rowers, who will compete in the Senior, Under-23 and Under-19 competitions at the Royal Canadian Henley Rowing Course in Port Dalhousie, come several opportunities to highlight both the sport and the region, say Brock University experts.

  Associate Professor of Sport Management Kyle Rich, who has researched rowing participation in Ontario, says the event is a chance to celebrate the Henley’s reputation as a world-class rowing centre and build on the existing popularity of rowing in the region.

  “I think it’s exciting for Niagara because it has a huge rowing culture as well as a youth rowing culture that is not typical in most of the province,” Rich says. “In some regions, the average rower is a 38-year-old, whereas in Niagara, they’re as young as 21, so there’s a very different participation landscape.”

  The Mega Worlds, as they’ve been dubbed, bring together three different championships, rather than contesting each category at a separate time.

  Associate Professor of Sport Management Michele Donnelly says combining the events provides opportunities for athletes at different stages of their careers to learn from and interact with each other, while competing on the same course. 

  “In the Under-19 category you have, girls, particularly, who are just past the age when there is an extreme drop-out rate from sport and physical activity,” she says. “The Mega Worlds allows them to see and compete alongside senior women rowers who are continuing in the sport and to see the possibility of that for themselves.”

  Rich says the event is the latest in a growing trend among smaller municipalities looking to bring the excitement of a major sporting event to their community, without having the capacity to host something on an Olympics-scale.

  “There’s increasing criticism around ‘mega events’ because of the massive investments in public support that it takes to pull them off, and a lot of places are looking at alternative models,” he says. “They’re looking to these smaller, ‘second tier’ type events that are much easier to get and to manage.”

  Rich, whose research has explored the social and cultural impacts of events such as the Canada Games in Niagara, says international prestige, national unity, increased physical activity/well-being and economic development are among the reasons that regions bid to host.

  “Our populations are growing massively, so we need new infrastructure to service those populations, and events are one way that cities are looking to do that,” he says. “Maybe it’s upgrades to a facility or needing new bleachers, but an event can allow for the leveraging of sponsorships to then make the investments needed in the host community.”

  In Niagara, some of those investments have included a new fibre optic line to enhance race results communications and boat storage racks on Henley Island.

  Rich says there is also often talk of what’s known as a ‘trickle-down’ or ‘inspiration effect,’ where it is assumed that increased visibility will translate to increased participation in the sport.

  “But when you look across the board, there’s not sustained evidence that hosting events does lead to more sport participation, and we don’t have good data on sport participation to really be able to make those calls,” he says.

  Donnelly says pairing the championship event with “real action to make grassroots participation more accessible,” however, could offer opportunity to expand the sport.

  “Rowing continues to be very white and upper and middle class because of the cost associated with it,” she says, “so there is a need to explore ways that we could use an event like the World Rowing Championships to make rowing more welcoming and inclusive.”

  Donnelly says at their core, events like the Mega Worlds should ultimately serve to promote the enjoyment of the sport itself. Doing so, she adds, could position Canada to become a leader in making sport safer and more inclusive for all.

  “In Canada, a significant amount of funding for national sport organizations is tied to international performance — that hunt for medals — which creates situations that allow coaches and athletes to engage in harmful behaviours,” she says. “When we’re so focused on high-performance sport, we often forget that people — and children, especially — want to have fun when they are participating; that should be at the core of everything.”

   

  Associate Professors of Sport Management Michele Donnelly and Kyle Rich are available for media interviews on this topic.

   

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Sarah Ackles, Communications Specialist, Brock University sackles@brocku.ca or 289-241-5483

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  Categories: Media releases