Media releases

• Thousands of Badgers make their home at Brock during Move-in Weekend

  Sunday, September 01, 2024 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: September 1, 2024 – R0104

  From the moment Evan Stoica first set foot on Brock’s campus, he knew he had found his fit.

  His visits had told him the University was the place he wanted to not only study, but also call home.

  The first-year Concurrent Education student got his wish this weekend as one of more than 2,700 Badgers who moved into Brock’s eight residences, which are operating at capacity this fall.

  An aspiring math teacher, Stoica was first drawn to Brock for its academic offerings but soon learned he loved many elements of the institution.

  “First of all, Brock has one of the best Concurrent Education programs in Canada. This was my first-choice university,” the Milton resident said after delivering his belongings to his new residence room alongside his parents and sister. “But the campus here is also so beautiful, the people are so nice and the school is just the right size, not massive.

  “I knew this was the only place I wanted to go,” Stoica said. “From the moment I came here, I was like ‘I love this University. This is the place where I want to be. This is home.’”

  And that’s the feeling Brock staff and student volunteers strived for as they welcomed the University’s newest arrivals this weekend, helping them to find both their rooms and their footing on campus.

  “This is a new experience for many of the students moving into residence. They have a lot of questions and we’re ready to help them with the answers,” said Cindy Chernish, Director, Housing Services.

  Abby Teare, however, knew what to expect.

  The Game Design student returned to residence for her second consecutive year.

  “It’s really nice to be on campus and to be so close to everything you need,” said the St. Thomas resident.

  Another major benefit? “Not having to cook,” Teare said with a laugh, adding she enjoys taking advantage of the residence dining hall and other on-campus food options.

  Teare’s time in residence during her first year prompted her to get out and get involved on campus from the get-go, making lasting friendships as a result.

  “I made eye contact with someone the first day at one of the events and now we’re best friends,” she said.

  Chernish said Brock staff take pride in being a part of this special time in students’ lives, as they create unforgettable memories and begin building their future careers.

  “Campus comes to life with an unmatched energy when we welcome students each fall,” she said. “We can’t wait to help see them through yet another successful school year.”

  Move-in Weekend kicked 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.

  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

• Absence of Special Olympics from 2024 Paris Games illustrates ableism in sport: Brock expert

  Thursday, August 29, 2024 | By Brock University

  EXPERT ADVISORY: August 29, 2024 – R0103

  According to Jennifer Mooradian (MA ’22), the disconnect between the Special Olympics and the Paralympic and Olympic Games speaks volumes.

  It is a “prime example that ableism is still very present in sport,” says the Brock University Applied Health Sciences PhD candidate.

  Although the International Olympic Committee recognizes all three organizations, the Special Olympics World Games are not held in the same year nor at the same place as the Olympics and Paralympics. While the Paralympics are now underway in Paris, on the heels of the Olympics, the most recent Special Olympics Summer Games took place last year in Berlin, Germany.

  Mooradian, whose research explores self-representation in Special Olympics athletes, says although great progress has been made to “legitimize” the Paralympics and its elite international athletes with physical disabilities, the intellectually and cognitively disabled people involved with the Special Olympics continue to be “taken less seriously.”

  She says there is an unfortunate hierarchy of sport: able-bodied athletes are at the top, followed by athletes with physical disabilities, then those with intellectual and cognitive disabilities.

  “The more closely a disabled individual can approximate to so-called ‘normal,’ the more legitimate they’re seen to be,” says Mooradian.

  Many people associate the Special Olympics with its longtime focus on inclusiveness. While this treats sport as the human fundamental right it is — by including everyone no matter their ability — it also inadvertently defines sport as either competitive at an elite, high-performing level or as recreational or participatory, she says.

  “People think the Special Olympics isn’t real sport because it’s inclusive, but why can’t all sport be inclusive?” she says. “We could offer sport on a spectrum where people can engage how they want with who they want.”

  While Mooradian acknowledges a fully inclusive Olympic Games may not happen in her lifetime, she thinks it is reasonable to align the timing of the Special Olympic World Games with the Paralympics.

  “The Special Olympics aren’t on anyone’s radar because it sits way over there in another space,” she says.

  “Why do we assume these athletes don’t have the desire or ability to compete? An athlete’s desire to compete is not lessened because of their intellectual and cognitive disability,” she says. “Does it look a bit different? Yes. Are their times slower? For sure, but they can still compete. It is our ableist views about sport, not their disability, that is preventing them from competing.”

  
  Brock University Applied Health Sciences PhD candidate Jennifer Mooradian is available for media interviews on this topic.

  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