Media releases

  • Founder of global #ErasingHate movement to speak at Brock

    MEDIA RELEASE: 12 March 2019 – R00041

    For many years, Brock alumnus Corey Fleischer (BA ’06) struggled to determine what he wanted to do with his life.

    But all that changed one fateful day on his way to a power-washing job in the suburbs of Montreal.

    “I was sitting in my truck at a red light when I noticed a swastika spray painted on a cinder block,” Fleischer recalled. “I had all the tools necessary to remove the graffiti, but I didn’t. I just went to my job. The second I drove by it I knew I was doing something wrong and that I made a mistake.”

    An hour into the job, unable to silence the nagging voice in his head, Fleischer dropped everything. He sent his employees home and drove back to the vandalized intersection to remove the graffiti with his power washer.

    “My quest for a deeper meaning in life has led me to take action and turn a pastime into a life mission,” Fleischer said. “The 15 seconds it took to remove that swastika was the feeling I had been looking for my whole life.”

    He channelled that energy into the creation of #ErasingHate, which targets and eliminates hate graffiti anywhere in the world for free. The movement has grown considerably online and around the globe since its inception.

    “I erased 50 instances of hate graffiti in the first five years and now #ErasingHate removes 50 pieces a day,” Fleischer said. “This isn’t just a movement, it’s my life’s mission.”

    Fleischer was first introduced to the power-washing industry through his roommate at Brock University, where he completed his Bachelor of Arts degree and spent three years on the men’s hockey team. He described himself as the protector of his teammates, a role that now manifests in his quest to end the cycle of hate around the world.

    For the first time in more than 10 years, Fleischer will return to Brock’s main campus on Tuesday, March 19 to present a talk about his journey creating the global #ErasingHate movement.

    The presentation will be hosted in Isaac’s by the Brock University Alumni Association (BUAA) and Brock University Students’ Union from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The event will feature a complimentary dinner sponsored by the BUAA and is open to all members of the Brock community. Registration is required through Eventbrite.

    Fleischer is the 2018 recipient of the BUAA’s Community Engagement Award, which recognizes a Brock graduate who has made outstanding contributions to their community and in doing so, has enriched the lives of others. The award honours one extraordinary graduate who has made a significant contribution as a volunteer to their community.

     

    For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

    * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970

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    Categories: Media releases

  • Brock students reminded to be responsible neighbours as St. Patrick’s Day approaches

    MEDIA RELEASE: 11 March 2019 – R00040

    Brock University is partnering with local municipalities and the Niagara Regional Police in a proactive approach to St. Patrick’s Day in high student population neighbourhoods.

    Staff, campus security, student volunteers and police officers are going door-to-door in St. Catharines and Thorold to deliver a message about being good community members and how to celebrate the occasion responsibly.

    Leading up to this week’s festivities, Brock officials and staff have met with local mayors, bylaw officers and first responders for a unified approach to education and enforcement.

    Brock President Gervan Fearon said the University knows its students can be outstanding community members and is reminding them to make a priority of being respectful neighbours.

    “All of our collective actions make a statement on behalf of the University to our host communities across the region,” he said. “I am appealing to all students, who live both on and off campus, to join the majority of their colleagues in being exemplary Brock citizens who value and respect our relationship with our neighbours in communities across the region.

    “Many of our students want to work and live in the region after graduation. This is their opportunity to establish a positive rapport now across the region which will pay dividends in the future.”

    Building upon the Don’t Put the Bad in Badger campaign launched last year by Brock’s Off-Campus Living and Neighbourhood Relations office, students are being contacted through house visits, social media, posters, information booths, email and a letter from Fearon to remind them about the importance of civil respect, responsible partying and safe drinking.

    During the door-to-door visits, students are being given ‘good neighbour kits’ which include garbage and recycling bags, information pamphlets, taxi cards and bylaw reminders.

    Landlords of properties that have been the source of past problems have also been contacted and encouraged to speak with their tenants about potential St. Patrick’s Day activities, responsible party hosting and possible consequences.

    The Brock University Students’ Union is also reaching out to students directly with a message from President Aidan Hibma reinforcing the expectations.

    In addition to the proactive measures, Brock will have a full complement of Campus Security officers on hand throughout the weekend, and the University is providing funding for an expanded police presence both on campus and in the student-dense neighbourhoods in St. Catharines and Thorold.

    University staff from various departments will be working special shifts through the weekend, checking phone messages, emails and social media messages from community residents, and reporting student-related problems to Brock officials or police. Residents wanting to report concerns can contact Brock Campus Security at 905-688-5550 x3200 or security@brocku.ca

    For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

    * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970

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    Categories: Media releases