Media releases

  • Student volunteers to head out across Niagara for milestone Brock Cares event

    MEDIA RELEASE: 5 September 2018 – R00159

    New and returning Brock students will come together Saturday to give back to the community they call home throughout the school year.

    Badgers will head out across Niagara Sept. 8 to show their support for a variety of events and organizations during the 10th annual Brock Cares Day of Service.

    Students will assist with a Canadian Blood Services drive, collect donations for Project SHARE’s Pack the Purolator event in Niagara Falls, prepare Niagara Catholic’s outdoor education site in Thorold for visiting children, and play games with residents of Linhaven, a long-term care facility in St. Catharines.

    They will also lend a hand at community events, sort at food banks, freshen up service organization facilities and participate in community clean-ups.

    “This is a chance for students to not only become acquainted with the community they’re living in, but to also say ‘thank you’ to Niagara residents for welcoming them in,” said Kristen Smith, Brock’s Manager of Community Outreach Programs in Student Life and Community Experience. “We hope connections are formed that result in continued volunteer opportunities throughout the year.”

    About 300 participants, including some Brock employees, are expected to roll up their sleeves and show Niagara their support through outings in eight Niagara municipalities.

    “We’re hoping this will be the largest Brock Cares Day of Service yet in honour of the event’s 10th anniversary,” said Community Engagement Co-ordinator Megan Brown. “Giving back is part of the culture here at Brock and people recognize and embrace that.”

    Many student participants return year after year, eventually taking on leadership roles in the initiative.

    Brock Cares comes on the final day of the University’s Welcome Week and helps to “set the tone for the rest of the year,” Brown said.

    The initiative will be followed next week by VolunteerFEST on Thursday, Sept. 13 in Market Hall.

    More than 30 Niagara organizations will participate in the vendor fair-style event to actively recruit volunteers and raise awareness of their respective missions.

    “We’ve really been working to create new partnerships and leverage existing connections that already exist within the Brock community,” Brown said, adding she’s hopeful both initiatives will grow in the coming years.

    Brock Cares is run by Student Life and Community Experience in partnership with the Brock University Students’ Union.

    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

    Brock University Marketing and Communications has a full-service studio where we can provide high definition video and broadcast-quality audio.

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    Categories: Media releases

  • Welcome Week at Brock offers a safe, inclusive introduction to incoming students

    MEDIA RELEASE: 31 August 2018 – R00158

    September has arrived and for Brock University, school is back in session.

    Welcome Week officially kicks off Sunday, Sept. 2 with the annual Move-In Day blitz, when nearly 2,400 mostly first-year students will move into Brock’s seven residences. That day also marks the beginning of BadgerFest 2018, a week-long schedule of activities organized by the Brock University Students’ Union (BUSU).

    Welcome Week and BadgerFest offer a full slate of on-campus activities designed to help first-year students familiarize themselves with their new home through safe, fun and educational programming.

    “BUSU is excited to have the opportunity to welcome countless first-year students to the Brock community and into the next phase of their lives,” said BUSU President Aidan Hibma. “Although this transition can be scary for many, I encourage all students to take full advantage of the week by participating in some truly amazing programming, getting familiarized with the University and taking the opportunity to make new friendships that will last a lifetime.”

    BUSU Vice-President, Student Services Joyce Khouzam said lots of planning has gone into making BadgerFest 2018 a great series of events.

    “We have been gearing up for the past four months and we couldn’t be more excited,” she said. “I still remember my Orientation Week, and I hope in four years this group of students can say the same thing.”

    After Move-In Day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, incoming students will have their first residence dinner Sunday night, followed by a BadgerFest kickoff event that includes Live Burn, a demonstration by the St. Catharines Fire Department and Brock Campus Security that teaches students about fire safety in their residence rooms. Sunday wraps up with a BadgerFest party in the field in front of Schmon Tower.

    On Monday, Sept. 3, students will be competing in the ‘Summer Games’ in Weather Station Field organized by Residence Services, followed by comedy night at Isaac’s. Tuesday and Wednesday will see a massive Vendor Fair taking place in Weather Station Field, which will introduce students to local businesses and various departments and activities on campus.

    On the academic side of things, various departments and Faculties are holding orientation sessions Tuesday, which will be followed by the first day of classes on Wednesday.

    The annual BadgerFest Paint Party will take place in Weather Station Field from 8 to 11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7.

    On Saturday, hundreds of Brock students will fan out across Niagara for Brock Cares, an annual day of volunteering and fundraising throughout the community. That night, the week wraps up with the BadgerFest Big Ticket Concert, which this year features NAV, a Canadian hip hop artist nominated for Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the 2018 Junos.

    Hibma said BUSU is educating students on the importance of starting the year on a positive note.

    “We want both first-year and returning students to have fun this week in a safe and responsible manner,” he said.

     

    For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

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

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    Categories: Media releases