Media releases

• Brock University to host Fall Preview Day Sunday

  Tuesday, October 31, 2017 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 31 October 2017 – R00199

  Record attendance is anticipated Sunday for an event meant to showcase what being a Brock student is all about.

  Fall Preview Day — the University’s largest on-campus fall recruiting event — is expected to draw more than 4,000 prospective students and their families on Sunday, Nov. 5. The annual event is geared toward high school students, those looking to transfer from other post-secondary institutions and prospective graduate students, and aims to provide information about Brock’s programs, facilities and student services from residences to dining options.

  “It’s a great day for students to experience everything there is to know about Brock, to speak with faculty, staff and students from all of our programs and services,” said Kara Kelly, Manager, Recruitment Communications. “It’s a chance to have all of their questions answered in one day.”

  Guests will have the opportunity to attend subject-specific presentations, explore various labs, watch athletic demonstrations and participate in interactive activities.

  “It includes many ways to get hands-on experience and explore what it’s like to be a Brock student,” Kelly said.

  Fall Preview Day runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with Walker Sports Complex acting as the main hub for the event. Tours and experiential opportunities will run throughout the day, in addition to an information fair that begins at 1 p.m. in the Ian Beddis Gymnasium.

  Free parking will be available throughout the day.

  Tours of the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts in downtown St. Catharines will also take place hourly beginning at 10 a.m. Sunday. For anyone wishing to explore the main campus while also visiting the downtown venue, a shuttle will be provided leaving the main campus at 1:30 p.m.

  More than 400 members of the Brock community, including faculty, staff and student volunteers, come together to host the popular recruitment event and engage prospective Badgers in various activities.

  Students can register for the event online or in person on Sunday. By registering for Fall Preview Day, students are automatically entered into a $10,000 draw that will support tuition and residence in fall 2018.

  For a full schedule of event times and locations, visit discover.brocku.ca/fallpreviewday/

  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

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

  – 30 –

  Categories: Media releases

• EXPERT ADVISORY: How to handle Halloween’s scary health effects

  Friday, October 27, 2017 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 27 October 2017 – R00198

  When it comes to children’s health around Halloween, education and a bit of planning can go a long way, says a Brock University expert.

  Kimberley Zonneveld, Assistant Professor in the Centre for Applied Disability Studies, recommends parents talk to their kids well in advance of Halloween Day.

  “Don’t wait until the day of. Parents should be talking to their kids about what’s going to happen and what the expectations are,” says Zonneveld, whose research focuses on the food choices of young children.

  She suggests giving kids advance warning that Halloween won’t be a “free-for-all.”

  “Let them know that they can have some candy each day, but I also recommend increasing the intake of healthy foods. Talk to kids about what food is — that it’s fuel and that sugary foods aren’t good fuel,” she says.

  As for the candy cache that might result from a successful night of trick-or-treating, Zonneveld says parents should be in control.

  “Kids don’t know enough about the negative health effects of too much sugar to make healthy food choices, so I personally think it’s important for parents to be in control,” she says.

  Andrea Josse, Assistant Professor in Brock’s Department of Kinesiology agrees, saying that parents need to “pull back the reins and be in charge of giving the candy over.”

  “I’m all about the mindset of everything in moderation. I don’t like to withhold candy from the kids, because they find it such an exciting time,” she says. “I think within moderation, they can still enjoy the fruits of their labour of walking around to get the Halloween candy.”

  However, Josse says she sees nothing wrong with discreetly shrinking the pile. This includes parents going through the candy stash to remove what may be unsafe, such as hard candies without sticks for young children.

  “I think parents should dispose of some of it. Where I live, there are a lot of pediatric dentists nearby and some of them will switch the candy out for a toy. Parents can do this too.

  “Halloween to me is not just about eating all the candy you can. There are certainly teachable moments around it,” Josse says. 

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Maryanne Firth, Writer/Editor, Brock University maryanne.firth@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x4420

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

  – 30 –

  Categories: Media releases