Media releases

• Canadian adventurer to speak at Brock Thursday

  Tuesday, December 05, 2017 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 4 December 2017 – R00230

  When modern-day voyageur Adam Shoalts (BA ’09) returns to his alma mater later this week, he will bring along stories from an epic adventure to share with the hundreds of people expected to attend.

  The Brock History graduate will tell the tale of his recent four-month journey across the Canadian Arctic during a talk held at the University Thursday, Dec. 7.

  The amazing one-man expedition had Shoalts walk and canoe an incredible 4,000 kilometres across the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut — from the Alaska border to Hudson Bay.

  “I’m excited to have the chance to share the story of my Arctic journey with a local audience,” said the 31-year-old Pelham native. “It will be a lot of fun to be back at the University. I know a lot of people in the Brock and Niagara communities followed my expedition’s progress across the Arctic, so it’s great to now have the chance to share that adventure with them.”

  More than 200 people are expected to attend the event to hear Shoalts relive his experience and to see photos of the curious wildlife and challenging terrain he encountered along the way.

  “Adam was always drawn to nature, the north and imagining Canada on a big canvas,” said Daniel Samson, Associate Professor and Chair of Brock’s Department of History who taught Shoalts during his time at the University. “He was drawn to environmental history and Canada’s colonial era. As an adventurer, he brings all that together, tracing the routes of indigenous, British and French fur traders.”

  Associate Professor of History Michael Driedger was hopeful students in the crowd would draw inspiration from Shoalts’ unconventional path.

  “The History department has an active and talented group of alumni,” he said. “Since graduating, they’ve become entrepreneurs, teachers, librarians and lawyers. But I can’t think of anyone who’s applied a Brock University history education in such an adventurous way as Adam Shoalts.

  “His curiosity and creativity are exactly the kinds of traits that we want all of our students to cultivate — even if they don’t go to the Arctic.”

  Alone Across Canada’s Arctic will take place Thursday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. in Brock’s Sean O’Sullivan Theatre. The event is co-sponsored by Brock University and the Department of History. Parking will be free in Lot D when guests indicate they’re on campus for the talk.

  Following the talk, Shoalts will be signing copies of his new book, A History of Canada in Ten Maps: Epic Stories of Charting a Mysterious Land.

  What: Alone Across Canada’s Arctic, a public talk and book signing

  Who: Modern-day voyageur and Brock University History graduate Adam Shoalts

  When: Thursday, Dec. 7, 7 p.m.

  Where: Sean O’Sullivan Theatre, Brock University

  Tickets: There is no cost to attend the event, but tickets are required. Registration is available through the Department of History’s website.

  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.

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  Categories: Media releases

• Canada’s top two varsity men’s basketball teams put on a thriller downtown

  Monday, December 04, 2017 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 3 December 2017 – R00229

  To head coach Charles Kissi a loss is a loss, but when it’s an overtime loss to the seven-time defending national champions, it’s hard to be too upset.

  Saturday night’s clash of the titans between the first-ranked Carleton Ravens and second-ranked Brock Badgers lived up to the hype as a packed house of 3,296 boisterous fans at the Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines were treated to an absolute thriller of a varsity men’s basketball game.

  When the dust settled, Carleton had won the game 80-75 in overtime, but the fourth quarter had more plot twists than a primetime drama. It also put the Canadian basketball scene on notice that the Badgers have the depth and talent to take on the country’s best varsity teams.

  “I think you saw it that we’re right there. We just have to make less mistakes,” Kissi said after the game. “They’re human. (Carleton) has had an incredible run with an incredible coach, but they’re human. They put their pants on one leg at a time like everyone else and you have to approach the game that way. If you go into a game thinking you’re going to lose, then you’re going to.”

  Brock, which drops to 9-2 after also losing to Ottawa Friday, was led by fourth-year forward Cassidy Ryan, who was on fire in the first quarter with eight points and finished the night with 20.

  The Ravens improve to 10-0, but it’s the first game in the Ontario University Athletics season which they’ve won by fewer than 14 points, and the first time a team has pushed them to overtime this year.

  That, however, was no consolation to Ryan.

  “It’s a loss. I’m not satisfied with that,” he said. “I think we played pretty well, but we made a lot of mistakes down the stretch, which cost us the game.”

  Brock was down 19-14 after the first quarter and 39-31 at the half, but the home side came out flying in the third quarter — outscoring the Ravens 19-14 to shrink the lead to three points.

  Brock again outscored Carleton in the fourth quarter, this time taking the lead for the first time in the game early in the frame, and eventually opening the gap to six points — sending the crowd into a full-on frenzy.

  But the Ravens fought back to tie it at 66-66, sending the game to overtime where the guests outscored Brock 14-9 for the 80-75 win. Behind Ryan, Dani Elgadi had 16 points for Brock, Daniel Cayer had 11 and Johneil Simpson had 10. Yasliin Joseph led Carleton with 17.

  “I feel really good about how good we are, I just think to try and get to the next level, we have to make less mistakes,” Kissi said.

  On the women’s side of Saturday night’s basketball doubleheader, the Badgers got off to a great start, but didn’t have an answer for the powerful Carleton shooters and lost 60-41 decision.

  It drops Brock to 4-7 while extending the Ravens’ undefeated record to 10-0.

  “We’re so young and being consistent is a struggle,” Badgers head coach Ashley McSporran said. “Carleton is a beast so holding them to 60 points is a small victory. They’re learning and I’m being patient with them because I believe in them. I’m asking them to do things that are a little outside of their comfort zone. We’ll get there.”

  The Badgers got off to a great start, outscoring the Ravens 12-10 in the first quarter, but Carleton’s shooting strength came alive in the second as the visitors outscored their hosts 20-6. They continued to extend the lead in the second half, going up 43-28 after three quarters en route to the win. Kristin Gallant and Baelie Campbell were the top scores for Brock with nine and eight points, respectively. Heather Lindsay led Carleton with 15.

  Campbell said the atmosphere in the Meridian Centre helped, but that her team needs to perform regardless of where they play.

  “Our team really feeds off the energy our fans give us,” she said. “I think it’s just a matter of us executing better. That comes with time. We’re a young team.”

  Before the game Saturday night, Brock honoured the Badgers men’s basketball team that won a national championship in 2008. After playing an alumni game earlier in the day, the players from that title-winning team took in the Brock-Carleton games.

  For Mike Kemp, seeing more than 3,200 fans packing the Meridian Centre to watch a Brock basketball game was a very good sign.

  “To see the program where it is now — because it struggled for a little bit — Brock Basketball is in the best place it’s been since we were there,” said Kemp. “And I would argue that this team is a lot more talented than we were in 2008.

  “The one thing we had over every team in the country is we all grew up together. That’s a rare thing to happen at a high level of sport.”

  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.

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  Categories: Media releases