Media releases

• Hometown heroes ready to shine at Paint the Meridian Red

  Tuesday, November 21, 2023 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: November 21 2023 – R0111

  The upcoming showdown between the Brock Badgers and McMaster Marauders men’s and women’s basketball teams is poised to transform the Meridian Centre into a sea of red on Saturday, Nov. 25.

  Paint the Meridian Red transcends the basketball court; it’s a celebration of community and hometown pride, according to Brock women’s basketball head coach, Mike Rao.

  “For these student-athletes, stepping onto the Meridian Centre court isn’t merely about a basketball game,” he said. “It’s a chance to create enduring memories, cementing their connection with their roots and leaving a mark on the vibrant sports tapestry of Niagara.”

  Paint the Meridian Red will feature a group of student-athletes hailing from various corners of the Niagara region: Shailah Adams from Welland; Madalyn Weinert, Brookelyn Keltos, Jamie Addy, Allison Addy and Anthony Heyes representing St. Catharines; Vienna Vercesi from Niagara Falls; and Ilijana Vukovic and Aleksija Vukovic from Grimsby.

  The Badgers haven’t hosted Paint the Meridian Red since 2020, leaving current players yearning for the electrifying ambiance of competing beneath the radiant Meridian Centre lights.

  Yet, for the Niagara-born talents on Brock’s teams, this event signifies more than just a game; it symbolizes the embodiment of aspirations and dreams cherished by athletes from the region.

  “Growing up around here, you look forward to attending sporting events at the Meridian Centre,” said Keltos, a first-year shooting guard. “It’s a special arena which embodies the pride and spirit of Niagara.”

  Having witnessed the intensity and excitement of a previous Paint the Meridian Red game from the stands, Keltos experienced first-hand the fan-fuelled atmosphere that defines these matchups while cheering on her sister, Samantha Keltos, competing for the Badgers.

  “The atmosphere in the arena was amazing. My family, friends and I bought court-side seats and had cut-out faces of my sister. It was a great time,” she said. “The excitement in our section was crazy. Now this event is a full-circle moment for me; I will be a part of the team and not in the crowd. I’m so excited about this game and can’t wait to see everyone there.”

  Heyes, a first-year Kinesiology student, echoed Keltos’ sentiment, acknowledging the thrill of playing such a significant game in front of a Meridian Centre crowd.

  “Playing a big game in front of a big crowd as a hometown kid is a unique opportunity — one that’s very special to me,” Heyes said. “I’m excited and can’t wait to see my friends, family and fellow students cheering us on out there.”

  The women’s game will tip off at 6 p.m. with the men following at 8 p.m. Tickets are available on Ticketmaster.ca.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Doug Hunt, Communications and Media Relations Specialist, Brock University dhunt2@brocku.ca or 905-941-6209

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  Categories: Media releases

• Public Brock talk to explore ‘living in the Anthropocene’

  Monday, November 20, 2023 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: November 20 2023 – R0110

  An upcoming free public lecture will investigate what it means to be living in the Anthropocene — a proposed new epoch in geological time.

  Following the announcement of annually layered sediments of Crawford Lake, Ont., being selected as the proposed ‘golden spike,’ Brock Earth Sciences Professor Francine McCarthy and Philosophy Professor Christine Daigle will explore key questions about an important transdisciplinary concept spurred by the significant scientific advancement.

  The pair will share insight from their respective fields during ‘Are we now living in the Anthropocene?’ at the Niagara Falls History Museum on Thursday, Nov. 23.

  McCarthy, a micropaleontologist whose research focuses on lakes as natural archives of environmental health, has led Brock’s involvement in defining the new geological epoch.

  During Thursday’s talk, McCarthy will discuss how clear evidence of human impact as early as the 13th century has shaped the course of history, while also emphasizing it is the culmination of human impacts that overwhelmed and permanently altered the Earth system during the ‘Great Acceleration’ of the mid-20th century.

  “The initiative to define the Anthropocene as a geologic epoch has implications well beyond the Earth sciences, and the selection of Crawford Lake as the proposed GSSP (‘golden spike’) location underscores this,” McCarthy said.

  The talk will explore the indicators that have triggered the new epoch, drawing on the scientific evidence preserved in the unique sediments of Crawford Lake.

  But, as noted by McCarthy and Daigle, in addition to defining the Anthropocene itself, humans must now consider how to live in the Anthropocene, and most importantly, reflect on what can be learned from the scientific evidence and how it can shape human behaviour moving forward.

  This is of particular interest to Daigle, an expert in existentialist philosophy and feminism whose research in recent years has focused on the notion of environmental vulnerabilities, including philosophical questions about the Anthropocene and the concept of extinction.

  “Learning about the Anthropocene scientifically also triggers philosophical questions about human responsibility toward the Earth systems and all living beings — urgent questions in this ongoing environmental crisis,” Daigle said.

  Everyone is welcome to attend the free public lecture on Thursday, Nov. 23 at 7 p.m. at the Niagara Falls History Museum.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews: 

  * Doug Hunt, Communications and Media Relations Specialist, Brock University dhunt2@brocku.ca or 905-941-6209

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  Categories: Media releases