A series of events Thursday, September 21, will officially dedicate Turtle Island Walk, the pedestrian corridor that has replaced a stretch of Sunset Avenue from Wyandotte Street to University Avenue.
The day’s activities will begin with a ceremony to welcome the sunrise at 7 a.m. in the riverfront park at the foot of California Avenue. Out of respect for the sanctity of the ceremony, organizers ask that attendees refrain from recording it in any way: video, audio, photography, or written accounts.
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., vendors will offer arts and crafts for purchase along the walk.
Dancers and drummers will demonstrate their skills in the David A. Wilson Commons from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with a break for official dedication presentations at noon.
The campus community barbecue offers a first-come, first-served, luncheon from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Workshops on aspects of Aboriginal cultures are set for 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the CAW Student Centre.
The 2017 musical documentary The Road Forward, a rousing tribute to fighters for First Nations rights, will enjoy a free public screening at 6 p.m. in the CAW Student Centre.
A contest running through September will reward campus residents for saving electricity.
An energy conservation competition between campus residences will reward a group of students with a pizza party.
The “Save energy, preserve the planet” competition challenges students living in Alumni, Cartier, Laurier and Macdonald halls to reduce consumption of electricity through the end of September. The residence achieving the greatest savings over the same period last year will be treated to free pizza.
“We’re trying to encourage responsible use of electricity just by raising awareness of the opportunities to save,” says Tanya Basok, UWindsor environmental sustainability advocate. “Turning off lights when you leave the room, unplugging computers and other appliances when you’re not actively using them — these small steps can really add up.”
The competition is sponsored by the University of Windsor Energy Committee and the Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee with support from the Windsor Inter-Residence Council.
Antonio Pascual-Leon, Director of the Psychological Services and Research Centre, says the new facility will catapult the psychology graduate program forward.
Director Antonio Pascual-Leone said the new facility will provide exciting new opportunities for the graduate students’ clinical training in the program.
“Our students are shoulder-to-shoulder with the Ivy league schools when writing the North American psychologist licensing exam,” said Dr. Pascual-Leone, adding that UWindsor students typically score within the top fifth to 10th percentile. He said objective and standardized exams show students graduating from this program are some of the best trained, not only in the country, but in all of North America.
“I’m excited to see what happens when a training program that is this good, and produces students of this quality, actually has a facility to support it. I think it’s going to catapult us forward.”
Pascual-Leone said the centre serves as an analog of what a teaching hospital is to a medical school.
The advanced training facility allows graduate students in the clinical psychology program a venue for working directly with students and members of the community. These clinical trainees, under the supervision of the University’s clinical psychologists, provide psychological assessments for children, adolescents, and adults.
Pascual-Leone said the life issues and mental health problems they address could range from emotional problems and psychiatric problems, to personality disorders, to family therapy, and even certain kinds of brain dysfunction.
The centre, which has existed in various locations for the last 40 years around campus, has also provided therapy to especially vulnerable populations including refugees or victims of human trafficking.
“This is where our students get their core training as clinicians, then they go on to do placements in the surrounding community, other cities, and eventually internships across Canada,” explained Pascual-Leone. “The value of services students in the department of psychology provides to our community is substantial: estimated at $6.3 million dollars every year in professional services.”
The new facility on Riverside Drive West now has 10 clinical service rooms which can be used for individual assessments, therapy, or group therapy. Of the 10 clinical service rooms, four are outfitted with one-way mirrors to allow supervisors or students to watch the sessions live.
“This is always done with the permission of the client and confidentiality is quite important here,” Pascual-Leone said.
“The whole house is wired for cameras and those encrypted video recordings provide another form of supervision. This is state-of-the-art clinical training.”
The house itself sits overlooking the Detroit River on Riverside Drive West and Patricia Road and is adorned with detailed woodwork and etched glass windows.
Artwork that has been donated or purchased from local artists and from University of Windsor students, decorates the walls in each clinical room and hallway.
“It’s important to have a building that doesn’t have a cold and clinical feel,” Pascual-Leone said. “This is an especially vulnerable population coming here and so approaching a place that is discreet, private but also feels warm and welcoming is a pretty key part of having the best clinic we can have.”
The University’s Department of Psychology has a lot to celebrate this year. Along with opening of the new PSRC, the clinical and social psychology programs are celebrating their 50th anniversary of training graduate students.
The official grand opening of the Psychological Services and Research Centre will be held on Thursday, September 21. For more information, visit www.uwindsor.ca.
UWindsor retiree Pat Belanger will join a humanitarian mission with Rotary Club to the African nation of Ghana.
Joining a volunteer mission overseas with the Rotary Club has been a long-time goal for Pat Belanger, and with her retirement after 47 years working in the Leddy Library, her dream is about to come true.
She is joining a humanitarian mission to the African nation of Ghana to enhance the health and well-being of thousands of disadvantaged children and their families.
“Our team will renovate a dilapidated school and purchase new textbooks, uniforms, and desks for the students,” says Belanger. “A highlight of our educational initiatives will be the distribution of 400 backpacks filled with school supplies, clothing, toiletries and a toy.”
Team members also plan to drill wells to provide villagers with access to potable water, install a sanitation facility, and distribute mosquito nets to curtail the spread of disease. Medical professionals will dispense eyeglasses, medication, and orthopedic devices.
The volunteers will travel at their own expense, and have been raising funds towards the costs of materials they will supply to the Ghanaian beneficiaries. Contributions are eligible for a charitable tax receipt, Belanger notes.
“Although you will likely never meet the people whose lives you will profoundly touch with your contribution, they will never forget you for having cared enough to reach out across the world to alleviate some of their suffering,” she says.
A fundraising dinner Friday, September 29, will feature entertainment along with all-you-can-eat chicken and pasta. It is set for 6 to 8 p.m. at the McGregor Columbian Club, 9560 Walker Road.
Tickets are $25 per person, $15 for children 6 to 12, and free for those 5 and under. For details or to inquire about making a donation, contact Belanger at 519-819-2478.
The Organization of Part-time University Students will hold its annual welcome barbecue at 4 p.m. Thursday, September 21.
The Organization of Part-time University Students invites all students, faculty and staff to its annual welcome barbecue Thursday, September 21, on the lawn between Assumption Hall and Assumption Church.
The event begins at 4 p.m. and runs while supplies last. In addition to free food and drinks, it will feature a draw for a tuition bursary worth up to $1,500, sponsored by the University of Windsor Alumni Association. Part-time undergraduate students may enter a ballot today at the OPUS office, room 172, CAW Student Centre.
A class Tuesday, October 3, will teach the basics of the Drupal content management system to staff and faculty responsible for maintaining UWindsor websites.
Drupal 7 - Basic Training will focus on teaching site editors how to create pages and events, upload graphics and use menus and blocks, says instructor Rob Aitkens, web architecture, development and design lead in Public Affairs and Communications.
The class is aimed at employees with little previous experience with the system, for those upgrading their sites from version 6 to 7, or as a refresher. It will run 1:30 to 4 p.m. and is limited to 16 participants. Registration is required through this online form.
EPICentre will host a free workshop on increasing sales Thursday.
A free workshop at the Entrepreneurship Practice and Innovation Centre (EPICentre) will provide attendees with real-world tips on growing sales and how startups can develop a top-notch sales strategy.
The workshop, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, September 21, on the second floor of the Joyce Entrepreneurship Centre, is open to all University of Windsor and St. Clair College students and includes lunch.
John Dobrowolsky of Sandler Training will lead the morning session, “Why salespeople fail and what to do about it.”
Eric Janssen, chief revenue officer with tech firm Intellitix, will discuss “Growing sales at your startup” after lunch.
The student food bank in the basement of Canterbury College is experiencing shortages of some popular items, says manager Sandi Rose. She hopes donors will help refill its shelves.
“There are more students in need this year than ever before,” she says. “We’re putting out a call to our supporters, who make it possible for us to feed hungry students.”
Items currently in heavy demand include canned meats, vegetables, and fruits; chick peas and kidney beans; pasta and sauces; cereal; peanut butter; toiletries; notebooks and pens. Donations will be received at Canterbury College, 2500 University Avenue West, Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Please make cheques payable to Iona College.
Rose also suggests that groups planning charity food drives later in the semester consider directing the proceeds to the campus food bank.
“It’s great to see people wanting to support our community and I remind faculty and staff that charity begins at home,” she says.
Student Accessibility Services is looking for volunteer note-takers who are willing to share their class notes with students who have a documented disability. Volunteering in this way contributes to academic success and makes a difference in the lives of peers.
The position is a one-term commitment; volunteer note-takers share course notes only with students registered with Student Accessibility Services who have been approved for note-taking services by a staff advisor.
In addition to the knowledge that that they are helping to remove barriers to other students’ learning, volunteers will receive a letter of reference, acknowledgement on their co-curricular record, and chance to win monthly prize draws.
For more information, visit Student Accessibility Services in room 117, Dillon Hall, or e-mail notetaker@uwindsor.ca.
John L. Esposito will deliver his free lecture public lecture “The Future of Islam and Muslim-West Relations” Wednesday on the UWindsor campus.
With more than 1.6 billion adherents, Islam is the world’s second-largest religion. John L. Esposito, professor of Islamic studies at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., will discuss its role in the global mosaic in his free public lecture “The Future of Islam and Muslim-West Relations: why does it matter?” in room 100, Toldo Health Education Centre, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, September 20.
Dr. Esposito is the author of numerous books exploring the impact of faith on international affairs, including Religion and Globalization, Who Speaks for Islam?, Islam: the Straight Path, What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam, and World Religions Today. He will sign some of his newest works during Wednesday’s appearance, which is sponsored by Assumption University and organized by John Cappucci, Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chair in Religion and Conflict.
“To welcome John Esposito — one of the most distinguished scholars of Islam today — is indeed a great honour for Assumption University,” Dr. Cappucci says. “Dr. Esposito's impressive publication, teaching, and service records have garnered him immense respect not only from within the academy, but also from communities around the globe.”
A series of events Thursday will officially dedicate the Turtle Island Walk pedestrian corridor.
