The Faculty of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences will host a free hot chocolate giveaway in the Leddy Library on Wednesday, December 6.

The event promotes the new FAHSS student app, which includes features like:

• The Open Office Hours Video series
• Live Chats with a Learning Specialist, Academic and Student Success
• #Reflectonfirstsemester
• Humans of FAHSS
• FAHSSome Talks

Developed by learning specialist Phebe Lam and advising initiatives co-ordinator Tony Vo, the UWindsor FAHSS app is available for download for Apple or Android devices.

The event begins at 10:30 a.m., and will continue as long as supplies last. Along with hot chocolate, the promotion also provides students with free FAHSS-themed merchandise. All students are welcome.

Members of the campus community are invited to gather the Memorial of Hope on Wednesday, December 6, for a candlelight vigil to remember the victims of the Montreal Massacre.

In 1991, the Parliament of Canada created the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in response to the massacre of the women — most of whom were engineering students — at l’École Polytéchnique de Montréal on December 6, 1989.

Wednesday’s commemoration will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the sculptures between Dillon and Essex halls. Following a brief ceremony, attendees will move to the CAW Student Centre’s Alumni Auditorium for a screening of the film A Better Man at 6 p.m.

Supporters of the University of Windsor United Way campaign heard at the 2017 wrap reception Monday that donations so far have reached $98,839, bringing its target of $110,000 well within reach.

“Some big donors have not yet responded,” campaign chair Datta Pillay said during a celebratory event in Katzman Lounge. “We expect we will easily beat last year’s total.”

Dr. Pillay made a point of thanking UWindsor president Alan Wildeman for his support, calling it critical to fundraising for the charity.

One note of concern was sounded by his co-chair Sheri Lowrie, who said that while monetary contributions are up, the number of faculty and staff giving to the campaign has declined to 384.

“I hope to get more people involved and bring that number up next year,” she said.

Andrew Bothamley, the charity’s vice-president of finance and operations, said that its programs would not be possible without the support of volunteers and donors.

“The University of Windsor is a key part of this community and demonstrates it every year,” he said.

Organizers held a prize draw for all who gave and pledged to United Way. Laura McLean, administrative assistant to the dean of science, was the big winner, receiving an Apple iPad tablet computer. Other winners included:

• Pauline Strong and Laurie Soulliere — an extra vacation day;
• Tanya Brogan and Susan McKee — tickets to the University Players;
• Christine Cote, Hoda Skaff, Roy Amore, and Lorraine Grondin — tickets to a School of Creative Arts concert;
• Marnie Kuhn — a membership to the Forge Fitness Centre;
• Tom Puskas — a campus parking pass.

Lowrie will deliver their prizes next week.

Pushing yourself too hard can be counter-productive, says Donna Liu. That’s why the second-year health and biomedical sciences major took advantage of an opportunity to relax during Biology Student Appreciation Day, Monday in the Biology Building.

“We are really stressed right now,” she said as she munched on a cookie. “I thought it would be nice to have some downtime.”

Liu was one of dozens of biology students who dropped by the second-floor learning centre to partake of some free snacks and socializing.

It was a first for biology and represented a chance to show students they are central to the institution, said department head Dennis Higgs.

“I see how stressed they are this time of year,” he said. “We wanted to encourage them to take a moment, take a breath before they start final exams.”

He thanked technician Candy Donaldson and master’s student Alyssa Frazao for organizing the event, which featured coffee and cocoa, pizza and sandwiches, fruit and baked goods, as well as sessions of relaxing “chair” yoga.

Liu’s friend Gisele Gagnon shared some comical animal videos on her laptop and said she was happy for the change of pace.

“We’re always studying. This is giving us an excuse to take it easy,” she said. “It feels like they’re looking out for us, knowing that we’re stressing out at the end of the semester.”

Lost your student card? Need a replacement for exams? The UwinCARD office has a special offer to ease the pain.

Only on December 5 and 6, pay the $25 fee to replace your UwinCARD and receive $20 in UwinCASH. Use UwinCASH at campus food outlets, vending machines, photocopiers, printers — even at the Campus Bookstore.

The office, located at B04 on the lower level of the CAW Student Centre, will extend its hours of operation to make it easier to get exam identification.

It will open from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. December 9, 11, 12, and 13; 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. December 14 and 15. The office will resume its regular hours, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Monday, December 18.

The law student group “Snakes and Lancers” will receive a new award designed to honor mental health champions when the Office of Human Rights, Equity and Accessibility (OHREA) hosts its annual open house and awards ceremony on Friday, December 8, in Alumni Hall’s McPherson Lounge.

A total of five awards will be given. The OHREA Awards recognize and celebrate the contributions made by individuals and groups who advance human rights, social justice, diversity, inclusivity, mental health, employment equity, and accessibility at the University of Windsor.

This year’s other honorees include:

• Accessibility Award to political science graduate Nicholas Harris;
• Employment Equity Award to Karen Roland of the Faculty of Education;
• Human Rights and Social Justice Award to Beverly Jacobs of the Faculty of Law;
• OHREA Award to psychology student Victoria Pedri.

The awards ceremony will take place from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m., during the open house running from noon to 1:30 p.m. The event promises warm beverages, lunch foods and live music. The campus community is invited to bring non-perishable food items for the student food bank for collection at the event.

For more information, visit the event website, email ohrea@uwindsor.ca, or phone 519-253-3000, ext. 3400.

UWindsor staff and faculty can get a break on their gift shopping this week, as the Campus Bookstore is offering a “scratch-and-save” discount Wednesday and Thursday, December 6 and 7.

Employee patrons will scratch cards to earn discounts of between 10 and 25 per cent on their purchases, excluding textbooks and course materials, computers, gift cards, special orders, and already-discounted merchandise.

Note: The store will close Wednesday from noon to 2 p.m. so staff can attend Catering Services’ holiday luncheon.

Marketing co-ordinator Martin Deck has a special event planned for Thursday: Elaine Weeks and Chris Edwards, authors of the coffee table book 5,000 Ways You Know You’re From Detroit, will be on hand to sign books at noon. They will be joined by Bobby Bodchon, who designed the classic Big 8 logo for radio station CKLW.

“Everybody is going to want this book for Christmas,” Deck says. “Getting a signed copy is going to make it even more of a collector’s item for anyone interested in local history.”

UWindsor alumnus Grant Yocom, a special lecturer in philosophy at Michigan’s Oakland University, will discuss his research on urban social theory in the free public presentation “Here we live, here we shall live: Nietzsche, projective history and activist practice in Detroit,” at 4 p.m. Wednesday, December 6, in the University Club Vanier Hall.

Dr. Yocom has worked with community organizations and artist collectives on both sides of the border and currently serves on the executive board of the Windsor Philosophical Arts Association.

His lecture is part of the Humanities Research Group’s distinguished speaker series.