Melissa Berberi practises chest compressionsFirst-year student Melissa Berberi practises chest compressions during a CPR-a-thon held by the Student Medical Response Service during Involvement Fair, Tuesday on Turtle Island Walk.

Orientation activities attracting interest and engagement

Amber Norman, student development specialist in the Student Success and Leadership Centre, noted great attendance at the River Games on Monday, and at Tuesday’s Involvement Fair.

“We’re seeing a lot of commuter students showing up, too, and that’s terrific,” Norman said as crews dismantled the displays set up in the David Wilson Commons by campus organizations and student clubs to attract participation. “It’s wonderful to see so many students engaging with university life.”

First-year chemistry student Melissa Berberi registered with the Student Medical Response Service, looking forward to training in first aid and hoping it will give her an advantage in pursuing a career in medicine.

“I have always liked to get involved with school activities,” said Berberi, a graduate of Assumption College Catholic High School. “I came today to see what’s going on. It’s a great way to get active.”

Brendan Snell, operations manager for the service, agreed. He said the Involvement Fair is one of the best venues for recruiting new members.

“We come out, we can let students know about us and what we do,” Snell said. “Let me put it this way: we had six applications before today, and now we have 45.”

UWindsor Welcome Week activities continue today — Wednesday, Sept. 4 — with sessions for academic programs starting at 9 a.m. in locations across campus. Faculty and staff are invited to join first-year students gathering for the Welcoming Celebration, 3 to 4 p.m. in the St. Denis Centre.

Classes in most programs begin Thursday, Sept. 5. The week will culminate in the Lancer varsity football game at 1 p.m. Saturday on Alumni Field.

Find more information on UWindsor Welcome Week activities on the program website.

cast photo: Saved by the BellThe student centre is looking for sponsors for its Sept. 18 1980s revival day.

Day of retro fun seeking sponsors

Sandra Ricco-Muglia, director of events for the Student Centre, is seeking campus offices and organizations to sponsor a day celebrating the 1980s.

The ’80s revival will feature period music, roller skating, retro games, photobooths, and a Jane Fonda workout on Wednesday, Sept. 18.

“This is the perfect way to be rad and be part of the fun throwback action,” says Riccio-Muglia. “Staff love the nostalgic feel and students love feeling like they are part of the ’80s for a day.”

Among the opportunities for departmental involvement is a giveaway of retro candies like fun dips, Popeye candy sticks, or roll candies, which she promotes as an “inexpensive way to get out and get interactive with students.”

To inquire, contact Riccio-Muglia at 519-253-3000, ext. 3230, or smuglia@uwindsor.ca.

Eye with many flags insideThe ISC Culture Series will present brown-bag lunch sessions on the cultures of countries home to the university’s international students.

Lunch lecture series to provide cultural perspectives

Want to learn more about the cultures of international students?

The International Student Centre is hosting a series of free lunchtime presentations for students, staff, and faculty interested in the traditions of lands home to UWindsor students.

“The purpose is to engage our campus community in learning more about the cultures of the students who are most prominent here,” says International Student Centre director Beth Oakley.

Scheduled to discuss customs, cuisine, geography and more are:

  • computer science professor Christie Ezeife on Nigeria, Sept. 25
  • ISC office co-ordinator Amal Jammali on the Middle East, Oct. 10
  • international student recruitment co-ordinator Romi Saraswat on India, Oct. 29
  • international student advisor Deena Wang on China, Nov. 13

Oakley hopes each session will also feature a student as co-presenter.

Attendees are welcome to bring a lunch; the events will run 12:10 to 12:50 p.m. in room 204, Laurier Hall. Sign up to express interest and receive an email reminder.

The centre has also produced materials to help staff and faculty support international students, including tips on understanding the experiences of international students and a guide to providing them with support outside of the classroom.

sign announcing parking appParking meters have been pulled from Vanier Circle in favour of a cashless model.

Campus parking eliminating payment by cash

Change is coming to UWindsor parking services, and change is going, too — coins will no longer be accepted as payment for campus parking.

Instead, people will be able to pay at meters and in pay-and-display lots using Apple Pay and Google Pay, tap-enabled credit or debit cards, or the free Honk mobile app, which allows users to find and pay for parking in campus lots through their smartphones or tablet computers.

The app has several advantages for clients, says Laurie Butler-Grondin, manager of UWindsor parking services.

“Honk stores and manages parking receipts, and will alert users before their time expires, enabling them to pay for additional time remotely,” she says. “It doesn’t make sense to be searching for change and running back and forth to parking meters anymore.”

Infrequent visitors will not need to download the app, Butler-Grondin adds.

“We know some people won’t want it cluttering up their devices, so there is an option for them to access the system through a QR code,” she says. “That information will be posted at the current pay stations.”

Eligible areas include the Askin, Assumption, Clark, Human Kinetics, Stadium, St. Denis, and Union parking lots, as well as the Vanier Circle.

Download the app at www.honkmobile.com.

statue in Sandwich depicting Tecumseh and Isaac BrockHigh school history teacher Doug Drouillard will lead a study group on local history focused on such figures as Tecumseh and Isaac Brock, subjects of this statue in Sandwich.

Retiree classes a route to lifelong learning

The Uni-Com Retirement Learning Centre invites seniors to apply for enrolment in its fall courses, covering a wide range of interests.

Registration is now open for weekly study groups on a wide variety of areas of interest to seniors from the University (Uni) and the community (Com):

  • Poetry for All, Mary Ann Mulhern and Ian Henderson;
  • Shall We Dance, Anne McCallum;
  • Spanish for Travellers, Kathy Stomp;
  • Special Treasures and Antiques, Kathy Renaud;
  • English and Irish Literature, Tony Johnston;
  • Visiting authors John Hartig, Walter Temelini, Herb Colling, Guillaume Teasdale, Irene Moore-Davis;
  • City Doors, George Plantus;
  • A Look at Common Folktales, Norm King;
  • Local History — Brock and Tecumseh, Doug Drouillard;
  • Examining God and Evil, Edward King.

Fall classes commence Sept. 23. They run five or nine weeks and most are held in Alumni Hall’s McPherson Lounge.

Find more information or enrol on the Uni-Com website, or phone 519-253-3000, ext. 3430.