UWindsor will play host to the eighth State of the Strait bi-national conference on ecosystem health indicators in the Detroit River and western Lake Erie, Tuesday, Nov. 19, in Vanier Hall.

The conference is held every two years to bring together researchers, students, government managers, environmental and conservation organizations, and concerned citizens. Participants work to understand the historical conditions and current status of ecosystems to achieve a better future for local waterways.

Among this year’s State of the Strait topics are:

• coastal wetland loss;
• Detroit River international wildlife refuge;
• reproductive success of threatened and endangered species;
• phosphorus discharges from Great Lakes Water Authority’s Water Resource Recovery facility;
• contaminants in aquatic and terrestrial wildlife; and more.

A full schedule is available at uwindsor.ca/softs.

Rapper Rich the Kid will headline the WinterFest concert presented by the University of Windsor Students’ Alliance, Jan. 25 in the St. Denis Centre.

UWSA president Jeremiah Bowers said the alliance plans to attract a minimum of 2,000 students to what it is billing as a winter homecoming festival.

“This will be a pretty big event for the campus community,” he said. “Our hope is that this will create a new tradition where Lancer pride and unity is at our core.”

Hip hop artist Rich the Kid has released two albums: The World is Yours and The World is Yours 2. His single “New Freezer” was certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

The concert will feature tiered ticket pricing, which will start at $35 for early bird general admission, rising as each tranche is sold. Find more details on the event website.

The Campus Bookstore will show its gratitude for the patronage of UWindsor employees by paying their taxes on purchases of regular-priced merchandise during Staff and Faculty Appreciation Week, through Friday, Nov. 22.

The discount exempts sale items and textbooks. The week will feature additional in-store specials on apparel and giftware — just in time to get an early start on holiday shopping.

The store is located on the lower level of the CAW Student Centre.

Lancer fans can support local families in need with donations to a Holiday Clothing Drive by the athletics department through Nov. 27.

The charity effort will support kids’ clothing needed by local schools, and the Adopt-a-Family program of the Windsor-Essex Children’s Aid Foundation.

Staff will accept contributions of children’s coats and other clothing items in good condition. Winter coats, hats, and mittens are highly desired, and cash is always gratefully accepted.

Drop off donations at any Lancer home game or at the customer service desk in the St. Denis Centre through Nov. 27. All donors will receive a ballot for a chance to win a Lancer Holiday Prize Pack. Find more details at goLancers.ca.

How can the politics of gentrification not only initiate economic growth, but also reinvent public spaces? Students in instructor Jaclyn Meloche’s class “Green Corridor” explore that question in seven installations on exhibition this week in the gallery in the SoCA Armouries.

In the context of their mandate to re-imagine public space through discourses of community engagement, green development, and sustainability, students in the project-based course consider interdisciplinary methods for community building.

Works in the exhibition, titled Urban Interruptions, are on display through Friday, negotiating the stakes for people impacted by urban revitalization in west Windsor’s historical Sandwich Towne district. Find more information, including a full list of participating artists, on the event website.

A pair of online seminars will help masters-level students of social work engage in career planning.

Led by Stephanie Dupley, a career advisor in the UWindsor Career Development and Experiential Learning department, the webinar will explore:

• skills developed by social work students
• how to explore different careers through job postings, online resources, labour market research, and informational interviews
• fields and careers related to social work
• networking strategies
• tailoring your resumé to each position
• bridging the gap with volunteer, project, part-time, and contract work

in two sessions on Wednesday, Nov. 20.

Register now for your choice of noon or 5 p.m.

Seniors in a class on visiting authors offered through the Uni-Com Retirement Learning Centre enjoyed a special presentation Nov. 12 by UWindsor professor emeritus Walter Temelini on his book The Leamington Italian Community: Ethnicity and Identity in Canada.

Dr. Temelini, retired from teaching in the Italian language and culture program, spent 40 years on the book, a 700-page historical account of the settling of Italians in the Leamington area and the many challenges they faced on their journey to the success and well-being they enjoy today.

Following his presentation, Temelini presented the group with a copy of his volume. In exchange, he will receive a copy of Skipping Stones, a collection of poems by students in the centre’s course “Poetry for All,” taught by Mary Ann Mulhern and Ian Henderson.

Besides Temelini, authors presenting to the Tuesday afternoon class in Alumni Hall included Herb Colling, Irene Moore Davis, John Hartig, and Guillaume Teasdale.

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit will hold a free flu vaccine clinic in the CAW Student Centre Commons from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today — Monday, Nov. 18.

Vaccinating against the influenza virus is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from getting sick this flu season, advises Student Health Services. The flu vaccine is safe and most reactions only consist of mild irritation at the injection site.

This clinic is particularly valuable to international and out-of-province students as it does not require an Ontario Health Card. Those unable to attend the flu clinic are encouraged to receive their vaccinations at any participating pharmacies including the CAW Student Centre Pharmacy, located on the student centre’s lower level.