The University of Windsor’s Spring Open House is an opportunity for applicants, prospective students, and their families to learn what makes the campus community #WindsorProud and inspire them to join.

It will run 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 1, starting with check-in and the Academic and Student Success Information Fair at the Toldo Lancer Centre.

A bus service will shuttle attendees and event staff from the Lancer Centre to the Welcome Centre, the downtown sites of Windsor Hall and the SoCA Armouries, and the Journey Air training facility.

Additionally, two buses will provide complimentary transportation from the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area.

Guests will enjoy program and special interest sessions, as well as tours of campus and residence buildings through the day. Student clubs will greet potential new members in the student centre and the lobbies of selected buildings.

“This event is a collective effort by many in our campus community: faculty, staff, and our outstanding students,” says Chris Busch, associate vice-president, enrolment management. “We look forward to an exciting Spring Open House!”

Those interested in attending can find a full agenda and register here.

Representatives of more than 35 community organizations will gather on the University of Windsor campus today to discuss practical steps to making the Windsor-Essex region as inclusive as possible.

“For Windsor- Essex to succeed in anything we do, equity, diversity, and inclusion must be at the centre of everything we do,” said Ronnie Haidar, a doctoral student of argumentation studies and co-chair of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Symposium Working Group.

“Furthermore, initiatives that revolve around these important themes should reflect our community and be community driven. The vision of this symposium is to bring Windsor-Essex together to discuss how the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion exist and operate in our region and across various sectors and disciplines.”

Irene Moore Davis, president of the Essex County Black Historical Research Society and co-founder of Black Women of Forward Action, said that too often, champions of these values operate in relative isolation within their respective environments.

“This symposium will be one step towards building an infrastructure and a network of support to unite community members who are working in EDI and establish a high-functioning community of practice here in Windsor-Essex,” she said.

Social worker Riham Al-Saadi provides therapy through her agency, Transparency Counselling Services. She looks forward to the symposium — with more than 70 individual registrants — as a way to combine efforts to move from the abstract to the concrete.

“The aim is to courageously and clearly start the conversation to tackle these concepts not only theoretically, but also practically,” she said. “We can bridge all areas of learning, leadership, and professional practice to engage in a critical dialogue on equity, diversity, and inclusion.”

The University Players opening weekend of Twelfth Night brought in packed houses for performances of William Shakespeare’s classic comedy, reports the theatre company’s marketing co-ordinator Kristen Siapas.

“Audiences lauded the production as the most entertaining of the season, noting the work of costume designer Agatha Knelsen and set designer Nancy Perrin as well as the welcome addition of music, directed by student Jamie Brown-Hart from the School of Creative Arts,” she says.

On Sunday, the audience was treated to a talkback session with members of the cast and discussed the importance of professional training that the students receive in the BFA in Acting program.

“I can see how much my skill has grown over the last four years,” says graduating acting student Annie Roberts, who plays the lead role of Viola in the production. “Yes, we get our basic training, but there’s also skills you are taught such as contact work, improv, movement… This program has given me a lot of opportunities, and I’m very excited to graduate.”

Twelfth Night continues in the Essex Hall Theatre through April 2. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday performances are at 7:30 p.m., with a Sunday matinée at 2 p.m. Visit www.universityplayers.com for tickets and more information.

Watch a trailer:

A performance of a piece first premiered in Windsor in 1980 will grace the program of the University Wind Ensemble year-end concert Saturday, April 1.

Gerry Brown, music director of the Windsor Forster High School Band, commissioned “The Hounds of Spring” from composer Alfred Reed, and the band premiered it at what was then the Cleary Auditorium. Brown will take the baton to conduct the same work Saturday.

Elsewhere on the program, Mike Seguin will direct the ensemble through Reed’s “A Festive Overture,” John Williams’ “The Cowboys,” Robert W. Smith’s “12 Seconds To the Moon,” and more.

It all gets underway at 7:30 p.m. in the Pentastar Theatre in the Capitol, 121 University Ave. West. Admission is $20, with a student rate of $10; find ticket and program information on the event webpage.

A lunch hosted by the Campus Campaign for United Way on Thursday, March 30, will honour its long-time chair, the late professor emeritus Datta Pillay. The event is open by donation to students, staff, and faculty and promises chili with the fixings: sour cream, green onions, shredded cheese, and a roll and butter.

Lunch will be served in the Student Courtyard between Dillon and Memorial halls from 11:30 a.m. while supplies last. In the event of rain, it will relocate to the student centre.

Volunteers with the campaign will be on hand to process donations in support of the United Way and its programs, like “Summer Eats for Kids,” which provides children in Windsor-Essex with nutritious snacks, fruits, and vegetables during the summer months when school nutrition programs are closed.

“This kind of community help was important to Datta Pillay, who spearheaded the University’s efforts on behalf of United Way for 40 years,” says campaign co-chair Vincent Georgie, UWindsor associate vice-president, external. “Thursday’s chili lunch is our way to honour him and his advocacy for the United Way’s work to support kids in Windsor-Essex from cradle to career.”

The weeklong fundraising campaign will continue with volunteers staffing a table in the student centre commons from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. through March 30 to accept donations and sell raffle tickets toward prizes of Apple AirPod headphones, personal training sessions at the Toldo Lancer Centre, and a package of UWindsor swag. Tickets are $5 each or five for $20, with payment accepted by cash or card.

Buying a campaign T-shirt or ball cap for $20 will earn students or employees a ballot in a draw for an eight-month campus parking pass.

Learn more on the Campus Campaign for United Way website.

River Bookshop in Amherstburg hosted a full house last week at the first “Alumni Meet-up” event hosted in partnership with the University of Windsor Alumni Association.

An audience of more than 50 alumni and community members enjoyed a live cooking demo by Amherstburg-born cookbook author and blogger Jennifer Emilson. Ticket holders also received a complimentary copy of her new book, The Lemon Apron Cookbook: Seasonal Recipes for the Curious Home Cook. Emilson shared her personal motivation for cooking and stories of growing up in Amherstburg with the audience of home cooking enthusiasts.

Alumni Meet-ups will be held monthly at River Bookshop and will feature topics which include Pelee Island stories, backyard birding, and heritage preservation. The events will often feature a book published on the chosen topic and will promote local authors and experts.

“We are excited to partner with River Bookshop on this new opportunity to bring alumni together to learn about interesting new topics,” said Patti Lauzon, director of alumni relations.

The partnership was formed as a way to promote reading and bring alumni together to enjoy fellowship at a local bookstore. River Bookshop is owned by UWindsor alumnus Richard Peddie (BComm 1970, honorary LLD 2001), and the events take place in the Hole in the Wall meeting space on the building’s second floor.

The next event will be held April 19 and feature Cathy Miller, mayor of Pelee Island. Visit the series website to register to attend in person or online.

The Summer Society Showdown will put student organizations in competition against their rival faculties leading into the Welcome Week orientation period. Winners will receive money toward their society activities.

Enthusiastic undergraduate students who are passionate about school spirit and their course of academic study have until April 5 to apply to become a Faculty Leader. They will help the newest members of the campus community grow personally, learn outside the classroom, and make lifelong connections. Learn more and apply here.