It’s going to take inclusive consultation to develop intergenerational, sustainable, and equitable approaches to the Sustainable Development Goals, says Lila Iriburiro Happy.

The law and politics student is one of three presenters at the UWill Discover Sustainable Futures whom facilitators awarded top honours during a wrap event Friday.

“The UWill Discover conference epitomizes how effective education can be from theory-based to practical application,” Happy says.

Her project, entitled “African Indigenous Knowledge at the Intersect of Environmental Sustainability and Legal Precedent,” addressed several of the goals, identified by the United Nations as a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet.

“Who we consider as experts starts to diversify when intersectional approaches are encouraged,” she says.

The other top conferees were creative writing major Leah Levy for “Constraint Poetry on Disability and Disability as Constraint” and biomedical sciences student Emmanuel Boujeke for “Spy1-Mediated Cell Cycle Effects Enhance Oncogenic Transformation by Selected Drivers in Human Glioblastoma.”

Interim provost Patti Weir says the finals were a pleasure to watch, calling the presentations well-researched, informative, and professionally presented.

“The breadth of research was impressive and the students were exceptional,” she says. “Presenting in front of your peers, family, and faculty is not an easy but the dissemination of knowledge is a responsibility we have as an institution.”

The full roster of award winners is posted on the UWill Discover Sustainable Futures website.

“With over 160 presentations given during the conference week, it was extraordinarily competitive to be among the top presenters,” says Tim Brunet, project lead for UWill Discover.

Next steps include launching the UWill Discover journal and selecting four conference participants to lead a team to the Model United Nations in Washington, D.C. in November. Find more information on the year-round project on its YouTube channel.

A new campus resource to aid in normalizing and respecting the use of pronouns differing from the binary of she/her and he/him is one step in the right direction in affirming diverse gender identity on campus, says a UWindsor student advocate.

Fei Qin, a student of political science and communications, media, and film who identifies as non-binary, and provost Patti Weir began work about two years ago to produce a comprehensive guide to understanding pronouns as a reference for instructors, students, staff, and visitors to campus.

Qin says they began considering the initiative when they not only realized they had choice in their own pronoun use, but that others were experiencing similar challenges.

“We use pronouns in everyday life, even if we don’t realize it. As I’ve come through my own journey navigating my sexuality and gender, I’ve come to realize that gender is a construct which only exists because we all perform it,” Qin says.

“People like me have existed throughout history, and the usage of different pronouns is not new. The first time I encountered someone using they/them/theirs pronouns I was shocked that an option like that existed.”

Qin says because gender pronouns are reinforced through social relationships, they were keen to use these interactions as a way to educate the campus community on why their proper and appropriate use is so vital to creating a safe and welcoming campus community for all.

“Disregarding an individual’s gender identity denies them a significant part of themselves,” says Dr. Weir. “We wanted to give our community the right tools to be able to engage respectfully with each other, and gain an understanding of the power of language in creating a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment where everyone thrives.”

A taped video discussion on the subject among members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community is also intended to provide users with a greater understanding of the challenges experienced by individuals who use pronouns outside of the reinforced Western gender binary.

“People may not understand the impact being misidentified can have,” Qin says. “We’re hoping that by sharing our stories people can hear our personal experiences and get a better perspective on why this is so important.”

“Onwards & Outwards,” an exhibition showcasing the artwork of graduating visual arts BFA students Sandra Jabbour, Bianca Daher, Emma McGee, Erica Judith, Karina Scott, Kyle Jones, and Alexandria Pedri will grace the walls of the SoCA Gallery in the Armouries through April 8.

A public reception from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, April 7 will offer a chance to view the works and meet the artists in the SoCA Gallery at the Armouries, located at 37 University Ave. East.

The exhibition is the culmination of a semester of independent studio work under the guidance of SoCA professors Rod Strickland and Jose Seoane Hernandez. Each artist chose an idea or concept and was given the opportunity to develop it since January. Other works from the students’ academic portfolios are displayed alongside these pieces.

“We chose the name ‘Onwards & Outwards’ because although it’s our last show, it’s just the beginning in terms of our artistic careers,” says Daher. “We strive to continue onwards and work outwards.”

The students have spent months exploring unique techniques and concepts. Their goal is to present artwork in a way that captivates viewers and speaks to them on a deeper level.

The students’ collective artist statement states in part: “This exhibition is an opportunity to show off our creative talents and share our pieces with our peers, mentors, and the public. It is an experience that will stay with us forever, and we hope you can join us in celebrating our achievements.”

The students have created an exhibition website that includes each student’s bio and images of some of their work: view it here.

The SoCA Gallery is open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. by appointment only. To make an appointment, contact Victor Romão, gallery and building co-ordinator, at romao1@uwindsor.ca. View the gallery’s spring exhibition schedule.

If you miss this week’s exhibition, “Onward & Outwards” will be on display at Art Windsor Essex, 401 Riverside Dr. West, from April 11 to June 12. The students’ work will be the feature at AWE at Night on Thursday, April 20.

—Susan McKee

Continuing his work fighting injustices and discrimination in the bail system, law professor Danardo Jones and the Transnational Law and Racial Justice Network hosted a panel discussion on the bail system in Canada and its effects on marginalized communities.

The March conversation focused on how such factors as race, class, and gender influence bail decisions.

“Bail is a constitutional right that protects marginalized and racialized accused people — mainly Black and Indigenous — from the overwhelming power of the state to restrict, sometimes unlawfully, liberty,” Prof. Jones said.

Panellists included Windsor law professor Jillian Rogin, retired judge John Joy, sociology professor Nicole Myers of Queen’s University, University of Victoria law professor Asad Kiyani, federal prosecutor Shushanna Harris, and defence attorneys Bobby Russon and Rohit Gupta.

—Dalia Mazhar

A petition launched by kinesiology professor emerita Victoria Paraschak calling for an inquiry into abuse in Canadian sport has been introduced in the House of Commons.

Windsor West MP Brian Masse tabled the petition Friday, urging the federal government to call an independent judicial inquiry. Parliament has 45 days to repond.

“We have heard the widespread accounts of abuse at every level of Canadian sport,” said Dr. Paraschak. “It’s time we have a public inquiry that is completely independent of sport to address complaints of sexual, physical, and mental maltreatment.”

Current and former athletes have been publicly sharing personal accounts of being abused by coaches in a toxic sport culture. These athletes come from a wide variety of sports, including gymnastics, hockey, cycling, figure skating, boxing, soccer, rowing, bobsleigh, and water polo.

The federal government established the Office of the Sport Integrity Commission to look into the complaints, but critics say the office is not independent and effectively allows Sport Canada to investigate itself.

“Scandals in the sports world continue to plague our country,” Masse said in tabling Paraschak’s petition. “Today, I stand up for my constituents, some of whom are survivors of abuse, to help shed light on the seriousness of the issue.”

In his statement, Masse thanked Paraschak by name, and urged the government to call a judicial inquiry.

“Without this transparent mechanism, we will continue to see complaints, maltreatment and no justice. It is time to protect our Canadian youth and athletes today.”

More than 700 people from across Canada signed Paraschak’s petition. Paraschak launched the online petition after 91 academics calling themselves Scholars Against Abuse in Canadian Sport wrote a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calling for an independent public inquiry. Paraschak was one of the signatories to the letter.

—Sarah Sacheli

The University of Windsor will host the U Sports national track and field championship meet in 2025, the league announced last week.

It will be the 13th time the Dennis Fairall Fieldhouse has hosted the tournament, most recently in 2018.

Athletics director Stephanie White said the blue and gold are tinkled pink to again welcome the top university athletes in Canada.

“The University of Windsor has a long and impressive history of success in track and field at the U Sports championships, and we are delighted to once again be hosting this national event,” she said. “The Fairall Fieldhouse, adjacent to our new award-winning Toldo Lancer Centre and named after one of the most decorated coaches in the history of Canadian university athletics, will set the stage for what can only be another remarkable and memorable event.”

The facility is also scheduled to host Ontario University Athletics track and field championships in 2024 and 2025. Read more at goLancers.ca.