Franz Schubert composed feverishly in the months before illness ended his life in 1828, completing some of his most sophisticated piano works, says education professor Christine Vanderkooy.

Her new album, Schubert: Late Piano Works, comprises two of them: Sonata in C-minor, D. 958, and Drei Klavierstücke, D. 946. She recorded them on the nine-foot Steinway instrument in the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto during the COVID-19 lockdown in December 2020.

Vanderkooy says what she loves most about Schubert is the sense that all of life’s riches — the joys, sorrows, effervescence, complexity, loss, and triumph — appear in full technicolour, reaching us wherever we are at.

“One person’s listening experience may proffer something very different from another’s, and that’s the joy of music: the opportunity to be teleported to a soul level, even just for a moment.”

The recording was supported by research grants from the University of Windsor, the Faculty of Education, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

“I am very grateful that funding enabled all aspects of this project to be produced at the highest level,” Vanderkooy says. “This quality creates the opportunity for the recording to take the national stage, attracting radio play, critical review, and Juno award eligibility, all of which helps to reach a wide audience.”

That audience, and the chance to move them, is what makes the work worthwhile, she says.

“I hope that listeners might find a moment to put aside life’s distractions, even for a short time, and to listen, allowing for the possibility that Schubert might transport them somewhere new,” Vanderkooy says. “The act of listening may open the opportunity to be impacted by the lush emotional landscape that Schubert welcomes us into.”

Distributed by the independent label Leaf Music, the album is available in physical and digital form.

Join professor Carol Margaret Davison for a discussion of the historical events that inspired her first novel — but not her first book — Bodysnatcher, on Thursday, Sept. 28, at 4 p.m. in Leddy Library’s Collaboratory.

“I am extremely excited to launch Bodysnatcher in North America at my academic home, the University of Windsor,” says Dr. Davison. “I am especially thrilled to do so in the Leddy Library whose fabulous librarians (who never get enough credit, in my opinion) have supported my research for over two decades.

“I hope people will join me to discuss the historical materials that inspired my debut novel: the Burke and Hare murders, the treacherous 19th-century traffic in corpses for anatomical dissection, the 1820 Radical Rising in Scotland, and the mysterious Arthur’s Seat coffined dolls.”

Davison teaches in the women’s and gender studies program within the Interdisciplinary and Critical Studies Department. She is a specialist in Gothic and Victorian literature, African American literature, women’s writing, thanatology studies, and cultural teratology. She is the series editor for Anthem Studies in Gothic Literature, and the editor of The Gothic & Death, winner of the 2019 Allan Lloyd Smith Prize for best edited collection devoted to Gothic Criticism, for which three of her recent publications made the shortlist of four books.

The book launch includes a short reading, a brief author question-and-answer session moderated by Martin Deck, and a book signing.

As intimate partner violence is central to this novel and has recently been declared an epidemic in Windsor and Essex County, donations for Hiatus House will be accepted at the door.

—Susan McKee

University Players is offering DailyNews readers a chance to win two tickets to its current production, Mac Beth.

A retelling of the tragedy, this adaptation by Erica Schmidt attributes Shakespeare’s text to a group of schoolmates in today’s digital age.

To enter the contest, just match the quotes to the speaking character in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. A winner selected at random from all correct responses received by noon Tuesday, Sept. 26, will receive two tickets to attend a performance.

1. Double, double toil and trouble: Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
2. It will have blood, they say: blood will have blood.
3. O horror, horror, horror! Tongue nor heart cannot conceive nor name thee!
4. Out, damned spot; out, I say!
5. What, can the devil speak true?

1. Banquo
2. Macbeth
3. Lady Macbeth
4. Macduff
5. The three witches

Contest is open to all readers of the DailyNews. Send an e-mail with your responses to uofwnews@uwindsor.ca. One entry per contestant, please.

Mac Beth continues in the Essex Hall Theatre through Oct. 1. Performances Thursday, Friday, and Saturday begin at 7:30 p.m., with a Sunday matinée at 2 p.m. Student tickets are just $10; get more details and visit the box office on the University Players website.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and the University of Windsor Alumni Association is making sure students, employees, and campus visitors have no excuse for skipping it Tuesday, serving up a free grab-and-go breakfast Sept. 26 at the Welcome Centre.

One in a series of Alumni Week celebrations, the event offers complimentary muffins, cereal bars, yogurt, fresh fruit, coffee, and juice from 8 to 9:30 a.m. — or while supplies last.

Activities continue through Friday, including the Campus Community Barbecue, Wednesday at noon on the River Commons, and the Harvest Moon Movie Night, Friday at dusk in the Residence Quad. Find a full schedule at UWindsor.ca/alumni.

Get your game on with no need to insert coins, as the CAW Student Centre turns into a video arcade for three days this week.

From Pacman to Donkey Kong, more than 25 retro games are available for free play by students, staff, and faculty Sept. 26 to 28.

“I find arcade games an entertainment showcase that brings people together for friendly competition or just a walk down memory lane,” says Sandra Riccio-Muglia, director of events and programming for the student centre. “It's a chill social space where all are welcome day or night, so pick your game and level up your fun!”

The Archaic Greek elite deployed food-based identity rhetoric that metaphorically exiled those who ate more than their share. A lecture Tuesday, Sept. 26, will examine this history.

Jessica Romney, associate professor of humanities at MacEwan University in Edmonton, will deliver “Placing the Sympotic Elite: Lyric as the Centre of the Polis” at 4:30 p.m. in Katzman Lounge on the ground floor of Vanier Hall.

Dr. Romney’s research focuses on ancient identity in general, particularly as expressed within archaic and classical literature. In Tuesday’s talk, she will explore how in separating “good” political actors in the centre from “bad” at the edges, “male citizens” from “female,” and “Greek” from “non-Greek,” the identity rhetoric around appetite that came out of the symposium, and affiliated genres developed to carry political, moral, gendered, and ethnic connotations.

The event, presented by the Department of Language, Literature, and Cultures and the Classical Association of Canada, is free and open to the public.

A new service will help bike riders keep their steeds secure: the student experience office has partnered with the University of Windsor Students’ Alliance on the Campus Services Bike Lock Rental Program.

Students may rent a high-quality solid metal U-lock for $20 per semester or $40 for the academic year. This type of lock is recommended for parking on campus, says Kevin Beaudoin, acting director of Campus Community Police.

“Low-quality cable or chain locks do little to deter thieves, who easily cut through them with bolt cutters,” Beaudoin says. “A U-lock presents much more of a barrier to any potential thief.”

To rent a lock, visit the UWSA office in room 209, CAW Student Centre.

Beaudoin adds that cyclists should record details of their bikes — a photograph, make, size, style, colour, model number, serial number, and any special features — and register them with Windsor Police and to assist in identifying them in the event they go missing.

He also encourages students, staff, and faculty to report suspicious activity, especially around bike racks, to Campus Police by phoning 519-253-3000, ext. 1234.

Learn more on the Active Transportation webpage, under “Bicycle Parking on Campus.”

The campus community is invited to a celebration Thursday marking the first anniversary of the opening of the Toldo Lancer Centre.

Stop by for a short ceremony in the lobby at 11 a.m. Treats will be available while supplies last.

“In its first year of operation, the Toldo Lancer Centre has proven to be an asset to the campus and the Windsor community at large,” said Linda Rohr, dean of the Faculty of Human Kinetics. “We didn’t want this anniversary to pass by without celebrating the impact this facility has had.”

The Toldo Lancer Centre opened last year, adding 119,000 square feet of new space to the former St. Denis Centre. The centre is a hub for Lancer Recreation, including intramurals and fitness classes; the home of the blue and gold varsity sports teams; and a site for campus and community wellness.

In addition to being home to the Dennis Fairall Fieldhouse, the Toldo Lancer Centre includes a 25-metre pool that is fully accessible, a suspended track overlooking a new triple gymnasium, a fitness centre that spans two floors, and multi-purpose rooms for things such as personal training and spin classes.

Students have contributed $55 million toward the $73 million cost of the building. In its first year, the centre has hosted a total of nearly 590,000 visitors, including students, staff, faculty, and community members.

The building has also been featured in a Canadian architecture magazine and won an international award for its design.

—Sarah Sacheli

The Lancer Women’s Basketball Alumni and Family Golf Tournament will tee up competition and camaraderie Saturday, Sept. 30.

Proceeds will help the program and players reach their potential, covering the costs of exhibition games, student-athlete scholarships and travel expenses, assistant coaches, and more.

Shotgun format play will begin at 9 a.m. at Ambassador Golf Club. The fee of $175 includes a round of 18 holes, golf cart rental, player’s package, food and drinks. Find details and register through the event website.

As a special support for female athletes, the team is offering free registration for two female UWindsor employees or a foursome with at least one woman.

“We are glad to offer this unique opportunity for this year,” says head coach Chantal Vallée.

The offer is first-come, first-served. To inquire, email Vallée at cvallee@uwindsor.ca.

A process developed by the Finance Department promises cost and time efficiencies in providing documentation for importing goods to campus.

Procurement staff worked with the University’s customs broker in creating the step-by-step procedure to minimize delays and issues in delivery of shipments, unnecessary work for on-campus recipients, and fees, fines, or penalties from the Canada Border Services Agency.

Find the import process on the finance website.

Finance Department staff encourages departments to share the process with everyone who assists with purchases and shipments, including new hires and students. The mandatory customs form can be found here.

Contact customs@uwindsor.ca with the customs form ticket number and tracking number prior to the shipment arriving for any goods that may be perishable, require special instructions, or have additional questions, so the information can be sent on to the customs broker and the Canada Border Services Agency.

Reach out to customs@uwindsor.ca to request a walk-through of the process led by the Finance Department.