The title of Lorenzo Buj’s debut poetry collection is a jest at his own expense.

A faculty member in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, he will hold a launch event for Earlybloom Bombs on Saturday, Oct. 2.

“The title is a line from one of the poems,” says Dr. Buj. “You can say it’s a self-targeting irony, given that I’m turning 60 this year — not exactly an early bloomer. The book is a kind of promise made to professors and mentors long ago — like John Ditsky and Alistair MacLeod and Walter Skakoon — only now being fulfilled.”

What he delivers is “punkoid, COVID-annoyed” poetry that draws on his experiences as a fixture on the Windsor-Detroit punk scene of the 1980s, when he fronted a band while sporting a hairstyle best described as Mohawk-bouffant.

“I voice the persona of a grumpy character 40 years later,” Buj says.

Taking inspiration from Vladimir Nabokov’s 1962 novel Pale Fire, he follows the poetry with pages of notes, using these to extend the persona and add  “prickly cultural commentary.”

The launch event will run 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Dominion House Tavern, 3140 Sandwich St. It’s scheduled as a casual drop-in on the patio but will move indoors if weather dictates.

Buj is making copies of his book available for a voluntary donation.

“I have no ambition to recoup the costs,” he says. “It’s not about money wasted; finding readers is money well-spent.”

Learn more on the event Facebook page. To RSVP, email lzb@uwindsor.ca by Tuesday, Sept. 28.

Campus Community Police maintains 270 emergency call boxes across the UWindsor campus, including downtown — two-way speakerphones programmed to dial the service directly when the button is pushed any time of the day or night, 365 days a year.

There are a few variations of the emergency call boxes you will see around campus.

Emergency Blue Light Pole

There are 27 outdoor emergency blue light poles located on campus.

Pressing the red emergency button will put you in direct contact with the telecommunicator until police arrive. The flashing blue lights serve as a beacon to responding officers and others in the vicinity.

Stainless Steel Emergency Call Box

This emergency box functions very similarly to the emergency blue light pole.

Pressing the red emergency button will notify Campus Police and keep you in direct verbal contact with the telecommunicator until police arrive.

Yellow Emergency Call Box

Just as with the Stainless Steel Emergency Call Box, pressing the red emergency button will notify Campus Police and keep you in direct verbal contact with the telecommunicator until police arrive.

Blue Emergency Button

Pressing the red button will notify Campus Police to respond to the location of the button.

Fans of varsity athletics will return to Alumni Stadium this week, as Lancer soccer opens its season Wednesday, Sept. 22.

The Lancers will host the Guelph Gryphons, with the women kicking off at 5 p.m. and the men playing at 7:15 p.m.

The athletics department has instituted new health and safety protocols and is limiting admissions to 750 spectators in accordance with the latest reopening guidelines. Find details of the rules in the full article: “Lancers to welcome spectators to Alumni Stadium.”

Men’s team takes silver at Western Invitational golf tournament

Windsor’s men finished second at the Sept. 16 Western Invitational golf tournament, three shots behind Guelph.

Head coach Adam Wagner says he was pleased with the performance of all the players.

“For not playing an event in almost two years, it was great to be back out there and to have this result in our first event is very exciting for this group of players,” he says.

An all-rookie team on the women’s side finished fifth overall. Read more at goLancers.ca.

Football squad drops first decision

Quarterback Sam Girard passed for 174 yards and a touchdown and defensive back Cole Verlinde made eight solo tackles in a losing cause Saturday in Waterloo, as the Lancer football team fell 42-14 to the Warriors in the season opener for both sides.

The blue and gold will return to action Saturday, Oct. 2, taking to Alumni Field to play the Guelph Gryphons in a 2 p.m. home opener.

James Jones, a professional hoop dancer otherwise known as Notorious Cree, is facilitating his high-intensity Indigenous dance exercise program for the UWindsor community today — Tuesday, Sept. 21.

A men’s fancy Powwow dancer among the world’s top three hoop dancers ,Notorious Cree blends traditional, modern, and contemporary arts mixed with comedy to showcase a high-energy performance.

PowwowFIT brings Indigenous Powwow music blended with easy-to-follow choreography found across the North American powwow trail. This event is brought to you in collaboration with the Student Success and Leadership Centre and Turtle Island - Aboriginal Education Centre

To give your mind, body, and spirit a workout, register to join from 7 to 8 p.m.

A draw this week will offer members of the Organization of Part-time University Students a chance to save on the cost of their educations.

The group is holding an online event at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 23. The University of Windsor Alumni Association has sponsored a tuition bursary worth up to $1,850. Learn more on the event webpage.

In addition, OPUS will offer a free English Essentials course to 10 attendees drawn at random.

Taught through Continuing Education, English Essentials is designed to help students advance their language skills for academic and professional purposes in five self-paced modules:

• Critical Reading;
• Writing Fundamentals;
• Grammar: Building Strong Sentences;
• Grammar: Connecting Ideas; and
• Effective Presentations.

The event will run virtually; to receive a link, email opus@windsor.ca.

Made in the human brain, dopamine is a chemical messenger, essential for motivation, movement, memory, mood, sleep, and behaviour regulation.

Low dopamine levels can make you feel less motivated, apathetic, and affect your ability to concentrate.

In a message sent Monday to UWindsor faculty and staff, Human Resources shares tips to naturally increase your dopamine levels:

• Get enough sleep. When you don’t get enough sleep, dopamine receptors in your body can be adversely affected, and sleep deprivation can lead to the suppression of some dopamine receptors in your body. Aim at seven or more hours of sleep every night.
• Listen to some music. Listening to music you find pleasurable can lead to a release of dopamine in your brain. Make a playlist of some of your favorite tunes and listen to it when you are feeling fatigued, listless, or unmotivated.
• Maintain a healthy diet. Foods that are rich in tyrosine, such as eggs, fish, chicken ,and almonds, are especially good for boosting dopamine levels.
• Exercise. Exercising regularly has been proven to be very important for your brain’s health. Engage in 30 minutes of aerobic exercise each day to boost your dopamine levels.
• Cut down on processed sugars. Processed sugars such as the ones found in candy and soda can increase your dopamine levels temporarily but this is typically followed by a “crash” that can leave you feeling down.

Read the entire Wellness Tip of the Week.