Theatre should be a vehicle for education, say two drama students who will premiere their original work, For Those Who Stand Upon Our Shoulders, this weekend.

Fourth-year acting majors Aisha Bentham and Alexis Gordon drew upon their own experiences as the only two black women in their program to craft what they hope will be a jumping-off point for thought and discussion on the subject of race in Canadian theatre.

“We don’t have all the answers,” says Bentham. “We just want to raise some questions.”

The two have written, directed and will perform the piece, which combines elements of dialogue, music and dance. It has been in development over the course of about a year.

“We knew we wanted to do a project but we weren’t sure what,” Gordon says. “We discovered through the process this is not going to be a traditional play.”

She says presenting even stylized reflections of their own experiences is very intimidating: “The material is so personal – we are right out there.”

The performance itself is about 30 minutes; an opportunity for discussion will follow. For Those Who Stand Upon Our Shoulders premieres on Saturday, January 28, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, January 29, at 2 p.m. in the Studio Theatre, Jackman Dramatic Art Centre. Admission is $5 at the door.

Abstract art can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be, according to a group of UWindsor arts students who will lead a tour of relevant exhibitions at the Art Gallery of Windsor on Friday, January 27.

MFA students Amanda White, Bruce Thompson, Lydia Burggraaf, Meghan Krauss and Riaz Mehmood promise to empower participants to interpret abstract art.

“Building up from short exercises in a classroom setting to activities that directly engage with the work in the gallery setting, we will attempt to apply a variety of conventional skills to the somewhat daunting concepts behind colour field painting,” says Krauss. “We will demonstrate that everyone is capable of understanding abstract art using his or her own intuition and existing knowledge.”

Participants are encouraged to wear their favourite colour and come prepared to engage physically, emotionally and mentally in a number of group activities.

The tour runs 7 to 8 p.m.; the Art Gallery of Windsor is located at 401 Riverside Drive West. Admission is free to workshop attendees; register in advance by e-mailing abstractAGW@gmail.com.

A pasta dinner at Windsor’s Fogolar Furlan Club this weekend will raise money in support of teams of students from the Faculty of Education heading to schools in Tanzania later this semester.

Teachers for Tanzania will bring medical and school supplies, clothing and shoes, soccer gear, and hygiene products to the east African nation’s Singida region. The teams will also bring funds to purchase much-needed materials within the community that will contribute to the local economy.

“We feel fortunate to have an opportunity to respectfully develop permanent and sustainable self-reliance in the lives and community of the children in Singida, Tanzania,” says Shannan Crowder, one of the organizers of the project. “Teachers for Tanzania focuses on education, building and maintaining infrastructure, and health and well-being.”

The dinner is Saturday, January 28, at 6 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance or $30 at the door and include unlimited pasta, salad, dinner rolls, dessert, coffee and tea. Items will also be offered for raffle and auction. The Fogolar Furlan Club is located at 1800 North Service Road.

Learn more about Teachers for Tanzania and how you can help on its Web site, www.teachersfortanzania.com.

Social work student John Barnett won a $50 gift card from the University Bookstore for joining a tour of the Leddy Library this month.

The library holds tours for new students in September and January. Over the course of 20 minutes, librarians lead groups through the Main and West buildings, stopping at service points for explanations of library borrowing policies, collections and help services.

You can arrange for your group to receive a general or specialized tour of the library by contacting the Information Services Department at 519-253-3000, ext. 3180.

UWindsor business grad Matt Marchand (BComm 1990) brings a wealth of experience to his new appointment as president of the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce, board chair Jennifer Jones said in a news release Tuesday.

Marchand, a Windsor native, joined the chamber’s Board of Directors in June 2010 and served as the chair of its government relations committee. He comes to his new office from the Continental Rail Gateway, where he was director of government affairs. Prior to that, he held the position of policy assistant in the Windsor mayor’s office for 12 years.

Jones called him “well-known in our community for his business leadership, political savvy, and integrity.”

Marchand will formally take office March 5.

“I’m humbled by the Board’s decision and appreciate the confidence expressed by the Board,” he said. “I look forward to the challenges ahead of me and feel lucky to be leaving one great team for another great team at the Chamber.”

The Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce is a not-for-profit membership organization with over 1,200 members engaged in advocacy to advance business interests.

The clarinet studio of music instructor Trevor Pittman will boast some very special guests over the next week – two masters of the instrument will conduct master classes and hold recitals at the School of Music. In addition to university-level students, the events are open to high school woodwind students and members of the campus community.

Clarinettist Cecilia Kang is outstanding in her field.

Cecilia Kang, a member of the faculty at the Ann Arbor School for the Performing Arts and Concordia University in Ann Arbor, will lead a master class on Saturday, January 28, at 2:30 p.m. She will perform in recital at 7:30 p.m. Both events are in the Music Building’s room 139.

Dr. Kang’s multifaceted career as a performer, educator and scholar has taken her around the globe, from Nordic countries of Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark to central Europe’s Austria, Switzerland and Germany to the Asian nations of South Korea and China. She is also a founding member of the Axios Woodwind Quintet and the St. Andrew Kim Youth Chamber Orchestra.

Suzanne Tirk will visit the UWindsor campus on Tuesday, January 31, performing at 11:30 a.m. in the Music Building’s room 139 and conducting a master class at 1 p.m. in room 126.

An assistant professor of clarinet at the University of Oklahoma, she also belongs to its woodwind-quintet-in-residence. Dr. Tirk has performed as a soloist with the Wichita State University Symphonic Wind Ensemble at in Carnegie Hall, and with Kazakhstan’s Astana Filharmonia and Karaganda Symphony Orchestra.

He is “delighted to be here,” Richard Peddie (BComm 1970, honorary LLD 2001) said Wednesday as he took up his appointment as leader-in-residence at the Odette School of Business.

The recently-retired president of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment said the key to securing his legacy of business leadership is developing future leaders.

UWindsor President Alan Wildeman called the launch of the Richard Peddie Leadership Initiative in the Odette School of Business “a great day for the University of Windsor.”

Watch a video about Wednesday’s Breakfast with Champions event.

A longer video record of the entire presentation is currently in production.

The Winter 2012 issue of Insight, the computer users’ bulletin produced by Information Technology Services, is now available online.

This issue:

• discusses the introduction of new technology which will assist online instructors using a software called Blackboard Collaborate;
• offers information on upgrades to the CLEW learning management system;
• provides a reminder about the Storage Area Network Health Check which is scheduled to take place on Sunday, June 24; and
• lists some best practices tips for the campus community users of Microsoft Office 2010.

Have a look and find out what’s happening in the area of IT on campus.

Balancing of the hot water supply to Phase I of the Centre for Engineering Innovation may result in elevated temperatures in the building from 4 to 11:30 p.m., January 31 and February 1, advises Facility Services. The building employs a steam heating system, which is dependent on the hot water supply.

Facility Services has also notified occupants that contractors preparing blinds for installation on the centre’s windows will require access to its labs and tenant space during the week of January 30. Please direct concerns to Li Ling Bae at 519-256-3131, ext. 28.