UWindsor president Douglas Kneale will narrate poet Dylan Thomas’ prose work A Child’s Christmas in Wales accompanied by almost 100 voices raised in song during the Festival of Christmas choral concert, Friday and Saturday, Dec. 1 and 2.

The concert will feature seasonal favourites sung by the UWindsor Chamber Choir and University Singers directed by Bruce Kotowich, several opportunities for audiences to sing along, and a performance by the newly-formed SoCA Honour High School Choir under the direction of Elspeth Maynard.

It is set in two locations over successive days:

• 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at St. Alphonsus Church, 85 Park St. East;
• 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, at Banwell Community Church, 2400 Banwell Rd.

Tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for students, available for advance purchase online or at the door up to one hour prior to the concert.

Find more information, including a full program and list of performers, on the concert website.

Do you love UWindsor? The Office of Student Experience wants to make it easy to declare that love to the world, distributing free buttons with the message.

The office also has buttons that say “I’m wearing this for #WindsorWednesday” to explain the Blue and Gold theme to wearers’ mid-week garb.

Communication assistant Jacqueline Veres says she hopes employees will participate in UWin Proud activities.

“We would encourage you and everyone in your area to wear your button every Wednesday,” she says. “If staff and faculty are actively supporting Windsor Wednesday, it signals to students that it’s OK for them to show their spirit.”

To order one or both buttons, submit a request to her at Jacqueline.Veres@uwindsor.ca.

For Cheryl Collier, giving to the Windsor-Essex Children’s Aid Foundation’s holiday charity is a family affair.

Acting associate vice-president, academic, Dr. Collier brought her three sons — aged 15, 17, and 20 years — along when she shopped for gifts to contribute to the Adopt-a-Family program.

“We have a lot and my sons know it, but sometimes it’s good for them to feel it as well,” she said Wednesday as she joined colleagues from the Office of the Provost to drop off donations in a truck parked outside the Welcome Centre.

“The boys in our sponsored family aren’t much younger than my own,” Collier said. “I told them to buy things you would want for yourself: they need coats, they need pants.

“To think we can help them have a better Christmas is so awesome.”

Her office was among 33 departments and individuals across campus to join this year’s campaign, which donated more than $25,000 in gifts to a total of 39 local families in need.

“We are fortunate to have so many generous people at the University coming together to help the community,” said Sabina Howell, administrative assistant in the Office of Public Affairs and Communications, who co-ordinates the campus campaign. “It’s so exciting to see the presents arrive and know how much the recipients will appreciate getting them.”

Student participants in the 2019 Alternative Spring Break program are prepared to deliver — and they will deliver lunch directly to any office on campus.

Volunteers are raising funds for a week of social action during Reading Week in February. They have partnered with Catering Services to offer a fresh, hot lunch delivery on Tuesday, Dec. 11.

The students will drive golf carts loaded with insulated totes to ensure meals arrive hot from the oven.

The menu offers four choices:

• Turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes, and corn;
• Quarter barbecued chicken with mashed potatoes, and corn;
• Quarter honey-garlic chicken with mashed potatoes, and corn; or
• Vegetarian stir-fry on rice, which is vegan and gluten-free.

Each option costs only $13 + tax, with half the proceeds going to the ASB program.

Place your order no later than Dec. 3 on the ASB website.

Soup warms the body, and charity warms the heart. Combining both made the Great Faculty Soup-off a success for patrons and servers, Wednesday in the student centre.

Linda Patrick, dean of nursing, said she was happy to represent her faculty as she ladled out samples of tomato tortellini.

“We realize as nurses there are people less fortunate, and United Way does terrific work in our community,” she said. “This event is a great idea to get faculty, staff, and students together. And it showcases the great catering at the University of Windsor.”

Diners received samples of eight soups, one from each academic faculty, for a contribution of $8 to the charity. They then deposited their tickets to vote for their favourite.

When the ballots were counted, the potato-leek soup took top honours, winning a catered coffee break for its sponsor, the Faculty of Education. Organizers delivered the leftover soups to the Windsor Essex Food Bank Association for distribution to its local clientele.

Learn more about the United Way on the website for its campus campaign.

The campus campaign will hold a wrap-up event to thank donors and volunteers — a morning coffee break with hot chocolate and sweets — at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 30, in Katzman Lounge, Vanier Hall. RSVP to attend and enter a raffle for an extra vacation day.

The following training sessions are offered in December:

• Self-Serve Procurement will be held on Dec. 11 from 1 to 3 p.m.  Learn how to complete the purchasing requisition process.
• Expenses will be held on Dec. 13 from 9 to 11 a.m. Learn how to complete and submit an expense form for travel and non-travel expenses.

Click here to sign up today; registration is open to all faculty and staff members.

Controller and executive director Gillian Heisz expresses thanks to everyone who has attended Finance training sessions in 2018 and encourages them to watch for further training opportunities in 2019.

If you need support on how to navigate the UWinsite Finance system, refer to the Resource List on the UWinsite Finance website. For answers to additional questions, submit a UWinsite Finance Ticket.

Jim Preston, a retired Campus Community Police officer, won Wednesday’s DailyNews trivia quiz and its prize of two tickets to the University Players production of Journey’s End, continuing through Dec. 3 in the Essex Hall Theatre.

Preston’s entry was drawn from all those which correctly identified Over There as written by George M. Cohan, All Quiet on the Western Front as providing a German perspective on WWI, and Wings as the winner of the first best picture Oscar.

The University Players’ drama, written by a veteran of the First World War, gives audiences a look into everyday military life. Performances Wednesday through Saturday are at 8 p.m.; matinees Saturday and Sunday are at 2 p.m. Order tickets online at www.UniversityPlayers.com or by phoning 519-253-3000, ext. 2808.

A free class Tuesday, Dec. 11, will help staff and faculty responsible for maintaining UWindsor websites learn the basics of the Drupal content management system.

Website Basic Training will focus on teaching site editors how to create pages and events, upload graphics and use menus and blocks, says instructor Rob Aitkens, web development team lead in Information Technology Services.

The class is required for all employees responsible for maintaining UWindsor websites and is valuable for those with little previous experience with the system, for those upgrading their sites from version 6 to 7, or as a refresher. It will run 1:30 to 4 p.m. in the University Computer Centre’s lower-level classroom. Registration is required through this online form.

So far, close to 1,500 students have responded to a survey by the University of Windsor Students’ Alliance, providing feedback for its negotiations with Transit Windsor ahead of the 2019 U-Pass referendum.

That vote will determine the future of the Universal Bus Pass, which provides a discount on unlimited use of the Transit Windsor system.

The 12-question survey will close at 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30. Students may access until then from the UWSA website.

The University has declared audio-visual components — including monitors, printers, and data projectors — for sale by bid as Disposal File 1006. Click here for details.