As a graduate student in London, Salsabel Almanssori says, she felt unsafe — and the murderous attack against the Afzaal family in the summer of 2021 proved she had the right to be afraid.

“In the Muslim community, we call the Azfaals ‘our London family’ and understand this terror attack as exemplifying the troubling impact of Islamophobia,” says Dr. Almanssori, an adjunct professor and postdoctoral fellow in the UWindsor Faculty of Education.

Her personal experience informed her decision to guest-edit a special edition of the interdisciplinary journal Girlhood Studies on the subject “Hijabi Girlhood in the Intersections” with Muna Saleh, a professor at Concordia University of Edmonton.

“I was once a girl in hijab,” says Almanssori. “While my research focus is not in Islamophobia but in sexual violence and tech-facilitated violence, this incident brought the issue back to the forefront of my mind.”

In preparing the journal issue, the guest editors sought out submissions exploring the experiences of girls and young women who identify as hijabi.

“They’re always experiencing and resisting these violences — anti-Muslim and anti-Arab racism and other forms of oppression that are all inter-connected,” Almanssori says. “Alongside Black and Indigenous girls, the girl in the hijab is often at the forefront of the struggle for justice.

“I was very inspired by some of the works that explored activism as outlets for responding to sexual violence and anti-Muslim racism.”

Besides scholarly articles, the publication includes creative submissions of poetry and prose.

“Putting together the journal special issue was a difficult process, but I was incredibly pleased with the way it turned out in the end,” Almanssori says. “I am hoping it will pave the way for a more complex and nuanced understandings of gendered Islamophobia.”

The December 2023 issue, “Hijabi Girlhood in the Intersections: Violence, Resistance, Reclamation,” is available on the Girlhood Studies website.

Do you enjoy telling stories, playing games, and using your imagination? If you answered “yes, and…” to that question, drama professor Alice Nelson would like to invite you to join the Improv Club.

Improv is a form of theatre that challenges performers to create unscripted, “improvised” stories — most commonly comedic in nature. Prof. Nelson points to the television series Whose Line Is It Anyway? as an example of the genre.

“You have to work with your fellow players and learn to trust your instincts. You never know what's going to come out,” she says.

The newly-formed group grew out of a class she teaches in the School of Dramatic Art and is open to students in any discipline.

“The first idea is to have fun, but members gain amazing skills useful in any setting,” says Nelson. “The biggest skill is listening. You’re paying attention to other people’s words and also their physical cues.”

She notes that improv can teach participants how to fail and how to get back up while retaining the confidence and goodwill of an audience.

“You have to learn to respond to the feedback you’re receiving,” Nelson says. “What does the room want at that moment?”

Club gatherings involve games to familiarize members with their partners with a view to building the skills necessary to devise more long-form stories.

“Ideally, it would be great if we could hold a public performance by the end of the semester,” Nelson says.

The club meets Thursdays from 7 to 9 p.m. in room 103, Jackman Dramatic Art Centre. No previous experience is required. For more information, email Nelson at Alice.Nelson@uwindsor.ca.

UWindsor music grads will perform in recital Saturday, reprising pieces they debuted in Europe this past summer.

Soprano Amelia Daigle (BMus 2012) and classical guitarist Daniel Turner (BMus 2019) perform as the duo Alma. They explore opera, art song, and Spanish zarzuela, a form of musical theatre in which the dramatic action is carried through an alternating combination of song and speech.

They were artists in residence this past summer at La Roche D’Hys Summer Music Festival in Burgundy, France, and presented several concerts in various cathedrals along the Camino Trail in August as part of the Camino Artes Guitar Festival in Carrión de los Condes, Spain. They have since been invited to perform in Berlin in September 2024.

Daigle is excited to be back at the University of Windsor, noting “being invited back as a guest performer after several years of travel, hard work, and lots of performing is a huge honour.”

The recital will feature songs normally performed with piano accompaniment arranged by Turner for voice and guitar.

Daigle says the program combines her passions for classical singing, movement, and theatre.

“It is almost like a mini opera where you can enjoy the story telling of a character in a more intimate setting.”

The recital is set for 7:30 p.m. Jan. 20 in the Armouries Performance Hall at 37 University Ave. E. Tickets are available online or at the door; door sales are card only. Cash cannot be accepted.

Next week is the start of this year’s campus fundraising campaign for the United Way.

The charity’s “On Track to Success” program emphasizes supporting children in low-income families. It has a proven record of making a difference in young people’s lives and helps students from elementary school all the way to post-secondary education.

The program has seen some great results with the support of donors:

• 90.2 per cent of students in the program graduate on time from high school.
• $178,000 in bursaries were provided to students in 2021-22.
• 76 per cent of graduates are actively enrolled in a post-secondary program. In comparison, the national average for similar households is 47 per cent.
• 90.5 per cent of students who started in the program are still enrolled, a higher retention rate than similar support programs.

Students supported by this program testify to its ability to help them get to university and enjoy success while they are here.

Sarah, a first-year concurrent education major, says she will always vouch for On Track to Success.

“I can’t explain the amount of gratitude that goes out to everyone that’s helped me along the way,” she says. “Without this program, I’m sure I wouldn’t even be re-enrolled back at the university yet. If there’s ever a program you look to support, I 100 per cent can say that you should look for the one that puts in the time and energy to care about its students and makes them feel like a priority.”

Mohamad, a second-year law and politics student, agrees.

“On Track at UWindsor has been a pivotal part of my university journey, offering invaluable guidance and support in numerous ways,” he says. “It helped familiarize me with the university’s system, addressed my academic challenges, and most importantly, taught me how to effectively advocate for myself.”

The campus campaign for United Way will conduct accessible online events and content Jan. 22 to 26. Visit uwindsor.ca/unitedway for information and to donate.

An overstock of photobooks celebrating the University of Windsor is available free through the advancement office.

The books, featuring images by photographer Richard Bain of people and places across the campus, was commissioned by the alumni association in honour of the University’s 50th anniversary in 2013.

It has proven popular with a range of readers, says Ghada Guarini, co-ordinator of alumni programs in the office of alumni relations and advancement.

“People love this book,” she says. “Retirees and grads enjoy the nostalgia of seeing these familiar places that bring back so many memories. And because it has all kinds of photographs from the campus, even new students appreciate it.”

She believes it would make a nice gift for newcomers or supporters.

The book originally retailed for $50. In addition to Bain’s photos, it features a foreword by Alistair MacLeod, an early history by George McMahon, and profiles of some trailblazers by Marty Gervais.

It is available in boxes of 14. To claim some and arrange for delivery to a campus office, email Shawna Munro at slmunro@uwindsor.ca.