Downtown residents and merchants were excited by what they saw of the University’s plans during an open house Thursday at the Windsor Armouries.

“I think the value of my house is going to shoot up,” said Jon Liedtke, whose home on Victoria Avenue is within walking distance of the three buildings slated for the downtown campus. He was one of dozens of community members who turned out to view renderings, speak with University officials, and grill architects on the details.

“We have needed this for years,” Liedtke said. “We’re going to have 1,500 students and faculty down here. Added to the St. Clair College population, it can revitalize the whole area.”

Victoria Rose, general manager of the Downtown Windsor Farmers’ Market, said a number of her vendors asked her to review the plans for the former bus depot that had housed the market.

“It looks amazing,” she said of the plans to renovate the property as a home for the film production program.

Attendees said they were impressed by the efforts to maintain heritage elements of the buildings. In addition to the bus depot, the Armouries will house a school combining visual arts and music programs, and the Windsor Star complex will house social work and Centre for Executive and Professional Education programs.

Leonae Nichol, a student in the visual arts and the built environment program, said it has been interesting to watch the design process unfold. Thursday was his first time in the Armouries building.

“It is pretty cool to see it in context,” he said. “I want to come back when it’s done just to walk through and see what it’s like in action.”

As she and her teammates warmed up for the 4x400m relay at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport national championship meet in Winnipeg this past March, says Nicole Sassine, “We tried not to think about what was at stake.”

The Lancer women were on the verge of winning their fourth straight national title, but Guelph was just a few points behind as the final event loomed.

“I heard a whistle from head coach Dennis Fairall and when I looked over, he shouted Nicole, we’ve got to get third!” Sassine recalled Thursday at a campus reception honouring Fairall on the eve of his induction in the Windsor/Essex County Sports Hall of Fame. “It was one of those Dennis moments.”

Sassine and her team did win the bronze medal, setting a school record in the process and securing the women’s track and field CIS championship for Windsor. It was Fairall’s 24^th national title in his 27 years as head coach of Lancer cross country and track and field. He also boasts 43 Ontario University Athletics championships. That record earned him a call to the hall of fame; he is one of three founders joining five athletes to be honoured at an awards ceremony October 13 at the Caboto Club.

Still, says Sassine, Fairall has more than his trophy case to show his successes.

“He cares a lot about his athletes and gets very involved in our lives.”

For his part, Fairall takes as much pride in Sassine’s education—BHK 2011 and B.Ed 2012—as he does in her athletic accomplishments.

“I always remember that they are student athletes, and student comes first,” he says. “It is fantastic to see them go out and become teachers, doctors, physiotherapists. I thank them not only for the competitions, but for their contributions to society.”

Thursday’s reception also saw the unveiling of the Big Dawg Spirit Award, which will go each year to the male and female track and field athletes that best showcase spirit and Lancer pride. “Big Dawg” is a nickname for Fairall.

Besides Fairall, the founders to be inducted October 13 include Herman football and Windsor Mic Macs baseball coach Harry Lumley and Massey cross county and swimming coach Lou Pocock. The athlete inductees are former NHLers Bob Boughner and Tie Domi, former Major League Baseball player Stubby Clapp, former CFLer Tony Dennis and former Canadian amateur women’s golf champion Laura-Henderson-Matthews.

The institution of a moment of reflection to replace prayer during University of Windsor Convocation ceremonies will create a more inclusive atmosphere, says Kaye Johnson, director of the Office of Human Rights, Equity and Accessibility.

“We operate to make things as inclusive as possible—widening the circle,” she says. “A moment of silent reflection will allow people to use this time as they need to, not as someone else decides.”

Shawna Scott, a psychology student who will receive her master’s degree during the October 13 Fall Convocation, welcomes the secular approach. President of the Windsor-Essex County Atheist Society, a ratified student club, she had petitioned the University this summer to adopt a moment of personal reflection.

 “We are ecstatic that the university has made this change so that convocation is more inclusive of all students, both religious and nonreligious,” says Scott. “All students go through a lot of hard work to graduate. No student should be excluded from any part of convocation.”

She says she was taken aback by the prayer when she received her undergraduate degree, and feels validated by the University’s decision.

“It’s great to see the university be so responsive to our petition,” Scott says. “We feel a lot of reassurance that the university does take our concerns seriously.”

Many universities already embrace this format, Johnson says.

“In fact, many people are surprised to find that the Convocation ceremony included a prayer,” she says.

The ceremony will introduce the moment of reflection with this wording:

• “This day marks a new beginning, particularly for those about to celebrate their graduation. It is only fitting that we come together to recognize your achievements and commemorate your successes as you continue on your lifelong quest for knowledge and excellence. I ask that you take a moment to reflect on those who guided you along your path of learning, to appreciate our families, our teachers, our peers, the world in which we live, and all that inspires us.”

Fall Convocation is set for Saturday, October 13, in the St. Denis Centre fieldhouse.

Psychology major Sara Estoesta drew more than one benefit from a tour of the Leddy Library in September—she won a $50 gift card to the University Bookstore.

The prize draw helped to promote the tours, which attracted almost 150 student participants from September 18 to 20. Each 20-minute tour featured service points in the Leddy Main and West buildings, as well as explanations of the library’s borrowing policies, collections and help services.

Library staff organize the drop-in tours each September and January. To arrange a general or specialized group tour of the library at any time, please contact Connie Iaquinta at 519-253-3000, ext. 3180.

Business professor Vincent Georgie will discuss the University’s November 9 open house and other efforts to recruit high school students during an “Experts on Call” segment this weekend on CKLW radio, AM 800.

Dr. Georgie’s appearance will begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 6.

Print, online, radio, social media, and movie theatre promotions will launch the UWindsor marketing campaign in southwestern Ontario markets later this month.

Watch a video spot:

Find more, including radio and video spots, at www.uwindsor.ca/campaign.

The Law Commission of Ontario does excellent work, but that work is not as well-known as it should be, says Bruce Elman.

The former dean of Windsor Law, Elman recently began a three-year term as chair of the commission’s board of governors.

The commission is an independent institution that studies issues of importance to the people of Ontario and makes recommendations on how to improve the province’s laws.

“I believe that my role, at least in part, is to raise the profile of the Commission among policy makers, politicians - both provincial and municipal, members of the legal community, and among the people of Ontario more generally,” Elman says. “With a higher profile and an enhanced reputation, I hope that we are able to effect changes to the laws of the province that will benefit the people of Ontario.”

Windsor Law alumni Mark Leach (LLB 1977) and Andrew Pinto (LLB 1993) also sit on the commission’s board. Read more on the Windsor Law Web site.

India’s consul general to Toronto, Preeti Saran, is the guest of honour at the annual dinner of the India Canada Association of Windsor-Essex County, this year supporting a research project at the University of Windsor.

The event will benefit biochemistry professor Siyaram Pandey’s Kevin Couvillon cancer research project. Organizers promise a fun-filled evening with fine Indian food, dances and a performance by Bollywood Bounces.

The dinner is Friday, October 19, at the Caboto Club, 2175 Parent Avenue at Tecumseh Road; doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $60 per person, available through Dr. Pandey’s office, 519-253-3000, ext. 3701 or e-mail spandey@uwindsor.ca.

University offices will close Monday, October 8 for the Thanksgiving holiday.

The University of Windsor community was saddened to learn of the October 3 death of Catherine McKeever, a graduate of its music program (BMus 1994) and special instructor of voice students in the School of Music from 1997 until her retirement in 2011.

Her family has invited memorial donations to the vocal program. Campus flags will be lowered in her honour Friday, October 5.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete, entrusted to Families First Funeral Home. Find details in McKeever’s online obituary.