When social issues arise, who truly has the knowledge that will affect how policies are made? A discussion on Friday, November 9, will focus on climate change, as well as the questions of who the “knowers” or experts are, and whose knowledge claims can be taken seriously.

In her free public talk entitled “Care, Concern, and Advocacy: Is There A Place For Epistemic Responsibility?” Lorraine Code will examine advocacy practices inside of climate change debates and explore the concept of epistemic responsibility. This responsibility involves adjusting our way of interpreting our beliefs and that of others to determine which, if any, are valid.

Dr. Code is a distinguished research professor emerita in philosophy at York University and the author of Epistemic Responsibility (1987), What Can She Know? Feminist Theory and the Construction of Knowledge (1991), Rhetorical Spaces: Essays on (Gendered) Locations (1995), and Ecological Thinking: The Politics of Epistemic Location (2006).

Political science professor Cheryl Collier says her work addresses issues of power disparity.

“The people who end up being acknowledged as experts have more influence on what is considered valid knowledge. This gives them the power to drive their own agenda, which may negatively affect the collective,” she says. “It is the responsibility of these experts to focus on ethical care issues and advocacy to improve society.”

This concept further relates to violence against women and the continuous scramble to dictate how the debate goes, says Dr. Collier.

“Dr. Code’s work on the feminist system directly affects this topic,” she explains. “Advocacy for policy solutions on violence against women causes a never-ending battle between the experts, or the law makers, and those who actually work with women and understand the causes and consequences.”

The event, at 1:30 p.m. in Alumni Hall’s McPherson Lounge, is presented by the Health Research Centre for the Study of Violence against Women, which unites many researchers and trainees interested in the causes of violence against women, its prevention and the rehabilitation of its effects. For more information, visit the event Web site.

— by Chantelle Myers

The Odette School of Business has taken a large role in the Windsor International Film Festival again this year with the help of professor Vincent Georgie.

This will be the fourth year he has involved students in the festival and with 100 volunteers, it will be the biggest effort yet.

“I have had students work as much as 100 hours and take time off of work because they love it so much,” said Georgie.

Among the educational projects the students are involved in is the promotion and advertising of the festival’s films. Georgie calls Windsor Ontario’s largest movie market outside Toronto, so the festival concentrates on bringing in titles not yet released here.

In addition to promotions, students also participate in festival logistics. Laura MacIsaac said there are many aspects to consider.

“We are making sure lines are moving well, figuring out which films have a bigger audience than others and ensuring people have the information they need, she said.

The Windsor International Film Festival opened last night and runs through Sunday, November 11. Find more information, including titles, showtimes, venues and ticket details on the festival Web site.

— by William Humphrey

A number of kinesiology students left class yesterday with an inspirational boost after Windsor’s mayor told them about all the untapped potential in the rapidly growing sector of sports tourism.

Sara Kella.

“It was so motivational, it’s not even funny,” enthused Sara Kella, a fourth-year kinesiology student who will soon begin an internship in Toronto with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. “It really gave me a lot of encouragement, because a lot of people I talk with feel like there aren’t a lot of opportunities.”

Eddie Francis was invited to speak to about 30 students in professor Laura Wood’s fourth-year sports tourism class. He told them he never expected his job would have anything to do with sports when he was first elected in 2003, but since then, he’s realized it’s a billion-dollar industry that supports thousands of jobs.

Armed with some statistics for the occasion, he said sports tourism pumped $4 billion into the Canadian economy last year, and $2 billion of that went into Ontario. Since 2008, sports tourism grew nationally by 8.8 per cent, he said, making it the only sector within the tourism industry to grow at a significant rate.

“What I’ve learned about the industry is that it is untapped,” he said. “You guys are in the right program at the right time. There is a strong demand for your skill set.”

The third-term mayor spoke about his sudden thrust into sports tourism when Detroit was awarded the 2006 Super Bowl shortly after he was elected. He met with organizers and convinced them that Windsor should co-host the event, giving it a truly international flavour.

“The NFL was able to create an experience on which we were a value-add,” he said. “The fans loved it.”

Chloe Grayson.

Since then, he said, the city has capitalized on the industry by either dovetailing with Detroit events like Indy car races, the MLB All-Star game at Comerica Park in 2005, or by hosting events like WWE WrestleMania in 2007, the Red Bull Air Races and the World Junior Under-17 hockey tournament held here earlier this year.

Francis said there are a number of events on the horizon in Windsor including the 2013 International Children’s Games and if the city’s bid is successful, hosting the FINA international swimming championships in 2016 or 2018. He extended a personal invitation to the students to get involved with organizing events, noting that the city could benefit from their expertise and that it would valuable learning experience for them.

“If you want behind-the-scenes experience, let me know,” he said. “If you’re interested, I need help. You guys know this stuff and we could benefit from your perspective. We need the brain power and we need the expertise.”

Chloe Grayson, a fourth-year communications student who enrolled in the class to learn more about event marketing, said she might take him up on the offer, adding that she too was encouraged by his lecture.

“I thought he was really informative,” she said. “He gave us a lot to think about that I had never really considered before.”

On Friday, November 9, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. the University of Windsor is opening its doors to the community as part of a national university open house—Open Doors, Open Knowledge—organized by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada.

In keeping with this year’s theme, “Putting ideas to work for Canadians,” the University of Windsor is hosting a laboratory open house in its newly-completed Centre for Engineering Innovation.

“This is the first opportunity for the public to see some of the great research and development taking place in both Phase I and Phase II of the CEI,” says Holly Ward, the UWindsor’s chief communications officer. “Visitors will have an opportunity to see a wide variety of futuristic technologies from electric vehicle transportation systems and sustainable energy solutions, to wind tunnel and turbulence labs, to the Intelligent Manufacturing Systems Centre. This centre in particular is the only one of its kind in North America and has been used to develop a prototype of an automated produce packaging system for a local grower.”

Partnerships between universities and the private sector, as well as the not-for-profit sector, provide students and new graduates with invaluable hands-on research experience.  Through research projects, internships and co-ops, students can enhance their knowledge and skills while making connections with future employers.

 “We need to further develop these kinds of partnerships, both in number and scale, to achieve Canada’s potential in innovation and productivity,” says Christine Tausig Ford, vice president of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. “We need to invest in ways that link university researchers and students—the creative people who develop new knowledge—with businesses that turn that knowledge into new products, processes, services and technologies.” 

More than 30 Open Doors, Open Knowledge events are taking place at institutions across Canada, with most scheduled from November 9 to18.

In an effort to educate students about the serious implications of bullying, the University of Windsor Students’ Alliance has partnered with Windsor Pride to host a series of events next week— International Bullying Awareness Week.

“Bullying doesn’t end when students leave high school, it can continue into University or the workplace,” says Kim Orr, president of the alliance. “That’s why it is so important that we bring attention to the serious mental and physical effects that bullying can have on people.”

Among the activities planned is a contest for videos that encourage viewers to stand up to bullying. Entries on the theme must be a maximum of one minute long and submitted to director of student life Josh Paglione at joshp@uwindsor.ca by 5 p.m. Wednesday, November 14. All videos will be posted to the alliance Facebook page— the video with most “likes” wins $100!

Other events include:

Monday, November 12: Much Music comedian Trevor Boris will speak on his experiences with bullying at 8 p.m. in the CAW Student Centre’s Ambassador Auditorium.

Tuesday, November 13: Windsor Police constable Shane Renaud will conduct a workshop on Cyber Bulling in the UWSA council chambers on the second floor of the CAW Student Centre from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

Wednesday, November 14: Everyone is invited to wear white to join a “No H8” photo shoot, running from 4 to 9 p.m. in Lambton Tower’s basement Studio B. You will be given a digital copy of your photo to do with as you like.

Thursday, November 15: Wear blue all day to show you stand up against bullying.

Friday. November 16: Dan MacDonald will create a web-video of his poem “Slam Bullying” created just for bullying awareness week which will be posted to the UWSA Facebook page.

Watch a video of Boris discussing his Windsor appearance:

The Lancer cross-country teams will look for top performances on Saturday when Canadian Interuniversity Sport celebrates 50 years of competition in the sport during its national championship meet in London. The event will feature 125 athletes from 25 schools in the women’s five-kilometre race at noon; 129 runners from 24 institutions are scheduled to take the start of the 10-kilometre men’s event at 1 p.m.

The #3 Lancer men’s team is a mix of strong veterans and exciting young talent. Led by all-Canadian Matt Walters, the Lancer men have had a very successful regular season and placed second at the provincial championship, finishing four of the team’s top five runners in the top 15 overall.

As a team, the Lancer women have also had a very successful regular season and finished fourth overall at the provincial meet to qualify for the national championships. Jen Corrick led the way for Windsor with a 10th place finish overall to be named OUA all-conference.

Read the full preview, “Lancer XC looks for strong performances at CIS Championships,” at goLancers.ca.

Fan bus headed to London

A bus will provide transportation to fans hoping to watch Lancer runners in action at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport cross-country championship meet in London on Saturday, November 10.

The bus will depart from the St. Denis Centre at about 8:30 a.m. to arrive at the Thames Valley Golf Course for the race start—the women at noon and the men at 1 p.m. The bus will leave London following the awards ceremony, at about 2:30 p.m.

The cost is $20 and space is going fast; to reserve your spot, e-mail Mitch Tome at Mitchelltome5@hotmail.com.

Five Lancer footballers named provincial all-stars

Ontario University Athletics has named five members of the Lancer football squad to its all-star team: receiver Jordan Brescacin, quarterback Austin Kennedy, punter Dan Cerino, cornerback Shea Pierre and halfback Matt McGarva.

Brescacin set two OUA records this season, most single season receptions with 68 and most career receptions with 192. Kennedy led the nation in passing yards. Cerino averaged 40.5 yards per punt. Pierre totalled 21 tackles in seven games and McGarva had 22 tackles in four games.

Read the full story at goLancers.ca.

Mark Fathers, director of financial services at Windsor Regional Hospital, won yesterday’s DailyNews contest and four tickets to see the Lancers host the Carleton Ravens to open basketball season, Friday, November 9, at the St. Denis Centre.

Fathers’ name was drawn from all contestants who correctly responded that the Windsor women are ranked first in the country, the men are ranked ninth, and Friday’s festivities will include the raising of national championship banner for women’s track and field as well as basketball.

Game time is at 6 p.m. for the women and 8 p.m. for the men.

The teams will meet the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Saturday, November 10—same times, same place.

Today is Random Act of Kindness Day: individuals and groups are encouraged to perform one simple act of kindness for someone else—neighbours, friends, co-workers, or someone they don’t even know—and hand them a card, inspiring them to do the same.

The preprinted cards are available at the CAW Student Centre information desk. The WindsorEssex Community Foundation has organized the project to celebrate the concept of “paying it forward,” says spokesperson Lisa Kolody.

“Random Act of Kindness Day cultivates community by promoting interaction between our residents and allows them to celebrate our thoughtfulness and generosity,” she says.

More ideas, resources and stories are available at www.wecf.ca.

The Faculty of Graduate Studies will host the University of Windsor Graduate Studies Showcase on Wednesday, November 14, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Commons area of the CAW Student Centre.

Each graduate program will have representatives available to answer questions about admissions, research, scholarships, opportunities for graduate/teaching/research assistantships and other funding, program requirements and future job opportunities.

A planned increase in the broadcast signal of campus community radio CJAMfm has the station redoubling efforts to attract donations during its 2012 pledge drive, which opens today.

The station has applied for a permit to quadruple its signal strength to more than 2,000 watts, which would allow listeners to tune in through Windsor-Detroit and beyond, says station manager Vern Smith.

“At this point, we are cautiously optimistic that we will be approved late this year, and be operating at 2,084 watts before next summer,” he says. “The cost of a power increase, however, is pegged at $49,000, so we need to beat the drums more than usual.”

Smith notes that the station boasts a unique programming mix, broadcasting in more than 10 languages with music in every genre and educational shows dedicated to social justice, local politics, labour issues, feminism and the LGBT community.

The pledge drive runs November 9 to 16 with a goal of raising $25,000. Donors are eligible for premiums like T-shirts and CDs, but Smith says he is hoping to provide listeners with a good reason to support this year’s campaign in particular: “so that our 125 voices may carry further.”

Learn more on the pledge drive’s Facebook page.