December 18 marked the last day of exams of the fall 2012 semester at the University of Windsor.

The school’s Skills to Enhance Personal Success (STEPS) program aided in the preparation for final exams through group sessions that introduced practical methods to help students improve their learning and study skills.

“The top two sessions would be those on test anxiety and multiple choice exams,” said Laura Prada, student development and support transition services intern.

Sessions are held throughout the academic year by Prada and Sarah Formagin, a fifth-year student in English and psychology. Topics range from referencing and plagiarism to the writing process, from exam strategies to ways to study smarter, not harder.

A membership can be purchased for $15 at the Educational Development Centre located in the basement of Dillon Hall. Non-members can attend group sessions for a fee of $5 at the door.

“When you’re a member you also get to do a learning strategies inventory,” said Prada. “That provides us with a good idea about you as a learner so that we can customize the information to meet your needs.”

Members also have access to one-on-one sessions to discuss any of the topics of sessions they may have missed.

Wesley Foster, a first-year student in English literature and creative writing, has yet to try the program, but said students stressing while studying would benefit from it.

“I’m an auditory learner,” he said. “When I study, I like to read all of my study notes out loud, so I can hear it while it sets in.”

For a complete schedule of upcoming sessions visit www.uwindsor.ca/steps.

— by Kristen DiMenna

Donations by guests at the Office of Human Rights Equity and Accessibility open house on December 10 have put a smile on the faces of some children in Bogota, Colombia.

The office collected clothes and a variety of school supplies for the Children of the Andes Foundation as well as a gift of $30 from an off-campus donor and one of $250 from a campus “secret Santa.”

The foundation has already sent a note of appreciation, says secretary Janet Mora, with comments ranging from “the children will be very happy with the gifts” to “this is priceless!” The charity helps children and teenagers in the South American capital.

The recipient of a teaching award from the Canadian Association for Medical Education says she shares the achievement with her instructors in the University Teaching Certificate program offered by the Centre for Teaching and Learning.

“I wish to thank Michael Potter and Pierre Boulos for all the probing introspective questions and feedback,” says Anna Farias, anatomy learning specialist in the Windsor program of the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.

She completed the first level of the certificate program and is among the first group to start the second level.

Farias will receive the Certificate of Merit Award from the association April 21 at its conference in Quebec City.

“The aim of this award is to promote medical education in Canadian medical schools and to recognize and reward faculty’s commitment to medical education,” Lara Cooke, chair of the awards committee, said in a congratulatory letter to Farias. “Your colleagues determined that you were much deserving of this award.”

Iranian students, staff and faculty are hosting a potluck dinner party this evening—Thursday, December 20—in celebration of the festival of Yalda.

Shab-e Yalda is celebrated on the Northern Hemisphere’s longest night of the year, the eve of the winter solstice.

“The ceremony is traced to the primal concept of light and good against darkness and evil in the ancient Iranian religion,” says Esrafil Jedari Sefidgari, a research associate in electrical engineering. “Our tradition is that as people were advised to stay awake most of the night, members of the family or close friends stay together, narrate old stories told by ancestors, play traditional games and eat dried and fresh fruits symbolizing various things.”

All Iranians and everyone who is interested in the Iranian culture are welcome to bring a dish to the dinner, from 7 to 11 p.m. in the International Student Centre, second floor of Laurier Hall.

Windsor Law will host a panel discussion on the subject of legal ethics that is accredited by the Law Society of Upper Canada for three hours of continuing professional development.

Panelists for “The Law of Ethics and Defence Advocacy: The Year in Review” include law professor David M. Tanovich, Crown attorney Brian Manarin, and Justice Renee Pomerance of the Superior Court of Justice.

Among the cases under discussion are:

• Groia v. LSUC—Is zealous advocacy dead?
• Dore v. Burreau du Quebec (SCC)—How far can counsel go in criticizing the judiciary?
• R. v. Ipeelee (SCC) & R. v. Fraser (NSCA)—Failing to raise issues of systemic racism
• R. v. Butt (OSCJ)—Confidentiality and disclosing your client’s HIV status
• R. v. Szostak (ONCA)—Representing mentally disordered clients
• R. v. Barros (SCC)—Investigating the identity of an informer

The event is set for 9:30 a.m. Saturday, January 19, in the law schools’ Moot Court. Registration is $150, free for students. Find more information, including registration details, on the Windsor Law website.