Newly published research by a UWindsor law professor has found that rap music and the lyrics and videos that accompany them are used in Canadian criminal trials at an alarming rate and are the only form of musical expression subject to this type of scrutiny.

In his article, R v Campbell: Rethinking the Admissibility of Rap Lyrics in Criminal Cases, which has attracted interest from Buzz Feed, CBC Radio’s As it Happens, and News Talk 1010’s Desmond Cole radio show, David Tanovich says he was able to document 36 cases of attempts by the criminal justice system to put rap on trial—most notably the 2013 first degree murder conviction of aspiring Toronto rapper Chael Mills, also known as Heartless G.

In the Mills case, Tanovich says police downloaded 76 videos—six of which were ultimately admitted by the trial judge as evidence of motive in the deadly shooting of an alleged member of the Crips gang.

What is it about rap lyrics that raise concerns? Tanovich asks.

“Well for one thing, attempts to put music on trial rarely happen in Canada or the United States outside of the rap context and there are only a handful of cases involving other types of fiction being put on trial in Canada.”

Tanovich says this trend is problematic because judges and juries are not, generally speaking, culturally competent to understand what inferences to draw from rap lyrics that offer embellished accounts of violence, guns, drugs and gang activity.

“Commercial success and appeal is largely driven by the extent to which the lyrics appear authentic,” Tanovich says. “One way to ‘keep it real’ is for the rapper to rap about what is actually happening on the streets and in their communities. Rap becomes even more susceptible to misuse by the legal system in the context of ‘gangsta’ rap because the writer takes on the persona of a criminal.”

Tanovich says that when he read about the Heartless G case in the media he began to study the issue in more depth and found that in the United States rap is frequently on trial—even in death penalty cases. It also appears to be a growing trend in England.

It is also “the social reality of racism and the nature of rap as an art form that gives rise to the concerns about using rap as evidence,” he says.

“We need to stop pretending that rap is like any other art form when it comes to triggering stereotypes and acknowledge the very real prospect of a wrongfully or racially tainted conviction because of anti-Black racism.”

Tanovich says that social science evidence confirms individuals are more likely to view an accused who raps about violence as guilty, and that is even more likely true when the accused is Black.

“We need to acknowledge that by allowing the criminal justice system to frequently use rap as evidence of guilt we are criminalizing, and potentially chilling, an entire musical art form and culture.”

The researcher says he believes the Canadian judicial system should be more rigorous in deciding the admissibility of rap lyrics and establish clear guidelines about their use as evidence.

For example, “it is imperative that the interpretative evidence about the nature of rap music and the lyrics in question be given not only by a crown expert—usually a police officer—but also by a defence expert.”

Read the full article on the Social Science Research Network website.

The Double Dealer, currently playing at the Essex Hall Theatre, has the most detailed costumes of any University Players show in a long time, says costume designer Agatha Knelsen.

The play, set in 1693 England, features a lot of silks and brocades for both women and men.

“What makes this show fun is that the men compete to be as beautiful as the women,” Knelsen says of William Cosgreve’s Restoration-era comedy. “It is certainly the richest period piece of the season—we are ending with a big splash.”

She says planning for the show began at about this time last year, starting in conversations with director Brian Taylor, proceeding to research on dress during the period, designs and then the actual making of the costumes by Jacqueline Khan and work-study students.

“Because this is the sixth show of the year, we had the time to put on a lot of the details,” says Knelsen. “I am incredibly proud of what it looks like on stage. It is beautifully polished.”

Even so, she says that audiences will not see the work involved under the fabric.

“These corset plays are made up of hidden spiral steels and pocket panniers,” she says. “The most elaborate part of the costume is the part you do not see.”

The play’s run continues through Sunday. Tickets can be ordered online at www.UniversityPlayers.com or by calling 519-253-3000, ext. 2808.

Once the curtain comes down on The Double Dealer, the costume shop will begin gearing up for next season, which will open with The Three Musketeers. Knelsen is looking forward to the challenge presented by the work, set in the early 17th century.

“That show is on my bucket list of costumes I have always wanted to design,” she says.

A reception May 12 will honour Anne Forrest, professor of women’s and gender studies, as the 2016 recipient of the Mary Lou Dietz Equity Leadership Award.

The Windsor University Faculty Association’s Status of Women, Diversity and Equity Action Committee bestows the award to individuals who demonstrate leadership through their contributions to creating an equity culture on campus. The award is named after Mary Lou Dietz, a late UWindsor faculty member and head of the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology, in recognition of her contributions to the advancement of women in Canadian universities and colleges.

In addition to serving as a mentor and an inspiration to many students—at both undergraduate and graduate levels—Dr. Forrest has been a pioneer of employment equity on campus, earning the “President’s Equity Award” in 1999.

Among her many achievements, she implemented the “Positive Action Plan for Achieving Equity in Hiring Women Faculty;” initiated and named the “Friends of Women’s Studies,” a group formed to bring prominent feminist visitors to Windsor each year; and co-founded the Bystander Initiative on campus. Read more in a brief citation on the association’s website.

Join association members as they recognize Forrest for her commitment, contributions, and accomplishments to diversity and equity. The awards presentation will begin at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 12, at Kerr House, 366 Sunset Avenue, with a reception following. RSVP by May 6, by e-mail to wufa@uwindsor.ca or by phone at 519-253-3000, ext. 3365.

Kits distributed to residents of Canterbury College during its communal dinner Wednesday offered small items to help them get through the pending stresses of exams. Friends of Canterbury College, largely drawn from the local Anglican congregation, placed paper bags on a table filled with study supplies and convenience foods.

“They wanted to do something special for us,” says Sabrina Gismondi, who heads the college’s student council. “Administration knows we are going into a stressful time.”

She lists highlighters, erasers, sticky notepads, chocolate candy, granola bars and packages of instant ramen noodles among the choices for students.

“Everyone packed their bags as they pleased,” Gismondi says. “It was nice to pick what you needed.”

The college’s principal, Gordon Drake, presented the heads of each house with their choice of a volume from the Campus Bookstore as a token of his appreciation for their dedication to the college and support for students.

“The only stipulation was it couldn’t be a textbook,” says Gismondi, a third-year law student. “It had to be something for us to enjoy.”

She selected the novel Outline by Rachel Cusk, and was pleased to have Dr. Drake inscribe it for her.

The “Colour Your Plate” challenge appealed to her because of its unique approach to promoting healthy eating, says Mary Mitchell.

“I thought it was a good idea, getting people to increase the different colours of fruits and vegetables to their diets,” she says. “In the process, you can’t help but get a larger variety of nutritious foods.”

Secretary for student services and the dual JD progam in the Faculty of Law, Mitchell won a $50 gift certificate to Remark Fresh Market in a random draw for participants in the program, organized by the Department of Human Resources and the Workplace Wellness Committee.

The challenge ran for four weeks in March, asking employees to track the number and colours of fruits and vegetables they consumed each day. Almost all participants earned a “gold level” rating of more than 100 points.

Mitchell finished with 242 points, and says her secret weapon is her go-to meal of homemade vegetable soup.

“It has a variety of vegetables and changes every week, depending on what you have in the fridge,” she says. She adds thanks to Human Resources for the prize, which she looks forward to using soon.

Even though the challenge has ended, the Workplace Wellness Committee encourages UWindsor faculty and staff to continue placing a spectrum of fruits and vegetables on their plates. Visit the Colour Your Plate website at www.uwindsor.ca/colouryourplate for information about the health benefits of a colourful diet and suggestions for eating more fruits and vegetables.

The Leddy Library’s Food for Fines program allows students to pay their library fines for overdue materials with non-perishable, unexpired food items. From April 4 to 22, students are able to receive a $2 credit towards their fines for each item brought in.

The effort is run by the library’s access services staff, which will donate contributions to a local food bank. There are a few restrictions: each student can redeem a maximum of $50 and cannot gain additional credit to pay off future fines.

Food items should be brought to the circulation desk, located just inside the library’s front doors.

Today—Friday, April 8—marks the last day of classes, day and evening, in all programs except education. Final examinations begin Monday, April 11.

Classes in education run until April 18; final examinations in that program run April 19 and 20.

Find a full list of exam times and locations on the website of the registrar.