University Players will close its season with the rollicking romp Bedtime Stories by Canadian playwright Norm Foster, running March 31 through April 9 in Essex Hall Theatre.

Gordon McCall returns to University Players to direct this crowd-pleasing adult comedy.

Six hilarious tales linked by one racy radio broadcast feature an ambitious radio shock jock, a responsible middle-aged couple, a woman visiting a dying man she snubbed years ago, two bumbling burglars, a rock star’s young groupie, and an accident-prone stripper.

“It’s a brilliant reminder of the strength of love and friendship in one very funny package,” says McCall.

Wednesday through Saturday performances are at 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. On Sunday, April 2, a free “Talk Back” discussion with the actors will follow the performance. Tickets are available online at www.UniversityPlayers.com or by phoning the box office at 519-253-3000, ext. 2808.

The Multicultural Council of Windsor Essex County will recognize UWindsor president Alan Wildeman for his work to build a welcoming community, at a ceremony May 4 at the Ciociaro Club.

Dr. Wildeman will receive the Harmony Award, which honours those who have promoted the social equality of all cultures and contributed to a community that is multi-racial, multi-ethnic and multi-faith, at the Herb Gray Awards Gala.

In announcing his selection, the council cited Dr. Wildeman’s commitment to an environment that treats all people with respect and dignity, and his belief that the future depends on diversity and inclusion.

Godfrey S. Bacheyie, director of newborn services at Windsor Regional Hospital and an adjunct professor of psychology at the University of Windsor, will receive the Champion Award, celebrating the contributions of first-generation Canadians.

Tickets to the May 4 gala are available for purchase by phone at 519-255-1127, ext. 129, or through the event website: www.herbgraygala.com.

Ziad Kobti was honoured when he heard he was being acknowledged by the Organization of Part-time University Students (OPUS) and says the key to working with part-time students is respecting their time.

“You must know your students, because there is no one solution that fits all situations,” says Dr. Kobti, director of the School of Computer Science. “By knowing your student population and acknowledging their needs — by customizing course offerings through scheduling and services — we can maximize their student experience and make them feel welcome.”

Kobti was one of more than a dozen faculty, staff and students honoured during the organization’s awards banquet, March 24 in the CAW Student Centre’s Ambassador Auditorium. He received the Faculty Award, recognizing contributions made by UWindsor faculty members who unselfishly assist part-time students in their efforts to achieve academic excellence. Kobti sits on a campus working group that assesses how policies and guidelines can better serve part-time students.

“The ideas and questions that come up in the working group eventually become initiatives,” he says. “Even though programs tend to be designed for full-time students, we can start thinking about adjusting office hours or course offering schedules that are more convenient to the part-time students so they can focus on upgrading their academic skills while juggling equally busy lives.”

Sociology, anthropology and criminology professor Renu Sharma-Persaud also received the Faculty Award; find a full list of honorees on the event website.

UWindsor students will showcase their research today — Tuesday, March 28 — as part of the 10th annual Kinesiology Research Day. 

The event helps to foster research culture in the Department of Kinesiology and is an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to present their projects. 

The day begins with the 180 Second Thesis event from 10:05 to 11:15 a.m. The Kinesiology Research Area Showcase runs from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and undergraduate poster presentations start at 1 p.m. Sessions alternate between room 140 and the atrium in the Human Kinetics Building.

For more information, visit www.uwindsor.ca/kinesiology.

Students crowded into the Ambassador Auditorium on Monday to seek an audience with some of the most popular therapists on campus — the certified dogs of Therapeutic Paws of Canada.

Education student Erika Corey said she appreciated the opportunity to go to the dogs.

“It’s a nice break from working on assignments,” she said as she petted Prince, an eight-year-old border collie.

The session was a break for Prince, too. He has a day job on a farm, helping to corral horses as his breed was developed to herd sheep.

The Paws from Stress event will return to the CAW Student Centre from noon to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 29.

A documentary investigating what it determines is the most destructive industry on the planet will enjoy a free public screening on the UWindsor campus Friday.

The animal rights club Windsor Animal Allies and the Real Food Challenge: UWindsor present Cowspiracy: the Sustainability Secret at 4 p.m. Friday, March 31, in room 200, Toldo Health Education Centre.

Animal agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation, water consumption and pollution, and is responsible for more greenhouse gases than the transportation industry, says filmmaker Kip Andersen. In the course of his investigation, he approached leaders in the environmental movement, only to find what appears to be an intentional refusal to discuss the issue.

Friday’s screening promises free snacks, prize draws, literature, and $10 to every UWindsor student in attendance. Find more information on the Facebook event page. Organizers wish to be sure to have enough supplies for all comers. To secure your spot, RSVP to WindsorAnimalAllies@gmail.com.

Students of a graduate seminar on “Literature, Philosophy, Interpretation” will discuss their work in a colloquium Thursday, March 30, in Alumni Hall’s McPherson Lounge.

The seminar, led by professors Jeff Noonan of philosophy and Stephen Pender of English, treats the history of hermeneutics through the lens of philosopher Hans-Georg Gadamer’s 1960 book Truth and Method, and the colloquium promises papers on Rilke and ethics, Plato and pedagogy.

“This colloquium promises to be lively, indeed,” says Dr. Pender. “Our top-notch students explore the history of interpretation from antiquity to the present.”

“Defences of the Probable: Gadamer and Hermeneutics” runs 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Find a full program here. It is open to the campus community; please register your intention to attend by e-mailing Pender at spender@uwindsor.ca.

Members of the University’s Food Services staff will join more than 40 local restaurants for a charity lunch event Thursday benefiting the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

“The Great Soup Kitchen” promises patrons all they can eat for $10, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 30 at the St. Clair Centre for the Arts, 201 Riverside Drive West.

The UWindsor contingent will be ladling 12 gallons of split pea and apple soup with smoked ham.

“It’s a great cause and our people are thrilled to be able to help,” says executive chef Paolo Vasapolli. “We want to do our part to create more survivors of heart disease and stroke in our community.”

The event will also feature entertainment and giveaways; find details on the foundation’s website.

In the last 18 months, Canada has resettled more than 40,000 Syrian refugees, says law professor Anneke Smit, but the job is not done.

“Sponsor groups are still waiting for the arrival of thousands of the refugees they applied to sponsor and vulnerable family members are still left behind,” she says. “Now is the time for important conversations about what we still need to do, and how we might do things differently next time.”

She will moderate a town hall discussion on the subject at 7 p.m. tonight — Tuesday, March 28 — at the Fogolar Furlan Club, 1800 North Service Road.

The event will be an opportunity to reflect on the following questions, among others:

• What are the effects of the federal government's processing backlog for private refugee applications?
• What does the cap on private sponsorship applications for Syrian and Iraqi refugees mean for our new Syrian refugee population in Windsor-Essex and reunification with their families?
• What is the future of private sponsorship in Canada?

Panelists will include: Lina Chaker of the Syrian Canadian Council, Windsor Law professors Vasanthi Venkatesh and Gemma Smyth, lawyer John Rokakis, representatives of private sponsor groups and Syrian refugees seeking to sponsor family members.

This event is free and open to the public; register online.