Leamington’s Abridged Opera is taking advantage of its location to present an open-air concert Sunday afternoon, Aug. 22.

The concert features three University of Windsor alumni: mezzo-soprano Erin Armstrong (BMus 2007), soprano Brianna DeSantis (BHK 2014), and soprano Alyssa Epp (BMus 2012, B.Ed 2013), accompanied by clarinetist Trevor Pittman of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra and School of Creative Arts, and Toronto-based pianist Bill Shookhoff.

Rounding out the cast are three youth singers — Hayley Romanyk as Bastienna, Julia Martin as Bastien, and Sage Stapleton as Colas “the witch”.

The performance will take place in the backyard of the Abridged Opera farm, located at 209 Mersea Road 6, Leamington. Bring a chair or blanket and come out for a casual afternoon of opera and classical favourites to connect with after so long apart.

Abridged Opera is an independent opera company which condenses classic works without compromising their integrity to provide the essentials of operas, simply and accessibly for all audiences.

Armstrong, the company’s founder and executive director, says it is ready to return to work bringing this grand artform to the Windsor-Essex County community.

“We are so excited to reconnect with our audience after a year apart,” she says. “The reason we make music is because it brings us together and it has never been more important that it is right now.”

Tickets to the Open Air Concert at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 22, are $25, available at https://www.abridgedopera.com/ or by calling 226-346-8372. Reservations are limited.

Hybrid learning is more about politics and saving money than it is about what’s best for kids, says a UWindsor professor who specializes in online teaching methods.

In an article published this week in The Conversation, Bonnie Stewart (pictured at left) writes that forcing educators to teach online and in person simultaneously robs kids of quality education and heaps additional stress on teachers and students.

“Virtual education piggybacked onto classroom learning and relationships demonstrates disrespect for teachers, for equity in Ontario schools, and for public education generally,” writes Dr. Stewart, an associate professor in UWindsor’s Faculty of Education.

“At best, the hybrid mandate demonstrates a failure to value the high-quality legacy of Ontario education. At worst, it suggests ways that the province is looking at the pandemic as an opportunity to defund public education.”

In areas across the province, school boards have announced teachers will be expected to deliver content to students virtually, at the same time that other students are physically in the classroom. This is a change from the last school year, when most teachers taught either online or in person, not both simultaneously.

Stewart suspects the adoption of hybrid learning is about saving money.

“Hybrid learning collapses virtual and face-to-face classroom options under a single teacher’s salary, instead of having to hire additional teachers for virtual learning,” she said.

“Hybrid learning, then, isn’t a choice so much as an abdication of responsibility by the province. And it doubles demand on teachers, in the process.”

The Conversation is an online publication that shares news and views from the academic and research community. Read the entire article, “Hybrid learning — teaching kids in-person and online at the same time — robs children of quality education.”

—Sarah Sacheli

DailyNews readers have five chances to win free admission to a drive-in screening by WIFF Under the Stars, Aug. 20 to Sept. 11.

The University of Windsor is a sponsor of the special presentation by the Windsor International Film Festival and is making available five passes good for admission of a vehicle to a nightly double feature, family-friendly matinee, or afternoon single showing. Each voucher is worth up to $40.

To enter the contest, submit your responses to these three questions on films that will be featured in the festival’s opening weekend. Five winners will be selected at random from all correct responses received by noon Thursday, Aug. 19.

1. Friday’s double feature is Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Which actor portrays Indiana Jones in both films?

1. Sean Connery
2. Harrison Ford
3. Dwayne Johnson
4. Chris Pratt
    

2. Saturday’s double feature is the 2006 remake of Casino Royale and 2008’s Quantum of Solace. Which actor portrays master spy James Bond in both films?

1. Daniel Craig
2. Sean Connery
3. Roger Moore
4. David Niven
    

3. Sunday’s double feature is Crazy Rich Asians and The Greatest Showman. Which actor portrays P.T. Barnum in the latter?

1. Beau Bridges
2. Sean Connery
3. Robert Downey Jr.
4. Hugh Jackman

Contest is open to all readers of the DailyNews. Send an e-mail with your responses to uofwnews@uwindsor.ca. One entry per contestant, please. Note: the decision of the judge in determining the most correct response is inviolable.

The Senate Governance Committee on Special Appointments/Honorary Degrees welcomes nominations for honorary degrees.

Anyone wishing to nominate a candidate for an honorary degree must submit a nomination form by Sept. 30, 2021. The selection criteria can be found here and the nomination form can be found here.

For more information, contact Danny Anger by email at angerd1@uwindsor.ca.

Registration is now open for GATAcademy, a week’s worth of professional development open to UWindsor graduate assistants (GAs) and teaching assistants (TAs).

Each day from Aug. 30 to Sept. 3 will offer four interactive workshops led by experienced professionals from across the campus on such topics as:

• Supporting Teaching and Learning in the Blackboard Environment
• Decolonizing Practices for Pedagogy
• Being a GA/TA in a Hy-flex course
• Leading Effective Online Discussions
• Using your GA/TAship for Employment and Career Development

The sessions will be presented online through the Blackboard learning management system. Registration is free; get all the details on the GATAcademy website.

Ups and downs are a normal part of life; we all feel a bit stressed out or struggle to cope with a problem from time to time, says the August 2021 edition of Workplace Wellness E-Digest.

Published by the Department of Human Resources’ Office of Employee Engagement and Development, it addresses three factors related to mental health and well-being, and explores evidence-based skills to help you work through common problems.

Modules provide tips for:

• getting a good night’s sleep;
• establishing a healthy relationship with technology; and
• coping with troubling thoughts.

Read the entire issue of the Workplace Wellness E-Digest.