Among the Globe and Mail’s list of 33 Canadian books to read this summer is a book near and dear to the Leddy Library, 1934: The Chatham Coloured All-Stars’ Barrier-Breaking Year written by librarian Heidi L.M. Jacobs.

Dr. Jacobs, responsible for the English collections at the Leddy Library, shares the story of the Chatham Coloured All Stars, a Black baseball team who won the 1934 Ontario Intermediate Amateur Association Championship.

The monograph, which hit bookstore shelves on June 6, is making waves across local, provincial, national, and international media outlets and book lists. It was recently featured on a TVO special, How a Black Baseball Team from Chatham Broke Barriers, the CBC’s The Current, and on the front page of the Globe and Mail, along with a spot in its 33 books to read this summer.

While the book may be new, the research to write the story began in 2015 when the Jacobs along with fellow librarian Dave Johnston and University of Windsor history professor Miriam Wright were given scrapbooks of old photos, newspaper clippings from Pat Harding, daughter-in-law of Boomer Harding, to be digitized through the Leddy Library’s Centre for Digital Scholarship.

The research project, Breaking the Colour Barrier, which includes a website, teachers guide, and comic book has won several awards including the 2017 Lieutenant Governor’s Excellence in Conservation Award from the Ontario Heritage Trust and the Ontario Council of University Libraries Outstanding Contribution award.

1934: The Chatham Coloured All-Stars’ Barrier-Breaking is available at bookstores and libraries. Royalties from book sales will support the Chatham-Kent Black Historical Society.

For more information, visit the Biblioasis website.

—Marcie Demmans

For Cynthia Korpan the timing seemed perfect.

Korpan, an adjunct professor in educational psychology and leadership studies at the University of Victoria, usually visits her sister’s cottage near Rondeau Provincial Park every July. When the Centre for Teaching Learning invited her to be a visiting fellow, it made sense to come during her typical visit.

Korpan did her first degree at the University of Windsor. Now, as a former director of teaching excellence at University of Victoria, she is excited at the prospect at seeing how another centre runs.

“I’m really looking forward to those kind of exchanges with individuals who are doing the same kind of work, and just sharing ideas,” she said.

She brings 20 years of experience, expertise, and research into the learning process of graduate students and early career faculty learning how to teach in the academic workplace. Her full biography is available to read on the CTL’s website.

During her stay from July 4 to 28, she will meet with centre staff to discuss the similarities and differences in the programs they each run and provide guidance and feedback on current and new initiatives; she also plans to hold workshop for hands-on evaluating teaching dossiers.

During her stay, Korpan will be available for one-on-one consultation to anyone in the campus community on teaching and learning topics including teaching dossiers, course design, and assessment design. She can be reached at ckorpan@uvic.ca.

Since 2007, the CTL has hosted more than 40 visiting fellows from the U.S., Canada, Jamaica, Australia, England, Belgium, New Zealand, South Africa, Nigeria, and China.

The Workplace Wellness Committee invites UWindsor faculty and staff to enrol in the Get Active! Stay Active! four-week workplace wellness challenge.

From July 17 to Aug. 11, this friendly individual competition encourages UWindsor employees to add more movement to their day by engaging in physical activity during breaks and at lunch. Whether you do yoga, walk, bike, run, participate in Wellness Wednesdays sessions, or take employee fitness classes, join this fun challenge and compete to win prizes.

A kick-off event Monday, July 17, will include a group walk, ice cream social, music by DJ RJ Sivanesan, and of course, prizes. Everyone is invited to join: you don’t need to participate in the wellness challenge to attend. Just sign up, put on your comfy shoes, and gather at 11:45 a.m. near the River Commons on the west side of Turtle Island Walk north of Lambton Tower. Registrants will be entered into a prize draw — but you must be present to win.

The wrap-up event will take the form of a Poker Walk on Friday, Aug. 11. Watch for more details to come.

To learn more, visit the Get Active! Stay Active! Workplace Wellness Challenge website.

Hio Tong Kuan, a doctoral candidate in applied social psychology, won Monday’s DailyNews contest and its prize of swag donated by the University of Windsor Alumni Association.

Her entry was drawn from all those which correctly identified the fruits of local farms by named varieties.

The quiz didn’t fool anyone — each of the more than 90 respondents was able to name Aleppo, Banana, Cherry, and Shishito as types of pepper; Braeburn, Cortland, Crispin, and Gala as apples; Beefsteak, Brandywine, Campari, and Roma as tomatoes; Burpless, Kirby, Lemon, and Persian as varied cucumbers; and Golden Nugget, Peaches and Cream, Silver Queen, and Sundance as sweetcorn.

UWindsor alumnus John BItove (LLB 1984, LLD h.c. 2022) has accepted an appointment as chair of the board of directors of Bird Global, which provides on-demand rental of electric vehicles.

The company offers e-scooters and e-bikes in communities around the world, including Windsor. Bitove has served on its board since January, and is the chair and co-founder of Bird Canada.

“I am excited to step into this new role as chairperson and continue working with my fellow board members and the Bird leadership team during the company’s next chapter of growth. The energy and enthusiasm of the Board has been incredible since I joined early this year,” Bitove said.

“We’re all passionate about Bird’s prospects and supporting the company in its mission to provide clean, equitable transportation alternatives in cities around the world.”

Among the organizations Bitove founded are the Toronto Raptors Basketball Club, 2019 NBA champions; Canadian Satellite Radio, now SiriusXM Canada; PointNorth Capital, a joint venture with Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System; the retail property owner KEYreit; and wireless operator Mobilicity. He received an honorary doctor of laws degree from the University of Windsor in 2022.

Wednesday, July 19, is the last chance for student clubs, societies, and campus services to apply to set up a booth at the Involvement Fair, Tuesday, Sept. 5, in the David Wilson Commons.

The event showcases ways for new undergraduates to engage with campus life. It will run noon to 2 p.m. in the space along Turtle Island Walk north of the Odette Building.

To apply for a booth, fill out the online form; organizers will contact applicants for more details later.

For the second season, the Inspired Acting Lab at the School of Dramatic Art has partnered with Heritage Colchester, this time presenting Almost, Maine by John Cariani.

The play will “earn your laughter and tug at your heartstrings,” says its director, drama professor Lionel Walsh.

The cast features 2023 acting grads Caitlin Miller, Annie Roberts, and Kaden Hill, and fourth-year BFA student Jackson Balint. Fourth-year concurrent drama and education major Chloe Brescia is the stage manager.

The production begins its second weekend at Christ Church Anglican Church, 190 Bagot St. in Colchester, with performances at 7 p.m. July 13 to 15 and a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, July 16.

Admission is $35 with a senior and student rate of $30. For tickets and more information, call 519-790-9022 or email events.heritagecolchester@gmail.com.