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HAPPY SPRING, EVERYONE!
 At the last WURA Executive Meeting, it was agreed NOT to have a Spring General Meeting this year – neither "face-to-face" nor online. It was felt that we did not need a General Meeting now, especially since the Fall AGM was held relatively late (on December 1st) and there is no pressing new business ready for the membership to consider. Also, thanks to the Communications Committee, we now have the “e-Bulletin” to keep WURA members up to date with what is going on. Of special interest, it has been suggested we hold a ‘hybrid’ WURA Fall AGM (in-person and online). We believe the need to accommodate the participation of WURA members from across the country (some who are now part of our WURA Executive and Committees), is long over-due, and to do this will take some time and effort to develop the needed skills.
WURA’s Social Committee has continued our popular virtual Social Events on Zoom during the winter semester: a Student Talent Show; “For the Love of Reading 2”; a Special Zoom connecting performers from North America and Europe for a memorable St. Pat’s Day Party; and, in April, a program of original songs by our own Jake Soderlund. Depending on members’ interest, the Social Committee is hoping to plan at least one event, when members could get together in-person, over the summer. (See the Social Committee Report for details).
This year, the WURA Bursary/Scholarship Committee has chosen six deserving students to receive our $1,800 awards for the 2021/2022 academic year. (Again, please see more detailed information on this elsewhere in this e-Bulletin). The Executive is also considering various plans to enhance these scholarships, both in number and amount -- stay tuned, you may well be asked to contribute to this most worthy program of student support.
Other developments:
The WURA Executive has proposed to the administration a “Memorial Event”, following the end of the pandemic, to honour those retirees (we have identified close to 30), who have passed on during period of the Covid-19 pandemic during which visitations and funerals were difficult or impossible to attend. We are, also, working to link this to the campus-wide “Healing Event” mentioned by President Gordon in his January State of the University address. As soon as there are developments on this event, we will send out more information.
The WURA Executive has set up a 7-person WURA Strategic Planning Committee which is now putting together a Report which, following its approval by the Executive, will be sent to the University Strategic Planning Committee for its consideration. The Report will be communicated to the membership in an up-coming issue of the e-Bulletin.
This semester, our WURA Webmaster technical support functions are being handled by a VIP-CSL student in the Masters of Engineering program, with supervisory assistance from new WURA Executive member, Allan Conway.
At the last WURA Executive Meeting, the Nominating Committee approved the appointment of John Meyer as WURA Representative to the important Board of Governor’s Pension Committee, replacing Ihor Stebelsky, effective April 30th. Ihor has been our WURA Rep for 9 years (three 3-year terms), which is the limit. Ihor will be recognized for his outstanding service at a future AGM. John has a long history of interest in pensions and we know his expertise will serve WURA well.
Finally, if you have any ideas or suggestions regarding what WURA should be doing, send me or any WURA Executive member an e-mail.
Please stay safe and healthy, as hopefully we emerge from this pandemic!
Roger Lauzon
President, WURA
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“Still Teaching After All these Years”: Retiree Teaching and Mentoring at UWindsor
By Bruce Elman
 I retired on June 30th, 2020. Well, to be accurate, my last term of teaching was the Fall of 2019. For a variety of reasons, I wasn’t scheduled to teach in the Winter Term of 2020. I was supposed to do some things other than teaching in the Winter Term. For example, I had agreed with Dean Waters (Chris) that I would give a “Last Lecture” to end my teaching career in the spring of 2020. I was looking forward to it. Well, we all know what happened in the early part of 2020 – good guess, the pandemic arrived. So, I basically faded away to an uncomfortable retirement.
In February or March of 2021, I received an email from Chris – he wanted to talk to me about possibly doing some teaching in 2021 - 22. I thought “this will be nice”. I can drive down (we live now in Toronto) to Windsor, hold a class or two, see my friends, attend my Book Club meetings, play some golf, eat in my favourite restaurants, and perhaps do some of my outside work when I am there. I even made a deal that I would only teach in the Fall when the weather is good – two sections of Federalism – and supervise some Directed Research Projects in the Winter. My wife was not too happy – she had no desire to spend so much time driving to and from Windsor but I was excited about it. Then, that pesky pandemic reared its ugly head again – on-line classes only. My wife was thrilled and I was terrified and depressed – on-line classes were not what I – an avowed Luddite -- had in mind!
I wondered: “are other retirees still teaching and mentoring?” I put out a call for others to tell me about their commitment to teaching and mentoring. I didn’t get back many responses but those who are “IN” are “ALL IN”, as you will see.
 I received one email from Dr. Deborah Dayus. She wrote: “I retired in June of 2020 but have not realized retirement as of yet. Retiring after 38 years of teaching in the Faculty of Nursing during Covid brought on new things for me. I did vaccinations for many months and also Covid management. I was also asked to be an ‘Early Faculty Mentor’ by Erika Kustra and am now into my second year of doing this. I was involved pre-retirement with the digitization of our local health care system through the Faculty of Nursing. This led to the development of a 'Health Informatics' course with continuing education that I continue to teach even now. The next session begins in February of this year. One last thing that still connects me to the U is that I am the administrator for a grant that runs a program called ‘Building Blocks for Better Babies’. This program works through the prenatal nutrition program of Canada and serves vulnerable pregnant women in our community. You may know this as the program previously administered by Dr. Mary Louise Drake, who has now retired from this as of April of 2021. So, as you can see…I am still very active with the University of Windsor.”
I defy anyone to tell me that Deborah Dayus is not having a meaningful and fulfilling retirement!
 I also heard from Dr. Jonathan Bayley. Jonathan, it seems to me, is busy enough with his work with our Retirees Association but there is more, as he writes: “I am presently teaching one course in the Faculty of Education. I oversee two sections of students who are in the process of completing a concurrent degree in visual art, dramatic arts, media arts, or music (SoCA and the Faculty of Education). This is a full-year course consisting of 18 classes. I am responsible for overseeing students’ school practicums. This involves advising students and engaging with Associate Teachers, especially if the students are at risk of failing their practicum. This has been a considerable challenge as a result COVID restrictions and the reluctance (especially last year) of public and Catholic school Associate Teachers to take student teachers. This year there are approximately 670 undergraduate students in the Faculty of Education. In addition to my teaching at U of W, I am also on a Master’s student thesis committee and helped (with Dr. Sally Bick) a former PhD student apply for and get a SSHRC grant.”
Seriously, when does Jonathan find the time to do all of this?
So, I taught two sections of Federalism (140 students) in the Fall. I was not enamored with on-line teaching but, oddly, I have never in my over 45 years of teaching had so many students thank me for teaching them Law. It was exhilarating! This term, I have five students who are writing Directed Research Papers for me on topics as diverse as the “Federalism and Artificial Intelligence”; “Crowd Source Funding of Illegal Activities”; and “Re-examining the Powers of Municipal Integrity Commissioners”. I love it! This is a very good way to ride out a pandemic. In the words of Garry Falk: I am doing “better than most”!
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Let’s Be Social
WURA Spring Social
By Jonathan Bayley
Winding up our program of Winter/Spring Zoom Socials, WURA’s Social Committee is offering an hour-long program of folk music, written and performed by our very own Jake Soderlund.
On Wednesday, April 20th at 2:00 pm, Jake, who began writing songs about  10 years ago when he turned 75, will introduce and sing about 10 of his own songs – some dealing with famous train wrecks, some with love stories, and some with other interesting life experiences. He accompanies himself (not very well, we must tell you) on the guitar and ukulele. His post-retirement career as a singer-songwriter was brought to a halt in March 2020 by the Covid-19 Pandemic. This event marks the long-awaited re-launch of that less than well thought out venture -- can’t say you weren’t warned!! The Zoom link will be sent out about two days prior to the event.
Summer in-person get-togethers (?)
Dear Retirees:
The WURA Social Committee has several ideas about possible programs for the summer and early fall that, Covid-19 permitting, will allow us to get together in-person. These would be opportunities for us to meet socially, renew acquaintances and have some long-awaited fun. Among the ideas that we are looking at are the following:
1. Attend a musical revue at the Victoria Playhouse in Petrolia. There are two possible Revues- “Dynamic Duos”- Matinees from June 7 to the 19th or “Divine Women” - Matinees from August 2 to the 14th. Tickets would run about $60.00 with tax. There would also be the cost of travel and lunch. Depending on how many are interested, we could do a potluck picnic when we arrive or go to one of the nice restaurants near the theatre.
2. Have an old fashion Summer Social. We are considering an old fashion summer social at a locality in Windsor with games such as croquet, darts, bocce, Magaly, cards on the lawn and whatever else is appropriate for summer. Baseball and hot dogs anyone?
3. Travelling Wine Tour. Arrange a travelling wine tour of three to four wineries with something (yet to be determined) to nibble on at each winery to go along with the wine. Arrangements have not yet been costed out, but the total event (trolley, food, and wines), would most likely be around $100 per person. Another idea regarding the wineries is to go to one and taste a flight of their wines, with accompanying food.
We Need Your Input. Please let us know what you think of these ideas as we would like to start making the necessary arrangements. We will most likely go with the event that appears most popular. Also, if you have any other suggestions that you would like to add to the above, please let us know -- We are flexible!
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It Was A Hoolie.
Saint Patrick’s Day Zoom Social.
On Wednesday, March 16 (actually the day before St. Patrick’s Day), WURA Members were treated to a rare, two-hour, four-nation (Canada, the U.S., Ireland and Scotland) Zoom featuring a program of Celtic music and hosted by Windsor’s Lynne Reid.
Instruments included fiddles, guitars, accordions, harmonicas, an alto flute (played by Jonathan Bayley), a harp (played by Lynne), as well as some accomplished a cappella singers (including Mary Louise Drake, who gave us a chorus of an Irish lullaby).
A good time was had by all and for those who missed it, Lynne will be sending us the Zoom link for her next music Zoom, which will take place on Wednesday, March 30, at 2:00pm. As soon as we get the link (most likely on the prior Monday), we will be sending it out. You won’t need your pint of Guinness for this one!
St. Patrick’s Day Trivia Quiz & Answers
1. We’ll start you off easy. What is the official color of St. Patrick?
2. True or False: St. Patrick is known for driving snakes out of Ireland?
3. Lucky guess anyone – where was the first St. Patrick’s Day parade held?
- was it Ireland?
- was it Boston, MA – the land of parades?
- was it New Orleans, NA – they’ll use any excuse for a party over there?
4. What is “Drowning the Shamrock?”
5. In what city to they dye their rivers green to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?
6. In what city do they traditionally paint a green stripe down the roads to celebrate this Holiday?
7. What early U.S. President, who was also a signer of the Declaration of Independence, had Irish origins?
8. When searching for a four-leaf clover, what are the chances you’ll actually find one?
9. What is a "hoolie"?
Okay do you give up? Here are the answers:
1. BLUE! (Bet you thought it was green didn’t you?) Blue is St. Patrick’s official color. Green became the color for St. Patrick’s Day in the 19th century because, in Irish legends, it is worn by fairies and immortals and by farmers to encourage crops to grow.
2. False. The snakes actually represent the pagans that St. Patrick converted to Christianity.
3. Boston, MA – the land of parades
4. “Drowning The Shamrock” is from the custom of floating the shamrock on the top of whiskey before drinking it. The Irish believe that if you keep the custom, then you will have a prosperous year.
5. Chicago, IL
6. Seattle, WA
7. George Washington
8. One estimate suggests that there is only one four leaf clover for every 10,000 three leaf clovers. So, if you’re looking for lucky number four, make sure you clear your calendar!
9. A "hoolie" is an Irish party which includes music.
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SoCA Students Perform for WURA Members
on YouTube
In January, students from the School of Creative Arts (SoCA) presented a concert on YouTube for members of the Windsor University Retirees Association. The concert was about 40 minutes long and the performances were drawn from live performances during the School’s “SoCA Friday” series as well as jazz rehearsals. The student performances included music written for guitar, flute, euphonium, and piano. The performers included solo and accompanied musicians, singers, as well as a jazz combo. Popular, classical, and jazz styles were all on display..
 The Concert began with Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquin Rodrigo with Andrew Seguin on classical guitar accompanied by Monique Simone, piano. Andrew is a second-year music student from Windsor, in the Bachelor of Music program. He has studied with Mike McNamara for many years and has played many “gigs” in the area with both fingerstyle and classical guitar. Also featured was Carter Gaus on the euphonium. He played Romanze, by Gustav Cords and was, once again, accompanied by Monique Simone on piano. Carter is a fourth-year music education student in the Concurrent stream with a history minor. He comes from Windsor. He is a classical trombone and euphonium major studying under Mike Stone. He has also studied conducting with Dr. Janice Waldron as well as with Trevor Pittman. Carter is the University of Windsor trombone section leader and the first trombone in the Windsor Symphony Community Orchestra as well as a participant in other ensembles such as the Gemini Concert Band. Carter likes to arrange music in his free time.
 Vocalists featured prominently in the concert as well. Meredith Garswood, soprano, performed "Steps of the Palace,” from Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim. Merdith is a Concurrent Bachelor of Music and Education Student in her third year at the University of Windsor. She is from Windsor and says that “I have been studying and doing music performance basically my whole life and don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. I work as a piano and vocal teacher right now at Brava Academy of Music in Windsor. I have been in many musical theatre productions in Windsor including: Into The Woods (Snow White and Step Sister (Florinda)), Les Misérables (Eponine and Ensemble), Mary Poppins as the title role Mary (Music Director as well!), and Seussical (Bird Girl and Music Director)”.
 Also on the Program was Madelyn Stein, voice and piano, performing I Ain’t Gonna Let you Break my Heart Again by David and Julie Lasley. Madelyn is a 19-year-old singer-songwriter, also from Windsor. She is currently enrolled in her second year of the Concurrent Music and Education program at the University. Madelyn has been taking singing and piano lessons since the age of four, she learned how to play drums at the age of seven and "picked up" the flute at the age of 10. She also started writing her own music at the age of seven and recorded her first original album titled “Roaming the World,” which was released in April of 2017. In July of 2020, Madelyn released her single “Mask” that can be found on all music platforms. In March of 2021, she released her EP “Highest Mountain” that can also be found on all music platforms. On January 7th, 2022, she released her single “Victim,” which has been featured on 99.1 CJAM FM. Later in January, she was interviewed by Jay Marchillo from Mix 96.7 CHYR FM, and her song was featured twice on their Homegrown Hit List.
 Not all the students hailed from Windsor. Mackenzie Walsh, trombone, played Nica’s Dream by Horace Silver with a small ensemble of his fellow students. Mackenzie writes: “I am from Orillia, Ontario. Currently, I am in my 4th year of the Concurrent Music Education Program that is offered here at the University. Through studying music through the jazz/pop stream, I have had the opportunity to participate in the University of Windsor Jazz Ensemble and the University of Windsor Jazz/Pop combos - which was part of the recording you heard of Nica's Dream. Though I have centred myself around the jazz program, I have also participated in the University of Windsor’s Wind Ensemble, been part of the classical trombone master class, and just recently joined the University’s choir. I believe that by taking part in, and learning through, all the different ensembles that are offered, I will be able to be a better all-round music educator. In addition to this, I have been wrapping up my history minor in order to fulfil my second teachable requirement. My experience at University has been very positive and VERY busy. Being enrolled in the music program has allowed me to experience many live music making opportunities and has allowed me to expand my network of musicians and music teachers. I look forward to my future career as a high school music educator!”
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This is great stuff . . . and so is the concert! You can still view it here at: https://youtu.be/6jqISRLZSqU.
Enjoy!
Thanks again to Trevor Pittman and his production team from the School of Creative Arts!
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In case you didn’t notice this last time:
It's annual dues time again
 "Taxes are the price we pay for civilization,” wrote US Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. in 1927. We know it’s a bit disproportionate to use his famous quotation here, but our annual dues are the price we pay for WURA. So, if you have not yet sent in your payment, please do it before you forget again. It’s a pretty modest sum for remaining connected to your colleagues and retaining a voice in university affairs. Plus, if you have and use the University Microsoft system for email and other programs, we remind you that only WURA member retirees continue to have access to Microsoft Online Systems.
Please send your cheque for 2022 dues made out to WURA for $25.00 to our Treasurer:
Norman King
#103, 1935 Normandy St.
LaSalle, ON N9H 1P9.
You may also make a direct deposit if you prefer through email to: nking@uwindsor.ca.
If you wish to save yourself some time, you may also pay for more than one year (2022 + 2023, or for 2021 + 2022 if you missed last year). And if you have forgotten your present dues status, please send an email message to nking@uwindsor.ca, or write to him at the above address.
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Six WURA Scholarships Awarded for 2021 – 2022
 Dr. Barbara Thomas, Chair of the Windsor University Retirees’ Scholarship Committee recently announced that Scholarships had been awarded by the Scholarship Committee to six deserving Undergraduate students in a completely anonymous selection process.
The 2021/22 WURA Scholarship Award recipients are: Trinity Bernier, Angelo Ciardella, Jaafar El-Abed, Mohamad Elkorek, Marketa Gabrhelova, and Shubham Sethi.
Dr. Thomas noted that, for 2021 – 2022, the Scholarships are valued at $1800 – an increase of $300 over previous years. The increase was thanks to the generosity of donors over the past few years.
Dr. Thomas emphasized how important these Scholarships are to the students and how important it is to support them each year with our donations. The Committee received notes of gratitude and appreciation from the recipients. One student wrote: “Thank you so much for this award! I am very honoured to be one of the six scholarship winners. Not only does this help me financially, but it also motivates me to continue working my hardest to achieve my career goals.” Another wrote: “It's hard to put in words how much this truly means to me, and how much this will help me in the upcoming semester. The stress we students must deal with on an everyday basis is a lot to handle, and this award helps limit that stress, and make my day-to-day life easier.” A third student penned this note: “Receiving this award makes it a lot easier to focus more on my studies and less on the financial aspects of my life, which is all thanks to the Windsor University Retirees Association.” To read Dr. Thomas’ Report and view all the expressions of gratitude and appreciation, follow this link: https://www.uwindsor.ca/retirees-association/311/retirees-bursary-fund-please-help.
The Windsor University Retirees Association (WURA) Scholarship Award was established in the late 1990s by retired professors, librarians and administrators as our ongoing legacy and commitment to the education of current and future students. Dr. Thomas noted that the Committee ultimately aims to increase the number of awards to 10 per year with a value of $2000 each. If you would like to continue or renew your support of students, you can donate on-line at https://src.uwindsor.ca/donations/donation. Please designate your gift to the Retirees' Scholarship Fund (under "Other").
WURA President Roger Lauzon expressed the thanks of the Association to the Scholarship Committee: Dr. Barbara Thomas (Chair), Dr. Ron Barron, and Dr. Dale Rajacich. Well Done!
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Debbie Noble Named Honorary WURA Member.
 WURA will bestow an honorary membership on Ms. Debbie Noble, WUFA's Administrative Officer, in appreciation for all the years of service she has provided to our Association.
After 22 years of dedicated service, Debbie is setting her sights on a well-deserved retirement. At her request, there will not be an in-person gathering for her retirement celebration; however, the WUFA office staff is inviting WURA members to submit well wishes to Debbie, as she moves into a new chapter of life, by taking part in a keepsake video gift. You can easily record and submit a short message to Debbie, which will be part of a video collage that she can watch time and time again. We hope that you will take part in this gift.
To be part of Debbie’s virtual memento gift, please click on the link https://share.vidday.com/r-vxvdwn and follow the instructions. The deadline to submit your video is March 29/22 at 12 noon.
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