thethe
lance
With Ronnie Haidar ending his term as the UWSA president in a few short weeks, he took a moment to reflect on his time in office.
Students had a chance to make their designs take flight in the Red Bull Paper Airplane competition at St. Denis Centre.
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Lancers stand out in the year’s WESPY nominations.
Take a look at all the Easter fun over the long weekend in our centre page collage of photos.
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YOUR C AMPUS AND COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER // APRIL 9 2015 // VOL. #87 ISSUE #24 // UWINDSORLANCE.C A
The Exciting, Experiential Culture of FIRST Robotics
HANIYASSINE
Arts Editor __________________________ There’s chaos, but it’s a controlled chaos. On each side of the arena, three teams set themselves and their creations in position, working together as an alliance. Both alliances operate within their respective halves to stack multiple totes onto a designated scoring line. They work intensely to garner points, surrounded by a packed and highly excitable audience who cheer and chant throughout the match-up unfolding in front of them. Electronic music blares through the speakers and everything from the grand scheme to the nooks and crannies are being documented. “The energy is amazing. We always say this is part NASA, part NASCAR, part formula one, part Super Bowl, part rock concert,” said Irek Kusmierczyk, director of robotics at WEtech Alliance and planning committee member. This is the world of FIRST Robotics. Over the Easter weekend, the St. Denis Centre played home to the second Windsor-Essex Great Lakes Regional competition where 50 teams across North America competed for a place in the world robotics championship in St. Louis which begins Apr. 22. Each team consists of 20 to 30 high school students. The game played is Recycle Rush.
Two alliances pitted in the same scenario rank up as many points as possible by having their robots stack totes and place them upon a white scoring platform. In working with other teams, there comes the strong emphasis on teamwork. But there’s an even stronger emphasis for the business outside the arena. “We like to say every robotics team is a start-up company, and these kids get real world project management experience,” Kusmierczyk said. “It’s not just building a robot, it’s building a brand,” echoed Shreya Subramanian. Subramanian is a grade 12 high school student part of the team Inverse Paradox. Based in Mississauga, they’re one of the more seasoned teams within the Ontario circuit, competing in FIRST Robotics competitions for just over a decade. In the pit section where teams strategize and maintain their respective robots, there are also schedules, team objectives and finance records available, mainly for designated judges to see. “Judges come around, they look at things like your outreach and business plan and stuff like that,” Subramanian said. “It outlines how your team is sustainable and how we continue around the year.” As far as the competition goes, Subramanian hopes to make it to the finals, while acknowledging some fierce
A robot holding six totes attempts to move to the scoring platform during a finals match Apr. 4. [Photo by // Hani Yassine] competition. The teams aren’t merely teams, but establishments. Many are backed with a great host of sponsors and providers. These technical undertakings are inevitably intertwined with the business sense, leading students to
consider management, project constraints and efficiency above all. “We give them our budget, we know what we spend, we know what it takes to run it, we know where we have weak spots,” said Stefan Sing, a mentor for the Inverse Paradox team
and engineering student at the University of Windsor. “We can make this four different ways. Based on our resources, our money and our time, what’s the most efficient?” See ROBOTICS on page
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ARE YOU LOOKING FOR THAT FIRST JOB TO LAUNCH YOUR CAREER? The University of Windsor is currently seeking applications for the following position:
Liaison Officer (Approximately 11 weeks)
Student Recruitment Office Up to 8 positions (based out of the following locations: Hamilton, Kitchener, Ottawa, Greater Toronto area, and possibly Windsor) Posting Reference 2015-13-11 - CUPE 1393 POSTING CLOSE DATE: APRIL 17, 2015
To learn more about this exciting opportunity, please go to www.uwindsor.ca/employment to view the full job advertisement. We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. In pursuit of the University of Windsor’s Employment Equity Plan, members from the designated groups (Women, Aboriginal Peoples, Visible Minorities, Persons with Disabilities, and Members of Sexual Minorities) are encouraged to apply and to self-identify.
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APRIL 9 2O15 • UWINDSORLANCE.CA
What I Wish I Could Tell My Freshman Self HANIYASSINE
Love moved to attend the University
When asked what he would tell his
Arts Editor __________________________
of Windsor all the way from Kings-
freshman self, he calmly said “be pa-
When you’re making a significant
ton. She described her freshman
tient, everything’s going to be alright.”
year as strenuous, as it was a matter
transition, it leads to an overwhelming feeling. You’re involving yourself in a change where most of what you’ve come accustomed to is, for the most part, no longer there. You’re forced to adapt and a clear example of this scenario is beginning your freshman year in a post-secondary school. It’s here where the trials and tribulations aren’t just academic ones.
of making a new group of friends and not just aiming for sound grades. This is usually the case for just about any post-secondary experience, but upon retrospect it didn’t seem as chaotic as initially thought. “You just have to buckle down, do your work and try not to get distracted by everything else,” Love said.
It’s simple, but something effective to consider. When we find ourselves in an environment we don’t quite understand, we get nervous. With nervousness it’s easy to be overwhelmed, which is why the freshman year is always going to be the most difficult. Just about everything you’re face with is a stepping stone and learning the ins and outs of the college or university culture. But the more you’re fa-
Succeeding in your studies is just one
But then there’s the matter of Harleen
part of a grand tale, especially when
Singh, who attended the University
miliarized, the easier it becomes.
you’re from out of town.
of Windsor following his high school
From personal perspective, my fresh-
“Moving eight hours from any city, you want to build another social support system,” said Kristy Love, upon describing her first year. “Being in a
graduation in India. For him it was also less about the curriculum and more about adjusting to a society he’s never experienced firsthand.
man year in St. Clair College’s journalism program was overwhelming on a social and academic perspective. As I was still in my late teens, I dealt
new city has its own challenges, like
“This is common, the behavioral
with social anxiety all while trying to
learning the bus system, knowing
changes, the culture shock, it’s really
succeed in a program where a key
what places to go.”
part of everyday life,” Singh said.
component was being social. On
average, the program consisted of us doing one article per week, which at the time I found to be deeply strenuous. But fast forward to present day, and now I find myself pretty content in writing an average of five articles per week. The social anxiety I once had has been muted. Some of it is determination, some of it is maturing, but a great chunk of it is conditioning.
dependent, it’s during your freshman
I believe it’s in our freshman year where we truly begin to grow as a person, and not just as a student. Every choice you make seems amplified; every mistake made is something you try to learn from. It’s almost like a crash course in life, for if there’s any time you’re going to feel in-
me, change nothing. Don’t say a word
lance 2O15 Staff
Arts Editor HANIYASSINE arts@uwindsorlance.ca • ext.3910
Business and Advertising Manager JOHNCOOPER business@uwindsorlance.ca • ext.3604
Sports Editor BRETTHEDGES sports@uwindsorlance.ca • ext.3923
News Editor SAMANTHAFERNANDEZ news@uwindsorlance.ca • ext.3906
Layout & Design Manager CHRISMAILLOUX artdirector@uwindsorlance.ca • ext.3932
the subsequent years play out. There’s so much we’d like to say to our freshman selves in order to make things a bit easier. But perhaps it would lead to hampered development and deter your inexperienced self onto a different route. If you ask
“
to your freshman self. Let the person grow naturally.
...be patient everything’s going to be alright...
Harleen Singh
VOL.87 ISSUE 24 APRIL 9 2O15
the
Editor-in-Chief JOLENEPERRON editor@uwindsorlance.ca • ext.3909
year. The ride becomes smoother as
Circulation Manager ALISONMATTE circulation@uwindsorlance.ca Layout Intern JUSTINTHOMPSON Photo Intern TECUMSEHMACGUIGAN
Call Us at 519.253.3000 uwindsorlance.ca facebook.com/uwindsorlance twitter @uwindsorlance instagram @uwindsorlance thelance • university of windsor 401 SUNSET AVE. WINDSOR, ON CANADA N9B3P4
APRIL 9 2O15 • UWINDSORLANCE.CA //
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Final Thoughts From The President
Ronnie Haidar’s Address I honestly can’t believe it four months have come and gone just like that. It seems like just last night I had the honor and pleasure of being elected as the UWSA president. But now in a few shot weeks I officially lay down my responsibilities and take up once more the only title that is superior to that of president – that of a student. For those I have not have the pleasure of meeting and interacting with, my name is Ronnie Haidar and I have proudly served as your UWSA president for the last semester and a half. In these short four months I have transformed from a student who briskly walked the halls to get to class, to someone who sees the amount of work it takes to keep these halls standing. I know now that every pair of shoes walking through these halls is equally important to keep the University running smoothly and efficiently. From the administration who lead our students to a brighter future, to the custodial staff cleaning up after us in the twilight hours, I am now more aware than ever that it takes a collective effort of everyone on campus to, in my opinion, truly make this the best university in the world. Being president isn’t just about being the student voice and leader on campus. It is as much about advocating as it is about listening to fellow students. It is as much about serving as it is leading. A president does not have a rigid job description, a president does all he or she can to make each and every student’s experience at the University of Windsor the best it can possibly be. This means that sometimes the president has to have the conversations that nobody else wants to have. It’s no secret the UWSA has had its struggles, but I do believe this year we have shot gunned in the right direction to move the organization back into a position where it can best advocate for its students and contribute to the University in the best way possible. Instead of making big changes, similar to those of executives past, we instead narrowed our focus to repairing
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relationships with students, staff, faculty, administration and societies as well as community members in the city of Windsor. We tried our best to attend every event, gala and occasion where student success was celebrated, because after all, with U it’s just WSA. It is through these events and experiences I have fallen more in love with this campus and all the people who belong to it. Each and every day I grew more proud to be a Lancer. During my short term I have met academic geniuses, world-class athletes, volunteering enthusiast’s, student help gurus and all around super stars. In addition to our amazing campus community I would like to recognize a few who are particularly important to me. To my fellow executives, words can not describe how much you have meant to me during these past four months. I wish to say now publically what I have said privately so many times. It is because of your hard work and dedication that we have been able to accomplish all that we have. We entered the office as friends and will depart now as family. Abdullahi, Mohamad and Faisal You have taught me not only about the University but have also taught me about life. Theja, Yoshani, Nicole and Kyra – the four of you are the backbone of the organization, without whom the survival of the organization would not be possible. To the board of directors – I commend you on your dedication and efforts to represent and advocate for your fellow students. Your guidance and direction have been key ingredients to the success the UWSA has achieved. I wish you all the best of luck in your future endeavors and just remember always you are a part of the history that ha dedicated itself to making the UWSA the medium to enhance students life at the University of Windsor. Now let’s move out of the UWSA office for a moment to recognize a few important partnerships that have
ROBOTICS
Sing said anything taken from the team is always given back for the sake of the students. Every group is entirely non-profit and everything put together is largely out of love and passion for the work. This is Windsor’s second robotics
competition, but the Windsor-Essex Great Lakes Regional is the largest robotics competition in Canada. FIRST Robotics isn’t a name ringing out too loudly on a local circuit, but it’s an otherwise expansive organization with 350,000 students, 150,000 volunteers and 3,500 sponsors.
UWSA President Ronnie Haidar stands outside the University of Windsor’s recently opened Assumption Hall building Apr. 7 with just under a month left in his presidential position. [Photo by // Jolene Perron] contributed to the success of this year. OPUS and GSS have stood beside us at every turn and never fail to assist the students in every task. To Iftekhar and Dr. King – I thank you so much for all of your cooperation and guidance during these past four months. There is no doubt in my mind with out your leadership graduate and part-time students would not be where they are today. I commend you on all of your hard work and look forward to all of the successes you will have in the future. My next address is to the incoming executive council. Jaydee, Matthew, R.J. and Sukhjot – I would first like to congratulate you on being elected into these four important positions and as cliché as this sounds, with great power comes great responsibility. You have all been elected to represent the students the best way you can. If nothing at all, you must leave your offices in the next year with the campus being a little bit better than it was when you started. You will have good days, and you will have better days, but I am not going to lie when Katherine Tillie is a physics teacher at Holy Names High School as well as the team’s robotics coach. Making their debut last year. “I honestly just read about it in the paper and I thought ‘How does Holy Names not have a team?’,” Tillie said. “When we started this season I didn’t even know what I was agreeing to do and then when we came here the magnitude of this whole event and how exciting it is, we were overwhelmed with it last year.”
I say there will be some bad days but never for a second lose your faith and your passion. I would humbly advise you all to use your positions to connect with students and to immerse yourself in all of your wonderful accomplishments I know you will attain. My final thoughts are dedicated to the heartbeat of our establishment – the students. First and foremost I would like to sincerely thank you for this indescribable opportunity to serve as your president. All that we do is for the benefit of you and your experience here at the University of Windsor and I hope you all feel welcomed into our offices and establishment knowing your thoughts will always be heard. You are all so amazing and each uniquely contribute to masterpiece that is the University of Windsor. I would also like to encourage you all to get involved with the UWSA, as well as any other service in which you have the influence to better the University of Windsor. Work with your elected members and with the administration, faculty and staff for the collective better of the campus Last year Holy Names went to the world championships as wild cards, but failed to make it past the quarterfinals this year. Vincent Massey High School’s robotics team will be the one representing Windsor in St. Louis later this month. Inverse Robotics will also be making an appearance upon fulfilling their expectation in making it to the finals of this regional. In these competitions, while winning is a focus, it’s not necessarily a focal point. What FIRST Robotics ends up providing in these events
and community as a whole. Always remember it takes jut a single raindrop to create a ripple in a puddle. Everybody thinks as soon as you become president you have to be a politician, but that is not the case. Being president is about being a people person, someone who is easy to talk to, and easy to have fun with while at the same time knowing how to accomplish the many tasks a president has on a day to day basis. As I wrap up my term here at the UWSA and continue as a student, I would like to one last time thank everyone who has contributed to making my time here at the Univeristy of Windsor the best it will ever be. No matter where I go I will always be a true Lancer at heart and I will never forget the experiences I have had and the people I met to make me the person I am today. Forever yours,
is a taste of the real world. A way to demonstrate working under restrictions and under a deadline, preparing reports, data collection, and of course programming and designing great pieces of machinery. “These students are your next generation of engineers, your next generation of programmers, your next generation of technology entrepreneurs and job creators,” Kusmierczyk said. “You’re looking at the future right here.”
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APRIL 9 2O15 • UWINDSORLANCE.CA
Red Bull Paper Wings Competition Flies Through St. Denis Centre
SAMANTHAFERNANDEZ News Editor __________________________ Competitors crossed their fingers and held their breath as they wished for their paper airplane designs to lift off at take flight. This Red Bull Paper Airplane qualifiers competition Mar. 31 at the St. Denis Centre was the Windsor qualifier for their international competition. The winner of the qualifier had a chance to win a free trip to Austria for the international competition. The event had three separate categories for participants to test their planes in - the longest distance, longest airtime and aerobatics. All participants had two chances to fly their hopefully award winning paper airplane designs per round. Paul Borger, an engineering student at the University of Windsor said this competition is a great way to practice his skills as an engineer, with the added bonus of potentially winning a free trip. “I want to improve and I want to achieve the perfect flight,” said Borger. “I learnt a new plane and I wanted to try it out. I want to see where this takes me and what I can do.” The Red Bull paper airplane competition chooses a national champion out of the qualifier to send to the competition to Austria. The defending Canadian national champion was a student at the University of Windsor from the last Red Bull paper airplane competition, which gives University of Windsor students more motivation to succeed and keep the title.
A participant at the RedBull Paper Wings Competition tests out his paper airplane Mar. 31 at the St. Denis Centre. [Photo by // Samantha Fernandez] Moaaz Bosaye, a fourth year mechanical engineering student who participated in all three areas of competition feels confident in his design and sees this competition as a great learning experience.
Sorenson. “Obviously we are hoping for first, but it is so variable, it depends on those two chances you can get. We used to do this as kids for fun, but that’s about all the experience we have, so we’ll hope for the best.”
rankings, according to the Red Bull
Vandekerckhove said those who may
“I heard about it on Facebook and I called him to see how he was at folding, so we decided to try it out,” said
With the University of Windsor being the second last qualifier to compete to make it to nationals, the participants with the highest scores will move forward in the competition. At the moment in the international
Now will this film be remembered
achieve it. Pretty basic setup, but it
tion that they are all extended and
exhaustion from everything which
as one of the best of the year? Prob-
works because Jason Statham is per-
more thrilling. This is a 100 per cent
unfolded beforehand. It was no less
ably not, nor was it ever meant to be.
fectly cast in this role. Once Deck-
testosterone fueled ride and everyone
awesome to watch, but something
This is a film, and a franchise, which
ard discovers the identity of each
in the cast and crew know it.
about the final set piece felt like they
defines itself by how much it wants
member in Torretto’s crew, and puts
to outdo itself under its umbrella of
Dwayne Johnson’s character Hobbs
muddled continuity and inexplicable
in the hospital to get the information,
action set pieces. On this level, Furi-
the film is unleashed and we have a
“I’m participating in all three areas of competition to try different designs out,” said Bosaye. “I like these kinds of events that are outside of studies, it’s a nice way to participate in something else outside of school.”
Before the competition, there was a period of about a half hour for competitors to get signed in and test out some paper airplane designs. Graham Sorenson and Nick RehbergBesler, two students participating in the competition together tested out different designs and hoped for the best in their flights.
Paper Wings website, the only Canadian to be top three in any category is Addison Asuchak from Mount Royal University in Alberta. be interested in the Red Bull Paper Wings competition can visit their website. www.redbullpaperwings.co-
Furious 7 Review - Pure Insanity at Its Finest
GRANTJONSSON Arts Intern __________________________ There’s been a lot surrounding the Furious franchise over the past two years. The death of series star Paul Walker back in November of 2013 left many fans asking: where can we go from here? While not a diehard fan, I also got wrapped in these questions and despite of how cool the trailer footage came across, I wanted to reserve both my excitement and
ous 7 succeeds in every possible way. never ending barrage of explosions, The film starts with exposition on
crashes and punches.
The film could have benefitted from more Jason Statham. He stole every
massist students.
were trying to put too much into the movie.
scene he was in and I would have
That being said, the ending could not
liked to feel more of the threat he ap-
have been more satisfying, as we see
parently was to Torretto’s crew. More
in the final minutes of the film being a
involvement with his character I
sendoff to Paul Walker and his char-
Jason Statham’s character, the older
I lost count of how many times my
think would have helped even out
acter Brian O’Connor. Everything
brother of Furious 6 baddie Owen
body was tense or fluttering with
the film, especially towards the end.
fit together perfectly. It makes sense
Shaw. Deckard Shaw wants revenge
nerves in anticipation. Every action
I felt tired once the film moved back
for the character and it was quite the
judgment until the credits rolled. The
on Dominic Torretto’s (Vin Die-
moment in the trailer is shown with-
to L.A. for the final confrontation.
tribute to the man who brought him
right choice was made.
sel) crew and will stop at nothing to
out much alteration with the excep-
But not out of boredom, instead of
to life.
APRIL 9 2O15 • UWINDSORLANCE.CA //
Clearing the Body and Mind for Exam Time HANIYASSINE Arts Editor __________________________ With the last day of classes on the horizon, some students are preparing to buckle down for their finals while others first seek some needed relief. Beginning early in the morning Mar. 31 through the afternoon, a free massage clinic was run at the CAW Centre, courtesy of the VIP Health Network. Students were able to receive free therapy from registered massage therapists so their head and body were cleared for the last round of exams. “We actually had a student who came in, rushing saying she had a presentation today and she just needed to let loose a little bit, so by having a 15 minute massage just allowed her to relax and clear her head,” said organizer Megan Vandekerckhove. The temporary clinic had appointments reserved for students who
5
registered online, but walk-ins were also accepted and came at a consistent rate. Vandekerckhove said the therapists were kept busy, as students who missed their appointments were easily replaced by those who wanted one at random. As massage works on the soft tissues of the body, therapists express the importance of having the body release the stress to ensure an optimal performance. “Students are equal to extreme athletes. They don’t understand that mental stress correlates into physical stress,” said registered therapist Christopher Lyons. “To let go of that, they can actually learn better, they can absorb more information and ultimately do better, so I’m a really big promoter of using massage to help your education.” The VIP Health Network provides this service to other schools across Canada such as Dalhousie University in Halifax. This is the first time
Registered massage therapist Trevor Lupton gives a student a free massage at the CAW Centre Mar. 31. [Photo by // Hani Yassine] they’ve set up shop in the University
take advantage of what’s available.
want to ensure that they do some-
of Windsor, simply hoping the stu-
“Not everything is going to work for
thing to assist students,” Vandekerck-
dents who feel they need the service
everybody, but obviously the UWSA
hove said.
CJAM’s Top 30 // Albums Charts by Murad Erzinclioglu Music Director . CJAM 99.1 FM
More Info? earshot-online.com & cjam.ca * Indicates Canadian Artist
1 SAMANTHA SAVAGE SMITH* - Fine Lines (Pipe & Hat) 2 MELANIE DURRANT* - Anticipation (Melo-ds) 3 POW WOWS* - Broken Curses (Get Hip) 4 PURITY RING* - Another Eternity (Last Gang) 5 SUN BELT* - Cabalcor (Self-Released) 6 SILENT MOVIE TYPE* - Crickets (Self-Released) 7 BADBADNOTGOOD & GHOSTFACE KILLAH - Sour Soul (Lex) 8 TWIN RIVER* - Should the light go out (Light Organ) 9 HUMANS* - Noontide (Hybridity Music) 10 JOEL PLASKETT* - The Park Avenue Sobriety Test (Pheromone Recordings) 11 JD MCPHERSON - Let the Good Times Roll (Rounder) 12 TUXEDO - Tuxedo (Stones Throw) 13 BELLE AND SEBASTIAN - Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance (Matador) 14 YABRA* - Yabra (Self-Released) 15 THE SEASONS* - Pulp (Véga Musique) 16 CANCER BATS* - Searching For Zero (Metal Blade) 17 COLLEEN BROWN* - Direction (Northern Gateway Kickline) 18 THE HIGH DIALS* - In The A.M. Wilds (Self-Released) 19 THE GOLDEN DOGS* - 3 1/2 (Self-Released) 20 VARIOUS* - Digitalberta (Out There Productions) 21 ECCODEK* - Remixing In Tongues (Big Mind) 22 BIG DICK* - Disappointment (Dirt Cult) 23 WILL BUTLER* - Policy (Merge) 24 RAISED BY SWANS* - Oxnadalur (Self-Released) 25 CRAIC THE LENS* - The Cannon (Self-Released) 26 DOM LA NENA - Soyo (Six Degrees) 27 SHLOHMO - Dark Red (True Panther) 28 SAN CISCO - Gracetown (Island City) 29 MOON DUO - Shadow Of The Sun (Sacred Bones) 30 QUITAPENAS - Quitapenas (Mas Tropical)
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APRIL 9 2O15 • UWINDSORLANCE.CA
Disqualifications and Official Results Ruffle Feathers in Otherwise Successful UWSA Election
JOLENEPERRON
voter misconduct.”
Editor-in-Chief __________________________
“It doesn’t make it a fair and democratic election,” said Adams. “When a group of people are forming together against, obviously, another candidate that doesn’t have the same outreach, it doesn’t become fair anymore and an election is about the people … It was very important for me that the candidate and the voters have a very fair democratic election. I made that very clear at my all candidates meeting, everyone was aware of this new policy, especially the people who were disqualified, they understand the importance of it.”
“I don’t want anyone to judge these candidates because they were disqualified.” April Adams, the chief returning officer for the UWSA had some very last minute disqualifications in the most recent spring elections, resulting in some very pivotal changes to the incoming council. Disqualifications included Mohamad El-Cheikh who ran as the UWSA vice president for student advocacy, Abdi Abdi who ran as the vice president of finance, Farah El-Hajj who ran as the vice president of student services and Grace Bottah who ran as a student senator. All four candidates would have been winners in their respective positions. “Everything was fine and dandy until pretty much close to the end and then I started receiving complaints,” said Adams. “A series of complaints came in which indicated slating and it was done on voting day which was additional to the penalties.” Adams said the students violated two sections of the election policy – section 80.04 which states “candidates may not affiliate with each other in the form of a team, party, loose coalition or slate,” and section 90.02 which states “candidates and campaign team members must allow members to vote without any undue pressure, influence or coercion,” and “the CRO may immediately disqualify any candidate found to be participating in
Adams went on to explain sometimes in the excitement of elections, candidates can forget their path and end goal but that is why the UWSA has rules in place for those candidates to follow to keep the elections as fair as possible. According to Adams, mass Facebook messages were sent on election day as well as mass text messages. In addition, a group of those disqualified had banded together slating their campaigns as one. “This is politics and we all know that there’s no friends in politics,” said Adams. “It is very hard for me because I like all of the students, they all have something unique to offer and they’re all capable of doing things and they just need to believe in themselves that they can do these things.”
The official UWSA election results were posted uwsa.ca Apr. 6 after four disqualifications changed the results drastically. [Photo by // Jolene Perron] Aside from the disqualifications, Adams said the elections went smooth with a 19 per cent voter turnout, up six per cent from last semester. With more improvements still to be made, Adams looks forward to continuing to improve the process and make the
elections a fair race.
not always in a good state,” said Morrell. “We look for students to work in a number of different areas such as Walk Safe, the Womyn’s Centre, Afrofest and Shinerama. It’s a great opportunity to get some experience and coordinators run that service for the year. We also offer administrative positions at the CAW Information desk, as well as the front desk here at the UWSA office. These are all done around the same time in March.”
of the year and are encouraged to contact coordinators directly.
There is something on campus to suit everyone’s needs. Whether with the UWSA, CJAM, or getting involved with different clubs, students need to know what they want to do and go from there.
The UWSA offers different coordinator positions, including Afrofest coordinator, Shinerama coordinator and many other positions for event coordinators. These positions are filled usually around March, but Morrell said these coordinators are always looking for volunteers to help keep events running. According to Morrell, the volunteers are welcome to apply for their positions at any time
During election seasons, which are twice a year, the UWSA also hires regularly for poll clerks during election days. These positions are hired about one month before elections happen; once being in the fall, and once being in spring during the month of March. They look to fill positions such as advertising for elections and helping with the election process.
Disqualified candidates were unable to be reached at this time.
“When I first came here I said that I would have a fair democratic election for all the students,” said Adams. “I also said that this was a learning opportunity so we have to remember that we are in a University, we’re
learning, and this is what it’s all about … University elections are very unique compared to a provincial election and there’s a lot of things that I need to consider and maybe there are going to be some changes for the next election that I want to look at.”
What Can You do on Campus? A Guide to Getting Involved SAMANTHAFERNANDEZ News Editor __________________________ After the UWSA elections, many students are wondering how they can contribute to the University of Windsor campus and while you have the intention of working or volunteering, you may be wondering where exactly these opportunities are hiding. There are many different outlets on campus to help students find employment or volunteer to get involved on campus. UWSA general manager, Nicole Morrell wants students to know the University of Windsor is always looking for volunteers for their largest events. “We hire in March for any coordinator positions we offer because typically in April students are in exams and
“We also look for volunteers for events such as Welcome Week in September and other various events throughout the year,” said Morrell. “We will put you in contact with the coordinators for the services you are interested in volunteering for, or if you are open to anything we will let you know events coming up where we may require volunteers.”
“The students have the autonomy to run their own office in a coordinator position, they can host events at the beginning of their employment if they wish to jump right in,” said Morrell. “What I would really suggest people to do is think about how you want to get involved. Is there something that is of interest to you? We get students interested in social work who want to work with the peer support centre, or students in women’s studies who would like to work with the Womyn’s Centre, so decide what is of interest to you and let that lead you.” Although the UWSA coordinator
positions have already been filled, there are other volunteer options for students as well as jobs on campus. Some of the volunteer positions, as well as coordinator positions, run during the summer and normally begin during May and June. For events such as Shinerama and Welcome Week preparations are done during the summer. These positions, volunteer or hired, are great ways to get involved and meet new people across campus. Whether you are looking for something fun to do around campus, or looking to make a little bit of money, there is something for you on the University of Windsor Campus. All UWSA postings, for employment or for volunteers can be found on their website www.uwsa.ca or visit the University of Windsor website for other options.
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UWSA - General Election 2015 Official Results UWSA President
UWSA Vice President - Family of Human Kinetics
Jaydee Tarpeh
Votes: 539
Faisal Ishak Kamal Mann
Votes: 490 Votes: 201
UWSA Vice President - Student Advocay Matthew Dunlop
Votes: 259
Mohamad El-Cheikh (Disqualified) Luqman (Luqi) Ejaz Ilisa Merz Shahzeb Akram Jon Cooke
Votes: 298 Votes: 240 Votes: 190 Votes: 146 Votes: 120
UWSA Vice President - Student Services R.J. (Soul Train) Sivanesan
Votes: 432
Farah El-Hajj (Disqualified)
Votes: 755
UWSA Vice President - Finance Votes: 513
Abdi Abdi (Disqualified)
Votes: 517
Board of Directors - Faculty of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences Votes: 280 Votes: 177
Board of Directors - Odette School of Business Ian Wood Tiffany Fatima
Votes: 85 Votes: 76
Ibrahim Chaudhry Alexander Lister
Votes: 50 Votes: 44
Votes: 27
Board of Directors - School of Music Yes - Robert Haynes
Votes: 8
Board of Directors - Faculty of Nursing Yes - Diana Lu
Votes: 24
Board of Directors - Faculty of Science Amber Shaheen Nicole Bourdkane
Votes: 92 Votes: 85
Board of Directors - Inter-Faculty Ahmed Khalifa
Sukhjot Singh
Larissa Howlett Moussa Hamadani
Yes - Michelle Wong
Votes: 24
Pavitra Vimalananthan
Votes: 20
Board of Directors - International Students Yes - Irvin Randhawa
Votes: 49
Board of Directors - University of Windsor Residence Yes - Tofunmi Adebise
Votes: 71
Board of Governors Representative Yes - Shawn Kingsbury
Votes: 352
Board of Directors - School of Computer Science Yes - Bilal Uddin Khan
Votes: 15
Board of Directors - Faculty of Engineering Basil Malik Mansour Shahbar Sohem Patel Moe Abdelrazig
Votes: 149 Votes: 100 Votes: 62 Votes: 58
Board of Directors - Odette School of Business Ghadeer Alghosein Ronald (R.J.) D’Aguilar
Votes: 379 Votes: 369
Grace Bottah (Disqualified) Abdur Rahim Solomon Luwoye
Votes: 381 Votes: 364 Votes: 264
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Easter Weekend
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Fun In Windsor
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Eggstravaganza event held at the Devonshire Mall and an Easter egg hunt held at Realtor Park in Riverside, both occurring Apr. 4. Families attended the events and listened to live music, took pictures with the Easter Bunny, had their faces painted, made balloon animals and ate all kinds of free chocolate throughout the day. [Photos by // Hani Yassine and Samantha Fernandez]
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Autism Event Lights Up Blue for Summit Centre
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APRIL 9 2O15 • UWINDSORLANCE.CA
SAMANTHAFERNANDEZ News Editor __________________________
The color of blue has been seen as a calming color, the color of the sky, the color of boys and even the color of friendship, but on the day of Apr. 2, the color blue was worn to raise awareness for Autism and even the University of Windsor got involved in the movement. The University of Windsor Disabilities Studies Student Association hosted a fundraiser at the Foglar Furlan to show their support for autism. All funds raised at the event went to the Summit Centre of Windsor. Autism Spectrum Disorder is classified as a neurodevelopment disorder and effects one in every 68 children. This is a disorder that can affect anyone and can be very costly. The Summit centre, which provides support and treatment programs to families who have a member with Autism, benefited from all the proceeds raised at the Apr. 2 event. Melissa Grass, the coordinator of the fundraiser and disabilities studies and psychology student at the University of Windsor has personal ties with the Summit centre and their work. “My daughter is there everyday, so I see the difference they can make,” said Grass. “I see the good things, the caring people and their top priority is the kids. They don’t host fundraisers, so I wanted to do this for them.” The fundraiser included a silent auction with various donated items from all around Windsor and EssexCounty, live music, all you can eat pasta dinner and desserts brought in by different members of the group. There were also three craft tables for
children attending to get a chance to make something while they were there. Jessica Lowes, a volunteer in the student association and Drama, Communications, Media and Film student, was working at one of the tables and said the energy in the room felt very positive.
“It’s amazing. The energy here is really good, I’m really looking forward to it,” said Lowes. “Walking into this group not knowing much about autism I didn’t know what to expect. Everyone is different and I appreciate that more.” With the Summit Centre hosting children with Autism every day, their facility has certain requirements to keep them safe and help them. Hellena Hebert, the Executive Director of the Summit Centre, said this money will mainly go towards a new playground for the kids.
A family poses at the Light it up Blue fundraiser Apr. 2 at the Foglar Furlan. [Photo by // Samantha Fernandez]
“We’re very honoured of course, there is always a special connection we have with the university, so it is nice to see the advocacy and outreach the groups at the university do,” said Hebert. “It definitely helps raise awareness and it’s good for the parents to see that support they get from the community.” The Summit Centre provides intensive behavioural intervention programs to help improve the children’s lives through language education, social skills, and independent living skills as well as a Unity program,which can help children and parents from five years old and younger to better understand and cope with Autism spectrum disorder. “If we can raise money to help people be who they are, then I will continue doing this kind of work for as long as I can,” said Lowes.
A young girl wears her blue mustache to show her support for Autism at the Light it up Blue fundraiser at the Foglar Furlan Apr.2. [Photo by // Samantha Fernandez]
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UWSA Recognizes Students, Staff, Faculty During Awards Banquet JOLENEPERRON Editor-in-Chief __________________________ Students, staff, council and faculty gathered together to recognize outstanding students, welcome in the new UWSA council members and bid farewell to the current group during an evening of excellence last week. With the current school year coming quickly to a close, the current member of the UWSA council have less than a month left of their short terms while other students are stressing about exams, projects and papers. The UWSA Awards Banquet Mar. 31 allowed for a few hours of good company, fine food and entertainment while it recognized some of the most outstanding students and staff, all organized by Abdi Abdi, vice president of student services, as well as a small team from the UWSA. “Every year whoever the executive is plans this at the end of the their term. It’s important because it’s us showcasing how unified we are and it’s also celebrating student excellence regardless of any major, gender or age,” said Abdi. The awards are always the same every year, beginning with a nomination period in which students nominate other students for specified awards. After the nomination period, a student service executive plus their committee go through the nominations and decide who is most deserving of that award. The master of ceremonies for the evening was none other than UWSA president Ronnie Haidar. Haidar acted as not only a liaison between award presentations and a fashion show by the UWindsor fashion club, but also a moment of comedic relief accompanied by some kind words concerning is approaching departure. “I think the incoming executives are going to do an unbelievable,” said Haidar. “I’m sad but I’m also happy. It’s like the saying ‘don’t be upset because it’s over, smile because it happened,’ that’s exactly how I feel. I’m at a loss for words for once because it’s
been an unbelievable journey but I’m also excited for what the future holds for the UWSA.” With 14 awards in total given out to a total of 24 recipients, two professors were recognized for their exellence in teaching. One of these professors was Frances Cachon who is a professor in the department of sociology. Cachon has been teaching for 10 years and graduated from the University of Windsor’s PhD program in sociology with an emphasis on social justice in 2013. “It’s a great honor to be recognized for something I am very passionate about and to get that kind of affirmation from your students is really wonderful,” said Cachon. “I do love my job and I consider it an honor and a privilege to facilitate critical thinking in my classroom so it’s really wonderful. I often describe it as, when I’m teaching and I really feel like it’s going well, I love that feeling when you can feel the students engagement and you can feel the potential impact of what you’re teaching is having on them and that’s really powerful.” Overall, the night went off without a hitch with additional speeches from award recipients, UWindsor president Alan Wildeman and concluding remarks from Haidar who said the night is incredibly important, not just for the establishment but the students and council as well. “Most importantly it’s to recognize, I want to really keep that into focus – it’s to recognize the unbelievable amount of work that students put in every single day, the unsung heroes of our organization,” said Haidar. “This is an opportunity to reflect about the things that have happened. It’s no secret that we have had a four month term and things have been difficult but also things have been good and it’s really to celebrate those things and the bonds that have been created and the experiences that we have undergone together so it’s an opportunity to selflessly, even though I was the one who talked the most, it’s to celebrate and recognize all the hard work that so many people do so that students have it the best and that’s really important.”
See more photos at
uwindsorlance.ca
UWSA Award Winners Board of Directors Award of Outstanding Achievement
Laura Pineault
Excellence in Teaching Award
Gold W - Award of Excellence
Hassan Shahzad, Abdury Rahim, Katherine Vrantsidis, Katelyn Elder, Kamal Mann, Dhouha Triki
Dr. Frances Cachon & Ms. Branka Malesevic
UWSA Volunteer of the Year Award
The Lance Outstanding Contribution Award
Global Village Award
CJAM-FM Outstanding Volunteer Award
Ron Ianni - Student of the Year Award
Womyn’s Centre Volunteer of the Year
First Year Student Award
Afrofest Volunteer of the Year
Certificate of Distinction
Kevin Jarrold
Lauren Hedges
John Antoniw & Melissa Ammonite Tasha Riley
Club of the Year Award
Jack.org & Lancer Nation
Calvin Chak
Jennifer Hesser
Regina Yuen & Bilal Uddin Khan R.J. D’Aguilar
Serena Bhardwaj
“Going the Extra Mile” (GEM) Award
Jessica Tetreault & Ibukunoluwa Adekoya
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Mary Spencer Named Windsor’s Pan Am Games Torchbearer
BRETTHEDGES Sports Editor __________________________ A familiar face in Windsor athletics will lead the Pan Am Games Torch Relay through Rose City on it’s way to Toronto. The City of Windsor announced Olympic boxer Mary Spencer as the Windsor community torchbearer in the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games Torch Relay which comes through Windsor June 16 and 17. Spencer, a W.F. Herman high school graduate, is one of Canada’s premier boxing champions. In Spencer’s highly successful career she has held eight national titles, five Pan American titles and three world titles. In 2011, Spencer won the light heavyweight gold medal in the first Pan Am Games to include women’s boxing when it was hosted in Guadalajara, Mexico. Spencer said winning gold in 2011 is her favorite sporting memory to date.
lin said the representative was asked to pick someone who represents that spirit of competition and dedication to athleticism. “Mary is all of those things and much more,” said Bortolin. “Spencer is also a member of Motivate Canada’s GEN 7 Aboriginal role model initiative. Through the GEN 7 program, Spencer has developed sport, physical activity and empowerment programs with Aboriginal youth in First Nations communities throughout Ontario.” Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said the city is thrilled to be a part of this historic journey. “Mary Spencer will proudly carry the Pan Am flame as Windsor’s community torchbearer,” said Dilkens. “We look forward sharing the excitement as we move towards the kick off of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games.”
Windsor native and world-class boxer Mary Spencer will be the torchbearer in this year’s Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games torch relay. [Photo courtesy of Boxing Ontario]
During the 41-day torch relay, each of the 3,000 torchbearers will complete a 200-metre relay segment on average. The torch will be carried by more than 60 modes of transportation and will travel 5,000 kilometers on the road and 15,000 kilometers by air.
America as well as the Caribbean in 36 different sports. Much like the 2010 Vancouver Olympics torch run, the relay will connect Canada from the Pacific coast of British Columbia to the Atlantic coast of the Maritimes prior to the start of the competition June 10.
Saad Rafi is the chief executive officer of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games, which will showcase more then 7,000 athletes from North and South
“The torch is a unique symbol of the Pan Am Games and carries a powerful energy that will unite Canadians,” said Rafi. “The torchbearers
Sports Editor __________________________ Spring Bike Week on campus has been a rolling success.
versity of Windsor graduate in Drama and Communications studies but still lives in the nearby community and rides her bike to go to work, grocery shopping or to get some exercise at St. Denis Centre.
The University of Windsor Cyclists Association, led by club president Candice Seagull, held the three-day event to inform and educate students on bike safety as well as promoting fitness and fun.
McDougall said spring bike week was a great opportunity for the Cyclist Association to educate international students or those living away from home for the first time about the benefits of riding a bicycle.
at a bike shelter equipped with a fix-it station. Spin bikes were placed in the Human Kinetic building and each day of festivities was ended with either a slow bike race or a group bike ride all the way down to Kildare House in Walkerville, approximately six kilometres from campus.
“We offer many events to encourage more students, staff and faculty to ride a bicycle, as well as educate the campus community about bike laws and safety, whether they are a cyclist, a driver, or a pedestrian,” said Seagull.
“Riding a bicycle can really save a lot of money,” said McDougall. “Especially when you compare it to taking the bus or having to pay for a taxi. When you’re a student of any age those extra funds you can squeeze are always appreciated. Windsor has such a beautiful riverfront as well so it’s really enticing to get active when you have a bike.”
“It was very exciting for me personally as an athlete,” said Spencer. “It was a very exciting games atmosphere and I can’t wait for Canada to have the torch relay come through Windsor. I don’t think people will realize how great it is going to be until it is here.” Windsor City Councilor Rino Borto-
will proudly carry the flame through more than 130 communities, igniting the Pan Am spirit as they go.”
mate burn time of 10 to 12 minutes
Featured on the torch are United We Play! pictograms, which are colorful depictions of people in motion. These pictograms symbolize the assembly of athletes through the celebration of sport and culture. The torch is made of aluminum, which stands 65 centimeters high and weighs 1.2 kilograms. The torches have an approxi-
winds of up to 70 km/hour.
and are visible in all kinds of weather conditions. The flame can withstand The torch relay will commence May 30 and conclude July 10 with the dramatic lighting of the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony in downtown Toronto. For more information, visit TORONTO2015.org/torch-relay.
Spring Bike Week Encourages Fitness, Fun and Safety
BRETTHEDGES
Cyclists had the opportunity to have their bikes looked at by a bike mechanic and had the chance to learn how to properly lock their mounts to reduce theft as well as win water bottles and bike reflectors to promote overall bike safety. Miranda McDougall is a recent Uni-
Over the three days of festivities, free breakfast was provided for cyclists outside of CAW Student Centre and free bicycle tune-ups were available
Callum Gunn is originally from Vancouver, B.C. but came to UWindsor to take the drama program. Gunn said cycling is more common in B.C. but believes the educational sessions on bike laws of the area and how to properly lock up your bike to reduce rates of theft are good teaching points to improve bike knowledge and safety for everyone on campus and in the community. “It just makes sense to teach people about those kind of things,” said Gunn. “After learning about how to keep your bike from being stolen or how bike laws work in Windsor, I’m sure that more students would be more inclined to ride their rides, especially with summer coming soon.”
University of Windsor Cyclists Association president Candice Seagull stands by Derrick Becking and Spencer West during Spring Bike Week on campus, March 30. Over three days the cyclist association provided free breakfast to cyclists and educational seminars on bike laws and safety. [Photo courtesy of University of Windsor Cyclists Association]
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UWindsor Coaches, Teams, Athletes Headline 2015 WESPY Award Nominees BRETTHEDGES
in the fall of 2014.
Sports Editor __________________________ The Windsor Lancers will be well represented at the 10th annual Windsor Essex County Sports Persons of the Year Awards banquet next week.
Lancer men’s hockey head coach Kevin Hamlin has been nominated for the Coach of the Year award alongside Express head coach Bill Jones and Lancer women’s basketball head coach Chantal Vallee. To make things even tougher for the selection committee, each of those three nominees were also named Coach of the Year in their respective leagues.
The awards ceremony will take place Apr. 13 at the Caboto Club and will feature former NHL MVP Chris Pronger as the keynote speaker. Over the years, the WESPY’s have honoured some of the most highly prolific athletes, teams and coaches in 26 sports categories for males and females as well as nine major award categories. Domenic Papa is the founder of the WESPY Awards and said for the tenth year, the banquet will bring the Windsor-Essex sports community together while generating unity among all programs to salute and recognize the top performances of our athletes and teams. “The awards create and maintain a history that will make the past, present and future teams proud of their accomplishments,” said Papa. “They reassure that the roots of their efforts will forever be recognized.” After winning their fifth consecutive Canadian Inter-university Sport national championship, the Lancer women’s basketball team have been nominated for the Team of the Year award alongside the Windsor Express, winners of the 2014 National Basketball League of Canada championship and the St. Clair Saints men’s baseball team, who won their second of back-to-back Ontario Colleges Athletic Association championships
Vallee is a multiple winner at the WESPY Awards including team of the year and coach of the year honours due to the vast success of her basketball team on the national stage. Vallee said success is indicative of the idea every year yields a new team and new challenges. “This was definitely the hardest season that we’ve had to deal with,” said Vallee. “We started the season with 14 players on the roster and ended up with nine. But from the get-go we said we are winning this despite the adversity. In the national championship we played with seven players and one had the flu. That’s an incredible testament to the grit of those players and the true human spirit that can come through and make them win. For me that is what’s special about this championship.” Individual athlete award nominees were also announced at a press conference Mar. 30 and many Lancers were among those selected. Hannah Robson of the Lancer women’s volleyball team has been nominated for the prestigious Mickey Renaud’s Captain’s Award for her combined excellence in athletics, academics and community involvement. Lancer men’s hockey captain
Windsor Lancer women’s basketball head coach Chantal Vallee speaks at the 2014 WESPY Awards at Caboto Club. Vallee is once again nominated for Coach of the Year and her 2014 CIS championship team is nominated for Team of the Year. [Photo courtesy of the WESPY Awards] Drew Palmer has also been nominated for the award honouring the former Windsor Spitfires captain, who passed away suddenly seven years ago from an unknown heart condition. Among the individual female nominees are Kayla Seguin, a former teammate of Robson’s with the Lancers, who has been nominated for the Women’s Volleyball Player of the Year award. Former Lancers MiahMarie Langlois and Korissa Williams were both nominated as Female Basketball Player of the Year. Jenny MacKnight and Kayla Dodson of the Lancer women’s hockey team have been nominated for Female Hockey Player of the Year award. Giulia Barile of the Lancer women’s soccer team
will look to win the Women’s Soccer Player of the Year award for the second straight year. Kim Moroun is a Women’s Fastball nominee after a strong season playing for the Lancers and Virginia McLachlan of Lancers track and field team was nominated for athletes with disabilities. Langlois was also nominated for Female Athlete of the Year award after winning four CIS championships with the Lancers and pursuing a professional basketball career overseas. Male athletes from the Lancers were also nominated for awards including men’s hockey player Parker Van Buskirk and football’s Austin Kennedy while basketball’s Lien Phillip is nominated alongside Stefan Bonneau and
Quinnel Brown of the Windsor Express. A number of Windsorites from the world of professional sports will also be in attendance. Ed Jovanovski will present the Hockey Player of the Year award which is named in his honour and Daryl Townsend of the Canadian Football League’s Montreal Alouettes will also be in attendance. A new award has also been formed for this year’s banquet and has been named in honour of the late John DeNapoli for Sports Community Service. The award will be given out to someone for their commitment to sports community service but has not been guaranteed to be a yearly award.
Williams, Pommells Big Winners At Lancers Evening of Excellence
BRETTHEDGES Sports Editor __________________________ Korissa Williams and Spencer Pommells walked away with the top two prizes at the Lancers Evening of Excellence as they were awarded the Banner and Olympic Shields as University of Windsor Athletes of the Year. The two were also the respective MVP’s of their varsity teams during the Evening of Excellence which highlighted the accomplishments of Windsor Lancers athletics and was held at the St. Clair Centre of the Arts Apr. 1. Williams had a dominant final season as she was named the CIS Women’s Basketball Defensive Player of the Year and a CIS first team all-Canadian after establishing herself as one of the premier players in the country.
“When I look back, I remember being happy and excited about winning our national championships,” said Williams. “But this year everyone kept asking us, ‘How are you going to do it again?,’ it was at this time that I saw a team with fire, passion, skill and talent. We were a team with something to prove and we proved that we were stronger than we’ve ever been.” In OUA regular season action Williams was a dominating force, averaging 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists per game to lead the Lancers to a 19-1 conference record and their sixth OUA championship in seven years. Williams was named an OUA First Team All-Star as well as the OUA Defensive Player of the Year. In Quebec at the CIS Final 8 tournament, Williams was almost unEvening of Excellence
14
Windsor Lancers Austin Kennedy, Korissa Williams and Hannah Robson show off their awards at the Lancers Evening of Excellence at St.Clair Centre for the Arts, April 1. [Photo by // Edwin Tam]
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Pszczonak Gets Tips from Super Bowl Champ Willson Prior to CFL Camp
BRETTHEDGES Sports Editor __________________________ Windsor Lancer football players weren’t the only ones training at Alumni Field last week. Prior to each spring football camp practice, former and current Lancers were getting tips from NFL tight end and LaSalle native Luke Willson. The most notable of those Lancers is receiver, Evan Pszczonak, who will attend training camp with the Canadian Football League’s Calgary Stampeders. Pszczonak was not taking the chance to work out with the Seattle Seahawks lightly as he prepares to try and crack the roster of the defending grey cup champions from Calgary. “Anytime you get a chance to work out with an NFL player, it’s awesome,” said Pszczonak. “He knows a lot and I’m still learning so it helps me. He has experience at the pro level, he knows what goes on there, the tempo - he knows what you need to know so I’m soaking it all in.” Pszczonak finished his five-year career with the Lancers with 40 catches for 745 yards and eight touchdown receptions in seven games played in his final season with the Blue and Gold. Pszczonak leaves the Lancers program as a two-time OUA firstteam all-star and the team’s career leader in touchdown receptions. Last year, Pszczonak was selected by the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts in the fifth round, 46th overall pick and Willson, who won a Super Bowl championship with the Seahawks in his rookie season, believes the McGregor, Ont. native definitely has a shot at professional football. “Evan has a great chance. It’s going to
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be fun to watch,” said Willson. “He’s incredibly talented, great hands, runs well but what I’m really impressed with is his route running. He’s great in and out of cuts which for a receiver, to me, is the number one thing, so it would be cool to watch him play.” In terms of the quality of football players Windsor-Essex is sending out to the professional football world, Willson believes his hometown has the best hub of players in Ontario, if not Canada. For more evidence, no one need to look further than to fellow NFL player Tyrone Crawford of the Dallas Cowboys. “Tyrone and I have been fortunate enough to play in the NFL and I don’t think there are too many other Ontario centre’s that can say they have two guys like that,” said Willson. “I think you see it with the Essex Ravens organization that is right up their with the best teams in the Ontario Varsity Football League or Herman at the high school level, there is some great talent.” Pszczonak has not signed a contract with the Stampeders guaranteeing him a spot on the defending Grey Cup champions but said he is excited for the opportunity to compete against the CFL’s best. “Hopefully Calgary will give me a shot to show what I can do and we’ll go from there,” said Pszczonak. “They first contacted me a month ago and I haven’t signed anything yet but I’m just excited for the opportunity. I’m just going there to work hard and do what I can.” After being selected by the Argonauts last year, Pszczonak was one of the final cuts from the team’s final roster and returned to the Lancers where he continued his dominance of opposing CIS defences. While drawing
Evening of Excellence
stoppable. Williams took home CIS tournament MVP honors for the second time in her career en route to helping the Lancers capture their fifth straight CIS national championship. With the victory Williams along with teammate Jocelyn LaRocque became the first women’s basketball players in CIS history to win five CIS national
championship titles in a career. “It’s not the individual plays we make that makes a team,” said Williams. “It is the heart of the team that wins championships and we proved that our heart could not be matched by any other team in Canada.” Meanwhile, Pommells had a season to remember for the Lancer men’s
Former Windsor Lancers receiver Evan Pszczonak catches a pass during a training session with NFL tight end and Lasalle native Luke Willson at Alumni Field, Mar. 31. Pszczonak has been invited to training camp with the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders. [Photo by // Kevin Jarrold] double and sometimes triple coverage from opposing OUA teams, Pszczonak finished the season averaging over 100 yards per game receiving and the Lancers program record for touchdown receptions, previously
held by former CFL’er Arjei Franklin.
The only question left to be answered
With all of the accolades from university football now in his rear view mirror, Pszczonak will look to make the CFL his permanent home.
is which one of the league’s eight
hockey team as he became the first player in school history to claim the Joseph A. Sullivan Trophy as the CIS Men’s Hockey Player of the Year. The Grande Prairie, Alberta native racked up 50 points in 27 league games, including 16 goals and a CIS-leading 34 assists to lead the national scoring race for much of the season and winning by a large margin.
tion to winning the Sullivan Trophy, Pommells was named a CIS firstteam All-Canadian and OUA Men’s Hockey Player of the Year.
been possible without the relentless efforts of everyone in the program. You have all believed in me since day one and given me every opportunity to improve my game. I couldn’t imagine spending the last four years with anyone else.”
Pommells also helped the Lancers to a first-place overall finish in the OUA with a 22-4-1 record. The Lancers were given a top-10 ranking nationally for 17 straight weeks and in addi-
“When I came to Windsor four years ago, I could not imagine the amount of success we have had,” said Pommells. “The program has continued to develop and this wouldn’t have
Pommells could not attend the awards ceremony as he is off playing professional hockey in the East Coast Hockey League but sent a humble video message that was played to those in attendance.
teams will Pszczonak wear a jersey for when regular season action kicks off June 25.
Austin Kennedy from Lancers football and Hannah Robson from the women’s volleyball team won the DeMarco Awards, which are presented annually to the top female and male students that best combine academic achievement with athletic prowess. In his final year with the Lancers,
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Express Avoid Elimination With Game Five Victory BRETTHEDGES Sports Editor __________________________ Down three games to one on the brink of elimination, the Windsor Express conjured up an impressive 123-113 win over the Brampton A’s in game five in their best of seven NBL Canada Central division finals series. After stealing game one of the first two games in the series played at the WFCU, the A’s won both of their games at home at the Athlete Institute in Orangeville before travelling to Windsor this week with a 3-1 series lead. With their backs against the wall, the Express pulled out a huge win to send the game back to Orangeville for game six. Windsor Express head coach Bill Jones said the win was gutsy. “We made it back home to play in front of our fans and managed to get the job done tonight,” said Jones. “Now we have a couple days to prepare before going up to play in their house with an opportunity to tie the series 3-3. “ A’s head coach David Magley said Windsor’s experienced veterans were their best players and that’s why they took game five. “They are pros and they are not going to go away easily,” said Magley. Eight of Brampton’s players scored in double figures while it took seven players scoring for Windsor in order to halt the Brampton uprising. Express power forward Quinnel Brown scored 29 points while Chris Commons scored 26 points to lead all scorers. The Express got a big boast inside from the return of DeAndre Thomas, who has returned with a clean bill of health and Kirk Williams who energized the WFCU crowd with three highlight reel dunks.
Windsor Express centre DeAndre Thomas drives to the basket against the Brampton A’s during NBL Canada playoff action at WFCU Centre, April 10. The Express trail the A’s 3-2 in their best of seven division championship series. [Photo by // Kevin Jarrold] Flenard Whitfield was the higher scorer for Brampton with 18 points. Collectively, Windsor out shot Brampton as a whole in terms of field goal shooting efficiency with a 78 per cent to 59 per cent advantage twopoint range and a 57 per cent to 48 per cent difference from three-point range for the game. The spectacular shooting from both squads kept the total rebounds very low for each team to 23 and 20 respectively. Commons described the game five win as a huge relief but said it came
down to the little things that have made the Express so successful in the past which led them to victory. “Will, desire, heart and a refusal to lose at home ... that’s been our coaches motto all season,” said Commons. “Personally, I am not a new guy to this. I’ve played in a lot of elimination games and I was just comfortable out there tonight.” Express guard Tony Bennett said it was no surprise to him that Brown and Commons led the way for Windsor. Both were key parts of the
Express’s championship run last season and have shared the collective scoring load for much of the regular season and play-offs. “I’ve mentioned a few times this year that the success of this team is not predicated on role players being traded in,” said Benett. “This team is centred around it’s core veterans - guys who have already won the championship. I have never won a national basketball championship, so I am grateful and excited to be out learning from these guys and supporting
them to the best of my ability.” Up three games to two, that Brampton A’s have one more crack at closing out the Express in game six Apr. 10 in Orangeville. Should the Express win that game, the action would return to the WFCU for a game seven showdown that Windsor would be highly favoured to win in front of their home town crowd April 12. The division champion will face the Halifax Rainmen in the NBL Canada championship final series.
What Does Volunteering Say To Employers?
HANIYASSINE
Clayton Smith.
Arts Editor __________________________
For some employers, showing volunteer experience on your resume can lead to a stronger chance of you landing a more desirable position than if you just show a record of your employment history. Smith recalls a recent conversation he had with local MP Brian Masse, who filters out his hiring processes focally based on one’s contributions within the community.
At first glance, volunteering is something most young adults would find unappealing, likely due to the lack of compensation. But now more than ever it’s an act which could be pivotal when you find yourself at your next job interview. “We can learn lots of things in a classroom, we could learn lots of things from an employment setting, but we learn different things when we volunteer,” said UWindsor dean of students
“If you haven’t demonstrated a commitment to our community by way of volunteering, he sees that as almost
removing you from consideration,” Smith said. Commitment plays a big part on why one should volunteer. It’s a matter of abandoning procrastinating habits, developing social skills and making significant contributions with no immediate incentive. Employers are more likely to hire those who made those communal impacts instead of those who work because they need the money. According to Statistics Canada, over 13.3 million people did volunteer work in 2010, consisting of almost
half of all Canadians aged 15 and up. In the same year, 93 per cent of volunteers listed community contribution as the reason behind it. Kellie Abbott is one of the schoolbased mentoring co-ordinators at Big Brothers Big Sisters Windsor-Essex. She ensures it’s more vital to have volunteer experience than job experience on your resume. “People come back to us and they ask us for references for a lot of social service type agencies. Having volunteering on your resume is only going to help you out in your future, because
you’ve been involved with community agencies,” Abbott said. Essentially, Smith hopes for every UWindsor student to have some level of volunteering experience by the end of their post-secondary career. As doing so leads to a unique skill set, the smallest contribution could go a long way. “Find something that interests you,” said Smith. “You don’t have to make a huge commitment, but make a commitment.”
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APRIL 9 2O15 • UWINDSORLANCE.CA