ON the Radar

ZOOM LECTURE HACK AT U OF G EMPHASIZES NEED FOR ANTIRACISM ACTION

On Sept. 30, the University of Guelph reported that an online Zoom class had been hacked by an unknown individual who made derogatory comments heard by class attendees.

Deirdre Healey, news service manager at U of G, told The Ontarion that the hack was initiated by someone outside the University.

A few days before the hack, a U of G news release announced that the school had launched a new anti-racism action plan to be structured by recommendations made by students, faculty, staff and community members. The plan is set to include a President’s Advisory Committee on Anti-Racism that will comprise at least 70 per cent representation from Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC).

Nominations for the presidential advisory committee will open in the fall and will be cochaired by President Charlotte Yates and Prof. Lawrence Hill.

Further, Healey stated that the University will keep the lecture hack file open and pursue investigative support from Zoom.

U OF G MOURNS LOSS OF BELOVED COMMUNITY MEMBER

Dale Murray, who was a chef in the University’s Hospitality Services department, died on Oct. 8 after a battle with cancer. He was 52.

According to his obituary, he cooked for the U of G community for 33 years. It was there where he met his wife Freda, fed various presidents and dignitaries, and created lasting bonds with many of the students.

“I don’t think we truly understood how much he loved the students, and more importantly, how much they loved him,” Dale’s sister Lynda Murray told GuelphToday.

Dale leaves behind two sons, “his pride and joy,” Darren and Andrew.

The University of Guelph Food Service Employees Association (UGFSEA) has organized a GoFundMe to collect donations for Dale’s sons’ education. As of Oct. 28, over $19,000 has been raised, surpassing the initial set goal of $500.

Hospitality Services closed from approximately 3 p.m. — 4 p.m. on Oct. 15 as staff attended Dale’s funeral. The service was held at Gilbert MacIntyre and Son Funeral Home.

On the same day the University lowered its campus flags to half-mast in Dale’s honour.

U OF G HOUSE CALLS PROGRAM MAKES SHIFT TO VIRTUAL PLATFORM

The University of Guelph’s House Calls program ran differently this year, adopting a more accommodating virtual format during the pandemic.

The program, which has been running consistently for the past four years, usually recruits volunteers to visit residences in person and check in with first-year students. This year, they used Microsoft Teams to virtually reach out from Oct. 27 to Oct. 29, with each call lasting about 15 minutes.

According to Patrick Kelly, associate director of residence life, the move to a virtual platform allowed them to give every first-year student the chance to connect online or by phone with a trained volunteer, including those who didn’t live in residence, which wasn’t a feature of the program before.

The point of the call was to learn about the student’s experience with the U of G thus far, including any challenges and/or successes they’ve had. The calls were also an opportunity for students to receive information.

In the event that a student didn’t seem to be doing well, or if they had a question that the volunteer couldn’t answer during the call, Kelly said they would receive a follow up later on from a professional staff member trained in wellness checks to connect the individual with resources on campus.

Kelly said the phone calls were “a chance for our students to see that our staff and faculty care about them, want to see how they’re doing, and want to make sure they know they are a part of the U of G community.”

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