By Katie Thomas, Western Communications
Read. Watch. Listen. introduces you to the personal side of our faculty, staff and alumni. Participants are asked to answer three simple questions about their reading, viewing and listening habits – what one book or newspaper/magazine article is grabbing your attention; what one movie or television show has caught your eye; and what album/song, podcast or radio show are you lending an ear to.
Katie Thomas is a Patrol Sergeant with Campus Police Service.
Today, she takes a turn on Read. Watch. Listen.
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Read.
The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay. I can read it over and over – a real story of success in the face of adversity and remaining firm in the belief that good will ultimately triumph even through the atrocities of war and the early beginnings of the ANC movement. Beautifully written and the imagery it conjures in the readers mind is second to none.
Also, a huge childhood favourite that should be every avid reader’s go-to is Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian, a story of unexpected love and compassion that still tugs at the heartstrings of even the most hard-hearted cop.
Watch.
This has to be the Shawshank Redemption. No movie has come close to this for me in all the years since release. The perseverance of one person in overcoming unfairness and bullying in order to help others achieve. The bond between Andy and Red with the implicit trust and friendship that spanned the years of grueling living conditions. One of Morgan Freeman’s most epic performances.
I will also confess to being a big fan of the Disney Classics like Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King. They are all in my DVD collection – but don’t tell anyone.
Listen.
I have an eclectic taste in music to say the least. Naming a favourite song is an impossibility as there are simply so many. Nothing Else Matters by Metallica; These Arms of Mine by Otis Reading; It’s Magic by Doris Day; Carry You Home by Chaley Rose; and The Promise by Tracy Chapman are high up there. For relaxation and for moments where I need some calm in my life, I turn to anything by the late great Yehudi Menuhin.
Podcastwise, and I am returning to my very British roots for this one, it would have to be The Rugby Pod, a light-hearted and banter-filled behind-the-scenes look at the world of rugby. It is useless if you actually want to learn about the game and the rules, but it is great if you just want to hear grown men who have a love of the game clowning around and generally chirping each other.
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If you have a suggestion for someone you would like to see in Read. Watch. Listen., or would like to participate yourself, drop a line to inside.western@uwo.ca.
