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4 • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015
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King’s prof charged with sexual assault HAMZA TARIQ BREAKING NEWS EDITOR @HAMZAATGAZETTE
COURTESY OF MADISON OLIVER
Triumph in the cuckoo’s nest SAMAH ALI ARTS & LIFE EDITOR @SAMAHATGAZETTE RATING: GGGGG Sometimes we need to stop and reflect on the conversations surrounding mental health: how it affects us, how far we’ve come, how far we have to go. Theatre Western captured this conversation with their fall play, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The performances were an excellent summation of the mental health discussions happening on campus this week. The production, adapted from Ken Kesey’s book, speaks about the ongoing stigma of mental health while making light of the situation through friendship, laughs and a final party in a psychological institution. The play follows eight patients living in a psychiatric hospital in the 1960s. The ward shuffles between medications, activity hours and group therapy but things shake up when new patient Randle McMurphy makes it his mission to drive the head nurse crazy. Directed by third-year MIT student Sasha Luna, the seamless
transitions and clean light directions brought attention to every character. Among the leading actors was the effervescent Jack Copland who played wise guy McMurphy. It was no surprise that Copland was the star of the production. His multifaceted voice, priceless expressions and undeniable talent screams for a stage greater than the McManus Theatre. Behind the shining beacon of light that was Copland was Alexendar Gammal, a brooding gentleman who embodied the stiff character of Chief Bromden. Gammal’s soliloquies brought a smooth interlude between scenes and alluded to a past life before the detrimental therapeutic practices in the asylum. Gammal was intimidating, stoic and arguably the most overlooked actor in the play. His lines and character build as the show develops and became the perfect example of a patient’s growth when offered the right support. Noticeable performances go out to Eric Yanofsky as Martine and Helen Heikkila as Nurse Ratshit — er, Ratched. Yanofsky’s
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unwavering, sickly smile contrasted with Heikkila’s suffocating, killthem-with-kindness glare offered great commentary on happiness in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest — genuine happiness can only survive through hallucinations since inauthenticity plagues the real world. A thought-provoking revelation produced by impeccable directing. It was a discomforting yet cathartic journey watching the patients grapple with their mental health and mistreatment but the runaway performance of the show was Danny Avila who played Cheswick. Avila never broke character: his hands shook profusely, his voice never quivered, his muscles twitched with frustration. It was truly a mesmerizing and tactile performance by a determined actor. As usual, it was nothing but excellence from Theatre Western. The troupe really knows the ins and outs of the theatre and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was definitely a dramatic shift — for the better — in genres compared to the last two fall plays. Ken Kesey would be proud. n
A King’s University College professor is facing sexual assault charges after an investigation into the alleged abuse of three young First Nations males between 1977 and 1983. History professor David Norton was an Anglican priest at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church located within the Chippewa-On-TheThames Native Reserve outside London in 1977. According to the London Police Service, the alleged sexual abuse began in 1977 when the males were seven years old and ended in 1983 when they were 12 years old. It’s alleged that the offences took place at Norton’s residence in London. Norton, now 69, has been charged with three counts of indecent assault on a male and one count of sexual assault. Norton was teaching a first-year history of totalitarianism course at King’s before his arrest. According to Jane Antoniak, media relations for King’s, the affiliate was notified of the investigation by LPS on Friday and Norton has been put on a paid leave of absence, pending the outcome of the investigation. “In no way does the investigation have anything to do with his activities at King’s University College,” she said. According to a press release from King’s in 2013, Norton “specializes in First Nations History and has had a strong connection with local First Nations reservations for decades.” Norton’s department chair wrote in the 2013 release, “The many hours that Professor Norton spends advising students on a range of academic matters, from library research to essay organization and writing, reflects the simple belief that nothing can take the place of human interaction and the exchange of ideas in a supportive and cooperative learning environment.” Norton will be released on bail and his appearance in court has been set for January 7, 2016. n
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BRIEFS WESTERN GOES TO MARS Western University, in partnership with the Canadian Space Agency, is running the most realistic and largest planetary mission simulation that has ever taken place on campus. This simulation is more realistic because the rover is now in Utah, which has a terrain more comparable to Mars in comparison to its past location in Montreal, and because astronomy, the simulation team has access to a dedicated mission control room. “All of these things have come together this year to make it ... the best ever,” said Gordon Osinski, the acting director of the Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration. Students from multiple programs and Canadian universities, are given full decision-making power. “They are saying what the scientific questions are ... which data to collect and then they are interpreting all of that data, too,” said Osinski. There will be an open house to tour mission control tonight at 7 p.m. in the Physics and Astronomy Building. ■■JESSIE WOOLSON FLU SHOTS OFFERED IN UCC In light of flu season’s arrival, Western Health Services has started their campaign to bring student attention to getting a shot now rather than later. The campaign is running until 2016 but hopes to receive heavy traffic now with the business of December’s upcoming exam schedule. Megan McIlmoyl, who is running the campaign, says the flu shot protects more than just the recipient. You’re not only protecting yourself, but also those around you including the most vulnerable, such as the elderly,” she said. Interested students can receive their shot in Student Health Services, located in the UCC basement. Appointments are preferred, but nurses will also be available for walk-ins. ■■MICHAEL CONLEY