Where Are They Now? #8 ~ Jeremiah Zuo

 

Next up in my; "Where Are They Now" series is magician, author, pastor and Prairie College alum, Jeremiah Zuo. A scholar of ancient Semitic languages he has authored a book on Biblical Hebrew Syntax as well as several on amateur magic.

Jeremiah appeared on the Penn and Teller, "Fool Us" TV show in which he place very favourably.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? #7 ~ Jeanie Erickson Davis

Next up in my, "Where Are They Now?" series is former staff kid, PHS Alum and my friend, Jeanie Erickson Davis. Many of you will remember Jeanie or perhaps knew her parents or siblings.

For the last many years Jeanie has been a star teacher for the Wind and Tide schools in the lower mainland. Two of our grandchildren have had the privilege of having, "Teacher Jeanie" be a part of their lives and education.

Jeanie has just recently been asked to present a TED talk and I invite you to take the time to watch it in the link posted in the comment section below.

Congratulations to you Teacher Jeanie and well done!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z07pVDHBeNA 

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? #6 ~ Mitch Lee

Next up in my, "Where Are They Now?" series is PHS alum, Mitch Lee. Mitch is an award winning producer and composer, film director, owner of Redemption Audio a music production and sound house providing the Film, TV and advertising world with music and sound. He is also the founder of Beat Drop a music production and DJ school in Calgary, Alberta.

He has produced music for companies like SYFY, Sony, Lifetime, Warner Brothers, ESPN, Oakley, Nissan, Lamborghini, Activision, Nintendo, Adidas and many more.

The latest project from Mitch and his brother Marshall is streaming now and I will leave the link to the trailer in the comment section below.

The Walk On tells the story of David Kapinga, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo who learns to play basketball in Calgary. To play Division 1 in the NCAA was David’s dream. However, that dream was crushed and he was forced to return home. Close to giving up, David is given one last opportunity. This last shot would change his life forever.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? #5 ~ Dora Dueck

Next up in my; "Where Are They Now?" series, is: Dora Dueck. Dora, whose maiden name was Doerksen, graduated from Prairie College in 1971.

Dora is an award-winning writer, former editor, avid reader, and lay historian. She is the author of four books of fiction, as well as articles, essays, and short stories in a variety of journals. All That Belongs (Turnstone Press 2019) is her newest book. Her novel; This Hidden Thing won the McNally Robinson Book of the Year prize at the 2011 Manitoba Book Awards and her short story collection What You Get at Home won the 2013 High Plains Award for short fiction. Her novella “Mask” was the winner of The Malahat Review’s 2014 novella contest.

She and her late husband Helmut have three adult children and nine grandchildren. She grew up in Alberta, lived many years in Winnipeg, and now resides in Delta, B.C.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? #4 ~ Chris Coulstring

 

Next up in my; "Where Are They Now" series, is: Chris Coulstring

A graduate of Prairie College, Chris was the lead singer of a band called: Six Inch Rule (most of you can figure out where that came from! SIR eventually became Boxtree and the band had quite a number of personnel while they were active.

Chris now lives in Stony Plain, AB, with his wife Sharon (also a grad of PBC) and their family. Chris is a Youth Pastor at Beach Corner Church.

In a story much longer than we have room for and you have time to read, we set out to record the debut Boxtree album in my basement studio in our house in Three Hills, which we had named: The White House Recording Company. (The house was white!) Eldon Winter and myself worked on the album and to make a long story short, the album was never completed. What was released were scratch mixes and bits and pieces that we cobbled together from DAT tapes.

One little anecdote: We were working on a song called: "The Fisherman Song" and we felt it needed some background vocals. We were working late at night and there was nobody there but Eldon and I, so the task of both singing the background vocals and recording them fell to us. Grabbing the remote and squeezing ourselves into the very small, very crude vocal booth we set about becoming background singers. Now keep in mind that neither of us consider ourselves to be singers of any kind and also keep in mind that I was kicked out of High School choir and failed miserably my audition for the High School Chorale.

We were laughing so hard, it literally took us several hours to record some pretty straight forward parts.

You can check out the song on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kX7fomiwSlk

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? #3 ~ Peter Graham Dunn

 

My, "Where Are They Now" series continues with Prairie College alum and unlikely entrepreneur, Peter Graham Dunn. I was delighted to have received my own, signed copy of Peter's new book entitled: Unlikely Entrepreneur - From China To Amish Country. This book is Peter's memoir and you will find his account most fascinating.

Peter Graham Dunn is the founder of P. Graham Dunn, the nation’s top supplier of US-made wall décor. He was born in China, grew up in Canada, married a steady Mennonite girl, LeAnna, helped raise four children, and continues to reside with LeAnna on their family farm in Ohio’s Amish and Mennonite community.

You can order your own copy from Amazon or purchase it directly from P. Graham Dunn. It is also available as an audio book.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? #2 ~ Glenn Rudderrow

Next up in my, "Where Are They Now" series is world renowned artist, Glenn Rudderrow.

Some of you will remember the tragic day when the Rudderrow family (who were on staff at Prairie) went for a Sunday hike out to the Red Deer River, or the "Badlands" as they are often referred to. 

That day, son Glenn took a terrible fall which left him a paraplegic. Glenn has gone on to become a world class artist and teacher, having taught at a prestigious art school in Philadelphia. 

Check out Glenn's website at: www.glennrudderow.com

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? #1 ~ Alan Kirk

First up in my, "Where Are They Now" series, I am featuring, professor, author, lecturer, former Prairie staff kid, alum and grandson of Prairie's founder, J. F. Kirk.

Alan Kirk is Professor of Religion and Interim Academic Unit Head at James Madison University. Alan's focus is in New Testament and Early Christianity. His research focus is ancient gospels, including applications of cognitive and cultural memory theory to problems in the origins and history of the gospel tradition.

Recent publications include Memory, Tradition, & Text: Uses of the Past in Early Christianity, co-edited with Tom Thatcher (Leiden: Brill, 2005), “Memory Theory and Jesus Research,” in Handbook of the Study of the Historical Jesus, edited by Tom Holmén and Stanley E. Porter; (Leiden: Brill, 2010); “Tradition and Memory in the Gospel of Peter,” in Das Evangelium nach Petrus: Text, Kontexte, Intertexte, edited by Tobias Nicklas and Thomas Kraus (Berlin: de Gruyter, 2007).

Alan teaches a range of courses in New Testament and early Christianity. Currently he is developing a new course on gospels from the 1st to 3rd centuries A.D.

Alan and his wife Sue have 3 grown children and live in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

7/31/23

Update: I am pleased to give you an update in my, "Where Are They Now?" series.

We had a delightful visit today with Alan and Sue Kirk and Alan gave me a copy of his brand new book to give to my Dad. "In Jesus Tradition, Early Christian Memory, and Gospel Writing, Alan Kirk guides us through the history of biblical scholars' quest for the authentic source. Kirk reveals that outdated assumptions about ancient media realities have caused the past two centuries of academic deadlock."

KEEP LOOKING UP!

 

Coming soon . . .