Faculty member of the week
She does not teach at Fanshawe at the moment. Nevertheless I am bestowing my personal, and highly sought after, Faculty Member of the Week Award to Dorette Pronk.
Recently Pronk was abducted. She receives the award for her unusual response to her abduction. In a world where the market for forgiveness far exceeds the supply, her response points us in the right direction. But first, her story.
Dr. Pronk teaches Mathematics at nearby-to-me Dalhousie University. She is known for her high energy, always in motion, teaching, traveling, or involving children in worship through dance and flag choreography at a church I participated in for several years. (At the moment Pronk is remodeling her home to create space for her to teach worship choreography).
Recently, however, she was forced on a nightmarish journey not of her own choosing. After dropping off a friend at Halifax's airport, Pronk was interrupted as she maneuvered her 2000 maroon Intrepid complete with duct-taped mirror out of her parking spot. A tall, strong-looking man, who was being chased, opened the passenger door and jumped into the car.
As if acting out a movie role the man claimed to be wired with explosives. He forced Pronk to drive, claiming he was on his way to an airstrip and that he was carrying drugs worth millions. In two towns he made the professor take out cash using her debit and credit cards totaling about $3,000.
He asked his victim about her family. Pronk is single but, in an attempt to earn her abductor's sympathy, she told him she was married and had a four-year-old daughter.
Then, with movie-like predictably, he had Pronk drive down a dirt road. Around this time she turned to look at her unwanted guest. She told me that his face seemed filled with fear, anger, and confusion. Suddenly a rock damaged the fuel tank, and they stopped the car. He demanded that she get into the trunk.
At this point, terrified, but glimpsing the opportunity, Pronk fled. Up the road she saw a house. She ran to the door and opened it. The people inside calmed her and provided a phone.
Pronk says that she will look into some self-defense training. Also, she says she will lock her car doors more often. On a more serious note, she stated to the media that she had forgiven her assailant.
In talking with the professor, I learned that this expression of forgiveness was not something that merely slipped out of her mouth as a quaint comment to end an interview.
Pronk spoke to me about a friend who had wanted to come for a visit after the incident. She agreed as long as her friend would also “pray with her.” It was during this time that both of them talked about what Pronk had been through. She realized that the hurt and sense of being violated were real. She understood that the things that needed forgiving were intense.
Along with many others who have worked hard at forgiveness, Pronk seemed to realize that without forgiveness she would be influenced by her anger and a desire for revenge. Where there is forgiveness we often see that the greatest benefit comes to the one doing the forgiving.
Perhaps those who perpetrate crimes and misdeeds against us will one day apologize and ask to be forgiven. But perhaps they never will. But as much as possible we need to forgive them anyway. We need to do this not just so they can live without fear of reprisal, but also so that we can live without bitterness.
Maybe it is partly in following this Christian view of forgiveness that Pronk finds the inspiration to dance. Dance, after all, is a way of celebrating new-found freedom. For reminding me of this, Dorette Pronk, you have the award of Faculty Member of the Week.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
Recently Pronk was abducted. She receives the award for her unusual response to her abduction. In a world where the market for forgiveness far exceeds the supply, her response points us in the right direction. But first, her story.
Dr. Pronk teaches Mathematics at nearby-to-me Dalhousie University. She is known for her high energy, always in motion, teaching, traveling, or involving children in worship through dance and flag choreography at a church I participated in for several years. (At the moment Pronk is remodeling her home to create space for her to teach worship choreography).
Recently, however, she was forced on a nightmarish journey not of her own choosing. After dropping off a friend at Halifax's airport, Pronk was interrupted as she maneuvered her 2000 maroon Intrepid complete with duct-taped mirror out of her parking spot. A tall, strong-looking man, who was being chased, opened the passenger door and jumped into the car.
As if acting out a movie role the man claimed to be wired with explosives. He forced Pronk to drive, claiming he was on his way to an airstrip and that he was carrying drugs worth millions. In two towns he made the professor take out cash using her debit and credit cards totaling about $3,000.
He asked his victim about her family. Pronk is single but, in an attempt to earn her abductor's sympathy, she told him she was married and had a four-year-old daughter.
Then, with movie-like predictably, he had Pronk drive down a dirt road. Around this time she turned to look at her unwanted guest. She told me that his face seemed filled with fear, anger, and confusion. Suddenly a rock damaged the fuel tank, and they stopped the car. He demanded that she get into the trunk.
At this point, terrified, but glimpsing the opportunity, Pronk fled. Up the road she saw a house. She ran to the door and opened it. The people inside calmed her and provided a phone.
Pronk says that she will look into some self-defense training. Also, she says she will lock her car doors more often. On a more serious note, she stated to the media that she had forgiven her assailant.
In talking with the professor, I learned that this expression of forgiveness was not something that merely slipped out of her mouth as a quaint comment to end an interview.
Pronk spoke to me about a friend who had wanted to come for a visit after the incident. She agreed as long as her friend would also “pray with her.” It was during this time that both of them talked about what Pronk had been through. She realized that the hurt and sense of being violated were real. She understood that the things that needed forgiving were intense.
Along with many others who have worked hard at forgiveness, Pronk seemed to realize that without forgiveness she would be influenced by her anger and a desire for revenge. Where there is forgiveness we often see that the greatest benefit comes to the one doing the forgiving.
Perhaps those who perpetrate crimes and misdeeds against us will one day apologize and ask to be forgiven. But perhaps they never will. But as much as possible we need to forgive them anyway. We need to do this not just so they can live without fear of reprisal, but also so that we can live without bitterness.
Maybe it is partly in following this Christian view of forgiveness that Pronk finds the inspiration to dance. Dance, after all, is a way of celebrating new-found freedom. For reminding me of this, Dorette Pronk, you have the award of Faculty Member of the Week.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
