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From performing as Jesus Christ in Jerusalem to making Fred Astaire dance with a vacuum to producing cutting-edge media "mobisodes," alumnus Gregory Strom, '80, has come a long way from the football field in the Pine Bowl, his primary destination when he chose Whitworth. Offered scholarships at Whitworth and the University of Washington, Strom chose to play for Heritage Gallery Hall of Fame coach Hugh Campbell. However, Campbell went to the CFL following Strom's freshman season, leaving the young studentathlete with a choice to make. By then, Strom had discovered "the dynamic intellectual community at Whitworth, and I knew I needed that. Whitworth challenged me about basic core questions, and that kept me there."
Though he majored in journalism, it was Strom's interest in theater that took him to Washington, D.C., following graduation. He co-produced a Nativity play there, on the White House ellipse. A meeting with then-Prime Minister of Israel Menachim Begin secured him an invitation to bring a similar production to Bethlehem, and to produce a Passion play in Jerusalem. For two years, Strom played the role of Jesus Christ for three hours a night, six nights a week. "Orthodox Jews would throw stones and spit on me, while others touched my clothing when I walked the streets. It was a very polarizing story," Strom says.
When the play closed due to the advent of war in Beirut, Strom and his wife, Sue (Houck, '80), moved to New York City, where he began producing music videos even before the advent of MTV. A move to L.A. led to work in feature films and commercials. In 15 years with his current company, Strom Magallon Entertainment, Strom and his business partner have helped pioneer computer-graphic-imaging animation for commercials; their work includes the award-winning Fred Astaire Dirt Devil commercial that debuted during the 1997 Super Bowl.
Today, Strom works on the cutting edge of new media, producing everything from 10-second commercials to one-minute episodes of downloadable content for videophones and handheld devices. "Film is different than it used to be; the breadth is different," Strom says. "The marketplace will now support a whole host of new artistic ways of using film and film techniques."
"The greatest gift I received from Whitworth was to think critically," he says. "Whitworth gave me tools to make decisions and choices at times when things are not clear." Strom was highly influenced by Whitworth's late president Ed Lindaman and his wife, Geraldine, and by faculty members Al Gray and Ron White. He also credits Professor of English Leonard Oakland with helping him through a difficult time when he was recovering from a football injury – and with contributing to his happy marriage. "I couldn't get up and walk, and Leonard came to visit me in my dorm room. When I was at my lowest, he was very kind to me. Leonard also had several conversations with my girlfriend and helped her understand me, and we have been married now for almost 25 years."
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