A good friend reaches a milestone
A schoolmate of mine from UNC, Dr. Naurice Frank Woods, director, is stepping down after 13 years as director of the Afircan American Studies program at UNCG.
Frank has done much to build the program he heads, as an engaging, imaginative teacher, as a scholar and as an administrator.
He can speak with equal fluency about the Harlem Renaissance and the cultural significance of P-Funk, and he has consistently challenged and excited his students.
It surprised me a little bit that Frank wound up being so popular and comfortable in the classroom. He was more than a little bit shy when we were in Chapel Hill.
I remember him then as an art major who created extraterrestrial dioramas and Plexiglas sculptures. He'd amaze the rest of us with matter-of-fact tales of having to paint live nude models in class (we were young and silly back then).
He could draw and paint with such grace and ease.
He also had a black belt in Taekwondo .
Most importantly, he gave us rides home to Greensboro in his little brown and yellow Toyota Celica so we could have home-cooked meals and get our laundry done.
In return, I helped him make long drives to Alligator, N.C., to see his girlfriend, Sadie, who became his wife. (OK, it was not purely a selfless act; she had a sister.)
At UNCG, Frank clearly loves what he does.
Fortunately for the students and the university, Frank will continue to teach.
I wish him only the very best.