Dan Franks, Thief and Lawman
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nglish writer Ben Jonson commented about fellow playwright William Shakespeare that “he was not of an age but for all time!” The same could be said about ENMU alumnus Dan Franks (BS 75). Dan high-jumped for ENMU’s Outdoor Track team in 1974, a team led by Coach Bill Silverberg that won the National Championship that year. A Communication Disorders major, Dan practiced audiology, a career field projected to
have 34 percent growth from 2012-2022. Dan is also a lifetime artist, describing himself as a student of Realism. His latest artistic endeavor is that of reenactment in his residence of Chama, New Mexico. Dan vacillates between ‘lawman’ and ‘robber’ but for a good cause. “The tourism that the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad brings to Chama during the summer is vital,” says Dan. In 2013, the National Park Service designated this railroad with
By Robert Graham
National Historic Landmark status. The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad arrived in Chama in 1880, and summer reenactments commemorate the arrival. “Believe it or not, some of our biggest fans are Japanese Western clubs,” says Dan. Before coming to ENMU, Dan was accustomed to ‘The Cowboy Way’, having herded cattle in his home state of California. Dan’s grandparents migrated to California from Oklahoma, “similar to the Joads in Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath,” Dan says. He notes that members of his reenactment troupe, the Rio Arriba Stuntmen Association, really go all out in their costumes—but “I’m the only one who wears spurs.”
Left: Dan Franks (in black vest) reenacts a late 19th and early 20th century train robbery with his fellow cast members.
Undergrad Paints the Town
Jacob hopes to complete his fourth mural in time for December graduation. Located in the Mainstreet parking lot, the mural depicts the partnership between Portales and ENMU on one wall, emphasizing agriculture, commerce and education. The second wall represents Jacob’s Native American culture while simultaneously weaving imagery of Portales, Clovis and Cannon Air Force Base into the composition. Jacobs says that the complete mural will also look ahead to the future.
By Robert Graham
Jacob embraces the past too; he is a member of Tódik’ǫzhi, the Salt Water clan. Jacob grew up on the Ramah Navajo Reservation, which is an hour south of Gallup, New Mexico near the Zuni Pueblo. He is the Director of Native American Affairs at ENMU and says that “Eastern has been the biggest gift of my life. I’ve made a family here. Eastern is my new home.”
Photo by Maria Garcia
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lumna Debralynn Soza (BS 11) directs Portales Mainstreet, an organization dedicated to revitalizing the core of Portales. Debralynn prioritized art as a part of that revitalization, commissioning the services of future alumnus Jacob Lee (BS 14). Jacob’s three murals along the Floyd Highway caught the eye of Portales Mainstreet. The first one features two faces and the second hummingbirds buttressed by the term ‘Hope’. The third mural also features a hummingbird along with the term ‘Faith’; it sits on the wall of Quality Sales, a local discount store.
Jacob Lee
Jacob anticipates his next step with excitement and awareness. He says that his “focus is to pay it forward” while staying committed to his long-term vision of entrepreneurship.
Green & Silver | November 2014
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