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Comments
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 1/12/2012 - 12:49pm
This house was, for my entire upbringing in Durham, completely obscured by ivy and shrubbery. We always wondered who the reclusive person was who lived there, if anyone. At a house party in Chapel Hill of all places, around 1999 or so, I met a girl who grew up on Pinecrest and she told me all about the legend of Professor Bonk. Imagine my surprise when I was driving down the street one day a few years ago and suddenly the house was completely exposed to the outside world. I nearly drove off the road from surprise.
Submitted by Sarah Burdick (not verified) on Thu, 4/12/2012 - 10:21am
I also always thought a hermit lived in this house because it appeared to be a mound of ivy. But Professor Bonk still lives there and is often seen on the trail. He was recently honored when a tennis court at Duke was named after him in Ambler stadium.
Submitted by Pavel (not verified) on Fri, 6/27/2014 - 2:42pm
Prof. Bonk has sadly passed away in 2013. I was reading up on him and found this (apparently verified) gem on Wikipedia:
Bonk was known for his sense of humor. A group of students went out of town for a party and got back late saying they were delayed by a flat tire. He said they could take a makeup exam the next day. When they came the students were each put in a different room. The first question on the exam was a straightforward question worth 5 points. The second question on the next page was worth 95 points and said "Which Tire?".
RIP to a Duke legend!
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