2008 Woodie Awards
Bernardo "Bernie" Buitrago Fondly Remebered
Ariel Schwartz and Asher Morris
Issue date: 10/15/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Bernardo Buitrago, better known as Bernie, was a good man, a nice man, a funny man, and a smart man. His co-worker in the cafeteria, Regina, said "Bernie was someone I could talk to." A friend to both students and his co-workers, he always had something to share: a story, a word of the day, or even fantasy football advice.
Bernie was a senior counterperson who worked in the Department of Food Services. He joined the University in July of 1999 and was here since. "He was a staple in the cafeteria," said Avi Eserner (SSSB '09).
According to Bernie's co-workers in the cafeteria, he was taking medication for hypertension (increased blood pressure) and diabetes, a disease that affects insulin production in the body and results in fluctuations in blood sugar levels. However, information on his illness is sparse as co-workers told The Commentator that he was private when it came to his health.
Michelle, another one of Bernie's co-workers said "when we came back to work it felt empty. We were like 'where's Bernie?' He was always there if you needed someone to talk to." Bernie tried to entertain and help his co-workers as much as he was able. They were also impressed by his love for knowledge. He would regularly read two to three books per week. He also used to teach the staff new words to improve their vocabularies.
In addition to being a companion to his co-workers, he was also a good friend to many of the students here at Yeshiva's Wilf Campus. Avi Eserner said "he knew everyone's name. He was a great guy and was one of the reasons we liked going to the caf." According to Dovid Becker (YC '09) "Bernie made shopping at the caf a personal experience. He was a one of a kind guy." Noam Green (YC '09) used to talk to Bernie all the time. "He always had something to talk about."
"He is certainly going to be missed," echoed Regina and Michelle. Dovid Becker agreed with the sentiment. "Bernie was a gem. He was intelligent, funny, and most importantly real. We could always talk to him about anything and everything. The caf just won't be the same without him." He will be sorely missed by both his co-workers and the entire student body.
Bernie was a senior counterperson who worked in the Department of Food Services. He joined the University in July of 1999 and was here since. "He was a staple in the cafeteria," said Avi Eserner (SSSB '09).
According to Bernie's co-workers in the cafeteria, he was taking medication for hypertension (increased blood pressure) and diabetes, a disease that affects insulin production in the body and results in fluctuations in blood sugar levels. However, information on his illness is sparse as co-workers told The Commentator that he was private when it came to his health.
Michelle, another one of Bernie's co-workers said "when we came back to work it felt empty. We were like 'where's Bernie?' He was always there if you needed someone to talk to." Bernie tried to entertain and help his co-workers as much as he was able. They were also impressed by his love for knowledge. He would regularly read two to three books per week. He also used to teach the staff new words to improve their vocabularies.
In addition to being a companion to his co-workers, he was also a good friend to many of the students here at Yeshiva's Wilf Campus. Avi Eserner said "he knew everyone's name. He was a great guy and was one of the reasons we liked going to the caf." According to Dovid Becker (YC '09) "Bernie made shopping at the caf a personal experience. He was a one of a kind guy." Noam Green (YC '09) used to talk to Bernie all the time. "He always had something to talk about."
"He is certainly going to be missed," echoed Regina and Michelle. Dovid Becker agreed with the sentiment. "Bernie was a gem. He was intelligent, funny, and most importantly real. We could always talk to him about anything and everything. The caf just won't be the same without him." He will be sorely missed by both his co-workers and the entire student body.
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