Do you know which film won Best Picture at the 1991 Oscars? Or who won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1948? Don’t ask Google or Alexa, ask Steve Pasternack, our campus security guard. Steve, who is a keen storyteller and cinephile, may be the only face everyone sees on a daily basis when they walk into campus. When asked what he likes most about UConn Hartford, he couldn’t pick just one thing. “I like the building. I enjoy the staff, and most of all, I love the diversity of our students. I’m impressed by their honesty.” Steve is a fascinating individual and storyteller with a tenacious memory. When enrolled at the Yale Graduate School, where he studied theater, he aspired to be a stage director. He was a recipient of the prestigious Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship, which earned him the opportunity to perform at the Kennedy Center, which he did. When we asked what it’s like being on campus during the pandemic, he answers, “It’s like Edward Hopper’s ‘Nighthawks’ painting.” Look it up, you’ll understand. Steve, thank you for your support and your stories.

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