For those of us who are up late every night, whether for classes or more nefarious purposes, the Night Watchmen are around and generally talkative.  Twice during the night the watchman will take a quick tour of Burton-Conner checking all the kitchens and lounge areas to make sure that everyone is safe and stoves are turned off.  During these rounds they will often chat with students who are up late and too tired to continue their work, but too dedicated to give up.  Friendships inevitably begin to form between the students and the Night Watchmen.  Phil Kesten, class of 1978, said, “I look back on it now and realize that the people who aren't fellow students but that you see everyday in your ‘home’ make a big difference in terms of your experiences and also how you remember those experiences.”  He recalls that Pasquale, or Patsy, was close to everyone and was “everyone’s favorite uncle.” 

For many years David Abrahamian has been the main Night Watchman at Burton-Conner.  He often spends 4 nights a week working at Burton-Conner and he has developed a very strong affinity for the dormitory and its residents.  Many of the residents know him as “Dave the Security Guard” or “Bones” and can recognize his laughter as he comes walking down the hallways.  Dave is one of the strongest supporters of the students in the Night Watch.  For example, when a student falls asleep in any of the lounges, the Night Watchman is supposed wake him/her up and send the tired student back to their room because we are not allowed to sleep in public lounges.  Instead of accepting this he told the other Night Watchmen that if a resident is sleeping, alcohol isn’t involved, and they do not present a fire hazard, then they should be left alone.  He feels that waking up the student is not fair to the student because they are not getting enough sleep already and the need to catch up on their sleep.