15 wednesday, november 23, 2011
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Cesar Diaz-Garcia
being a guard, but that all the jobs nown for his humor and wit, have their benefits. Cesar Diaz-Garcia is known Lloyd A. Davis simply as “The Clown.” It’s the one nickname of the eight that he hen he speaks, there’s a himself did not make up. certain unique wisdom that When I asked the other guards Lloyd Davis projects, and it’s about him, his name was enough to almost tangible. And with his deep, coax smiles from Gill and Barrera, resounding voice, he resembles and his presence made it nearly the stoic grandfather that everyone impossible for other guards to pose wishes they had. for photos without laughing. He started at Buckley in the Diaz-Garcia spent his childhood summer of 2003, working in the in Guatemala, though he was born business office, and now he works in Los Angeles. Ever the jokester, his favorite shift during the night. his humor developed alongside his “I love the graveyard shift,” he other interest: a passion for soccer. said. There is no one around during Once Diaz-Garcia moved to Los the night, and “I enjoy spending Angeles, he continued to play the time by myself,” he said. sport, and continues to scrimmage Davis’s time spent managing our in games on Gilley field most textbook purchases in the business weeks. The teams don’t change, but office has shaped the way he looks according to him, “we always win.” at his position. In 2010, Diaz-Garcia became “There’s so much money that’s the assistant coach for girls soccer wasted when people leave their at school. lights and computers on,” he said. The road from coming to It’s become his own personal Buckley in 2002 to his job today as mission to save the school money a guard and coach was a long one. on its energy bill by making sure “I started out as a everything is off at night. groundskeeper,” he said. “A few Along with the other overnight years later I became a guard, and in guard, Shephard, Davis greets 2010 Byrd [Newman-Milic, director students and welcomes them on of athletics] offered me the position campus every morning. of girls soccer assistant coach.” When he gets home each Diaz-Garcia said that he prefers day, Lloyd spends time with his
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wife--whom he loves more than anything--does household chores, and sleeps. On Tuesdays, he goes to the hospital for dialysis, a timeintensive and draining process that takes up much of his day. “My life revolves around dialysis these days,” he said. Mario Mercado
ime is hard to come by for T Mario Mercado as well. Constantly vying for his attention
are his education, his job, his internship, his religion and his family. And, of course, sports cars. “Mario’s car is nicer than all of ours put together,” Gill told me. Mercado recently graduated from Santa Monica College as well as from the United Education Institute, and looks forward to continuing his education at a university in the future. “I’m very interested in IT work,” he told me. In addition, before work every day Mercado works with children from eight to 1. “I’m a busy guy,” he said. When he gets the chance, he likes to go to the movies. “I like funny movies, and movies about life,” he said.
The last movie he saw was an animated comedy called Rio, which he attended with his ten year old sister. Richard Shephard
he guard about which least is known T is possibly Richard Shephard, and in spite of more than a decade on
campus is known to many of the other guards as “The Mystery Man.” He has always worked the graveyard shift, and these days works at school on the later days in the week, on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.During those hours, he patrols the campus at night and welcomes students and parents in the morning. When he’s at home he enjoys golfing, his favorite sport and hobby. There are few hours in the day, and few things which Shephard is very open to talking about, but his passion for golf has managed found a way into his time and conversations. In addition, Shephard enjoys spending time with his family--or, at least, the family he has in Los Angeles. Most of his blood-relations lives in New York, but Davis has two siblings who are local. Like the guard who shares his shift, Shephard enjoys the night. Like all the guards, he’s dedicated to a sense of duty and to the protection of Buckley’s students and property.
GuardCouture
Walkie-talkies allow the guards to coordinate traffic and make campus rounds more efficient.
For winter months, each guard has an official rain coat; rain or shine, our campus is safe. Longsleeve shirts are for more formal occasions like the school play; each guard carries a badge.
For nighttime shifts, every guard carries a flashlight that can double as a protective device.
The handcuffs have never been used, but this hot-weather outfit is for the summer and annual fair.