Flying Colors: The Man Behind the Kite

Maybe you’ve seen him over the years. Or heard about him. Or you’re still trying to catch him in action. So, who’s the man behind the kite on campus? 

It’s Ed Bernstein, usually clad in a bow tie and hat, and he’s flown a kite on his lunch break at the University of Hartford for more than 10 years. If you can’t find him among the books and history of Harrison Libraries as circulation coordinator, you might encounter him on a grassy quad waiting for a good gust of wind. 

Bernstein’s kites soar during the academic year and over the summer, too. This week, he was out with an orange and black bird, but in the past, he’s had a pirate flag, dragons, parrots, toucans, jet planes, rainbow stripes, and others. He typically keeps three kites at his desk—one for low-wind days, one for very windy days, and one for medium-wind conditions.

It’s Uniquely UHart and a scene that campus members are always happy to stumble upon.

“I’ve never had a crowd, but people do stop by and say hello, which is nice. Sometimes someone will share with me a story of childhood kite-flying,” Bernstein says. “I’ve had people ask me if I’m doing it for coursework, somehow. Only once has someone else been already flying a kite when I went out.”

He enjoyed flying kites with his kids when they were youngsters, and started at UHart as a way to head outside and be active on his break, even though, as he admits, the kite is doing most of the work. 

The next time you notice a windy day on campus, be sure to keep your eyes peeled—and look up.