DiChristina has brought many skills to OC

It's a close game on early Wednesday evening as the feared Primal Savage Death clashes with the Bricklayers in the intramural four-on-four basketball league. At the foul line for the Bricklayers is Joe DiChristina, Interim Director of Security. He's missed his first shot and is readying himself for his second, trying to widen the Bricklayer's slim lead.

DiChristina has played intramural basketball for many of the five and a half years he has been at Oberlin. He first arrived in August of 1990 to take a position as Assistant Dean in Residential Life and has had a lot of contact with Residential Coordinaters (RCs). Ever since then he has followed a philosophy of active interaction with students and staff that goes beyond the call of duty.

"Just go out and be yourself and foster relationships on who you are," DiChristina said. "Focus on the more fun and positive aspects of the campus community."

DiChristina has taken this philosophy and brought it to the security department, to further the work begun by former Director of Security Richard McDaniels, who resigned in November.

McDaniels worked at Oberlin for more than 15 years. "When Rick came here [Security] was a small department. He really professionalized a lot of things," DiChristina said. "As Rick worked here he saw the staff become more safety conscious than building security conscious."

In 1974, when student security cadets were introduced, there were only eight full-time staff members. Now this number has more than doubled in terms of full-time staff, with about the same number of part-time employees. There are also 15 student cadets.

DiChristina has mixed emotions about stepping into McDaniel's shoes. "I took the job for granted - it's really amazing the amount of information that flows through this department and the expectations [demanded] of the department. Students have big expectations of the safety and security for themselves and their personal belongings."

In January, DiChristina filmed a ten-minute video of various students and staff giving their thoughts on the purpose of security and in this manner gauged the expectations placed on the department.

"When you're working a 24-hour shop there is constantly stuff flowing into the office. That puts a lot of pressure on us. People turn to this department as the only thing open late at night."

However, DiChristina said, "I am optimistic about it all. This is very important to Dean [of Student Life and Services Charlene] Cole. And our staff build on their knowledge along with Dean Cole's vision."

When Cole took her position as Dean of Student Life and Services last July, she moved the Security Department under her wing from the Operations Division. Cole has made it a goal of hers to put priority on people and their safety, and by having Security report directly to her, it places more of an emphasis on personal safety.

Another daunting aspect of DiChristina's job is balancing the immediate with the long term. "You have to take care of daily issues, plus envision for a couple of years from now in terms of such things as organizational structure," DiChristina said.

When daily incidents do arise they need to be addressed immediately and decisions need to be made. Should the police be informed? Who should be contacted? Can the problem be solved immediately? "Some things can be solved over computer on Quick Mail, but some things deserve immediate attention and one-on-one contact," DiChristina said.

In the spirit of this contact, DiChristina has had some of his officers get involved with different committees, and with the heads of other departments. One example of such interaction is with Officer Dianna Mahar, who sits on the Orientation Committee. On this committee she is seen as "not just an officer, but as a member of the community and as her own person," DiChristina said. "My philosophy is that people contact is highly important."

Looking at DiChristina's background one can see how he would adopt such a philosophy. He's taken counseling classes for the last three years, though he hasn't been certified. From 1987 to 1990, before coming to Oberlin, he worked in a residence hall of 700 at Northeast Missouri State University. "That's a 24-hour operation," DiChristina said. "I was in charge of programs such as crisis intervention. It really prepared me for Oberlin."

In January 1997, DiChristina will go to the University of Capetown, in South Africa, as a Rotary Scholar with an Ambassadorial Scholarship. There he will transfer credit to the University of Akron where he has been taking classes. "If it wasn't for that, I would seriously put in my own application [for the position as permament Director of Security]," DiChristina said.

Last Thursday the committee met to look over applications for the position. The new director will probably take over during the summer. After April, the candidates will be on campus meeting students and holdto be successful is to know the students and integrate with the students," DiChristina said.

Though DiChristina is looking toward the future, he is very satisified with the present. "For me personally and professionally this has been a great experience as `manager' of the department. Professionally I can relate to Dean Cole's vision and personally the staff was immediately welcoming. We've built on what they had."

Top: Looking for the pass: DiChristina passes (photo by Mike Oleson)
Bottom: DiChristina Defends: Interim Director of Security Joe DiChristina has long been a participant in Oberlin's four-on-four intermural basketball leangue. (photo by Mike Oleson)