The Collegian

Issue date: 3/12/09 Section: News

Campus security officer Brandon Eckleberry, who joined the staff in January, said he spends a large share of his Saturday and Sunday night shifts jumping car batteries and unlocking doors for students who are missing keys.

He finds the job relaxing, after making a tour of Iraq as an E-4 corporal in the Marine Corps.

"After serving as a Marine I really do not think I will be challenged in the outside world like that again," he said. "Everything I have run into since seems easy in comparison."

Though he was born in Mt. Pleasant, Mich., Eckelberry attended Hillsdale High School and said he knows the spirit of the town well. A large part of it, he said, depends on the college that bears its name.

"Everything seems nice, neat and clean at Hillsdale College," he said. "The rules are upheld very well and it is an all-around sound school."

While in school Eckelberry played football, basketball, performed the high jump and ran the 200 and 400 meter relays in track. Such an arduous workout served him well when in 2006 and 2007 Eckelberry made a military tour of Fallujah, Iraq.

"It gives you a certain amount of confidence, being in the Marines," he said. "If I can make decisions while being shot at I can do anything. It does not get more intense than that."

Leaving the war as an E-4 corporal, Eckelberry returned home and worked as a carpenter for Frametech, until he heard Hillsdale's security team needed a few new officers.

Impressed by his military service, Wertz hired Eckelberry in January.

Senior Raz Schafer, another security guard, said Eckleberry's background makes him a useful addition to the staff.

"Brandon is very professional and brings a lot of experience to our staff," Schafer said. "He will do a great job."

Eckelberry said he typically works on Saturdays and Sundays, patrolling campus from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. He said he has faced nothing more severe than the occasional shouting match between Alpha Tau Omega and Sigma Chi fraternities.

"One thing that surprised me is how respectful and mature the students are," he said. "I like working here and I definitely think the campus is manageable."

Senior Raz Schafer, another security officer, said Eckleberry gets along with students well.

"Brandon is very personable," Schafer said. "He interacts well with students and they relate to him as he is younger than some of the other security officers."

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