Ciao there Judges,

This time in our loved weekly interview series we have an special guest. She is from Italy and loves Lions 😉 !!!  Don’t miss this JOTW: Regional Coordinator Series with Cristiana Dionisio, RC for Italy and Malta!  Check it out :D!

 What advice would you give to members of your region?
Always remember that judges, TOs, officers are part of the same team, we all love the game Magic, we all want to serve the players and keep the game at its best.

What advice would you give to a Judge growing up through the program?

Look at your goals every day, remind yourself why they are important and focus on what you are going to do to take action on.

Could you recognize a few outstanding members of your region?
L3s in my region all rock.  Each of them has a different quality that makes our group complete and efficient!

What’s the coolest event you ever been to?
PT Amsterdam 2010. I wasn’t judging because my application got refused, but I went all the same, together with other unaccepted judges and we had a blast in watching the event from outside, talking to many judges, and especially I created strong bonds that will never break.

What’s the farthest you have ever traveled for a Magic event?
PTs/GPs in Japan or in the American west coast.

Does your family travel with you?
Yes, at times. I would like they always came with me but work and personal life makes it hard.

How do you not lose your mind as a RC?
I actually lose it at times and I pull out a gun and shoot randomly… no, kidding 🙂 I breath, I review 3 times what I am about to say and I try to keep firm but fair.

 

What do you feel needs to be improved in the Judge program?
I would like to have a clear way for judges that are misconducting themselves to be educated and failing that, to be demoted or decertified.

What has been your best experience in the Judge Program?
My L3 exam, both written and interview has been one of the moments I have learned the most from in my entire life.

What motivates you to continue being a judge?
The passion and the involvement I see in some people makes me alive, active, inspired.

What has been your favorite magic event that you’ve judged?
GP Baltimore has been the first GP I have HJed alone, with no other L4s+.  I was scared, concerned, excited, thrilled; we had an unexpected high attendance and few judges, a great successful challenge.

If you could chat with one person, real or fictional, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
The actual person that was known as Jesus Christ. I would like to know what he would think of the current religion, church, homosexuality, divorce, abortion, and condoms.

What hobbies do you have outside of Magic?
I love lions, books, swimming, playing board games, watching movies and tv series; my favourite ones are The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Grey’s Anatomy, Californication and Vampire Diaries.

What character in Magic (real or fictional) represents you the best, and why?
Vesuvan Doppelganger. I am very adaptable to people and situations, trying to be always empathetic and ready to listen, absorb and make others’ needs mine but always maintaining my color, my personality.

How often do you Travel for Magic?
Once/twice a month!

What are some of your Regional Goals?
I am working so that italian L3s become my admirals, each of them in charge of a specific area and L2s all participating to projects that L3s lead.

What’s one thing in your region which makes playing magic special?
The Italian magic community is the most united that I have ever seen, TOs, Judges and Players get along very well.  Complaints and arguments are very few and in general very handleable.

Tell us an embarrassing story that you’re not afraid of everyone knowing.
At GP Barcelona 2006, day 2, I have been selected to call the draft. Introducing me to the players, the HJ said “and now, the sexiest voice of the DCI will call the draft for you”.  It has been the worst embarrassing moment ever since I felt I was treated as sexual object more than a judge.

How has being a Magic Judge influenced your non-Magic life?
What is a non-Magic life??? There is only Magic in my life… no, I’m kidding again. I met the most amazing people while and because of judging, they are so important for me that I couldn’t even think of a life without them.

Who are your role models within the Judge Program? What are the qualities that drew you to them?
Andrew Heckt taught me what a leader is, how to challenge myself and how to face fears.

Davide Bonati, former responsible of WOTC Italy, taught me how to think without limits, to ask for everything I want, to be ready for NOs and fight for what I believe. 
Collin Jackson, former L5, now Emeritus showed me how to evaluate candidates in a fast and fair way, how to focus on the important points in an effective way.

Jaap Brower, former L5, now emeritus taught me how to involve judges in your staff during a big event, how to make them feel part of a big project from the start to the end, even after 15 hours of a hard judging day.

The italian L3s+, Matteo, Gianluca, Mirko, Davide, Walter, Luca, Riccardo taught me that my vision can be at times incomplete and my judgement darkened by anger, that more brains together make more noise but at the end they create amazing beautiful monsters.

How do you have fun during events?
When I am Team Leader or when I belong to a team, I like to make that team special, I like to make pictures of my team, I like to talk to them about life outside magic, knowing them better, going to lunch and dinner together and especially laughing a lot thinking that I am very lucky to be there.

What is the proudest moment of your Judge life?
At PT Amsterdam 2010, during the Judge Dinner, all Italians, 11 of us, have been asked to stand up and we received congratulations and applause because we had showed we could integrate with foreign judges and finally we were considered international judges, not only Italians.

What is your favorite “after event” story?

 

After Magic Weekend Paris 2011, Matteo, Gianluca, Mirko, Riccardo, Simone and I rented a tandem bicycle in Versailles.  Simone and Riccardo chased themselves forgetting where they were, Gianluca and Matteo got lost in the gardens and came late to give back bikes and had to pay extra for the delay. I couldn’t use pedals for laughing, Mirko had to ride by himself and carry me too. we seemed a group of insane people escaped from mental hospital. I really couldn’t even breath for that much laughing :).

What is the worst tournament you have judged?
PT Valencia 2007. The “PT of the flood”. It rained too much and the venue got flooded. So WOTC decided to cut a day to adjust the venue and concentrate the event in 2 days. It worked, but all community projects, teams, plans were all changed and improvised and there was so much disappointment and disruption that we all were confused and very tired.

Any additional questions or comment you would like to have on the interview?
Honestly it looks great like it is 🙂 Thank you for selecting me.  It has been very fun 🙂

…and we have also enjoyed this time :D, thanks Cristiana!