Mr. Jordan, the Ripples advisor for the past year and two-year American Society teacher at SHS, has announced that he is leaving his teaching position at Shorewood. 

Jordan became Ripples advisor after our former advisor of 18 years, Mike Halloran, left the position. Over the summer of 2020, the Ripples staff discussed who to offer the position to, and Jordan’s name came up quickly. After being asked (twice), Jordan committed to the position, and we are very glad he did. 

Jordan came to our summer planning meetings ready with fresh ideas, like establishing Ripples’ partnership with Special Ed., where the department helps us deliver papers. He was also very helpful in figuring out logistics like subscriptions and finances. 

In general, as a new advisor, Jordan knew when to be hands on and help when he needed to, but he also knew when to lay back and let the students do what we already knew. He also gave great advice on article decisions, like what angle to take or what stories to write –– he used his position within the school to share with us some of the administrative and staff perspectives on topics we were covering to provide direction. When we had questions, Jordan knew when to answer them directly and when to facilitate a thoughtful discussion.

Of course, there were some trials and tribulations. At the beginning of the year, Jordan’s meeting attendance was less than stellar. He would occasionally –– or maybe more than occasionally –– not come to our meetings. But, after being honest with him, he stepped up and sat in on more meetings, which we greatly appreciated. And this shows what kind of a person Jordan is: he is never above constructive advice and he can be self-critical and change accordingly. 

Just like with his freshmen students, Jordan quickly made personal connections with the editorial staff. He wasn’t just the advisor for the school newspaper; he was also an advisor for many of our lives outside of Ripples. A responsible and relatable role model, Jordan stands out because he treats his students like peers and respects our opinions and ideas. 

He was also very supportive when it came to implementing and executing new ideas. When the editorial staff wanted to start publishing an advice column or organize a school board candidate forum, Jordan was immediately on board. 

Jordan, like any good advisor, was not a voice of the administration. From the start of the school year, he was open to our conversations and didn’t censor our content or ideas. 

For Ripples staff members of color, we appreciated having an advisor of color. It made it easier to speak about certain topics that fellow editorial staff members may not have fully understood or related to.

It is difficult to put into words how much we will miss Jordan, and we wish him the best in his future endeavours –– especially when he gets married next September! Not only were we lucky to have him as our advisor, but as a friend. He will certainly succeed wherever he ends up next, helping students just as he did with Ripples.