Concluding three years as Ripples advisor, Stephone Jordan Banks is stepping down after the 2023–24 school year.
Jordan Banks, former American Society teacher, left the Shorewood School District in 2021, also ending his term as Ripples advisor. However, he returned to his position on the paper at the beginning of the 2022–23 school year.
“[Before I accepted the position], Halloran asked me a couple times [to succeed him], but I said no because I didn’t think that I could do what he and the folks before me had done over the years,” Jordan Banks said. “I finally said yes, and now the rest is history.”
Though Jordan Banks currently serves as Learning Coordinator at Molson Coors, he wanted to stay associated with Shorewood.
“After my first year [of advising], I left Shorewood, so my connection with Ripples was severed, but I kind of always knew that I wanted to be, in some way, connected to Ripples, even though I left [the Village], because the students were just so dynamic,” Jordan Banks said. “I had never seen students be so motivated and driven to work so hard towards something, which was unique to see.”
When Adrienne Davis, 2021–22 advisor, left Shorewood after one year, Jordan Banks was asked once again to fill the position.
“I was very surprised, because I didn’t work for Shorewood anymore, and I didn’t think that was possible, but it was a great opportunity to work with Alexis [Hu] as Editor in Chief (EIC) and [see] her way of leading a group and how much it differed from Abi [Knox], and how the job still gets done, no matter the leadership style,” Jordan Banks said. “And then my third and final year with [Jillian Beaster] and Sam [Diliberti] leading the helm has been a lot of innovation.”
Jordan Banks believes that to be the best advisor, he must let the Editorial staff run the show.
“[With that innovation], I think that I was just a listening ear, and I was able to give good insight for the innovation that came, such as the partnership with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – I could have never imagined something like that; that was really awesome,” Jordan Banks said.
Of the many highlights that Jordan Banks reflects on is the Staff’s leadership, excitement, and dedication towards the paper.
“All of the Editors bring different skills to the table, and no matter how busy [everyone] is, or how different [everyone] is, the job still gets done through cooperation,” Jordan Banks said. “Everyone is very unique…and the quirks that everyone has just works…that’s what makes Ripples so unique compared to other school newspapers.”
Other than being impressed by the passion of club members, Jordan Banks has enjoyed witnessing writers and staff members evolve throughout his time with the publication.
“Watching the leadership grow, especially from watching [someone] find out that they have gotten the EIC or MES position to where they are at the end of the year…it is just so cool to see the growth and ideas just come to fruition,” Jordan Banks said.
Jordan Banks believes that Ripples provides many benefits for both those involved as well as the broader community.
“Ripples is a place where you can learn and grow from very unique, different people, and also you can learn a lot about your community at the same time,” Jordan Banks said. “You may see your community in a totally different lens from someone outside the Ripples staff…and when those different lenses come together to write one article, that is a really cool opportunity that many don’t have, so take it.”
After spending a year with the 2023–24 staff, Jordan Banks has a parting message.
“I will miss the late nights and everyone’s unique quirks,” Jordan Banks said. “You all are high school kids and…you all are so funny in your own way and have me laughing internally all the time, and some of the conversations that you all have are also incredibly deep and complex… I am going to miss those layout weeks and also hearing that Shorewood gossip.”
This summer, Jordan Banks will return to Washington to build a new future and start a family.