Dr. Chris Jordan (St. Cloud State University)

Dr. Chris Jordan is a film studies professor at St. Cloud State University. 

Born in Austin, Texas, Jordan’s ancestors roamed the vast southern plains back before Texas was even a state. 

“My ancestors settled in Taylor, which is just outside of Austin, before the civil war,” Jordan says.  

“Also, my wife is really into genealogy, and we have learned that my ancestors played a role in helping Texas liberate itself from Mexico. I’m proud of that history.”

At twelve years old, the Jordan family migrated north to Dallas, the change in latitude not enough to shelter them from the sweltering Texas heat, but Jordan, the son of a college professor, was then enrolled into a prominent private school.

It was there, and in many other areas, that Jordan’s academic prowess was fostered, and after high school, he moved back down to Austin to attend UT. 

But the Austin of yesteryear, the city that attracted and welcomed all types, is a shell of what it was when Jordan was an undergrad. 

“Over the years, it’s gotten extremely expensive and crowded,” the Longhorn alum notes.  

“It’s turned into just like any other big city in the country, in that many landmarks have been demolished and replaced by strip malls and corporate buildings.”

After earning his undergrad degree, Jordan then shifted vertically, geographically, and enrolled at the University of North Texas, before later earning his PhD at the University of New Mexico. 

From there, Jordan packed his belongings and began teaching at the prestigious Penn State University, remaining in Nittany Lion country for the next decade.   

“Then I got here in 2005,” he remarks, which could be construed as unfortunate, considering that the weather on this February day is horrid, the combination of low temperatures and gusty winds enough to crack even the most moisturized skin upon contact.  

“Why Minnesota? What compelled you to stay here?” I ask, the prospect of venturing back out into the nefariously frosty atmosphere stuck in my subconscious.  

“I love teaching film,” Jordan bluntly states.  

“And I have found my academic home here at St. Cloud State.” 

That’s because in addition to being an excellent professor whose knowledge of cinema is deep and profound, Jordan is also surrounded by equally impressive colleagues like Brad Chisholm and Felipe Costaglioli, who have made his stint on campus unforgettable. 

“This is where I’m supposed to be,” Jordan adds. 

“Minnesota Nice is real. This state is full of good people, and it all started with my job when I came here on a one-year contract. I had no guarantees of employment beyond that, but I managed to parlay that into a tenure-track job, and then eventually I became a full professor.”

Film studies. 

Having majored in the subject, I can vividly remember friends and family chastising me for my decision, citing legitimate concerns regarding the viability of future employment, among other things. 

At the same time, having intensely studied the discipline for two years under the guidance of experts like Jordan, Chisholm, and Costaglioli, I can assure readers that one does not major in film for the express purpose of translating that into gainful employment. 

Rather, one immerses themselves in an arena like film because they love the medium, and they want to evolve as an individual.  

“In this major, it’s about more than simply learning who Humphrey Bogart is, or who directed which movies,” Jordan insists. 

”You also learn how to learn, and how to think and write critically.”

It’s at this point that the lights in room 217 vanquish. 

“Did the power go out here?” I quip, but I’m soon informed that my alma mater installed motion sensors in order to save money.

That’s not surprising.

Time to get back on track, Quentin. 

Jordan then continues his thought, that education is about more than just getting an ROI on your investment.

“The value of a film studies degree is that you get a set of skills that you can use to earn a living, and you also get a set of skills that turn you into a lifelong learner,” he says.

Committed to his own education, even as a decorated professor on campus, it’s been two decades since Jordan arrived at St. Cloud State, a school that among the general public is known more for its propensity to party than for its devotion to academic excellence. 

And now, nearing the end of his time as a professor, Jordan can reflect on what this university means to him. 

“I’ve built incredible relationships with colleagues, and students just like you, Quentin,” Jordan says. 

“I feel like I’ve been able to have meaningful involvement in young people’s lives,” he then mentions, and that’s because he has had that type of impact.

I would even go as far to say that without professors like him, I would never have dared to write, much less publish three books, but when someone believes in you, and you believe in yourself, watch out. 

Anything is possible. 

“Watching students grow and evolve, even after they graduate, is so rewarding,” Jordan says.

That right there, that might trump any pension or 401k plan that St. Cloud State can offer a professor, because for as great as those accoutrements are, they can’t come close to equaling the satisfaction that teachers like Jordan feel when the books close, the caps and gowns are discarded, and all that’s left is memories and knowledge. 

“I’ve never gotten rich doing this, but I am rich in terms of what I’ve done professionally,” Jordan proclaims.  

Far too often, people chase the money, wrongfully assuming that once they have the capital, the impact will follow. 

We all have bills to pay, and I’m not here to condemn the affluent, because I’m a raging capitalist as much as the next, but when impact is prioritized over money, the money tends to follow. 

“That’s what I enjoyed about your book [The Long Road East],” Jordan says.  

“I thought it was incredibly interesting and insightful. It also meant that you took the skills you learned in college and applied them to something bigger. That, and then learning about your life, that was unique.”

“Maybe you learned too much,” I crack, and then a chorus of laughter among everyone in the room ensues. 

“Because I used to be a degenerate,” I add. 

My time with Chris Jordan is set to conclude, just like his tenure on campus is slated to expire.

Once he permanently leaves the Performing Arts Center, Jordan plans on writing a book and remaining in the St. Cloud area, a place he has grown to appreciate so much that this is where he will retire. 

“I also bought an elliptical, and I want to spend more time with my wife,” he says, and that’s a freedom that Jordan has undeniably earned. 

“Retirement is an unwritten chapter in my life, but I’m very enthusiastic about breaking ground on it.” QS

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