Meet Linfield’s assistant professor of nursing, director of clinical education and roller derby announcer
The atmosphere in the arena is electric. Music blares through the speakers, drowned only by the shouts, jeers and cheers of 400 spectators in the sold-out stands. Skaters race around the wooden track, adding their own symphony of squeaks and squeals.
Echoing above it all – through the speakers and from her perch in the announcer’s booth on a crowded catwalk 20 feet above the track – is assistant nursing professor Jordan Ferris.
Her voice booms: “Oh my goodness, Lil RegulateHer beating Bonnie Thunders out for lead jammer. That doesn’t happen often!”
She calls the action throughout the roller derby match on this night, painting a vivid picture with her words and building excitement for the packed-in audience.
“Ohhhhhhh beautiful apex jump there,” she yells, jumping right out of her own seat. “That was some absolutely amazing offense played in that jam.”
Ferris, it becomes clear as the game progresses, is a master storyteller. Her characters – and truly ‘characters’ is the right word – are decked out in vibrant uniforms bearing their creative nicknames. Today’s match features Big Bang Fury, Tenacity Remington, Oona Roll and Beyond ThunderDame, among others.
“Oh, my word,” she says into the microphone. “That was a big hit there by Tenacity. What a great rollback!”
The Hangar, a backlot arena at the Oaks Amusement Park in Southeast Portland, is lit by flickering-colored lights from a disco ball in the ceiling and crowded cheek to jowl with fans almost as flamboyant as the skaters. They are there to experience action, drama and comedy woven together in a spectacle that is more than a typical sporting event. Part theater, part athleticism, part punk-rock edginess, roller derby involves more than 400 skaters each year in Portland’s Rose City Roller league. And it’s one that Ferris has been deeply involved in for the last five years.
“I love to talk,” Ferris says. “And I love being in these performing spaces. I’ve really cultivated this ulterior persona with roller derby.”
Her passion for the sport began when she joined a club called the Air Raid Roller Girls, playing for a couple years under the moniker Nomnom-nivore. As time went on, though, she prioritized the importance of protecting her body and shifted her focus to recreational skating and announcing, which she considers her “true love.” Her vibrant personality and showmanship are apparent through the mic, captivating the crowd with her announcing skills.
It’s something Ferris, a faculty member and director of clinical education at the Linfield-Good Samaritan School of Nursing, says helped her in the classroom.
“I was really intimidated to teach at first. I was like, ‘who am I to get in front of these students and pretend that I’m some expert on something?’ I then wondered if I could channel my announcing into this,” she remembers.
“I came to the classroom with this big bombastic personality, where I really chose to see it as being on stage,” she says. “Once I started to see lecturing and teaching as this secondary performative area, there was a profound switch in my confidence when in front of students, and I was able to put on that roller derby persona, which made for a much more entertaining classroom.”
While Ferris’ professional life revolves around nursing, her involvement in roller derby adds an important layer of fulfillment to her life. From the announcing booth, she gazes down at the track, trying to put into words the thrill as skaters plow into and through walls of bodies to circle the track and score points for their teams. The glitter of excitement and wonder in her eyes reflects the joy she gets being part of this special community.
“Roller derby embraces athletes of all body types, uplifting athleticism in a diverse range of individuals,” she explains. “It fosters a wonderful sense of community, open to anyone who wants to be a part of the sport. I love what I do, and I’m glad I’ve gotten to be a part of it all these years.”
Ferris Facts
- Health care runs in her family. Her mother is a nurse, father is a doctor, brother is a paramedic, and she has an aunt and two grandfathers who are also medical professionals.
- Her derby name, Nomnom-nivore, was initially one of three options she was trying to choose between. Friends ultimately helped her make the final decision.
- She loves plants and has had as many as 27 in her office at any one time.
