b'Saying Goodbye to One of the Best Beloved CHS teacher Jon Campbellretires after 25 yearsBY CASSANDRA RATKEVICHIn June, at the age of 76 and after 25 years at CHS, Campbell closed the door to room A136 one last time and retired.Campbell was born in Chicago, Illinois, and moved to Jonestown, Pennsyl-vania in fifth grade. In Jonestowna steel mill town as Campbell himself calls ithe received his formal education. As Campbell recalls it, I decided in 7th Campbell on his last day at Columbia High Schoolgrade to be a lawyer, and while never expecting to be a teacher, I adored and respected my teachers.V isitors to Columbia High School, found Jon CampbellsReturning to Illinois to attend Northern Illinois University, Campbell gained his Bachelor of Arts in psychology, later followed by his Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers Law School. During his time at Rutgers, Campbell worked for a classroom easy to spot amongst the maze of hallways anddrug abuse clinic, representing clients in criminal cases. It was also during this herds of students. Through the main doors of CHS andtime that Campbell gained his Master of Arts in Education at Montclair State just beyond the front security desk, Campbells classroomUniversity and began working with was the first classroom to the left, framed by two doorsSeton Hall University students who and three trophy cases of dusty awards from generationalalsovolunteeredatthedrugabuse school victories.clinic. Stepping inside room A136 could seem overwhelminga hodgepodge ofInaddition,Campbellbegan boxesofworksheets,bookshelvesfullofmiscellaneousdictionariesandlawteachingnighttimelawclassesto books, posters with little cohesiveness, maps, globes, a liberty scale, other knick- adults at Rutgers Department of Ur-knacks, and a few generic yellow printed papers taped above the SmartBoardban Education, covering real estate, that read, off & away, with lines crossing out a cell phone.land usage, and zoning law.Somewhere, nestled away in what some may call clutter, was Campbell,Campbellrecallshisgreatlove in his tie of the day, either standing alongside the blackboard that stretches theand enjoyment in teaching both the length of the room, behind the podium in the far corner or at his desk. Wher- Seton Hall University students and at the adult school. He pinpoints these ex-ever you found him, he was doing what he loves most: teaching.periences as what pushed him to the decision to give up litigationalthough 28/ matters magazine / school 2021'