Senior Veronica Bolds knows Saturday will be an emotional day for the Clarke Central High School community.
A member of the Gladiators' girls basketball team, she plans to travel with her teammates to downtown Atlanta to attend the funeral for Assistant Principal Miller Jordan Jr. and read a poem during the eulogy. She'll then rush back to Athens, hoping to make a 5 p.m. tip-off for a crucial region game against cross-town rivals Cedar Shoals.
It won't be easy.
But then again, she said, nothing has seemed easy since she and her teammates learned of Mr. Jordan's killing earlier this week.
The longtime assistant principal and his father, Miller Jordan Sr., were found stabbed to death Sunday at the principal's home in Decatur. Police say both were killed by Mr. Jordan's son, Miller Jordan III, who was arrested in Alabama on Tuesday.
Funerals for both men will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday in Big Bethel A.M.E. Church on Auburn Avenue in downtown Atlanta.
Clarke Central students and faculty gathered at the school Wednesday to comfort each other.
Veronica was one of a handful of students in the school library where counselors and school social workers offered someone to talk to.
Wiping away tears as she talked about Mr. Jordan, Veronica said the girls basketball team will dedicate the remainder of its season to Mr. Jordan and will wear black armbands in his honor.
Saturday's game was originally scheduled for 12:30 p.m., Clarke Central Principal Maxine Easom said, but was pushed back to 5 p.m. so it would not conflict with the funerals.
Juniors Raychel Gantt, Schanea Griffith and Shantasia Wright said Mr. Jordan was a popular administrator, especially for students who were either in trouble or struggling with schoolwork.
Many students felt close to Mr. Jordan, Schanea said, and described him as a down-to-earth principal who was friendly and kind.
"He was genuine," Raychel said. "He always reminded us to stay out of trouble and to make sure you studied and do what you're supposed to be doing. He made it his business for you to come by his office, and he would help you deal with personal problems."
Ms. Easom has received "countless" e-mails and calls, she said, and many people have asked or made suggestions about a memorial for Mr. Jordan.
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This is a very sad situation. You would not think that your kids would do something to you that bad, but we know the kids these days are not like in the old days. I wonder was this all about drugs and money. I hope he have the worst time possible in life, because he took someone else's life. He took his own family members. It's not right to kill anyone and especially your own family. Was he having problems and noone would listern or was there something else wrong with him. We all have to pray a lot harder than we did in the past. This is a sad thing to happen to a family. Please make sure that if the young man needs help please give it to him, but he should not ever be let out on the streets again. He took some special people lives from them. He should be made to remember everything that he has done to the family and himself.