FREE
VOLUME LXV ISSUE iv
ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN HIGH SCHOOL
SERVING RIORDAN SINCE 1949
April 2015 THE NEWSPAPER OF CRUSADER COUNTRY
Student, trainer save coach’s l i f e a f t e r h e a r t a t t a c k o n f i e l d By Chang Liu ’18
Coach Harrington with Jordan Fox ’18 and trainer, Erin Stovall
Photo courtesy Jack Harty-Connell On Feb. 5 around 4:30 p.m., school athletic trainer Erin Stovall, along with Jordan Fox ’18, rushed to the field after several Junior Varsity and Varsity baseball players with panic-
stricken faces reported that Coach Neil Harrington had collapsed. Adults blocked the scene so that no one would interfere with lifesaving attempts. The scene was tense.
As Fox ran with the Automatic External Defibrillator (AED), the situation had gone from bad to worse. “When I got to the scene, first thing I checked was if he had a pulse. He had no pulse, I had no chance to panic and went into life saving mode,” said Stovall. “By the time I got back, I felt sick to the stomach from adrenaline.” “I felt that this is it, I won’t get a second chance,” said Jordan Fox. Principal Vittorio Anastasio said that both of them were heroes that day. Having first hand experience of what it feels like to have a heart condition, Anastasio fears the Coach might not have made it if it wasn’t for Stovall and Fox. During a heart attack, every second counts. In a matter of four
to five minutes, a person could be brain dead or have permanent brain damage. Anastasio said, “I am thankful for these two heroic members of our community and glad that Coach has a chance to recover.” Anastasio honored Fox at a school assembly and he received cheers from students and staff for his heroic act. “When I heard that coach is well, I was inspired the school trainer was able to save a person’s life,” said Marcus Escobar ‘18. James McCarthy and Riordan alumnus Matt Craig took over JV coaching duties while Harrington recovered, but he returned, and the team is glad to he is back.
Archbishop requests teachers support church teachings By Roman Peregrino ’18
The school community is on edge as it faces the proposed changes in the teacher handbook, to be implemented by Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone. From a high-level, the changes have to do with social morality clauses, and the request from the archbishop for teachers to live and portray a Catholic lifestyle at school and in their homes. In a letter from the archbishop, Cordileone warns that “all extramarital sexual relationships are gravely evil and that these include adultery, masturbation, fornication, the viewing of pornography and homosexual relations.” Cordileone goes on to say that teachers affected by the changes have to “refrain from public support of any cause or issue that is explicitly or implicitly contrary to that which the Catholic Church holds to be true.” ARHS Math Department Chair Ottilie Valverde said, “The archbishop was trying to remind teachers of the high calling of their profession. He said, ‘Teachers help students grow into the people God created them to be.’ He also said, ‘Teachers help lead students to holiness in their lives and to eventually become saints.’” While some see those reasons as noble, some of the changes and language have caused a great deal of concern. “Ethics and morality bring up the most concern,” said Phillip Carrion, residential advisor, who is not opposed to the archbishop’s proposed contract language. One of the biggest concerns is that in the proposed contract, the archbishop wants the teachers to become “ministers of the Catholic faith.”
“In one way, in a Catholic school, all teachers are ministers, but the word minister also has a legal connotation which does not provide a teacher/ employee some legal standing to which that person is entitled,” Valverde said. Student body president Elliot Lloyd ‘15 said, “If teachers become treated as ministers, [they will be] stripped of their rights under the law and of their worker protections.” Lloyd gave examples of the teachers’ new lack of rights. “For example, if an employee becomes disabled and is fired, demoted or refused accommodations because of that, then the employee cannot sue. If the employee is fired, demoted, or sanctioned because the employer takes a dislike to him or her, the employer cannot sue. [As a minister,] the individual is completely dependent on the discretion and goodwill of the employer. This opens a door for unfair employment actions for which the employee has no legal recourse.” Michael Vezzali, Riordan English Department Chair and one of three school site union representatives, said he is opposed to the word “minister” being inserted into the teacher handbook. He prefers to be called a teacher. Vezzali said that during various meetings, it was clear the archbishop was listening to him and others when they voiced their concerns. Another concern is the archbishop’s take on homosexuality within the school system. In his official statement, the archbishop requests those affected by the morality clause to “affirm and
believe the teaching of the Church about homosexual acts being contrary to the natural law.” Although teachers are taking the brunt of the changes, students are also affected. John Ahlbach, theology teacher, said the problem is “what [the archbishop] said about people who are LGBTQ is unscientific, NOT iron-clad Church doctrine, as it is quoted from an out-dated Catechism. The ‘gravely evil’ label is hurtful to our students and faculty and staff who are LGBTQ, and, under some circumstances, could do severe damage to young people who are LGBTQ, whose suicide rate is already five times that of those who are heterosexual.” Valverde said, “We have had homosexual students, students of gay or lesbian parents and we have never treated them any differently nor valued them any less, and we have loved and cared for them in the same way that we have cared for and nurtured every student and every family.” Lloyd said, “The changes the archbishop proposes predominantly affect teachers, however, we as students will now be subject to certain environments that single out and condemn students in our community who commit ‘grave evils’ and they will not be accepted. The archdiocese should not want a hostile environment that promotes fear and censorship. No student should be subject to such an environment.” Archbishop Cordileone went on record saying, “[The teachers must] conform their hearts, minds and consciences, as well as their public and
private behavior, ever more closely to the truths taught by the Catholic Church.” That, among other comments the archbishop has made, and the contract changes in general, have caused rifts between the archbishop and the people he is trying to confront with these changes, community members contend. With this in mind, Riordan and the three other local schools affected Marin Catholic, Sacred Heart Cathedral, and Serra – have each been represented by a number of students and faculty attempting to amend the wording. Lloyd said, “Within Riordan, at a teacher level, union meetings are going on to find a solution. Teachers are having meetings [and] the administration is having meetings. At a student level, students are beginning to speak out. We are all becoming more involved. There were at least 20 Riordan students who went to the vigil [on Feb. 18] and that shows that we are creating awareness and trying to make a stand on the issue.” However, it is not only at Riordan that teachers and students are taking a stand. Sacred Heart Cathedral has been at the forefront of several rallies that have gained the attention of many in the Bay Area. Also, a group dubbed “Teach Acceptance,” comprised of teachers, parents, and students who oppose the new language, have organized many rallies and gatherings. Most notably, they hosted a public forum at USF and then a procession and vigil from Mission Dolores to St. Mary’s Cathedral on March 30.
continued on page 10
2 OPINION
April 2015
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
More education needed to prevent teen pregnancy By Daniel Norman ’16 One reason teens think they should
lower than the U.S.
or girl, public schools teach that
be sexually active is because they
According to TeenHelp.com, 72
they should have protection, aka
think being a virgin is embarrassing
percent of teens think that if they
condom, but Catholic schools teach
when it really is not.
are sexually active, they should
abstinence.
By the age of 30, only 1.5 percent
have access to birth control. Also,
Boys and girls need to take
of women who had a baby as a teen
72 percent of teens think that being
responsibility for their actions. Boys
has a college degree, according
a virgin is embarrassing.
should not force a girl; girls should
to TeenHelp.com. Single teenage
However, 67 percent of teens
be strong and not allow societal
mothers have a hard time raising a
who have already had sex wished
pressure to take control of her moral
child, so that increases the chance
they would have had waited (60
compass. Many girls give in and later
of their child ending up in prison or
percent of them were boys and 77
regret having sex at a young age.
even killed.
percent were girls).
The
The United States has the highest
The girls are not the only ones
parties need to be responsible
school system is having trouble with
rate of teen pregnancy among so-
messing up, boys are too. Boys are
and
is teen pregnancy. Even though they
called First World countries according
under a great deal of peer pressure
financial, educational, medical, and
teach about safe sex, it does not
to FamilyFirst Aid. We have twice
to have sex, but girls are pressured by
psychological repercussions that
prevent all teens from having sex.
as many as Canada. Germany and
the boy asking over and over again.
may result in having sex. Being
Some of the girls who are having
France have a teen pregnancy rate
Many people prefer to wait until
irresponsible can lead to two teens
babies have had sexual intercourse
4 times lower than the U.S. Lastly,
they are 18 or older, maybe even
now being responsible for a child
when they were 13 or 14 years old.
Japan’s teen pregnancy is 8 times
when they are married. As a boy
for the next 18 years.
One of the issues that the public
bottom
consider
line all
legal,
Fraternities need to foster brotherhood, not racism By Patrick McSweeney ’15
The fraternities and sororities seem to have wandered far from their noble traditions, rooted in the 18th century. The media has recently brought too many stories to publicity that include reports of hazing, and even blatant racism. One would like to believe that the values of equality and mutual respect are held high in any society, and in any academic community. What makes individuals, and entire communities, give up these ideals of basic mutual respect?
One of America’s largest college fraternities, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, closed its chapter at the University of Oklahoma on Sunday, March 8, 2015, after a video posted hours earlier appeared to show fraternity members singing a racist chant. This video may now become the catalyst for change that can happen from within. What seemingly took place at Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity insults one’s sense of justice and decency, but it is also a wake up call: what has happened to fraternities and sororities? Weren’t they supposed to develop and expand the intellectual life of their members, by accepting new members, and by encouraging discussion? When the intellectual discussion is lacking, this can create a vacuum in which just one negative idea may gain support and expand, such as seems to be the case at University of Oklahoma’s Sigma Alpha Epsilon. We can never return to the days of hate and racism, and our youth must lead
the way in working for a future that is bright for all of us. In this, as in everything, education is the most important tool. Hatred and racism are learned. It may take a while, but it needs to be unlearned. The schools, and especially the parents, play the biggest role in this education. We can learn about the history of racism in this country by reading such racially informational epics as Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston, who in her lyrical literary style describes the life of an African American. The countless injustices, insults, and wage disparities that were endured by the characters of Their Eyes Were Watching God, tell the story. This was reality to these people, and therefore, we should not forget this. It is unforgivable to think that an act such as the incident at Sigma Alpha Epsilon could be ignored - hopefully, this event will serve as a catalyst for change.
Editor: Jordan Batres ’15 Contributing editors: Jabriel Andrade ’18 Jordan Batres ’15 JC Canicosa ’16 Joshua Cardenas ’15 Brandon Castro ’18 Robert Colton ’15 David Cuddihy ’15 Sebastian Fazio ’18 Eric Galindo ’16 Adrian Garcia ’15 Jack Harty-Connell ’15 Michael Kay ’18 Patrick McSweeney ’15 Keven Munoz ’18 Daniel Norman ’16 Alex Perez ’16 Roman Peregrino ’18 John Regidor ’16 James Saitz ’16 Stephen Smith ’15 Newspaper Advisers: Ms. Mary Dalton Ms. Susan Sutton, CJE
1949
Photo courtesy oaklandnorth.net
is
both moral,
April 2015
CAMPUS NEWS
3
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
News: Drama production celebrates 6 5 t h s p r i n g m u s i c a l By Jordan Batres ’15
“Godspell” wrapped its final showing on March 29 in the Lindland Theatre at Archbishop Riordan High School. This is Riordan’s 65th spring musical, a huge milestone for the drama department led by Valerie O’Riordan. This is the third time that “Godspell” has been produced here at ARHS; it was first performed in 1987 and again in 2002. The basis of the musical centers around retelling parables from the Gospel of Matthew with a modern
twist using different genres of music and modern set designs. This play is set to be a light-hearted take on the gospel. “Godspell” was written by playwright John-Michael Tebelak and the music is by Stephen Schwartz. Godspell was first performed by students at Carnegie Mellon University in 1970 and then it was brought to LaMaMa Experimental Theatre Club in Greenwich Village, New York City. It came to the attention of a couple producers who opened it Off-
Broadway in 1971 at the Cherry Lane Theatre. It first opened on Broadway in 1976 at the Broadhurst Theatre. The play stars seniors John Howard as Jesus Christ and Jose Angulo as Judas. This is Howard’s first leading role and 6th play at Riordan. This is also Angulo’s first leading role and his 8th play at Riordan. The cast of Godspell totally rocked the Lindland theatre. The show was a fun and exciting ride throughout the Gospel of Matthew. It was filed with a bunch of different personalities and an array of eclectic musical numbers. Rose Stanfel, an ICA alumna and 1987 cast member of “Godspell,” was there for the final night. “Being back in the Lindland theatre to watch Godspell was amazing; it brought back so many wonderful memories of the four years I spent doing productions at Riordan,” Stanfel said. Stanfel added, “It was especially great to connect with past cast members and our choreographer from our production of Godspell in
1987. It was a pleasure to meet the cast and take photos! Hats off to Ms. O for keeping theatre alive!” The play was definitely an exciting ride, especially for seniors Jose Angulo, Michael Archer, John Howard, Ray Magpile, and Austin Palaad. Michael Archer said, “I can’t believe it’s all over now, it’s so surreal.” Next year’s productions are already set in motion. “Season of Greeks” will include Circus Olympus in the fall, and a musical adaptation of Aristophanes’ “The Frogs” in the spring, by the likes of Nathan Lane and Stephen Sondheim.
Review: ‘Godspell’ casts mesmerizing spell on audiences. Amen By Sebastian Fazio ’18
Overall, “Godspell” was a great show. This production was a fun, yet meaningful take on biblical teachings. It presents gospel values in an entertaining way, that young people might consider watching. In that respect, it was great because it reaches out to a new generation of faith. In addition, “Godspell” presented a simpler way to understand the telling of these stories. This makes it a show that not only reaches to people who already know the gospel stories, but a fun way to introduce or teach them to new people. The set was busy and colorful. The program noted, “Here & Now, Anywhere USA.” So it could be in the San Francisco or anywhere else. The set consisted of a few chain link fences and crates covered in graffiti.
The back wall was completely covered in spray paint as well. It really exaggerated a sense of business and chaos that led me to believe the setting was at least urban. I think the production team could have utilized the lighting more in certain scenes. At times it was difficult to tell where the center of attention was. This may have been a feeling the producers were trying to get across, as it was an urban setting. Because lots of characters moved around in the audience it was helpful when keeping the attention where it needed to be. The sound was good as well. The dialogue was clear and easy to understand. I enjoyed most of the music also, and the cast did a great job with the musical numbers. The only thing that slightly disappointed
me was the slightly off pitch, “Day By Day.” The costumes fit the setting and vibe perfectly. If “Godspell” was supposed to take place in an urban modern setting, they achieved it. Honestly, that was the final clue that helped me formulate my understanding of the setting. Besides the fact that Godspell is a great production, there were three major reasons the ARHS acting department chose this play. Aside from the normal issues one could expect to arise from performing a play, Director Valerie O’Riordan said a they had a smaller cast than usual. Therefore, the few characters needed was a major reason they put on this show. Another deciding factor was that they wanted to bring something old
back. Godspell had been performed by Riordan successfully several times in the past, and so the department wanted to reintroduce the ARHS community to this show. On top of that, it was a nice contrast to the fall show “Dead Man Walking,” a sad and unfortunate true story of a death row inmate and the nun who agrees to be his spiritual adviser. In stark contrast, “Godspell” is fun and somewhat whimsical. The most defining difference was (SPOILER ALERT) the fact that in Godspell Jesus dies for something good, and Robert died because of his horrible actions. I would recommend this play to any Christian who enjoys theatre. I think that people who believe in Christ would love “Godspell.” Photos courtesy Lifetouch
4 CAMPUS NEWS
April 2015
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Senior leads crusade for youth voting in San Francisco
Winter ra l ly features familial embrace for faculty
By David Cuddihy ’15
By Michael Kay ’18
Photo courtesy Mike Koozmin/The S.F. Examiner
Currently, citizens must be at
Many view 16 and 17 year olds as
against the proposal include: 16
least 18 years old to vote, however,
too immature and uninterested in
year olds are immature, they’ll vote
it may not be this way forever--
politics to vote. They believe the
whatever way their parents will,
at least in San Francisco. Joshua
youth would not fully understand
and 16 year olds are too apathetic.
Cardenas ‘15 is leading the charge
the proposals that they would vote
Although it remains to be seen
towards legalizing youth voting.
on because they do not necessarily
whether or not this will actually
affect them, like voting for pension
become law, it has started the
got the ball rolling as his resolution
reform.
conversation in youth voting and
to lower the voting age passed
However, the same could be
political engagement.
through the San Francisco Youth
argued about the elderly, who
“Currently, not enough young
Commission,
voter-mandated
are allowed to vote on youth
people
body that advises the Board of
matters. The most obvious fault
because they don’t have the right
Supervisors and the Mayor on
in the current system, proponents
to vote, and so, they question
policies affecting youth.
of the idea contend, is that youth
why should they be engaged if
John Avalos, a member of
do not get to vote in school board
their voices don’t matter. I think if
the Board of Supervisors, has
elections
these
16 and 17 year olds were to vote,
introduced legislation that would
elections have the biggest impact
more of them would be politically
lower the voting age to 16 for all
on them.
active and certainly change the
municipal elections.
Theology
In early January 2015, Cardenas
a
even
though
are
politically
active
The second rally of the school year, on Feb. 5 in the gymnasium, featured events such as arm wrestling, won by the juniors, knockout, and penalty shots, won by the seniors. The highlight was the students versus faculty basketball game. Carlos Santos ’17 said, “I enjoyed the rally. It was really entertaining.” Teachers enjoyed the event as well. Art teacher Irman Arcibal, who played in the basketball game, said, “It’s always fun to compete against the students and I’ve noticed how slow I’ve gotten over the years.”
Ted
political discourse in San Francisco
of
DeSaulnier believes “regardless of
and make elected officials more
students and adults throughout
the age, what we need is informed
attentive to the concerns of young
the city gathered at City Hall in
citizenry.”
people,” stated Cardenas.
support of the initiative. The rally
If San Francisco does approve
Cardenas and his supporters
stressed the importance of youth’s
lowering the voting age, the city
hope the proposal will at least
voice and how it needs to be heard.
will be among the first in the
make it onto the ballot, and voters
nation along with Takoma Park and
in San Francisco can decide for
Photos courtesy Lifetouch
seen the power of young people
Hyattsville,
However,
themselves whether or not they
to be able to make changes and
several nations have approved
want to see 16 year olds vote,
positive
their
similar pieces of legislation. Most
rather than allowing the Board of
community, and it makes sense to
recently, in Scotland 16 and 17 year
Supervisors to deny the proposal.
give them the right to vote.”
olds have been allowed to vote.
Cardenas’
Some of the main arguments for
obviously, is getting the proposal
proposal will become law in San
allowing 16 and 17 year olds the
on the ballot, which will either
Francisco because “most of the
right to vote include: 16 year olds
happen by November or June 2016.
criticism has come from outside
have about the same amount of
Those who are interested in
of the state, but a majority of the
political knowledge as 21 year olds,
getting involved in the campaign
people in San Francisco who have
16 year olds pay taxes if employed,
can
voiced their opinions have been
can be charged as an adult, and
follow the campaign on Twitter or
positive.”
voting is habitual so voting early
Instagram @Vote16SF.
However, others are not so
could yield life-long voters.
optimistic, nor in favor of this plan.
Some of the main arguments
At the end of the rally, Elliot Lloyd, the student body president, called all the ARHS staff members down to the court. When all the staff members were on the basketball court, students cheered for the teachers and staff, as a show of support in light of the ongoing contract negotiations. The next rally was on April 24, on the field. Dean of Community Life Frances Dillon said the purpose was “To celebrate all the achievements of the student spring activities.” Student Activities Coordinator Joey Klobas planned activities that revolved around the spring sports. He also planned another spirit week, which the student body voteed on.
On
March
16
hundreds
Supervisor Avalos stated, “I have
contributions
to
Cardenas is “optimistic” that his
teacher
Maryland.
contact
goal
him
for
now,
directly,
or
April 2015
ENTERTAINMENT
B and
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
on
t he
5
Run
Marching band makes its musical mark on the map
By Adrian Garcia ’15
Freshmen entering Riordan High School are given two choices for performing arts class: Theatrical Arts or Instrumental Music Ensemble (commonly referred to as The Freshman Band.)
win a number of trophies, including a 1st place concert trophy for the Symphonic Concert Band, conducted by Kyle Hildebrant in his first year as Riordan’s new assistant band director. “There are days where even the
After finishing freshman year, they make a choice to either continue with performing arts classes or core classes and other electives. Some decide to continue taking band classes, from Intermediate Band to the Concert and Marching Bands. Last year can be considered one of the most significant and successful years of the program in recent years. The Concert and Marching Bands won the program’s first Sweepstakes trophy at the Feste Del Mar Band Review, along with a number and first, second, and third place trophies from a number of other band reviews. The band also had the chance to visit O’ahu, Hawaii during Spring Break to perform on the USS Missouri at the historic Pearl Harbor Memorial. Band Director Scott Souza said, “It was an amazing year for us. It was a terrific year for the program as a whole. It showed that even though some of our best talent had graduated the year before that a team isn’t all based on individual talent, it’s based on teamwork as a whole. And that’s what came and brought forth the effort of getting that Grand Sweepstakes for the first time in the school’s history.” Souza added, “Our trip to Hawaii that year, as a opposed to the two previous years that we went, was specifically geared toward us. We had never done a performance at the USS Missouri, that was pretty amazing to me. It was geared toward us as a group as opposed to being a participant in a festival. It was a terrific, terrific trip, and it finished up the year nicely.” This year, however, the band did not come up with another Sweepstakes award during the course of the Fall band review season. Did that mean that the season was a failure? Definitely not. The Marching and Concert groups still managed to
best players have issues or they’re not feeling right. A lot of that has to do with morale and I think the Symphonic Band just went in really prepared, knowing their stuff and was
there’s always room for improvement. I think we could have done better, honestly.” John Howard ‘15, a vital member of the band’s drumline, agreed, saying, “Well, I would have to say that it wasn’t our best season, but overall, it was good because we did place high in all of our competitions. I still think we deserved better, but we were beat.” “For me, I think the marching band season was really great overall,” said Ray Magpile ‘15, flute section leader of the Wind Ensemble. “We picked a really hard march and it was really difficult, especially since we had a lot of new people in the band. And I feel like we would’ve done a lot better though our division was a very tough division, so it was really hard for us to get first place.” The level of difficulty and new members were a factor, said Sam Mercado ‘16, Tenor Saxophonist of the Symphonic Band. “I think it might’ve been due to the fact that some of the seniors last year that held the band
Photos courtesy Damon Cruz ’16
really happy with where they were,” said Hildebrant. He continued, “We had those two night rehearsals and I was really proud of them; it was a really great experience. I think for the Symphonic band to know that they can play to a really high caliber up with the Wind Ensemble with music that was technically less challenging but we were just as musical.” Hildebrant said, “I would completely consider it a successful season because we played a lot more difficult music this year and that music we took it, went with it and we did really well for the level of band that we are. And with a piece that other bands would have a hard time playing, I think it was completely successful. I’m very happy with how the season went.” Marching Band Drum Major Nick Silva ‘15, said, “I think it went pretty well, considering how our expectations weren’t that high. But
together left and it lead this year’s juniors and seniors to sort of fend for themselves this year. Also, it doesn’t help that the march that we played was incredibly hard. Even instructors from other top competing schools admitted that they didn’t want to play this march.” With the first semester in the books and another band review season underwraps, the Marching Band turned its attention to the Chinese New Year’s parade. The Marching Band has had very significant success in the parade and have played a part in it for more than five years. Souza said, “I thought they did a fantastic job. I thought that the television coverage was amazing for our group. I thought that the prep that we did beforehand, having the ability to stay away from the crowd gives us an opportunity to focus a little bit better. How did they do in comparison to previous years? This is a different group. We don’t compare
them to the previous years. They make their own mark.” Events like these around the San Francisco Bay Area have helped the Riordan Band program gain a substantial reputation. For example, in September, the band was invited to perform at the opening of the Family House Mission Bay campus, which will help bring support to families and children at the UCSF Medical Center. Souza attributes the success to what the students are able to accomplish. “We are not your traditional program where a lot of students start in the 4th or 5th grade and work through elementary, middle and high school. We are the elementary, middle, and high school at the high school level. So because we are able to do that, people recognize that. But mostly we’re influential in the Bay Area because of who we are and how we address, or the way we approach our performances. We don’t take them lightly. Every performance is important, they all matter, and they all represent our school and I think that we take that and we use that to our advantage.” Hildebrant said, “I think it’s influential considering how band on the west coast isn’t considered a popular thing; It’s more like an east coast or midwest kind of thing, especially in San Francisco, we’re one of the only high school marching bands. Since we’re kinda big, we represent a lot of things and we have a lot of publicity so it’s really influential to get other schools to do it as well.” During Spring Break, the band performed at The Happiest Place on Earth. Souza has previously sent his class to Disneyland back in 2012. Souza said, “having fun with the band” and “letting them have a good time” is important. In addition, he said it was nice “culminating our year in a performance that is in The Happiest Place on Earth and just having some fun because we’ve been working really really hard all year long.” Hildebrant said, “I’m looking forward to just spending more time with the students outside of the classroom so I can get to know them a little bit better. Because in the classroom, you don’t get it as much but when you’re in a situation like a trip, it’s a little bit more relaxed as far as what you’re doing on the day to day.” Silva said, “I’m just looking forward to having the experience with my band brothers and just seeing what opportunities there are going to be for us.”
6 LOCAL & WORLD NEWS
April 2015
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Autos, bikes battle over the road with environment as grand prize By James Saitz ’16
When people picture San Francisco, they usually think of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Prison, or maybe Pier 39, but one of this progressive city’s defining factors is just how many bicycles occupy the city streets. Compared to other big cities in the United States, San Francisco is an extremely dense city, ranking second only to New York. The city being this dense leads to a whole lot of traffic due to the large population of 837,442 people, occupying a relatively small area- 46.9 square miles. In an effort to ease congestion on the city streets, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has created and revised the San Francisco Bike Plan, which advocates for the creation and maintenance of more bicycle lanes, facilities, and opportunities for city riders. To San Franciscans, this goal, at a glance, seems unthreatening and beneficial by promising to battle climate change and improve bicycle safety. However, many concerned citizens express growing distaste with this plan that aims to make cycling the main means of travel for San Franciscans. According to the DMV, “bicycle riders on public roads have the same rights and responsibilities as motorists, and are subject to the same rules and regulations.” This simply means that bicyclists must follow the same rules of the road as cars while riding on city streets. These rules include stopping at stop signs, riding with the flow of traffic, using hand turn signals, giving pedestrians the right of way, and not going over the posted speed limit, to name a few. Having every cyclist following these simple rules leads to traffic
being disrupted very little, or not at all. However, Rudolph Formando Ragan III believes that cyclists do not always follow these rules. He said, “My dad cut a bicyclist off and the bicyclist caught up to him, punched his mirror, and they started fighting.” Anti-bike advocates would look to this as evidence for how traffic situations involving bicycles can quickly escalate to a dangerous level. The Bike Plan displays good intentions, but when put into practice, yields some less than favorable results as shown by Ragan’s experience and appears to contribute to an increasingly unsafe atmosphere. Despite the annoyance some people feel towards bicycles, biking to work, to school, or just for fun has extremely positive environmental effects. Cycling uses no fuel, except calories burned by the rider, whereas commuting in a mid size car can use up to around 125 gallons of fuel each year. Environmentalists advocate using cars sparingly, and riding a bike could prevent lots of pollution from entering the atmosphere. It could also reduce the amount of pollution from oil drilling sites due to lowered demand for gas. Also, bicycles do not use toxic substances, such as acid in batteries, or motor oil, that use up energy because they must be properly disposed of. From an environmental standpoint, bicycles simply have a much smaller carbon footprint than cars. San Francisco has a program called the Bay Area Bike Share in which both tourists and commuters can enjoy the benefits of a rented bicycle, from one of the many bicycle docking stations in the city, for $9 a day. There are some restrictions
regarding the program which include each bike ride must be 30 minutes or less in length or else the user gets charged more according to the amount of time spent riding over the time limit. These bicycle docks are commonly found in the downtown area of the city and are great for travelling a few blocks, but would not be feasible for riding on some of the steeper streets in San Francisco. In addition to being available for public use, proponents of bicycles would say that riding them would cost the rider a whole lot less money than a car would. Bicycles do not need smog checks, gas fill ups, oil changes, or the amount of insurance and registration required to maintain ownership of a car. The bike share program offers a one year membership for $88, which is relatively little compared to all the fees required for a car’s upkeep. This provides a monetary incentive for people to ride bicycles more often. However, commuters believe the docks being situated downtown presents the issue of more traffic congestion, caused by a multitude of cyclists on the streets, in addition to the many people driving to work. While also being beneficial for the Earth and the wallet, cycling has some obvious personal benefits as well, as fitness proponents point out. It provides a vigorous cardiovascular workout that primarily develops the muscles of the legs. This aspect of using a bike draws many fitnessminded people to gravitate towards cycling as their main mode of transportation. This reasoning process, resulting in people riding bikes more often, is greatly exemplified in the city of San Francisco due to its relatively small area. This shows how people are
Photo courtesy sfmta
striving to be in better physical shape, but, according to most drivers, this mass volume of bicycles presents some issues on the city streets, such as more traffic, and greater opportunity for collisions. San Francisco has always been a city where everybody exercises their right to express their opinion and there are many opinions regarding bicycles in the city. Brad Peraza ‘16 believes that bicycles are beneficial to the city and defended his position by saying, “I believe that bicycles are very beneficial due to the fact that you’re obviously not using fuel, which is very, very good for the environment, reducing your carbon footprint, which is a mighty thing. You know, all the cool kids are riding them--all the hipsters, all the yuppies. You get in shape, get healthy. I believe that its a good thing and that’s why I’m pro bike.” On the other hand, Ragan, who drives a Honda Accord, has had many negative experiences regarding cyclists and he described them by saying, “I always see cyclists when I’m driving; They go right through stop signs even though, legally, they’re supposed to stop. When it’s a red light, they’ll just pick up their bike and walk across the crosswalk. They’re considered a vehicle, but don’t follow the red lights or stop signs and they take up the whole lane” Many drivers in San Francisco feel the same way as Ragan towards these cyclists who ride bicycles on the streets and do not adhere to the rules of the road. Everybody has to share the road, so bicyclists, pedestrians, and drivers struggle on a daily basis to find a way to coexist together in harmony.
April 2015
LOCAL & WORLD NEWS
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
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B a y A r e a r e s i d e n t s 2018 race for CA governor unprepared for next big quake might push voters to polls By Jordan Batres ’15
By Joshua Cardenas ’15
Photo courtesy bayquakealliance.org
San Francisco has not had a major earthquake since 1989. The Loma Prieta Earthquake rumbled the San Francisco Bay Area for 15 seconds, causing $6 billion in property damage. While students were not alive to experience it, parents and teachers remember it vividly. Perhaps what they remember in the days that followed was the fact that people were so woefully ill-prepared. As April is Earthquake Preparedness Month, in commemoration of San Francisco’s first big earthquake on April 18, 1906, the next “big one” is on the minds of Californians. The first thing to do is make an emergency kit. An emergency kit is supposed to keep people nourished and safe for a couple days. It should consist of canned food, water, a radio, flashlight, a whistle, hygienic products, can openers, pliers, and a map. It should be kept in a place that is easily accessible to anyone in the family. A study showed that only about 40 percent of families have a disaster plan and only 40 percent have the recommended minimum of three gallons of water stored in their household. As Californians, this does not bode well. Earthquakes are unpredictable and can cause a lot of damage. However, it is important to keep calm and safe by having a plan ready for when an earthquake hits. The USGS and its university partners are developing an earthquake warning system that would send alerts to phones 10 to 20 seconds before the shaking would commence. This would give time for people to go outside, get under a desk and cars to get off bridges and out of tunnels. The hope is that this will save lives. The system has been sending alerts to test users since 2012, but there is no
clear date for when it will be spread to the general public. Just recently, the City of San Francisco decreed that private school buildings have to meet the same earthquake standards as public schools. The Private Schools Earthquake Safety Working Group, which is comprised of parents, school representatives, and city staff created guidelines that will enforce stricter codes on earthquake safety. Although some Catholic schools in the city are more than 50 years old, that does not necessarily make the buildings less safe. Many factors, including the building materials, the structure, and where it is built (the foundation) contribute to the level of safety. There is no public, official list that delineates which schools are considered less structurally sound than others. Besides bringing the buildings up to code, school administrators are preparing students and staff with safety drills and CPR classes. During an earthquake, one should duck and cover, cover the neck with the arms and stay away from any glass or heavy objects that can fall. One misconception is that standing in doorways will protect people, but in fact it does not protect them from falling objects nor will many be likely able to stand during a major earthquake. If indoors, wait until it is over and safe to walk outside; grab the emergency kit if necessary. If outdoors, stay away from buildings, poles, street lights, utility wires, and trees. Senior Mike Patterson, who experienced the recent Napa earthquake said, “I hope ARHS is ready for a big earthquake as it could come at any time.”
California has seen the worst voter turnout in a state election since World War II, with 21 percent of voters coming to the polls, in part because of the lack of excitement for the governor’s election. It was widely expected Governor Jerry Brown (D) would cruise to victory against Republican opponent Neel Kashkari, winning re-election with 60 percent of the vote. And he did. The Governor spent $500,000 on his re-election campaign, despite having $21.5 million his campaign closet. He spent more money on his ballot initiatives, Proposition 1 and 2, than on his own campaign. CA residents look forward to new leadership in the upcoming years, with Governor Brown, Senators Boxer and Feinstein ending their political careers soon. Well, the governor’s election in 2018 may just be it—an epic race. Lieutenant Governor, and former Mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom (D) announced that he would form an exploratory committee for the Governor’s race in 2018, indicating his long-known interest for running for Governor of the State of California. Interestingly, he made known has candidacy 44 months away until the 2018 election. “The reality of running for governor— even four years from now—in America’s largest, most diverse state demands that I start raising resources now, if we’re going to lead a conversation worthy of the 38 million people who live, work, attend school and raise families in the Golden State,” Newsom wrote on his Facebook page. Forming an exploratory committee allows him to collect money and donations—running a gubernatorial campaign in CA is a big price. In 2010, when the governor’s seat was open, the race cost more than $213 million. With
the formation of an exploratory committee and getting in the race this soon, Newsom will get a head start on fundraising and endorsements. Former Mayor of Los Angeles (D), Antonio Villaraigosa, is eyeing the governor’s office as well. He “seriously considered” running for Senator Barbara Boxer’s seat in 2016. However, after thinking heavily about his prospects— beating Attorney General Kamala Harris, collecting enough to run a Senate campaign, and getting the Democratic Party to support him— he “decided not to run for the U.S. Senate and instead continue [his] efforts to make California a better
place to live, work and raise a family.” Most political insiders as well as his closest allies, think he will run for governor in 2018, making 2018 an exciting election for California residents. Villaraigosa is well-known to the state’s voters, as he has served as a former speaker of the CA State Assembly, and the Mayor of Los Angeles, the biggest county in CA and second largest city in the U.S. He comes from America’s fast growing demographic and voting bloc, Latino-Americans. He would be the most prominent Latino in the race and would likely dominate the Latino vote, which is considered crucial to win public office. Other potential contenders could include billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer (I), who could self-fund his own campaign, Xavier Becerra (D), chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, and Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin (R). A race between these candidates, particularly Newsom and Villaraigosa, and others who have expressed interest in running, would most certainly get the voters to polls.
8 LOCAL & WORLD NEWS
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
April 2015
G o l d e n G at e B r i d g e s u i c i d e pre v e nt i on approv e d By Patrick McSweeney ’15
reality has garnered strong support, but also some opposition. Some believe that the netting may not stop the suicides, but will merely cease the bridge being known as the second most notorious suicide landmark in the world. Though there is evidence that the netting could prevent suicides, evidence exists that out of 515 individuals who were stopped from jumping off the bridge, only 6 percent committed suicide with later means. In short, supporters say this netting will cut down suicides, and will also spread the message of suicide prevention in general. Kevin Hines, a Riordan alumnus, is among the very few to have jumped from the famed bridge and survived. “Life is too short to die by suicide. I believe that life is the single greatest gift that we have ever-- or will ever--be given,” said Hines, who jumped off the bridge in 2000--the same year he graduated--and who was one of only 34 survivors of this fall.
“A safety net will finally, after 80 years of needless death, be erected on the Golden Gate Bridge to prevent anyone else from dying by suicide. I nearly died in the year 2000 by attempting to end my own life by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge. By the grace of God, I survived that day.” “My first thought after jumping was that I didn’t want to end my life. I have often wondered how many other people who have jumped have felt the same thing and were not given the second chance that I received.” “Why did I jump? Why do so many die by suicide at that site? It is largely due to the fact that the Golden Gate bridge allows easy access to lethal means. Nothing less than a pitiful four foot rail allows those suffering with mental lapses, illnesses and other behavioral health issues/afflictions go to the bridge to haphazardly end their days,” Hines said. “It is as if we the city of San Francisco, and all who surround us are saying, ‘They Don’t Matter.’ I am here to say, ‘They...we do matter.’ Hines contends that “the majority of suicides are completely preventable. They can be prevented if the signs are known.” On April 16 and 17, members of San Francisco Suicide Prevention spoke to Riordan students as part of Wellness Week. Organized by the counseling department, the presentations focused on education and prevention. Kevin Hines has dedicated his life to suicide prevention, and he believes that suicides can be prevented by reaching out, and in the case of the Golden Gate Bridge, by making it more difficult to die by suicide from the bridges and buildings: “In addition to reaching out to those in need, we can also raise rails and make it
Guerrero said “flew by, so I had to be on top of my work.” His time at Riordan taught him “the importance of hard work and persistence.” Guerrero also learned to “lean on (his) friends and family for support” while at Riordan, which has helped him immensely. What Guerrero misses most is the brotherhood. He wants students to appreciate the little things like “walking down Ocean and going to Viking’s or Quickly’s” while we still can. Galindo, brother of Eric Galindo, four years of student government, app designer and currently majoring in Finance with a minor in Entrepreneurship at Santa Clara University. Galindo found the transition to college “easy” mainly because he was “already used to long classes and juggling four classes.” The only part he had to get used to was having girls
around all the time. One thing Guerrero has found very useful has been the time management skills he developed in high school. He encourages students to “take advantage of this time” and to do as many things as you can, so you do not look back with regret.” What Guerrero misses most is his classmates. “They’re some of the best guys I’ve ever met, and I still keep in touch with them, but I miss getting to hang out with them every day.” This sentiment seems to be a common one shared by many graduates, as they wished they cherished their time with their friends more. Manuel, tennis star, former band member, and currently studying Occupational Health and Safety and Paramedic Sciences at Sacramento State. Manuel shares this sentiment as he
Photo courtesy PsychCentral.com
The Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District’s board last year approved a $76 million funding plan for a suicide net. The barrier is expected to be completed in 2019, a district spokeswoman said last month. Since the opening of the bridge in 1937, more than 1,600 people have leapt to their deaths from the structure. For a long time, the Golden Gate Bridge has been known to be a magnet for those with suicidal thoughts. The very low (only four foot high) railing allows those tempted by suicidal thoughts easy access over the railing. The bridge security has detained hundreds of people who have been considered to be suicide risks. This has, until now, been the only method in curbing the number of “jumpers.” The discussion about the bridge netting has sometimes been louder, and sometimes it has been more quiet, but it has never quite gone away. The prospect of the netting finally becoming a
more difficult to die by suicide from the world’s larger buildings and bridges.” Hines is encouraged about the suicide netting. “The number one spot for suicide in the world is finally receiving so much more than a band-aid.” Calling it a “harbinger of death,” Hines said,“Through the hard work of my father’s foundation, The Bridge Rail Foundation, a real solution is [now in place] for an icon of suicide all over the world.” “It has been well over a decade since my attempt. I have dedicated my life’s work to suicide prevention, behavioral and mental health education and awareness, and I have been featured on film, radio and television programs to promote the cause of suicide prevention,” Hines said. Hines had a few words for his Crusader brothers:“To all of you suffering in any way mentally, I promise, you do not deserve or need to die by your own hands. Stand up and face your mental battles, and ask your Crusader brothers, counselors, staff, and teachers for the help you may desperately need. They are here for you. I am here for you, too. Just drop me a line at www. KevinHinesStory.com. I will reach out.” “Each of you suffering mentally must know how much you truly matter every single day. Remember, if your brain is having a rough time, so goes the rest of you. Take care of yourself, be self aware, and get help immediately if you are having thoughts of suicide.” Resources: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 For full list of signs/symptoms please go to www.SAVE.org. The site of the prevention organization, Suicide Awareness Voices of Education.
Crusaders in college offer advice By David Cuddihy ’15
Some students knew them while they were here, now let’s look into how these Crusaders are doing in college, and get some advice on how to navigate high school. Miguel Guerrero ‘12, Christian Galindo ‘12, and Branden Manuel ‘14 agreed to sit down with The Crusader to look back at their time at Riordan, and to give us a little insight into college life. Guerrero, class valedictorian, older brother of Rafael Guerrero ‘14, former LIFE Team member, and currently double-majoring in Economics and Political Science at UC Davis. Guerrero enjoyed an illustrious career at Riordan and left a lasting mark. He found the transition “difficult” because he was moving from a semester system to a quarter system. In a quarter system, which is more typical at public colleges, a student receives 10 weeks of instruction, which
wishes he “cherished (his) memories with friends.” He said “it’s hard to find people as good as the guys at Riordan.” Manuel also advises students to “work hard, although it might be difficult, if you really want to go to the school you want you have to put in an active effort.” Manuel found the transition to college “easy” as he felt extremely prepared by Riordan. He found it strange that so many people skip class and not turn in assignments because at Riordan it was ingrained in him to do both. Overall, the graduates interviewed have found the transition to college fairly easy. They hope that students now will cherish their time here, and appreciate the little things that current students take for granted. They also all miss the teachers, who were instrumental in their development, and helpful in their transition to college.
April 2015
LOCAL & WORLD NEWS
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Mission to Mars more re a l it y t h a n s c i e n c e - f i c t i on By Eric Galindo ’16 NASA has been responsible for some of the most groundbreaking technological advances in the past few decades. Most people only associate NASA with space satellites, rocket ships, and moon landings. However, NASA is constantly developing new technologies that can be applied to our daily lives, such as LED lights, artificial limbs, chemical detection methods, memory foam, solar energy, water purification, and various computer software improvements. NASA is constantly developing
their latest and most groundbreaking project yet: The colonization of Mars! NASA’s most recent project is to send a select group of astronauts to colonize the red planet. In the next few years, NASA will send communication satellites, two rovers and several cargo ships to Mars. This technology has already been developed and is just waiting for further planning. Once it is all set up properly, a hospitable living environment will be awaiting the NASA astronauts. The main purpose of this mission is to see if Mars can be made into an efficient living environment as well as
Photo courtesy nasa.gov
technologies to improve scientific knowledge beyond natural means and to improve the daily lives of the world’s citizens. So what is NASA working on now? Since it became within technological reach, NASA has been obsessed with the red mystery known as Mars. NASA scientists have been exploring whether Mars could sustain life, water or a healthy atmosphere. Years of research allowed scientists to actually send drones to Mars to explore some of these questions. On June 10, 2003 NASA launched its firstdronessettoenterMars’atmosphere and explore its terrain. A little less than a year later, the twin drones landed on the Martian landscape and began their exploration mission, revealing answers to many long debated questions and speculations regarding Mars. Simply put, Mars is a barren wasteland with extremely high and low temperatures with a harsh atmospheric makeup that can almost guarantee no traces of life. That being said, evidence does suggest that millions of years ago the Martian environment was very similar to Earth’s and may still possess liquid water in some isolated pockets. This gives NASA scientists hopes for fulfilling
possibly finding extraterrestrial life. Before feeling ready to send people to Mars, NASA plans to send a greenhouse to see if plants can flourish on the red planet. Once this mission is complete, NASA will make a full speed push for the colonization of Mars. However, according to science teacher and Dean of Academics Michael O’Brien, “Impossible. It takes too long to get there.” As most revolutionary projects would, NASA has many skeptics. Many say that NASA does not have adequate funding for such a project or that the project as a whole would be a colossal waste of money and resources. “In order to make such a barren wasteland into a ‘Garden of Eden’ a ridiculous amount of resources and money will have to come from somewhere,” said Robert Colton ‘15. Whether or not NASA has the means to actually send astronauts to Mars, it is a thought provoking idea. What if Mars can maintain a human population? What if life has developed on Mars? If Mars can develop life, then what does that mean for the rest of the solar system? Or, the rest of our universe?
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Conspiracy theorists intrigued with Illuminati By Eric Galindo ’16 Aliens, UFOs, planned attacks and assassinations and secret government missions are all topics that conspiracy theorists drool over. The Roswell UFO crash, Area 51, the mysterious construction of the Denver Airport and even shape-shifting lizard people are all popularized theories that make millions of people question what is real and what is fiction. But how many of these theories actually hold merit? The most popular conspiracy theory in the United States is the controversy surrounding secret societies bent on a new world order, more specifically, the Illuminati. Tens of millions of people believe that the world is secretly run by high ranking members of the Illuminati who manipulate the government, economy and even the media. Some go as far as saying that major entertainment figures such as Jay-Z and LeBron James are members of this secret society. Many fear that the Illuminati will one day come into power in order to enact a plan of world domination. According to local conspiracy theorist Nicholas Lobre, “The Illuminati are all around us. They monitor our every step and there is nothing any of us can do about it. Unless you want to risk be silenced.” However, very few people actually know the truth behind the origins of this society. After taking a serious look into the history the Illuminati do not appear so menacing. This society was founded in 1776 by a group of enlightened thinkers in Europe. During the midst of the Enlightenment, government and church officials were persecuting anyone who advocated new, radical ideas. Scientists and philosophers were being executed for speaking out against common traditions of society at the time. In order to continue advocating their beliefs but remain safe, a group of the most radical Enlightened thinkers formed the Illuminati as a secret society to discuss their views without receiving persecution. Their views included, a complete separation of Church and State and more liberties for citizens. At the time, these ideas greatly conflicted with church doctrine, which is how the misconception of the Illuminati being devil worshippers began. Yet, after taking a closer look at the specific ideas of these Enlightened thinkers, their vision of a new society was basically the society that we know today to be the norm. After facts are applied to this conspiracy, this secret society
does not seem so terrifying. There are other theories that one can not so easily explain with a few historical facts. Some theories will be debated upon for generations to come for lack of any refuting or proving evidence. One such mystery is of the earth being visited by aliens thousands of years ago. Upon examining many major ancient landmarks around the world, scientists are amazed that primitive people were able to construct such enormous monuments with no known technology. The Great Pyramids of Egypt, Stonehenge, the Easter Island Heads and the Cahokia Mounds were all constructed using massive rocks weighing hundreds of tons. Mainstream archaeologists say that these landmarks were built by using simple pulley systems. Popular conspiracy theorists say that it would take millions of people to be able to lift such massive stones into place. With no archeological evidence of any advanced technology in these areas, theorists believe that some sort of higher intervention had to have taken place. “There’s no way that these ‘primitive’ people could have lifted these giant stones. Today, we would struggle to construct such granduous with our modern technology. There’s just no way... Someone else had to have aided these early humans,” said conspiracy theorist Giorgio A. Tsoukalos on the popular television show “Ancient Aliens.” Some people believe that aliens visited Earth thousands of years ago and aided them in constructing marvelous palaces. What the aliens received in exchange for such help is unknown. This would explain, however, many depictions of flying machines and strange beings coming down from the sky that are engraved in thousands of ancient temples. Many people are convinced that Earth’s technology was influenced by aliens thousands of years ago and that these beings will soon return to see how far their experimental race has advanced. This seems farfetched to most, but to many it is the secret reality that we are all blind to. “The Illuminati do not exist, that is a conspiracy. I’ve not seen enough evidence to demonstrate to me that any such thing exists. However, there is an effort by the ‘elite’ to order society to keep themselves in power and the masses not,” said theology teacher Andres Uribe. Whether it is real or not is for one to decide on his own.
10 LOCAL & WORLD NEWS
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
April 2015
Election 2016: Bush vs. Clinton? Upcoming presidential election offers voters deja vu moment By Joshua Cardenas ’15 The 2016 Presidential Election will be soon be upon voters. A couple of months after President Barack Obama’s reelection, political pundits and journalists immediately began holding talks about who will be running for president in 2016, most notably talking about the former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (D) and her campaign. There is no more resistance; now everyone has embraced the next presidential election. So yes, people can start talking about it as candidates in the upcoming months will announce their candidacy for the presidency and seek the nomination of their political party. The race to capture the Republican presidential nomination includes a wide field of governors, senators, representatives, and influential figures of the party. Republicans hope that the person who wins the nomination will unify the badly fractured party and win a national election. One candidate has already formed a presidential exploratory committee and appears to be the Republican party’s frontrunner, for now: the son of President George H. W. Bush and the brother of President of George W. Bush, former Governor of Florida, Jeb Bush. Gov. Bush has access to networks of political operatives that have worked for his father and brother, giving him fundraising and strategic advantages. Critics say, however, he struggles with walking in the shadows of his family’s presidential history and the legacy they left behind. He is attempting to demonstrate to both the public and his party that he is his “own man” and has different approaches than his father and older brother. Considering polls conducted and gathering general sentiment from among the public, Americans are wary if they would like to see another Bush in the White House. His family’s name is both a boon and a curse. Bush also faces a challenge in winning the Republican primaries because some conservative members of the party believe he is “not conservative enough” or does not represent the conservative values and beliefs they hold true. He is considered by many as a
moderate Republican, but still holds most of the party’s values. He defends his pro-immigration stance against the party’s position on immigration reform. In the primaires, typically more conservative Republicans come to vote and decide whom to nominate; this is why Republican presidential hopefuls must reach out to both spectrums—the moderates and conservatives.
of Vermont, Former Senator Jim Webb of Virginia, and Former Governor Martin O’Malley of Maryland—and Republican presidential hopefuls. Former Governor and Senator of Rhode Island, Lincoln Chafee, has said he plans on challenging the former secretary of state. She is the strongest candidate and likely has a good chance of winning
If Gov. Bush can get enough support from conservatives, he could possibly win the Republican nomination and unify the party. He has more ground to cover as he took the penultimate spot in the straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference, a must-go-to event for presidential hopefuls. It’s going to be an intense Republican primary, with many politicians seeking the nomination. Senators Paul Ryan of Kentucky, Marco Rubio of Florida, and Ted Cruz of Texas have announced their presidential bid—and coincidentally, all are first-term senators. Governors Rick Perry, Scott Walker, and Chris Christie all have expressed interest in the presidency and have stated that if they do intend to run, they’ll announce it in the early spring. As for the Democrats, Secretary Clinton has officially entered into the presidential ring, after much political discussion and speculation about her candidacy. She seems to be the presumptive presidential nominee of the Democratic Party, leading in every poll conducted against possible challengers—Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Senator Bernie Sanders
in the general election against the Republican candidate, because of her funding prowess. However, members of the progressive wing of the Democrats are not, as of this moment, inclined to lend their support for a possible Clinton candidacy, or refuse to publicly support her. She will need to appeal to them for their support in the general election. Senator Warren, a prominent voice within this wing, said she is waiting to see what change will she bring to the party and what her agenda will be for America during her time in office. One of Clinton’s primary concerns is not to repeat the struggles she faced in her 2008 presidential campaign: where key advisers were fired and the composition of her closest advisers kept changing, messaging was off, her husband Bill Clinton was seen as too involved in the making of her decisions, and she seemed at times stiff in her public appearances and interviews with the press. She also will seek to soften this air of inevitability associated with her candidacy by making this upcoming presidential election about the voters and their interest, wanting to earn their vote and be their champion.
She has tapped some of President Obama’s former campaign staffers who made his presidential campaigns the most sophisticated in history and helped the then-freshman Senator win the White House, using cutting-edge political tactics and maximizing the use of modern technology in getting the vote, people to the polls, and learning about their interests. English teacher Michael Vezzali, is waiting for all presidential candidates to announce their intentions of running for president before he supports any of them. In this upcoming election, he believes “the economy” should remain the most important and central issue and how it relates to income inequality. He would also like to see how candidates will address the issue of money in politics. Personally, Vezzali “would love to see money come out of elections and see Citizens United overruled.” Christian Rodriguez ‘16 and Jeremy Conci ‘17 both support Hillary Clinton. “Because of her work as first-lady, Senator of New York, and Secretary of State, her leadership has shown that she can bring some tangible change to Washington. But I want to her to clarify her positions on certain issues and express her vision for America,” Conci said. Rodriguez, a more adamant supporter of Clinton, supports Clinton because of “her ideas, personal appeal, experience and the focus of her 2016 campaign: the voters.” Louis Novicki ‘16 wants foreign policy and higher public education to be issues prioritized in this upcoming election. “I think we need foreign policy improvements in regards to our involvement in Eastern Europe and the Middle East because we have become too involved and need less intervention. There should be more funding in our public education system, especially at the higher level.” If Secretary Clinton or Gov. Bush were to win the presidency, both their elections would be historic, with the first woman and a former First Lady being elected the President of the United States, or having a third family member in the Oval Office.
Archbishop requests teachers support church teachings ... continued from page 1
Ahlbach said the forum, and events like it, have been a success and he “loved how the young people stood up and demanded that they, their friends, and/ or their teachers be given the freedom to be who they are, when they are causing no harm to anyone. Everyone is made better when no one is forced to live on the margins of society. Students want teachers, and I want colleagues, who are good people, and we could not ask for a better group of educators than we have now.” In February, it appeared that the efforts of students, teachers, and the community had an impact on the archbishop and that he was reconsidering his stance on the issues. San Francisco Chronicle staff writer
Kevin Fagan published a report on Feb. 24 saying that “Under pressure from parents, students and staffers at the San Francisco Catholic Archdiocese’s schools, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone said Tuesday that he is re-examining strict guidelines he proposed for teachers that would require them to reject homosexuality, use of contraception and other ‘evil’ behavior.” Also, it appeared that “[Cordileone] is dropping an effort to designate high school teachers as “‘ministers.’” Since that report, however, the archdiocese has denied any plans to drop the handbook wording or significantly change it. Valverde said, “I hope that all of the rallies and gatherings and prayer
services have helped the archbishop and his confreres as well as the employees of the archdiocese to see these matters in a more personal perspective... [that all people] are as wonderful as any other person.” Whether or not the archbishop’s stance is changing, Lloyd urges those who oppose the new language to keep fighting. “The battle still rages,” Lloyd said. “We can’t stop the fight on this issue, because it is still in the process of coming to fruition and we can’t have that. We cannot let the fire, the passion to dwindle. We cannot let the archbishop do this to our teachers and he cannot make members of the LGBT community feel unwelcome. We want
our teachers to be seen as teachers and not ministers. Our community will not change because we are one family, one brotherhood and we will not conform to something so unacceptable and filled with hate. We just have to make that known.” Details in this case are still developing, with local, national and even international news agencies following this issue. As to whether or not teachers or students will choose not to return to one of the four schools because of the contract issue, that remains unseen and to date, unknown. Vezzali said, “I would be sad if any teachers or students left because of this.”
April 2015
SPORTS
11
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Spring sports teams tackle all levels of athleticism By James Saitz ’16 When the winter chill starts to dissipate and the days become longer, Riordan Crusaders recognize this time as the beginning of the spring sports season. Many athletes involved in the sports of rugby, tennis, golf, and lacrosse have been training hard during the offseason in hopes of experiencing a successful season full of athletic growth and development, both on the individual level and as a team. Rugby They are seen all around school. They are frequently seen attending morning workouts. They are some of the toughest individuals at Riordan. This elite group of young men belong to the only club sport team at Archbishop Riordan: rugby. Rugby originated in Great Britain, and since its inception, has spread to many nations including Australia, Somoa, Tonga, Japan, and the United States of America. Head rugby coach Tony Wells and Assistant coach Wylie Ilalia are looking to lead the team through nine regular season games against schools like De La Salle, Dixon, and Bellarmine College Preparatory. Something that sets Riordan Rugby apart from the other school sports is it being classified as a club sport, which means that it does not belong to the WCAL. Rugby belongs to a very competitive league, the Gold Club League, and they play their home games on Treasure Island (SFGG). Rugby athlete Theo Piel ‘16, said, “I’ve been practicing all year, kicking, passing, but as a team we started practicing at the beginning of the second semester.” This demonstrates the perseverance of these athletes to buckle down for this long season. After observing the talent on the team this year, Piel believes that Riordan rugby will fare pretty well and he said, “We have Dixon coming up. I truly think we will win. I honestly think we can beat every team in our league.” They came up short after a competitive game against Dixon, but continued to battle other teams throughout the season. This shows how Riordan trains its young men to aim for their goals, while competing and playing their hardest at every opportunity.
Photo courtesy Jordan Batres ’15
Tennis In the past, the Riordan tennis season has experienced both satisfying victories against schools like Sacred Heart Cathedral, and devastating losses against schools like St. Francis. Each year, the players work harder and continue to compete at the level of schools belonging to the WCAL, one of the most difficult high school leagues in Northern California. With Varsity Head Coach Ed Stephens leading this group of young men, it appears that a very promising season awaits them. Coach Stephens is an extremely passionate and determined man when it comes to tennis and he vows that this year, the team will compete to their fullest ability. Varsity tennis player Thomas Linker ‘16, said, “My plans for the season are beating one team: S.H.” Overall, it appears that the Riordan community has high hopes for tennis this year. Golf The sport of golf, which has been around for more than 700 years, is practiced and played by an elite selection of athletic individuals at Riordan. The team has usually kept a low profile in terms of recruiting players, but this ensures that only the truly talented and determined athletes will be moved to participate.
Photo courtesy James Saitz ’16
Many have heard of the success of Riordan graduate and golf player Grayson Sorci ‘14, such as placing 7th individually in the West Catholic Athletic League and leading the Riordan golf team to finish in the top-25 in CCAA all four years. However, Sorci moved on to Tulane for the 2014/2015 school year. Riordan shifts its focus to some rising golf stars which includes, but is not limited to, Nikko Dauz ‘16, Paul Newland ‘16, and Rudy Ragan ‘16. As a whole, the Riordan golf team, coached by Jeff Isola on the varsity level and Anthony Dunn on the junior varsity level, is on track for some great successes this year. Nearly every day of the week, the golf team puts time in to practice their technique and improve their game. According to Dauz, Riordan golf’s main competitor this year is Sacred Heart and Valley Christian, because “S.H. has one player who would be a danger, and
for Valley, we would have to do well as a team. As long as we keep the score close, I’ll be happy, but if we all play well, we can beat them”. Ragan said that his personal goals for achievement and improvement are, “To win a few games this year, have all players improve their scores, and to get better.” Over the years, golf has maintained a shroud of secrecy surrounding it, but both this year and past seasons have proven that Riordan golf is definitely a serious WCAL competitive force. Lacrosse Lacrosse is a sport that has rapidly become popular in the United States, despite having been played by Native Americans for hundreds of years beforehand. Lacrosse is played by extremely versatile athletes because it includes elements from hockey, soccer, and football and this requires wide ranges of skill.
Photo courtesy Joshua Cardenas ’15
The lacrosse squad is being led by Head Varsity Coach Brooks Thoroughgood, and Assistant Varsity Coach Rudy Tescallo who both have high hopes for this year’s team. The need for student leadership on this team is satiated by Team Captains Gabe Artiga ‘15 and Jonathon Vargas ‘15. Vargas’s plan for the team this season is, “To win at least one varsity game and be able to compete with the few teams we can compete with in our division and be able to get a couple wins before the season is over.” Lacrosse suffered a little hiccup this year with the issue of having low amount of sign ups. However, lacrosse is an intriguing sport and lacrosse player Brad Peraza ‘16 said,” I had a couple buddies on the team, and they asked me to play. I was kind of hesitant at first, but it looked pretty cool with the helmets, and the fact that you could smack people seemed pretty fun. I’m pretty happy I decided to play, hang out with some friends and have fun.” The spring sport season offers a wide range of sports for many different skill sets. The Riordan athletic program ensures that all of its athletes are well equipped to both compete and win in their respective sports. However, the goal of playing sports at Riordan is all about strengthening an athlete’s skill and body, having a good time, and getting involved in what the school has to offer.
Varsity baseball rounds the bags on successful season By Jack Harty Connell ’15
Photo courtesy Jack Harty Connell ’15
As the baseball season continues, Riordan’s team is ready to make some noise in the WCAL. The Varsity team has three coaches: pitching coach Alvaro Orozco, infield coach James McCarthy, and head coach Brandon Ramsey. With these three coaches at the helm, the Crusaders have a bright future ahead of them. This year the Crusaders have a 19man roster, including nine seniors and 10 juniors. With a balanced roster full of juniors and seniors, the baseball team has both talent and experience. Early in the season JV coach Neil Harrington had a heart attack, but is making a full recovery. Assistant varsity coach, James McCarthy, with help of fellow Riordan alumnus Matt coached the team until Harrington returned. The team and fans sent Harrington their best wishes for a speedy recovery. The biggest advantage the Crusaders have this season is their pitching. Coach Alvaro has a lot of experience in both college and the pro league in Mexico. He works closely with all of the pitchers on the roster and looks to improve their mechanics, mindset, and overall capability as a pitcher. One of the better pitchers, senior Dominic Dumlao, suffered a knee injury and might be out for the entire season. However, the team still has a strong bullpen eager to finish the season. Last season, varsity battled but came up short, finishing with an overall record of 10-16. With many close games played, this season the Crusaders need to do well in WCAL play. With a strong lineup, the coaches have a lot to work with and can have a very successful season. So far this season the Crusaders have a record an overall record of 11-12 and a league record of 2-9 and are always improving as the season progresses. The Crusaders started out strong in the beginning of the season with a six game winning streak. Starting shortstop Jeff DeAlba said, “We are working hard as a team to get some wins this season.” The WCAL is tough and the Crusaders, on all three levels, have to battle and continue to fight throughout the season. The baseball program is making great strides this season and all the levels are playing at their best. With the season in full swing, the Crusaders are looking to fight and battle with their WCAL rivals.
12 SPORTS Tr a c k t e a m fields promising a t h l e t e s By Daniel Norman ’16
Photo courtesy Robert Colton ’15
For the 2015 track season, fans expect big things throughout all the events. For the 100m, fans are looking at Charles LaVine, Daniel Norman, Tristan Ellington and Jahque Wilson. In the 200m, Aiden Verba- Hamilton, Alec Moysov, Daniel Norman, Tristan Ellington, Josh Boone, Jahque Wilson are the ones to watch. The 400m standouts are mostly comprised of the same runners. At the Stanford meet the 4x4 relay came in 1st place with a time of 3:24.91. For Long distance, all eyes are on Gabriel Rouhani, Brian Kosewic, Bryce Burton-Wright, Kevin Olivia, and Ian Cranfield. As for the Long Jump and High Jump, the Crusaders have a big newcomer: Jason Smith. Smith is going to tag along with Derick Wendland, Daniel Norman, Jacob Bradley and Connor Laughlin. The past meet at Mitty, Norman jumped 20 feet and a half inch, Smith 20 feet, 3 inches, and Laughlin 20 feet, 6 inches. Laughlin said, “Jason has the potential to be an All-Star Athlete in high and long jump.” Moving onto the field, for shot put Mario Giusto, and for discus, Adan Pena are potential stars. All these athletes have potential to be the best in the WCAL, and owe much to Coaches Matt Ilarina, Kajari Burns, and Benny Willards. “We have a plan for every individual on the track team to participate at their full potential to win the WCAL Championship,” said Coach Ilarina. This year, the JV and the Varsity team hopes to win the WCAL Championship, with Varsity going to State. To accomplish this, the team has to put in a whole lot of work and dedication.
April 2015
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Niners build new stadium, now must rebuild team By Jack Harty Connell ’15
Right now, the San Francisco 49ers are in a state of limbo and fans are getting worried. They are questioning the head office and Jed York, owner of the 49ers. Many questions are unanswered and next season will be an interesting one for the Niners. Last season, the 49ers were unable to make it to the playoffs with a record of 8-8 and fans were restless. Many people questioned the decisions of Jim Harbaugh and the head office and now the 49ers have a chance to start anew. During the offseason, Jim Harbaugh left the Niners and went to coach at the University of Michigan. The 49ers got Jim Tomsula as a new head coach and he is looking at a team with many holes in it. The Niners have lost many players during the offseason and fans are still unclear how much this will hurt. The “Harbaugh” era of the 49ers is over and many of the players who were a staple for the team have left. The Niners have lost running back Frank Gore, left Guard Mike Iupati, linebackers Dan Skuta and Patrick Willis, and free safety Bubba Ventrone. These players have officially left, been traded or have retired from the 49ers.
At press time, there are still more players in limbo and they may leave the Niners. These players include wide receivers Michael Crabtree and Brandon Lloyd, linebacker Desmond Bishop, cornerbacks Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox, and defensive tackle Justin Smith. All of these players were key to the success of the 49ers in the past years and now that they are gone, the franchise is looking for replacements. With many of these changes happening so quickly, fans are unsure of the fate of their beloved team. However, the Niners have made some progress in rebuilding the team by acquiring players such as Australian rugby player and now running back, Jarryd Haynes, defensive linemen Darnell Dockett, and wide receivers Jerome Simpson and Torrey Smith. With these additions to the team, the Niners have something instead of nothing. Some fans think this a good step in bringing the team to an elite level again. With all that said, fans believe somebody needs to stand up and shine for the Niners. On the offensive side, Colin Kaepernick needs to step up and be a leader for this team. With
lackluster performances in the past, he needs to show the fans that he is a good quarterback and is ready to lead this team. On the defensive end, after the retirement of Patrick Willis, fans are all looking at NaVorro Bowman to be the leader of the defense next season. After missing all last season with a knee injury, Bowman is trying to get back to the game and contribute to the team. As the new season comes closer and closer, there are still many questions to be answered. This uncertainty looms over fans and many are nervous to see how the 49ers do in the upcoming season. People say that the Niners should go through a rebuilding mode and rehaul the entire franchise. According to 49er fan Mike Patterson ‘15, “The team is not looking their best but I am still excited to see them play this season.” Others say just weather out the storm and see how it goes. No matter what happens, the San Francisco 49ers and their fans can can only wait and see what unfolds next season and the years beyond.
Niners sign Australian r ugby star By Robert Colton ’15
In a move that has been dubbed
future is uncertain for the 27 year
a “bombshell” in the Australian rugby
old, but he says he is definitely up
world, star National Rugby League
for the challenge. Having spoken
player Jarryd Haynes signed with the
frequently with new 49ers coach Jim
San Francisco 49ers.
Tomsula who has experience with
Two time player of the year in
international players, Haynes said
the prestigious Australian League,
he feels good about his chances at
Haynes chose to leave the sport to pursue a career in the NFL. Previous
Photo courtesy 49ers.com
making a successful transition to the NFL.
crossover athletes moving from rugby
the Detroit Lions before making his
to football have had some success
decision to sign with the 49ers.
Stasko ‘15 said the big difference
although it has mainly been at the
He has received a guaranteed
between the sports is the flow. In
collegiate level.
$100,000 signing bonus and will
football, the action stops after a down,
The jump between sports is a huge
compete for a return position and as
a completion, a score, a penalty. In
risk, especially at the professional
a running back as the Niners look to
rugby, the action is constant.
level where others have significant
groom a replacement for Frank Gore.
“He should do well,” Stasko said.
experience, with Haynes himself
“It’s just a matter of getting the rules
saying “it’s a huge leap of faith.”
Haynes ran a 4.53 40 yard dash and
down.”
Football player Daniel Norman
was measured at 6 feet 2 inches tall,
Football fan DJ Galvez-Flewellen
said, “It will be tough. He will need to
weighing 226 pounds.
‘15 cannot wait until Haynes makes
learn a lot in a short amount of time. If
Former NFL receiver Tim Dwight-
his first hit on the gridiron. “Rugby
he works hard he can probably do well
-whom Haynes has been working
players don’t wear pads, so with pads,
because of his speed and toughness,
out with--extensively told ESPN that
he can hit even harder. He’s gonna
but it will be a tough road because of
the road to an NFL roster would be a
knock someone out.”
his lack of experience.”
long one for Haynes as he has no prior
Despite this lack of experience,
football experience, but he believes
out, but there is no denying that the
he has been working hard and has
he has the work ethic and natural
49ers have acquired one of Australia’s
received advice from other Australians
athleticism to achieve this.
best.
who have made the jump to the NFL.
Having never played a game
He was in talks with the Seahawks and
of American football in his life, the
In December, at a private workout,
Rugby and football player Stephen
Only time will tell how this will play
April 2015
SPORTS
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
13
March to Madness ends with Duke crowned national champs By Robert Colton ’15
The biggest month in college sports and perhaps sports in general is March as NCAA basketball crowns its national champion. This year a competitive field of 64 all had high hopes of capturing that elusive crown. Without a doubt, the clear favorite was the Number 1 ranked Kentucky Wildcats who entered the national tournament with an undefeated record. Chasing history by attempting to become the first undefeated national champion since the Indiana Hoosiers in 1976, the Wildcats were dubbed as potentially the best college team of all time by ESPN and looked to secure their ninth national title. Because of the nature of the national tournament, it left Kentucky and other potential title bidders such as Arizona, Villanova, Duke, Virginia and Wisconsin open to upsets. One loss and a team’s season is over; one loss and the extensive win streak of the Wildcats would have come to a sharp end. This is what makes the national tournament such a spectacle with the Round of 64 having an average of 2.1 million viewers per game with this
number increasing to 21.2 million TV viewers for the National Championship game in 2014. While the usual upsets were definitely present in the first rounds, three of the four number 1 seeds made it to the Final Four unscathed. The exception was Villanova who suffered a defeat to N.C. State in the round of 32 in what was arguably the biggest upset of the tournament. Despite this, a competitive Final Four had taken shape with Michigan State, Duke, Kentucky and Wisconsin all vying for a spot in that national championship game. The first game between Number 1 seeded Duke and Number 8 seeded Michigan State pitted two historic programs against each other. Michigan State alumnus Magic Johnson and other prominent alumni turned out in force to try to help the Spartans to a victory over legendary Coach K and his Duke Blue Devils. From the start, however, the superior talent of Duke showed through as they blasted the Spartans over two halves leading to an eventual 81-61 Duke victory and a spot in the National Championship. Now it was on to perhaps the
most anticipated game of the Final Four as the Kentucky Wildcats tried to stretch their undefeated season against a Wisconsin Badgers outfit, intent on getting revenge for last year’s devastating Final Four loss to the Wildcats. The game was all it was hyped up to be, with high flying plays all throughout the first half and a tied game heading into the second period. With an undefeated season on the line, Kentucky battled back from deficits again and again in the second half, but Wisconsin continued to hold firm. The Badgers slowed the game down and forced the Wildcats into a half court style of play, which allowed them to contain the freak athletes of Kentucky by preventing them from getting out into the open floor. It was this that allowed them to slowly push the game out of reach and spectators could see the inexperienced Kentucky lineup start to crack. The Badgers finished strong and ended Kentucky’s incredible season, handing them their first loss with a 71-64 victory. On to the National Championship game and the Duke vs. Wisconsin matchup promised to excite with the big question being if Wisconsin would be able to refocus after their huge win just 48 hours previously against Kentucky. Nerves were definitely noticeable early in the game from both teams as these young men played on the biggest stage of their lives so far with the ultimate prize at stake. Once again, a hard fought first half saw a tied game at 31-31 with Duke having several key players in foul trouble and Wisconsin looking good. The second half began with a barrage of Wisconsin 3 pointers and offense as they jumped out to an 8 point lead with time ticking away. However, Coach K rallied his Duke squad who mounted Photos courtesy goduke.com
a comeback on the backs of freshmen Jahlil Okafor and Grayson Allen. Tyus Jones, another freshman, stepped up and hit several big shots as Duke brought it back and pulled out of reach of the Badgers. A final score of 68-63 crowned the Blue Devils as national champions and gave Coach K his fifth such title as he continues to cement his legacy as one of the greatest coaches of all time. The tournament did then succeed in delivering its usual range of startling upsets to heavyweight clashes and no shortage of excitement. Riordan basketball coach Danny Arias said that it was an “amazing tournament” and his “favorite month of the year by far.” Arias commended Duke on a great journey, especially with an
inexperienced core of freshmen. He also mentioned that Wisconsin had shown the value of team chemistry as they built a National Championship contender from the ground up and came very close to capturing that elusive title.
14 SPORTS
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
April 2015
WrestleMania XXXI stuns fans with stellar show By Adrian Garcia ’15
Thirty years ago in New York City’s Madison Square Garden, the grand spectacle, WrestleMania was born. One of the greatest minds in sports entertainment, Vince McMahon, brought together the wrestling greats of the time like Hulk Hogan, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, and Andre The Giant, with celebrity icons of the 80s such as Mr. T, Cyndi Lauper, and Muhammad Ali. The event was a massive success and is still popular today. Even if you are not a fan of WWE or wrestling, there’s no doubt that it has shown up in your life in some way, most notably when former WWE World Heavyweight champion Daniel Bryan passed on his signature “YES! YES! YES!” chant to the San Francisco Giants during their playoff run to the World Series. With the announcement in December of 2013 that Wrestlemania XXXI would be held at Santa Clara’s new Levi’s Stadium, many Bay Area fans were extremely excited and bought their tickets as soon as they went on sale. Not only that, but thousands of people from around the world came together to experience the Showcase of The Immortals. This WrestleMania marks not only the first one to be held in the San Francisco Bay Area, but the first WWE PayPer-View in the Bay Area since No Way Out 2004 at San Francisco’s Cow Palace, when the late Eddie Guerrero defeated Brock Lesnar to win his first and only WWE Championship. Intercontinental Title Ladder Match: Bad News Barrett (c) vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. R-Truth vs. Luke Harper vs. Stardust vs. Daniel Bryan At the WWE Fast Lane PPV, Intercontinental Champion Bad News Barrett defended his title against “The Lunatic Fringe” Dean Ambrose. Although Ambrose lost the match by disqualification, he took it upon himself to steal the Intercontinental Title after the match. This lead to a number of superstars, including former champions Dolph Ziggler and Luke Harper, taking the title from Barrett in hot potato fashion,
bringing us to this 7-man Ladder Match for one of the most prestigious titles in WWE. The match provided a good start for the main show. Dean Ambrose definitely took a lot of heavy hits including jumping from the top of a ladder onto the rest of the competitors and getting powerbombed through a ladder by Luke Harper, who fought valiantly in the match. At the conclusion, two fan favorites, Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler battled on top a ladder in the middle of the ring, exchanging headbutts until Ziggler fell from the top, allowing Bryan to claim the Intercontinental Championship. Grade: B 2nd Annual Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal Wrestlemania XXX in New Orleans held the inaugural Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal. This match brought a large number of superstars into the ring, eliminating each other by throwing one another over the top rope until one man is left standing. Last year, “The King of Swing” Cesaro endured the match to become the first winner of the battle royal. With each progressing week through February and March, wrestlers like Kane, Big Show, Ryback, Fandango, The Prime Time Players and many more announced their entry into the match. The battle royal was held during the pre-show before the ladder match. The match was very scattered for the first few minutes with participants eliminated left and right. Hideo Itami, a rookie from WWE’s developmental program NXT, had a great outing and impressed thousands of fans before getting eliminated by The Big Show, who ended up the winner. He later said he felt honored to have won the match, paying tribute to one of his largest inspirations. Grade: C Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins Winner of the 2014 Money in the Bank ladder match, Seth Rollins had the chance of a lifetime in his hands, as winning the match would grant him the opportunity to cash in a title
shot for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship anytime and anywhere. His rise to glory has come with the help of The Authority, a group of wrestlers and corporate members of the WWE including Chief Operating Officer Triple H, Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, Director of Operations Kane, Big Show, and Randy Orton. Just five months ago, however, Orton was exiled from the group after numerous clashes with Rollins, causing him to injure Orton and put him on leave for a few months. Orton returned at Fast Lane to try to get revenge on the Authority and Seth Rollins, but decided to “rejoin” them the following night on “Raw.” After a couple of weeks during a handicap match between himself and Rollins against Roman Reigns, Orton made his true intentions clear, allowing Reigns to win the match, giving The Viper an opportunity to extract his revenge on Mr. Money in the Bank.
jumping to WWE programming. Around Mid-2014 after departing from TNA, Sting began being promoted at WWE events, in programming, and merchandise, sparking speculation of his possible WWE debut. On Nov. 23 at WWE Survivor Series, Sting appeared for the first time on live WWE programming, delivering his patent Scorpion Death Drop to Triple H, causing a distraction for his Survivor Series team to lose to John Cena’s team. This interference sparked a feud between “The Game” and “The Icon.” Triple H had continuously called out Sting for weeks to have a match with him with no response. Finally at WWE Fast Lane, Sting appeared and accepted Triple H’s challenge. The date was set to have their historic battle at WrestleMania. These two legends stepped into the ring with plenty of months of hype riding on this match. So did the match live up to said hype? The match started out slow with Triple H taking early ad-
On the March 12 edition of “Thursday Night Smackdown,” Orton challenged Seth to a match at WrestleMania. Rollins accepted without hesitation the following Monday on “Raw.” Definitely a show stealer, the match showed the two men equally matched with plenty of back and forth action. Rollins’ backup, J&J Security made an effort to stop Orton’s comeback, only to fail. The match ended on a high note with Orton countering Rollins’ Curb Stomp into an impressive RKO into a pinfall. Despite a big loss, Rollins’ WrestleMania night was not over just yet. Grade: ATriple H vs. Sting In 2001, Vince McMahon shocked the world when he made an official announcement that WWE (then WWF) had purchased their competitor World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from Ted Turner’s Time Warner Inc. At the time, many WCW wrestlers’ jobs were hanging in the balance as some were looking to make the move to WWF while others decided to head to work for other independent wrestling promotions. One of the many wrestlers who took the latter route was popular WCW star Sting, after he declined offers from WWF to join the company. For more than 10 years, he wrestled under the Total Nonstop Action (TNA) promotion, and showed little to no interest in
vantage against Sting. But just as Sting began to lock in the Scorpion Deathlock submission hold, Triple H’s friends X-Pac, “Road Dogg” Jesse James, Billy Gunn, and “Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels (D-Generation X) interfered to stop Sting from securing the victory. But the odds were evened when fellow former WCW stars Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Hulk Hogan (The New World Order) arrived and took out DX. After all the interferences, Triple H used his signature sledgehammer to secure a pinfall and win. The match itself was slow and a bit lackluster, but the drama of the NWO vs DX helped to add suspense to the match, even if the ending was a bit of a copout. Grade: B AJ Lee & Paige vs. The Bella Twins In recent years, WWE’s Women’s division (commonly referred to as the Divas Division) began to grow out of having women as eye candy for the fans, to letting them showcase more of their skills in the ring. However, the women have not had as much time in the ring, with a majority of their matches lasting only 5-10 minutes at most--even less than a minute on some occasions. Three-time Divas Champion AJ Lee spoke out against the unfair on-air time for Divas and sparked the #GiveDivasAChance hashtag, which trended on Twitter for a few days, catching the attention of Vince and Stephanie Mc-
continued on page 15
April 2015
SPORTS
WrestleMania XXXI continued ... continued from page 14
Mahon. At WWE Survivor Series, Nikki Bella defeated AJ Lee, with the help of her sister Brie, to win her second Divas Championship. With AJ sidelined for the next few months, her rival Paige began to have matches against the Bellas to earn a couple of chances at getting the championship, with little to no avail. On the March 2 edition of “Raw,” Paige was close to beating Nikki for the title when Brie interfered in the match, allowing the twins to gang up on her. In the nick of time however, AJ returned after a 5-month hiatus to save her rival from the Bellas. Now considered frenemies for the time being, AJ and Paige teamed up to go against the Bella Twins in tag team action. The match was the shortest match of the night, clocking in at 6 minutes, which can be considered slightly above average time for a divas match. The Bellas took early advantage in the match, isolating Paige to their corner while keeping AJ away from the ropes. But Paige came back to make the tag to her partner, who put Nikki in the Black Widow submission hold for the only submission victory of the night. Despite the short match time, the right team won with AJ having two WrestleMania victories and Paige winning at her Mania debut. Grade: BUnited States Championship Match: John Cena vs. Rusev (c) On April 7 2014, the Ukrainian wrestler Rusev made his “Monday Night Raw” debut, and since then, he has not lost by pinfall or submission. Not only that, but he became the United States Champion after defeating Sheamus on Nov. 3 of that year. Many wrestlers, including Big E, Mark Henry, and Jack Swagger have tried to defeat the villain in the name of the USA, but have had no success. After becoming the runner-up in the 2015 Royal Rumble match, Rusev set his sights against John Cena, arguably one of the WWE’s greatest Superstars in history. At WWE Fast Lane, the two squared off for the US Championship and Cena was close to victory, only to have been kicked below the belt before Rusev defeated him. Since then, Cena has been wanting to put in his contractual rematch clause against Rusev at WrestleMania, but Rusev denied the offer. On March 9, Cena decided to take matters into his own hands and locked Rusev into a submission hold until Rusev’s manager Lana gave in and agreed to give Cena the title match at WrestleMania. Rusev proved dominant in the match, keeping John Cena’s moveset very limited due to his skill in strength and speed. He showed that without illegal tactics, he was still very capable of being able to take out Cena. In signature fashion, Cena com-
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The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
pleted his comeback and began to lock in the STF submission hold, but Lana tried to interfere to give Rusev an opening. This resulted in him accidentally knocking Lana off of the ring, allowing Cena to hit his signature move, the Attitude Adjustment, and deliver Rusev his first loss in WWE. With this victory, Cena wins the 4th United States Championship in his career.
Grade: C+ The Undertaker vs. Bray Wyatt The Undertaker’s history at WrestleMania is considered one of the greatest achievements in wrestling history. His record of 21 victories and 0 defeats on the Grandest Stage of Them All was challenged last year by Brock Lesnar and shockingly, The Beast Incarnate delivered The Phenom’s first loss at WrestleMania. Since that day, The Undertaker has not been seen or heard from on WWE TV. Along with the injuries he sustained in his match with Lesnar and rumors of his possible retirement, it seemed we wouldn’t see the Deadman in the squared circle anytime soon. At WWE Fast Lane, the sight of The Undertaker’s druids brought people hope that he would rise again, but it was soon revealed to be a ruse devised by Bray Wyatt. He proceeded to call out the Undertaker to face him at WrestleMania while sitting in a casket. Bray Wyatt has made a name for himself with his cult leader persona and cryptic promos, and made his WrestleMania debut last year, losing to John Cena. On the March 9 edition of “Monday Night Raw,” Wyatt decided to take drastic measures and use The Undertaker’s signature urn, which is said to be the source of The Phenom’s power, to get an answer from him. Once he opened it, smoke came from the inside of it and The Undertaker’s voice rang throughout the arena, “You will... Rest in peace.” This eerie message confirmed that The Undertaker is willing to clash with Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania. For The Undertaker’s first match in more than a year, he fought in much better condition, but Wyatt gave The Deadman a run for his money. I spent
a majority of the match concerned that Taker might not have enough gas in the tank to push through. The Phenom spent much of the last few minutes of the match on his back with Wyatt taunting him and keeping him down. Both men took each other’s heaviest blows and kept fighting, keeping the crowd excited and nervous. The Undertaker finally laid Wyatt to rest with the Tombstone Piledriver, ceasing the terror of the self-proclaimed “New Face of Fear,” at least for the time being. Grade: B WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match: Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar (c) As tradition since 1993, the winner of WWE’s Royal Rumble match is guaranteed to fight in the Main Event of Wrestlemania in a battle against the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. In January, that very chance was earned by Roman Reigns, former Tag Team Champion and former member of The Shield stable. His Royal Rumble
victory, for a short amount of time, was met with extreme criticism, as fans stated that he was not ready for top card status and that more qualified wrestlers, most notably Daniel Bryan (who Reigns defeated at Fast Lane to secure his title shot), should have had that chance. When Reigns was asked about the criticism, he simply stated, “They paid their money, they can do whatever they want. They can cheer, they can boo. As long as I can be a part of it and do my thing, I’m smitten, man.” Reigns is also a member of the Anoa’i family, one of the most prestigious families in wrestling; He shares a branch in the family tree with wrestlers like Yokozuna, Rikishi, Umaga, Jimmy and Jey Uso, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. In one of the most one-sided matches in the history of WWE Championship matches, Brock Lesnar annihilated then-champion John Cena at the Summerslam PPV to become the champion. This came only a few months after ending The Undertaker’s legendary Wrestlemania unde-
Photos courtesy wwe.com
feated streak. Lesnar is a man of pure action and little words, as the trash talking usually comes from the mouth of his manager, Paul Heyman, another great mind in the business of sports entertainment. Lesnar is a 4-time champion and recorded as the youngest WWE Champion in history in 2002 at the age of 25. Lesnar is also a former Royal Rumble winner and former UFC Heavyweight Champion with a UFC record of 5-3. As expected, Roman entered the match as the underdog, not only having to go against such a dominant competitor, but pushing through the thousands of fans, doubtful if he can actually win. Roman started the match quickly, trying to weaken Lesnar early, but the champ was unfazed and proceeded to take Reigns to Suplex City, delivering more than 10 suplexes during the course of the match. Just as Reigns was down and out, taking 3 F-5s from Lesnar, his will to win was underestimated and he laughed it off, literally. He turned the tide of the match, slamming Lesnar into the turnbuckle, creating a large cut on his forehead. The weakened Lesnar gave Roman the advantage he needed and he landed three Superman Punches and a spear. The fight that Reigns was putting on was enough to start turning the crowd toward his side; Lesnar used what was left of his energy to plant one more F-5 on Reigns, but was too weakened to attempt a pin. Remember when I said Seth Rollins’ night wasn’t over yet? While Roman and Lesnar were out, Rollins ran toward the ring with his Money in The Bank briefcase in hand and cashed it in, turning the match into a Triple Threat match. He delivered a curb stomp to Lesnar and Reigns and got the pin on Roman to steal the title. The cheers of more than 75,000 fans in Levi’s Stadium roared with the crowning of a new WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Grade: A The show far succeeded my expectations and I left the stadium pleased with the overall outcome. The overall hype leading up to the event might not have been very well done, but the show was stellar enough to overshadow the doubts and lackluster moments. It was a great way to end the wrestling year, which will be set to pick up again the next night on Raw. What new surprises will be in store for fans and how long with Rollins’ reign as Champion last? What will the fall out between Triple H and Sting be like? Will The Undertaker have one last match or will he retire? These questions will be answered very soon. Overall Grade: A-
16 ENTERTAINMENT
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
April 2015
Late night laughs linger as television moves to internet Trivia Crack By Roman Peregrino ’18 awakens Late night television. Those careers over the years. Created watching late night television has three words bring to mind Jack Parr by Lorne Michaels, “Saturday been introduced in recent years. competitive and Johnny Carson for our parents, Night Live” shaped the legacies of There is almost real-time access to nature in students and Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Martin daily episodes off each of the late
By Jabriel Andrade ’18
Any iOS user can see the newest blip on the App Store radar: Trivia Crack. Developed by Etermax, whose notable releases include Aworded, a scrabble clone, and Word Crack, a boggle clone, Trivia Crack presents itself as a somewhat original trivia game that pits player against player in six categories: Science, History, Geography, Art, Entertainment, and Sports. Trivia Crack does a lot of things right, giving players the option of an ad less version, having a nice clean interface, and finally, optional Facebook support to make things much easier while not forcing a player to sign in, like Madden Mobile. Its free to play policy, however, is what pulled most players in mostly due to the competitiveness that is trivia. With all these amateur pros boasting for domination, Trivia Crack has a few noticeable flaws. First, the lack of limits on questions although interesting, can create some awesome comeback stories, but it gives an unfair although small advantage to the challenger as he can win before the other player gets a chance to spin. However, the biggest problem is definitely the micro transactions. Although most of them like coins and spins are mostly harmless and don’t give the greatest of advantages, the most infuriating aspect is the heart system where the game limits how much you can play unless you pay $30. This is insane since this game has a paid version where you may still be limited. Is Trivia Crack the best paid game on the App Store? No. In fact, it isn’t even the best trivia game on the App Store, but for a game starting with a zero dollar download price, it’s both a good waste of time and a good way to prove how much “smarter” you are than someone else. Jordan Fox ‘18 likes to play against his friends. He said, “It makes learning competitive. Also, you learn new things if you don’t get it right.” Photo courtesy triviacrack.com
Fallon to high school students. In the roughly 70 years since the first airing of the “Ed Sullivan Show,” and last night’s showing of the “Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon, many things have changed, from the people, to the jokes, and the ways to watch. Late night television was first made popular by the immortal Ed Sullivan. The “Ed Sullivan Show” was the first well-known late night television show and sparked generations that followed him. Riordan parent Mario Peregrino ‘85 said, “Ed Sullivan was the trunk of the tree and everyone else branched off him.”
Short, Tina Fey, and Eddie Murphy, among countless others. SNL, along with Carson, spurred more people to watch, and made late night comedy all the more popular. The generation directly following Carson began in the early 1990s and was led by Jay Leno, who replaced Carson, and David Letterman. Jon Stewart also got his start around the same time. Interestingly enough, all three will have retired by the end of this year. It also began a run of the CBS and NBC networks competing to get ratings with their late night shows starring Leno and Letterman. The jokes began shifting into the field
Photos courtesy nbc.com and abc.com
Sullivan’s show often used musical performances and vaudevillian acts to enchant the audience. His show was taped in New York and broadcast to black and white television screens across America. Sullivan had a run of 23 years before the show was cancelled in 1971. The other pioneering show of the era was the “Tonight Show,” first hosted by Steve Allen. Allen’s version of the show incorporated talk show standards such as an opening monologue, celebrity interviews, audience participation, and comedy bits in which cameras were taken outside the set. Allen, along with his successor, Jack Paar, and Sullivan, revolutionized the industry and served as a stepping stone for a new age of comedians taking over led by the one and only Johnny Carson. In 1962, many people believed that the world of late night television changed for the better when Johnny Carson took over for Paar on the “Tonight Show.” Carson improved on Allen’s method of late night comedy and made something special out of it. During Carson’s time, the “Tonight Show” moved from New York to Burbank, California. Around this time, all of late night TV shifted to being viewed on color television screens, greatly enhancing the audience’s late night experience. Also in this time period, “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) began. “Saturday Night Live” has jumpstarted many comedians’
of political comedy and bringing people in high places down to size. This technique was perfected by Stewart and his crew on Comedy Central, which started the satirist stage of comedy. Kabir Samra ‘18 said, “These shows provide a look into the lives of celebrities…[they] show different contemporary problems in an entertaining way so that people are able to enjoy themselves while getting a large amount of
news information.” Tony Dunn, ARHS physics teacher, added, “[The hosts] are always making fun of current events. It is funny, but it educates you as well.” Letterman, Leno, and Stewart were the last of the old breed of late night hosts. This new age to come is younger than the last and has a new style. The jokes are different and the hosts have begun relying more on playing games with their guests. More and more hosts are using the aforementioned satirical comedy to get their careers off the ground. With the Internet, a new way of
night shows via YouTube. Led by the “Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon, the shows have slowly begun transferring videos onto the site, allowing people to watch and re-watch the most hilarious moments of the episode. This however has led to a possible downturn in popularity with younger generations. Rudy Ragan ‘16 said, “I don’t think it is as popular as it was 10 years ago. Most kids just watch short YouTube clips of late night TV.” Using the Internet is simply a more practical way to watch than staying up until 11 o’clock at night. Foremost members of this new age of late night comedy include Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, and Steven Colbert. Fallon was a previous member of “Saturday Night Live” and used that to propel him to hosting “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” and eventually replacing Leno as host of the “Tonight Show,” carrying on the tradition of Allen, Paar, Carson, Conan O’ Brien (O’Brien only hosted the program for 7 months), and Leno before him. Kimmel and Colbert both used Comedy Central as springboards to get their current jobs. Kimmel now hosts “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on ABC. Colbert began as Jon Stewart’s senior correspondent on “The Daily Show.” Colbert used that to get his own program on Comedy Central called the “Colbert Report,” which made enough headlines as to make him David Letterman’s successor. Over the past few months, much change has occurred. Letterman and Stewart have both announced retirement (Comedy
Central released a report on March 30 that Trevor Noah would replace Stewart. The date is to be determined). Several Comedy Central correspondents, led by Colbert and John Oliver (“Last Week Tonight”) have moved on to bigger and brighter stages. One thing that has not changed, however, from Sullivan to Paar, Carson to Oliver, and from Leno to Fallon, is the lighthearted laugh at the end of a long day that only late night television can bring.