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VOLUME LXVI ISSUE ii
ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN HIGH SCHOOL
SERVING RIORDAN SINCE 1953
Winter 2016-2017 THE NEWSPAPER OF CRUSADER COUNTRY
Freshman formal attire embraces new look this semester By David Rodriguez-Mendez ’18 For the last 30 years, Riordan has used a particular vendor for its formal wear. This vendor has been bought out. Apparently, the new owner had printed their own logo on the formal attire for the Class of 2020 without permission, and thus the administration decided to reject that design and start over. In December, Student Activities Director Joey Klobas ’07 said, “Next semester, [spring 2017] we will have determined a new formal uniform. It will be completely different, and it will be sold in the Prep Shop. Freshmen and incoming freshmen will be
required to buy it.” The cost is $45, which is less expensive than the previous one, which cost $68. In addition, many say that the gray will be easier to keep clean, as opposed to white. Klobas said, “The change is beneficial to the new age of Riordan with the new classes, the new administration and with those changes, so our uniforms should reflect that change.” Sophomores, juniors and seniors will be allowed to buy the new formal uniform, but will not be required to do so. Claudel Garcia ’20 said he prefers the white sweater because
By Roman Peregrino ’18
president, vice president, spirit chair, and events chair. These positions are voted on by the entire school, and will be quite similar to years past. From here, things radically change. Next, in the Parliament will be house captains. Each house will elect one upper (junior or senior) and one lower (freshman or sophomore) division leaders, leading to eight house captains (two captains from four houses). The next grouping is divisional captains. These positions are also elected by the house. Each house will have two leaders from each grade within their house, leaving 32 divisional captains in all (eight captains from four houses). The last grouping is in the House Commons, which consists of mentor leaders. Mentor leaders will be in charge of a mentorship group. A mentorship group, said Klobas, is “a group of roughly 20 students that will meet for a period of time each day.” At these meetings, a multitude of events can occur. It could be a time for the sharing of information from student government, it could be a time for collaboration to occur simplify to “or collaboration on a group or school project,” or it might just be time to hang out with Crusader brothers. This will take the time that homeroom used to hold. There will be plenty of opportunities to become a student leader at Riordan. Catherine Mifsud, Dean of Community Life, wants students to know that “[you] can decide whatever level of participation you want to have [in the school], and this system accommodates that.” The reasoning behind the
it “stands out more,” but likes the new gray one “because it’s cheaper.” Tim Scott ’20 models the formal attire for sophomores, juniors, and seniors; Claudel Garcia ’20 wears the freshman temporary formal attire; Estefan Granucci ’19 displays the new formal sweater.
New house system to unite, not divide students Big changes are coming to Riordan next year in the form of the House Program. Students at Riordan will no longer be broken up into divisions: freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors. Instead we will be grouped into a house, with students from all grades. Riordan will have four houses with names to be determined. It may help to envision the house program as described in the Harry Potter series. Four houses will battle each other for points and to win the House Cup. While there will be some similarities with the systems, there will also be key differences from JK Rowling’s best-selling novels. The structure of the house system is as follows: Students from all grade levels will be divided into four different houses. Each house will have a name, color, and crest. Throughout the year, the respective houses will compete for points. These points come in the form of winning events for each house, attending sports events, and winning the Crusaders Games, a new field day at the end of the year. The ultimate goal is the Chaminade Award, which will be awarded to the house with the most points each year. The new student government structure will be quite different than the current hierarchy. According to Joey Klobas ’07, Director of Student Activities, and current student government moderator, the school will be divided into a House Parliament and House Commons. The House Parliament consists of the school captains which are
change to this program is simple. Riordan hopes to foster competition in and out of the classroom and to increase participation in events and activities, while also strengthening the great bonds students at Riordan already have. In regards to how the idea came about, Mifsud said, “Mr. Anastasio, through his conversations with other Marianist high schools, found that this system of student governance and mentorship has provided great opportunities for a school community.” Before the decision became final, members of Riordan visited two Marianist schools to learn firsthand about the house system. Klobas, Mifsud, Roman Peregrino ’18, junior class president, and Hunter Harrold ’18, junior class vice-president met with two Marianist all-boys high schools, Chaminade High School in St. Louis and Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati. There, they learned about the successes and failures of the house programs, in the hopes of using the learning from the two programs and adding a Crusader twist. “I think that the trip was very informative,” said Harrold. “We got to see first-hand how this system is going to look like in our own school.” Both Mifsud and Klobas agreed that the trip was quite helpful and will be a boon to the ARHS program. “Before the trip, it was really hard to understand where the program was going to fit until we saw two schools…it was very informative,” said Klobas, “After the trip, I came back feeling very uplifted by the potential that this program could have for our school,” adds Mifsud. “I enjoyed
seeing the student leaders who came with us as they also became excited about what could be.” The feedback about the system that was given at Chaminade and Archbishop Moeller was highly favorable. Dr. Todd Guidry, head of the house program at Chaminade, echoed Anastasio’s conclusions about the benefits of the house program, saying, “It’s just been a transformative process. There have been positive effects that we could not have foreseen.” School vice-captain Chris Berger ’17 of Archbishop Moeller adds that “[the house program] is one of the most instrumental parts of daily life here. It’s all about building the brotherhood. That has really been fostered and developed under the house system.” Leadership at Riordan hopes that the house program will become as successful as it is in the Midwest. Klobas noted that “Riordan students should expect a change in atmosphere and community spirit. [We are] creating a better overall feel for our school. The purpose of the houses, is to have cross communication among grade levels and to better ensure pastoral care.” The Class of 2018, the current juniors, is in a unique situation. They will be the first leaders of a school wide change, making next year an exciting time to be a senior. The future of this program is in their hands. Kabir Samra ’18 said, “It’s fun that we will be the people that get to decide how the whole school is going to
Please see “House System” on page 3
2 Opinion Pro
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Winter 2016-2017
Con Voters need to get off high horse
Proposition 64: Legalizing marijuana
Prop 64 lights fire in voters
By Jacob Taylor ’17
California’s newly passed Proposition 64 allows adults 21 years or older to possess up to an ounce of marijuana and grow as many as six plants for personal use out of public view. The drugs still would be forbidden for minors and couldn’t be consumed in public. It could open the door to a more than $6 billion industry, according to a recent Arcview Market Research Poll, putting several new jobs on the market. The introduction of a huge new market into California will also make way for even bigger taxes, estimated to be up to one billion dollars each year, earmarking funds to law enforcement training, drug deterrence programs for youth and to help diminish the environmental effects of largescale cannabis growing, including use of pesticides and high-volume water and energy consumption. Another advantage is the legalization would help bring to an end the so called “War on the Drugs” started by former President Nixon. One of Richard Nixon’s top advisers and a key figure in the Watergate scandal said the war on drugs was created as a political tool to fight “blacks and hippies,” according to a 22-year-old interview recently published in Harper’s Magazine. “The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people,” former Nixon domestic policy chief John Ehrlichman told Harper’s writer Dan Baum for the April cover story published last month. “You understand what I’m saying? We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against
the war, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin. And then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities,” he said. “We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did” (CNN). The fake war on drugs has failed, leaving drugs more plentiful, available, and cheaper than ever. There are too many nonviolent drug offenders in prison, and young people and members of communities of color most impacted, remaining trapped as a majority target in the justice system. Goleta City Council member, Michael Bennett, said he has experienced enforcement at its worst. Bennett believes regulation will reduce illegal drug dealers. On top of that, state lands, rivers, and streams are ravaged by illegal and unregulated marijuana grow operations. The legalization of weed will fix many issues we have created over the decades, and with the new law that bans smoking marijuana while driving, we can only see this as a win for California.
Arts & Entertainment Editor Jabriel Andrade ’18 1949
Health & Technology Editor Alexander Vallecillo ’18
Editor in Chief Roman Peregrino ’18
Photo Editor Chris Peterson ’18
Opinion Editor Jacob Taylor ’17
Copy Editors Keven Ariel Munoz ’18 John Regidor ’18
Features Editor Chris Peterson ’18 Sports Editor Greg Guinasso ’17
Exchange Editor Chang Liu ’18 Adviser Susan Sutton, CJE
By Chris Peterson ’18 What is Prop 64? What will it do to California? Is it a good thing? Well, to answer some of those right off the bat, let’s start with this, it’s a matter of personal rights. For those of you who don’t know, Proposition 64 is the state legalization of marijuana. As for the other two questions, it takes more explaining. Now personally, I don’t like the proposition because it will just cause more issues rather than solutions. There will always be people doing it; people will always do things no matter what laws are put into place. I believe that everyone has a right to do what they do in the privacy of their own home, whether it is alcohol, marijuana, or any other type of mind altering substance, as long as you’re not using it in public and not bothering me with it. Then, I could not care less. Although, I will say this: it still leaves a couple of huge holes. Alex Espinosa ’17 said, “I believe this will turn into another big tobacco, causing profit at the expense of people. I don’t want to be walking down the street and start getting second hand smoke from someone smoking weed so that I get covered in the smell,
Staff Reporters Angel Anaya ’17 Andrius Appel ’19 Jakeclark Bennett ’18 Stephen Blecha ’19 Patrick Brown ’17 Johnny Caceres ’19 Brandon Castro ’18 Fernando Delgado ’18 Sebastian Fazio ’18 Mike’l Gregory ’18 Jaime Hernandez ’17 Ricardo Hernandez ’20 Michael Jaurigui ’19 Michael Kay ’18
but I also inhale it.” There is also another aspect of it, the economic side. Social Science teacher Matt Gallegos said, “In the short term, it will improve our economy, but in the long run we do not know what will happen.” It might mess up the economy, causing a depression or it could make other businesses go out of business. In the end, we really don’t know and that’s a bit scary. Before this measure was placed on the ballot, the possible repercussions should have been examined more carefully. Not knowing the outcomes, and yet placing it on the ballot was dangerous and irresponsible. Now, we have to live with it, as it is law. Quite simply, this was not a good idea, and living in a “I don’t know” environment is risky and unadvised.
Joseph Kerrigan ’18 Rodney Martinez ’17 Aidan Murtaugh ’20 Henry Novicki ’18 Abel Padilla ’19 Tomas Palpallatoc ’18 Zachary Phillips ’20 Steven Rissotto ’20 David Rodriguez-Mendez ’18 Jeancarlos Santos ’17 Uzair Shaikh ’17 Karl Vanuska ’19 Brandon Vargas ’20 Jimmy Velasco ’17 Harrick Wu ’19
Winter 2016-2017
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Campus News
3
Toy drive brings holiday joy to children By Michael Kay ’18
Archbishop Riordan High School participated in the annual toy drive from Nov. 28 through Dec. 15, sponsored by the San Francisco Fire Department The toy drive, a long standing San Francisco tradition, collects toys for families with young kids who can not afford presents and helps with children who are in foster care. Student Activities Director Joey Klobas ’07, former director of the toy drive, said, “It’s overall beneficial, because of the student demography, because kids who are poor and experience not having a lot of toys.” The toy drive has been going on at Riordan for many years. On average, roughly 200 toys are collected every year.
This year, it was harder to collect toys because of the new schedule. There has been a dip in participation and it has been harder to advertise. Andres DeRosales, who now runs the drive, said the event supports a good cause. If DeRosales makes any changes to the drive, he would reach out to other Catholic high schools to have a competition to see who could collect more toys. He said, “There’s nothing like seeing a child’s face light up when they get a toy they wanted and Riordan helps with that by contributing to the toy drive.”
Photo by Michael Kay ’18
Gracious givers donate to Thanksgiving food drive By Andrius Appel ’19 This year Archbishop Riordan had a successful Thanksgiving Drive for the poor and homeless in San Francisco. In total, the students raised $1,098.18 during the month of November. The money goes to St. Martin de Porres House of Hospitality in San Francisco, which helps make meals for the poor. Each year theology teacher Andres DeRosales ’97 organizes the drives at Riordan to help the vulnerable. He encourages students to help by adding competition. “When you add competition to a drive, it gets classes motivated to win a prize,” said DeRosales, head of Core Service. Riordan students not only donated more than $1000, they also donated 4000 food items to Avila Parish in Potrero Hill. “Those items help feed local families who are facing food insecurity, which in San Francisco is one in five adults,” explained DeRosales. The top three donating classes were Ken Morris’ 2A class, Viggen Rassam’s 2A class, and John Albach’s 2A class.
Photo by Joseph Kerrigan ’18 Andres DeRosales proudly smiles as food collected by students is packed and headed toward those in need.
“House System,” from page 1 change. We will be able to cater [the houses system] to how we want it.” It’s important to note that the house system will take more than one year to fully implement. Therefore, the hope is that the seeds sown for the house system will continue to grow strong through the next generation of Crusaders. The only way the
program will grow is through hard work. Mifsud clarified that “a program such as this will only be as successful as the student and teacher participation. We shouldn’t ask what I will get out of it, but rather what I need to put into it to be successful. A student should be ready to positively participate in activities,
competitions, and in providing for a healthier school environment.” Klobas continued, “With this change in our school, it will be more important than ever for our students to understand adaptation to change. As long as students keep an open mind it will go very smoothly.” Harrold feels that the sky’s the limit for this program at Riordan.
“Although it may take a while for this system to reach its height, right now, it’s all about getting started and seeing how it works. Eventually, when we get used to it, we will be able to really flourish. The underlying goal of this is achieving more brotherhood and camaraderie, which will make Riordan a better place.”
4 Campus News
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Winter 2016-2017
ARHS community bleeds with generosity
By Joseph Kerrigan ’18
Archbishop Riordan High school continued its annual fall blood drive this year with the Blood Center of the Pacific. The annual blood drive is a major drive run by the Core Service Team, which is headed by theology and social sciences teacher Andres DeRosales ’97. The Core Service Team starts their planning at the beginning of the school year, appointing two co-chairmen to run the drive. All of the legwork is done by members of the team who walk through classes during announcements to hand out and collect permission slips to donate blood. Marianists are dedicated to serving the less fortunate, and giving blood is one way for Riordan as a Marianist school to really help those in need. The giving of “life” in a way gives it a special meaning and is a good experience to go through rather than the usual monetary donations. Every person who donates can save up to three lives in an emergency room or on the operating table with their donated blood. Not many people are willing to give blood anymore because of the time required and the needle involved, so it is extremely important that blood
drives are kept alive in order to keep people in medical emergencies alive. The Riordan blood drive has been a longstanding tradition in the Riordan community and Riordan specifically has been one of the top high schools in the Bay Area in amount of blood donated each year. The student body and faculty are always eager to donate, but students younger than 16 cannot donate. The science behind giving blood is relatively simple. O- is the universal donor, and is actually uncommon, so people with this blood type are heavily encouraged to consider donating blood. Two ways to donate is giving blood, but also giving strictly plasma, which the universal donor is the AB blood type. The process does not take too long, and few people experience any side effects if they follow the instructions of eating before. Overall, giving blood is an important and very special thing a person can do by really giving a “piece” of themselves. Those who participated said it was a good experience, especially for those at Riordan who are part of a Marianist community where serving those in need is a main focus.
Anthony Rissotto ’17, Steven Diaz ’17, Andres DeRosales, and Damon Santos ’18 helped students and faculty sign in to donate blood.
The Class of 2018 received their school rings in a special ceremony on Junior Unity Day, Oct. 18.
Photos by Joseph Kerrigan ’18 Marcus Escobar ’18 displays one of the many rewards for donating blood: tickets to Discovery Kingdom, which he won in the raffle.
Books4Hope writes new page in donation drive chapter of giving By Abel Padilla ’19
Photo by Stephen Blecha ’19 Student Activities Director Joey Klobas ’07 presents Garrison Howe ’18 with his school ring on Junior Unity Day.
Books4Hope has been helping people for years, but this is Riordan’s first year being involved with the organization. Librarian Danny Appel introduced this donation organization to Riordan after a friend asked him if he could host it at Riordan. “So far, we have collected 200 books at Riordan,” said Appel. For every book donated, three meals are given for those in need. With 200 books donated, Riordan students have donated 600 meals. Not only are the books helping low-income families, but 100 percent of the books are either reused or recycled.
“Books4Hope is really making a difference in our community and changing many lives,” said Khaliq Latimore ’18. According to the organization, 300 meals a day are served to those in need because of Books4Hope, which has helped more than 21,000 families. “I think that what Books4Hope is doing is great because they’re giving back to the community,” said Michael Jaurigui ’19. Books4Hope, sponsored by the St. Vincent de Paul Society of San Mateo County, has dropoff sites in San Bruno, San Mateo, South San Francisco, Redwood City, and Daly City. For more information, go to svdpsm.org/books-4-hope.
Winter 2016-2017
Campus News
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
5
Crusaders choose Clinton, nation votes Trump By Patrick Brown ’17 and Uzair Shaikh ’17
Donald Trump has been elected to be the 45th President of the United States of America. After a long fought battle with Democratic candidate Hilary Clinton and what seemed to be an impossible victory, the Republican candidate has won the presidency. Mathew MacKenzie ’17 said, “I was expecting this outcome from the beginning.” Greg West ’17 said, “From my experience here in San Francisco, it is hard to be a Trump supporter and obviously there are bad things about him, but there are also a lot of issues I agree with him on. I don’t think that he will go down in history as one of the best presidents, but I do believe he will hopefully bring change to the system we have now and do a good job as our next president.” Some people are glad to see a Republican in the White House after eight years, but are even happier to have a Republican majority in the Senate and the House of Representatives. Others are not so happy. Shane McKnight ’18 said Trump will “further divide the nation.” Trump will also be in charge of nominating a new Supreme Court Justice after the passing of
President-Elect Donald Trump Antonin Scalia earlier this year, year, who was the tipping point for the majority on the Supreme Court. With Trump’s nomination of most likely a conservative judge, this would put the Supreme Court in the Republican majority similar to before. Archbishop Riordan High School held its first mock Election Day on Nov. 4, when students in homerooms and were asked to follow instructions sent via email. A link emailed to all students led to them choosing who they would vote for if they were 18 years old. After everyone voted, homeroom teachers gave instructions for the next activity, which included a mind puzzle featuring a crime scenario. The homeroom that
Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton solved the puzzle first was given a pizza party later on in the week. At the end of the day, the results were announced as 74 percent of the Riordan population voted, 47 percent voted for Hillary Clinton, and 31.1 voted for Donald Trump. Many people had mixed emotions about how the day went. Some students believe that it was a good experience to cast a mock vote. “I feel like this is a good way you can get involved in the election,” said Moises Sandavol ’17. Also, many people believe the puzzle was a good break from school and a competitive way to get the minds going. “I enjoyed the puzzle as it was a competitive group exercise,” said Janio Baltinado ’17.
On the other hand, some did not feel the same way. “I feel that it wasted class time and it shouldn’t have been as long,” said Donny Bendo ’17. Catherine Mifsud, Dean of Student Life, said, “The schedule this year was developed to include Divisional Days to help phase us into the House System. For November’s Divisional Day, it was decided to hold a mock election because it fell on our Nation’s Election Day.” She continued, “As educators we are committed to exposing our students to current events and this was a key election in our nation’s history. It is our duty and responsibility to see that students are developing into contentious citizens. In addition, next year’s House System will only be successful if students understand the importance of unstructured time that will allow for competitions and camaraderie.” The mock election was a new experience for Archbishop Riordan High School students and this was meant to show students how it feels to vote, as many students will be doing in a few years.
Students capitalize on monumental opportunity By Patrick Brown ’17
Where better to go during one of the most chaotic elections in US history than the capital of America, Washington, D.C.? In a time when the nation was deciding a new president, it would only be right to look back at our Founding Fathers and see the nation that they created. On this trip, students toured Washington, D.C., visited monuments, and meet other students from around the country, and even the world. Sean Coffey ’17 said, “This trip is my favorite trip I have ever taken, from monuments and history to modern voting and public involvement in the election.” This trip was not only for the history buffs, but also for the individuals who enjoy making a difference in the American government. Greg West ’17 said, “If you ever get the chance to go on this amazing trip, don’t hesitate. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get a first hand tour of your nation’s capital and learn what it truly means to be an involved citizen.” Washington, D.C. is also home to the largest collection of museums in America, from the Air and Space Museum and the
Photo provided by Jeff Isola ’98 Social Science teacher Jeff Isola ’98 and students in front of the U.S. Capitol building. History Museum has an Smithsonian to the Black History museums. The Air and Space Museum interactive dance simulator Museum. There are endless has a flight simulator with full to show cultural dances and exhibits to explore and something 360 degree turning and the Black traditions. to do for all ages in all of the
6 Campus News
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Winter 2016-2017
Crusader brothers reunite at annual alumni luncheon By Keven Ariel Muñoz ’18
The month of November reunited Riordan alumni from several decades at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, in downtown San Francisco, for the annual Luncheon, hosted by the Riordan Alumni staff. The event began a couple years back by a couple of alumni who decided to have a small gathering at a nearby bar and has since become a large event which several alumni look forward to year after year. This year, the “Moms of Riordan” joined for the day at their own table, as their sons reminisced with high school friends at other tables. The event began with a gathering in the “Starlight Room” at the very top of the building where people caught up with old friends and met the previous and newer Crusader alumni. The years represented at the event date back to 1953, all the way to current Riordan Crusaders of the Class of 2017 and 2018 who helped host the event. When lunchtime approached, the guests were escorted to a large dining hall to eat all together and enjoy the visit of a special guest speaker. This year, Garry St. Jean, the current instudio analyst for all broadcasts of Golden State Warriors games, had the honor of being the guest speaker. The main focus of the event was to catch up the alumni on what has been happening at the school and bring awareness to future projects that need sponsorship and donations. The biggest project that was highlighted at the event is the remodel of the school’s gym. Campus Ministry Director Alex Datoc ’87 said, “It was good to see how the brotherhood transcends different decades. Everyone who was there welcomed each otherintroduced each other.”
Phillip Kaulave ’17, Sean Palaad ’17, Uziah Metcalfe ’18, and Moises Sandoval ’17 chat with featured speaker Garry St. Jean.
Photos by Keven Ariel Muñoz ’18
Brian McCarthy ’79, Brian Delahunty ’77 and Tom Newland ’77 St. Jean said during the luncheon, “It’s great you’re not ripping down those beautiful walls [of the gym].” St. Jean said that he had visited the school gym in his earlier years when his son was playing for De La Salle and has since fallen in love with it. He admires the school’s decision to
keep the gym in its tip top shape as it is one of the oldest and biggest in the City. The students of Riordan also seemed to enjoy their day off from class to be in the midst of Crusaders of the past. Uziah Metcalfe ’18 said, “It was great seeing alumni! You could really feel the sense of
brotherhood. It felt like the Riordan cafeteria.” Although this year’s luncheon is over, it will always be open to the graduates next year. The alumni team expects this event to continue to grow as it has been doing and is eager to see new faces at the venue next year. Datoc said, “I plan to go next year. The event has been growing and I hope to see a bigger venue where even more alumni can mix with each other and catch up with each other.” Exactly what the future holds for next year is unknown today, but it is sure to be just as successful as next year or even more successful as it has proven to be in previous years. There will be a new speaker and more news on Riordan’s advancement.
Phase II of Restani Court set to begin in summer By Angel Anaya ’17
Restani Court is a foundation created for the renovations of the Archbishop Riordan basketball court. Phase I of the operations had been completed last October, and now they are working on Phase II. Kevin Restani ’70 was a graduate of Archbishop Riordan, and the Remembering Restani Honorary Committee wanted to do something great for a former graduate by fixing and renovating
the gym in his name. Phase I installations included new baskets, scoreboards, lighting, and scorer’s table. Phase II is going to be a big project. Hoping to commence Phase II during the summer of 2017, the cost will be $680,000, and it will provide installation of the new gym floor, painting of game lines and logos, infrastructure for volleyball, restoring and repairing wainscot on walls and gym seating, replacing skylights and windows, replacement of
HVAC equipment and sound system, and an exhibit honoring Kevin Restani and the success of the Riordan basketball program. Development Director John Ring is confident in the committee, saying, “We have a strong committee that is committed to helping the school and honoring one of the really great guys to graduate from Riordan.” The new gym is something many students and alumni look forward to in the coming years. Kevin Restani ’70
Winter 2016-2017
Campus News
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
7
Open House draws crowd despite wet weather
By Keven Ariel Muñoz '18
While many were scurrying to find a last minute outfit the day before Halloween, Archbishop Riordan High School welcomed a number of prospective students for the annual Open House. Seventh and eighth graders from all over the Peninsula gathered in the Lindland Theater to be introduced to school leaders and get a taste of the Riordan Marching Band. The guests were greeted outside the school by the Lancers and other students who were there to show their Crusader spirit at the event. In his welcome speech, Junior Class President Roman Peregrino said, "Riordan is unique as the only all boys school left in San Francisco and that it puts the onus on the boys to make the most out of opportunities." Open House is used to exemplify the qualities of Riordan to sixth, seventh, and eighth graders who are looking for their future high
school. It is part of a long admissions process. The middle schoolers are allowed to decide which schools they like most before applying in December. Danny Curtin ’08, first-year Admission Director, explained, “The numbers for the parents who wanted to go on the tours [of the school] was way higher than the norm this past year. We had 90 parents try to get into the first tour—usually the numbers are around 20.” Riordan’s Open House usually consists of a welcoming ceremony in the school’s theater and followed by the parents taking a tour, which starts in the school’s lobby. They can check the booths in the gym, staffed by faculty members, which present the many classes and activities in the school, or a sports presentation in the cafeteria, led by the Athletic and Assistant Athletic Directors Mike Gilleran and Bob Greene. According to Curtin, Riordan
greeted more than 400 prospective students this year. Although most came from the City parochial schools, it also included students from schools in Daly City and other parts of the Peninsula. This included many students from local public schools, as well as other non-religious affiliated schools, who came to Riordan on a rainy day. The Lancers greeted visitors graciously by escorting them with an umbrella to the theater. The lobby filled up with large groups waiting for a tour of the school. Many, especially young middle schoolers, were drawn to the Multimedia Center, where the school’s newest attraction is located—the Makerspace. Other programs that students were eager to discover include in the Green Room, the band, and the weightlifting room. Cody Reburino of Our Lady of Mercy, said, “I thought it was pretty wonderful to get to see a
review of what the school really p has.” T he parents were also moved by the spirit of the school. Mike Reburino, Cody’s father, and alumnus of one of the last allmale graduating classes of Saint Ignatius College Preparatory, said, “I think it’s well rounded... if my son comes here, he’s going to be challenged, but I also think it’s very welcoming. We just like it!” The Open House has always been seen as a major form of explaining what high school life at Riordan is like and it will continue to be used in the formal admissions process at Archbishop Riordan High School. A t the end of the day, John Paul Detweiler ’18, Spirit Chair, exclaimed, “We’ve got a talented group of guys with a mix of athletes and academic scholars and I’m looking forward to seeing them next year.”
Golf tournament sinks hole in one for athletics By Roman Peregrino ’18
Oct. 7 was a notable day full of events and accomplishments. The Giants were just beginning their short-lived playoff journey in Chicago for Game 1 of the NLDS. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos won the Nobel Peace Prize. Hurricane Matthew was bearing down on the United States. However, the most important event for Riordan on this day was the annual alumni golf tournament. The Alumni Golf Tournament took place Oct. 7, at beautiful Crystal Springs Golf Course in Burlingame. The event kicked off with a barbecue at 11:30 down by the driving range. This was a time for old friends to reconnect, trash talk to be exchanged, or just to eat a nice hamburger or hot dog. Even that early, the players knew it would be a scorcher. The sun was shining, and the temperature was sneaking up on 80 degrees. The main event began promptly at 1:00, using a shotgun start, meaning that each hole had a group of four to start, instead of everyone beginning on the first hole. The format of the day was best ball. This style of play means that each player in a foursome hits a tee shot, and then the players agree with whose they want to hit for their second shot. All four players then hit from that spot, and the process repeats until the ball is in the hole. Play went on for nearly 6 hours. Friendly banter and several beverage carts made it a fun time for all those involved. Those that put on the event were quite
Members of the Riordan golf team: Santino Vattuone ’18, Matthew Audibert ’18, Michael Thress ’17, Nikko Dauz ’16
Photo by Victoria Terheydan
pleased with how things worked out. Sharon Udovich said, “It was good to see all of the Crusaders on the golf course. They all seemed to enjoy the day. The event is so fun, and it continues to get bigger and better every year.” Marc Rovetti ’87, Riordan’s alumni director added, “The crowd was great. It was a great day for Riordan; it’s a great day to be a Crusader. The weather was fantastic, everyone enjoyed the food — couldn’t have asked for a better day.” The purpose of the Alumni Tournament is to both raise money for the athletics program and to bring alums back to their school to socialize with current members of the school. From the start, the day was a success on both fronts. “We had 110 golfers come out for the tournament,” said Rovetti. “We had one alum fly all the way up from Los Angeles, just to come play. The crowd was fantastic. We also raised over $44,000 for the athletic department. That’s a 57 percent increase from last year. To be able to raise that kind of money for athletics, it’s just
extremely rewarding. It’s a step in the right direction to have the what we need to compete in the WCAL. As a rallying cry, for the alumni and donors to come through, I’m just so grateful.” Catherine Sorgie, mother of Ryan ’17, worked with Rovetti to put the event together and was equally pleased. “This year’s tournament raised the most money it ever has. I’m thankful to the players and the boys who came out to have a good time.” All in attendance agreed that the day was amazing for those involved. Looking back, Santino Vattuone ’18 said, “I thought it was fun. There was no pressure and you just got to play your game and meet new people along the way. It was also a good bonding experience for the team.” Nicholas Dauz ’15 and Donald Strickland ’99 agreed. “[The golf tournament] brings generations together, and golf is a fun way to fundraise. Today was a beautiful day, Crystal Springs was great, and I enjoyed my time,” said Strickland. “I think [the crowd] was amazing. The history here, coming together for the betterment of Riordan. It’s such
a great opportunity and I’m glad to participate.” Dauz concurred, saying, “It was great to see all the alumni here. We are raising money for school, which we are really starting to see grow.” The day came to a close with dinner and the silent auction. Before leaving, many alumni and parents, including Sorgie, streamed over to Rovetti, thanking him for the great day. “I really want to thank Mr. Rovetti for doing such a fantastic job putting the Tournament together. He gives his heart and soul to Riordan with everything he does,” said Sorgie. However, the success of the event did not come down to one man. “I’d like to thank the entire Riordan community, from volunteer moms, to the development department. Without them, [the tournament] wouldn’t have happened,” said a happy Rovetti. “They made decorations for the dining room, set up the auction table and more. The support and community spirit was incredible.” Sorgie added, “To Noreen and Melva thank you for all you time and help making this so successful. Lastly, to the boys on the Golf Team seeing your smiles, excitement, and how respectful you were and are made this year full of wonderful memories…” The event showed how Crusader pride stays with alumni for the rest of their lives. Or as Strickland declared, “Once a Crusader, always a Crusader. Brothers for life.”
8 News
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Winter 2016-2017
Tubman replaces Jackson on $20 bill By John Regidor ’18
On April 20, Secratary of Treasury Jacob J. Lew announced that Harriet Tubman would replace Andrew Jackson as the face of the new twenty dollar bill, becoming the first woman as the face of currency in over a decade, as well as the first African American on the face of currency. Jackson will be moved to the back side of $20 bill alongside an image of the White House. The new change comes with a long term plan proposed to put the faces of women and other civil right leaders on the $5, $10, and $20 dollar bill. “It’s a good idea because the country is progressing forward and acknowledging important people in our history” said Nick Oshita ’18. Lew’s goal to replace Hamilton on the $10 bill has been pushed back due to the success of the Broadway rap musical “Hamilton,” about the life of the first Secretary of State, which has captivated the country. Harriet Tubman was an American slave who escaped from bondage and became a leading abolitionist before the Civil War. Born in 1820 in Dorchester County, Maryland, Arminta Harriet Ross was born into slavery under a master. Physical violence and abuse was part of Ross’s everyday life. By the time Ross became an adult, many African Americans on the eastern shore had been freed from slavery. In 1844, she married John Tubman and changed her name to Harriet in honor of her mother. Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery on Sept. 17, 1849, then fleeing to
Philadelphia. Initially, she escaped with her two brothers, Ben and Henry. However, a $300 reward was posted for their return, and Harry and Ben returned to the plantation; Harriet Tubman had other plans. Instead of staying in the the safety of the north, she made it her mission to free slaves in captivity and bring them to the free North. With the addition of Fugitive Slave Laws, she rerouted the Underground Railroad to Canada. Through her heroic actions, she helped free many slaves. Andrew Jackson was the seventh president of the United States. He was best known for the concept of Universal Male Suffrage. Andrew Jackson’s election was the most “democratic” of its time, with property requirements for male being lowered, many white males were able to participate in the election process. He had also extended the use of executive power and greatly changed the government forever. However, much controversy has arisen about the actions that President Jackson took, such as the Indian Removal Act of 1803, which relocated, by force if necessary, many Native Americans to present day Oklahoma. He also abolished the Second National Bank, plunging the country into economic panic. Though his actions have stirred much controversy, his impact on the government has fundamentally changed the way citizens view democracy today. Many have questioned the refacing of currency. “Who would you take out? The guy who fought for freedom, founded the country
and set most precedents that presidents still follow today? The guy who reunited the country after part of it tried to break away? The thinker who wrote the Declaration of Independence and laid the foundation for American education? Or, gasp, the guy who actually founded the Treasury? (Sadly, they actually tried this),” said U.S. Treasury Department Jeff Isola ’98, a history Harriet Tubman, the new face of the $20 teacher at ARHS. He continued, “I’d like bill on United States currency. to think that something as actions and how they shaped our common as currency might country. Isola added, “Does there need spur a discussion of who should to be a focus on individuals who be vaunted in the pantheon of American history, but not only made significant contributions do most people not recognize to American history and society major figures beyond Lincoln and that have largely been ignored Washington, less of our population because of their gender or race? carries paper currency than ever Absolutely, and I think we are before. The optimist in me wants making progress toward that to believe that changes like this with the new MLK memorial will spark a national discussion, in Washington and the portrait bringing not only our history but monument to Anthony, Elizabeth decisions to the forefront, but Cady Stanton, and Lucretia Mott after all, money is only a means of under the rotunda of the Capitol purchasing power, not an avenue building (which will also be added to the back of the $10 bill).” to civic knowledge.” He continued, “But ultimately, With Common Core focusing on education in math and the venue to learn has always English, the education in civics been the classroom, not the back has degenerated. Many remain of a piece of paper. So unless we unaware about the people who are bring up generations of more depicted on our national currency. civically aware and civically With the addition of important engaged citizens, the debate will women and civil rights leaders, continue to be over trivial items, such as Dr. Martin Luther King rather than what we can actually Jr. and Susan B. Anthony, it is learn from our past in order to the hope of many that people may understand how we got to where we are today.” become more aware of their
Lit Mag sparks creativity New items, person pop
up in school Prep Shop By Johnny Caceres ’19
In Archbishop Riordan High School’s Prep Shop, there are brand new items available to buy, which include a portable charger for iPads at $32 and a student planner for $12. Students say this is a good choice of new products since the majority of them forget to charge their iPads before school, and a planner helps all students with organization as to what is due in each class. Also, there will be new jackets and spirit shirts soon in the Prep Shop. Not only that, but there will be an updated version of the formal sweaters, which the Administration met to discuss and review the multiple options. At the end of the fall semester, the decision was finalized. Now,
the freshmen must buy and wear them for the next semester, while everyone else still wear their old formal uniform until it cannot fit anymore. In other Prep Shop news, there is a brand new employee named Alex Ruiz ’12; he started working last semester. He calmly works and is pleasantly challenged in the Prep Shop with students coming by during their lunchtime to either browse the merchandise or deposit money to buy food. After school, he waits for students to come in to purchase items or say hello. If no one visits by 4:30 pm or so, he closes the Prep Shop, locking the doors and checking to see if everything is in place before leaving.
By Jeancarlos Santos ’17
The Riordan Literary Magazine is a collection of various works from Riordan students that was revived last year by English teachers Mary Dalton and Susan Sutton. The magazine, known as The Grail, allows students to showcase their works for the Riordan community. As of now, submissions include more than 30 poems, two plays that were influenced from Greek mythology, a dozen haikus in Spanish, and works in Mandarin. Michael O'Brien, the Dean of Academics, has supported the implementation of the magazine and provided funds for printing, with proceeds of last year’s magazine to fund this year’s. Kyle Quan ’17, co-writer of “Sisyphus On the Precipice” from last year, said, “When writing ‘Sisyphus On the Precipice,’ my partner, Sam Martins, and I both
worked together to create our play. We were both trying to think of parallels to the Greek myth to express a modern interpretation of the message and story of Sisyphus pushing a rock up a hill for eternity.” Contributor Athan Cheng ’17 said, “Being in the Literary Magazine has been very free. It gives me room to be as creative as I want.” The magazine is still looking for future contributors for this year’s magazine, and hopes to publish in the spring. Dalton said, “I’m really excited about the The Grail this year. The students in the Lit Mag Lab are extremely dedicated and have a lot of thoughtful, insightful, and creative ideas for the magazine. We’re also impressed by many of the submissions so far and are looking forward to the pieces student will send us this semester.”
Winter 2016-2017
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
News
9
Late speech coach’s dedication spoke volumes By Mike’l Gregory ’18 Sanford Chandler, San Francisco high school teacher and speech coach, died on July 8, at St. Mary's Medical Center. He was 88. In his career, Chandler spent a majority of his time at George Washington High School, as a social studies teacher. He also spent some time at Riordan, after a brief try at retirement. In fact, he donated the knight in the Attendance Office. History wasn't his only goal to get students involved in academics. He did anything in his power to get students interested in the speech and debate team. His team rose out of Washington High, to compete with several private schools in the National Forensic League, or NFL. His dedicated team met on weekends as well as after school.
Sanford Chandler With no credits given, they all were working hard to get embroidered speech letters on their varsity jackets. Chandler
First dance welcomes all with aloha spirit By Zachary Phillips ’20 On Friday, Sept. 30, Riordan students displayed their aloha spirit at Riordan’s first dance of the school year. Freshman got their first taste of what a dance at Riordan is like, and upperclassmen enjoyed another fun night of dancing with their friends. The dance lasted from 7:00 to 10:00. About 600 students attended the dance from different schools. Ninth graders especially seemed to enjoy their first dance. Devin Kaya ’20 said, “It was really awesome, I had a great time.”
A huge feature of the dance was the DJs, “Big G” and Pat Clama, both Riordan alumni and one has a son who currently attends Riordan. Many students seemed to love the DJs, including Lauren Cabeza, a 9th grader from Mercy SF, who said, “The music was lit, and the DJs had a variety of songs that everyone could dance to.” The Aloha Dance was a way to show students at other schools how Crusaders have fun, and student government hopes this experience will bring people back for the next dances.
Rally revives rivalry
tirelessly worked to get his students prepared just as any head coach of a sports team. His students to him were considered “Mental Athletes,” according to published reports. To him, it took more courage to speak in front of a crowd than to make a field goal. After 35 short years, he retired from Washington, but the passion was still alive and burning. So, he made his way to Archbishop Riordan, as the head Speech Coach. He was known for wearing a shirt that read, “I may be a dinosaur but I can still bite.” Once his time here at Riordan ended, he went on to coach middle schoolers in seasonal speech competitions. According to his wife Denise, who taught at Washington High School for 27 years, “He wanted to instill a certain bravery and confidence in
every youngster.” His students made it to the national championship 13 times, including the winning speech by his son in 1991. The team traveled all across the United States, paying for the trips by selling bagels outside of his classroom. Principal Vittorio Anastasio ’84 said, “He saw how it had a positive impact on students’ lives and he strived to connect as many people as possible with the activity. He would be proud and excited to see what we are doing now with his former student Mr. Klobas teaching a speech and debate enrichment class, which is very popular.” Coach Sanford Chandler leaves behind his wife Denise Chandler; son Spencer Chandler; daughter Shana Chandler Leon; and four grandchildren.
Mass strengthens father-son bond
By Zachary Phillips ’20 and Aidan Murtaugh ’20
On Oct. 16, fathers of students at Riordan witnessed the spiritual side of Riordan and had a nice breakfast buffet at the Father Son Mass and Breakfast. The mass was held at 10:00 am in Lindland theatre, and was officiated by Father Cameron Faller. It included the major theme of the relationship between father and son. Grandfathers showed up as well. John Phillips, a father who attended the mass, discussed his perspective of how Riordan has changed since he attended the mass. He said, “I wouldn't say I was surprised by anything about the father-son mass. It confirmed that Riordan not only wants to build a Riordan brotherhood among the students, but also understands the importance of building the Riordan family, and the foundation for the community is the Catholic faith.” After the mass, the assembly adjourned to Chaminade Hall
for breakfast. The meal included chocolate chip pancakes, strips of bacon, sausage, orange juice, and of course, the mounds of whipped cream. The food was great, as usual. Everyone sat down at different tables, mingling and enjoying the food. The mood was very festive and celebratory as grandfathers, fathers, and sons, enjoyed time together. Mario Romero ’20 said, “The Father Son Mass was really enjoyable because it reminded me of how special my father is, and how my life would be so different without him.” While people were socializing and eating, and auction was going on, and people were all waiting to see if they had won. Some of the items that were being auctioned were Giants gear, Warriors gear, and a painting with a life-sized plastic crab attached to it. All in all, the Father Son Mass was an enjoyable experience that really brought the fathers and sons closer together.
New Fishing Club looks to hook more members By Rodney Martinez ’17
Photo by Joseph Kerrigan ’18 Dean of Students Juan Zumbado ’98 and the Crusader mascot give a “thumbs up” at last semester’s rally before facing SHC.
Fishing club is a new club at Archbishop Riordan High School. The club moderator is Armando Castillo and Daniel Etter ’17 is the president of the club. “The Fishing Club was created a couple of weeks ago and already has more than 50 students who have signed up," said Castillo. To join fishing club, students do not have to be an experienced fisherman because this club was
made to teach people how and what to fish. What students will benefit from this club is “Knowledge of fishing and different types of fishing,” said Castillo. Places the fishing club will go to this year is mainly Pacifica, but will try to go to different places in the Bay Area as well. Castillo said, “The Fishing Club meets every other Wednesday and we encourage more students to join the club!”
10 National & World News
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Winter 2016-2017
Supporters stand up for Standing Rock Sioux By Brandon Castro ’18
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, including about 10,000 people living near North Dakota, are all standing in protest to fight the Dakota Pipeline building, and recently experienced a glimmer of hope. The new pipeline was to be built by Texas company Energy Transfer Partners in order to transfer thousands gallons of oil from Illinois to North Dakota. News about the $4 billion pipeline project has been around since 2014 and Sioux Tribal Leaders have opposed the building since day one, which was scheduled to be completed by last year. In more recent news, the construction of the multibillion dollar pipeline has been halted by President Obama’s administration but protesters are refusing to leave. Although light has broke through this dark time for the Native Americans, the battle for a victory is still yet to come. Although many believed this project has been completely halted, the federal government has only stopped the path crossing Missouri for a couple of months or years. President Elect Donald Trump, who has invested in one of the companies working with the creation of the pipeline, has
not said what his stance is on this project. Before the announcement of Obama’s administration, protesters had been fighting night and day in harsh weather conditions to fend off the construction of the pipeline. Vince Francisco ’19 thinks protest is a correct way to fight against the building of this pipeline. He said, “I think that the DAPL shouldn’t be constructed because the homes of the Standing Rock tribe and Dakota’s natural, healthy environment will be torn down.” Police reinforcements have been called in by states and have caused quite a few news stories with allegations that include shooting rubber bullets at protesters, spraying tear gas and pepper spray, and hosing down protesters with water in freezing temperatures, possibly causing pneumonia. According to Intellicast, temperatures have ranged from a high 87° F in July to -5° F in December. Though the weather has been harsh to the protesters, it has not stopped them from gaining more protestors and more media attention. Many celebrities have voiced their opinions on social media including Pharrell Williams,
StandWithStandingRock.net
Emma Watson, Esai Morales, Solange Knowles, and Leonardo DiCaprio. One of the most outspoken celebrities in this protest is Shailene Woodley, who has been on the front line with other protesters for months now. While protesting for the DAPL on Indigenous Peoples Day, Woodley was arrested for “criminal trespassing and engaging in a riot.” According to news reports, she doesn’t look at it as a moment of grief for herself, but she finds it as a moment to acknowledge the 23 other people arrested along with
her. English teacher Deb Caterina said, “I think that they have won the battle, but not the war. I think it’s probably one of the most important protests that I have witnessed in my lifetime because it’s a protest for the preservation of clean water, which is the most essential thing any human being can need.” Caterina added, “I think it gives us an opportunity to join as human beings not just in support of the Native American people, but in support of the preservation of clean water, clean air, and other environmental resources.”
Cuban Americans hopeful, but realistic after Castro’s death
By Chris Peterson ’18
On Nov. 25, Fidel Castro, the former leader of the communist country of Cuba, was found dead in his home. “I say to the people of Cuba, with profound pain I come here to inform our people, our friends of America and the world, that today, 25 November, 2016, at 10:29 pm, died the chief commander of the Cuban revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz,” brother and current leader Raul Castro said. Fidel Castro was a communist leader of the country who lead them not only into temporary prosperity, but war. Castro was born in 1926 near Birán, Cuba and quickly rose to power in 1958, which spawned the Cuban Revolution. In 1962, he dealt with the Cuban missile crisis and created strained relations with the United States. In 1991, the dissolution of the Soviet Union brought Cuba into an economic recession and caused some of his reforms and improvements to the Cuban government to be washed over. In 2008, he passed power to his brother Raúl. He was thought to be dead after not being seen for several years, but now confirmation of his death has reached all of Cuba and the world.
There are many mixed feelings about his death, not only in the United States, but in Cuba. Many people in Cuba are mourning their former president. One Cuban woman told CNN, “The Cuban people are feeling sad because of the loss of our commander in chief Fidel Castro Ruz, and we wish him, wherever he is, that he is blessed, and us Cubans love him.” Many mourn the fallen leader while others are glad that he is dead. Many thought his rule over Cuba was oppressive and needed to be stopped. Many also called him a tyrant and a dictator over his people. Many Cubans fled to nearby Florida to escape Castro after many of them were hunted and killed for opposing him, his rule, and Cuba. “This is a celebration, but not a celebration of death, but a beginning of liberty that we’ve been waiting for many years. The hope is ... that it opens up Cuba a little bit more,” a Cuban-American man said in news reports. While people are happy in Little Havana and Havana itself is somber, here on the opposite side of the states there are more moderate feelings. English Department Chair Diana Assereto said, “It’s respectful to mourn the dead, but
it’s unknown what will happen to Cuba now that Castro is dead.” It is a very difficult topic for many to talk about, because many find him to be a tyrant, yet many did not wish for his death. Eida C. Manso, who left Cuba in 1960, shortly after Castro took over, said, “I am not happy with someone dying, but his death was somewhat of a relief because he was a pretty intense dictator, very selfish, extremely wealthy. He made a lot of money off of people once he took power and he did the bare minimum [to take care of them].” Manso said, “Before he took over, the country was beautiful. It was Las Vegas for Americans. It was paradise. Everything was brand new. Once he took power, that all changed.” “Now that he’s dead, it won’t change because his brother is in power. We are going from one dictator to the next, so it will not do much for the people there,” she said. Manso’s son, Riordan alumnus Alfredo Lopez ’89 said, “ He promised the people democracy before he took power, but he gave them something else entirely.” In regards to why some people despised Fidel and others adored him, Manso said, “The only people
who adore him are the ones born under his dictatorship. Children, from the time they are in school, are brainwashed. They are taught to be atheists. They are told, ‘Ask God this week to bring you shoes, food.’ When that doesn’t happen, they ask El Commandante to bring shoes and food, and a truck would show up with food and shoes. They are taught from the beginning that he is the ultimate person that they can go to. He is God on Earth.” She continued, “All the Cubans who were not born under his rule, have tasted freedom, and understand a little bit better. They have a clearer perspective. The younger people don’t know any better. They are living in borderline poverty. They are content. They have learned to live without all the things we take for granted. They are not begging for money, they are begging for the bare necessities, toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning products for the bathroom. Those are the items that are lacking.” Since Fidel Castro is dead, his leadership is taken up by his family, but leaves an uncertain future for the Caribbean country, whether it will continue with its communist manifesto or change to more western ideals is unknown.
Winter 2016-2017
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Arts & Entertainment
11
Uncharted 4 tops the chart for game of the year
By Jabriel Andrade ’18
2016 has been an interesting year for gaming to say the least. There’s the explosion of popularity in virtual reality (VR) games. Sony and Microsoft are opting towards a generation 8.5 with the Ps4 Pro and the Xbox’s Project Scorpio, while Nintendo announced that is completely jumping ship to the Switch which looks to be the first console in the 9th generation. E-sports made tv with E-league on TBS and EVO finals on ESPN. Change is coming, but that doesn’t mean that we should forget the amazing games that came out in this comparatively quiet year of game releases. BEST FIGHTER Street Fighter V: PS4/PC Released: Feb. 16, 2016 Developer: Capcom Ignoring the explosion that this game did for the middling Street Fighter scene, Street Fighter V(SFV) is an amazingly solid game. Capcom decided to embrace the much more competitive aspects of the series fine tuning the gameplay until release to create one of the most balanced fighting games I’ve ever laid my hands on. While the server problems and lack of content at launch may have hurt its release, consistent content patches and release of 4 new characters since launch has solidified SFV as a worthy entry into one of the most beloved fighting game series of all time. Honorable Mentions: King of Fighters XV Dragonball Xenoverse 2 BEST FIRST PERSON SHOOTER Titanfall 2: PS4/XBONE/PC
Released: Oct. 28, 2016 Developer: Respawn Entertainment Putting Titanfall above the much more popular Overwatch and Battlefield 1 may seem like a mistake at first, but it’s with good reason. Out of the three games Titanfall managed to deliver the most complete experience, with a campaign that was fun an interactive, unlike the beautiful but still heavily scripted campaign in Battlefield 1 or Overwatch’s lack of a campaign. And this is just an add on to the nearly perfectly polished multiplayer gameplay, and Respawn Entertainment’s decision to make all DLC free puts TitanFall just above its shooter counterparts. Honorable Mentions Battlefield 1 Overwatch
BEST THIRD PERSON SHOOTER Uncharted 4 A Thief’s End: PS4 Released: May 10, 2016 Developer: Naughty Dog When I finished Uncharted 4, I felt one of the most satisfied feelings as the credits rolled through the screen. Playstation’s flagship franchise finally comes to an end, giving Nathan Drake one final hurrah for the time being. Naughty Dog knows how to push the console’s hardware to the limit, with amazing graphics, and physics to complement the emotional rollercoaster of a story. Multiplayer, while overlooked by many, also is extremely solid, giving players a complete experience. The gameplay may not seem like anything new but the swinging mechanic, but it’s fluid, and responsive, never feeling frustrating or unresponsive. While it’s sad to see Drake’s story come to an end, it ended on of the few games that I could argue is truly perfect. If you’re a ps4 owner, this is a must own. Honorable Mention Gears of War 4 BEST RPG Dark Souls 3: PS4/XBONE/PC Released: March 24, 2016 Developer: From Software Difficulty is the one word that comes to mind when one talks about the Dark Souls series. The games are known for the unforgiving but fair nature, and the final act in the trilogy is no ex ception. Dark Souls 3 banks on the player earning each and
every second of gameplay, from the brutally hard enemies, to the story that requires research and attention from those holding the controller, or even the game of mental chess in every PvP fight. Building upon the combat of its predecessors, Dark Souls 3 introduces new mechanics and a new kingdom for each player to experience the painful fun of dying and respawning over and over. Honorable Mentions: Final Fantasy XV Deus Ex: Mankind Divided STRATEGY X-COM 2: PS4/XBONE/PC Released: February 5 2016 Developer: Firaxis Games X-COM Enemy Unknown, while amazing, held still held onto its predecessors, so much so that many people expected more of the same when word of a sequel being in the works was announced. When Firaxis showed that the newest entry in the sci-fi strategy series was Red Dawn but with aliens players were enthralled with the idea. X-COM 2 almost seems like a love letter to longtime fans from Firaxis, giving players a long war mod at release, more classes and customization, and that sweet, sweet turn based gameplay only more fun and tactical. Like Dark Souls 3 this game isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s hard, yes, but it’s never unfair. If you want a strategy game with difficulty then grab your mouse commander, and welcome to the XCOM Initiative. Honorable Mentions Civilization 6 Total War Warhammer
BEST OPEN WORLD DEUS EX: Mankind Divided PS4/XBONE/PC Released: Aug. 23, 2016 Developer: Eidos Montreal Deus Ex’s open world may not be as big as Watch Dogs 2 per say, but the devil is in the details. Prague in 2029 has been an absolute experience to explore. It feels like every single pixel was put there for a purpose by the developers, as you see the sad decline the city goes through. Rooms and computers are full of stories and conversations, fully fleshed out and each adding to the experience. The four districts, while small, are jam packed with lore and hidden features, giving the player a reason to explore. The setting itself, while far enough away in both time and place to feel different, still gives an eerie what if feeling to the player inciting fear on how the world really will be a decade from now. Honorable Mention: Watch Dogs 2 BEST MULTIPLAYER Overwatch PS4/XBONE/PC Released: May 23 2016 Developer: Blizzard Entertainment Do I even need to write for this one? Overwatch released with hype not seen since GTAV, and it released with servers upon servers full of players absolutely in love with Blizzard’s new IP. Overwatch feels like a combination of League of Legends and Team Fortress 2, giving players a fun first person shooter, while still having the ability to be played at a much
Please see “Game of the Year” on page 18
12 Arts & Entertainment
Winter 2016-2017
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
eSports gaining popularity, garnering respect
By Tomas Palpallatoc ’18
On Saturday Oct. 29, members of Riordan’s eSports club were at school. They were not there to play video games, but to watch them. These students, along with more than 35 million others from around the globe, tuned in to watch SK Telecom T1 face off against Samsung Galaxy in the League of Legends World Championship finals. These two teams of players duked it out against the top teams from all over the world in the tournament that is the League of Legends World Championships. Not only to earn the $2 million 1st place prize, but to prove that they are the best. In the end, Sk Telecom T1 came out victorious, winning their third 1st place prize in this tournament, and once again proving that they are the best players in the world. eSports is a phenomenon that has taken the world by storm in the past decade. With an ever growing fan base following, eSports has risen to the peak of popularity all over the globe. League of Legends, which boasts more than 100 million active players all around the world, is still only a speck of what eSports has to offer. However, the question is commonly raised, what exactly is eSports? eSports is a term which stands for Electronic Sports. It is commonly used in reference to competitive video gaming, or in other words, players competing against each other to see who the better player is. The games played range everywhere from Fps (First Person Shooter) games like Call
eSports.net Fans from every corner of globe watched last fall’s League of Legends World Championship finals.
of Duty, to fighting games, strategy games, and to almost every other type of video game in existence. In almost every big eSport, teams or players, depending on the game, are sponsored by big name companies such as Team Solomid or Cloud 9. These companies pay their players and often provide free services and even housing in some cases, to their players. This is all in exchange for their players to represent their logo. Teams will even hire coaches, sports psychologists, and game experts to improve their players, and make sure they are at the top of their game. However, in return for all the services these sponsors perform, their players are put under an immense amount of pressure to perform well. Losing a game or a match, doesn’t just mean personal disappointment anymore. For the professional players, this can mean anything
from a pay cut, to them losing their sponsor and their only source of income. However, eSports is still not as large as its athletic sport counterparts. Because of this, many players are not even payed enough to sustain themselves. Unless they are a big name player in an already big game, most players have to work a side job, or have another source of income along with their full time job of playing video games. As eSports grows, more and more money is coming into the industry. With big names joining the eSports scene as owners of sponsoring teams, such as Rick Fox and Shaquille O’Neil, the future for eSports seems bright. This, along with the money players get from live streaming themselves playing their game, and prize money from winning events, can lead to a large sum in the bank for the top players of
eSports. However, there is more to eSports than just the business and money that comes with it. Since the rise of eSports, players from all walks of life have come out to prove that they are the best at the game they play. This not only creates the competitive scenes which are present today for many video games, but also has created a plethora of communities of people coming together over a video game they all enjoy. These thriving communities are the reason eSports is able to exist. Because of them, player bases for these games continue to grow, and the competitive spark inside of them is nurtured. Video games are objects that most people grow up with. These games that started as a simple pastime could potentially turn into a career now. The idea of wanting to grow up and play videogames for a living, isn’t a fantasy anymore. Small communities all over the world such as Riordan’s eSports club, gather players where they can share their interest with people like them, making friends, improving themselves, and creating communities of players who all enjoy the games they play. Riordan eSports club president Jackson Liao said, “I know that people being proud of gaming isn’t the norm, but it’s slowly becoming a reality. eSports provides that platform for gamers to gain that recognition. In the end, I do eSports because I want to foster the growth of the competitive scene, build communities, and show to the world that gaming is something to be proud of.”
Henrietta Lacks’ legacy lives on in new movie By Ricardo Hernandez ’20
Henrietta Lacks was a African American woman whose cells were stolen from a tumor she had during a biopsy for cervical cancer. The cells became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, and invitro fertilization. She died on Oct. 14, 1951. “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” was on the summer reading list this past year, and now the story is being turned into a movie, produced by Oprah Winfrey, who will also star in the HBO film. Renee Elise Goldsberry will play Lacks. Librarian Danny Appel enjoyed the book, and said it is an “excellent book” and “raised ethical questions.” Many view the fact that they did not tell her they were using her cells as wrong, despite the good that came of it. Today, her
descendants are poor; they reaped no financial benefit from the harvesting of her cells. In fact, they cannot afford health insurance, and yet, they claim that people are making billions off of the medicine they developed using Henrietta Lacks’ cells. Around the same time, the infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment was conducted on African Americans in Tuskegee, Alabama to see how untreated syphilis affected the “negro male.” The experiment was backed by Oprah.com the U.S. public Health Service. Oprah Winfrey is producing a movie based on the book, “The Immortal Life of According to several reports, their Henrietta Lacks,” which was on the summer reading list for Riordan students. patients were lied to. They were environment, like a petri dish.” told it was free health care. Deadline Hollywood called What angers many people it “a story of medical arrogance According to the Los Angeles Times, “Lacks’ cell line, known to then and now, is that government and triumph, race, poverty and scientists and biology students officials or medical personnel deep friendship between the everywhere as HeLa, was the beleived that they had the right to unlikeliest of people.” first — and for decades the only do this to Lacks and the Tuskegee Many question why it happened, — set of human cells that could men because the results were and believe this never would have part of a “greater good” end game. happened to any other race. reproduce over and over in a lab
Winter 2016-2017
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Arts & Entertainment
13
Shortened plays shake up theatrical fervor By Sebastian Fazio ’18
Overall, Shakespeare Shorts was a very successful production. The actors said that it went fairly smoothly, the set was versatile and fit the mood, and the student body really enjoyed it. In essence, the production was comprised of three, condensed, very well known plays by Shakespeare. The first one was Romeo and Juliet, arguably his most famous romance. Next, was Taming of The Shrew, a hilarious comedy with a lot of slapstick humor. And the play ended with Hamlet, another classic and favorite tragedy. One of the really outstanding facets of this play was the synergy between the actors. J. P. Detweiler ’18 said, “Overall it was our ability to build chemistry, not just on stage, but off stage. That really was obvious between character dialogue and a interactions between characters. There was really good relationships behind the scenes.” Having good relationships obviously creates more trust and friendships and made the whole process run that much smoother. Although Detweiler said the acting went smooth, he also said that the choreography of the sword fights was rather difficult to prepare. Keeping the center of attention in the right place is always very important in any stage performance. If the audience isn’t focused where they should be during each scene, then the whole thing is bound to fail. Fortunately, during this performance the actors on the sideline and the set itself seemed to do a good job of focusing the center of attention on whoever was important. Along with the set focusing the attention on the stage, the set pieces really helped add the right ambiance to the performance. The
By Chris Peterson ’18
balcony helped to create Romeo and Juliet’s iconic scene, the fountain and benches added to the feel of Taming of The Shrew, and the empty throne is a constant reminder of Hamlet’s sorrow. The Taming of The Shrew was the favorite for many. Kabir Samra ’18, who went opening night, put it very eloquently, “I think it achieved its purpose as a comedy and was able to come across clearly. Usually Shakespearean plays are very unclear and hard to follow because of the change in language but the way the actors lines were given and the combination with the acting made it easy to follow and very enjoyable.” This is true, as any other audience members said something similar. Most seemed to comment on this humorous play, rather than the
other two. One theory as to why the majority of audience members didn’t get as much out of the other two plays is simply because they were a bit too complicated to be condensed. It may be easy for someone to follow Romeo and Juliet and
Hamlet if they know them fairly Photos by Rodney Martinez ’17 well. Whereas, a parent a bit rusty Clockwise, from top, Bianca on their Shakespeare, elementary Gonzalez ’17 of Mercy Burlingame school kids, or even students and and Estefan Granucci ’19; teachers of ARHS might not be JP Detweiler ’18 and Harvey able to if they aren’t familiar with Samson ’19; Sam Martins these stories. ’17, Granucci, JP Jacinto ’19,
Meme of the Month Joe Biden
Detweiler, and Keven Munoz ’18.
By Greg Guinasso ’17
Netflix Fix
Most watched shows on Netflix
Obama: “All right, I want Donald Trump’s visit here to go smoothly.” Biden: Raising his hand . . Obama: “No, Joe, you cannot lay a trail of Cheetos down the hallways to guide him.” Biden: Lowers his hand.
Biden: “Here’s the plan. Have you seen ‘Home Alone’?” Obama: “Joe, no.” Biden: “Come on. Just one booby trap.”
Obama: “Joe.”
“Orange is the New Black” “Stranger Things” “Fuller House” Source: Newsweek
14 Religion
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Winter 2016-2017
Marianist triptych graces Riordan with its presence By Joseph Kerrigan ’18
Riordan continued the celebration of the Marianists’ 200th year by receiving the Bicentennial Triptych. The triptych will travel around the world throughout the year but on Nov. 30, it stopped off at Riordan for the students and faculty to enjoy. The triptych is a combination of the icon depicting the Wedding of Cana at the center and letter from Blessed Chaminade and Mother Adèle at the sides. While the icon was in Riordan’s possession, classes were walked through the chapel by theology teacher Ken Swan, and other teachers to analyze the icon. The artist’s reflection about the Wedding of Cana icon is that it brings into focus several key figures, especially Mary and her role, who as with outstretched hands appeals to the servant “do
Photo by Joseph Kerrigan ’18
Father Quinn prays for SF homicide victims By Jimmy Velasco ’17
As the year of mercy came to an end, one of the spiritual works of mercy was to pray for the dead. There have been many cases of homicides throughout the city and the Archdiocese has been responding to this special work of mercy. According to the Archdiocese of San Francisco, the Restorative Justice Ministry is a ministry that organizes prayer services for homicide victims at their murder site. They also offer pastoral care for families who may be mourning the loss of a loved one from violence. Father Michael Quinn ’70 has been called on to preside over the prayer services. Father Quinn is the pastor of Saint Mary Star of the Sea in Sausalito, chaplain for the San Francisco Police Department, and he celebrates mass on occasion for the ARHS community. Father Quinn has been everywhere in the City praying for homicide victims, from the Tenderloin to the South of Market. Father prayed for Philip Gaston in the Oceanview district, who was shot on Oct. 10. Accompanying Father was the Director of the Restorative Justice Ministry of the Archdiocese Julio Escobar and Alma Zamora. They are usually the only ones praying but some family members of the victim do join them. Father Quinn then went to the South of Market district to pray for John Sanyaolu who was shot on Oct. 2.
In regards to the Restorative Justice Ministry, Mike’l Gregory ’18 said, “First thing that comes to mind is courage. To go out and do such a thing is beautiful. It’s a graceful thing to do. It not only helps the situation, but it also helps the others who will become affected by their loved one who has lost their life.” Director of Campus Ministry Alex Datoc ’87 said, “I believe Fr. Quinn’s involvement in Restorative Justice is a courageous and noble endeavor. What Fr. Quinn has been doing with the victims he sees, is taking them to the location of the incident where the attack, abuse or crime happened and prays with them at the spot. Although this is not a meeting face to face with the perpetrator, it is a chance for the victim to pray so that the healing process can begin.” Datoc hopes students will understand “through Fr. Quinn’s work with Restorative Justice, students will understand the power of prayer and how praying to God will give a sense of strength, peace and hope.” Father Quinn talked to the SF Examiner about praying for those who lost their lives, and in reference to one victim, he said, “It’s a societal sin that this young man lost his life. Society has failed him,” Many believe Father Quinn is an example of not only mercy, but the power of prayer.
whatever he tells you.” The letters are written long ago, around the time the society of Mary was founded 200 years ago. The depiction of the Wedding of Cana and the letters really help students understand the history of the Marianists and gives them perspective on what Chaminade and Mother Adèle were thinking at the time. Riordan was truly honored and blessed to receive this icon. Visitors were given the opportunity to sign their name in the guest book and give a reflection in a notebook about anything they felt regarding the icon. Marcus Escobar ’18 said, “I think the icon was important to bring to the school for us to get a better understanding of the Marianist characteristics that the school teaches.”
Hoops and Halos
Priests face off against seminarians
Photo by Henry Novicki ’18 Fr. Pat Summerhays shoots, as seminarian Josh Keeney attempts to block him in the Clericus Classic Basketball Game, hosted at Riordan.
By Henry Novicki ’18 & Staff On Oct. 21, priests from all over the San Francisco Archdiocese faced off against seminarians from St. Patrick’s Seminary and University in Menlo Park in a game of basketball. The event was hosted by the Vocations Office of the San Francisco Archdiocese in an effort to get more men interested in the priesthood, and to call attention to this unique vocation. Riordan’s chaplain Father Cameron Faller played in the game, and was one of the youngest on the team. Many looked forward to a little sibling rivalry between Father Faller and his brother Kyle, a seminarian, but his brother did not play. The spotlight belonged to Fr.Lawrence Goode, pastor of St.
Francis of Assisi Church in East Palo Alto. The gray-haired gentleman moved up and down the court, shooting baskets and dodging opponents with amazing talent, stunning the seminarians and entertaining the crowd. “I can’t say the event was too much fun for the priests,” Father Faller said. “We knew the seminarians were much better than us and were going to beat us pretty badly, which they did. Maybe the point of the game was to help the priests grow in humility; it definitely helped.” The seminarians beat the priests 63-44. Fr. Faller said, “The basketball game was a nice Catholic community event that helped show people that priests and seminarians are normal guys who enjoy sports.”
Winter 2016-2017
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Environment
15
Demise of honey bees: From sweet success to stinging decline
By Greg Guinasso ’17 Many people tend to move
away, swat at, scream or panic when they see a honeybee. They just want them to go away. The honeybee species is dying off at an alarming rate and if things do not change, people may get their wish because the bee may become extinct. While many people are afraid of this bee because of the stinger it has on its end, and may think that it is a good thing they are dying off, they do not realize that the bee plays a large role in the ecosystem. This bee is the only bee that dies after it stings someone, so if it stings, it feels its life is threatened. No other animal species plays a more significant role in producing the fruits and vegetables we consume on a daily basis to stay alive. And now, its life is truly threatened. The bee is well known for the honey it produces used in foods. To make one pound of honey, the bees in the colony must visit 2 million flowers, fly more than 55,000 miles, and together accomplishes the lifetime work of approximately 768 bees. Each bee
that linger into the spring have something to do with the decline. California has been second in honey production since 2006 and in just six years, though till second, the production of honey has been cut in half. Many think that the long drought in California has had an impact on this because there is less rain and water to keep flowers alive for the bees to pollinate. Famous scientist UrbanBeeSF
produces around one and a half teaspoons of honey in its lifetime and visits about 50 to 100 flowers each trip out of its hive. Experts first noticed the decline in the bee population in 2006 and think that the long harsh winters
Albert Einstein, once said, “Mankind will not survive the honeybees’ disappearance for more than five years.” Senior Kristian Paniagua, said, “I don’t like the bees because I am allergic to them, but if they
do a lot for the environment, there should be action taken to help save them.” In the last half decade alone, 30 percent of the national bee population has disappeared and nearly a third of all bee colonies in the U.S. have perished. A government study blames an increased use of pesticides, especially in the U.S., shrinking habitats, multiple viruses, poor nutrition and genetics, and even cell phone towers. H.O.W (Heal Our World) Club moderator, Joey Klobas ’07, who majored in agriculture with an emphasis on animal science said, “Bees are the catalyst to nature happening,” and confirmed that “Cell phones, radio waves, hotspots, tablets, and laptops are contributing to the decline in the number of bees.” Though many do not notice that the bee plays such a vital role in our ecosystem, studies show they are dying at an alarming rate, and humans need to either save them or figure out another method of pollinating fruits and vegetables if the human race is to avoid extinction.
Drought, strike may cause consumers to tell avocados: ‘Adios, arrivederci, au revoir’ By Harrick Wu ’19
Guacamole and avocado lovers, as well as Latino restaurants all over are negatively impacted by the shortage of avocados that started in October 2016. Avocado aficionados are asked to pay extra as businesses are forced to increase the cost of their menu items or have them removed completely from the menu list. In Mexico, a strike by the people who are growing and picking the avocadoes occurred because of the relatively low wage they receive for their hard and tiring work. On average, Mexico imports around 40 million pounds of avocados into the United States per week, but because of the strike, only around 13 million pounds are being imported, according to Times.com. Regarding to the strike on the avocado shortage, Spanish teacher Armando Castillo said that the middlemen transporting the avocados are to blame because they receive all the money when they transport the avocados and are not giving enough wages for the workers. He added that the middlemen are like a vulture capitalism because they are taking advantage of the workers. “The middlemen are getting all the money by transporting the avocados. The workers are not getting paid enough,” said Castillo. “It is like vulture
capitalism because like a vulture it is preying on the workers. The middlemen are greedy.” Castillo’s solution to the corrupt middlemen is to get rid of them all together and use another system like fair trade, which the contractors pay directly to the workers. He wants the Mexican government to have an economic revolution from the working class because change comes from the lower class who is able to envision changes. “We need fair trade like coffee. The contractors need to make a contract directly with the workers. The problem will last until there is a new system. The Mexican government needs another economic revolution from below. Change never comes from the government. It comes from the people in lower classes that foresees changes.” Another source for the decline of avocados is the drought in California. About 80 percent of avocados grown in the United States are grown in California. Because avocados could not withstand the water shortages and rising temperatures caused by the drought, there are less avocados being harvested. With the shortages, the prices of avocados have dramatically increased. On average, a carton of avocados usually sells for $40, but with the decrease in avocados,
a carton could go up to $120. The rise in price caused many restaurants like Taqueria La Cumbre on Valencia Street and Pancho Villa Taqueria on 16th Street to either remove avocado based items from their menus or lose profits by continuing to serve them. Like these two restaurants, Archbishop Riordan High School’s cafeteria, in Chaminade Hall, will slightly be affected by the avocado shortage. On some days, they make and serve sushi rolls to students which have avocados in it, but even with the increase in avocado prices, they will serve the sushi rolls for the same price, but not quite as often as before. “Overall, we don’t use a ton of it. It affects the sushi rolls we have been doing. Even though the prices of avocadoes have tripled, we are selling them for the same
CaliforniaAvocado.com
price, but we don’t make as much,” said Maxwel Rushan, a cook in Chaminade Hall. Even with the shortage, a popular fast food restaurant, Chipotle, will continue to serve their guacamole at the same price because they do not like to raise prices due to a shortterm shortage of a particular food ingredient, according to businessinsider.com. Aaric Azucena ’19, an occasional avocado consumer, will be disappointed if the shortage continues, as he likes to eat them because of the health benefits. Azucena said, “I feel concerned about the avocado shortage because recently I’ve been starting to eat ‘healthy,’ and began to try avocadoes which are really good. I try to occasionally have it because of its nutritional value.”
16 Local News
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Winter 2016-2017
Serramonte moves forward with renovations By David Rodriguez-Mendez ’18 Never empty are the corridors of Serramonte as it is a center for the people of Daly City to gather and shop. As a relatively small city, Daly City relies on the mall as its town center. The mall is home to major department stores separated by smaller stores. An expansion to the mall is set to be finished by 2025. For a long time, Tanforan has been the place to go to see a movie and enjoy the shopping enjoyments that come with a mall. With the new expansion of Serramonte, a hotel and a cinema center will be added to the existing mall. The project will be finished incrementally, meaning it is possible that certain parts of the expansion will be finished sooner. Many students hope that the cinema will be one of those that are finished earlier. Noah Yamsuan ’18 said movie theaters at Serramonte “will affect me greatly because it makes it much more convenient and much more closer than any other mall. I often go to Serramonte for simple stuff like just buying food, hanging out, or for clothes and shoes. The movies are now closer to where I live and there will be new shops to try out. According to the Serramonte Shopping Center Expansion Project Draft EIR “At buildout, the Shopping Center would result in the addition of 328,600 square feet of retail, entertainment and
SerramonteCenter.com Plans for construction and renovation at Serramonte include a new movie theater and parking structure.
restaurant space, a 75,000 square foot hotel, and a 65,000 square foot medical building. Additionally, a 348,000 square foot aboveground parking garage with 1,080 parking spaces would be constructed on the northwestern side of the Shopping Center.” Recently, Dave & Buster’s opened, drawing crowds of all ages. The Serramonte cinema is expected to have 10 screens whereas Tanforan has 20. The difficulty of Tanforan is its be
accessible from San Francisco by driving or taking a variety of location, without BART it would different busses than can get confusing if the rider does not know where they are going. “It’s way too far away, man” said Thomas Prudden ’18. “I don’t always have a person that can drive me that far, so that I can see a movie and hangout with friends. And BART goes no where near where I live. It would be much easier for me to get a ride to Serramonte. If I call an Uber it’s a lot cheaper than Tanforan.”
Shane McKnight ’18 said, “[Malls] can relieve stress from things such as school. I do not go to Serramonte as much as I did in elementary school. If the full expansion were to be finished in nine years, I feel like it would not affect me as strongly as of right now. The reason being that I do not know if I will live here in nine years. Right now, I would really enjoy it because it would be a different and unique place to go to besides another mall like Tanforan.”
Local voters uninformed on many propositions By Jabriel Andrade ’18 At 9 pm on Nov. 8, each inspector called out that the polls were closed, officially ending voting for California and the rest of the West Coast. Although many people are still up in arms about the results of the presidential election, the new propositions passed and denied, while not as well known, are still extremely important. However, public knowledge and interest on a majority of the ballot measures was severely lacking. Social Science teacher Jeff Isola ’98 said, “I’m concerned that voters had no idea what they were voting for.” This concern is not unfounded. Try to remember how many commercials and news broadcasts that focused on Trump or Clinton, compared to how many that were
produced about propositions. Maybe there were a few, especially on the Soda Vs Grocery tax debacle; yet, even then the actualcoverage and information were limited to bipartisan commercials that fervidly supported their side. What even further amplifies the problem is the lack of detail on the ballots themselves, and the use of almost overtly sophisticated language in the propositions. On the ballots, pages upon pages of writing were shortened down to paragraphs. For example on the ballot the description for prop 51(Passed) was the wording: “Authorizes $9 billion in general obligation bonds: $3 billion for new construction and $3 billion for modernization of K-12 public school facilities; $1 billion for charter schools and vocational
education facilities; and $2 billion for California Community Colleges facilities. Bars amendment to existing authority to levy developer fees to fund school facilities, until new construction bond proceeds are spent or December 31, 2020, whichever is earlier. Bars amendment to existing State Allocation Board process for allocating school construction funding, as to these bonds. Appropriates money from the General Fund to pay off bonds.” The description leaves out the $500 million dollars that would be allocated to charter schools, and where this money was coming from. And this isn’t a one time thing. Almost every proposition on the California ballot has been cut down immensely from its original form. However, if the
ballots were unclear due to lack of information, the original propositions themselves were unclear due to an almost extreme overload of information, written in language that most voters would consider unfamiliar. Student Jackson Liaou ’18 said, “The propositions should be simpler because I tried to read some of them but they’re too long to read.” The original document for Prop 51 was nine pages long. Many voters just couldn’t be bothered with slogging through that whole text, coupled with 25 propositions in San Francisco, and 17 in California as a whole. On Election Day, around 8 million voters turned in a ballot, each of them having a say in the future of the lives of California citizens.
Winter 2016-2017
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Local News
17
Big changes in SF’s Little China(town) coming By Jakeclark Bennett ’18 In 1848, Chinatown was a
place for Chinese people who immigrate to America from Asia. San Francisco’s Chinatown is known to be one of the biggest Asian communities outside of Asia, and also one of the oldest. It is a haven for immigrated Chinese. Their culture is heavily preserved in Chinatown, as many of the locals there speak their native tongue, practice their customs, and treasure their religious beliefs. Archbishop Riordan’s Mandarin instructor, Yin Shan Yang said, “Chinatown is a historical site, and it is one of the biggest Chinatowns in the USA. In 1848, Chinese came to America for the Gold Rush and Chinatown was the place they all lived together.” She continued, “As more Chinese people moved out in the past years, the place was full of gangs and crime. However, people now notice that the Chinatown’s historical role and it can bring a lot of tourists to San Francisco. The government and businessmen are developing this area in the recent years. Now, it is more safe than before.” Chinatown is a place brimming with Chinese citizens who moved to America, seeking a better life and able to establish a huge, welcoming community for local Americans and native Chinese. But, over the years, there are noticeable changes to the traditional district. One such change is the new subway currently being constructed nearby, and renovations to older buildings. Yang said, “The streets are much cleaner. The Chinese Hospital is expanding. People can see tall, new buildings.” Others are not so excited about the changes. Chinatown resident Lisa said, “New renovations, especially the new subway that’s being built, will close streets down and affect several businesses in the process.” A positive perspective of the subway, Fernando Cuellar ’20
people would have to do extra hours trying to pay for the increased rent. Which would cause these people to spend less time for their personal lives.” Higher rents is a major inconvenience for many people, especially if they have to take time off work to get extra pay just to pay off expenses.
said, “With the subway, more people would be coming in to visit Chinatown and the businesses will prosper.” In the perspective of a few locals and outsiders, the results of these changes are positive and negative, but taken from different angles, as this renovation impacts Chinatown and how it has operated for many years. In essence, gentrification makes it harder for locals. Gentrification affects the community, Yang said. “It really hurt the residents who have lived there for all their lives, especially the seniors since they can’t afford the high rent. In addressing whether locals believe gentrification is unnecessary, she said, “No. This is what the government and businessmen expect.” A sudden increase in rent due to the recent changes in buildings seem to affect many locals, especially those with low incomes. It will certainly affect many citizens in Chinatown who need to adapt to the new rental costs. As a possible way to reverse the effects of higher rents, Yang suggested, “I think if the government can plan this area carefully, planning an area for keeping low income and old
SanFranciscoChinatown.com San Francisco’s Chinatown is the oldest and largest in the country.
residents.” Even though the change in Chinatown in the more recent years are huge and affects many locals; it’s still important to many people who lived in it for many years, supporting it and preserving the Chinese culture. A result of the higher rents, Fabian Fazio ’20 said, “It would remove time for these people to spend with their families, which is a major problem for them in the long run. Yang said, “It needs to be changed. And it is changing for a
better, and cleaner neighborhood. Once Chinatown, always Chinatown, but with a cleaner and safer impression.” Some believe that change is always good in a community, but culture is important too. Change is necessary for a community to continue growing and adapting to the world around it. But, even if the district has changed, the culture will remain the same, and that culture is what makes Chinatown special to the Chinese and other Asian communities.
SI introduces Sauer Academy for junior high students
By Alexander Vallecillo ’18
On Oct. 8, Saint Ignatius College Preparatory announced that they will start a tuitionfree middle school beginning in Aug. 2017. The school will be for economically disadvantaged sixth to eighth grade boys and girls. “The new middle school is a great opportunity for those of low income but will come along with challenging experiences that middle school kids might not be use to,” said SI student Chelsey Torres ’18.
“The school will be named after the long time SI president Jesuit Father Tony Sauer and will offer the students a Jesuit education. The Sauer Academy will join De Salle Christian Brother and Daughters of Charity and become one of the two tuition-free Catholic middle schools for economically disadvantaged families in san Francisco,” according to Inside SI. “I somewhat dislike the idea of the school because I feel like it might discourage students from other low income families from
applying to SI if they are not accepted to the middle school,” said Nicholas Oshita ’18. The middle school will be located on SI’s main campus and will start with 25-30 sixth graders. SI will start accepting applications in January 2017. Daniel Curtin, Riordan Admissions Director said, “The demographic that SI is targeting in their new school is a demographic that is well represented at Riordan and will always be well represented at Riordan.”
Father Tony Sauer
18 Technology
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Winter 2016-2017
iPad Repair Club recently disbanded By Alexander Vallecillo ’18
The iPad Repair Club, a popular club last year, has been discontinued due to Archbishop Riordan High School’s new Makerspace and Apple’s new iPhone Repair Service. “I feel like it really got overshadowed by the Makerspace and it should be brought back,” said Rodrigo Cuellar ’18. Riordan’s new Makerspace allows for students to learn more about engineering and design than the iPad Repair program. “The Makerspace offers much more opportunity to excel in the field of engineering and technology, causing less of a need for the iPad Repair Program.
“This, combined with Apple’s competitive repair prices, are what ultimately led to the iPad Repair Program’s demise,” said Richard Huling Help Desk Specialist and Club Advisor. Apple has a repair program which is a new line of business that opened up. Apple’s prices are equal to or cheaper than Riordan’s repair cost. With AppleCare, the cost of repairs is significantly cheaper than without. Tomas Palpallatoc ’18 said, “It’s a shame iPad Repair Club is closing. It opened up a cheaper alternative for people to fix their iPads. It also taught a skill that would be valuable in real life, and especially here since everyone at Riordan used iPads.”
Photo by Abel Padilla ’19
This damaged iPad was a casualty of misfortune.
Religion plays role in STEAM, creating STREAM
“Game of the Year,” from page 11 higher competitive level. Not only this, but Overwatch’s dev team has put maximum effort into making sure the game stays fun, with new seasonal game modes, and frequent balance patching, creating the best multiplayer experience this year.
By Chang Liu ’18
Honorable Mentions: Gears of War 4 Titanfall 2 BEST HANDHELD Fire Emblem: Fates 3DS Released: Feb. 19, 2016 Developer: Intelligent Systems Fire Emblem has come a long way from a dying series with one last shot at life. Intelligent Systems taking a note from Pokemon on release had two versions of the game, one much harder and the other being much more forgiving to players. Thus, they brought back the difficulty loved by the older fans. Fates’ diverging stories, while not the best in the series, are still extremely well written. The changes to the battle system, created a much better system of push and pull, making the pace of the game much more frantic and strategic, especially in Conquest the harder of the two versions. While it’s not for everyone, Fates delivers an amazing strategy experience for longtime fans of the series, and anyone hoping to delve into the genre. Honorable Mentions: Pokemon Sun & Moon BEST INDIE GAME Superhot XBone/PC Released: February 26 2016 Developer: Superhot Team Superhot is the most innovative game I’ve played in years, and I’m not saying that just because the
game told me to. Indie games seem to be where all the new ideas of the medium are now, and while last year gave us rocket powered soccer cars, Superhot is up there with the indie greats like Bastion and Braid. The concept of the game is a first person shooter where time only moves when you move is loads of fun. The level design is also genius, with challenges that tests the player’s ability to use the time mechanic, and playgrounds that give the player freedom to clear out the opposition in whatever what he wants. When a wow moment happens in Superhot it’s not scripted. Instead, you feel like Neo from The Matrix, dodging bullets and pulling off insane maneuvers in the best Indie game in a long time. Honorable Mentions: Stardew Valley ClusterTuck BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT No Man’s Sky PS4XBONE/PC
Released: August 9 2016 Developer: Hello Games No Man’s Sky, oh No Man’s Sky, where did you go wrong? Was it the hype on the internet, believing this game would be so
amazing that every other game wouldn’t even come close? Could it be the lack of diversity in gameplay, resulting in another boring survival game but this time with a space theme? Maybe it was the huge amount of lying from Hello Games about multiplayer and a bunch of other features not seen in the game. Whichever of these really killed the game is unknown, but No Man’s Sky was bought by many, played by few, and refunded by the rest. Honorable Mentions: Mighty Number 9 GOTY:Uncharted 4 Uncharted 4 deserves this title. The game is so close to perfection that it seems unfair to the others. Uncharted 4 is the definition of a complete game, and while the honorable mentions may outdo Uncharted in certain aspects, Naughty Dog created a game so powerful in its story, fun in its gameplay, and while not as talked about as Overwatch, it still gave a fantastic multiplayer experience. Honorable Mentions: Fire Emblem Fates Dark Souls 3 SuperHot Overwatch
With the new addition of the Makerspace, Riordan has incorporated a STREAM program. Most people hear about a Makerspace and think automatically of the acronyms STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) or STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Arts Math). Archbishop Riordan has STREAM. No, the R does not stand for Riordan, rather, it stands for religion. Religion, as many students have covered in theology classes, has been dwindling in number of believers due to the new generation of new technology and new distractions. With the new technology, theology teachers from all over the nation, including Ken Swan, attended a workshop over the summer to help “bring God and Jesus into the 21st Century.” Previously, for many who grew up going to a Catholic grammar school, they know that the only time they used technology for religion class was for Shield the Vulnerable. With the new Makerspace, students can now incorporate technology into religion classes. This change and many others all make up the new educational shift from book learning to more project based learning in order to get personal experience and a better understanding of a lot of the issues that books can only explain limitedly.
Winter 2016-2017
Features 19
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Librarian Life: Books are the Appel of his eye
By Jimmy Velasco ’17
Archbishop Riordan High School has many significant areas on campus that make it unique, such as the Makerspace and the mat room. However, the library is just one of those special places on campus that some may take for granted. Danny Appel, librarian of the Herbst Foundation Library, said, “I’ve always loved libraries. I remember how excited I was getting my first library card at the San Jose Public Library. One of my best friends used to joke that I don’t just go to the library, I camp out there. So naturally it seemed fitting to become a librarian. It took me many years, and a long, circuitous route, to eventually realize it.” On a regular day as the school librarian, Appel “provide[s] circulation and reference services to students, faculty, and staff, plan[s] acquisition of books and technology, processe[s] new books and materials, interact[s] with current and potential vendors, update[s] the library website, supervise[s] students during lunch and after school, also
collaborate[s] with teachers in curriculum planning for classes in the library, and instruct[s] and help[s] students with technology and online database usage. In addition, I occasionally participate in online webinars and attend meetings as part of my professional development.” The library has become a place where students can do homework or other assignments. There are also many books students can check out with their ID card. Jeancarlos Santos ’17 said, “I think the library is a great place to study because it offers silence and tranquility.” More students are taking advantage of the library being open during Block 1 if they don’t have a Block 1 class, as Appel said, “It’s encouraging to see more students electing to come into the Library during Block 1.” The library offers many benefits for students, such as printing being free when using one of the computers. In addition, the library also has books that some English classes require. There are also many magazines available for students to read.
On the left, former librarian Brother Tom Jalbert works at the front desk, with the now obsolete card catalog in the foreground. To the right, current librarian Danny Appel researches the latest books to order for the library.
Appel said his goal is to continue “the interaction with students and [strive] to make the Library the hub of Riordan. And if I can inspire one student to become passionate about reading, I feel I’m succeeding at what I do.” Besides being the librarian, Appel also had a role in the Summer Reading program as he said, “I’m part of the Summer Reading Committee, which includes Mr. O’Brien, Ms. O’Riordan, Mr. Vezzali, Ms. Asseretto, Ms. Sutton, Ms. Dalton, and Mr. Dalton. We collectively nominate potential books for summer reading, discuss assessments and advertising strategies, and take
on various duties to roll out the summer reading program. It’s truly a team effort.” The library is one of many spots on campus where collaboration and hard work come together. Appel also said, “I would like students to view the library as a sanctuary of sorts, away from the noisy confusion of life. There’s a whole world contained within the library, and I hope that students decide to make that journey.” The library is open during Block 1 for students who do not have a Block 1 class, lunch, and Mondays through Thursday from 7am to 6pm and Fridays from 7am to 5pm.
From card catalogs to computers
How technology changed libraries everywhere
By Rodney Martinez ’17
Through the years, libraries have been changing to adapt to the latest technology. Because of technology, “the library has become much more expansive and dynamic. Instead of a repository for books and other print publications, which is still vitally important, the library offers free access to the Internet, several research databases, and eBooks via Wi-Fi and ethernet connected iMacs,” said Librarian Danny Appel. Today, books can be borrowed in e-book form, which can make reading a book more convenient for people. “Books can be checked out digitally from the library and a lot of students are unaware of that. Students can also access free digital books on EBSCO’s eBook High School Collection and eBook Classic Collections,” said Appel. Global Citizen reported five ways the library has changed over the years because of technology, which includes, “Expanded access through information sharing, becoming technology hubs, being shaped by budget cuts, having a strong role in local communities, and the fact that printed books still dominate reading, despite the growth of e-books.”
Photo by Jimmy Velasco ’17 Students in the library today use the computers, while students in this late 1980s photo below relied on pen and paper despite the availability of computers.
ARHS Archives
In The Switch, Andrea Peterson reported, “Libraries are really transforming themselves into technology hubs,” said Kathryn Zickur, a researcher focusing on how Americans use libraries at the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project.” According to the Pew Research Center, “In a national survey of Americans ages 16 and older: 80 percent of Americans say borrowing books is a “very important” service libraries provide; 80 percent say reference librarians are a ‘very important’ service of libraries; and 77 percent say free access to computers and the internet is a ‘very important’ service of libraries.” The library is a quiet place for students to focus and they can take advantage of this, most particularly, during Block 1, when many students do not have a class. Students can print papers for free in the library as well, but “there is a five paper limit a student can print,” Appel said. In fact, library usage has increased this year, with more and more students populating the library to read, study, write, or just have a calm place to think.
20 Sports
Winter 2016-2017
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Cross Country races to second consecutive state championships By Harrick Wu ’19
With the hard work from all of the members of the varsity Crusader Cross Country team, the team placed third in the CCS Division III Championships 2.95 mile race at Toro Park, Salinas, California on Nov. 12 and qualified for CIF State Champions for two years in a row. Trevor Paulbitski ’18 with a time of 16.04.8 minutes, got second place in the division. Ian Cranfield ’17 with his personal record of 16:08.4 in the 2.95 mile race place fourth in the division. With Paulbitski and Cranfield, James Upchurch ’18, Michael Kilgariff ’17, Gene Aberoutte ’18, Alexander Vallecillo ’18, and Elijah Ocadayen ’20 helped the team place third in their division and help qualify for CIF State Champions for two years in a row. Paulbitski, one of Riordan’s best runners this year, was somewhat disappointed with the outcomes of the last race in CCS Division III Championships. Paulbitski’s goal during the race was to stay up in the pack, which he achieved, but even with his efforts, he failed to take first place in the division, falling short on first place by just .7 of a second. He blames this result from not having enough work outs before the last race. Paulbitski who is still a junior next year is looking forward to next season because the seniors that were beating him will not be there next year. “Personally, [my goal is] moving up next year. Seniors were usually the ones beating me in the races.
Next year, I’ll have a better chance of chasing my rivals from Bellarmine.” Cranfield, a senior, was more focused on his running techniques this race than the first race he ran this year. Throughout the season, he did more strengthening exercises which made him overall stronger. With these factors, he was able to run faster which led him to place fourth in the division and finish strong with a personal record. He had no regrets whatsoever about the outcome of the race. “I started to focus more on running techniques. I did more strengthening exercises. It helped me get stronger overall and it helped me be able to run faster. I have no regrets; I gave it my all.” Cranfield was part of cross country for all four years of his time at Riordan. “It was a really good experience. It helped me mature mentally and physically. It helped me be who I am today.” The coaches were proud of the athletes as they thought the team did pretty well overall this season as it showed in the league champions, CCS Championships, and making it into CIF State Champions once again. It was one of the most consistent teams in season that they saw. In regards to the team, Coach Willers said that that team this year was an interesting group because they lost a lot of leaders from last year. He found it amusing seeing people trying to
Photo provided by Ian Cranfield ’17
step up to the role, but in the end, everyone played a part in the leadership role. “It was really interesting because we lost our leaders from last year. It was funny trying to see someone stepping up, but rather than one person, the team was united. Everyone found their own role and they knew what to do. Overall, the team has a lot of personality and it was fun to interact and spend time as a whole unit.” Coach Matt Ilarina ’02, the head Coach of Cross Country, thought the team overall was a very cohesive group of athletes. Throughout the season, he saw good teamwork from the young men and different kinds of leadership from them. “This team is very cohesive. All 40 athletes came together. There was a lot of good teamwork. There was a lot of great leadership.
Everyone competed well and had a lot of fun doing it.” Both of the coaches seem like they did their parts as coaches this year even though they felt a little disappointed when they came up short in the CCS Championships. They were satisfied on how things went throughout the season and how the team over achieved in some points throughout the season. They were extremely proud that the team achieved most of the goals they set. The coaches are looking forward to next season because they are confident they will make State Champions for a third year in a row with the five returning varsity members, which all have competed at a high level for two years. The returning members will have great experience and leadership which will provide an example for the younger members
Football team huddles, refocuses on next season By Joseph Kerrigan ’18
Riordan has always prided itself on the success of the football program, and after last year’s powerhouse varsity football team, the Riordan community had high hopes for the 2016 fall football season. The football team this year looked to continue the legacy of the previous football teams but they fell short of achieving last year’s success. Pre-season was strong, with some victories, especially with a win against Sacred Heart Prep, who defeated the Crusaders last year in the final round of CCS. The WCAL is a tough league and there isn’t any room for error, so starting league games, the team buckled down to perfect their skills and fine-tune any issues. League play did not go as planned right away with a loss against the consistently strong football program of St. Francis. The Crusaders did not hang their
heads and went right back at it in practice the Monday after. The next few leagues games would be losses, although the differences in score would decrease and the overall performance of the Crusaders was not directly show through the score of the games. The Crusaders ended league play with Senior Day, a game where all the seniors on the team are applauded for their loyalty to the team and the hard work they have put in over the past four years. During Senior Day it is customary that all the seniors start and play a majority of the game. The team wishes the seniors good luck with their future endeavors in college and with the sport of football. The varsity football season on paper does not look as good as the season they really had, with many ups and downs. Injuries plagued the team, hindering the
Photo by Scott Patterson Donny Bendo ’17 holds the ball perfectly for Ezra Affoumado ’17
amount of players available. Despite injuries, the Crusaders trudged through the season, constantly improving and always hungry for more. The scores of the games do not reflect on the effort put forth by
the players, and it would be foolish for teams to disregard Riordan’s Varsity football team next year, because of the returning juniors’ thirst for greatness and the young players coming up from JV who show promise.
Winter 2016-2017
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Sports 21
Anastasio pins down Wrestling Hall of Fame spot By Harrick Wu ’19
Principal Vittorio Anastasio ’84 was inducted into the California Wrestling Hall of Fame and received the award for the 2016 Lifetime Service Award on May. Anastasio was first introduced to wrestling when he was a student a Riordan when his English teacher who was also a wrestling coach, asked him to come out because of his weight. Even though he was out of shape, he decided to join and during his time, he had fun and made himself great friends. Besides making new friends and having fun, wrestling helped him a ton during his time at Riordan. “Wrestling helped my life because I wasn’t enjoying school. I didn’t make the best decisions, but my group helped me grow,” Anastasio said. Anastasio was offered the wrestling coach job by his coach when he was in college and in 1988, he became the head wrestling coach. He was also the CEO of San Francisco Elite Wrestling, which is a wrestling club based out of Riordan in 1994. It became a corporation that allowed Riordan scholars and other high school from schools like Lick Wilmerding and Sacred Heart to practice wrestling. It also allowed children from elementary and middle schools to come join and practice after school. The program’s goal was to grow the sport of wrestling. As the CEO, Anastasio helped manage the operation of the program like raising money, applying for grants, advertising, and helping it grow. All the money raised for the program goes to fund events like tournaments for the athletes. When he became the principal of Riordan, he left his position as head coach of wrestling. Anastasio is now just a fan of wrestling but still he talks to the wrestling coaches every day and goes to as many Riordan matches as he can. He misses his job as a coach and would love to be more involved, but his position keeps him busy. “If I ever get to become a counselor again, I would like to be a wrestling coach for the freshmen.” Because of his involvement in wrestling for many years, he was nominated by someone to be inducted into the California Wrestling Hall of Fame. He was told that the process included 100 nominations and it was through regional voting. He was also told that through every round of selections, he got 100 percent of first choice votes. Anastasio was surprised when he was inducted because others who were inducted into the
Photo by Harrick Wu ’19 Principal Vittorio Anastasio ’84, California Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee
California Hall of Fame were coaches of state championships or wrestling Olympians. When he received the award, he felt like it was more for his parents, wife, and children than for himself. “It felt good because I was honored. I felt it was neat for my parents, wife, and children. It showed them that the time spent away from them was for something special. It was more for them than for me. I don’t see myself as a Hall of Famer,” he said. Anastasio winning an award for the California Wrestling Hall of Fame inspires many people like
sophomore Daniel Gerard ’19. With Anastasio winning the title, it inspires Gerard to be better at wrestling and other things like school. Anastasio is an idol for Gerard because he came back to school to help out. He thinks that all wrestlers should try to achieve the award. “It inspires me to become better and to do above and beyond not only in wrestling but in school. He is one of my idols. Why? Well, because of the fact that he wrestled and then came back to this school to help out. Anastasio winning the title is a title that I
Soccer season kicks off By Fernando Delgado ’18 and Jaime Hernandez ’17
As the soccer season kicks off to a rough start, the Archbishop Riordan Crusaders have fallen down to a record of 0-3, as they faced three straight losses to the El Camino Colts, Lincoln Mustangs, and Cappuccino High School. Nick Sereni ’17 said, “We have not been playing bad, it’s just a team chemistry that we have to start building up before season starts.” Rising star Christian Mejia ’17, who returns to the team, said, “I really have to step up my game and quit with the excuses. It’s only pre-season, but we have no excuse to be losing. We have to train harder, and put more time on the field in order to be successful.” This year, students who tried out for the soccer team were surprised with a whole new staff and pair of coaches as they got ready and prepared for tryouts. The students had to adapt to their means and also show themselves as the best as athletes as the coaches slowly narrowed each team down. There was plenty of positive
views and opinions among the students about the coaches and about the upcoming pre-season and WCAL season. A three-year varsity soccer player, Angel Hernandez ’18, said, “The new coaches seem to be very composed and determined to make our season the best it can be. Although, I cannot determine how the season will turn out, I can only hope for the best.” Luis Serrano ’18, is also a three-year varsity athlete in the soccer program. He said, “The new coaches have brought a more dynamic and faster feeling to the team’s overall performance. Also, I feel that they have revived the motivation and inspiration of the team.” Students and coaches expressed their positivity towards the upcoming season. The new freshman coach, referred to as Coach Paul, expressed his goals for the season by saying, “My goals this season are to build the skills of the freshman soccer team, to improve the soccer program and bring it up to par with every other sport, and to inspire and implement confidence in future students to try out for the soccer team.”
think should be something that every wrestler should strive for.” Anastasio winning the title speaks of Riordan’s history. It connects with wrestlers and the alumni wrestlers in the past. Gary Whitehouse says it is also great that he is a principal of our school. “It just speaks to the rich tradition of history; of Riordan’s history. It connects with wrestlers and the alumni. It’s a testament that he impacted through wrestling. All the history of wrestling is all because of Anastasio.” For those in wrestling, Anastasio would like all to enjoy every last moment of it. Being on the wrestling team will create memories that will last a long time. Being a wrestler will bring respect from peers. “Guys in wrestling, enjoy every moment of it. The toughest moments are the best moments. The sport will make great memories and friends from this experience. When someone says you are a wrestler, you automatically gain respect,” Anastasio said. For those thinking about joining the Crusader Wrestling team, he said that it might be the best decision in your life. The sport is a no cut sport and anyone can be successful as long as he works hard and has lots of dedication.
Wrestlers get ready to grapple By Michael Jaurigui ’19
Wrestling is a winter sport here at Riordan High School, but does not attract many people, which is surprising because it is a fun sport. Wrestling is unlike most sports at Riordan because it has an off-season where many players attend competitions as a group. It has a lot of fun and intense moments. Nikita Moysov ’19 said, “My moment was WCAL champion in the freshman class.” Julian Tejeda ’19 said, “Wrestling is a fun sport. My first time wrestling was freshman year.” Tejeda added, “My best moment in wrestling is when I pinned someone in 15 seconds.” Michael Estrada ’19 said, “I have been wrestling since freshman year and I plan to do it until senior year.” Some of the wrestlers participated in a meet on Saturday, Dec. 3. According to Daniel Gerard ’19, “I did not wrestle, but as a team we finished in 5th place in the tournament.” The wrestling team has many tournaments coming up. On Jan. 17, 19, 24 there will be tournaments here at Riordan.
22 Sports Features
Winter 2016-2017
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Chicago Cubs crack curse to win World Series By Karl Vanuska ’19
In this year’s fall classic, fans witnessed history in seeing a 108 year curse being broken when the Chicago Cubs won the 2016 World Series on Nov. 2. The two most unexpected teams ever were in the World Series: the team that is allergic to winning, the Chicago Cubs, and perennial joke of American League, the Cleveland Indians. But as future Hall of Famer shortstop Derek Jeter said, “You don’t just accidentally show up in the World Series.” Leading into this series both teams had a championship drought, a 108 year drought for Chicago Cubs, and a 68 year drought for the Cleveland Indians. The Cubs’ curse comes from a story involving a billy goat, which has become known as the Curse of the Billy Goat. The story goes: a man named William Sianis, who was the owner of a bar called Billy Goat Tavern, went to Game 4 of the 1945 World Series with his goat. At this game, it was the Detroit Tigers against the Chicago Cubs
and Sianis got kicked out of the game because fans were bothered by the smell of his goat. At that point Sianis said, “Them Cubs, they ain’t gonna win no more.” Ever since this, the curse of the Billy Goat has prevailed, and they had not won since 1908. The Cleveland Indians’ curse comes from a baseball player named Rocky Colavito. The curse of Rocky Colavito was started when Cleveland Indians
mlb.com
traded their home run champion right fielder, Rocky Colavito in 1960 to the Detroit Tiger, and has been called “the move that has cursed the Indians” since. Back to the present. The favorites from the start were the Chicago Cubs both in betting and fans hearts. But after four games into the series, the Cubs were down, facing elimination games against the Indians. The Cubs were able to fight
back, winning three straight games facing elimination. Baseball player Stephen Blecca ’19 said, “I think the Cubs were able to fight back and it wasn’t a choke job by Cleveland because of the stout offense that showed up in the last three games of the Cubs. That gave them the victory.” But people have been saying the Cleveland Indians did indeed choke, and it wasn’t a true Cubs victory. Nevertheless, this is huge for the Chicago Cubs because people had given up on this team ever winning, except their loyal fans. Their future is looking up because of their young and powerful offense, while their pitching staff has veteran presence to keep on winning games. With the Chicago Cubs winning, it shows that no one should give up on a team. There is hope of a championship for every team, even with dozens of unsuccessful seasons in the past and curses lurking in every corner.
SF looking to make Giant splash in 2017 By Steven Rissotto ’20 and Brandon Vargas ’20 After a disappointing 2015 season, the San Francisco Giants needed to make big moves. They signed pitcher Jeff Samardzija and Johnny Cueto to a six-year deal. The rotation consisted of Madison Bumgarner, Cueto and Samardzija. They did, however, still need to fill in a weakness in left field. In early January, they signed center fielder Denard Span, which would move veteran Angel Pagan to left field. Of course, there was hype for the 2016 campaign with the stud rotation and a deep lineup. The season started off with a bang. The Giants won two of three from the Brewers to start the season, which was a positive for Giants fans and employees. Entering into the All Star break, the Chicago Cubs were considered the best team in baseball, but few people were talking about the fact that the Giants had the most wins entering the break. The annual All Star Game was held in San Diego, which was home to their division rivals, Padres. Four Giants players were elected to the National League squad: Madison Bumgarner, Brandon Belt, Cueto who started the game, and Buster Posey who caught him. Giants started to fall. Through many
losses, Bochy knew the bullpen wasn’t strong enough. Also, he tried high potential players such as Mac Williamson and Jarrett Parker, but they didn’t prove to be that helpful. However, General Manager Bobby Evans was ready to take on these challenges. Nearing the end of the trade deadline, the Giants acquired left handed reliever Will Smith, starter Matt Moore, as well as infielder Eduardo Núñez. This strengthened the Giants a ton, but they lost valuable prospects and Matt Duffy, a fan favorite. The Giants had to do their best to make it to the playoffs. Even with a second half season landslide, the Giants managed to sneak in a wild card spot and eventually defeat the New York Mets. Giants fans were excited, but when it came time to face Chicago, the fans weren’t as faithful. During both the wild card game and the NLDS, Conor Gillaspie showed what he was made of. With clutch hits that eventually led the Giants into winning many more games than they would have without him, Gillaspie proved to be a rising star in the Giants’ constellation. Even with hope for winning the NLDS, the Giants heartbreakingly lost to the Cubs. The Cubs won the series 3-1. Giants fans were upset, but they
mlb.com
had to do the best they could to wait until next year. The San Francisco fan base was devastated. Specifically, English Department Chair Diana Assereto was not impressed with the Giants season. She said the Giants 2016 season was “very disappointing” and that “we struggled.” Nobody knew what to do or think. This offseason should be an interesting one, because the Giants have needs to fill. Left Field has always been a problem and will be this year with Pagan becoming a free agent. Expect them to make a run at outfielders, or even stick with Williamson. There is an obvious need in the bullpen, and they might need at least one more reliever before they get to camp in Scottsdale,
Arizona. The Giants need replacements for Romo, Lopez, Pagan and Casilla, who are all highly unlikely to return. Mark Melancon signed with the Giants, meaning Casilla is not our closer anymore. Science teacher Michael Hickam is looking forward to the Giants 2017 season. He said he is excited about “Johnny Cueto coming back” and “an actual closer.” Overall, this should be a fun offseason and hopefully the San Francisco Giants are fully rested and healthy for the 2017 season. Freshman Samuel Mongey said that the Giants still need to “improve their bullpen,” but he expects them to get “second in the division, behind the Dodgers.” Giants fans, get ready for some action.
Winter 2016-2017
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Sports Features
23
3 Men and a Baby triumph in 3 on 3 Tournament By Karl Vanuska ’19
This fall students saw the return of the classic 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament hosted by the DJ club. The annual atheltic event includes students and teachers participating in a basketball tournament of 3 players versus 3 players. There were 16 teams in this tournament. And these 16 teams are 3 Men and a Baby who had Counselors David Lin and Danny Arias, along with teacher Kevin Fordon, and Moises Sandoval. Next Ball Out who has Mack Yates, Jeremey Mcgiverally, Julian Molina-Lopez, and Joe Conway. Javi Cuts team had Steven Diaz, Ian Cranfield, Javier Garay, and Antonio Avila. The next team Hoyah had Christian Campos, Roland Guevarra, Diego Mijares, and Josh Cordero. Team Finesse had EJ Odocayen, Jarell Taylor, Nabil Arsalane, and Levis Rodriguez. Team Chicken included Donte Henderson, Daniel Camacho, and Joshua DeJesus. Maxout had Noah Lee, TQ Byrd, Deontae Mayfield, and James Walsh. Bobaine had Alex Kouyoumdjian, Kevin VanKoll, and Michael Medina. The George Clooneys had Domenic Marchese, Chris Taylor, and Anothony Reynolds. Team No Name had Jeremy Wang, Zi Qi Zhu, and Nelson Shen. Supreme Dream Team had Darren Chen, Mateo Guittap, Michael Bigler, and Jackson Henley.
Joshua Ray, and Anthony Oropeza. The Globetrotters had Frank Ryan, Henry Bensurto, Darren Wang, and James Duffy. Team GOAT had Justin Brooks Uzair Shaikh, and Antonio Aguilar. DT had Loh Kwan Jie, Jonathan Ling, Hubert Wang, and Mr. Joe. Team Fresh had Jasiah Coz, Anzel De Asis, and Gage Cross. The rules are: The first team to 11 points or after 15 minutes the team with the most points moves on. Fans saw some great games and some even better plays during the tournament. In the first round, Ball Out lost to 3 Men and a Baby, Javi Cuts beat Hoyah, Team Finesse beat Chicken, and Maxout beat Bobaine. On the other side of the bracket was The George Clooneys losing to No Name, Dream Team losing to D3 Bound, Team GOAT beating The Globetrotters, and Team Fresh beating DT. So in the round of eight, 3 Men and a Baby beat Javi Cuts and Chicken lost to Maxout on one side of the bracket. While on the other side, No Name lost to D3 Bound and Team GOAT beat Team Fresh. And so, in the final four, 3 Men and a Baby beat Maxout and Team GOAT beat D3 Bound. Then, in the finals, we saw 3 Men and a Baby faced off against Team GOAT, while fighting for third place was Maxout and D3 Bound. In the finals it was a back and forth game that required
By Greg Guinasso ’17 Whether it’s saying “Hi” in the hallways, having class with him, going on a retreat with him or playing sports with him, many people on campus know or have come across Greg West ’17. For those who do not know who he is, Greg West is a senior at Archbishop Riordan who has participated in sports, campus ministry and various clubs throughout his four years. Greg is very passionate about sports, especially judo, which he has been participating in since he was four and half years old. His goal is to one day compete in the Olympic Games. Last year, he competed in the Cadet World Championships as a 16 year old and placed top 16 out of 42 athletes. West said, “I was disappointed by the results but was not discouraged and I hope to continue my success in the years to come.” He added, “It was a good experience. I had a good time and it gave me the building block on
what I have to work on for the future.” As of now, West is training for the Senior National Championships, the Junior World Championships as well as being on the first American team to compete in Fukuoka, Japan. His goal is to become the first junior world champion from the United States. West works out every day as he prepares for his journey ahead of him. He said, “Judo is more than a sport to me, it’s my lifestyle.” West is a highly ranked athlete in the United States and is looking to go to San Jose State and participate in their Collegiate Judo Program, which is ranked number one in the country. He is well liked by his peers and can always be found with a smile on his face. His positive energy in his classes spark conversations. Senior classmate of West, Patrick Brown, said, “It’s always a fun class when Greg is here. He brings an energy to class that is hard to ignore.”
Photo by Karl Vanuska ’19 Uzair Shaikh ’17 defends a shot from Moises Sandoval ’17 as Antonio Aguilar ’17 and counselor Danny Arias anticipate the next move.
overtime. At the start of the extended time, there was an argument over who would have possession first In the end, Team GOAT got the ball, and with 3 seconds left needed to the tie the game, and did with 1 second left. But Coach Lin of 3 Men and a Baby said that he got fouled and it didn’t count. So in the end, the basket didn’t get counted and 3 Men and a Baby won the tournament. Uzair Shaikh ’17, of Team GOAT said,
“I feel like I got cheated out of first place, because of how the basket at the end didn’t count.” 3 Men and a Baby, for finishing first, got a one week front of the line pass, a pizza party, and a championship long sleeve shirt. Team GOAT got a one week front of the line pass and a pizza party for finishing second. The third place team was Maxout, who won a one-week front of the lunch line pass.
West looks toward Land of the Rising Sun
Greg West ’17 participates in a recent judo competition.
Many people often joke with West about his passion for judo, but he does not let that distract him from his goals. His passion for the sport and the energy he
exemplifies the inner character he possesses as a determined person. He will keep striving to improve as he begins to lock in and focus on his goals.
24 Features
Winter 2016-2017
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
President Joe Conti bids farewell to Riordan
By Roman Peregrino ’18
For the first time since 2013, Riordan is searching for a new president. This month, Joseph Conti, Riordan’s president since late 2013, will step down from his position and vacating the presidency. His last day was expected to be Jan. 5, after he returned from the band trip to Rome. Until then, Conti was at school every day, still working to make Riordan a better place. The search for his successor is taking place right now, with interviews expected to continue into the new year. The plan is for the new president to be chosen in late spring, and then to officially start on July 1, 2017. Conti’s tenure has been quite eventful, with many new developments taking place in the last three years. He sat down with The Crusader to talk about his time here at Riordan, what he will miss the most, and what he is looking forward to in the future. Roman Peregrino: First off, what did you do before Riordan? Joseph Conti: I am a licensed architect and worked as a general contractor. RP: What caused you to become Riordan’s President? JC: I first joined the Riordan community when my twin sons, Michael and Robert (class of 2007) came in as freshman. From that first year, I fell in love with Riordan because of what the school had done for me on a personal level. I am a single parent, and my mother was also my sons’ maternal figure in their life. Unfortunately, as my sons were starting their freshman
year, she was sick and would soon pass. I am so thankful because the whole Riordan community and especially the brothers [still living here at the time] made a difficult time bearable. So when an opportunity to join the board of trustees came to me, I jumped at the chance. During my time [on the board], I really saw Riordan going on an upward swing. When a problem arose at the end of 2012 and the presidency was vacated, I did not want Riordan to lose the momentum it had going. I threw my hat in the ring [for the job] and in March of 2013 I was given the honor [of becoming school president]. For me, it ensured that school would continue to provide the opportunities that my sons received and that set them up for college. RP: What are you most proud of during your time at Riordan?
JC: There are so many things. I look at the enrollment, and see that it is continuing to grow. Our hope is that by 2018, we will be at 720 [students] and holding steady. Academically, our students are able to perform and be accepted into great schools that will help them in their careers and life. On the other side, our athletics and activities are highly competitive. We have had success in athletics, in our journalism program, and we have one of the greatest marching bands in the city. I’m very proud of the band. What can I say? I’m a band groupie. On the financial side, when I started, the school was unfortunately in the red. Last quarter, we were able to finish in the black, and have paid back our debts. Now that we are debt free, we have been able to put money back in the school. The
Riordan?
JC: The students, day in/day out. You guys are an inspiring bunch of individuals. RP: What would you like to see for Riordan in the next 10 years?
Joseph Conti painting of the school will be completed by January, after 15 to 20 years of no painting. The Makerspace is also huge on my list. We designed, funded, completed it over a summer! RP: What is one thing you wish you could have done? JC: I would have loved to finish the field. It is one of the most important things left. However, we must take small steps before we can take big ones. For example, we are getting the gym done. That shows that we can be effective and set goals. Patience must be exerted before the big things can happen. RP: What does the future hold for you? JC: I view this as a golden opportunity at this point. I don’t quite know what I will be doing. I hope that whatever I do will promote a positive outcome. Whether it be back in architecture, for a non-profit, or in education. RP: What will you miss most at
JC: I hope that we continue on this wonderful path of success that we have established. The next step is expanding the class schedule to include different subjects and more in depth learning. Then, we continue to update the facilities. I’d like to see the international boarding program also continue to grow because it’s important. The world is getting smaller, and this program allows different cultures to interact in a healthy way. RP: What words of advice would you give to the next president? JC: Initially, get to know who this community is. Get to know Riordan. One of the benefits I had is that I had been associated with the school since 2003 (9 years before taking the role). [The new president must] understand our mission and tradition, and that doesn’t happen overnight. I hope and pray they have the courage to learn about the school before acting and not make assumptions. Conti’s colleagues had glowing remarks to share about him. “What I enjoyed most about working with Mr. Conti was seeing his deep pride in the young men of Riordan,” said Victoria Terheyden, Director of Communications. “Whether at a band event or a gathering of government officials, he was always quick to share stories about our immensely talented students.”
Udovich readies for relaxing retirement By Keven Ariel Muñoz ’18
As Riordan students began their winter break, Sharon Udovich, Assistant Director of Donor and Alumni Relations, was preparing to leave her office alongside President Joseph Conti. Udovich has been working with the Riordan family for 25 years and has been an integral part of the scholarship programs and alumni events, such as the Downtown Luncheon. She is known as a founder of the Riordan Alumni Mom’s Club. Marc Rovetti ’87, Director of Alumni Relations and office mate of Udovich, said, “She is a resource to the Crusader way and how things are done here.” It is difficult to know now how the community will change when she leaves her office because of the many responsibilities
Sharon Udovich she has. She was a key member for the planning of the Downtown Luncheon and supervises the Bay Scholars program, making sure the students stay in the program and enjoy the benefits that go with it. She has also become a mother figure to students on campus. Uziah Metcalfe ’18 recalls a story
told by his father, “On his [Uziah’s father] senior day for football, his mother couldn’t make it because of work, so Mrs. Udovich took the mother spot and walked him out on his senior day.” Udovich is also saddened by her departure but explains, “It’s going to be different for me, but it’s time for me now to do some things that I want to do.” When Udovich retires this winter, she will not only leave a job, but a community that she has grown to appreciate and love immensely. Her love for Riordan’s students and the faculty and staff is what she looks forward to as she arrives at school every morning. Udovich said, “Just saying hi to the kids in the morning is fun. Coming here every morning and seeing all the kids and faculty
and staff has been very joyous.” Not only does she love Crusader Country, but they love her, too. Gene Mullin ’55 honored Sharon with a proclamation signed by his son, Assemblymember and Speaker pro Tempore Kevin Mullin of the 22nd District, in honor of her retirement. “We thank Udovich for her commitment to Riordan and constant support of our young men,” it read. Rovetti said, “Sharon is amazing. She’s just one of those special people. I absolutely love her. She bleeds purple and gold.” It is not surprising why her friends are sad to see her go. She has created many heart-felt connections in the community but all she could say was, “It’s been an honor to work with the students here [at Riordan].”