The Crusader Dec2019

Campus News, Pages 4-7

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Arts & Entertainment, Pages 10-11

VOLUME LXX ISSUE ii

Riordan at 70, Pages 14-15

ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN HIGH SCHOOL

SERVING RIORDAN SINCE 1949

Sports, Pages 16-19

December 2019 THE NEWSPAPER OF CRUSADER COUNTRY

Mayer Family Field ushers in new era for Riordan

By Steven Rissotto ’20

“If we’re gonna start something, we’re gonna start it the right way.”

The words of first-year Crusader football coach Mark Modeste echoed off the neighboring houses and through the new, bright yellow field goal posts. Modeste’s way of “starting something” was having his players take a lap before the first practice on the brand-new turf at Mayer Family Field.

After decades of discussion and donations, the multi-sport complex on Riordan’s campus is finished and ready for business.

The new complex includes a newly designed press box, refurbished bleachers and stands, updated baseball facilities, and state of the art artificial turf.

The first football game was planned for Nov. 2, a date that was a fixture on the calendars of many teachers, students and alumni for months. The deadline was questionable, especially since the turf was starting to be rolled out on the week of Oct. 12.

It was bound to be tight, but the construction team bolted into action to secure the completion on Nov. 1, in time for the first practice on the new turf.

Photo by Steven Rissotto ’20 Members of the football team raise the Stanfel Trophy after winning.

There is still work to be done, Weeks earlier, board of trustees but the completion tag still stands.

According to Facilities Director member Philip Cazahous ’70 and baseball coach Brandon was staring blankly at the Ramsey, batting cages and dugout construction site. A former track star at Riordan, he knew the rails are still to be installed.

Before, Modeste would have significance and impact that the to bus his team to Gellert Park in area will have on current and Daly City every day for practice. future students.

“It’s been 50 years,” Cazahous Now, he’s the leader pioneering reflected, “And it’s finally the first group into prestigious happening.” territory.

After nearly four years without “We’re just the first ones up,” Modeste said during the football on campus, the Crusaders first practice. “Baseball, soccer, held the first game in front of a lacrosse, too. Administration did lively home crowd against Saint an amazing job. I always tell our Francis on Nov. 2. The band players that this is the group that made its own debut, adding to the will remember it when it wasn’t electric atmosphere.

President Dr. Andrew Currier here.”

said with a smile, “The band makes everything better.”

On Nov. 9, the celebration and dedication was held shortly before the 1:15 game against Sacred Heart Cathedral with the blessing coming courtesy of Fr. John Jimenez. Currier thanked the many donors who helped fund the facility, and Board Chairman Steven Herrera ’76 did the same.

Dean of Student Affairs Brian Kelly said, “This shows that we can do anything the other schools can do. There’s a sense of calmness now that makes everything move easier.”

On senior day, Riordan flirted around with destiny, beating the Irish 44-7, winning the Stanfel Cup. In front of hundreds of people, the Crusaders won their first league game since 2017.

Memories were made and the frowned faces seen for the last two years were quickly lifted into unfiltered happiness and joy.

The field of dreams is now an epic reality, and football player Gabe Martin ’20 put it best, as he was seen hollering through the locker room and onto the field chanting, “It’s finally happened!

We have a field!”

First phase of classroom remodeling begins with Math Department

By Steven Rissotto ’20

A new decade will bring new improvements to the student life at Archbishop Riordan High School, as remodeling in the math classrooms will begin during winter break.

This marks the first major venture following the field project.

The school’s maintenance team plans to do a complete overhaul of the classrooms, as they return to work from the multi-purpose facility field.

The new task will start with four classrooms in the Russi hallway and has the opportunity to carry over to more and more rooms in the near future. Director of Maintenance Brandon Ramsey and new assistant Jeff Ramirez have been hard at work getting everything situated.

Ramsey said, “The remodel

itself is to do carpets, paint, blinds, whiteboards, furniture, and storage.”

Each classroom will take approximately $30,000 to improve.

Around 100 classrooms would equal the amount of money raised for the field project.

Students may have noticed the new lights installed in some classes downstairs, which replaced the older, hanging ones. This, however, is a completely separate project.

Ramsey expects that, if it passes, every room will have certified LED lights down the road.

Mahkai Hunt ’23 said, “In the classroom, the lights are brighter, which makes it easy for me to look at my paper to do work. It’s better Photo by Michael Ortega-Portillo ’21 than the other lights, which are The remodeling of the math classrooms began with new lighting. dim.”

2 Opinion

December 2019

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Riordan Rising: Teamwork makes the dream work The Crusader Staff Editorial It’s almost unbelievable. After years of campaigning, waiting, and enormous effort, we did it.

The field was built. For the first time in more than four years, there was a football game on our campus. For the first time in what seems like forever, we have a field we can be proud of.

As the voice of Archbishop Riordan, we, the staff of The Crusader, echo these feelings of pride within our school. We believe our school is now truly entering a new era of greatness.

It seems that left and right, Riordan is developing new and exciting additions such as the

Engineering Program, Kevin Restani Court, and now, finally, the Mayer Family Field. Both the Development team and our administrators have helped to facilitate these changes, and we applaud their outstanding efforts. Largely because of these tremendous efforts, we can say with enthusiasm that we love the direction in which Riordan is heading. The school seems upbeat. Sarcastic jokes about the quality of our facilities can no longer be heard in our halls.

Every student now knows that he goes to a quality school, and he is glad to be here.

Our new field symbolizes this change. With little doubt, we can say that it is the nicest high school field in San Francisco. Its clean look, colorful surroundings, and large seating section make it the best place to see a football game in the city since Candlestick Park. With this new addition, we are confident that the attendance at our games will rise. Just look at the turnout for the last game of the season (a game in which we blew Sacred Heart Cathedral out of the water, beating them 44-7). The stands were so packed that many had to watch the game

standing on the track. We truly believe that this is a turning point for our school. We’ve waited so long for this. Years of fundraising, of advertising, of waiting, of complaining from the students.

Well, no one is complaining now.

We did it. Riordan did it. It’s nothing but blue skies and open roads from here on out. It seems as though we are unstoppable. From the freshmen just starting their time at Riordan to the seniors about to leave, we are excited to see what heights Riordan will reach next. And we are confident that they will be great.

Pope Francis to journalists on World Communications Day: “I would like, then, to invite everyone to promote a journalism of peace . . . a journalism that is truthful and opposed to falsehoods, rhetorical slogans, and sensational headlines. A journalism created by people for people, one that is at the service of all, especially those – and they are the majority in our world – who have no voice.”

Editor’s Note The original art for the masthead of this issue of The Crusader was created by The Crusader staff in the 1980s. In commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the newspaper, we are recreating some of the designs from previous decades. The new artwork was created by Miles Poon ’20.

Social Media, Online Editor Antonio Maffei ’20 Exchange Editor Cole Anderson ’22 Copy Editor Brandon Vargas ’20

175 Frida Kahlo Way San Francisco, CA 94112 RCrusaderNews.com RCrusaderNews@riordanhs.org

Editor-in-Chief Steven Rissotto ’20 Opinion Editor Michael Gray ’20 News Editors Jamar Kittling ’20 Zachary Phillips ’20 Features Editor Alexander Ruivivar ’20 Sports News Editor Cameron Bevan-Abel ’22 Sports Features Editor Aidan Murtagh ’20 Arts & Entertainment Editor Ian Martin ’20 Environment & Tech Editor David Dorantes ’21 Religion Editor Michael Conefrey ’21 Health & Science Editor Matt Balmy ’21

Photo Editors Michael Ortega-Portillo ’21 JJ Trujeque ’21 Art Director Miles Poon ’20 Staff Reporters Henry Bensurto ’20 Dominic Borrego ’20 CJ Cabanero ’21 Elijah Calip ’22 Christian Ramirez Cortes ’22 Michael Curran ’20 Sean DiNicola ’22 Sebastian Elsner ’23 Steven Elsner ’20 Logan Estrada ’22 Jonathan Godoy ’21 Mauricio Granera ’23 Massimo Hoffman ’20 Andrei Lynch ’22 Nathan Loeffler Malatesta ’23 Jordan Tyler Maralit ’21 Lizandro Munoz ’22 Christopher Murray ’22 Jordan Noeuku ’21 Levis Rodriguez ’20 Grayson Salomon ’22 Nicholas Yee ’20 Joseph Zuloaga ’23 Adviser Susan Sutton, CJE

Mission Statement for the Archbishop Riordan High School Newspaper The mission of The Crusader is to inform, educate and entertain the readers—students, teachers, parents, members of the community—about issues that affect the students as well as citizens of San Francisco and the nation.

We hope to instill a sense of understanding, responsibility, and curiosity in our readers that results in an eagerness to learn more about their peers and the world around them.

Corrections and Clarifications

The Crusader strives to maintain journalistic standards of accuracy and integrity at all times.

Please help us maintain this level of excellence by reporting anything inaccurate or unclear.

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the editors will be accepted with the same deadlines as ads. These letters may come from students, staff, parents, board members, or other members of the community. The Crusader reserves the right to edit the letter for grammatical and spelling errors, as well as length, but not content. If the facts are absolutely incorrect, The Crusader reserves the right to refuse publication of the letter.

Dear Ms. Sutton and The Crusader Staff, Congratulations on your work with The Crusader newspaper!

It is just great! You have introduced many good features and have apparently inspired a good number of students to write. I hope that you continue to do this fine work for many more years. I believe that high school years are the most productive in inspiring young students to be writers!

It was great to read about Mr. Ron Isola! A fine person and an excellent coach and teacher! A++ on The Crusader staff editorial, the pro-con writing, and the fine variety of writing subjects! Many here at Cupertino are former teachers and we often discuss the value of local papers. So, many thanks for the experience of reading a top high school newspaper! May the Lord bless and help you maintain excellence.

Sincerely, Brother Frank Spaeth, SM The Marianist Center, Cupertino

December 2019

Opinion

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

3

San Francisco should lower the voting age

Riordan Roundtable

By John McQuaid ’22

The voting age in America has been set at 18 years old since 1970, when activists managed to pass the 26th Amendment. Since then, several groups have tried to change local voting ages.

In California, a 2005 resolution made it possible for cities and counties to lower their voting age to 16 years old. Now, it is time that San Francisco made use of this resolution and lower the age required to vote in its elections.

An important argument in favor of letting younger citizens vote is the fact that 16 and 17 year olds already contribute to the political process. We can participate in grassroots activism, campaign management, and creation of political action committees.

Teenagers have already successfully run for political offices. Some cases include Derrick Seaver, 18, the only Democratic candidate for the Ohio State Legislature in 2001; Jeremy Minnier, 18, who began serving as the mayor of Aredale, Iowa in 2011; and Jeff Dunkel, 18, who served for over a decade as Mayor of Mount Carbon, Pennsylvania.

Most supporters of a lower voting age also point out that restricting voting ability based on experience or intelligence is

not fully democratic. Regardless, the federal government clearly already sees 16 year olds as responsible people. After all, that is when a person can obtain his driver’s license. It seems ridiculous that while we are allowed to drive two ton metal boxes around at high speed, we are not allowed to have a voice in our government.

If we are entrusted with the safety of ourselves and everyone on the road, why can we not be trusted with the responsibility of voting? If starting earlier makes us more likely to stay politically active as we make voting a habit, why should we not be allowed to start that good habit?

There is little reason why San Francisco should not at least experiment with lowering its voting age to 16 or 17 years old.

Spartan Spear

By Christina Marie Green ’20 Student activism in the wake of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida has brought new life to the debate of letting younger people vote. Although many view this as unwise, the idea is intended to create lifelong voters and help counter a national epidemic of voter disengagement.

Unfortunately, when it comes to electing lawmakers whose decisions about gun control and other issues affect their lives, high schoolers lack any real power.

This needs to change. The federal voting age in the United States should be lowered from 18 to 16.

First, 16-year-olds are just as knowledgeable about politics as older voters. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science found “On measures of civic knowledge, political skills, political efficacy, and tolerance, 16-year-olds, on average, are obtaining scores similar to those of adults…

Adolescents in this age range are developmentally ready to vote.”

In addition, psychologists believe that 16-year-olds have “cold cognition” skills: those used to make informed, well-thought-out choices needed to vote.

Second, lowering the voting

age will increase voter turnout and develop lifelong voting habits.

The U.S. has one of the lowest voter turnout rates. A person who votes in one election has a 13 percent greater probability of voting in a future election, and this can have a “trickle-up” effect on adults, increasing the overall voter turnout rate.

Lastly, at the age of 16, people should have a voice in the laws that affect their lives and the future. Students live under threats such as school shootings and climate change, and they deserve to have influence over their elected officials.

This proposal was rejuvenated because of the anger that those most affected by school shootings have no say in how these atrocities are best prevented. Congress should give young people a voice to make this happen.

Should college athletes get paid?

Cameron’s Counterpoint

By Cameron Bevan-Abel ’22 The NCAA voted on Oct. 29

to allow college athletes to earn a profit from their own name, image, and likeness and have the same opportunities to earn money as other students. The board will try to implement new rules by January 2021.

“I believe that you should have, during the entirety of time that you are on this Earth in this country, the opportunity to capitalize financially off of your name and likeness,” Athletic Director Bob Greene said. “I believe that you own it, it’s yours. That doesn’t change whether or not you are the quarterback at the University of Florida or quarterback for the Carolina Panthers or for that matter, a quarterback at Riordan High School.”

It is simply not fair that college student media personalities can earn money but college athletes cannot. Both are popularized for their skills and talents but those who are athletes are not allowed to earn money.

This issue came into stifling effect when a Heisman hopeful Ohio State pass rusher and likely first overall pick in the 2020 NFL

Pro

Draft got suspended a couple games for accepting a loan to pay for his girlfriend’s plane ticket to Pasadena to see him play in the Rose Bowl against Washington back on New Year’s Day 2019.

“The scales aren’t balanced anyways and when they’re selling number 15 jerseys at a bookstore at Florida when he’s a student there and they are selling like hot cakes ‘cause everybody knows that that’s Tim Tebow’s jersey, that’s pretty weak that he’s not getting any of the money...You have control of your likeness and name,” Greene stated.

Very few college athletes get into the NFL or any other professional football league.

Though not many have the opportunity to make a lot of money in college based on their image alone, some electrifying athletes just don’t have the tools or skill sets that can make it to the next level whether it is their height, size, work ethic or knowledge of the game. Those athletes would have the potential to make money from their play and supporting fan bases.

Michael’s Mandate

By Michael Gray ’20 Everyone wants to seem like a good person. That’s why many have jumped on the “I hate the NCAA” bandwagon, putting pressure on the organization to expand rules allowing athletes to receive compensation. And although it may at first seem logical that athletes used to make money should receive compensation, the reality of the situation is more complex.

First of all, most college athletes are already receiving a form of compensation in the form of free education. With the cost of post-secondary education rising to more than $70,000 per year for some schools, being able to go there for free equates to a sizable paycheck. Most college athletes are offered athletic scholarships, thus making sure that they receive some form of compensation for their efforts.

In addition, if schools were allowed to pay athletes, then the schools with the largest endowments would dominate the world of college athletics. These big-name schools would easily be able to pouch the best athletes in the nation from any other

Con

university, motivating athletes by money instead of the quality of their education. Not only would this lead to the domination of all athletics by a smaller handful of universities than currently do, but it would twist the purpose of a college into an athletic center rather than a place of learning as their focus slowly shifts to being able to pay athletes more than scholars.

Lastly, college athletes are amateurs, no matter how good of a shot they have at a future professional career. They play for the exposure to make money in the future, even if they do not receive it in college. Just like a normal student takes college courses to increase his future career prospects, a college athlete practices their chosen sport in order to one day get into a professional league.

While it may seem as though supporting the payment of college athletes is the “right thing to do,” college athletes already get paid and any extra ability to receive payment from universities would destroy colleges and the competition of college athletics.

4 Campus News

December 2019

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

New year brings new rules for uniforms

By Jordan Noeuku ’21

Every change has its purpose, and every change has an impact, as was the case with the Riordan’s uniform pants policy, which has witnessed two modifications in less than a year.

The start of school year 20192020 saw a rollback of the previous year’s pants policy. With a new year, comes new uniform rules.

According to Brian Kelly, the Dean of Student Affairs, students are now allowed to wear any khaki pants, no matter the brand or shade.

Kelly said, “There was a set of pants [A Plus] that you had to order and that was a challenge for numerous levels, but for the kids that I saw, it was just one type of pants that maybe did not fit well or it didn’t give you a lot of variety” “I think it’s better than just to have the A Plus pants because it was expensive. At least we can wear shorts as a bonus,” said Mathew Manzi ’22.

Stephen Koon ’20 said, “I think the new policy about pants is good because old khakis were uncomfortable and it was hard to find an appropriate size to buy.

The old khakis were so baggy, the material was also very expensive.

So if you get to wear your own khakis at school, it’s a good thing because some students like to wear elastic pants and not solid pants.”

Alec Douglas ’21 said, “I like it because it gives more freedom and it doesn’t feel constricted.

When I was a freshman, I was like 5 feet tall and the pants were ridiculously huge on me.”

He continued, “I think that if you get any pants, as long as they fit and look good, I like it.”

Counselor Vanessa Martinez agreed, saying, “I do like that they are able to just buy whatever they want, just as long as they look nice.”

Kelly confirmed this, saying, “I think a lot of the change was to give a little more freedom, but

also put some perimeters to keep the concept of what a dress code is.”

Martinez said, “The khaki pants are a part of the uniform, and I don’t understand exactly why people complain about it all the time because that is what they are supposed to wear.”

She added, “I would like that there should be some sort of policy about pants because there are like 50 shades of khaki all the time and it’s very obvious when people aren’t wearing the right pants.”

Kelly said, “The policy is going to stay for awhile. It is just a guideline to what to purchase.”

In terms of the polo, however, in January, students will have to wear a polo shirt with a Riordan logo, purchased from the online PrepShop.

“I feel good about that,” said Leo Maranghi ’21. “I would be understanding about it if they changed it back to the regular polo, but at the same time, I

Photo by Jordan Noeuku ’21 Students can now wear any shade of khaki pants to school. would be sad because I’m already used to wearing whatever has the R on it.”

He also added, “A lot of the times, polos can be uncomfortable to wear in class all day, but I like representing the R. I like how the R looks.”

Final Exam Schedule Monday, Dec. 16 Final Exam 4A: 7:50am - 9:45am Break: 9:35am - 10:10am Final Exam 4B: 10:15am -12:00pm Tuesday, Dec. 17 Final Exam 3A: 7:50am - 9:45am Break: 9:35am - 10:10am Final Exam 3B: 10:15am -12:00pm Wednesday, Dec. 18 Final Exam 2A: 7:50am - 9:45am Break: 9:35am - 10:10am Final Exam 2B: 10:15am -12:00pm Thursday, Dec. 19 Final Exam 1A: 7:50am - 9:45am Break: 9:35am - 10:10am Final Exam 1B: 10:15am -12:00pm Friday, Dec. 20 Make-Up Final Exams

December 2019

Campus News

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

5

PowerSchool makes power move with acquisition of Schoology

By Alexander Ruivivar ’20

On Oct. 24, PowerSchool, a leading provider of K-12 education technology solutions, announced that it acquired Schoology, a leading K-12 learning management system.

PowerSchool currently supports 45 million students with its technology solutions, including student information systems, assessment and analytics, special education, finance, HR, and talent management tools.

Schoology supports more than 20 million users through its learning management system, including integrations with Google and Microsoft. Combined, this will allow all users to access a classroom that will merge with any student information system they currently use.

Dean of Academics Michael O’Brien said, “Schoology is the most used LMS learning management system in the US, and PowerSchool is the most used

Photo by Alex Ruivivar ’20 Dean of Academics Michael O’Brien logs on to PowerSchool. information platform in the US. It made logical sense for PowerSchool to acquire Schoology.”

Schoology users and partners will benefit from additional investments, including the

continued incorporation of Google and Microsoft. Current PowerSchool users will benefit from Schoology’s learning management system, providing a unified experience with its SIS,

assessment, special education, and professional development.

PowerSchool’s acquisition is a protraction of its commitment to provide educators, students, and parents with software solutions that save time, create efficiencies, and eliminate silos across all aspects of K-12 education.

“As the months go on, it will get easier and easier. Eventually, it will be seamless and very easy.

Right now, they are transitioning.

While they are transitioning, we have to expect that things are going to happen at an evolutionary pace,” O’Brien said.

There could be challenges.

O’Brien said, “The challenge for PowerSchool is that they are going to be all in one interface. Right now, they have another product called PowerSchool Unified Classroom. That’s a different product in terms of grade book. So, it will be a challenge taking those two things and moving them into Unified Classroom.”

College counseling SCOIRs with new platform

By Jamar Kittling ’20

This year, Archbishop Riordan implemented a new system to assist students in the college application process. Replacing Naviance, SCOIR hopes to provide a more helpful platform for managing college applications.

SCOIR is a research platform, search engine, and application that is meant to standardize college information and applications.

Through this college application, students and counselors can perform many basic actions like manage applications and send transcripts and recommendations to the CommonApp. The previous program, Naviance, is connected directly to the CommonApp, unlike SCOIR. However, College Counselor Melissa Nagar stated that the transition was primarily because of the user interface. “Primarily, it was the look and feel of it,” she said.

This is hoped to be rectified through SCOIR’s simplistic and standard layout. “We hope that [SCOIR] is easier for the students to navigate.”

The sleek design of SCOIR also transfers to the iOS application.

Through the application, students can conveniently sign up for available college meetings and monitor tasks for college applications.

Along with this, SCOIR has new functionalities such as pulling information from college websites and social media to make it easily accessible to students.

“It actually shows you posts from Instagram, Facebook” according to Nagar. “What SCOIR aims to do is provide an interface that is

streamlined so students know where to find things for each college.”

However, with the introduction of this new software, there were some challenges. There was an unforeseen issue early on that came with the ease of signing up for college meetings.

“Some students were taking advantage of the system by signing up for all the college visits and missing too much class,” Nagar reported.

Because of this, limits have been set on the total amount of college visits students can attend: a maximum of three for juniors and five for seniors.

Nagar describes the struggle of adapting to a brand new system.

“There’s a bit of a learning curve for both the counselors and the students ‘cause it’s new to us and it’s also new to the students.”

She also has to get students to sign up and activate their accounts for SCOIR, since it is not automatic like Naviance was.

“The hope is that more students are on it by the time junior year rolls around,” Nagar said.

Michael Vezzali-Pascual ’88, Senior Composition and Literature teacher, expressed his satisfaction with SCOIR. “I think it’s a great help for teacher recommendations, especially for somebody like me ‘cause I usually teach all seniors.”

He believes that the new layout is fresh and more functional compared to Naviance: “I think it’s a lot easier than Naviance to use.”

Overall, Vezzali believes that SCOIR shines because of its simplicity: “It’s a busy time for you guys and it’s also a busy time

Photo by Michael Ortega-Portillo ’21 Students use SCOIR instead of Naviance for college applications. for recommending teachers, and so they made it really simple, which is exactly what I need. The simpler the better.”

Many seniors say that they enjoy the functionality and design of the new software, but do not view the program as extraordinary.

Miles Poon ’20, said, “SCOIR isn’t necessarily super exceptional; it does its job well. ...I just want something that isn’t difficult to use.”

Emilio Gorog ’20 said he enjoys the convenience and sleek design.

“It’s a one-stop-shop to schedule college visits and organize my college applications.”

SCOIR is primarily in the testing phase this year. The administration plans to utilize all of the options of the website to see its functionality. Overall, SCOIR is hoped to assist students and teachers alike with the college application process.

6 Campus News

December 2019

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

More new staff added to Riordan family

By Jonathan Godoy ’21

Sabrina Andreatta recently joined the World Languages Department as a teacher’s assistant. Andreatta graduated from USF in 2018 and studied environmental science and American Sign Language. Andreatta is passionate about deaf culture and wanted a more prominent role in teaching others about it. She also helped a non-profit called Cuesa, which helps teach people about their environment and nutrition.

Eris He is the newest addition to the Engineering Program. She comes straight out of Georgia Tech. She enjoys playing violin, writing, and creating art whenever she has time. She advises, “Have faith in yourself and your abilities and always keep moving forward.”

Matt Fochtman comes from the San Mateo Office of Education to join Riordan. Fotchman previously worked as a substitute teacher and paraeducator.

He now helps Admissions Director Danny Curtain with enrollment and monitors the financial aspect of the school. Fochtman previously coached basketball at Riordan but then went on to coach at Skyline College. Fochtman said, “The strength in brotherhood is awesome and the community really embraces one other.”

Scott Kidd is a member of the Engineering Program, having previously attending Brown University. He worked at Google for a couple of years and helped with an after school coding program. Kidd then made his way to Riordan to begin running the Engineering Program. He teaches coding classes, and moderates the Dungeons and Dragons club that meets every Wednesday after school in 208.

Father Goran Jovicic is new to the Campus Ministry team. Fr. Goran joined the priesthood and helped at the Hungarian Catholic Mission and at Woodside Priory School before coming to Riordan. Fr. Goran helps with the spiritual needs of students and faculty, Mass and communion, and spiritual retreats. Father Goran said, “I’m excited to see the school. I think there is a lot of potential here and hope that someone will consider priestly vocation or a role in religious life.”

Pei-Ling Lee is a new addition to Riordan High School’s Development Team and the residency staff. Before she joined the ARHS community, she went to Boston College, where she recently graduated. She is proficient in many aspects of media and helps the Development Department as a media contract specialist. She also enjoys doing yoga and is fluent in Mandarin.

CORE team collects canned food, surpasses goal

By Brandon Vargas ’20

On a cold, rainy afternoon just days before Thanksgiving, Riordan’s CORE Service Team loaded a van with 1,057 canned foods.

Representatives of the group headed to St. Vincent De Paul’s Pantry at St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church in Potrero Hill, where they delivered the food generously donated by the Riordan community.

The Food Drive takes place in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, and students and staff are encouraged to bring in such items as jerky, ramen/ noodles, beans, and other nonperishable canned foods.

With the second half of the first semester being so busy for students, the CORE Team initially had some trouble getting the drive up and running.

“We have had a lot of setbacks,” said Daniel Reburiano ’21. “A lot of us have a lot of commitments.”

The CORE Team aimed to reach a high goal when first discussing the drive. “We think

it’s going to hit the same numbers [as last year],” said CORE Team co-moderator Julia StrickerBalistreri. They projected to receive around 1,000 cans, a goal surpassing the previous year’s collection of 888 items.

Furthermore, StrickerBalistreri admits that the drive was initially difficult to organize: “They changed how Campus Ministry is set up… Figuring out how to centralize the drive has been difficult.” As a result of the initial confusion in the first week of the drive, it looked as if the CORE Team would not reach their goal of 1,000 cans.

Toward the end of the drive, however, Campus Ministry started to become filled with non-perishable food. The Food Drive suddenly became more momentous for the CORE Team.

On the final day of the drive, the CORE Team gathered together in Campus Ministry to count and organize the food. Members were split up into four groups, one for each house, to count the food.

The House of Cana came in

first place with 420 items, Bolts in second with 344, Pilar in third with 209, and Russi in last with 84 goods. Counting proved to be not much of a hassle, and everyone was proud of the work they did to amass 1,057 food items.

For any given drive to be successful, CORE members must fully participate in the preparation and execution of the drive. Jordan Maralit ’21 said

that success of a drive is dependent on “Everyone trying to do their part” and “Getting the word out and showing support for the drive.”

Maralit, one of the leaders of the drive itself, admitted that it could be challenging to lead a drive. “I have to stay on task and focused on the main goal,” he stated. “That’s what we should all do as leaders.”

December 2019

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Campus News 7

Victory Bell still rings, 60 years later

By Levis Rodriguez ’20

Victories are always seen as a step forward for Archbishop Riordan as a whole. Whenever any sports team wins an event such as the football or basketball team, the Victory Bell is always rung.

“The Victory bell to me symbolizes tradition, it’s just, that’s what we do here. There’s nothing better than hearing that bell after a good game,” said Ryan Jones ’07.

The school’s greatest moments and achievements are recognized with a ringing of the bell, located outside of Room 105. Looking at the Victory Bell, one can see a special typed note explains the history of the bell, which came from a World War II Ship, which took part in the Battle of the Coral Sea on May 8, 1942.

It all started when Ron Modeste, Mark Modeste’s father, began coaching right after graduating from Santa Clara University in 1955. As he began his career as a coach at Archbishop Riordan in 1959, he saw the kids playing football at the time were “lacking firepower,” Coach Modeste said.

So, he decided to attain

something special so the students can get excited about football.

“The bell was originally supposed to be only for football, but Brother Maurice rang the bell for everything.”

His first thought was to get a bell that would ring whenever the football team won a game. He then got in touch with the Principal, Brother Maurice Miller, a.k.a “The Shark,” and told him the school needed a bell that would get the students excited about the game of football. Ron Modeste said, “Then, a week later he got the bell. I have no idea from where or how he got it, but he got it.”

The way Brother Maurice received the bell might always remain a mystery, but the history behind the bell is historically true. Taking a closer look at the bell, there is a phrase engraved on it “No atheists in fox holes.”

The bell remains as one of Archbishop Riordan’s greatest historical momentos in relation to the school’s pride and spirit.

Many of Riordan’s athletes see the significance of the bell and say it means so much to them.

Photo by Levis Rodriguez ’20 The sound of the Victory Bell echoes through the hallways after a Crusader victory in athletics or extra-curricular activity.

“It is a special feeling because the bell notifies the school of your accomplishments,” said Zachary Charlton ’20.

Maria Bastianon, Assistant to the Principal, is in charge of ringing the bell whenever

Archbishop Riordan hits another milestone.

She said, “We are trying to commemorate each and every win as a school, not just the sports teams. We want to include theater and band.”

Alumnus donates artwork for prayerful purpose

By Steven Rissotto ’20

The chapel at Archbishop Riordan High School has always been a creative and holy space for students to display their faith.

Recently, the area received a new gift that acts as a key reminder that prayer is available at any time.

Paul Osborne ’55 and Chuck Murillo ’55 lit up the hallway in front of the chapel with their enthusiasm as they teamed up to donate a plaster relief of Mary.

It will be placed outside the holy space, matching the exact color scheme of its new neighbor, a small Mary statue.

Murillo, who graduated nearly 65 years ago, purchased the Italian-made art in 1978. Just over 41 years later, he and his lifelong friend Osborne decided to present Riordan with the work of art.

“Prayer is essential and we can learn about yourself and others,” Murillo said. “Everyone should go on retreats. Cops, priests, students, everyone. We need more self-reflection.”

The two men, both in their early 80s, examined the area outside the chapel, self-reflecting on their beloved former school.

They were met by President Dr. Andrew Currier, Fr. Goran

Chuck Murillo ’55 donated a piece of artwork to Riordan, which President Andrew Currier graciously accepted. Paul Osborne ’55 accompanied his classmate to their alma mater for the event.

The socializing was a reminder Jovicic, and Development that the spiritual connection to Associate Kirsten Murtagh. Riordan rarely goes away between Currier, his eyes widening, was brothers.

As a matter of fact, the veteran amazed by the glowing beauty Crusaders are expected to turn to the art piece possessed.

After a discussion on a couple the current Crusader engineering of possible locations for the department to create a plaque to artwork, the conversation turned commemorate the donation.

Murillo and Osborne’s call for to mutual connections and more retreats is right up the alley catching up on the glory days.

Photo by Steven Rissotto ’20

of Riordan’s current system. As of now, there are retreats for all grade levels at the school that focus on spiritual prayer.

Murillo is making a difference in the community with his donation. “I’m hoping students walk by every once in a while and use it as a reminder, ‘Hey, I should pray today’.”

8 Local News

December 2019

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Diego Rivera mural makes a move from CCSF

By Andrei Lynch ’22

The Diego Rivera mural, named Pan American Unity, will be moving to its temporary home at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art for a Diego Rivera exhibit in 2020.

The mural will be moved piece by piece, placed on a truck, and transported across the city to eventually be displayed as the centerpiece of the exhibit.

The Pan American Unity Mural was created in the 1940s

by Diego Rivera at Treasure Island. Rivera painted this mural because he believed, according to published reports at the time, “My mural will picture the fusion between the great past of the Latin American lands, as it is deeply rooted in the soil, and the high mechanical developments of the United States.”

The mural is the largest mural that Rivera painted, standing at 22 feet high and 74 feet wide.

The Pan American Unity Mural is laid upon panels that allow for individual panels to be moved and relocated. Every panel tells a different story.

Spanish teacher Debra Jensen takes her class every year to see the exhibit and according to her, “In the first panel is Nezahualcóyotl, an Aztec king and Renaissance man, who shares his flying machine. As we move over the next four panels it features leaders, artisans, and artists spanning more than 500 years.”

The mural was created by using the fresco method, which was used by artists in the Renaissance.

This method involves applying pigment onto a thin layer of wet plaster.

Many people who admire Diego Rivera visit the mural to seek inspiration.

Jensen said, “Seeing a painting live is such a vibrant experience.

Also, the mural tells so many stories and enables viewers to interact with the rich history Rivera shares.”

The mural will move to the Museum of Modern Art next year, but will come back to City College after the exhibit on Diego Rivera.

Those who are fans of Diego Rivera will be able to see this

Photo by Jamar Kittling ’20 Diego Rivera’s mural is moving from CCSF to SF MOMA. mural from the crosswalk as it will be the first piece of artwork people will see.

Miles Poon ’20, President of the Riordan Art Club, said, “Honestly,

I think artwork is meant to be appreciated and viewed by anyone, so wherever it gets the most viewed is where it should go.”

Grand opening for new store sees Supreme turnout

By Grayson Salomon ’22

After many months of rumors, the extremely popular skating brand, Supreme New York, has finally opened its highly anticipated store in Downtown San Francisco at 1015 Market Street in the Financial District.

“It’s really cool and exciting to see a Supreme store in San Francisco, which is a benefit for everyone,” said student Gian Ramirez ’22.

Supreme New York had been open on Lafayette Street in SoHo, New York City since 1994, but just recently closed its 25-year old store to relocate to Bowery Street in The Bowery. Supreme has stores around the globe as well, in places such as London, Paris, and even Osaka, Japan. The rumor of the store opening has been going around since late 2018, but was confirmed in July of 2019.

The store opened its doors on Oct. 24, 2019, and the streets were packed with people. People were lining up the night before, even though customers were required to sign up online to even enter the store. Supreme releases new clothing every Thursday on their website and in stores, but in order to enter the store, customers must sign up prior to Tuesday to get a designated time slot for Thursday.

Photo by Grayson Saloman ’22 The new Supreme store on Market Street is already a hit, attracting crowds of shoppers every day.

After that, they can enter the store at any time any other day from 11-7 or 12-6 on Sundays. Yet, it can still take up to two hours to enter with lines stretching down Market.

Besides the hype, Supreme released an exclusive “San Francisco Box Logo” t-shirt to go with the grand opening, which attracted even more people to the

store. The retail price of the shirt was set at $54. After it sold out, resellers started selling them at $500. A reseller is someone who resells clothing or shoes to consumers that didn’t get the item of desire to make a profit.

Students have also been going to the store. But why do students like this brand so much?

“I like the hype around it and I connect with the people,” said James Sanchez ’22.

“To be honest, the drive or demand of it makes me like Supreme,” said Justin Samaniego ’22.

Is waiting in a long line even worth it for a T-shirt or a hoodie?

“Depends. If you know what you’re buying already, then yes.

If not, then it’s not because you may not find something of your liking because Supreme’s type of fashion is more a street look or skater look. If that’s not your type of fashion, I wouldn’t even be looking at Supreme in the first place,” Samaniego said.

For now, students will definitely be returning to see what’s new at Supreme.

Ramirez said, “I think I will go pretty often to get bags and clothes for my collection.”

December 2019

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

National News

9

PACT Act makes animal cruelty felony offense

By Sean DiNicola ’22

A new bill was passed in October 2019 called the PACT Act that makes animal cruelty a felony offense and those convicted would face fines and up to seven years in prison.

Although the legislation bans violently exploiting animals, it contains an exception for the meat industry, scientific research, and any form of hunting.

Javier Sanchez ’22 said, “If someone severely harmed my pet, I would expect that they pay the funds to support the damages.

If someone killed my pet, then maybe two years in jail. I think seven years is excessive.”

This legislation would go further than the 2010 law that made it illegal to create or sell animal torture videos. The 2010 ban acknowledged the videos posted online that showcased animals being mistreated or killed for a twisted sense of entertainment.

Robert Harutunyan ’22 said, “I think animal abuse videos are disgusting. It is a good thing they banned them because I remember hearing about it and felt so sad for the animals.”

The bipartisan bill, sponsored

by Senator Pat Toomey and Senator Richard Blumenthal, was signed by President Trump and became a law.

According to the Animal Legal Defense Fund, many laws protecting animals are at the state level and now abusers can potentially be punished at the federal level.

Most people would agree that animals can be important members of the family and should not be mistreated in any way, but protected.

Senator Blumenthal stated on Twitter, “There is no place in a civilized society for maiming and torturing animals. Period.”

The Crusader Staff These feral kittens were humanely trapped and taken to be spayed or neutered. They will then be fostered by a volunteer and adopted to a loving family. The newly signed PACT Act makes animal abuse a felony. One way to prevent abuse is to reduce the feral cat population.

Nation says goodbye to noted Civil Rights leaders Conyers, Cummings

By Alexander Ruivivar ’20

Elijah Cummings, a Democratic congressman from Maryland who gained national attention for his principled stands on politically charged issues in the House, his calming effect on anti-police riots in Baltimore, and his opposition to the presidency of Donald Trump, died Oct 17. He was 68.

English teacher Michael Vezzali-Pascual ’88 said, “I think he was an important voice in this country, especially in this current political climate. When the city of Baltimore was attacked by the President of the United States, he vociferously defended the city and the people.”

The cause was “complications concerning long-standing health challenges,” his office said in a statement. He was chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee and a leading figure in the Trump impeachment inquiry.

Cummings was born into a family of sharecroppers and Baptist preachers and grew up in a racially segregated Baltimore during the 50s and 60s. When he was 11 years old, he helped integrate a local swimming pool, but was attacked with bottles and rocks. The fictional defense lawyer “Perry Mason” inspired him to enter the legal profession.

In the Maryland House of Delegates, he became the youngest chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus and the first African American to serve as speaker pro term.

In 1996, he won the seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Cummings eventually served as chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus and the House Oversight and Reform Committee.

Wikimedia Commons

Wikimedia Commons

John Conyers Jr. May 16, 1929 – October 27, 2019

Elijah Cummings January 18, 1951 – October 17, 2019

Vezzali-Pascual said, “Elijah Cummings did a lot in his career for a lot of people, especially the people of Baltimore. He was very involved in his civil rights movement and a very influential leader in Congress.

He drew national attention as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s chief defender during 2015 congressional hearings into her handling of the attack on U.S. government facilities in Benghazi, Libya.

Elijah Cumming’s legacy lives on with his supporters, including his wife.

Vezzali-Pascual said, “I know his wife is interested in running for his seat. I think they have to continue to come together and to look for leaders like that.”

Another influential African American politician just died.

John Conyers Jr. died at the age of 90 on Oct. 27, 2019. He represented the state of Michigan in Congress for five decades.

Vezzali added, “I think he was unique because he lived through a lot of different eras. He was a member of the army in the Korean War. He was also very involved in the Civil Rights Movement and involved in legislation to make Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday a national holiday, but also fighting for the people of Western Detroit. So I think he was very influential.”

Conyers was the longestserving African American lawmaker in congressional history, a co-founder of the Congressional Black Caucus, and a fierce champion for civil rights.

However, he left his office at the age of 88 amid allegations of

sexual harassment.

Conyers was first elected to office in 1964. Among his main efforts in Congress was his battle for civil rights for African Americans.

In 1989, he introduced a bill that called for a “congressional study of slavery and its lingering effects as well as recommendations ‘for appropriate remedies’.”

He was also one of the leading initiatives to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a federal holiday. Four days after King was assassinated, Conyers introduced a bill to establish the holiday in his honor.

His time in office earned him the title “dean of the House of Representatives,” but in 2017, he resigned amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

Conyers was born in Detroit in 1929 and attended Detroit public schools before attending Wayne State University and Law School. He served in the Michigan National Guard and then the US Army from 1950 to 1954. He then worked in the office of Congressman John Dingell and then as a general counselor to labor unions before running for office himself.

Conyers is survived by his wife, brother, and two sons, and many feel that he should be honored.

Vezzali said, “I think the best thing that people could do to honor him would be to mention him and certainly the people that are representing their districts.

Put their names and places of honor around the US Capitol and in their home districts.”

Both Elijah Cummings and John Conyers Jr. were instrumental in the Civil Rights Movement, and they will be missed.

10 Arts & Entertainment

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

December 2019

‘Joker’ illustrates mental health is no joke

By Matt Balmy ’21

I liked “Joker.” It was cool and weird at the same time seeing Arthur Fleck’s (Joker’s) view and how he become that well known villain he is today. The movie itself is dark, with dark settings, darker moments, and the theme is a mix between darkness and sorrow.

The movie starts off with a character named Arthur Fleck, who would later become known as “Joker” after later events in the movie. It shows how Arthur has a sad and different life compared to others. He has to take care of his mother and is also mentally ill. His mental illness makes him laugh hysterically and uncontrollably for a few moments at a time, even if something is not funny.

As the movie continues, Arthur finds out that his whole life could be a lie. He has occasional dreams that appear to be reality, but soon after the dream is over, it shows the opposite of what happened, which is the reality.

The climax of the movie happens when Arthur is brought onto the Murray Franklin show, a talk show hosted by Murray Franklin, Arthur’s childhood hero. This is where Arthur gets his nickname

Joker, the name by which Franklin introduced him before he came to the set.

As the audience gets deeper and deeper into the movie, they start to see how his army of clowns slowly builds up, but after the talk show, everything surfaces and Gotham goes into chaos. The movie gives a different view on how the Joker became the well known movie and comic book icon and Batman’s nemesis.

“Joker” can also be looked at as a mental health awareness film.

The movie itself has violence, but it does not provoke violence in any way. The movie shows how someone with a mental illness views the world differently than people who see it as “normal.”

“Joker” has moments where he is beaten because he cannot control his condition, and this builds up his depression.

The film forced me to think about what it is like to have a different view on society, other than the general population, who do not have a mental illness. It was overall an excellent movie and sends a message that people should be kind and think about what others have to go through on a day to day basis.

In regards to whether the

Wikimedia Commons ‘Joker’ delves into the mental illness of Batman’s greatest nemesis. movie provoked violence, Social Science Department Chair and movie fan Chris Fern said, “I think the film ‘Joker’ provokes

thought. I don’t think that movies make people go and act out violence, and I don’t think video games make people go and act out violence.”

MAD Magazine folds after nearly 70 years of satirical content

By Michael Curran ’20

The old, satirical magazine known as MAD has come to a close. MAD, focusing on political satire and other media, has lost the interest of many, as most people have never even heard of the magazine and it shows in the declining subscriptions.

“It’s been so long I forgot the name of the character,” history teacher Jeff Isola ’98 said.

The magazine made its first appearance in 1952 and will end after the 10th issue. However, they will republish older issues until their contracts with their subscribers are over. The magazine does plan to publish end-of-the-year specials and maybe other feature type content.

The magazine once had two million subscribers, but now hangs around 100-200 thousand and declining.

“I think one of the main things is when they changed the company and became a convoluted and subpar mix of Nickelodeon style humor,” said long-time subscriber Michael O’Brien, Dean of Academics. He added, “I was drawn in by the art, humor, and the political edge the magazine offered.”

MADmagazine.com After seven decades, MAD Magazine will no longer print new issues.

A notable segment of the magazine was Spy vs Spy, a short comic strip that started in 1961. The comics were about two spies and sometimes there was a third. The two spies would try to outsmart each other until one came out on top and would make a “V” with their fingers for victory.

The comics focused on the Cold War and how absurd it was.

“I have not read it in 10 years,” said economics teacher David Elu, but “I enjoyed the parody.”

Isola added, “It was a meme before memes were a thing.”

Some younger generations know about MAD from the TV

show Cartoon Network had from 2010 to 2013. The show was met with mediocre reviews, receiving a 5.7/10 from IMDb and a 5.6/10 on TV.com.

The first editor was Harvey Kurtzman who wrote the first issue and helped illustrate it, along with Wally Wood, Will Elder, Jack Davis, and John Severin. MAD started as a comic book for its first 23 issues and later became a magazine in 1955, so Kurtzmann could be the editor for one more year.

When Kurtzmann left in 1956, Al Feldstein took up the mantle of editor and he added Don Martin, Frank Jacobs, Mort Drucker, and later Antonio Prohías, Dave Berg, and Sergio Aragonés to the MAD team. Feldstein lead MAD into its glory days where the magazine peaked in 1974.

“The artists and writers such as Jack Davis, Sergio Aragonés, and Don Martin inspired and entertained me for the past 40 years,” O’Brien said that he will continue to read MAD Magazine for the rest of his years.

December 2019

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Arts & Entertainment

11

Riordan drama showcases ‘Perfect’ performance

By Andrei Lynch ’22

In Black Box seating on the stage of the Lindland Theater, 90 audience members watched Riordan’s fall play, “Perfect Storm,” a crowd pleaser, as all six performances were sold out.

The production was comprised of student-directed, one-act performances that included “Sure Thing” directed by Jonathan Torrea ’21, “Line” directed by Eva Moody ICA Cristo Rey ’20, “15 Minute Hamlet” directed by Kaylee Yiakis ’20 and “Perfect Storm Improv” directed by Daniel Chan-Artiga ’21. The student directors began working on their acts in the summer.

“Sure Thing” featured characters were Betty and Bill, whose conversation is reset by a ringing bell, which means they have to say a different line. The actors, Jeremy Sherron and Lissete Trindid ’20, reset every time Bell Ringer Karenina Garlitos ’22 gave the signal. I surely enjoyed “Sure Thing” because it was extremely funny and the actors seemed to enjoy the company of each other.

JT said, “I have never had any sort of directing experience before and it sometimes got overwhelming, but I was lucky that I had Ms. O’Riordan and the other directors to rely on when I

Photo by Valerie O’Riordan The fall play, “Perfect Storm,” was directed by students. needed guiding.”

“Line,” directed by Moody, is about five people, which includes Fleming played by Alec Douglas ’21, Stephen by Isaiah Clark ’21, Molly by Annika Ponciano ‘21, Arnall by Henry Bensurto ’20, Donna by Bella Mason ’21, all waiting in line for an event that is never made clear. Each character finds a way to be first in line.

“Line” hit all the right notes.

Moody said of directing, “It was challenging, exciting, nerveracking and worth every second.’’

Next, “15 Minute Hamlet,” was short because it condensed “Hamlet” into 15 minutes, 10 minutes, 5 minutes, 1 minute, and finally 5 seconds long. All the actors in this Shakespearian play were amazing, no matter how condensed it was and the audience enjoyed it immensely as

evidenced by the laughter.

“Fifteen Minute Hamlet” made a tragedy into a hilarious comedy.

Yiakis said of directing, it was “both challenging and fun.”

The final performance, “Perfect Storm,” included every member of the cast in a series of short improvised scenes that include the use of props and audience participation in choosing the scene. In a scene that required choice, an assortment of interesting props included a toy rifle, a camera, a toy sword, and other interesting items.

“Perfect Storm Improv” was outstanding and interesting to watch how the actors worked with the audience’s suggestions.

It certainly lived up to its claim, as it was described as, “No one knows what is going to happen, not even me.”

No production would be complete without the stage crew, under the leadership of Amanda Neubarth. The props, which included the wall in “Line” and the rails that were on the risers that made it so audience members didn’t fall off them.

Drama Producer Valerie O’Riordan and her talented actors and stage crew will be back in the spring for the production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

Pokémon Sword, Shield cut cast in half

By Ian Martin ’20

Pokémon is the bestselling video game franchise and the highest-grossing media franchise of all time.

Pokémon has a huge market for collectibles, plush toys, and what they are most known for, main series Pokémon games.

The newest games in the main series, Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, were both highly anticipated games since their reveal trailer back in February 2019. Everything was looking great for Pokémon fans with a new main series game on the horizon, but nothing prepared the viewers of Nintendo’s E3 presentation for the new news about the game’s development.

E3 is the biggest video game conference of the year held annually in LA during June.

The purpose is to advertise video games that are in development. At Nintendo’s Pokémon presentation, Junichi Masuda, President of the Pokémon Company revealed that not all Pokémon would make it into the game.

Over the years, more and more Pokémon have been created, bringing the total

pokemon.com The newest installments of the Pokémon games have made many changes that have angered long-time fans. to 802 Pokémon. Pokémon Sword of games that were released. The and Shield only feature a total of Pokémon company’s excuse was 400 Pokémon because Masuda that it had to be done to achieve stated that he wanted to be more higher animation quality yet expressive with the animations most of the animations in Sword of each individual Pokémon. Not and Shield have been taken even the original 151 Pokémon from previous games, making no fully survived. progress in their quality.

Certain animations for major “That’s a stupid move because characters are stripped directly the original Pokémon are the most unique,” said Chemistry teacher from the code of the most previous and Pokémon fan Julia Balistreri. games, Pokémon Sun and Moon.

Balistreri said, “They are just Here lies the problem. A Pokémon game has never had to being lazy. I mean, economically cut down the amount of Pokémon. they probably did really well, but There have only been new they should have worked on it way more.” additions with each generation

The fans’ outrage over this resulted in the game getting review bombed by people who never even bought the game.

These changes have even split the fan base into two sides, people who will deal with the changes and the people who are boycotting the game.

“I will not buy the new games because I don’t like the fact that they aren’t really an upgrade from the previous games and they cost $20 more,” said Jamar Kittling ’20.

A new feature called dynamax is replacing the old mega evolutions and Z-moves from previous titles.

Pokémon normally introduces new features with every generation of Pokémon but now they have cut out the old features that fans loved.

“I don’t like them taking out old features to make room for new features every game,” said Jamar.

Despite this, many fans have looked past the flaws and enjoyed their time playing.

“Pokémon is a childhood game of mine and I love to play it with friends,” stated Tomizo Callejas ’20. “While I miss many of the Pokémon that were cut, we got new Pokémon this generation to make up for it.”

12 State News

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

December 2019

Fires continue to blaze through Golden State

By Joseph Zuloaga ’23

This year, California has seen more than 6,000 wildfires spark all throughout the state.

Almost 200,000 acres of the Golden State have burned. In the last month, three major wildfires have started and have consequently prompted the evacuation of more than 200,000 people, massive Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS)

by PG&E, and the declaration of an Extreme Red Flag Warning by the National Weather Service because of extremely dangerous conditions for the start of a new fire.

The Bay Area was in between the four fires that were burning hundreds of acres every day. Out of the four wildfires, three were in Southern California, and one was only an hour away from San Francisco.

First, the biggest fire out of the three, the Kincade Fire, relentlessly burned more than 77,000 acres in Sonoma County, which is twice the size of the city of Miami. The fire started on Oct. 23 during a strong wind event, but the actual cause of the fire still hasn’t been determined.

On Nov. 6, the fire was officially 100 percent contained. The fire was so destructive and massive that smoke made its way into San Francisco and into the Ingleside District, consequently impacting Riordan.

“On a scale of one to 10, I rank the air quality that day a 6,” said Lucas Chow ’23. He continued saying, “To be honest, I thought the air quality that day was extremely bad because of the

smokey smell. But when I checked the air quality online, it said it was moderate.”

Some students, like Chow, were seen wearing masks to protect them from inhaling smoke. To this, Lucas said, “Well, I have a mild allergy to smoke so because of this, my parents told me to wear the mask.”

The family of English teacher Michael-Vezzali Pascual ’88 was also affected because of the Kincade Fire. Vezzali-Pascual’s dad, a Riordan grad, Class of ’61 was affected by the fires.

He said, “My father’s house was a couple of miles away from the fire line. I found out the proximity of my dad’s house to the fire line using Google Maps.”

He added, “Luckily, the house itself didn’t burn down, only the power was turned off since my father lives in northeast Windsor. I am grateful that many firefighters stepped in to protect the community so the houses wouldn’t burn down.”

Vezzali-Pascual continued, “I was grateful nothing severe happened and that the only thing that was needed to be done was to throw some food away from the refrigerator.”

Farther down to the south, there were three fires that were consuming parts of Southern California. One was the Getty Fire, the other was the Easy Fire, and the most recent of the four fires was the Maria Fire.

The Getty Fire burned almost 800 acres in Brentwood, Los Angeles. This fire has been named the Getty Fire for its close proximity to the Getty Center, an

art museum that opened in 1997. It was sparked on Oct. 28 and on Nov. 6, it was completely contained.

The Easy Fire consumed almost 2,000 acres in Simi Valley, which is in Ventura County. It was called the Easy Fire because it ignited on Oct. 30 near Easy Street and Madera Road.

Like the Getty Fire, the Easy Fire was burning in close proximity to another famous Southern California landmark, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. The library was almost completely surrounded by the fire and from where Ronald Reagan’s Air Force is on display at the library, out the window, one could see the blaze burning just a few meters away.

A herd of goats created a firebreak months ago by eating vegetation that would have fueled the fire. It was completely contained on Nov. 2. The fire ignited near a Southern California Edison transmission line that was still active despite the PSPS due to the high winds in the region. Finally, the Maria Fire burned almost 10,000 acres and 100 percent contained on Nov. 5. The fire started on Halloween night in Somis, about an hour

Pierre Markuse via Flickr The Kincade fire destroyed 77,000 acres and displaced thousands of residents. drive from Los Angeles.

The fire exploded rapidly because of strong Santa Ana winds during the time of the fire’s ignition. Vegetation from a wet winter quickly dried out because of hurricane-force wind gusts and low humidity.

This “fuel” for fires has been growing under aging electrical lines that can spark fires in a few seconds. Houses on hillsides and the increase in cars have also contributed to these three fires.

Vezzali-Pascual said, “It is scary what California is facing.

I feel that it’s going to get worse and that we should start taking care of our wonderful state.”

PG&E shuts power in effort to quell fires

By Michael Conefrey ’21

More than 6,000 wildfires have ravaged California in 2019 alone, and many are quick to blame the Pacific Gas and Electric company, better known as PG&E, for some of the most destructive blazes of the season.

The fires have collectively destroyed around 250,000 acres of land and hundreds of buildings; a large portion of the destruction can be credited to the Kincaid fire in Sonoma.The October inferno wiped out about 77,000 acres of land and destroyed around 374 structures.The yet unconfirmed cause of the fire seems to be a malfunctioning PG&E power line, according to news reports.

PG&E’s preferred method of preventing further wildfires has been shutting off power to over 2.7 million people across 30 counties, often for days at a time.

This technique has proven to be wildly unpopular among both the people and the state government.

California Governor Gavin Newsom was quick to blame PG&E’s “greed and mismanagement” for the fires and subsequent blackouts, while some citizens took a more drastic approach in venting their frustration. One PG&E station was reportedly vandalized,while another citizen went as far as to fire shots at a PG&E vehicle.

“People lost the power to refrigerate their food, air condition their homes, light their homes and access the internet and TV, so I’m not surprised so many people are angry,” said Josue Reyes ’21.

While Governor Newsom pointed at PG&E’s neglect, some blame the state’s environmentalist approach to forest management.

These critics claim that both the state and federal government’s refusal to implement prescribed burns have drastically increased the risk of forest fires.

pge.com PG&E began shutting off power to customers in an effort to prevent the start or spreading of California wildfires.

December 2019

Environment

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

13

New charging stations re-charge parking lot

By Massimo Hoffmann ’20

Archbishop Riordan is ditching purple and gold for green. Well, not entirely.

There are six new electric car plug-ins available and ready for use in the parking lot by the gym.

By taking this new initiative, staff members or those who are visiting for a sports game on our new Mayer Field or Crusader Forum are able to plug in their vehicles as they go about their business at Riordan.

Electric cars are looked at as the future and electric parking plug-ins have been popping up all over the country: in parking lots near big stores, malls, and in many other convenient locations.

Most vehicles that use electricity this way are mostly hybrids that are a gas/fuel combo.

The parking spaces with plug-ins at Riordan hope to save visitors or staff members a few

dollars by offering a space to all with hybrid/electric vehicles.

Electric vehicles in use are expected to grow from 3 million to 125 million on the road by 2030, which is 41 times the amount currently on the road. Electricity is the future and it aims to reduce emissions put into the climate by gas guzzling vehicles.

One Tesla owner, Audio Visual teacher Viggen Rassam ’87, however, does not see any benefits from having a charging station at school for himself.

“The plug-ins do not make my life easy because I do not use them,” said Rassam.

While the plug-ins are free and easy to use, for people like Rassam, it serves no purpose because they have their own plugins at home.

Although it’s in its early stages, the plug-ins show a new initiative

Photo by Jordan Noeuku ’21 The Riordan parking lot includes spaces for electric cars to re-charge.

for Riordan, and in a world where everyone is concerned with the climate, every little bit helps,

especially when giving employees another reason to drive their electric cars to work.

Targeted killings of environmental journalists increase

By Lizandro Munoz ’22

Environmental reporters have

become targets.

Around the world, environmental reporters are facing violence, harassment, lawsuits, abuse and in some cases, death.

The Guardian stated, “The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which produced the tally, is investigating a further 16 deaths over the last decade. It says the number of murders may be as high as 29, making this field of journalism one of the most dangerous after war reporting.”

It is not yet definitively determined as to why reporters in this field are being targeted, but there are many theories why they’ve become targets.

Peter Fimrite, reporter of the San Francisco Chronicle, said, “I think the oil and gas industries and the politicians they support with huge campaign donations are terrified. They are attacking the messenger, the press. It is primarily because of their fear that their livelihoods will be impacted if the world takes action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But, it is also because certain leaders have indicated to their followers that they don’t like the free press in America, and that it is OK to attack members of the media.”

This has had a huge effect on the environmental journalists and journalists in general.

Fimrite said, “These events can change the perspective of journalism and reporting.” He added, “It should not change the perspective of reporters, impact their reporting or change journalism, but I’m afraid it will.”

He continued, “Newspapers have been struggling financially

and there are fewer investigative journalists now than in the past.

Standards have been loosened at some outlets, especially television news. There is at least one socalled news station that is almost entirely propaganda, and it is actually leading the fight against those who want to take action to limit the impacts of climate change. That station’s pundits have been vigorously touting debunked theories about climate change, and pushing misleading and false information about the environmental movement. That is a very serious problem.”

Knowing this is going on, many in the media, and those who support this social cause, believe there needs to be a change. There needs to be understanding between both sides, environmental reporters and the opposing side, so this can end.

Fimrite said, “People need to understand what journalism is, including the standards of fairness, accuracy, and objectivity that all legitimate news organizations hold sacred.

We have been hurt by the internet, with all the blogs and ‘news’ sites that do not have those standards. A lot of people don’t know the difference between a legitimate newspaper and a ranting scandal sheet pushing propaganda. We need to educate the public and make those distinctions more clear.”

Environmental journalism has to do with trends going on in the environment, understanding what is going on with nature, and geography in general.

Why is environmental journalism important? Fimrite said, “The environment is us. It

Global Witness The number of environmental journalists killed while investigating stories about the climate and other issues has steadily increased. is the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat. It is everything around us, including the weather. No one would purposefully allow their house to get so dirty and decrepit that it gets condemned. Are we willing to let our planet fall into disrepair?”

AP Environmental Science teacher and Dean of Academics Michael O’Brien said, “Environmental reporting is important because it is a tool of awareness for the general public.

Anything that is put out there that causes people to be concerned, to be alarmed, even if it’s not a strict scientific fact, as long as there is some truth rooted in that, it’s important to make people aware.”

Fimrite said, “Now, there are legitimate arguments about how

far we go to protect our environment—what kinds of development, resource extraction and other actions society is willing to accept—but those decisions should be made based on sound information and science. This is why it is so important for environmental journalists to understand the issues, to gather information from all sides, including scientists, conservationists, industry and the public and report the facts.”

“In many cases,” Fimrite said, “we are the only ones who have a clear understanding of the impacts of environmental regulations on the various interest groups and we have an obligation to report the truth, regardless of the consequences.”

14 Features

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

December 2019

Celebrating 70 years of Crusader Brotherhood 1970s: The Pathfinders

By Michael Gray ’20 Philip Cazahous ’70

Philip Cazahous ’70 is a native San Franciscan and the 2019 recipient of the prestigious William Joseph Chaminade Award.

Archbishop Riordan students may recognize his name from the recently installed Cazahous Gate, which leads into the school’s newly constructed football field, a project for which Cazahous was a major donor.

During his time at Riordan, Cazahous was a track and field star, running a lightning fast 2:03 half mile and a stellar 4:42 mile, feats more impressive considering Riordan’s track, at the time, was made of dirt.

His fondest memories from Riordan center on the people.

Cazahous said, “The great

Alton Byrd ’75 Alton Byrd ’75 was one of the greatest basketball players to grace Riordan’s halls. At Riordan, Byrd was the captain of the basketball team and a member of both the First Team All-WCAL and First-Team All-City. After his graduation, Byrd went on to play basketball at Columbia University where he set a school record for career assists and assists in one season.

Soon after he left Columbia, Byrd was drafted briefly by the Boston Celtics where a leg injury rendered him unable to play in the regular season. Byrd was undeterred, however, and in the very same year began to play in the British Basketball League as a part of Crystal Palace. Over the course of his nearly two decade

Tom Sweeney ’76

Tom Sweeney, Class of ’76, has served for 43 years as the legendary doorman of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, located in Union Square. A familiar face to many local San Franciscans, Sweeney, with his iconic sevenpiece red Beefeater Coat has come to represent the cheerfulness and hospitality of the city as a whole.

In the length of his time as doorman, Sweeney has met celebrities, greeted prime ministers, given directions to prominent city locations hundreds of thousands of times, and received awards from city leaders, most notably in 1982 when he was awarded—along Joe Montana and Dwight Clark—for tackling of two suitcase thieves.

At Riordan, Sweeney participated

friendships I had as a teenager.

When graduation occurred, I realized that the high school chapter of life had ended.

I was very excited about the next chapter in life, college.”

After his time at Riordan, Cazahous went on to study accounting at the University of San Francisco, graduating with a Bachelors of Science as an Accounting Specialist.

Throughout his successful career, he worked in both accounting and real estate. Currently, he is retired, although he is still an active real estate investor.

His dedication to Riordan extends beyond his help in both the basketball gym and football field renovations, as he is a member of Riordan’s Board of

Trustees. The Board of Trustees is an instrumental group at Riordan that works to provide counsel to the Administration in their pursuit of long-term goals. Cazahous has worked hard for the betterment of Riordan student body and the school they attend.

According to Cazahous, “With encouragement from some great

teachers at Riordan, I learned that persistence and hard work can translate to success.”

No matter what industry he works in or where he goes, Cazahous, with his visionary excellence, generous donations of time and resources, and unbridled dedication to Archbishop Riordan, will always have the Purple and Gold blood of a Crusader.

long career in the BBL, Byrd became a competitor as a part of Britain’s national and Olympic teams after he gained dualcitizenship, as well as becoming a 5x Scottish League Champion.

In reflecting on the successful rebound of his basketball career, Byrd stated, “Riordan taught me not to give in. The truth of the matter is that Riordan taught me not to quit, that no matter the injury, you have got to keep on working.”

Following his success in the BBL, Byrd began a lengthy career in sports administration.

Currently, he is the Vice President of Business Operations for the Long Island Nets, an NBA G-League team of which Byrd was a founding member.

As for the role Riordan played

in his life, Byrd stated, “The school has given me a bunch of information and a bunch of education, and it has inspired me to be inventive—what I would call ‘entrepreneurial.’ At Riordan, I realized that at the end of the day, people are the same…

Riordan gave me an education on how to interact with people… I

learned how to interact with people of different cultures and religions, and that’s the greatest thing Riordan taught me.”

One of the most outstanding Riordan graduates of the 70s, Alton Byrd remains one of Riordan’s most successful athletes, a tradition that will be kept alive far into the future.

in a myriad of activities, including the basketball, soccer, and cheer teams, as well as Student Government. After his 1976 graduation, Sweeney worked as a ticket vendor in the Oakland Coliseum before starting his more than four-decade-long and starstudded career at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel.

How did Riordan contribute to his success? Sweeney stated, “It really got me ready to work with people, it really helped me to work at a high profile job for 43 years.”

Eventually, Sweeney became the face of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, with his colorful image on luggage tags, room keys, and a plethora of gift shop items.

With his retirement quickly approaching, Sweeney will continue to develop his resume in

other aspects of his life, including his passion for long-distance running. Sweeney has run more than 30 marathons, including the Boston Marathon, and plans on expanding that impressive count after his retirement.

Sweeney has kept his eye on Riordan, donating to the school’s

new athletic facilities and attending alumni events.

Sweeney said, “Riordan’s really coming around a lot. All the boarding students have brought a lot to the school, and the new field and gym are going to attract a lot of good students and good athletes.”

December 2019

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Features 15

1980s: The Architects

By Antonio Maffei ’20 Sal Castaneda ’82

Sal Castaneda ’82 is a reporter for KTVU Channel 2. Many see him in the morning reporting on the traffic, as well as the co-host for the popular morning news show, “The Nine.” What you may not know about him is that he is also a Riordan graduate from the Class of 1982. Castaneda shared his experience as a Crusader and what he’s been up to recently.

Sal Castaneda was born and raised a native San Franciscan and grew up not too far from the Riordan campus. Years later, he decided to attend Riordan, and fondly remembers his first day of school as a freshman.

“It felt like a challenge. I was going to rise to the challenge of

turning from a young man into a man.”

During his time at Riordan, based on the 1982 yearbook, Castaneda was part of The Crusader staff.

How has Riordan changed over the decades? Castaneda stated, “Same as it is now, but much smaller. They’ve added onto the school with new facilities but it was still a great school.” He’s very proud of his alma mater and said, “I’m the first guy to sing its praises in the real world.”

He tells people how great of a school it is, and what it means to be a Crusader. Castaneda said, ‘It means you’re part of a tradition of many people before and after you.

You are sharing history with

people.”

After Riordan, Castaneda got started doing radio on K 10.01, which now known as STAR 101.33. He began working for KTVU Channel 2 as a traffic anchor and continues doing that

today. He has a new gig, which began in 2015, as co-host for “The Nine,” a fun and entertaining news show put on by KTVU. Castaneda said, “I have a lot of fun and KTVU is a great place and the ratings are just great.”

Alberto Cruz ’89

memorable [at Riordan] but had a series of memorable moments.

Senior year is when everything and all that we struggled with accumulated to make sense. There was LIFE, Kairos, and soccer retreats. There were leadership activities, participating in the band at basketball and football games. All four years at ARHS had a huge impact on me, influencing values that help shape and develop my character.

Although I continually evolve and change, ARHS provided the foundation and was the catalyst to make things happen.”

According to Cruz, life during the 80s was similar to current times minus the internet. “We had a diverse student body in all aspects; it seemed like we are all into something and staying busy.

We had to figure things out for ourselves; I guess we had to

because we had no internet.”

He added, “World events were happening around us. During Freshman ‘reg,’ we saw the tragic Challenger explosion live on TV. We had men visiting us and sharing their stories explaining the AIDs epidemic; Wall Street crashed. All types of music (and

mixtapes) were being listened to on our Sony Walkman. Fashion was big as well. Those who could afford them wore Air Jordans.

Others wore and loved ‘My Adidas.’

There were entrepreneurial kids roaming the halls selling fake LV wallets, and I bought one.”

Jones soon joined professional wrestling and said, “ I joined a pro wrestling school and became a pro wrestler in 1997. I was featured in a wrestling documentary called, ‘Beyond the Mat’ and received numerous matches with WWE, WCW, and wrestled throughout Japan. I feel I have gained so much from wrestling and it all started with Riordan High School and I couldn’t be more grateful for

the time there and experience.”

Jones has found himself very busy with his current job as a Network Administrator and technology specialist for a law firm in Palo Alto. The job keeps him on his feet with supporting over 100 legal professionals on a day to day basis. But Jones said, “I would like to start making more time to give back to the school that has given me so much.”

Alberto Cruz ’89 works for the Federal Aviation Administration at San Francisco International Airport, providing federal funding and oversight to the public–use airports helping them improve safety, meet operational demands, building and maintaining needed infrastructure improvements.

Before this, Cruz was a professional soccer player for the San Jose Grizzlies, Sacramento Scorpions and SF Bay Seals.

He then moved onto the United States National Team. He said, “The feeling listening to the Star Spangled Banner had a whole new level and meaning for me, which still resonates to this day.”

In 1998, he was hired to lead ARHS’s Soccer Program and said it was an amazing experience for him.

Cruz said, “I didn’t have a most

Tony Jones ’89 Tony Jones is a graduate from the class of 1989. Born and raised in Daly City as an only child, he grew up watching professional wrestling and was a big fan of movies and television.

He said, “I guess that’s from being an only child.”

In regards to his experience at Riordan during the 80s, Jones said, “I feel it was an awesome time to be in high school, especially at Riordan High School.

The 80s consisted of great times through movies, music, and social happenings. I think of the 80s as the best decade of my life and I couldn’t have been at a better school than Riordan. I’m always looking back to my days and lessons taught at Riordan High School.”

As for his most memorable experience at Riordan, Jones

said, “Steve Swanson, wrestling coach when I was a freshman, saw me lose every match after I joined the wrestling team at Riordan. During my junior year, Coach Swanson became sick and didn’t finish the season with us.

Vic Anastasio took over. He was an awesome coach to me as well.

When I made it to the finals of the WCAL tournament during my senior year, Mr. Swanson, who was extremely sick at this point, came back for the finals and was our guest MC host for the night.

Mr. Swanson read my name, ‘Tony Jones, the winner of the WCAL championship with a pin.’

That was the greatest moment for me because this great man pushed me and didn’t give up on me, along with Vic, and saw me turn my career around before Mr. Swanson passed away in 1989.”

16 Sports Features

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

December 2019

Verba-Hamilton pioneers successful season for Lewis & Clark

By Cameron Bevan-Abel ’22 Aidan Verba-Hamilton

graduated from Archbishop Riordan High School in 2016.

In his senior year, he amounted 1,634 all purpose yards, carrying the Crusaders all the way to the 2015 CIF Central Coast Section Championship.

His human-highlight-reel play led him to score 8 of his 15 total touchdowns on kick returns and punt returns and averaged 47.8 yards per kick return.

“He’s the greatest return man that I have ever seen in person and that’s not just at Riordan, that’s everywhere...he was simply the best there was nobody better in terms of kick return/punt return ever,” Athletic Director Bob Greene said. “I could do this for 50 years and not find another return guy as good as him in high school.”

“I could tell early on that Aidan was a very explosive player, he had a good knowledge of the game and was blessed with amazing speed. He also had excellent vision in the return game. He was able to use his gifts to be an all-league specialist,” Riordan Varsity Football Coach 2015-2016 Kevin Fordon said.

All throughout his career, he stepped up in the most crucial games and moments.

In his sophomore year, he was clearly too good to be on the Junior Varsity team and he finally got his first start in the Varsity season finale against Bellarmine when he totaled 123 receiving yards.

In his junior year, his stats did not jump off the page immediately, but still amounted to 38 percent of the team’s receiving yards.

His senior season was completely different and was when he started catching everyone’s attention.

On Oct. 10, 2015, Riordan beat Serra for the first time in eight lcpioneers.com years thanks to Aidan’s 8 catches Aidan-Verba Hamilton (3) is a rising star at Lewis & Clark College. for 205 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Two weeks later, Aidan Verba- senior at Lewis & Clark “He was always a good athlete Hamilton had 4 catches for 129 College, and is trying to help and a good receiver, great routeyards and a TD along with a 76 rebuild a struggling football runner, really good feet, super yard kickoff return TD in a route program. Unsurprisingly, he fast, he was always a special against Saint Ignatius. is playing exceptionally well in player and we knew he could “He had a knack for it...he just the Northwest Conference in make it to the next level...I’m not had this ability to be patient and Division III. He ranks best in surprised at all,” said Morris. find a crease and once he reached yards per catch and is top 10 Lewis & Clark finished the top speed, you couldn’t catch in the conference in yards and season with 3 conference wins, him...it got to a point where teams touchdowns. the most since 2011. would stop kicking it to him,” On Oct. 12, Aidan caught Fordon said, “I had no doubt Athletic Director and former 9 passes for 331 yards and 2 Aidan would be successful. Too Varsity football coach Jay’Sen touchdowns in a losing effort much talent and drive to not Morris ’07 said. against a 5 win Whitworth make an impact no matter where Verba-Hamilton is currently a squad. he was.”

49ers hope Super Bowl dreams pan out

By Steven Elsner ’20

The San Francisco 49ers are having their best season in years with a 11-2 record, and tied for first in the NFC West division.

The 49ers own the second best rushing offense, the 13th best passing offense, and the seventh best overall offense. Their defense has been their best in many years with the second best overall defense, the first best passing defense, and the 22nd best defense. The 49ers began with an 8-0 start with the Buccaneers, and ended the streak with the Seahawks.

The Niners started their year by beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-17. Jimmy Garoppolo had 166 passing yards with one touchdown and one interception. They also accumulated 98 yards on the ground. The defense carried the team during the game; they had three interceptions, with two pick sixes. Also, the defense added three sacks and two forced fumbles. The Niners were 1-0.

The very next week, the 49ers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 41-17. Garoppolo threw for 296 yards, three touchdowns with one interception. The running game broke out for over 250 yards on the ground behind Matt Brieda’s 121 yards. The 49ers’ defense sacked Andy Dalton four times and he also threw one interception. The Niners were 2-0.

49ers.com Jimmy Garoppolo has led the 49ers to an 11-2 record as of press time.

Next, the 49ers played the Pittsburgh Steelers and won 2420. Garoppolo passed for 277 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. The Niners, for the second game in a row, rushed for over 100 rushing yards. The defense accumulated two sacks and one interception, leading to the win. The Niners were 3-0.

The 49ers had a bye week, then they played the Cleveland Browns and beat them 31-3.

Garoppolo passed for 181 yards and two touchdowns. For the second time, the Niners rushed for 250 yards. It all started with an 83-yard touchdown run. The 49ers’ defense had four sacks

and two interceptions and three forced fumbles. The 49ers were 4-0.

The next week, the 49ers took on division rival Los Angeles Rams and beat them 20-7. Garoppolo passed for 243 yards, but had one interception. The running game rushed for 99 yards and two touchdown rushes. The defense sacked Goff four times. The 49ers were 5-0.

Then, they took on the Washington Redskins in a rainy event. They beat the Redskins 9-0, behind Robbie Gould’s three field goal. Garoppolo passed for 151 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception. The

running game again rushed for 137 yards. The defense sacked the quarterback three times. The 49ers were 6-0.

Next, the 49ers took on the Carolina Panthers and handled them by beating them 51-17.

The running game rushed for the third time for over 200 on the ground. Garoppolo passed for 175 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. The defense intercepted the quarterback three times and sacked him seven times with Nick Bosa doing the honors three times. The Niners were 7-0.

The 49ers took on the Arizona Cardinals and beat them in a close one, 28-25. Garoppolo passed for 317 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions. The running game gained over 100 yards on the ground. The defense sacked Kyler Murray three times. The Niners were 8-0.

The run ended with the 49ers’ first loss to their rivals, the Seahawks, on Monday Night Football. The score was 2724. Garoppolo passed for 248 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. The running game had 87 yards on the ground. The defense had five sacks on Russell Wilson and one interception. The Niners were 8-1.

Please see “49ers,” on page 17

December 2019

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Sports Features

17

Restani honored with new exhibit

By Steven Rissotto ’20

It’s been nearly 50 years since the 1970 Riordan varsity basketball team raised the West Catholic Athletic League trophy. The group of players was led by Kevin Restani, who was making quite a name for himself as an all-state hoops star.

Restani, known by many as an athlete who silently did his duties egoless, traveled five miles north to the University of San Francisco after he graduated from Riordan. Born and raised in San Francisco, the city was all the 6 foot 9 inch, 225-pound power forward knew.

In the 1974 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Restani with the third pick in the third round, the highest selection for any Crusader alumnus, a record that still stands today. The journey took him through eight different NBA seasons with four different teams, most notably the Milwaukee Bucks.

Photo by Steven Rissotto ’20 The Kevin Restani Exhibit was recently unveiled in the Crusader Forum.

Even after his last NBA game at age 30, Restani loved the game enough to continue playing basketball in Italy for eight more seasons. Sixteen seasons of professional basketball proved to be unsatisfying for Restani, as he kept reliving his sacred glory days until the week of his death

in 2010 at the age of 58 due to a heart attack.

In January of 2018, Riordan announced that the brand-new, $800,000 basketball court would be named in his honor. The logo on the right-hand side of the court is designed with purple and gold lettering, which lights up the

court just as Restani did during his time as a Crusader.

As the decade closes out, Riordan’s brotherhood has once again honored the late, great basketball legend in style. An exhibit with different artifacts and visual anecdotes was built in the hallway of the gym, where fans can pay tribute to and learn about the San Francisco prep hero.

The exhibit includes two different jerseys (Riordan and USF), photos, frames, and more.

During night games, a light flickers on for a more visible satisfaction for the viewer. The attraction adds a historical element to a gym already filled with history of its own. After all, alumni will be the first ones to explain how little the set-up in the arena has changed.

Springtime will mark the 10th anniversary of Kevin Restani’s sudden death, and the new experience introduced is bound to give more long-awaited, and well deserved, attention to the fallen San Francisco icon.

Young talent revitalizes Warriors in new home

By Cameron Bevan-Abel ’22

The Warriors have struggled to start the 2019-2020 season to say the least. Most fans switch the channel on them or are just waiting to watch them until they get their star players back next season. Just because they aren’t winning as many games as usual and only have one remaining starter healthy on the team from the previous season does not necessarily mean that they are playing unwatchable basketball.

This season is not a rebuilding one for the team, but a revitalization for the bench. The Warriors are getting back to their 2015-2016, 73-9 form. This may sound crazy, but with Stephen Curry back in the second half of the season, Klay Thompson the next season, and D’Angelo Russell recovering from a thumb injury and three seasons left on his contract after this one, as well as with the hardest worker on the team, Draymond Green, the stars are still in place.

Though not all of them are healthy and playing right now, all of the up and coming players like Eric Paschall, Ky Bowman, Marquese Chriss, Damion Lee, Jordan Poole, Glenn Robinson III, and Omari Spellman are surely helping the cause and the future.

With players like these getting good playing time and solid production now, the Warriors are set for the coming years once the stars are all back and healthy,

leading the team to playoff runs.

It is sad to have a season like this from a team that has dominated all decade long with five consecutive finals appearances, but it is a season that had to happen.

Without this season, the Warriors would be a team without a developed bench and the dynasty would surely slowly come to an end. The bench for the 2020-2021 Warriors is looking like the famed bench they once had the first two seasons they made it to the NBA Finals with playmakers such as veterans Marreese Speights, Leandro Barbosa, Shaun Livingston and of course, beloved 2015 NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala.

These future supporting players of this championship contender of future seasons have stepped up in big games without the electrifying Splash Brothers this year.

In a game against the top ranked Celtics, the 2-11 Warriors played their guts out and competed to the end even though losing by five.

This team has heart and nothing fazes them whatsoever.

Most rosters with the lack of experienced and healthy players choke under pressure and do not end up competing with many teams, and although their record does not show it, these rookies and washed up and unwanted veterans have made names for themselves and are gratefully appreciated by the Warrior Faithful.

www.nba/warriors With the loss of key players to injury, the Warriors are experiencing a revitalizing year in their new San Francisco home at Chase Center.

“49ers,” continued from page 16 The next week, after a tough loss, the Niners bounced back and beat the Cardinals 36-26.

Garoppolo led the charge with 424 passing yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions. The running game was stopped with them only having 34 rushing yards. The defense sacked the mobile Kyler Murray four times.

The Niners were 9-1.

The Niners played the Green Bay Packers and man handled them, 37-8. Garoppolo passed for 253 yards and two touchdowns.

The running game rushed for 112 yards. The defense handled Aaron Rodgers well, sacking him five times and holding him to 104 passing yards. The Niners were 10-1.

The next week the Niners took on the Baltimore Ravens and fell to them, 20-17, on a game-winning field goal. Garoppolo passed for 165 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. The rushing attack had 174 yards. The defense sacked Jackson one time and forced a fumble. The Niners were 10-2.

18 Sports

December 2019

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Basketball starts season with slam dunk

By Cameron Bevan-Abel ’22

The Riordan Varsity basketball team is possibly the best it has ever been and expectations are to get deep into the playoffs, and hopefully get back to the promised land.

“The expectations are sky high.

The frank truth in it all is that you put together a team like we have at our school, the expectations are going to be extremely high and it’s very obvious for me by being around this program and that’s how we want it, we want expectations,” Athletic Director Bob Greene said.

He continued, “Sometimes, it’s fun to not have so much expectations and have a little talent and overachieve but the reality is, the goals are simple: be great citizens in the classroom, be great citizens outside the classroom, represent Riordan very well, play the game the right way, and win the WCAL, win CCS and make a run at NorCal and State at the highest levels...

Is that going to be easy? Of course not, even with as much talent as we have, but those are the expectations period.”

The starting backcourt is the strength of the team with point guard Bryce Monroe ’20 committed to Sam Houston State and shooting guard Jelani Clark ‘20 committed to Nevada. As juniors, they combined for 32.2 PPG and 7.7 APG. “Well you hope they lead the way by example by working hard at practice and being diligent

Photo by Steven Rissotto ’20 The Riordan varsity basketball team warms up for the new season. students, playing hard, having good energy, having a good work ethic, good habits and showing the guys also that just because we’re on this level that we are still very much accountable to the rules, standards and expectations of the program which includes the work that needs to be done to be good,’’ said Greene.

“They should be very much experienced, nothing should really faze them. If they can help the other less experienced players it will help their game and that will be part of their leadership role. They are going to have to be leaders,” said third year Riordan Varsity Basketball Head Coach Joey Curtin.

The front court is improved this season with such “big-men” like Chan Ngot ’20, Toyo Kano ’20, Riiny Riiny ’20, and Elhadji ‘Mor’ Seck the 7-1 sophomore.

Two other skilled sophomores on the roster are guards Mark Barer and Sean Quanico.

“They are going to be important role players and they are going to have to shoot the ball for us when they get in there, and Jelani and Bryce are going to attract a lot of attention and so those guys are going to get an opportunity to get open looks so they need confidence to shoot the ball,” Coach Curtin explained the sophomore’s roles.

In his first year at Head Coach, the team won nine more games

than they did in the previous season and increased their national rank by 3641.

The team more than doubled their conference wins last year in Curtin’s second year as the Varsity basketball coach, going from 4 wins the previous year to 10 last year.

The expectations certainly are greater than just doubledigit conference wins as last year they suffered a disappointing overtime loss to Bellarmine in the Semi-Finals of the CIF Central Coast Section Playoffs and a loss to Folsom in the first round of the CIF Division 1 State Championships. In both losses, Riordan was a higher seed than the opponent.

In the first regular season game, the Crusaders beat Junipero Serra 64-59 after being down at the half. Jelani Clark and Bryce Monroe both got off to hot starts to begin the season.

“Last season was last season.

There are different players, this team is different. What’s done is done. The past is the past.

Honestly, we are looking game to game,” expressed Coach Curtin.

“My only expectation is for us to keep it moving and play hard and play together. I have zero expectations beyond that because that’s where you get into trouble and become unhappy. If you don’t meet expectations right away, there’s a stage where you think you should be somewhere and you’re not...you can get discouraged and it’s a long season.”

Wrestling team pins down season’s first trophy At the Redwood Rumble, Riordan was named Tournament Team Champions, and took home a monumental trophy.

In addition, Michael Bigler ’20 was named the tournament’s “Outstanding Wrestler” in the lightweight division and tournament champion for his division.

Jason Tang ’20 (160), Randy

Aberouette ’20 (170), Ray Russell ’20 (220) were also named tournament champions in their divisions.

Other notable finishes included David Aberouette ’22 (160) 2nd place, Michael Conefrey ’21 (152) 5th place, and Donald Gruda ’21 (145), 6th place.

Photo provided by Coach Tony Tran

Athletes commit to future plans Senior wrestler Michael Bigler ’20 signed his letter of intent to wrestle at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

Bigler is seventh on the Crusaders’ all-time win list and is the 20th Crusader to wrestle in college.

Je’Lani Clark ’20 signed his letter of intent to play basketball at University of Nevada, Reno, while his cousin, Bryce Monroe ’20, signed to play at Sam Houston University.

December 2019

Sports

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

19

Riordan cross country runs its way to top 5

By Christian Ramirez Cortes ’22

EJ Odocayen ’20 and Aidan Murtagh ’20 both continued to lead the Cross Country program at Archbishop Riordan High School to a successful second half of the season and the final season for themselves and all the seniors, which ended on Nov. 16 with their final race being at the CCS championships.

At the Crystal Springs Invitational on Oct. 12, junior varsity ran very well on the tough course, which includes many hills.

The varsity team placed 9th out of 25 teams, defeating various other schools such as Saint Ignatius, Serra, Sacred Heart, and Valley Christian. Odocayen placed 18th out of 170 runners and broke the school record at this course.

Aidan Murtagh, Liam Funke ’21, and Collin Murtagh ’22 who also had a successful race, finished in the top 100.

On Oct. 18, the Rough Rider Invitational showed the varsity runners that there is always room for improvement. Odocayen placed in the top 10, but wasn’t satisfied with the pace he was running at. Riordan placed 6th because Funke was not running that day due to back problems.

Although it wasn’t the best race they had ever run, it was still beneficial because they got to see the state course.

Odocayen explained, “The reason we did this invitational was to see the state course. It was like a preview for us.”

Photo by Cole Anderson ’22 Cross Country runners prepare for the WCAL Championships at Crystal Springs.

At the Polo Fields in Golden Gate Park, the JV Riordan runners had a very challenging race but most managed to achieve a new personal best regardless of the heat and dust. This second WCAL meet on Oct. 23 was a wake-up call for the varsity runners as it helped them to think of their health and how well they can execute races without much rest.

As a team, Riordan placed 5th and Odocayen individually placed 6th, defeating Saint Ignatius, without Funke who was out again.

Daniel Galvan ’22 stated, “Riordan, overall, worked hard and improved as a team. We were all able to get comfortable running and keeping pace.”

The WCAL Championships on Nov. 6 showed great improvement at every level compared to the first race this season at the Lowell Invitational. Varsity not only competed and worked hard, but also viewed this race as a preview for CCS. The last race for JV did not disappoint as they pushed past their limits, noticing improvements in their stamina and pace.

Max Lara ’22 said, “I noticed this entire season’s progress and work paying off in the WCAL Championships compared to the slow start at the Lowell Invitational as my legs warmed up.”

Unfortunately, the varsity

runners had to cut their season short at CCS Championships on Nov. 18. It was a very close race with Odocayen finishing in 7th place, Funke in 11th, Murtagh ’22 in 13th, Murtagh ’20 in 18th, Conor McMahon ’20 in 50th, Logan Estrada ’22 in 63rd, and David Nori ’21 in 68th. This was still not enough for the varsity runners to secure a spot at the state meet as they were shy one place.

The team finished in 3rd, behind Saint Ignatius and Sacred

Heart Cathedral.

Murtagh ’20 said, “We had a great season leading up to CCS and were really excited to see what we could do, but unfortunately we did not perform to the best of our ability on that day.”

The Riordan Cross Country program is hoping to make a big comeback next year with the current sophomores and juniors who are ready to get their revenge and win it all. The freshmen also hold a lot of potential and are the future of Cross Country at Riordan. Mason Mckee ’23 and Luke Grogan ’23 trained very well this season and ran very promising times.

Soccer team sets new goals on new field

By Jordan Maralit ’21 and Jordan Noeuku ’21

Finally, the field is done and extracurricular activities such as football, baseball, and soccer can commence. The return of the sports teams on the field is a great relief for the school.

The soccer team played its first game on the new Mayer Family Field where different teams in different sports have the opportunity to play on the field.

Last year and years before, the soccer team practiced every day at the Crocker Amazon Park.

Now, since the new Mayer Field is open, players have time to get to practice on time after school is over.

The Varsity and JV soccer team did well in the pre-season.

Both Varsity and JV have faced Terra Nova and Leadership on the new field. JV is 3-0 and had an undefeated pre-season, while Varsity is 2-1, losing in the third pre-season scrimmage on the new field against Leadership.

The pre-season is over, which means players are ready for the regular season. It motivates the

athletes not just because they are playing on the new field, but the energy that is brought

by Riordan students, faculty, and families.

Soccer coach and religion teacher Michael So, said, “It’s a bit of a relief to have a home field. Going to practice is now much easier. Having a home field also inspires a strong desire to defend our school against visiting opponents.”

So added, “The home field is a fantastic advantage for several reasons. We are very grateful to all of the Photo by Jordan Maralit ’21 planners and donors who came together to bring the new field to Riordan’s soccer team has started this season strong on the home field. fruition. With that said, a field is just a field. We do not pressure with others. Cooperation and bumps. Some of our goals are the players to win games using sportsmanship are key skills in to build a successful program it. Instead, we focus on factors adult life, and that is what we in the future, but it will take like strategy, teamwork, and would like to help our players many seasons. My goal is just to communication to win games. with during their seasons here.” improve as a soccer player. I look At the end of the day, one of the Devin Sachs ’21 said, “I think forward to seeing us improve over main purposes of playing on a we have some potential as a team, last year and to have a great year team sport is to learn how to play but are still working out the as a team.”

20 Food Review

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

December 2019

Holiday cheer begins with pie, hot chocolate

By David Dorantes ’21

This Thanksgiving, we had a selection of desserts to choose from: your classic, traditional pumpkin pie, and two non-traditional ones, a lemon ginger tart and a honey custard pie.

After a full day of heavy food, it was nice to see the desserts. All three pies were in a row. My mom always makes a homemade pumpkin pie. It’s a darkish orange/brown pie.

The lemon ginger tart looked good, as it had a rich yellow filling with candied ginger sprinkled on top. The last one was a honey custard pie that was covered with meringue.

The tart and pie were from Whole Foods. The store bought pies were different. The lemon ginger tart did not have a lemon taste, but was very

heavy on the ginger flavor. The honey custard pie was not appealing, as it was covered with whipped cream over a dark filling.

Then there was the Charlie Brown Christmas tree of the pies.

It was plain-looking, with no frills or decoration. It was a perfect blend of pumpkin puree and spices cooked to perfection. When the pie was cut, each piece had a soft, but firm texture that held its shape on the plate. The added touch was homemade whipped cream to top the slice.

The pumpkin pie was the only pie that did not have any leftover slices.

There were many plates with barely touched honey custard and lemon ginger slices.

Ghirardelli Chocolate offers three flavors for the holidays.

A traditional pumpkin pie was a big hit at the Dorantes house.

By Sebastian Elsner ’23

Coming in with a solid 7 out of 10 is Ghirardelli hot chocolate.

Ghirardelli Chocolate started 1852 in San Francisco, founded by Domenico Ghirardelli. He was an entrepreneur who loved chocolate and wanted to start anew in California during the Gold Rush. During the holidays, there are three different hot chocolate flavors.

The first one is the Original Ghirardelli Hot Chocolate. The hot chocolate, in my opinion, tastes more like dark chocolate—like eating half of Ghirardelli dark chocolate and milk chocolate at the same time.

The second hot chocolate I got was the Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate, which does not taste that strong. The

Salted Caramel is my favorite because it has a slight cameral taste, but tastes more like milk chocolate.

One of the best parts is the Salted Caramel hot chocolate comes with a milk chocolate Ghirardelli square that you put inside. I recommend getting it with whipped cream.

Highly rated by most people is the limited time hot Chocolate, Peppermint Bark Hot Chocolate. I never got to try it, but reviews of how good it is makes my mouth water.

Now, you can buy Ghirardelli hot chocolate mixes for the holiday in person at the original Ghirardelli Square, or got to the On To Go Ghirardelli, or order online at www.

Ghirardelli.com.

By Jamar Kittling ’20

Of all of the great desserts, apple pie has been the universal staple in family gatherings during the holidays. Because of this, there are many incarnations of this famous pie, united more in raw ingredients than taste. Nation’s Giant Hamburgers is renown for their great pies, but this seems to be lacking when it comes to their very own apple pie.

The look of the pie is nothing spectacular, just nearly flat apple pie crust covering the entirety of the pie.

The best way I can describe the

overall quality is mass-produced, like the prepackaged pie from Costco.

The crust was alright, but not great: it has the crisp, but not the taste.

The filling was alright, sweet but not quite enough. Just like all the other elements, the apples shared the same mediocre qualities; they were sweet, but still a little tart.

The pie was not bad, but not good either. It lacks the authenticity of a homemade pie, but good enough to eat and somewhat enjoy. Overall, it was alright, I give it a three out of five stars.

Nation’s apple pie was good, but “nothing spectacular.”

By Michael Ortega-Portillo ’21

Abuelita Hot Chocolate is a hot chocolate that you can make in many different ways. The way I make hot chocolate is by first heating up milk in a pan, and then I pour the hot milk in a blender. After that, I put the chocolate in and blend it. When I first saw the rich brown chocolate color, I knew immediately that it was going to taste scrumptious.

After making it, the kitchen was filled with the smell of hot chocolate

Abuelita Hot Chocolate “tastes like grandma used to make.”

that it made my brothers run in and ask if they could have some. When I took the first sip, I tasted the sweet, frothy delicious texture that made it feel like homemade hot chocolate.

The slogan is, “Chocolate that tastes like the one grandma used to make” and I can confirm it feels like grandma made it for you to snuggle onto the couch and relax. I would recommend this for anyone and everyone. It gets 10 out of 10 stars.