FREE
VOLUME LXVI ISSUE iii
SERVING RIORDAN SINCE 1953
ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN HIGH SCHOOL
March 2017 THE NEWSPAPER OF CRUSADER COUNTRY
Food debris in hallways, classrooms prompts eating ban in building By Keven Ariel Munoz ’18
Archbishop Riordan students and staff were shocked when the administration announced that eating will not be allowed in the building for the rest of the school year. Dean of Students Juan Zumbado ‘98 made the announcement in January. One reason is that the school has been dealing with a rodent issue. The administration continuously warned students that they must pick up their trash after they eat, but some students did not follow the request. The shutdown of classrooms during lunch has helped in the process of solving the mouse problem, but has greatly impacted several on-campus clubs, even deteriorating some. Director of Student Activities, Joey Klobas ’07 said, “I was just as surprised as everyone else when the announcement was made that students weren’t allowed to eat in the building, except for student government members.” It is not uncommon to see mice in any school, as there are hundreds of people who eat there on a daily basis. However, teachers have complained about coming to school and finding mice feces on their desk and around
Photo by Stephen Aguirre ’18 Dean of Students Juan Zumbado watches over a crowded cafeteria as students eat their lunch. classrooms, usually after a meetings or eating lunch. Others weekend. The administration is are worried because they aren not concerned that mice may become able to go during lunch to seek a health issue. help from teachers. “We were changing in the The only two groups who are football locker room,” said currently allowed to eat in the Michael Patterson ’18, “and we building are student government, saw a mouse run across the white and Campus Ministry as long as board’s ledge.” they eat in Campus Ministry. Dean of Academics Michael Uziah Metcalfe ’18 said, “If O’Brien said, “One day, as I student government should be stood at the door, I saw over allowed, everyone should be 200 students walk through the allowed.” hallways eating, dropping food, Most teachers have now closed not picking it up; it was alarming their doors during lunch because to me.” nobody comes to the lunch study The students are mostly against sessions ever since the new rule. the regulation because they have Clubs have been impacted to choose between attending club because of the rule. Jonathan
Aguilar, moderator of the DJ Club, said, “We use to have 50 students hang out in the DJ Club before the ban, now we have about 25 students attending.” Jeff Isola ’98, moderator of the History Bowl reasoned, “The food ban has decreased the numbers of members of our club. I know this is a necessary ban, but it really affects a lot of clubs in general.” Zumbado does make it clear that there will be no eating allowed in the building for the rest of the year. However, he is willing to come to agreement with certain groups as long as they clean up. Furthermore, he is open to suggestions on how to alleviate the packed cafeteria, which has a capacity of 500 persons seated, and 850 standing. The enrollment at ARHS is 651. The cafeteria becomes crowded when it rains, which it has more times this year than last. Zumbado’s plans are to open up the gym, put tables in Chaminade Court and other areas around the school, and he is also looking forward to letting students eat in the building again, only if they clean up after each other. He said, “Apparently, young men can’t be trusted to throw their trash away.”
Decades of class graduation photos missing Story and photo by Roman Peregrino ’18
One of Archbishop Riordan High School’s greatest attributes is how it honors its past. Whether it be plaques or statues donated by a graduated class, the many alumni who have returned to teach in the classrooms, or the bricks in Chaminade Courtyard, the mark of past generations of Riordan alumni is as clear as day. It is even evident in the fantastic turnout that the alumni bring to the Golf Tournament, the Gala, the basketball games, and their own reunions. Thanks to Alumni Director Marc Rovetti ’87, recently retired Sharon Udovich, and all of the development team, Riordan’s past is just as important as the present. Out of all the ways that a graduating class leaves their imprint on the school, one of the most noticeable is their class portrait, which is hung in Riordan’s halls for current students to see and reflect upon their counterparts of the past. However, looking around the hallways of Riordan today will
leave a student lacking the full breadth of our history. This is because there are several class portraits missing, leaving a gap in Riordan’s history. Walking around the halls of Riordan is like a blast from the past. The very first graduating classes of Riordan are found outside room 115, and the 50s continue towards the teachers’ lounge. The more recent classes can be found outside campus ministry, and the new millennium can be traced back between the chemistry lab and the art room. Around the corner from room 101, outside the Marianist room, stands the late 90s, which then move back in time going towards room 120 and beyond. However, the entire 1960s and 70s and all the 1980s, save for the class of 1985, are missing. Losing three whole decades of Riordan history is uncharacteristic for a school that prides itself on its past. So where did they go? After a fruitless search of the archives, and confirmation from
Riordan’s Director of Plant and Facilities, Scott Rea ’87, it was confirmed that the missing portraits are not on school property. Where they are is a mystery. The most likely answer is that they were a casualty of water damage in Riordan’s basement. According to Riordan Principal Vittorio Anastasio ’84, there is a city sewage path for the neighborhood that runs under the school. In the early 2000s, the system overloaded and backed up, leading to water and sewage flooding the basement and coming up through the school, moving from classroom 120 all the way to the teachers lounge. School was cancelled for the day, and since then, the city has addressed the problem, building a relief point to cut it off if the problem ever resurfaced. Unfortunately, most of what was
Class graduation photos like these line the walls of Riordan, but many decades worth of photos are missing.
stored in the basement was ruined, pictures included. While that is the most likely answer to the question of the missing portraits, there may be other reasons. “It’s possible that they stopped ordering the portraits for those years,” said Anastasio, whose class of 1984 portrait is one of the many missing. “You can have a tradition that is so strong, and one person can come along and destroy it.”
Please see “Grad Photos” on page 3
2 Opinion
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
March 2017
Time to toss the eating ban, but with restrictions Staff Editorial Returning from Christmas break is often a time of sadness for high school students. After two weeks of rest and relaxation, we are expected to return to school, ready to work, even if all we really want to do is go back to bed. When students returned this semester from their Christmas break, they were in for a shock. Effective immediately, a food ban, more accurately, an eating ban, was instituted inside the school. This meant we would no longer be allowed to eat inside the school, either in the halls, or inside the classrooms. The ban was particularly stunning because of how sudden it was. Immediately after returning from break, a staple of daily life at Archbishop Riordan High School was taken away. The reaction from the students was swift and immediate—they hated it. Part of the anger stems from not understanding why the ban was put in place. The other part comes from not being able to do what we want to at lunch. While in theory, the ban makes sense; in practice, there are inherent flaws. They include: overcrowding, unintended consequences, and exceptions to the rule. Because of these flaws, The Crusader believes the eating ban should be repealed. The first problem is overcrowding. When people are not allowed to eat inside the school, options are drastically reduced on places to go. In the moments after the 12:10 bell, a steady stream of Crusaders head for the cafeteria, hoping to get a table to share with their friends and enough chairs for everyone to sit.
The cafeteria’s maximum capacity is 500 seated, 850 standing. On any given day, that number is easily met, as enrollment is 651. If a student is running late after a class, they have no chance finding a chair, but instead resort to standing and eating. It is now next to impossible to find quiet places to sit and eat, which has inconvenienced many a student. Also, the overcrowding has led to build up at microwaves and in the lines to purchase food. The overcrowding is a consequence of this new eating ban. It is not the only one. The eating ban has led to some unintended consequences. Chief among these consequences is the unintentional backlash to clubs. For many clubs, lunch was used as the primary meeting time during the week. Because of this ban, clubs often have to make do with less time, as their members need to eat. Some clubs have even seen a decline in membership since the ban began. For clubs such as Movie Madness, which thrived when meeting at lunch every day, this eating ban has been a death sentence, causing it to shutter its doors. For others, it is a real inconvenience, with less meeting time to get things done. Some groups, however, have been able to get around the ban, which has also led to some backlash. Groups like student government and campus ministry have been given exceptions, where they can eat in the building during meetings. This has led to confusion and anger as well, with many students asking why these groups can eat inside, but not them. For many, it does not seem fair that there are loopholes
Arts & Entertainment Editor Jabriel Andrade ’18 1949
Health & Technology Editor Alexander Vallecillo ’18
Editor in Chief Roman Peregrino ’18
Photo Editor Chris Peterson ’18
Opinion Editor Jacob Taylor ’17
Copy Editors Keven Ariel Munoz ’18 John Regidor ’18
Features Editor Chris Peterson ’18 Sports Editor Greg Guinasso ’17
Exchange Editor Chang Liu ’18 Adviser Susan Sutton, CJE
within the system. The other problem with getting around the eating ban is that it is hard to enforce. It is quite easy to hide out and find places to eat, without being under the watchful gaze of teachers or administrators. It’s easy to see the thought process behind the ban. Riordan students, as a general rule, are messy eaters. As boys, we also have a hard time cleaning up after ourselves. This is a fact. This directly correlates to the fact that the classrooms of Riordan have become dirty and a hassle to clean. There is also the mouse problem, which has cropped up again and again, thanks to the wealth of food we leave for them. While in theory, outlawing all food is the perfect way to stop this problem, but because of the inconveniences it causes, it is hurting more than it is helping. In order to answer the reasoning behind this ban, The Crusader has created a three-fold plan to reduce the amount of food waste left around, but still allow students to eat inside. Step 1: keep the hallways clean. As with the current system, food will not be allowed to eaten in the
Staff Reporters Andrius Appel ’19 Jakeclark Bennett ’18 Stephen Blecha ’19 Patrick Brown ’17 Johnny Caceres ’19 Brandon Castro ’18 Fernando Delgado ’18 Sebastian Fazio ’18 Vince Francisco ’19 Mike’l Gregory ’18 Jaime Hernandez ’17 Ricardo Hernandez ’20 Michael Jaurigui ’19 Michael Kay ’18 Joseph Kerrigan ’18
hallways of school. However, Step 2: Allow food inside the classrooms, with a teacher’s consent. Allow the teachers a choice whether or not they want food in their classrooms. If a teacher decides they are fine with food in their rooms, allow meetings be held there with food for everyone. This seems just like the old system, we realize. So Step 3 addresses the problem by: assigning a cleanup crew to ensure rooms are cleaned up before lunch ends. Either as a form of detention, or as an assigned position, these crews would be tasked with making sure all trash is thrown out and taking any leftover food to the compost bins out back. As it currently stands, the eating ban cannot stand. The problems still exists however, so Riordan students must make a point to change. Dean of Students Juan Zumbado has said he is willing to give out more exceptions, as long as the students can clean up after themselves. While that would a good start, a wholesale change is necessary. It’s time to toss this eating ban. Just make sure you make it in the garbage can.
Rodney Martinez ’17 Shane McKnight ’18 Aidan Murtagh ’20 Henry Novicki ’18 Tomas Palpallatoc ’18 Zachary Phillips ’20 Jeremy Reyes ’18 Steven Rissotto ’20 David Rodriguez-Mendez ’18 Jeancarlos Santos ’17 Uzair Shaikh ’17 Karl Vanuska ’19 Brandon Vargas ’20 Jimmy Velasco ’17 Harrick Wu ’19
March 2017
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Campus News
3
Storms wash away drought, bring new concerns By Michael Kay ’18 and John Regidor ’18
This winter, California, as well as other states across the country, has seen one of the largest storm systems in recent history. From Washington State to Southern California, everyone was feeling the effects of the rain. Some students, however, enjoy the rain. Estefan Granuci ’19 said, “I like the rain. It soothes me when I go to bed. I enjoy the sound of raindrops on my window and roof.” These storms are definitely record breaking. As of Jan. 21, the Sierra Nevada had received its biggest snowfall since the mid 1900s. Many reservoirs throughout the states opened their floodgates for the first time in decades in order to prevent them from overflowing. In February, water engineers scrambled to fix a hole in the spillway at Oroville Dam. Five days later, water flowed over the spillway, threatening 188,000 local residences. This dam is the tallest dam in the United States, standing at 770 feet tall. While things were quickly patched up, new problems began to arise. More recently, California officials called for a shutdown of the pumping station that delivers water to most of Southern California and Silicon Valley after discovering yet another cinch in the dam. Homeowners were assured that they would continue to receive water. Repairs were scheduled for March 15. If the storms continue to persist, many property owners along with government officials fear they could be facing billions of dollars in damage.
At Archbishop Riordan, the constant storms have begun to take its toll on both teachers and students alike. With constant flooding and delays in transportation, attendance, especially in first block classes, which start promptly at 7:45, have experienced a steep decline. “About 20-30 (students) are often late,” said Virginia Alvarado, administrative assistant to the Dean of Students . The weather also forced a number of spring sports to ether rethink their strategy out on the field, or cancel the match altogether. Michael Patterson ’18 said, “The unpredictable weather affects going to school and other obligations as well.”
The general cheerful aura surrounding the school has also been decreasing, as days drone on with nothing but dark skies and heavy rain to look at. Although a few days days of sunshine have broken through the clouds, students can expect more rain to arrive in the coming months. The storm also took a toll on the school. According to Scott Rea ’87, head of Facilities and
Photo by Hunter Harrold ’18 The rain caused flooding in areas such as Harding Golf Course. interview with CBS SF Bay Area, Maintenance, new leaks were found in the sophomore Louis Dixon said, “I’m glad and classrooms, in one of the thankful I didn’t have a wreck bathrooms in the dorms, flooding after hitting that hole because I also lost control of my car.”Across in the parking lot, and one drain by the field could not handle the the West Coast, county after surge of water. county has declared the Three trees by the field were emergency drought over. With the also lost due to the heavy winds. exception of a few counties from The brand new paint job that was Santa Barbara to Los Angeles, completed late last year has, as California has officially been expected, not been damaged. lifted from its five year dry spell. “Storm did not affect paint. It While many Californians resume helped protect the school mostly to old habits performed before the because it was done before storm emergency drought restrictions hit, but most impacts [forced us were in place, such as watering to] seal a lot of cracks in the roof.” the grass, state legislators have In the Bay Area, numerous continued their policy of mild mudslides, fallen trees and drought rules, which include broken power lines left many banning wasteful practices, such local residents on the edge. In as hosing off pavements, and February alone, more than 300 washing cars without a nozzle on flights in and out of the Bay were the hose. According to the National cancelled due to bad weather. Gaping potholes across the Weather Service, as many as Bay grinded traffic to a virtual three storms could appear in the standstill, as crews were forced to coming weeks, with the potential for heavier rains later this week. close road after road. In an
“Grad Photos” continued from page 1 Viggen Rassam ’87, also without a portrait, added, “It’s possible they were placed in the wrong section in storage, and, thanks to the changing of staff, there was no oversight and they threw out everything.” As Riordan’s current Alumni Director, Rovetti knows the importance these pictures hold and recognizes that something should be done. “It’s a bummer. I wish they were all up, but unfortunately they don’t exist. Guys will come by school and they want to find their picture, but they can’t find it. When you are talking about three decades, that’s a lot of history. I’m not quite sure what the next step is. It’s not a cheap deal to recreate all these old photographs; it’s quite a process.” Rassam spent nearly 15 years in the development department in different roles, including alumni director, making him equipped
to explain that process. “The first idea we had in the development office was to digitally recreate all the class collages by scanning each [graduate’s] picture individually from the yearbooks. The only problem is that framing them costs somewhere between $500-700. For 30 classes to be missing — that’s a lot of money. Now, that’s not counting the hours someone has to manually scan the photos. Now, I had the skill to do it, but not the time, and it was cost-prohibitive.” Rassam continued, “With the new technology, and lack of wall space, the new idea we came up with was an interactive video board. Almost immediately, it got held up again. There are still the costs, and we are unsure if that’s the right thing to do. The question now is how we can get [the most bang for our buck]. What can we do with some nice 60” video boards? We can have the photos
rolling through, but we can also set them up for announcements, information, etc. I’m not sure what can actually happen.” No matter how this issue gets resolved, for those who are lucky enough to be on the wall or will be in the future, the class portrait is a special thing. “[When my class picture goes up], it will make me feel that I’m part of a second family, the Crusader family, which honors each generation as they head out into the world fully equipped with the tools needed to succeed,” said Evan Cosentino ’18. “The photo represents a point in time when all my brothers are filled with hope to find our own paths.” Marvin Cortes ’85, father of Daniel ’16, is lucky enough to still be on the walls and is happy of that fact. “It’s an honor to still be in the hallowed hallways of my alma mater. My years there still
hold a sense of pride,” Cortes said, “The first moment I had to to wander the hallways after my son chose Riordan, I immediately looked for that class picture, and will look with pride for the 2016 photo of my son Daniel.” He continued, “I never realized that many of the graduation photos were missing, which is a shame. We should embrace our history and the people that walked through those halls, especially as we head nearer to our 75th year.” Many hope that somehow this issue can be resolved. They say the graduation portraits are important to Riordan’s history and a way should be found to bring them back, whether by digital recreation or by physically putting up replacements. Or, maybe they do still exist. Edgar Beteta ’85 said, “Maybe they’re all hanging by the [third] floor swimming pool!”
4 Campus News
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
March 2017
BSU continues education of African American history
Story and photo by Mike’l Delfon Gregory ’18 Black History Month, or National African American History Month, is an annual celebration of achievements of African Americans, and its central African American figures who played a significant role in U.S history. Black History Month expanded from “Negro History Week,” which was created by the Harvard graduate and freed black man Carter G. Woodson. Its original goal was to teach African Americans about their own heritage. It was later extended
from a week to a month after its 50th year anniversary and growing support for black empowerment movements. February is considered Black History Month primarily because of the birthdays of former slave, Frederick Douglass and 16th U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, who freed the slaves with his Emancipation Proclamation. Many countries around the world celebrate this historic month, including Canada and the United Kingdom. On Feb. 10, a host of Riordan
The Black Student Union organized a display of influential African Americans for February, Black History Month. students, led by the Black Student Union, designed the wall on the second floor featuring African Americans in U.S. history. “I’m really glad the students are sharing history with all the students as they take a quick glimpse, while walking to their next class” one of BSU’s club moderators, Ryan Jones ’09 said. The wall’s purpose is to empower all on campus as well as share a brief visual of the struggles and accomplishments of African Americans. Fun facts and vivid images about black movements
fill the wall intricately. The BSU also hosted a movie luncheon at the end of February, playing various films, discussing Black History, and sharing some of their cultural food with peers. “Today was awesome to share not only my culture but my history as well,” said Jordon Fox ’18. The event ran all lunch long with more than 30 people in attendance. The BSU had a remarkable closing to their Black History Month celebration and is already preparing for next year.
Rooster heralds New Lunar Year 4715 By Jakeclark Bennett ’18
Chinese New Year is one of the most important holidays in China. Lasting for more than 15 days, it has an interesting history to it that spawns most of China’s extraordinary traditions and beliefs. Archbishop Riordan High School decided to address this belief and celebrate it together with the students in the Boarding Program to give them a sense of nostalgia by bringing a holiday they are familiar with to Riordan. Archbishop Riordan Mandarin teacher, YinShan Yang and theology teacher Ken Swan began promoting Chinese New Year as soon as the new semester started. They talked about the celebration in their classes, setting up decorations, and teaching various Chinese New Year blessings to say to peers and even organized a dumpling tasting event in the cafeteria.
The celebration of Lunar New Year continued through the night in the cafeteria, where the staff hosted a party to celebrate the event. Yang said, “It’s a great thing. It shows that Riordan supports the Chinese culture and wants to welcome it.” Compared to how the event is celebrated in China, Yang said, “It’s very different. People in China celebrate with firecrackers, but we weren’t able to do that here. Also, Chinese people wear red, which is a lucky color and we didn’t do that here. The two things similar here were the gathering of family and the lion dance, because the lion dance story is the reason why Chinese New Year traditions exist.” This showed that Archbishop Riordan is supportive of the culture that the majority of boarding school students represent. It gives these students a sense of nostalgia and connection to home.
Photo by Jakeclark Bennett ’18
Coached by Kung Fu Club moderator Chasen Mock, students performed lion dances at the Lunar New Year celebration.
March 2017
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Campus News
5
Hoop competition heats up winter rally By Jaime Hernandez ’17
An outstanding game was played by all divisions at the winter rally on Feb. 10 when teams of five representing each class faced off against each other in a heated battle of hoops. After honoring the basketball team and their hard work this past season, the basketball games commenced, with shortened courts and lowered rims. With the freshman team as the under dog, they defeated their first opponent, the sophomores, 8-6. It almost didn’t seem fair at all with the great plays and dunks the freshman team was pulling off. Sean Palad ’17 said, “All teams played well. I just never imagined seeing freshman play against the teachers.” On the other side of the court, the juniors defeated the seniors 14-4. The freshmen advanced to play against the juniors and it ended up being the same result: amazing dunks, crazy shots, and outstanding blocks. After double overtime, the freshman defeated the juniors 8-6. Matty Calhoun ’18 said, “It’s all fun and games, but if we played serious, of course we would have won.”
Moises Sandoval ’17 tosses the ball for Marcus Donte Williams ’19 and Gage Cross ’20 at the winter rally Photo by Joseph Kerrigan ’18 Knowing them as the big Now for their biggest opponent: guys on campus, what everyone the teachers, including Coach thought was going to be an easy Darius Bell, Admissions Director win for the teachers, did not come and coach Danny Curtin, Coach to pass, as the freshman battled Ryan Jones, RSP Director Nate through another double overtime, Simon, and coach Jay’Sen Morris. which then turned into sudden
death. The freshmen won the tip off but it was quickly blocked by Coach Bell, who took it down the court with no one in his way, and slammed it home. The game was intense, but when the final buzzer rang, the teachers were ahead, with a score of 6-4. The freshmen hung their heads, but played their hardest until the end. However, some claimed, “They cheated.” “It was great. Haters are always going to hate though,” said Coach Curtin ’07. Although they lost, the freshmen said they have plans to take the teachers down at the next rally. Another aspect of the winter rally was the art contest. While the outstanding basketball games were going on, an artist from each division was battling for the prize of best poster. They had to each present a big poster with our mascot on it and draw freestyle. Once the basketball games were over, Student Activities Director Joey Klobas ’07 came to the middle of the court and presented the four posters from each division. The winner was junior Panote Nuchprayoon, which helped to propel the Class of 2018 to win the rally overall.
New clubs invigorate campus
By Jakeclark Bennett ’18
As the new semester at Archbishop Riordan High School began, new clubs arose with it. New classes like the Makerspace spawned more interest in Robotics, which brought new opportunities to students. These clubs offer new experiences to many people who wish to broaden their horizons and seek out new experiences or learn more about their interests. Clubs are a wonderful outlet for this need. One new club offering a helpful community where members can freely express their ideas and seek help from friendly club members is Creative Expressions. Elliott Tamony ’18, Vice President of Creative Expressions, explained, “Creative Expressions is the place for people to express their ideas with a helpful community. My job as the vice president is to put people together for projects, pushing them to collaborate with others.” As he said, Creative Expressions is a new creative outlet for those pursuing their innovative ideas that encourage them to create various media like videos or short stories to bring their own ideas to life. Members of Creative Expressions support each other. They are a
helpful interactive community whose commitment to their club helps improve their ideas. Clubs are essential to Riordan’s community, as well as any school’s community for that matter. They are a way for students to interact with new people, a way for them to get involved with their school, and a way of building friendships or relations with new people. The idea of having these brand new clubs at Riordan to refresh excitement for many students, since it is a chance for them to broaden their horizons by trying out new things that might even develop into hobbies. Tamony supports this, “I think creating new clubs is a great thing to help people grow. It creates more outlets for people to develop their interests with others to grow as a person.” Joey Coxon ’18 also supports this. “By getting involved, you’re helping yourself to what the school offers, which is a good thing for people who want to expand their interests.” Some clubs couldn’t be forged due to the lack of commitment and others experienced decline in membership. However, new clubs give rise to new interests or renewing older ones, which is a welcoming factor in the school community.
“Sisterly Love,” continued from page 24 careful. I have blood work done twice a week and I take my blood pressure and weight every morning. I have to watch what I eat and drink 3-4 liters of water a day to keep the kidney filtering smoothly.” “The dude has nine lives,” Perrotta said. “I’ve never seen someone have that bad luck and make it through. He’s resilient. Even when things were bad, I felt confident and hopeful.” Diane was glad to help her brother in his time of need, and would not hesitate in similar circumstances today. “I would do it again. We have always been close but this changed our relationship completely. I appreciate every moment that I spend with him now and the petty things that we use to argue about have disappeared.” Through all of his health struggles, Steve’s Crusader
brothers supported him. Perrotta said, “[Steve] was aware of the brotherhood. They were definitely behind him. A lot of his friends, former Riordan grads, signed up [on the kidney donor list]. He knew that and was thankful for it. This exemplifies the bonds of brotherhood that emanates from here.” Bodon agreed, saying, “There is something about that Riordan brotherhood… There is nothing like it. Four very short years give you something for a lifetime.” Even though this time was tough for Steve, this process has given him a new outlook on life. “My life will never be the same, but I’m thankful for every single moment of it. They say that God doesn’t give you anything that you can’t handle and I believe that. At the end of the day, it all plays out how things are supposed to be. And that’s an amazing thing.”
6 Campus News
March 2017
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Chaminade Day honors two from Riordan’s past By Johnny Caceres ’19
The Chaminade Day Mass has been a memorable event for everyone for decades. This Mass is to celebrate the founder of the Marianists, Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, and to bestow the annual Chaminade Award upon a deserving member of the Riordan community. This year, there were two recipients: Captain William E. Best, retired, and Fr. John Joseph “Jack” Russi. These two men have truly shown the Marianist qualities held with so much importance to the Riordan tradition of honoring its past. Fr. Jack died on June 20, 2011, so his niece Cathy Thomas took his place to accept the award in his honor. Fr. Jack ‘57 was an alumnus of Riordan who found his calling of being a Catholic educator, a theology teacher, starting his collegiate studies at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, and earned his bachelor’s degree in Principal Vittorio Anastasio ’84 and Development Director philosophy at Chaminade University John Ring flank Chaminade winner Captain William Best. Photo by Joseph Kerrigan ’18
in Hawaii. He taught at Riordan, starting in 1963, for 11 years. He was ordained a priest at St. Cecilia Church on Aug. 26, 1987. He was a teacher, counselor, chaplain and president at Archbishop Mitty for the next 11 years. He then earned his master’s degree in counseling at the University of San Francisco, leading to him serving as Assistant for Religious Life at the Provincial Office for the former Marianist Province of the Pacific from 1978-1985, returning to Archbishop Mitty to serve as principal for three years and became principal in Saint Louis School and Honolulu. Captain William E. Best, or Bill, faithfully served this school on the Board of Trustees for more than two decades. He was very active and helped keep the school financially stable. He joined the Riordan community when Michael Best, his son, attended Riordan in 1993. Best sat on several parent committees in the 1990s, and supported Mercy High School, where his daughter attended.
Crusader community mourns loss of brother By Jimmy Velasco ’17
The
Riordan community mourns the passing of Brother John Haster SM ’57, who died on Jan 16. Brother Haster was an alumnus of the class of 1957, a Marianist brother, and was on the Marianist Provincial administration. He also served as principal of ARHS and helped with the remodeling of the Marianist Center in Cupertino. During his time as principal, the first Kairos program was started, and he found a new passion for Riordan. He was also the first Riordan graduate to become principal of his alma mater. He impacted many, including Principal Vittorio Anastasio ’84, who said, “Over the last 20 plus years I have known him as a person who loved Riordan and supported Riordan. He came to most of our big events. After I became principal he was very encouraging and he enjoyed talking about the improvements he saw taking place.” His funeral was at Saint Joseph
of Cupertino Church and followed with the committal at Gate of Heaven cemetery. Student Body President Randy Bellorin ’17 said, “When I attended Brother John Haster’s funeral, the Marianist beliefs and ideas were [present] in all the people in the church. At one point the brothers brought up gifts, a tradition of the Marianists, which represented how the person lived during his life. Riordan brought up a polo shirt, as did Mitty because he worked at the schools.” He continued, “One of the brothers brought up some Ghirardelli chocolates because Brother Haster would leave a piece a chocolate on the pillow when you stayed in his home. By the love shown by all the families and loved ones, I knew Brother Haster lived a good, generous life. I hope to live a life as complete as his.” Brother Haster will truly be missed in many ways but his legacy still lives on as Anastasio said, “I think every principal, let
alone every person who works at Riordan is a person who carries the torch and hands it off to someone else to keep the school alive and thriving. I think as a student I didn’t get the opportunity to fully realize his impact. People make decisions as a leader that live on for many years.” Bellorin added, “Brother Haster defined what it meant to be a Marianist and I believe he instilled the Marianist beliefs in our school. Many people who come visit Riordan are impressed by how many Marianist symbols and values are posted around the school. I believe part of this is thanks to Brother John Haster.”
Brother John Haster stands beneath a photo of his father, John Haster, who was President of the Lake Merced Golf Club.
March 2017
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Campus News
7
Community cracks crabs to support Riordan By Mike’l Delfon Gregory ’18
On the evening of Jan. 14, more than 450 people came to Riordan’s annual Crab Feed, held in the gym. Parents, school donors, partners, administration, and Riordan families were all in attendance. The gym floor was full of crab shells, laughs, and many memories. A previous Riordan parent exclaimed, “The night was spectacular, and the young men who served tonight were exceptional.” The entire boarding program served their first ever crab feed and other Crusaders joined in, totaling more than 50 gentleman, who supported and served guests throughout the night. “Alumni recognized me from being on the Facebook page, and engaged with me in conversation about being a drum major. This was an extreme highlight. Even serving appetizers in Chaminade Hall was fun because it was my first time to talking to people who follow me along my band career,” said Nick Caracter ’17. The finances raised from the event totaled about $12,000. The proceeds go towards financial assistance to future and current Crusaders. This event was an amazing turnout. The committee in charge of the crab feed hosts
this event annually to celebrate our community, for past and current Riordan families, as well as donors. Alumni Director Marc Rovetti ’87 said, “This event serves a purpose of bringing Riordan back together and celebrating who we are.”
Homeless drive clothes needy By Andrius Appel ’19
In January and February, Archbishop Riordan participated in the Saint Anthony’s homeless drive. Social Science teacher Andres DeRosales, the organizer of this drive, shared his appreciation of students’ effort to donate. He said, “We wanted to surpass the previous year, and we met that goal. High priority items like socks and underwear were donated for the winter season.” He also stated the importance of the donations to help clothe the homeless in such a difficult rainy season San Francisco has had. Many of the Saint Anthony’s members are getting back on their feet and are searching for jobs, so the clothes Riordan donates helps them with interviews as well.
This year, Riordan donated more than 300 clothing items worth around $5,000, $3,000 more than last year’s drive. As for next year, DeRosales said, “Next year the new house system will be able to increase the participation and it will be easier to communicate with classes and help students to realize this city’s homeless problem.” Like the other drives this year, there was a competition and prize for the winning class. The juniors won first place with a prize of modified dress; the sophomores second, the freshmen third, and the seniors came in last. DeRosales hopes that Riordan can keep improving its donation numbers for years to come.
Photo by Mike’l Delfon Gregory This year, more than 450 people attended the annual crab feed, which raised approximately $12,000 for financial assistance for students at Riordan. Guests were served by 50 ARHS students, who acted as waiters for the evening.
8 Local News
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
March 2017
BART changes pull into Balboa Park Station By David Rodriguez-Mendez ’18
Oct. 3, 2016 marked the beginning of construction of BART’s, SFMTA’s, and SFCTA Eastside Connection Project. The project seeks to increase security, accessibility, and improve transit functions at Balboa Park, which serves the Outer Mission, Excelsior, Ingelside, Westwood Park, Miraloma Heights, Sunnyside, Oceanview, and Balboa Terrace neighborhoods. BART released in an announcement on their website that the construction will add “accessible, structurally reinforced pathway from the completed Westside Project over the concrete planter.” Also, “New Eastside deck and head house structure, new accessible pathway to Muni Metro key stop.” In addition, “Elevated accessible pathway and continuous railing to the existing station entrance, as well as a new entrance by the BART ticket vending machines/ faregates. Optional interior upgrades: clerestory glass panels, travertine wall panels, and enhanced lighting.” Dec. 31 was the date for the
trolley entrance to be reopened. As of this publication date, the side entrance from BART directly to the MUNI metro lines is still closed to the public. Projections predict all construction to be finished in late 2017. BART intends to use the new expansion to “reflect the energy of the surrounding community and enhance the station’s existing strengths.” Jose Rico ’18 takes “BART every day to and from school. The trolley entrance has not affected trains back home. It does make a lot of noise but it does not hamper with my commute in any way. I have not been late to school. I don’t think buses have been affected but it does get crowded and busy on Geneva Avenue.” Hunter Harrold ’18 said, “I take Bart almost every single day. The trolley entrance hasn’t affected me a substantial amount. I haven’t noticed buses being heavily affected.”
Designbythebay.org According to a BART news release, “The goal of the project is develop a comprehensive vision to upgrade and modernize the station. The vision is to modernize the station so that it demonstrates BART’s commitment to advancing transit ridership, improving the transit experience, enhancing the quality of life around the stations and meeting BART’s needs for the
future.” In addition, the station modernization revolves around the themes of vibrancy, connectivity, and sustainability. The release also said, “The improvements focus on increasing safety, capacity, sustainability, appearance, and enhancing the customer experience.”
Women march in support of equality for all
Commentary
By Tomas Palpallatoc ’18 On the afternoon of Jan. 21, 2017, more than 200,000 men, women, and children gathered in San Francisco’s Civic Center, along with millions more all over the world, donning pink caps in protest of injustices against women. The Bay Area Women’s March, as it was called, was only one of many. In America alone, thousands of people and leaders of the new feminist movement worked together in order to organize this historic day. As a result, almost every major city in all of America, from Washington, to New York, to Honolulu had their own protests, along with hundreds of others to make a grand total of 673 separate protests on that one day alone. Not only did these marches draw out millions from all over the world, but leaders of organizations such as Rise, famous actors such as Scarlet Johansson, famous writers such as Gloria Steinem, along with many other speakers from all walks of life. These powerful women, who were leaders in their own respective fields, came together in support of the message that they would not stand for the injustices going on around the world and the inequality that stood not only against women, but against minority groups everywhere.
The date of the march itself was no coincidence. It was purposely placed in accordance with president Trump’s inauguration. While the march was made directly in support of equality rights for all, it was also clearly in partial protest of President Trump’s election. The election was already highly controversial and many comments made by Trump during his campaign, targeted at specific minority groups, came off as offensive to many people. Specifically, the two groups Trump seemed to target the most with his comments were women and immigrants. Because of this, the rally carried the message of acceptance of all immigrants from all countries into America, a stance that directly combats President Trump’s ideas on immigration. In fact, the march was in opposition to not only his stance on immigration, but many of his other views and his election as a whole. This was made apparent through the night with plenty of anti-Trump chants and countless posters insulting or ridiculing the current president. The antiTrump sentiment expressed throughout the night, was only one of the themes of the night. One major focus around the Women’s March was that it was for more than just women. “The Women’s Movement’ is simply one a facet of a recent
surge in activism that is fighting to build healthier communities by helping support everyone within it, be they women, or immigrants, or black, or LGBT, or disabled, or any number of groups that often get ignored,” said science teacher Colleen O’Rourke. A lot of the support and speeches at the rally focused on the celebration of, instead of rejection of, our differences as people— whether those differences are gender, race, culture, or any other separating factors. “I can’t believe I still have to protest this,” an attendee of the rally said. “We protested for the exact same rights 30 years ago, and I can’t believe I still have to do it today.” Throughout history, women have always been one of the major leaders of civil rights. Not only at the head of female civil rights, but also for that of African Americans, Native Americans, and even for equal education. This “new wave of feminism,” in reality is nothing new. New advances in technology and the rise of social media made it easier to spread the message to more people than ever before. The women’s movement has always been one that has gone hand in hand with others, always preaching a message of equality for all by recognizing that it is not just one specific group of people who have their rights under
threat, but rather many. As someone who had never attended a rally before, let alone a women’s rights event, I was somewhat intimidated by what I thought I would experience once I was there. Horror stories of feminists attacking men were ones I often saw on social media, so my feeling about the march before going wasn’t fully positive. However, I supported the message of equality for all and because of that, I attended. And I’m glad I did, because on arrival, it was clear that the women there, the people there, were nothing like what I had been convinced they would be. I was met with nothing but acceptance and love. Not only by women, but my men, children, families, and much of the alike. The speeches given by the platitude of people moved me towards the front and as the crowd cheered at every word the speaker said, I looked back in amazement to see a sea of nothing but smiles. The crowd was filled with overwhelming positivity, inspired by the speeches given. As the speeches were progressing, rain began to pour down over the city. But instead of turning around and going home, more than 200,000 people pulled out their umbrellas and cheered
Please see “Women’s March” on page 11
March 2017
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Local News
9
Catholic schools confront closures as enrollment declines By John Regidor ’18
In January, two Archdioceses announced the closure of five major Catholic schools across the Bay Area. The most recent of these school closures will happen on June, as Father John Jimenez, the pastor of St. Charles Borromeo School in San Francisco, announced. “It’s very sad because there are a couple of teachers who have been there for more than 10 years, and they have nowhere else to go, unless the Archdiocese gives them a chance to re-employ,” said St. Charles graduate Brandon Castro ’18. The Archdiocese stated that the enrollment of the 129-year old school had declined by over half in the past three years. “It will take a period of time and much work to build enrollment back up to where it needs to be provided a solid learning environment for our children,” stated the Archdiocese. On top of falling enrollment, the school is also in need of serious renovations, as the original building was built in 1887. These renovations would include expensive work making the building safe for earthquakes. Other schools included on the closure list are St. Jerome Catholic School in El Cerrito, St. Martin de Porres School in Oakland, St. Jarlath Catholic School in Oakland, St. Lawrence O’Toole School in Oakland, and Our Lady of the Rosary Church School in Union City. These schools were closed based on falling enrollment and growing operational deficits. “I feel like it’s really sad, but we gotta get through it.” said Rayburn Tang ’18. This is part of the archdiocese’s plan for Catholic schools across the country. According to the
archdiocese, this plan, “requires, a broader and deeper set of skills than some principals, trained in a different era, are prepared for.” Changing times have forced the Church to change its policy and outlook as they move towards an uncertain future. A trend of closing Catholic schools has swept across the country. America’s Catholic schools are closing at an alarming rate. Enrollment of Catholic schools peaked during the 1960s with more than 13,000 Catholic elementary, and secondary schools. However, by 2012, less than 7,000 Catholic schools remained operational. according to the Scholar Strategy Network. Many point to various factors that contributed to the decline of schools. In the past, much of the staff at Catholic schools consisted of religious sisters, priests, and brothers. These religious teachers were paid lower wages than lay teachers, as they were obligated to take on a vow of poverty. However, after Vatican II, many of these positions began to become vacant. Schools began to hire more professional teachers with increased salaries. In order to make up for these costs, schools have begun to raise tuition costs. Rising tuition has forced many low-income families to relocate their children to more cost effective schools. The average price per student ranges from $1,500- $5,500 a year. Many feel that the Church may have turned away from Latino immigrants, unlike the upward mobility it offers Irish and Italian Catholics. The Notre Dame Task Force on Participation of Latino Families and Schools observed the largest number of empty schools are centered around large Hispanic populations. One major concern is the fact
that Catholic schools will no longer be able to provide for those in need, as well as provide their children with a Catholic education. As the continual closure of underperforming public schools continues, many see the Catholic Church as a refuge for these uncertain times. Through the last few decades, the Catholic Church has done just that. However, the recent closures of numerous Catholic schools have hurt many families. “If you are trying to reach out to people who are marginalized socially, how can you close schools in that district?” said Deacon Joseph LeBlanc. “The question becomes, how can you reach them without schools? The way I see it, with the closures of schools the little money saved must be funneled into parishes so that they can reach out to others.” Despite all these challenges, many individuals have risen against the odds to beat back this trend. Catholic schools are mainly funded by donations, fundraisers and subsidies from religious sponsors, however, as prices continue to rise, schools look towards alternate funding, such as tuition endowments for the government. As of 2008, the archdiocese formulated a new form of tuition aid. By giving nine schools their subsidies early, they were able to attract, as well as retain more students. With these new changes, tuition aid had more than doubled, reaching $2 million. Despite this, the needed
SFBayview.com St. Charles School in San Francisco will close this year. tuition assistance is closer to $18 million. Catholic schools across the country have adopted new strategies to meet the changing times. Some schools, such as Our Lady of Mercy in Daly City, have integrated technology as well as numerous extracurricular activities to attract new students. Katherine Peck, principal of St. Stephen’s Catholic School in Philadelphia, said on the interview with PBS, “For us, implementing enrichment programming and changing the way we were teaching and our instruction was a great benefit to us. For another school, it might be having ESL programs and having parent workshops at night.” Though the journey may be long, educators, parents, and students, still look towards a bright future. “The mission of Catholic schools is still valued and very important,” said Deacon LeBlanc. “There will always be room for Catholic schools, just not as much as there use to. People will still seek religious schools, from Catholic to Protestant, and everything in between.”
New SFPD Chief reports for duty By Greg Guinasso ’17
Mayor Ed Lee announced on Dec. 21 that San Francisco will have a new police chief, William Scott. The 52-year-old William Scott was formerly part of the Los Angeles Police Department, starting in 1989, and oversaw the department’s 1,700 member South Bureau. He will be filling the spot of former police chief Greg Suhr, who resigned after a couple of officer-involved shootings throughout San Francisco and many protests, including hunger strikes, against police shootings. Mayor Ed Lee was hoping to appoint someone within the department, but realized that this issue of appointing the right person was serious and decided to
appoint Scott. The San Francisco Police Officer’s Association was hoping for the interim chief to be named to the job permanently, but are looking forward to meeting and working with William Scott. Scott noted that “Change is always a challenge, particularly in this profession, and I think one of the ingest challenges will be just that-change. He went on to add that, “Some things will change, some things have to change, but what I seek is that there’s an organization here that recognizes that and is willing to be open to that.” Mayor Ed Lee went on to say that, “We are changing as a city. We are changing on the standards of what we expect officers to do.” Many people are looking
forward to the change of the new San Francisco Police Chief and hope the best is ahead for San Francisco, while others question if this was the right move by Mayor Lee. Many do not agree with the decision of Mayor Lee to go outside of the city to find someone rather than appointing someone from the San Francisco Department. San Francisco is going to undergo major changes in the department and many agree the changes are going to be for the better.
SFPD Chief William Scott
10 National & World News
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
March 2017
Travel ban hits home for ARHS teacher By Vince Francisco ’19
Vince Francisco: Where are you from, Ms. Bargshady? Nazila Bargshady, math and science teacher: I am from Tehran, Iran. VF: What is your connection to Iran, besides being born there? NB: I finished high school in Tehran and came to the States for a [college education], in which I received my Master’s Degree in Engineering. Part of my family is in Iran, a sister in Germany, and my brother is in Boston, Massachusetts. VF: When did you arrive in the U.S.? NB: I came around 1982 to 1983. VF: What are your thoughts on Trump’s strict immigration ban relating to foreigners from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen, and Somalia? NB: For me, this ban has nothing to do with terrorism as the ban claims. Of all the terrorist acts on U.S. soil, such as 9/11, the countries listed were not involved. This ban is to divide people and make racism more prominent in the community, as well to show that some of [Trump’s] campaign promises will not go unnoticed. VF: How has the ban affected you or people you know? NB: I have not been affected directly, however I know relatives that have been affected, particularly those with green cards. I have family and friends that are as old as 75, and when they got here, they did not know that the executive order would be issued on Jan. 27. And, these flights are really long, especially for the elderly and children, like around 24 hours long. So my friend’s relative, she gets here and as soon as the terminal doors open, she is placed into a quarantine room and she was kept there for several hours. After that, airport officials sent her back to Iran like a wrong package, and who knows what will happen to her health because a long trip from Iran is not easy. And then being in an interrogation office for seven to eight hours without food, water or her medication, including being forced to be sent back with sleep deprivation? It is even worse for children and their parents. VF: Is the ban going to make you reconsider future travel plans to Iran? NB: Of course. I normally go to
Central America. This time, I would really consider not going because officials will know that I am from Iran and the inconvenience of going through immigration is strenuous. This is illegal and unconstitutional by the way, but because it is an executive order, it has priority. If I travel in the future with Trump as president, I will not be able to know what new executive order is in place that will stop me from coming back. My whole life is [in the U.S.]: my job, my house, my husband, etc. But if I go to Iran this summer and come back to the U.S. in August, I might be placed in quarantine just because of my heritage. Again, you never know what Trump’s true political agenda really is. There is no legality in this, at all, and people suffer greatly. VF: Is the ban itself fair, to limit travel for people from those countries?
NB: Absolutely not. This ban has nothing to do with these countries. It is just a political agenda and part of his campaign. Let me emphasize this, none of these countries are terrorist countries. Look at 9/11, when it happened, the 14 out of the 19 attackers were from Saudi Arabia, two or three from United Arab Emirate, and one was from Egypt. None of those attackers who caused the catastrophe with a result of more than 3,000 lives lost were from the list of countries that are banned. These countries should be on the list. But why does Trump not put those countries on the list? Well, he most probably has investments there and are U.S. allies. VF: What do you think the point of this ban is for then? NB: It is only for politics! Trump said in his campaign that he would “Get Muslims the hell outta here,” “I will make this country safe,” and “America will be great again.” What Trump truly means though, Is he will bring racism and bigotry to this country. Trump wants to wreak havoc on innocent people. Next, Trump will cause strife with Mexico to build this wall, which for one will plummet the economy because a wall of that size is so expensive. With this ban, it caused an economic disaster for the Middle Eastern airlines and other industries related to travel. There is no fairness about this. At the San Francisco International Airport (SFO), many people from other different races and religions came to help protest against the ban because the ban directly affects the listed countries, but
indirectly affects people from places like India. A large amount of the workers in the technological industry are coming in from those similar countries. Companies like Google and Apple, you name it, rely on people who come in internationally with a visa status to help advance in the future. Their workers protested as well because it will affect the company’s well-being as well as global economy, and if these workers are not allowed to come work for these big names, they will feel rejected because it was not part of the deal they signed up for. VF: There have been several white Americans that have been interviewed and they say they feel safe that the ban is in place, how do you feel? NB: Well what is safe? Americans were fine even before the ban was set. If Trump tries to criminalize Muslim people, then all of the ISIS extremists will make their native countries less safe. When the ban was being made, many in Trump’s administration objected to his proposal because even they know that the ban would have no legal standing. Trump is trying to convince those without greater knowledge of politics that Muslims are the threat and particularly these countries will make the greater populace feel “safe.” Trump’s greatest promise was for him to get the job, and he is distracting people with this nonsense. Many investors from outside the U.S. want the global economy to do good. If Trump keeps up with what he is doing, then the economy of the world will become unsafe, thereby making the people in the U.S. unsafe and who does he want to blame? Muslims. The other terrible acts such as the one in Oklahoma or Columbine, these were executed by people born in America because they possibly did not receive better healthcare. If there was better psychological and physiological care for the average U.S. citizen, the question of “Am I safe?” would not be used frequently. VF: How do you feel about this new chapter being written for the United States? NB: I feel good that people are concerned about it. People are becoming more aware of more
Teacher Nazilia Bargshady at a double deck park in Iran that was designed by a young female Iranian engineer.
Editor’s Note: At publication time, the travel restrictions have been changed because of court challenges to the legality of barring travel to the United States based on country of origin only.
injustices done. When I went to SFO, I was proud to see many lawyers and varieties of races and religions who sympathize with Muslims because Muslims are treated as criminals. In America, the greater people will not tolerate that. They want true democracy. If one believes in true democracy, they will not reject someone who barely escaped with their life from a country filled with war, like Syrians. Syrians come here because America is a sanctuary. Never reject people who have sold mostly everything they have to come here to be safe. This is America, who must open its doors to assist others in trouble. Everyone who exists in the United States is connected to many regions throughout the world. That is what makes America great: the diversity of races, religions, languages, and cultures. Without immigrants, the U.S. would not be the U.S. This is the America I respect and love. This is the start of extreme awareness, which I am very happy to see that our young people are partaking in. It’s a new era of knowing what is going on in the world, the economy, what is happening in education, will I know that I can drink safe water, will I come tomorrow and safely know that my job will be there for me? This is great timing for our new generation to save the world.
March 2017
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
National & World News
11
President Trump: A retrospective of his first days in office By Aidan Murtagh ’20
Although President Donald Trump has been in office for only two months, his presidency certainly has been eventful so far. In foreign relations, Trump has reinstated an immigration ban, which has either upset or pleased many people across the country; likewise, he regularly speaks of building a wall along the USMexican border. He has also phoned Mexican and Australian leaders with messages, offending leaders of these respective nations found offensive. It was reported that Trump was again talking to the Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto about the “bad hombres” near the border, which did not particularly please Nieto. Trump also contacted the Australian Prime Minister regarding Australian refugees coming to America, and reportedly said that this was “the worst deal ever” and that he was “going to get killed” for agreeing. Along with blockading our exterior borders, President Trump is continuing his hunt to deport many people across the country. The threat of deportation has changed the lives of many living in America, striking fear into those within these borders. Trump wants to eliminate foreign-based crimes such as drug and human trafficking, through deportation, in an attempt to “dismantle criminal organizations.” He also withdrew our country from the Trans Pacific Partnership, a 12-nation trade
positions. In the Supreme Court, President Trump nominated Judge Neil McGill Gorsuch to fill the empty seat vacated by former Justice Antonin Scalia. Trump also made new regulations on businesses, trying to end differences between small and big businesses. With many changes occurring in Washington D.C., our country is bound to shift, and time will tell whether the changes benefit our nation. Finally, Trump, as a businessman, has made many financial changes that he feels will boost the economy. First, Trump reduced spending on homeowners insurance, leaving excess money for federal spending. Trump plans to spend more money to strengthen our military with new resources and equipment. With this added spending, Trump hopes to
establish “peace through strength” in a national and global setting. In other aspects of finance, Trump and the Labor Department are reviewing a rule established by President Obama that requires financial managers to keep their clients’ best interests in mind when they are doing their job. The department doesn’t think this rule is necessary and will repeal it. In addition to regulating rules for financial managers, Trump called for regulations on Wall Street. Trump looks to repeal the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which largely monitors finances, and in particular lending large amounts of money. Because Trump has owned one of the largest corporations in the world (The Trump Organization), Trump looks at this act from a business perspective, and wants to repeal it because he agrees with the lending of large amounts of money. With a new state of mind in the White House, our economy could take a turn for the better with the help of Donald Trump. Donald Trump’s presidency has been exactly what was anticipated in some ways, and surprising in other ways. Compared to President Barack Obama, the country has a completely different person in the Oval Office, and President Donald Trump has the opportunity and power to make this country successful, but it’s up to him. We will soon see what else is in store for the rest of Donald Trump’s term.
up to the crises facing our communities. Income inequality, health-care concerns, and ecological climate change are no longer vague theories but actual facts hurting people right now. I think a lot of people have realized that if left unchecked, greed will run amok and serve only itself
and those in power, so it’s up to us to move on our own to fight back. Most interestingly, now more than ever, we have access to technology to educate us on issues and communicate our actions with each other, so things have moved a lot faster than such movements have ever seen before.
DonaldJTrump.com President Donald Trump has many more plans for his presidency. deal because he thought it wasn’t protecting American workers enough. Trump has an interesting way of communicating with foreign nations, which changes our foreign relationships. In the domestic area of his power, Trump is pushing the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, an act instituted by Barack Obama, which insured millions of Americans and illegalized the power to deny healthcare to anyone. Trump did so because he believed it put “burdens” on state governments, businesses, and the American citizens themselves. In addition, Trump has put a temporary freeze on hiring federal workers. With this order, the federal government will not be hiring anyone new, except for certain military and security
Women’s March Q & A
Tomas Palpallatoc: What is the primary goal of the women’s movement?
Science Teacher Colleen O’Rourke: I feel like this is simply the latest surge in a very long history of fighting for the rights of women and other oppressed groups. Social historians look at the history of feminism as happening in three waves: the First Wave began in the early 1900s as women fought for the right to vote and to not be considered the legal property of their husbands. The 60s and 70s is considered the Second Wave of feminism as women fought against the traditional gender roles forced on them during the 1950s. Unfortunately, Second Wave feminism focused primarily on the needs of middle-to-upperclass white women almost exclusively, so beginning in the late 80s we saw Third Wave feminism which tried to consider the needs of lower class women
and women of color. I believe what we’re seeing now is the beginnings of Fourth Wave feminism which is now fighting not only for the rights of women, but for other groups oppressed by modern day societies. The “Women’s Movement” is simply one facet of a recent surge in activism that is fighting to build healthier communities by helping support everyone within it, be they women, or immigrants, or black, or LGBT, or disabled, or any number of groups that often get ignored. I have seen the webpages and social media of all these movements crosspromoting and supporting each other, and it’s outstanding. TP: What events do you think caused this movement to progress so much in the past year? CO: I think recent events have finally made a lot of people wake
“Women’s March,” continued from page 8
even louder. And so we marched towards City Hall to the sound of raindrops beating against the sidewalk, cheering and screaming together, not as women, men, immigrants, or minorities, but rather as a movement. As we began marching through the soaking streets, signs and rainbow flags were raised into the air, chants roared loudly over the sounds of thunder, and residents of the adjacent buildings came out cheering in support of the march. “With signs and chanting and a sea of diversity within the crowd
—men, women, and otherwise— we ignored the rain and the cold just like we ignored the fear hounding at our heels,” O’Rourke said in reference to the march. A feeling began to spread through the crowd. A feeling that not only us, but our ideas were unstoppable. A feeling that the injustice and inequality we all fought against would be defeated. A feeling that we could make the change we wanted to see in the world by making it ourselves. And while there is a long way to go, on that day it felt like we had taken a step forward, together.
12 Arts & Entertainment
March 2017
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Oscar predictions perfected By JP Detweiler ’18
Detweiler makes fewer mistakes than Warren Beatty
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE *CASEY AFFLECK “Manchester by the Sea” ANDREW GARFIELD “Hacksaw Ridge” RYAN GOSLING “La La Land” VIGGO MORTENSEN “Captain Fantastic” DENZEL WASHINGTON “Fences” Most Likely Recipient: Casey Affleck, “Manchester by the Sea” Possible Recipient: Denzel Washington, “Fences.” Affleck plays an emotionally destroyed Massachusetts handyman named Lee Chandler, who takes on the responsibility of taking care of his teenage nephew after his father dies. Casey masterfully captures the essence of a man distraught by his mistakes in the past, but manages to show a compassionate nature to his brother’s orphaned son. But, I wouldn’t be surprised if Denzel took home the gold in his adaptation of the Broadway play “Fences.” I mean c’mon... it’s Denzel Washington. ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE ISABELLE HUPPERT “Elle” RUTH NEGGA “Loving” NATALIE PORTMAN “Jackie” *EMMA STONE “La La Land” MERYL STREEP “Florence Foster Jenkins” Most Likely Recipients: Emma Stone, “La La Land” or Natalie Portman, “Jackie” Honestly, this is a tough call. Stone absolutely kills it in her role as an aspiring Hollywood actress in “La La Land,” but that’s not to undermine Portman’s reincarnation of arguably the most famous First Lady in American history. Both actresses deserve the Oscar, but knowing the Academy Awards, it’s most likely going to go to Emma Stone. ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE *MAHERSHALA ALI “Moonlight” JEFF BRIDGES “Hell or High Water” LUCAS HEDGES “Manchester by the Sea” DEV PATEL “Lion” MICHAEL SHANNON “Nocturnal Animals”
Most Likely Recipient: Mahershala Ali, “Moonlight.”
Now this one is a no-brainer. No one else even comes close to the performance Mahershala Ali gave in this category. He plays a character in “Moonlight” named “Juan,” a neighborhood drug dealer who fathers a young African American homosexual who’s raised by a crack-addicted mother in the crime ridden streets of Miami. Even though Mahershala is only depicted in the first of three acts, his message resonates throughout the entire movie, and that is to make one’s own decisions for himself. The fact that he didn’t win the Golden Globe is no less than highway robbery… no offense Aaron Taylor-Johnson, you were great too (even though you’re not even nominated for an Oscar). ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE *VIOLA DAVIS “Fences” NAOMIE HARRIS “Moonlight” NICOLE KIDMAN “Lion” OCTAVIA SPENCER “Hidden Figures” MICHELLE WILLIAMS “Manchester by the Sea” Most Likely Recipient: Viola Davis, “Fences” Possible Recipient: Michelle Williams, “Manchester by the Sea” Viola Davis is astonishing in her supporting role as Rose Maxson in “Fences.” Having played the character 114 times before in the Broadway revival, Davis has a keen understanding of Rose as well as a finely developed chemistry with her costar Denzel Washington. The two create pure magic on screen as they portray an honest loving couple broken up by lies and betrayal. It’s a pretty safe bet that Davis is going to take the Oscar home, but Michelle Williams gave a very down to earth performance in “Manchester by the Sea” and it wouldn’t be unjust to reward her instead. DIRECTING “ARRIVAL” Denis Villeneuve “HACKSAW RIDGE” Mel Gibson *“LA LA LAND” Damien Chazelle “MANCHESTER BY THE SEA” Kenneth Lonergan
“MOONLIGHT” Barry Jenkins
Most Likely Recipient: “LA LA LAND,” Damien Chazelle Since his last Oscar-nominated exploit “Whiplash” in 2014, Damien Chazelle took time and attention to craft a masterpiece in his vibrant musical “La La Land”. I mean, the opening sequence alone… wow. Who else can fabricate a song/dance number with only one take that can make something as trivial as typical L.A. traffic a spectacle to behold?! Hats off to you, Mr. Chazelle. BEST PICTURE “ARRIVAL” “FENCES” “HACKSAW RIDGE” “HELL OR HIGH WATER” “HIDDEN FIGURES” “LA LA LAND” “LION” “MANCHESTER BY THE SEA” *“MOONLIGHT” Most Likely “MOONLIGHT” or “LA LA LAND”
Recipients:
Possible Recipient: “FENCES”
Nine nominations in what is considered to be “the one to take the cake.” This is where you separate the wheat from the chaff. This is as close as it’s gonna get for me. “Moonlight” and “La La Land” are archetypes of films we haven’t seen in a long time or even ever. While both deliver us the essential emotions we come to the cinema to feel, one has to stand the test of time better than the other. But which one will we be asked about in 30 years to which our answer would be, “Yeah, I remember that one, an absolute classic!” Well, in terms of bringing a sense of realism and really connecting to our culture and society today, it’s gotta be “Moonlight.” But, in terms of staying true to the “Hollywood style” of filmmaking where filmmakers wow the audience with pure drama, visual beauty, and elegant music, “La La Land” is no better choice. Critics and average moviegoers alike would have a tough time choosing the better of the two, which is why I can’t give a definitive answer. Whichever film wins will not be more deserving than the other, they are both terrific. As for “Fences,” you got a shot. Editor’s Note: Winners have a *, and JP’s predictions are bolded and italicized. Yes, he got them all right.
March 2017
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Arts & Entertainment
13
Sudden celebrity deaths mar the year 2016 By Jeremy Reyes ’18 and Steven Rissotto ’20
In 2017, there are many new and exciting upcoming movies to look forward to. Although that is the case, the world lost many great people from the film, music, and sports worlds in 2016.
Muhammad Ali 1942-2016 Muhammad Ali is one of the most recognizable names in sports history. He was one of the most inspirational athletes in and out of the boxing ring. He started his boxing career in 1960 and he took off from there. His most famous fight was when he fought Joe Frazier in 1971 and it was considered the fight of the century. People can still hear the words today: “Down goes Frazier!” Outside the ring, he was a political figure, standing up for his beliefs and ultimately changing his name in the process. Ali ended his boxing career in 1981 and finished with an unreal record of 56 wins and 5 losses. When Ali died in the summer, everyone was stunned and saddened to hear that another sports and American icon was gone.
David Bowie, 1947-2016 In 1996, David Bowie was inducted into the famous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Bowie’s message was simple: follow your dreams. He performed rock and roll for five decades, most notably the 1970s. One of his more popular songs was his hit single “Space Oddity,” which was released in the summer of 1969. It was his first, of many, singles to rank in his home country. As Bowie got older, times started to change and he adapted. Music was different in the 1980s. Bowie began releasing songs for the pop industry, to go along with his earlier collection. Later in his career, Bowie performed less frequently, due to his health
issues. In early 2016, Bowie lost his long battle with liver cancer. He was most known for bringing a new view of music into the early 1970s and selling an estimated 140 million records worldwide. In 2016, Rolling Stone named Bowie “the greatest rock star ever.”
Carrie Fisher 1956-2016 The most well known actor on this list, Carrie Fisher was an American actress who has starred in “Shampoo,” “The ’Burbs” and most notably, The Star Wars franchise. When we thought that 2016 couldn’t get any worse, it took away Princess Leia at the last second. With the rise of the new Star Wars trilogy, many fans were excited to see old faces back on the big screen. Her iconic role as Princess Leia made fans fall in love with her from A New Hope to her return in The Force Awakens. Besides her work as an actor, Carrie Fisher was a humanitarian who supported women’s advocacy, animal rights, LGBT causes. She also contributed financially to HIV and AIDS organizations. On Dec. 23, 2016, Carrie Fisher was on a flight from London to Los Angeles. Fifteen minutes before the plane landed, she suffered a medical emergency. After four days in intensive care, she died on Dec. 27.
Prince 1958-2016 You can’t talk about pop music without Prince. Although he was no Michael Jackson, Prince made his own mark on the pop world, by creating an influential example on how music was growing throughout the world. In the 1980s and 1990s, folks were finally moving away from those 1960s and 1970s hippie songs and moving to the new school version. Prince started his colorful music career in the mid 1970s, where he started to breakout to the world.
He starred in the movie “Purple Rain,” where he produced the hit single of the same name. Not only was his music iconic, but he changed the fashion industry forever and inspired many artists after him with his style. Overall, the seven time Grammy Award Winner and Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame Inductee will be truly missed by the music world.
Debbie Reynolds 1932-2016 Debbie Reynolds was an actress, singer, and the mother of Carrie Fisher. She started out as a young woman who came from a meager and poor life. In 1948, talent scouts spotted her and wanted to sign her. She regularly appeared in musicals and had several hit records during the 1950s. Her song “Aba Daba Honeymoon” was the first recorded soundtrack to become a top-of-the-chart gold record. Although most of her fame came from the mid to late 20th century, she has voiced in the show Rugrats and starred in the Disney film franchise Halloweentown. The day after the death of her daughter, Debbie Reynolds died from a severe stroke on Dec. 28, 2016.
Alan Rickman 1946-2016 Alan Rickman was an English actor and director who played many roles, his most well-known being Professor Snape from the Harry Potter films. Although Rickman was known for his role as Snape and other “unsympathetic characters,” he took issue with being typecasted as the villain. His career was filled with a wide range of roles besides his usual villain roles such as a romantic role in “Sense and Sensibility” and comedic role in “Love Actually.” In August 2015, Rickman was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He kept his terminal condition confidential.
On Jan. 14, 2016, Rickman passed away. After his death, his fans created a memorial for him under the “Platform 9¾” sign at London King’s Cross railway station.
Alan Thicke 1947-2016 Alan Thicke was a Canadian actor, game and talk show host, and the father of singer Robin Thicke. His best known role was as Jason Seaver in “Growing Pains.” He has hosted Animal CrackUps in the 1980s and Pictionary in 1997. He hosted his own talk show which was widely popular in Canada called “The Alan Thicke Show.” The show was so popular that it spawned a prime-time spin off that showed edited highlights of the show. He was later signed to do an American late night talk show called “Thicke of the Night.” When he was playing hockey with one of his sons, he collapsed and was sent to the hospital. He died on Dec. 13, 2016 due to type-A aortic dissection.
Gene Wilder 1933-2016 The star of one of many people’s favorite childhood movies, Gene Wilder left us last year with all the other memorable actors. Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka in the original “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” is one of the greatest movie icons to many generations. To this day, people still watch enjoy the movie and his performance. Wilder was so iconic that he became a meme in 2011. Wilder’s WIlly Wonka has affected almost everyone that the British Band Coldplay paid tribute to him by performing a rendition of “Pure Imagination,” a song from the movie. Most people associate Wilder with his popular role as Willy Wonka, but he is also a screenwriter and director. He collaborated on “Blazing Saddles” and “Young Frankenstein.” After his retirement, Wilder wrote three books. On August 29, 2016, Gene Wilder died from complications of Alzheimer’s disease.
14 Arts & Entertainment
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
March 2017
Colorguard twirls excitement for members, fans By Alexander Vallecillo ’18
Colorguard is an extracurricular performance art, the visual part of marching band, and involves the twirling of equipment like flags, rifles, and sabers. It started to form in 2004 with the first Drill Team consisting of only Riordan students and expanded in 2009 with mostly Mercy and ICA students. The members practice every Monday and Wednesday from 4:30 - 7:30 pm and on Sunday from 1:00 - 5:00 pm. They learn how to toss flags, rifles, and sabers, and other basic skills and dance moves. The team consists of students from Archbishop Riordan, Mercy SF and ICA, but other schools are open to join.
Alexandria Literato, ICA Class of 2019, said she joined “to experience something new and get out of my comfort zone.” There are two seasons for Colorguard, the first takes place in the fall (end of August to November) and the second takes place during the winter and spring (after Christmas break to April/May) and is formally known as Winterguard. Each season is three months each and has a different focus— Colorguard is more military based and Winterguard is more contemporary dance based. Colorguard is a different art form, one which requires mental, physical fitness and hand coordination. They compete against teams at other schools.
“Colorguard helps me with my dancing and teaches me new things,” stated Ximena Loeza, ICA Class of 2017. This year, Colorguard won part of Fleet Week Band Review, won 3rd in the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Band Review and won 1st at Foothill High School in Pleasanton. They also performed in Rome with the band during the New Year Parade. Winterguard is more free range, as its season begins with choreography and at the end of their season they perform everything they learn at a concert. There are different levels in Colorguard such as novice, intermediate, advanced and open -—Riordan is at the novice level. “I learned during summer school
when Ximena came into my class and she promoted Colorguard,” said Angelina Rosillo, ICA Class of 2019. During the Super Bowl 51 Half Time Show, the Lady Gaga performance featured the Cypress Independent World Color Guard. Admiring the performance of a colarguard team on the world stage, Ricardo Miranda ’18 said, “I thought the Super Bowl Half Time Show performance was beautiful.” Colorguard is led by Briana Yamagato and Carlos Guerro. Briana is currently part of Blue Devils and Carlos participates in Colorguard for his love of the art. Colorguard will be open for new applicants in the beginning of next school year.
Band steps off competition with several wins By John Regidor ’18
On Nov. 19, 2016, the Archbishop Riordan Marching Band ended its competition season, winning first place in concert and second place in drum major in the Fairfield Tournament of Champions Band Review. The band has gathered a total of eight after four months of grueling competitions, parades, and many numerous other performances. Since previous band director, Scott Souza retired, Kyle Hildebrant has been faced with the challenge of continuing the Crusaders’ legacy. “I have noticed a shift in work ethic and my own attitude and work ethic as well, adapting to the position this year. It might be stressful at times; however, all the students have been supportive and I have been very grateful for that support and family atmosphere that Riordan provides,” said Hildebrant. The Crusader Marching Band mainly competed against several bands in Division B. Each division is broken down by the number of students per school, with Division
AA having the most students and Division E having the least. The band is also divided into four main classes. The Instrumental Music Ensemble, the Intermediate Band, Concert Band, and Jazz Band. In addition to this, the band is also supported by an award winning Drumline and Colorguard. The Crusader Band stepped off its competition season on Sept. 24 at Delta Band Review in Antioch. As the first performance of the largely inexperienced band, they took to the streets with a sound that would reverberate through the rest of the year. They performed “March of the Women Marines” by Louis Saverino. They were able to take home a second place trophy in Marching. On Oct. 9 the band took home first place and $10,000 in the High School Band Challenge, hosted by San Francisco Fleet Week. This was the first time in the school’s history that the band had taken first place at Fleet Week. Following their success at the High School Band Challenge, an
anonymous donor has chipped in another $10,000. Their next performance was the Italian Heritage Parade. The entire parade route was about 2 miles long, with twisting roads and long, steep hills. They played “Louie Louie” by Richard Berry, “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars and “Shut up and Dance” by Walk the Moon. This performance was also the first time both the intermediate band and concert band marched together in the same block. The Marching band was able to place first and receive a $1,000 prize. The most memorable performance of the Crusader Marching Band was its performance at Foothill Band Review on Oct. 22. With weeks of experience and practice, the Marching Band stepped off with confidence and boldness. This was also the first band review with a Concert Competition. Symphonic Band performed “Celebrate” by Ed Huckeby, “America the Beautiful” and “As the Sun
Breaks Through the Mist.” The Wind Ensemble performed “Relentless,” “Song of the Gandy Dancers” by Saucedo, and, as part of tradition, the Wind Ensemble performed the March. “The band review has been a great experience. They have been a test to see how far we’ve grown since we’ve started,” said Jeremy Reyes ’18 The Marching Band placed second in marching and its Color Guard placed First in showmanship. “I think there was a major improvement from the beginning of the year to where we are now, and I think that winning first place at the fleet week Band challenge helped to keep spirits up as we went through our season, and I think that the performances gave all the band members once in a lifetime experiences that would be hard to experience anywhere else,” said Hildebrant. On top of competition performances, the band played for home games for the football
Please see “Band” on page 15
Club Penguin server thaws out—for now By Shane McKnight ’18
Almost everyone knows the popular childhood game, Club Penguin. They remember playing it with friends in elementary school during computer class and all the fun they had playing it, from making pizzas to battling other players online in the dojo. A couple weeks ago, it was announced that Club Penguin will be shutting down permanently on March 29, 2017 on desktop and mobile devices. Club Penguin veterans might remember the iceberg and the amount of effort that players put trying to tip it. Recently, the
iceberg has been tipped, revealing a new area with a very sincere message to its dedicated players saying: “Together, we can build an island, create a community, change the world... and even tip an iceberg. Waddle on.” Club Penguin has brought joy to many people worldwide since 2005, and it will continue to in the upcoming game Club Penguin Island, which will be released this month on the iPad. Club Penguin Island includes activities much similar to the original Club Penguin, such as unique styles, nonstop action, parties, food, friends, items, and
mysteries. It might be tough for people to move on from Club Penguin to Club Penguin
Island but with time, people will learn to adapt and grow in this new community.
March 2017
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Arts & Entertainment
15
Hannibal the Cannibal strikes again By Henry Novicki ’18
In 1981 Thomas Harris released “Red Dragon,” a novel featuring an unerringly polite, cultured, calm, psychopathic cannibal behind bars. That man is Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Seven years later, “The Silence of The Lambs” was released. The book was adapted into a film in 1991, starring Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter and Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling. Directed by Jonathan Demme, it exploded at the box office, grossing $272.2 million, and winning all of the “big five” category at the Academy Awards. “Silence of the Lambs” is one of three movies to win best actor, best actress, best director, best picture, and best screenplay. Then, in 2005 an authorized parody musical of the hit film premiered on off-Broadway, New York City. Off-Broadway is typically described as a smaller low budget theatre, around 1,000 seats or less. Small shows or shows that might get put onto Broadway premier off Broadway and if the show is successful enough to move onto a tour or Broadway debut, it
does so accordingly. Silence! The Musical offers no glass panel protecting the audience from the fourth wall. Silence! Follows the same story as the movie with a few added characters. The show has a cast of 10 people who switch in and out of different costumes and characters throughout the 90 minute, no intermission in this performance. Silence! in San Francisco is playing at The Victoria Theatre on 16th street a theater which opened in 1908 and seats 480 people. It hosts films, cabaret shows, and live theatre. Silence! The Musical contrasts the intensity and intelligent dialogue of the film with low brow and crass comedy as well as multiple Fourth wall breaks and costume changes. There was not a single scene the audience was not laughing at. The soundtrack has 16 songs that include every cast member getting a share of the spotlight. Anne Norland, who plays Clarice Starling, parodies the iconic lisp of Jodie Foster. Scott Hayes, who plays Dr. Lecter, bears a striking resemblance to Anthony Hopkins.
All the world’s a stage at Lenea festival By Chris Peterson ’18 On the day of our most recent rally, Feb. 10, proud actors and stage crewmen set off to compete at the annual Lenaea festival, a theatre festival held in Folsom, California welcoming all high schools having a theatre program in northern California. Many schools from around the Bay Area and Sacramento come to compete, ranging from Dublin High School to Truckee High School. Riordan students brought forth many of the pieces that they were working on from the beginning of this year and beyond. One such example was of Estefan Granucci ‘19 who preformed a piece he tried the year before at the festival, Biff Loman’s monologue from “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller. Through his work and dedication, he brought home a bronze medal. The festival itself gives people the chance to experience others’ talents. Participants can watch others preform monologues, duo scenes, musical performances, one-act plays, set and costume design presentations, and other assortments of competitions. At the festival, when participants don’t want to watch, they can spend their time at a workshop, which range from improv to musical performances and even to how to audition. These
The raunchy and hilarious musical was expected to run until March 18, but has been extended until April 1.
SUPPORT YOUR FRIENDS IN THE CAST AND CREW!
workshops help to widen students’ view of performing as a whole and give them new insight into how preforming isn’t just the stage. At the festival, students can also interact with others who have started a career and got their start in high school and benefitted from the festival. One such person who came to help teach and interact with us was Drew Seeley. Seeley is an actor and singer who helped teach multiple people how to sing and what to do in the sense of warming up their voice. One favorite among the participants was his wife, Amy Paffrath. She is a reporter, actor, and tv show host. She participated in many of the comedy and improv workshops. She also taught many how to do impressions and how to use them in comedy. When all was done at the festival, participants had time Closes Sunday, April 2 @ 2pm with Alumni/Family Fun Pre-show BBQ to relax and come together as TICKETS @ THE PREP SHOP, @ THE DOOR & ONLINE a group. As well as it being a competition, it was also a great bonding experience. It brought season, the band moved on to people together and helped to “Band,” continued from page 14 other performances. On Dec. 28, strengthen the brotherhood many and basketball teams. 2016 the Crusader Band departed Crusader actors already have. “Whenever the band performs to play for the city of Rome in They met people at the festival for Riordan’s sports team, it their annual New Year’s Parade. who changed their outlooks on makes me feel good that we can They performed many pepthings and still talk to even today. support,” said Jalen Viray ’19. songs as they marched down If anyone wants to experience the The band also played for the many famous streets in the city thrill of performing and having a city of San Francisco as they of Rome. The Crusader Band fun filled weekend, this is the trip christened their newest fireboat. returned on Jan. 4, 2017, in will be offered again next year. With the conclusion of competition preparation for the new year.
RUNS THROUGH APRIL 2nd
16 Health
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
March 2017
Trump, Republicans seek cure for ObamaCare By Karl Vanuska ’19
One big question during President Trump’s campaign is how he would replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare. President Trump’s stance on health care is that he is going to repeal it and replace it. He is keeping his cards close to the vest, while he works with the Republicans to come up with a new plan. He has stated that he will replace ObamaCare and make it a better plan, saying at American Airlines Center in Dallas last year, “ObamaCare. We’re going to repeal it, we’re going to replace it, get something great. Repeal it, replace it, get something great!” According to the ObamaCare website, about $110 billion was used for the Affordable Healthcare Act in 2016. And in 2016, between 20 and 22 million people were covered under ObamaCare. The plans that are offered are as low as about $50 a month, with the most expensive being $200 a month. ObamaCare is a subsidized plan, which means health coverage is available at reduced or no cost
for people with incomes below certain levels. Each plan must have 10 categories of essential health benefits. In ObamaCare, health care companies cannot deny people coverage because of pre-existing conditions. The Afordable Care Act that mandated each state have either state run plan or use the ObamaCare plan. Also in this plan, low to mid income people got federal assistance if they couldn’t afford health care. It also increased the number of people who could receive Medicaid. The plan the GOP has to replace ObamaCare, which will be called the American Health Care Act, is not being well received by many under ObamaCare. One major aspect is to get rid of insurance tax credits that are based on many factors like income. The AHCA (American Health Care Act) uses flat tax credit based on age. Those under 30 get a tax credit of $2,000 while a person over 60 gets a tax credit of $4,000. The issue some have with this Republican plan, is that health insurers would be free to charge older people more, raising that person’s premium to $19,500.
But the tax credit would be only $4,900, and that person’s share of the premium would then be $14,600. For a younger person, the New York Times says a 21-year-old earning $26,500 with an insurance policy that costs $5,100 a year would get a tax credit of $3,400 and would have to pay $1,700 of the premium. Under the Republican bill, that person’s share of the cost would drop to $1,450. In 2010, the California legislature decided to create its own, called Covered California. For California to have its own health care plan, it must follow the mandate set by the Affordable Care Act, which is having a plan with the 10 essential health benefits. To apply for Covered California, residents must have one of the following three situations or qualifications: one, having a qualifying life event, meaning involuntary loss of coverage, relocation, change in marital status, or birth of child. The next qualification is being a member of a Native American tribe. And,
Public Radio International Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (left), and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden. being eligible for Medi-Cal. There are questions about what the government will do for people already under ObamaCare and there is no solid answer right now. Proposals and discussions are ongoing, so Americans will have to be patient and await answers. At press time, Republicans pulled legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act. House Speaker Paul Ryan said, “We’re going to be living with Obamacare for the foreseeable future.”
Teen boys encouraged to fight emotional stereotype By Alexander Vallecillo ’18
It’s a stereotype that boys are tough and brave and are expected not to show their feelings. But, it’s perfectly okay to talk to others. Mental health is how people cope with day-to-day situations, and it helps their emotional well-being. Many teens experience anxiety and depression. Self-harm is on the rise. Self harm is a broad term which covers cutting oneself, not eating, overeating, not getting enough sleep, misusing alcohol and drugs and over exercising. “Most teenagers experience some form of depression, which leads to stress and more depression,” stated Matthew Driskill ’18. Tied together with this is stress, which is rampant. Teens are more and more connected to their devices. A root to much of the problems troubling teens is cell phones and social media, according to an article in Time Magazine. Kids are “hyperconnected” to the community around them. “I definitely see that stress affects a student’s mental health due to really difficult classes such as those that are AP and Honors,” said Jose Cuellar ’18. Carolyn World, a Marriage and Family Therapist at Riordan, said, “Mental health is just as important as your physical health
Greenlight Clinic so don’t shy away from talking about it.” San Francisco Suicide Prevention representatives were on campus between Feb. 9 and Feb. 28 and spoke to sophomores, juniors, seniors in religion classes about depression, potential suicide, and approaches to friends and family. They had time for questions, gave students information on various
resources, and offered help. There is help for students who are dealing with mental health issues: they can reach out to divisional counselors, there is the Suicide Prevention hotline 415781-0500, which can be used for other issues. There is the crisis text hotline, too, for people uncomfortable talking to others text (START to
742741). Also, there is a free clinic in the Presidio, which is Greenlight Clinic 415-7424306, a free clinic for short-term counseling. World said the most important thing to remember is to not be afraid to talk and speak up, because everyone has challenges and there is always hope.
March 2017
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Environment 17
Tree removal delivers tremendous impact By Joseph Kerrigan ’18
January was a rainy month for San Francisco, with multiple inches of rain throughout the month and high winds, causing trees to fall, roughly 350 of them creating many issues for residents. Trees falling is never good, especially in such a tightly packed city as San Francisco. In the recent months, multiple tree falling related injuries and damages to property have occurred, leading residents to take action. What seems to be the community consensus is that the trees (specifically eucalyptus trees) are a nuisance and unsafe to have planted in stormy weather. The problem with the eucalyptus trees is they are not rooted firmly in the ground to begin with, and when the rain comes, the soil becomes unstable causing the trees to fall. When it rains as hard as it did in January the soil becomes soft and does not hold onto the roots as firmly as when dry. Eucalyptus trees are also dying as a result of the recent drought further adding fuel to the fire. When the trees fall their victims consist of unsuspecting people, cars, houses, and telephone wires. The removal of these trees would mean a lesser chance of them falling onto a person or their property, causing physical or financial damage. It would also mean less trees in the city, which could have a serious environmental impact on our air quality and the little wildlife within the city. One positive impact of the tree removal is less
obstacles blocking views or pesky trees growing in a unusual spot. While a negative impact is the purpose of the trees being planted as a wind barrier would be reversed although it’s very ironic that the reason they were planted is now the reason for their removal.
On the right, eucalyptus trees are “girdled,” a process in which their bark is removed, placing them in danger of dying. MillionTrees.me
Visually.com
Growing up Green in an urban jungle By Chang Liu ’18
Growing up Green weeks are six weeks in the 2016-2017 school year where at any of the 13 Bay Area locations of Sloat Garden Center, our school will receive 10 percent of the purchase back in the form of a Sloat gift card, which goes towards our schools beautification projects, fundraisers, or classroom activities. This means that the school could make campus look nicer with various plants around campus. Recently, the HOW club went to Sloat Garden Center to get seeds for their garden on campus. With five of the six weeks already gone, March 24 to April 2 is the last chance to get more plants and flowers to make the school look beautiful.
There are locations in Mill Valley, San Rafael, Kentfield, Novato, San Francisco, Concord, Martinez, Pleasant Hill, and two
in Danville. A helpful manager at a location in San Francisco said they have a huge variety of plants, pots, and
even critters that can be used to start a garden or beatification project at home or amplify an already existing garden.
18 Features
March 2017
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
7 Tepees inspires, gives hope to youth By Brandon Castro ’18
Based in the Mission district (3177 17th Street, San Francisco CA 94110), 7 Tepees is a non-profit after school youth organization that impacts the lives of innercity youth by helping students focus and manage their future. Founded in 1995 by Daniel Weinstein and Hully Fetiçó, 7 Tepees’ main focus and goal is to help students over the period of seven years and set students up for a successful future academically and socially. 7 Tepees accepts all San Francisco youth in grades 6th through 12th, educating the student’s mind both scholarly and socially. Eventually, 7 Tepees will help students look into high school and colleges, helping them find scholarships and even giving students scholarship money from its own funding. Not only does this organization help with school and education, but it also helps students build friendships with one another and step out of their comfort zones. Cecilia Vigil ’18, George
Washington High School said,“It’s a great way to meet new people and put yourself out there. It opens your eyes and gives you a new perspective on how the community is actually beautiful contrary to what other people may think.” 7 Tepees means two things, 7 meaning that it’s a 7 year commitment, and for all 7 continents showing that they are excepting to diversity and tepees showing its acknowledgement for the original owners of the land we live on, the Native Americans. Although it is a 7 year program, graduating students still receive assistance. Michelle Castro ’08 is a great example of how Tepees helps alumni even after graduating the program. She said, “7 tepees helped me get into a program called Metro that helps students get priority registration in the classes that are needed to pass.” She also mentioned how they’ve helped her financially and spiritually. “They also helped me with getting financial help with the 7 Tepees scholarship. They have also always welcomed
anyone and everyone with open arms and a safe space whenever I need it. I know that me or my family can always go back and get helped or advise on something.” Although typically after school programs help the students only, 7 Tepees helps raise money and serve its community. 7 Tepees helps year round, helping those who live in the community, including the homeless community living in the Mission. For instance, 7 Tepees yearly has a “Gratitude Day,” the day before Thanksgiving, which involves students helping the community
by going to local farms and helping create produce, cleaning the streets of the Mission, and making food so the homeless community can look forward to a hot meal the day of Thanksgiving. High School Coordinator and Archbishop Riordan alumnus Daniel Quinonez had nice words to say about this kind act. “It’s great that 7 Tepees doesn’t just help the students but also gives back to its community. I wish I would have known about this program as a youth and would have applied to come here. They definitely make you feel like family here.”
Citing loss of dough, bakeries fail to rise to economic challenge By Michael Kay ’18
Many bakeries are slowly losing business and eventually closing, because the cost of the equipment used in baking, like convection ovens, and people have stopped buying food, possibly because they do not understand the value of baking. Social Science teacher and baker Darius Bell ’08 said the reason for bakeries closing is because “people do not value the time and effort it takes to bake things. They do not understand why it costs so much. It only costs $1015 to make the baked goods, but costs about $50-60 to purchase. People in our generation always look for shortcuts and they want instant gratification.” Baking is a hobby that requires a lot of patience. “People become bakers because baking is something that they love, not to become a millionaire.” One bakery that closed is Galli’s Sanitary Bakery on Grand Avenue in South San Francisco, which was founded in 1909. Sanitary Bakery was founded by Ambrose Galli and an Italian immigrant named Rafael Valente. The bakery’s recipes were passed down through the generations. This bakery became extremely popular, selling coffee and baked goods, such as their best seller, the Strawberry Delight.
Many years later, a Starbucks was put in across the street and Sanitary Bakery slowly started losing business. Sanitary Bakery closed at the beginning of October 2016. Another bakery, Nora’s Patisserie in Daly City, was owned by Nora Tong, who was also the head pastry chef. According to their website, Nora’s specialized in “European-style bite-sized desserts like Petits Fours and elegant Tea Cookies as well as custom celebration cakes.” In 2002, Nora Tong was given the honor to bake a cake for Julia Child’s 90th birthday. The website said “Nora is a member of the Women Chefs & Restaurateurs and the Bakers Dozen.” Nora’s has been closed for four to five years and the building still sits vacant. More and more bakeries are starting to close because bigger chain coffee shops and grocery stores are starting to sell more
Galli’s Sanitary Bakery in South San Francisco and Nora’s in Daly City closed. baked goods. Grocery stores mass produce baked goods, batch after batch. Bell also said that more restaurants and other food venues will replace bakeries, because the buildings already have full kitchens and proper ventilation. It would be much harder to renovate a bakery to make it a different type of business.
SouthSanFrancisco.com
March 2017
Food
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
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F.A. Nino’s Sauce: So delicious you can’t refuse By Michael Kay ’18
F.A. Nino’s Artisan Products is the small, award winning, family owned and operated producer of hot sauces, BBQ sauces, and rubs. According to the website, they are known as “the Godfather of Sauce.” F.A. Nino’s Artisan Products started in Petaluma as a hobby in 2010. Frank Ross, an ex-campus ministry member and teacher came up with the idea to make the rubs, glazes, marinades, and sauces. Anna Ross reviewed F.A. Nino’s on Facebook, saying, “F.A. Nino’s makes the best hot sauce ever! We love it on everything! The quality is top notch, and the flavor is just like it’s from Grandma’s kitchen!” They were first sold at farmer’s markets in North Bay. After college, Campus Ministry assistant and theology teacher Leo Magnaye ’05 decided to join Ross during a reunion MLC in January 2011. The Crusader staff participated in a tasting of F.A. Nino’s, which featured pulled pork, courtesy of the BBQ Club. The flavors included Mango Habanero Hot Sauce, Chocolate Chipotle Adobo Sauce, Citrus-Herb Dry Rub, Holy Moly Hot Sauce, and BeerBQ sauce, made with Lagunitas beer. Of all the flavors tried, the favorite flavor was Beer-BQ sauce.
FANinos.com F.A. Nino’s, known as “The Godfather of Sauce,” produces various types of BBQ sauces, including Chocolate Chipotle Adobo Sauce and Holy Moly Hot Sauce.
Casa Sanchez introduces hot new products By Alexander Vallecillo ’18
The company, R. Sanchez & Co., was started around 1918 by Roberto and Isabel Sanchez on Steiner Street in San Francisco, and is now known as Casa Sanchez. Casa Sanchez is now run by Bob Sanchez ’75. Students had the pleasure to taste a variety of chip and dip flavors earlier in the year. The ones that stood out were the Thin & Light and Thick & Crispy chips and the Medium Roja and the Guacamole Salsa. The Medium Roja was a perfect blend of tomatoes and cilantro, which brought out a distinct and scrumptious taste from other salsas. The Guacamole Salsa was filled to the brim with avocados, onions and cilantro mixed together to create the addictive salsa. The crisp chips were the perfect addition to the various blends of salsa and guacamole sampled. In addition to the large variety of chips and dips distributed by Casa Sanchez, their newest additions are pupusas, gorditas, and tamales. The pupusas are handmade with thick tortillas and cheese, while the gorditas come in three forms: beans and cheese, black beans, and just cheese. The tamales come in an assortment consisting of: zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli and cheese; beans and cheese; spinach and jack cheese; and roasted peppers and cheese. CasaSanchezSF.com Most raw ingredients are corn, tomatoes, peppers, onions, cilantro and canola oil, which are locally sourced. Casa Sanchez offers a variety of salsas and chips, and recently added other food items.
20 Sports
March 2017
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Wrestlers grapple with championship titles By Michael Jaurigui ’19
Wrestling is a popular sport at Riordan High School, and the program has been really successful this season, as all the off-season work really paid off. The wrestling program excelled at the WCAL championships this year, with Michael Bigler ’20, Ilya Lysenko ’17 and Donny Bendo Jr. ’17 coming out on top as champions. Bigler was in the 106 pound weight class, Lysenko was in the 195 pound weight class, and Bendo was in the 145 pound weight class. Bigler, a freshman on the varsity wrestling team, said, “I went into CCS ranked #16 and came in top 12 and was the third ever Riordan freshman to win the WCAL Championship.
Photo provided by Gary Whitehouse
Coach Tony Tran ’04, Head Coach Gary Whitehouse, Gene Aberouette ’18, (4th in CCS), Coach Zac Contreras ’13, Coach Nate Sereni ’16.
I was two wins away from a freshman record.” He continued, “I was nervous at first as a new varsity wrestler, but as the season went on I gained confidence as I won matches.” Coach Gary Whitehouse said, “Varsity finished in a 3-way tie for 1st in the regular season and just behind Serra for 2nd place in the Tournament (245 points to 219.5 points). We had another young team, as five Frosh competed at Varsity at the WCAL Championship.” The varsity team is one of the top teams around and is packed with solid wrestlers. Bigler said, “As a wrestler it has a toll on you each practice but each time your hand is raised in the match it replenishes you.”
Restani legacy: New dawn arises
Crusaders, Dons unite to honor basketball legend, raise funds for gym which filled their stands with By Harrick Wu ’19
Kevin Gilbert “Big Bird” Restani ’70, a graduate of Riordan and USF ’74, was honored at a USF event, Restani Night, with a USF men’s basketball taking on Portland on Jan. 19. In the 1974 NBA draft, Restani was chosen by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Throughout his career, he played eight seasons in the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks, Kansas City Kings, San Antonio Spurs, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. While he was playing for the Spurs, he was dubbed one of the Bruise Brothers, six big men on the Spurs, along with Dave Corzine, Reggie Johnson, Paul Griffin, Mark Olberding, and George T. Johnson. Restani left the NBA and went to Italy to play in an Italian League with the Libertas Livorno, Libertas Forlì, and AMG Sebastiani Rieti. He retired in 1988 and coached two basketball teams in Italy for two years. According to Victoria Terheyden, Director of Communications at Archbishop Riordan High School, he was not only a great athlete, but he was a great person. “Kevin Restani was a great athlete, but more importantly, he was a great person. He cherished his friendships and always helped out the community. He exemplifies the spirit of Riordan and USF—someone who pursues excellence without ego, and always thinks of others.” Restani’s legacy inspires some Riordan basketball players like Conrad Carrigan ’18 on the Varsity basketball team. “He is the only guy that made it out of this basketball program. It inspires me to follow in his footsteps and strive to be the best,” Carrigan said. USF hosted Restani Night,
many Riordan, Restani, and Dons’ fans. Many people came to watch the game, including his high school friends, college friends, and those who played with him at the Olympic Club. Some 150 Riordan students, families, and friends attended the event, along with the Riordan Crusader Band playing during the pregame, timeouts, halftime, and postgame. Some people, like Terheyden, think that USF did a good job honoring Restani as during halftime, they played a video about his life and career and allowed two schools that he attended to honor him. “We are grateful to USF for partnering with us on this event. Overall, both schools got a chance to honor a great played who was so influential in the local basketball community as a player at the high school and collegiate levels, and later at the Olympic Club where he played for the Master’s Team and coached youth basketball.” Others like Bill Nassar, President of Bayside Printed Products, a close friend of Restani’s, and best man for his wedding, felt like USF did not do a great job honoring him that night, and that maybe it was long overdue. “As to the USF night, I do not think USF has honored Kevin very much at all. He, along with Phil Smith, put USF basketball back on track and yet, that was the first time I can remember USF doing anything for him, and I think it took the Riordan involvement to make it happen.” Nassar hopes to have Riordan and USF honor Restani more as he accomplished many things and played many years of basketball professionally. “I feel it is important to honor Kevin for the following reasons:
Photo provided by Edwin Serrano
Band Director Kyle Hildebrant and the Dons mascot. junior and senior years, Riordan won the WCAL titles. Kevin went on to play eight years in the NBA and nine years professionally in Italy. How nice a person he was is remembered more than all his on-court accomplishments, which says a LOT about the type of person he was.” Riordan will continue to honor Restani by renovating the Riordan basketball court and renaming it Restani Court. The renovation is expected to start during the summer. The renovations of the court are expected to include a new gym floor, painting the game lines and logos, restoring the original wainscot on the walls, painting all the surfaces except the ceiling, restoring the gym seats, replacing some of the skylight and windows, installing an exhibit honoring Restani and the success of the Riordan basketball program, and installing a new sound system. Mike Gilleran, Director of
Athletics, believes that with the new improvements to the gym floor, it can create a better experience for Riordan’s basketball team and the opposing team as the ball will bounce as high as it should when the dead and uneven surfaces are replaced. “I think any time you can replace a floor that has dead spots and uneven surfaces in certain areas with a floor that is level and “true” the players will benefit,” he said. “There are areas on the floor that when you bounce the ball on them, it simply does not come up as high as it should. This can really throw a player’s timing off.” Gilleran said, “I think a new floor will actually help both our team and the opposing team, as it will make for a better experience for both. So, there won’t be any competitive advantage to a new floor, but it will make for a better environment for all players.”
March 2017
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Sports 21
Alumni return to face varsity in diamond duel By Brandon Vargas ’20
On Feb. 18, many Riordan alumni baseball players came out to the baseball field to face off against the fierce Varsity team. Fans were layered with jackets, scarves, and many even bundled themselves in blankets to keep warm. In the chilly and windy weather, the Alumni and Varsity teams battled it out to see what would prove to be superior: Youth or Experience. The weather did not prove to be auspicious for the whole Crusader family, but the pitching, defense and offense from both sides heated up the competition. It was a great matchup. Even though playing in the cold can be extremely tough, the players persevered and gave it their best. The alumni team ranged from graduates from the Class of 1980 to the most recent graduating Class of 2016. On the other hand, the Varsity team is composed of juniors and seniors. During the game, the Alumni were chatting it up in the dugout. Nick Gonzalez ’16 said he was heavily involved in Riordan even with baseball practice every day. He was involved in the “marching band” as well as “several on campus clubs.” Anyone can find it extremely difficult to play baseball, join different clubs and play in the
band all at the same time. Nick did his best to keep up his skills, and he was back to show Riordan what he’s accomplished. Right fielder Anthony Zasada, Class of 2016, said that he practiced “every day” when he played for Riordan’s Varsity team. This doesn’t seem surprising, as he showed off his skills on the diamond. Moreover, Nick Hanhan ’16 said he thought that the Varsity team was “pretty good.” Nick also stated that he is “ready to go back on the Varsity team.” If Nick could go back to the Varsity Photo by Stephen Blecha ’19 team, he would be a valuable addition, as his skills have not Anthony Reynolds ’17 safely slides in under the tag of Tom Brown ’07. dwindled. joy and likeness towards baseball. Varsity shut them down 15During the middle of the game, He stated, “When I sleep at night, 0. Each player’s ability to stay the scoreboard went out. Even I dream of baseball.” focused was evidenced by the though not many fans knew the Many baseball fanatics may lack of errors committed. It also score by the end of the game, they watch baseball every day, but proves that the Varsity team had all had fun watching. dreaming about the sport? an amazing game; the alumni just To date, the scoreboard is still Dominic is incredibly enthusiastic could not stop them. out, and it may take a while to fix. about baseball. Many close Although Varsity only had Dominic Dumlal ’15 said he plays enhanced the extent of six seniors, the team played was also impressed by our Varsity competition between the two exceptional baseball against team. Specifically, he said that teams. veterans. Overall, the alumni, they had “a lot of passion.” Speaking of close plays, Nick through sweat, hard work, and a Likewise, the Varsity team Gonzalez also stated that he was tough loss, had a great time. They showed their excitement and pretty satisfied with his “defensive received food, hats and t-shirts. commitment to the game by contributions” throughout the Even though it was a cold and playing their hardest and game. Additionally, even with windy day, everyone who came ultimately defeating the alumni the many defensive and offensive out to watch and play had a fun team. Dominic also expressed his contributions from the Alumni, time and enjoyed themselves.
Crusaders battle through WCAL, looking to rebound By Uzair Shaikh ’17
The Archbishop Riordan basketball season was a roller roaster with many ups and downs. The reigning CCS champs only had five returning players from last year’s CCS team. The team consisted of one freshman, three sophomores, six juniors, and just four seniors. The young Crusaders saw development throughout the season. The start of the season many players were looking for there role and how to fit in. Moises Sandoval ’17 said, “During the classic I thought it was going to be tough because we were a young team and we are all used to dominating the ball.” Archbishop Riordan started the season by hosting the Crusader Classic. The Crusaders beat Mills High School but then suffered two losses to San Ramon Valley and Menlo Atherton. Using this tournament to settle in and identify their identity, the Crusaders fought hard through the losses. A key win Riordan picked up after the tournament was against a really competitive Castro Valley team. Being down by 20 at one point, the Crusaders willed their way back in the game behind senior leader Sean Palaad’s 22 points. “Against Castro Valley I had no clue I was going to have the type of game I had. Two of our starters were out.
Photo by The Lance Yearbook Staff
Varsity player Moises Sandoval ’17
The crowd came in early and were talking crap to us the moment we walked in... it was a hostile environment.” After this win the Crusaders were starting to find a sense of identity as players were discovering their roles. After this miraculous comeback, the Crusaders went on a three game winning streak before league play. Archbishop Riordan is in the rigorous and tough WCAL and is known for being one of the most competitive leagues in Northern California, if not of all of California. With many of the Crusaders being young and inexperienced, they had to fight through adversity every night as every game in the league was tough. The Crusaders went only 1-13 in league play as the highlight of league play came at the rocking Crusader Forum against crosstown rivals Sacred Heart Cathedral. The Crusaders qualified for CCS in Division 3, the same division the Crusaders had won last year. With league play behind them the Crusaders took on Capuchino High School at the Crusader Forum. With the band there and the student section being vocally supportive, the Crusaders won 7440 with Sandoval leading the way with 17 points and Alfonso Miranda ’17 leading the reserves with 6 points, including a three to close out the first half, which left the gym buzzing. The Crusaders lost against Monterey in the next round.
22 Sports Features
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
March 2017
Sharks circle Stanley Cup — smell blood on the ice By Roman Peregrino ’18
Not too long ago, being a Bay Area sports fan was a recipe for disaster. During the late 2000s, the Bay Area was considered one of the laughingstocks of the sports world. Now, though, life is good for Bay Area sports fans. After years of futility and disappointment, the Bay Area has finally staked its claim as one of the premier sporting regions in the country. Our teams are being lauded on a national level thanks to the dazzling dominance of the Golden State Warriors, the winning pedigree provided by the San Francisco Giants, and the newfound prosperity of the Oakland Raiders. Even the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland A’s had found some recent success before a couple bad seasons. While these teams are constantly in the news, whether it be for the Warriors attempting to return to the NBA championships or the 49ers searching for a new head coach, there is another Bay Area sports team lurking in the shadows. They are not being debated about on ESPN’s First Take, or taking up the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle. That team is the San Jose Sharks and they are quietly making a case for being the best sports team in the Bay Area. The San Jose Sharks have long been considered the embodiment of regular season consistency in the National Hockey League (NHL), ever since they joined the league as an expansion team for the 1991-92 season. In their 25 years of existence, the Sharks have only missed the playoffs six times, including making it to the postseason 10 times in a row from 2003-2014 (the 2004-2005 season was not played due to a lockout). However, that regular season success never really transferred over to the playoffs, as the team in teal often lost in heartbreaking fashion, always going in with high hopes and leaving with their dreams crushed, becoming the only Bay Area team without a championship in the process. Frustrations reached a tipping point when the team missed the playoffs entirely in 2014-2015, leading to a mutual “parting of ways,” between the organization and longtime coach Todd McLellan. In stepped Peter DeBoer, who quickly changed the culture in San Jose, and led them on a magical run to their first Stanley Cup Final appearance last season. Unfortunately, the magic ran out against the powerhouse Pittsburgh Penguins, who defeated them in six games. After being so close to victory, the Sharks entered this season hungry for another run to the Cup. They would have doubters,
Defenseman Brent Burns however. On NHL.com, only two out of 20 experts gave the Sharks a chance to make their way back to the Stanley Cup championships, and no one on ESPN.com projected them to make it. The Sharks answered these doubts the only way they know how — by winning. Led by a veteran core and some new faces, the Sharks got off to a roaring start this season and they never took their foot off the gas. As of March 14, they are firmly in the playoff picture, sitting in first place in the Pacific Division, 7 points clear of the Anaheim Ducks and surging Calgary Flames, and in third place in the Western Conference as a whole, just behind the Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks. The team has long been led by aging superstars Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau who have shown they still have fresh legs by not missing any games and showing offensive spark, including a four goal game by Marleau on Jan. 23. They have also reached impressive milestones, with Marleau scoring his 500th career goal, and Thornton recording his 1000th career point. The other long-time top performers for the Sharks are their captain, Joe Pavelski, who was named to his second All-Star team this year, and Logan Couture, who leads the team with ten power play goals. The team’s offensive standout, however, at the midway point of the year has actually been a defenseman, Brent Burns, another Sharks All Star and the team’s top producer with 27 goals and 43 assists for the year. These stats, coupled with his great defense on the second defensive pairing with the veteran Paul Martin, made him the odds-on favorite to win the Norris Trophy, given to the league’s top defenseman. There is even talk that Burns may be the first defenseman to win the Hart Trophy (given to the league’s most valuable player) since Chris
NHL.com/Sharks
Pronger won it in 2000. Defense as a whole has proven to be a strength this year, with the Sharks getting key contributions outside of the Burns-Martin pairing. The top pair of MarcEdouard Vlasic and Justin Braun have lived up to their names this year, locking down their opponent’s top offensive players all over the ice. A major focus point over the offseason for General Manager Doug Wilson was improving the third line on defense, after the third pairing of Brenden Dillon and Roman Polak was mercilessly picked on by the Penguins during that series. This led to the signing of David Schlemko who has bolstered the blue line immensely alongside Dillon, making the Sharks defense one of the top in the league. That’s not to say that the offense has not been pulling its weight. In addition to the aforementioned stars, the Sharks have gotten outstanding seasons out of role players such as Melker Karlsson, Chris Tierney, Joel Ward and Mikkel Boedker. The Sharks have even been able to overcome a rash of injuries to contributors such as the aforementioned Couture, Joonas Donskoi, and young phenom Tomas Hertl. Helping in this regard have been two fresh faces from the Sharks minor league system, Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc, who have earned their spots on the big league club, bringing new energy and goal scoring ability to the team. While defense and offense are undoubtedly important for a run at the Stanley Cup, the most important position on the ice is definitely goaltender. Thankfully, that’s where the Sharks have excelled this season. Martin Jones has blossomed into one of the league’s top netminders this season, earning his first All-Star nod in the process. He is consistently found near the top of goaltender statistics,
including wins and goals allowed average. Aaron Dell has found a role as the backup goalie, and has excelled, allowing the Sharks to not miss a beat when Jones needs a breather. Although it is still early, with the playoffs months away, it is easy to envision the Sharks being a top contender this postseason. According to Remy Altasserre ’17, “The Sharks are an up and coming yet aging team, that has a decent chance in the playoffs.” While GM Wilson and Coach DeBoer are pleased with how the team has looked so far, they are still playing around with the roster, trying to find the perfect lineup for playoff time. To help in this endeavor, Wilson decided to make some noise at the trade deadline. They had already shipped off fan favorites Matt Nieto and Tommy Wingels to clear up cap space, and then made a splash, trading prospect Nikolay Goldobin for forward Jannik Hansen who has slotted into the top line with Pavelski and Thornton. With their offensive firepower, impressive defense, and a top end goalie duo, the rest of the NHL would be wise to keep their eye on the team from San Jose. So too, would it be wise for Bay Area sports fans to pay attention, and to see what playoff hockey has to offer. Bay Area hockey should no longer be pushed to the side, in favor of other sports. Because, in a land of Giants and Warriors, the Sharks may be the most powerful team around.
Remaining Games: March 30 vs. Edmonton March 31 vs. Calgary April 2 vs. Vancouver April 4 vs. Vancouver April 6 vs. Edmonton April 8 vs. Calgary Playoffs to be determined
March 2017
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Sports Features
23
Golden State tips off new era with glittering arena By Greg Guinasso ’17
The Golden State Warriors are the face of the NBA after having appeared in the last two finals, breaking the single season win record and acquiring former MVP Kevin Durant this offseason, but they are not done making headlines. The Warriors announced that they will relocate the team to San Francisco. The Warriors started construction for the new arena, the Chase Center, on Jan. 17, 2017. The Chase Center will be located in the Mission Bay area of San Francisco, a few blocks away from the home of the Giants’ AT&T Park. The new arena is projected to open for the 20192020 season and will be the home of the Warriors, but also hold events such as concerts. The groundbreaking experience for the Chase Center was like no other. The event kicked off with a choir singing, followed by members of the symphony playing while excavators were used as dancing props. The new 18,000 seat arena will be privately funded and Warriors President and Chief Operating Officer Rick Welts told the crowd in attendance, “We have been looking forward to this day since we first had the vision of building
a privately financed state-of-theart sports and entertainment complex in San Francisco and are excited for what this will bring to the city of San Francisco and the entire Bay Area community.” The arena will be the first privately funded arena in pro sports and will be the newest addition to the already historic golden era of the Golden State Warriors. Mayor Ed Lee said, “This new venue will not only ensure our beloved Warriors remain in the Bay Area, but will fill a void in
ChaseCenter.com
San Francisco’s portfolio of arts and events facilities.” He added that, “It will provide enormous economic benefits, including thousands of new jobs and millions in new tax revenues for The City. And the Warriors are doing it the right way — financing this arena entirely without public funding.” Many people hope the move to San Francisco doesn’t change the fan base like the move to Santa Clara did for the 49ers. Senior Christian Mejia said, “I think the arena will be cool
because it will be closer and there will be more events I can go to there like concerts.” He added, “I don’t think it will impact their fan base because the Warriors were originally from San Francisco.” The new Chase Center arena will be the heart of the Mission Bay neighborhood and open up hundreds of jobs, earn millions in tax revenue for the city of San Francisco and be a premier entertainment venue for the Golden State Warriors and other events.
Niners name Shanahan as coach to replace Kelly By Jabriel Andrade ’18
Reconstruction is a word Niners fans must be tired of by now, and with good reason. How can a Super Bowl level team under Harbaugh now become the new Oakland Raiders with four coaches in four seasons? Now, the York has made another head scratching decision, firing newly appointed coach Chip Kelly and five year general manager Trent Baalke. Many would say Baalke had his lay off coming. He may have helped turn the Niners around in 2011, earning him the PWFA executive of the year, however after his disagreements that caused the sudden departure of Jim Harbaugh, and most of the team that brought us to the Super Bowl in the first place, there seemed like no one better to blame other than York and Baalke. The decision to relieve Kelly as head coach, on the other hand, seemed almost out of left field. The Niners had just signed him for a four year contract at the beginning of the season, and while going 2-14 was definitely below York’s expectations, many expected Kelly to get a pass due to coming into an unorganized team in the middle of reconstruction.
However, now, York has already announced their replacements: Fox analyst John Lynch who will be replacing Baalke, and former offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons Kyle Shanahan who will replace Chip Kelly as head coach. Shanahan was York’s number one pick for a long time. While some are skeptical after some of his choices during the Super Bowl game against the Patriots, let’s not forget that Shanahan ran a record breaking offense during the regular season. Not only that, but he has a personal connection to the red and gold, as his father Mike Shanahan was offensive coordinator for the Niners from 1992-1994. He even remembers being the ball boy for Jerry Rice. Of course, a new head coach doesn’t mean instant success, especially when Shanahan denied hiring an offensive coordinator instead opting to run the offense himself.
After a disappointing season, the 49ers hired Kyle Shananhan as their new coach.
John Lynch is a wildcard pick, and one that many see as almost a proxy GM for Shanahan. He himself said that he called Shanahan and offered himself as GM. Lynch seems excited to have time behind a team at least more than his daughter who cried after seeing the news saying, “The Niners are terrible.” Fans are understandably wary
49ers.com
of an analyst taking of the job of GM with no prior experience, considering how the only prior example is Matt Millen, the only person to lead an NFL team to a 0-16 season, the 2008 Detroit Lions. All skepticism aside, Lynch has been very open about how much power he has, and even how he’s talked to Millen so he knows not what to do with the roster.
24 Features
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
March 2017
Spartan sisterly love saves Crusader brother By Roman Peregrino ’18
The motto of Archbishop Riordan High School is “Strength in Brotherhood.” This means that not only will graduates receive a diploma after graduating from Riordan, but will also walk away with lifelong bonds with fellow classmates. In short, they are all brothers. However, as Riordan alumnus Steve Bodon ’94, recently found out, sometimes, sisterly love can be the most important bond of all. On Nov. 20, 2015, Steve Bodon checked himself into the ER after a few weeks of flu-like symptoms that continued to fester. “I didn’t realize anything was wrong at first,” Bodon said. “When you have the flu, you are waiting for that one night when it’s horrible, and then you start feeling better. [For me,] I was coming down with flu conditions, but I never quite peaked. Even though I was feeling progressively worse, it was not debilitating. Eventually, I started to have problems catching my breath just walking around. When I couldn’t walk down the street without running out of breath, I finally went in [to the hospital].” The results shocked Bodon. The doctors diagnosed him with chronic kidney failure, which shook Bodon to his core. Five years earlier, Bodon had been diagnosed with large B cell lymphoma, an aggressive blood cancer that can arise in lymph nodes or outside of the lymphatic system, in the gastrointestinal tract, testes, thyroid, skin, breast, bone, or brain, according to the Lymphoma Research Foundation. Thanks to chemotherapy and other lifesaving procedures, Bodon survived the cancer, leading to his belief that he had nothing else to worry about. “I beat cancer! I’m not going to have kidney failure,” Bodon said. “So I laughed it off at first. I almost self-diagnosed myself to the grave.” Bodon’s close friend and current Riordan teacher, Orlando Perrotta ’88 concurred: “It was just bad luck. He had just recovered from lymphoma. My family all felt quite bad about what he was going through again.” Unfortunately, the chemotherapy that had saved his life five years earlier was the cause of this new threat. The chemo had irreparably damaged his kidney, leading to the failure, which endangered his life. Although the news was devastating, Bodon was truly lucky to be alive. After being admitted to the hospital by the nurses on Nov. 20, a series of tests were run with appalling results. “My blood pressure was an astronomical number, something you don’t see often. My creatinine
levels [a type of chemical waste that gets filtered through the kidneys] was 15.6. In general, anything over 2.0 will get you hospitalized. One of the doctors even said to me that he’s buried people with better numbers than I had.” Bodon was immediately rushed into several procedures, and for a while there was an uncertainty of whether he would make it. “It was scary. I was literally within 72 hours of dying. It’s so hard to have to say good-byes to my wife, my 4-year-old daughter, my 1-year-old son, my mother. They called in the priest.” Thankfully, Bodon was stabilized, but he was not out of the woods yet. In order to live with the kidneys he had, Steve would need to enter a dialysis program for the foreseeable future. According to kidney.org, when kidneys fail, dialysis keeps the body in balance by removing waste, salt and extra water to prevent them from building up in the body while also keeping a safe level of certain chemicals in your blood, such as potassium, sodium and bicarbonate and helping to control blood pressure. Bodon had to go in for five hours of treatment every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday where he would be attached to the dialysis machine, which would perform the actions of a functioning kidney. While the dialysis, plus several other procedures and operations, helped Bodon survive, they also took their toll. “To paraphrase a movie quote, it’s not dying, but it’s not quite living either.” The only way for him to move off the program and go back to a semi-normal life would be for a kidney transplant. Luckily for Steve, he had a powerful ally in his corner who was willing and able to donate her kidney: his sister. “The decision to donate my kidney was the easiest, yet most difficult decision of my life,” said Diane Bodon-Rodriguez. “My brother and I are super close. He is my best friend. I couldn’t tolerate seeing him suffer through dialysis. I couldn’t imagine the thought of his children, age 5 and 2, growing up without a dad. My brother was only 39, he had just bought his first home in Brentwood, had two beautiful babies and deserved a chance to live many more years. So all that made things easy for me to want to donate.” The story of Steve and Diane Bodon is a local story through and through. Their family moved to San Francisco when Diane was 7 years old and Steve was 2 and they were raised by their mother in the Mission District. They each attended St. Anthony’s School on
Precita Avenue. Diane graduated from Immaculate Conception Academy, class of 1989, and Steve graduated from Riordan, class of 1994. The connections to Riordan run deeper still, with Bodon sharing a bond with a certain Riordan teacher. “[My relationship with the Bodons] goes back to when I was here at Riordan,” Steve Bodon ’94, and sisters, donor said Perrotta. “I met Diane at Diane Bodon-Rodriguez (right), a dance at Riordan, when she and Michelle Bodon-Graham. was a junior, and I was a senior. at CPMC in SF was extremely We dated, and during that time, well coordinated and fast,” Bodon I met Steve and the rest of the said. family. Eventually, we broke Once Diane was confirmed up, but when Diane and I were to be a direct match, she needed in college, we ended up dating to consider some of the practical again and Steve started dating implications. “I now had to talk to my sister who was at ICA at my family (husband and children), the time. So, the families were and my employer to inform them intertwined. Ever since that of the decision that I was about to point, Steve and I have always make. Please note that for donors, been close.” this is a financial commitment as Interestingly enough, Steve well. Although with my brother’s wasn’t sure if he actually wanted insurance all of my medical costs his sister to donate, even as he were covered, the time needed to was suffering. “The first thing recover, approximately 4-8 weeks I thought is that I didn’t even is not. Lucky for us, I had the time want it. If it’s something that on the books and I told myself it could hurt my sister, I didn’t would be like a vacation. Not!” want it.” When the day of the procedure “The hard part was that I also arrived, Diane went in first, about have young children, a spouse, an hour and a half before Steve. and I was healthy,” Diane For the most part, the procedure admitted. “What if something went smoothly. “When they happened to me? Would the pain took out my kidney, they found of recovery be too much? It also a cyst that the initial exams did put a little bit of a strain on my not find. This caused a delay on marriage. My husband Andres Steve’s surgery until they had had reservations. All those determined that the kidney was things had to be considered cancer free via a biopsy. This set not to mention I was scared. the procedure back a few hours.” Luckily, after meeting with the However, everything worked doctors at California Pacific out in the end. “I was under Medical Center and getting a lot anesthesia a lot longer than 3 of information, my husband and hours [the original projection] I felt a bit more relieved. The but luckily everything worked underlying fear was still there itself out, and Steve received his but love conquers all.” new kidney. I recovered nicely Even when assured that his in a beautiful hospital suite sister would be fine, Steve had overlooking SF. CPMC treats other thoughts nagging him. their donors and their family very “There is a huge amount of guilt nicely. Three days later, I walked to accept such a precious gift. out of CPMC to recover at home. I was around people who had Steve had to stay a few more days been on dialysis for 6-13 years. to ensure proper kidney function.” I almost felt guilty telling them Even with that hiccup, the I would be able to go. They were operation was a rousing success. happy for me but I didn’t really Now, Steve is focused on staying feel like I earned it. So I had to healthy. “The thing about a resolve whether I was worthy of kidney donation is that it isn’t a receiving this precious gift.” perfect fix. From the moment it In the end, Diane’s persistence goes in, the body wants to reject and devotion to her brother won it. If I take good care of myself, I out, and a procedure date was can get 20-30 years out of it. For set for July 7, 2016. the rest of my life, I have to be “In the days leading up to the Please see “Sisterly Love” seventh of July, everything ran on page 5 smoothly. “The donation process