FREE
VOLUME LXVIII ISSUE iii
SERVING RIORDAN SINCE 1949
ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN HIGH SCHOOL
Spring 2018 THE NEWSPAPER OF CRUSADER COUNTRY
Wrestling, basketball teams bring home championships
Photo by Scott Patterson Photo provided by Gary Whitehouse Coaches Zac Contreras ’12, Gary Whitehouse, Jose Herrera ’00, Nate Sereni ’15, Tony Tran ’02, and wrestlers Randy Aberouette ’20, Gene Aberouette ’18, and Michael Bigler ’20.
By Roman Peregrino ’18
Over the past few seasons, the Archbishop Riordan wrestling program has risen above the rest in terms of success and participation. They have consistently been at top of the WCAL in the regular season and in the postseason, and have been putting their best foot forward to create a successful program. Thanks to head coach Gary Whitehouse, and a dedicated band of players, the Riordan wrestling program has risen to prominence within the school and the WCAL at the same time. However, there is one thing that has always been missing. The team has never won a WCAL title since joining the league 30 years ago. That all changed in February, when the Crusaders followed up a dominant regular season with a first place finish at the WCAL tournament. During the regular season, the
Riordan wrestling program enjoyed a dominant run through the WCAL at all levels. This year’s freshman squad, featuring members with limited wrestling experience, followed up last year’s team’s perfect record with one of their own, ending 6-0 and a WCAL Championship. They would also go on to win their own WCAL Tournament, scoring 15 points higher than the nearest competition (Serra). The freshmen were led by WCAL champions Matthew Candler ’21, Felix Alfaro ’21, and Isaiah Clark ’21. Other contributors included Alex Hsing ’21, Luke Tassio ’21, Ian DeVaynes ’21, Aiden Allwood ’21, Donald Gruda ’21, and Michael Conefrey ’21. The junior varsity team ended their season in a tie for second
Please see “Wrestling Champs” on page 4
Members of the Varsity basketball team, with head coach Joey Curtin ’01 in the center, and coaching staff celebrate.
By Eddie Monares ’19
The Crusaders’ magical season has come to an end. Varsity basketball had one of their best seasons in recent memory. The Crusaders endured a huge change this year as Joey Curtin ’01 moved from head coach of JV last year, to head Varsity coach this year in place of Coach Rich Buckner. De’sean Johnson ’19 said, “Both are two really great coaches, but I feel Joey relates to us more as players and knows the game has changed.” The WCAL regular season was a very decent start to an amazing postseason run for the Crusaders. The Varsity squad finished 4-10 in WCAL league play, with two early victories over the Valley Christian Warriors, and the Serra Padres, and two late season thrillers over Sacred Heart Cathedral and the Mitty Monarchs.
Against SHC, it took a game tying buzzer beater by Watidaishe Mukukula ’18 and an amazing game by Je’Lani Clark ’20, to propel a Crusaders overtime comeback 86-80 over the Irish on Kevin Restani Day. Versus Mitty, it was a gamewinning one handed bank shot by Clark to beat Mitty 61-58. In the midst of that crazy game, James Chun ’18 surpassed 1,000 points in his illustrious Riordan career. The Crusaders finished as the second seed in CCS Division III. Clark finished as an All-League 1st Team member, and Chun had a record breaking season, breaking records like most three pointers in a season and game, and finished 2nd Team AllLeague. After a couple of byes, the Crusaders’ first opponent was in
Please see “Basketball Champs” on page 4
Design for Balboa Reservoir Public Land for Housing project chosen By John Regidor ’18
The Balboa Reservoir has always been a fixture in the Riordan community. The project to build on the unused land was initially proposed in early 2014, as part of the San Francisco Public Land for Housing Program. This proposition aims to create an “initial process [to shape] a vision of the Public Land for Housing as a means to help San Francisco address some of its most pressing issues such as housing, transportation, and neighborhood sustainability and resiliency through the re-utilization of selected City-owned properties that have useful characteristics to maximize their use and
opportunities for public benefit,” according to the statement of the City and County of San Francisco Planning Department. As part of this plan, the city of San Francisco set its eyes on Balboa Reservoir, a vacant lot adjacent to Archbishop Riordan. The reservoir, built in 1957, was intended to hold up to 450 million gallons of water, but it never did. Now it sits as a sometimes empty parking lot used by both City College of San Francisco and Archbishop Riordan students. It is also the site of the famous Riordan production, “Reservoir Run,” created by Brian Kosewic.
Please see “Balboa Reservoir” on page 12
Photo by San Francisco Housing Action Coalition Although not the final design, this is the rendition the City has chosen.
2 Opinion
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Spring 2018
Students weigh in on new infraction consequences By Tomas Palpallatoc ’18
Recently, the long list of changes to Archbishop Riordan High School over the past few years has grown a little longer. And, just like the others, this recent change has been met with backlash from the students. The change that I’m talking about, of course, is the new rule put into place that allows teachers to give full detentions for what would before have been a demerit. In addition, any unexcused tardies will be immediately punished with a detention after school. Not coming to any of these detentions without a provided reason results in an additional week of detention. This effectively turned everything from missing belts to being late to class by a couple minutes into an hour of detention after school. These new rules were put into place in order to discourage the constant tardiness and disobeying of dress codes by groups of students. Unsurprisingly, these changes were not met kindly by the student population. From what I have heard from students, the main problem is that a single one-time mishap, such as forgetting your belt one day, can be punished in the same way as someone coming to class 30 minutes late. It felt like a
“majority punished for the mistakes of the minority” situation. Some could say that the punishment was only a single hour of sitting after school. However, students losing an hour after school can mean being punished for being late to practice, missing a club that you’re only able to go to once a week, or just simply getting home that much later. The negative reaction only increased once the rules were active, as many people started to feel the effect of them. Detention after school filled up quickly and turned from one room into two or even three. It was clear that people didn’t take the rules seriously at first. This was exacerbated by the increase in scrutiny of dress code by a few teachers. Obviously, this didn’t bode well with the students. However, now a few months after those rules were instituted, that backlash is all but gone. The reality is that people simply learned how to live with the rules. Sure, nobody prefers these new provisions, but they are bearable. Students have learned to be more aware of following the dress code and getting to school on time. Of course, every now and then, you’ll get penalized for coming in the room right after the bell rings and be mad that it resulted in an hour
of punishment, but people seem to be over it now. In retrospect, perhaps the backlash was unjustified from the beginning. Every student acted as if some revolutionary change to the system that is Archbishop Riordan had been enacted. Yet, there were no actual new rules put in place. Before the change, unexcused tardies and dress code infractions were still not allowed. The change simply came in the form of punishment, and one that may very well have been warranted because the previous punishment for these acts was a demerit—little white slips of paper that were supposed to add up to a detention, but most likely would result in absolutely nothing. Tardies were different, in that severe ones sometimes would turn into detentions. However, having to actually attend those detentions was a different story. A personal example of the failure of the previous punishment system is my own. The second semester of my junior year, I had a multitude of issues getting to school and as a result, racked up a whopping 46 tardies in that one semester. The punishment I received was a probation, which would limit the amount of clubs and extracurriculars I was able to take part in. However, that
punishment would only come into play for the first semester of my senior year, and was never enforced. In addition, the detentions or suspensions I served for my 46 tardies totaled exactly 0. In comparison, if I were to accumulate that many now, I would be in detention every day for more than two months. There were clear problems with our previous system, and regardless of whether students favor it or not, it’s clear to say that this one is much more effective as a deterrent. Of course, this system is not without fault. The detention room after school, while not taking up three classrooms, is still filled to the brim. There’s still no difference in punishment between a repeat offender and someone who has never gotten a demerit in his Riordan career before. And teachers who scrupulously check everything from belts to shaving continue to annoy the student populous. However, like I said before, we as students have grown accustomed to it. A good sign is these changes to the school do not seem to be going anywhere, adding to the stability of the school day and the way the school operates overall.
Pope Francis to journalists on Jan. 24, World Communications Day: “I would like, then, to invite everyone to promote a journalism of peace . . . a journalism that is truthful and opposed to falsehoods, rhetorical slogans, and sensational headlines. A journalism created by people for people, one that is at the service of all, especially those – and they are the majority in our world – who have no voice.”
Sports Editor Karl Vanuska ’19
1949
Editor in Chief Roman Peregrino ’18 Opinion Editor Tomas Palpallatoc ’18 Campus News Editors John Regidor ’18 Harrick Wu ’19 Features Editor Jabriel Andrade ’18
Staff Reporters Jakeclark Bennett ’18 Local, State, National, Stephen Blecha ’19 and World News Editors Brandon Castro ’18 Vince Francisco ’19 James Chun ’18 Owen Murphy ’19 Michael Gray ’20 Mike’l Delfon Gregory ’18 Arts & Entertainment Editors Danilo Herger ’20 Sebastian Fazio ’18 Ricardo Hernandez ’20 Henry Novicki ’18 Jamar Kittling ’20 Ian Martin ’20 Photo Editor Shane McKnight ’18 Chris Peterson ’18 Eddie Monares ’19 Aidan Murtagh ’20 Copy Editors Keven Ariel Munoz ’18 John Regidor ’18 Exchange Editor Chang Liu ’18 Adviser Susan Sutton, CJE
Anthony Oropeza ’18 Zachary Phillips ’20 Steven Rissotto ’20 Jeremy Reyes ’18 David Rodriguez-Mendez ’18 Alexander Ruivivar ’20 Brandon Vargas ’20 Harrick Wu ’19 Staff Photographers Stephen Aguirre ’18 Marco Aguirre-Celi ’21 Meteorologist Antonio Maffei ’20
Spring 2018
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Opinion
3
Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day? Chris P’s Corner The Roman Forum
By Chris Peterson ’18
By Roman Peregrino ’18
“I
n 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” Every child in America has undoubtedly heard this intonation at some point or another in their lives. It is the fundamental piece of history surrounding Christopher Columbus, and may be the only true part of his life. As it turns out, Christopher Columbus is nothing as he is portrayed in childhood Social Studies textbooks. There has been a recent movement to change the Columbus Day holiday to Indigenous Peoples’ Day in order to honor those who were here before Columbus. I support the change in California from Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and believe the entire country should follow suit. First of all, Christopher Columbus was not a good person. He was brutal to the natives he met and war often came to a head between the natives and the Europeans. The indigenous peoples were living peaceful lives before Columbus came and brought along disease and warfare. Columbus could have came with the plan to coexist with the natives. Instead, he came with the mind to colonize and convert, leading to even more tension. This influx of Europeans also lead to the development of slavery and other mistreatment of native people in their homeland. Columbus was a terrible person, yes, but at least his accomplishments were great right? Right? Actually, contrary to popular belief, Columbus did not prove the Earth was round. Pythagoras was the first to call the Earth a sphere in the sixth century BC. Aristotle, Euclid, and Ptolemy concurred and followed suit with their own treatises. So, if he was educated, Columbus likely already knew the Earth was not flat. He just didn’t know there was a giant land mass between Spain and India. So, instead of discovering the Earth being round, he only discovered North America. But wait! Columbus did not even discover North America! He never set foot onto a future state of the United States, instead spending his time in the Caribbean
Photo by Athan Cheng ’17 The Christopher Columbus statue in front of the City’s Coit Tower. Islands, mainly the Bahamas. Some historians believe the true discoverers of North America are the Phoenicians in the 300s BC. Almost assuredly, Leif Erikson and his Vikings reached Canada many years before Columbus was even born. All this does not even account for the fact that the Americas did not need discovering at all. The indigenous peoples of the land were living there long before their home was “discovered.” So, why do we even celebrate this holiday? We don’t celebrate a day for most inventors and explorers from history. There is no reason that Christopher Columbus should have an achievement on par with Dr. Martin Luther King (MLK Day) or those who died for our country (Memorial Day). It’s ridiculous. If Columbus was the benchmark, we could have holidays nearly every day, and no one would ever have to go to work or school. Wait. Wait a second. There it is! Columbus Day is an event because it gives people a day off from work and school. So, I don’t know if the second Monday in October even needs a holiday. But, if it does, a change must be made. If people don’t like Indigenous Peoples’ Day, there are other options available, such as Discovery Day, American Indian Heritage Day, or others. No matter what, it is undeniable that the United States would do a lot better to make it Indigenous Peoples’ Day than put Christopher Columbus on a pedestal and memorialize him.
As of the Jan. 30, a decision
has been made that officially changes the second Monday of October from Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day in San Francisco. Although this necessarily isn’t a bad thing, as those underrepresented people who originally inhabited this land are finally represented and recognized, the Board of Supervisors threw another important group of people under the bus. This city’s deep roots include Italian heritage. Not only have they been key for the growth of the city, but they also are the reason this city is where it is today. The namesake of the city is from a great Italian man, Saint Francis of Assisi. Domenico “Domingo” Ghirardelli was not only a merchant and chocolatier of the city, but helped to create the common type of chocolate everyone eats today. After the 1906 earthquake, the main reason San Francisco rebuilt so quickly was due to A.P. Giannini, who helped those immigrants and middle class people. His thought and initiative to serve his community lead him to not only be the founder of the Bank of America, but also the way banks are ran. The list can go on and on. I come from a long line of proud Italian Americans who have not only served the community, but the city as well and I pride
myself on the fact that the people who raised me are proud of who they are. The fact that the supervisors tossed aside a group of people who helped this city strive is a travesty. In the vote, the results were 10 to 1, with the lone opposition vote coming from District 3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who represents the Italian American neighborhood of North Beach. Several Members from CIAO (Coalition of Italian American Organizations) protest the vote. Although it was open to the public, CIAO was not officially invited to the vote, and neither was the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, the people the city is trying to honor. Though the two groups don’t share the same ideas, they both agree that they should have been allowed to voice to their opinions on the issue and have a chance to make a change. They both agree it was time for change, and were already in the process of changing. The Italian Heritage Parade received that name 20 years ago, after being called the Columbus Day Parade. Everyone realized it was time to change, but the Board did it in such an appalling way that they have made the problem worse. They have left so many problems with this city untreated, and worse. The fact that we put people into power who don’t care about the honest, middle-class Americans, and yet do care about hipster techies who only wish to take from our city is disappointing. We have let them detract from who we are, and, we are suffering. This applies to not only Italian Americans or Native Americans, but San Franciscans in general and will continue to if they aren’t addressed and fixed. Then, this city will continue the downward spiral it has been on ever since the Summer of Love.
4 Campus News
Spring 2018
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
“Wrestling Champs,” continued from page 1
“Basketball Champs,” continued from page 1
place with a 4-2 record, and then took fourth place at the WCAL Tournament, with Daniel Gerard ’19 taking home first place as an individual. Other key contributors included Sebastian Black ’20, Hunter Davis ’19, Eric Dashevsky ’21, and Israel ValleOrtiz ’21. For the varsity squad, they persevered their way to a 5-1 record and a strong 2nd place regular season finish in the WCAL, falling only to Bellarmine. After losing two WCAL champions from last season (Ilya Lysenko ’17 and Donny Bendo ’17), many programs would see regression between seasons. Not so for the Crusaders. According to head coach Gary Whitehouse, “What we try to get is a core group of guys to buy in and we know that a lot of guys will graduate, and some guys will choose not to wrestle, but if we can get a core group of guys every year, 5-10 guys who really buy-in in the offseason and put the work in, that’s really where you take the big jump.” Whitehouse had that core group heading into this year. Led by top returners Gene Aberouette ’18, Michael Bigler ’20 (who last year became only the third freshman in school history to win first place in the WCAL), and Isaac Rogan ’18, the Crusaders jumped out to a fast start this year, going 4-1 in non-conference play at the Faultline Duals. However, to succeed in the difficult WCAL, it would take some unlikely contributors. And that’s what’s this group of wrestlers had. “Late in the season, we had two guys who came onto the team really really late. That’s Ray Russell and Dontrell [Harden],” said Whitehouse. “Just those two guys coming out really filled out our line-up. Without filling those spots, we don’t win league that way.” While success in the WCAL is one thing, succeeding at the league tournament, on the biggest stage, can be quite different. The Crusaders were up for the challenge. Up and down the weight classes, the wrestlers were giving everything they had to get the necessary points for a team victory. Riordan ended with three third place finishers (Jules Mulwa ’20, Jake Angelo ’18, and Russell) and had several other contributors pick up points for the team. Going into the champion round, Riordan still had five wrestlers with a chance at an individual title, and a small lead over Bellarmine who had six finalists of their own. All Riordan had to do was match or exceed the amount of winners that Bellarmine had and they would become champions.
the quarterfinals, versus the Hillsdale Fighting Knights. At the time, Johnson said, “We need to not take teams as a joke and play as a team.” The Crusaders did just that and dominated Hillsdale 69-28, including thunderous dunks from Johnson, and David Sonnier ’19. In the semifinals, the Crusaders defeated Mills Vikings 52-44, with a dominating 20-4 third quarter. The finals were set versus the defending champion Monterey Toreadores. Johnson added, “We could always do better but we’re a foot in the right direction.” Clark’s 23 points, as well as good games from Anthony Oropeza ’18 and Chun helped capture Riordan’s 15th CCS Championship. The Crusaders then turned their focus to a run for the state title. Their first opponent was St. Patrick-St.
And become champions they did. At the end of the day, Antonio Nathan-Miranda ’21 and Rogan finished in second place, while Bigler, Randy Aberouette ’20 and Gene Aberouette ’18 finished in first place, matching Bellarmine’s three first place finishers. The pin by the elder Aberouette sealed the deal on the wrestling program’s first WCAL title in Riordan wrestling history. (See quote box to the right for reactions to winning the title.) When asked, Whitehouse said, “[Winning league] is huge for the program and huge for the kids. Historically, wrestling is one of the most successful sports on campus, really successful on the state, WCAL, CCS level, but for some reason we’ve never captured that league title. To get that vindication is huge. For the kids it’s even bigger...there’s so many great highs going at Riordan, so to bring another winning story, the first league title in the last 12 years, is huge for the whole student body.” Of the 14 wrestlers that competed at WCAL finals, 12 went on to qualify for the CCS tournament. On their way to an 8th place finish in the section, Riordan had three medalists with the younger Aberouette earning 6th place, Bigler taking the 5th place slot, and the elder Aberouette taking third and a spot at the state championships. Other wrestlers making it to the second day of the tournament before being eliminated in the consolation bracket included Nathan-Miranda and Angelo, finishing in the top 16, Michael Gray ’20 finishing in the top 12, and Rogan and Armando Munoz ’19 finishing in the top 8. After the aforementioned third place finish, Gene Aberouette travelled with a large contingent of teammates and coaches to the CIF State Championships in Bakersfield. While he did not get the results he hoped for (going 0-2 in his only two matches of the tournament), Gene will go down as one of Riordan’s top wrestlers after placing twice at CCS, going to state, and earning more than 100 wins in his career. However, it will be the team success that sticks with him. “[Becoming] League champs [was the best] because we worked hard. When it came to CCS, we still worked hard, got top 8. That’s all I really care about.” While the wrestling program will be losing Aberouette and fellow seniors Rogan, Angelo, Samra, and Harden ’18, all is not lost. The team will return top finishers Randy Aberouette and Bigler who will look to lead the team to back to back titles and hopefully a victory over Bellarmine.
Vincent High School. With 24 points from Chun, and contributions from Oropeza, Clark, Mack Yates ’20, and Chime Ugbaja ’19 the Crusaders beat St. Patrick-St. Vincent 71-62. The Crusaders’ next and last opponent was the Grant Pacers. The Crusaders took an early lead, but an ugly third quarter hindered the Crusaders’ chances and they lost 60-50. The other three teams also had successful seasons. Freshman A finished 4-10, with a couple good wins versus Saint Ignatius and St. Francis. Freshman B went 104, with many exciting victories, and JV was prosperous, finishing 10-4. The Crusaders are looking forward to another great run next year, but overall, Curtin and crew had a successful season as a first year Varsity Head Coach.
That’s what he said . . .
Riordan wrestlers comment on winning the league title: “It’s plain and simple we’re the best. We woke up that day and decided to win a league title.” - Gene Aberouette ’18 “All the weight we lost, all the hours we put in was finally worth it when they earned us the title.” - Kabir Samra ’18 “It was an unforgettable experience, and I’ll never forget the times I had with the team.” - Jake Angelo ’18 “It was an amazing experience to have with my teammates because of all the hard work we put in.” - Dontrell Harden ’18 “It felt great knowing that your team has accomplished something that hasn’t been done in a while.” - Isaac Rogan ’18 “Winning WCAL was a once in a lifetime experience that I’m glad I was a part of.” - Armando Munoz ’19 “Riordan wrestling has had so many amazing teams, but for our program to finally win league was awesome.” - Michael Gray ’20 “It was an experience of a lifetime to make history with the people you put in work with every day.” - Ray Russell ’20 “We’re the hardest working program there is. That’s why we won.” -Michael Bigler ’20 “Winning WCAL made me fully realize all the hard work is for a reason and that all the struggles will lead to rewards.” - Jules Mulwa ’20 “My job’s not done yet. I have two more to win.” - Randy Aberouette ’20
Coach Whitehouse is excited for what next year will bring. “We have a lot of expectations and potential. We talked about Ray Russell to make a huge jump. Randy Aberouette is a guy who went 0-2 in CCS, that’s a huge jump as a freshman to placing sixth, and he shocked everyone, . [Michael] Bigler has nothing less than a CCS title in his sights. And then, the whole sophomore class
is a class that is talented and has had a lot of varsity matches. Jules Mulwa, Gustavo Amador, Michael Gray. We can see all those guys easily winning league titles, placing in CCS.” To do so though, the training starts now. “I want the guys to rest their bodies, rest their minds a little bit, have some fun,” said Whitehouse, “and when they’re ready, get back to work.”
Spring 2018
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Campus News
5
New repercussions for old rules instituted after Winter Break By David Rodriguez-Mendez ’18 After years under the demerit system, the administration changed the penalties for infractions from tardiness to uniform violations to disruptive behavior. Although it may seem disagreeable from a student perspective, the administration felt it was better to change the punishment this semester, rather than wait for next school year. The first weeks were rough, students said, with three classrooms filled to the brim with detention students. Under the previous system, students would receive three warnings and a then detention, so many in detention those first few weeks were shocked to see themselves there. Being late now holds the same punishment as a dress code violation. Before the punishment change, there was little punishment for a student who came 10 minutes late, but now being two minutes late is a detention. Matthew Paul ’18 said, “Mainly the new rules are not hard to follow. I think they are pretty fair. We are, after all, a private Catholic school and should have a uniform. When I go to work I have to wear a uniform. But, I think
something like a one demerit, one chance [option] as opposed to detention for all punishments [would be better].” Most students saw the 10-minute grace period as the time frame for “stuff happens.” As so often is the case, the few ruined it for the many and time after time, students were repeatedly coming in late, even those who lived five minutes away, or even on campus. Senior House Captain of the House of Bolts Rodrigo Cuellar ’18 said the new rules are “helpful to teachers, but fail to account for stuff just happens. An accident on the freeway means coming in late is almost assured, and as a student driver, there are no parents able to write a note.” Cuellar added, “There are times MUNI is late, and can even slow to a crawl. There is no leniency anymore. Although I feel like they are helpful for teachers, it simply does not account for the things out of our control. If it were able to account for these what ifs, the new system would be totally fair. A student who rarely ever shows up late should not receive the same punishment as those who are habitually late. Even so, students are now more urgent and in its simplicity, the new rules are more clear on the consequences.”
Photo by Henry Novicki ’18 The old violation slips, on the left, were for dress code violations, whereas the new ones are detention notices for various reasons. These punishments are not on the students.” entirely new, as years before O’Brien continued, “This requires they were the norm. With the inward reflection on the part of previous system, teachers had the student. We have tried many been trying to deal with rowdy things, including appealing to a students for years, showing the sense of integrity and ownership, weakness of the old demerit including demerits and second system the students knew how to chances, as well as mutual respect work around. The new detention in hopes that others would follow system gives teachers a fighting in suit. Outside this school, these chance in a 27 to 1 environment. are all long term solutions.” Michael O’Brien, Dean of “Students probably perceive Academics, said, “There is always measures like this as unfair an immediate impact and we largely because they did not see it don’t usually resort to immediate coming, and until true ownership short-term solutions unless with is taken for actions that violate circumstances like these. I hope rules, any type of punitive that students will take the school measure will seem unfair,” he requirements seriously in the added. “The first weeks’ batch of long run as they do now. Short detentions were so large because term solutions are reactionary the old methods were not being and get results. The way they taken seriously. Although, I doubt become long term solutions is if there are many repeat offenders they have true and lasting impact now with the new system.”
Class of 2018 earns its senior privileges By Jakeclark Bennett ’18
Students in the 12th grade, their last year of high school at Archbishop Riordan High School, are rewarded for their years of good behavior with senior privileges. The seniors had certain privileges last year and the year before. The current seniors have been pondering the question of what to ask for, and what will be granted, for months. Over the course of this year, no public announcement about the privileges had been made, and so seniors found themselves overcome with growing curiosity. Joey Coxon ’18 responded, “While I am personally indifferent to senior privileges, when we will get them was a question on my mind. It would be nice to have an exception to the dress code, especially the khaki policy.” Dean of Students Juan Zumbado ’98 handled the assignment of senior privileges, discussing it with a committee of seniors for a list of possible “privileges.” Upon finalization, the requests were discussed with Zumbado, then administration—and finally, enforced by Zumbado and other teachers.
After the mentor group meeting on Feb. 28, the long awaited senior privileges were finally announced: from March 1 to May 4, College Fridays, seniors can wear college sweatshirts from where they applied or going to, along with Trade or Army sweatshirts. In addition, seniors must meet a criterion to be granted senior privileges, which is based on whether or not the senior class has displayed good conduct, such as following the school dress code. Senior privileges award those who are diligent and are willing to be proper, mature adults in society. Zumbado believes this is a good system for the past several years. “Seniors—this is good news—we do not have seniors that aren’t eligible this year. In fact, not for a long time. This is because seniors do what we ask of them.” He added, “Most of the time, it is usually an issue with the uniform and being reminded of the basics of being a Riordan student. There hasn’t been an example of that happening this year.” Including, starting May 5, seniors are allowed to eat in the gym and play on the court, with the policy that they must clean up.
From April 9 to May 5, modified dress, a code that will be followed by Director of Student Activities Joey Klobas. No need for shaving, but the facial hair must be kept clean. Along with this will include the promise of being able to be released early once the Final Exam is completed, if a permission slip is turned into the office, and
on the condition that they leave school as soon as they do so. On Fridays, there will be a Senior Only lunch line at the cafeteria. Finally, seniors will be dismissed from rallies and assemblies first. Since Riordan won the Battle of the Avenues Benefit Rally, the privileges will extend past prom.
6
Campus News
Spring 2018
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Jerry Lucey ’61 receives Chaminade Award By Alexander Ruivivar ’20
Since 1975, Archbishop Riordan High School has bestowed the Blessed William Chaminade Award to honor an individual who has done great service for the school. This year’s recipient of the Chaminade Award, from the Class of 1961, is a long time supporter of the school, Jerry Lucey. As a Riordan alumnus, he has greatly helped the school. He served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and is still supporting a variety of programs to ensure that future students have the same opportunities as he did. Viggen Rassam ’87 said, “I’ve known Jerry Lucey for 15 years. I was the Development Director of the alumni and he was the Board. He was a long time Board member and donor. He was there for the resurgence and growth of the school. He supported the science centers. He is a true Crusader, and wants students to have better than his classmates and he did.” One particular program that he supported was Speech and Debate. Many students and mentors in the Speech and Debate program are grateful for Lucey’s support.
English Department Chair Diana Assereto said, “He was dedicated. He believed that speaking in front of people is important for all students.” The Speech and Debate program at first was a club, with around six dedicated students, who went on to compete at the Golden Gate Forensic Association. Then it became an enrichment class, joining a different speech association at the Logos Speech Association, which is for only Catholic schools. The class was funded through Lucey. It offered one class at first, and now two. According to Student Activities Director Joey Klobas ’08, he will not be teaching next year and the Speech and Debate program will not be offered as an elective class. One of the program’s most successful students, Roman Peregrino ’18 said, “I have really enjoyed my time in the Speech and Debate program. I joined as a sophomore and for a while, I was the only member in the then-club. From there, however, I have seen the program grow exponentially with the introduction of the new enrichment course. I think Speech and Debate is incredibly important because it teaches you to think on your feet and practice
Photo by Chris Peterson ’18 Chaminade Award recipient Jerry Lucey ’61 and his wife Belinda in front of the plaque bearing the names of previous winners.
your public speaking skills.” After graduating from Riordan High School, Lucey attended USF Law School, practiced as a Labor and Employment Attorney for four decades, and raised a family in the East Bay.
Additionally, Klobas said, “He supported [the program] financially as well as morally. He donated $2,000 and an additional $2,300 to the club. He helped with the supplies and entry costs. He was helpful and with him, we were able to keep [on] going.”
Restani Court officially dedicated By Eddie Monares ’19
In October, the newly renovated Restani Court was finished, and on Feb. 2, during the halftime of a crazy comeback victory by the Crusaders over the Irish, a court dedication for the late great Kevin Restani ’70 took place. Restani, in three seasons at the University of San Francisco, averaged a double-double, and led the Dons to a 62-22 record from 1971-1974, as well as three West Coast Athletic Conference championships. Restani was the 39th overall pick in the third round of the 1974 NBA Draft. He played eight seasons in the NBA, including stints with teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, Kansas City Kings, San Antonio Spurs, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Restani then went overseas to Italy to continue playing professional basketball. Unfortunately, he died at the age 58, on April 25, 2010 due to a heart attack. Now, nearly eight years and about $800,000 later, the court was set to be dedicated to honor Kevin Restani. Director of Athletics Mike Gilleran said, “Kevin is arguably the best player ever at Riordan, and he’s just an all-around good
guy, but it was really his classmates who got the momentum going for this.” Several of Restani’s family, friends, classmates, and teammates from the class of 1970, as well as his teammates from the University of San Francisco, and the Olympic Club, gathered at the Crusader Forum. An appearance was even made by three-time NBA Champion, and former USF Don Bill Cartwright. Gilleran also said, “A dedication to Kevin was something that we discussed and was always on the table.” Fr. Mike Quinn ’70 was there to bless the court, and interim Mayor Mark Farrell deemed Feb. 2 to be “Kevin Restani Day.” Gilleran said there was no particular reason as to why the dedication was held on this day. “We wanted a Friday night game, we wanted to avoid other events on campus, and if just made sense.” The Crusaders went on to defeat the Irish in overtime, in what was a tremendous come-from-behind victory, 86-80. Gilleran said, “To be able to come from behind, and defeat a city rival, we couldn’t have scripted it any better.”
Photo by Eddie Monares ’19 San Francisco Mayor Mark Farrell and President Andrew Currier.
Spring 2018
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Campus News 7
Bus engine replaced after 500k miles By Harrick Wu ’19
This past summer, one of the school buses had a mechanical issue. Many believed that the bus broke down and the school needed to buy a whole new bus, but that was not the case. In reality, one of the buses’ engines just needed to be replaced due to old age and the many miles it had culminated over the years of transporting Archbishop Riordan’s sports teams, the Crusader band, and other students to school events. According to Scott Rea ’87, Director of Facilities, “It had 500,000 miles on it and was replaced due to old age. It was the life of the engine issue.” The cost to replace the engine was $12,000. Luckily, the school did not have to fundraise, because the school had already anticipated the need to swap the aged engine and accounted the cost in the school’s budget.
“We knew we’d need the money, and it was not an issue that happened right away. It was an old issue—we knew that the engine was going to have to be replaced, and that was budgeted for in our transportation budget under maintenance,” Rea said. Riordan is one of the few schools in the WCAL that still owns its
Photo by Roman Peregrino ’18 The engine on one of the school buses was replaced this past year. school’s buses. This saves the school thousands of dollars every month. According to Rea, rival schools spend up to$250,000 a year. If Riordan did lose a school bus, the school would have to pay a costly price for charter buses each time there is an event off
campus. Band Director Kyle Hildebrant said, “Other options are accessible and doable; it usually just cost us more money to do that.” Rea said, “Transportation is very expensive and every high school needs it.”
Uber and Lyft are the most popular forms of transportation to date. Combined, both apps generate an average of 170,000 passengers per weekday. These companies have been in constant competition for the past few years. However, with the new addition of Uber Express Pool, Uber’s popularity has risen to unprecedented levels. Although the use of Lyft and Uber has risen in popularity, their constant use has made a negative impact on the traffic. The problem is obvious on Phelan Avenue, where Uber pickups have caused traffic problems around the school. With the increase of Uber pickups in the front of the school, traffic does not flow properly because Ubers park their cars while waiting for their passengers. “To some degree, the increase of Uber and Lyft drivers affect the traffic at Riordan negatively. It creates more traffic out front and they are pulling into a bus
stop that puts them in jeopardy of getting a ticket,” said Michael Vezzali-Pascual ’88. “To begin with, the students should not be picked up in the front of school. Now, there are a whole bunch of students getting picked up on an already busy street with buses and City College traffic,” he said. He continued, “Students should put their pickup location as 1 Hazelwood. This way, students will get picked up in the back of the school and avoid causing traffic in Phelan.” While Uber and Lyft’s navigation systems are impressive, they are far from perfect. Many passengers have complained about how both apps are unable to properly pinpoint their location. There have been many complaints, such as pick up points located on the freeway, or fluctuating pick up points. “The Uber app sometimes malfunctions when I pin my pickup location,” stated Joseph Biscocho ’18. “One instance, I had to walk to
a Walgreens five minutes away because the Uber app marked the wrong pickup location.” Uber and Lyft’s pickup and dropoff algorithm has brought complaints from both passengers and drivers alike. With a difficult area to drive in like downtown San Francisco, Uber and Lyft drivers find it hard to be able to pick up and drop off passengers. Because the drivers have to wait for their passengers at a certain spot, they disrupt the flow of traffic. Especially in downtown, drivers cannot simply stop in the middle of a busy street. Marcus, a San Francisco local and Uber driver, commented on the problematic situation. “It is not up to speed to which pickup locations are safe and not safe. The Uber navigation is not a good system. It relies on the driver themselves to make a good conscious decision on where to pick up someone and where to drop off passengers.” Marcus has several ideas on how to improve the system. “I would say when you call for your
Uber, it would be in a place where the Uber driver can pick you up, a place where parking is available, or a safe space. Uber should include Uber pickup locations where it is the safest for drivers to stop and for passengers to get picked up.” Problems aside, Uber and Lyft have made a positive impact on people’s everyday lives. “I think the best aspect of Uber is that they are able to give people affordable prices to get to any destination,” Driskill said. In a city where people use public transportation more prominently than driving, Uber and Lyft have created a service that goes beyond the limitations of BART and Muni. Although Uber and Lyft continue to present many problems, its popularity and increasingly common use cannot be denied. With their integration into daily lives, Uber and Lyft’s adaptations to its problems will be crucial to the safety for the passengers, drivers, and bystanders everywhere.
By Shane McKnight ’18 Archbishop Riordan High School has had a number of great clubs in the past years. Adding to the list of clubs this year is the Riordan’s Education Alliance of Diverse Individuals, or “READI” club founded by Vince Francisco ’19 and the “Athletic Leadership” club by Dylan Lainez ’20. First, “READI” is Riordan’s first diversity club that aims to accept those from different backgrounds, cultures, and
perspectives. “READI” wants to unite students from the far corners of Riordan because some see how far apart students are from one another, despite being in such a small community. “We pride ourselves on building character and expanding your views,” said Francisco. READI is an essential part of Riordan because it boasts diversity and makes members think more about themselves.
This club meets Thursdays after school in room 222, and is advised by Student Parliament Co-Moderator Chanel Nijmeh. The Athletic Leadership club hopes to build a sense of community and spirit among the Riordan’s athletic teams. “I show athletic leadership by riling my teammates up and getting ready for any game. I also talk to teammates and give them advice on how to improve
athletically as well as take it makes people really come together and unite as a family and think as one.” This club, advised by Cross Country coach Benny Willers, is meant to enhance Riordan’s student athlete experience by promoting a positive student image, improving communication, and increasing everyone’s school spirit even more.
Trendy technology transforms student travel By Jeremy Reyes ’18
New clubs ‘READI’ for leadership roles
8 Campus News
Spring 2018
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
RSP rooms refurbished ASAP over Winter Break By Aidan Murtagh ’20
The Resource Specialist Program (RSP) classrooms were improved and remodeled over Christmas Break, for the first time in 20 years. The project in total cost around $60,000, and with help from alumni, the money was raised in only two weeks. Among the student body, more than 100 students have been diagnosed with learning disabilities and utilize RSP to accommodate for these various hindrances. Archbishop Riordan has one of the best resource specialist programs in the Bay Area, and the school wanted to reflect that by remodeling the rooms to be more efficient. RSP instructor Benny Willers said, “The new additions to the RSP room are great. It really adds a new element and has definitely altered the atmosphere in a good way. Our brains are made to be attracted to novelty. So I really get a feeling that the students have seen these new additions as potentially rewarding in some way.” The new additions include new carpets, new blinds, fresh paint, and new furniture that is on the way. The RSP classrooms also have a 75 inch television that is to be mounted in the room, rather than the standard projector. This may see like an odd purchase, but buying a television rather than a projector was actually an advantageous choice. The TV will turn out to cost less money than the projector since the projector’s light bulbs need to be periodically replaced with new ones. Some of the new furniture
includes medicine balls and chairs that wobble a bit for students who have a hard time sitting still, ideally helping them to stay on task. So far, the improvement ideas have succeeded in achieving the goal, as sophomore Emilio Gorog said, “It affects learning because it makes the room a whole lot cleaner, eliminating most of the clutter that existed before the remodel. It really allows RSP students who need to get a lot of work done in a short amount of time to accomplish their goals.” Another feat of the RSP remodeling is that the program raised the money themselves. Thanks to the donors of the Photo by Scott Rea ’87 school community, the Resource Specialist Program was able to Over Winter Break, the RSP rooms were stripped from floor to ceiling. make the improvements it needed and deserved. The program is designed to be tailored to each individual student, and the new rooms help do so. RSP Director and Instructor Nate Simon said, “We have students that have always, before they have come to Riordan, struggled at school, and we want them to be happy about being here, and we wanted a space that reflected that, so that when they come here, they feel good about being here and they feel there are being resources dedicated to them.” With these changes, the new RSP classrooms allow for more efficient learning, provide a Photo by Danilo Herger ’20 space for academic guidance, and Besides brand new carpeting, the remodeled RSP rooms include new fostering a new and improved ergonomic tables and chairs, which make learning more comfortable. environment for its students.
Quest for Chaminade Cup heats up as Houses battle for points By Michael Gray ’20 With the closing of the inaugural first semester of the House System at Riordan, the highly coveted Chaminade Cup is hotly contested. At the end of the fall semester, Cana led the pack with 1,126 points; Pilar was in second with 904; Russi in third with 853; and Bolts with 821. Adjusted by a point multiplier, the scores are now 112, 90, 85, and 82. For this semsester’s points so far (see graph), Bolts has 631, Pilar 623, Cana 618, and Russi 557, which will also adjusted at the end of the semester. This, however, does not take into account the Crusader Games, on April 27, which can tip the scales. Although it seems as though Cana is too far ahead of the other competitors to be challenged,
Joey Klobas, Director of Student Activities, denies Cana’s supremacy, stating, “Cana has the potential to win this race but with the lack of point gaining in the second semester it will be difficult.” The new year’s first rally is evidence of this, as Pilar came in first, Russi in second, Cana in third, and Bolts last. Rallies are not the only opportunities to win House points, however; one can attend athletic events, MLCs, and other school-sanctioned activities. With all of these opportunities to win points, anyone still has a shot at victory. In the end, it doesn’t matter who wins a semester, but who wins the Chaminade Cup. The scoring for the Chaminade Cup is taken from the totals of each house from both semesters as well as the points earned during the Crusader Games,
Graphic by Viggen Rassam ’87 The House points as of March 16, for the Spring Semester, show the House of Bolts in the lead, followed by Pilar, Cana, and Russi.
an entire day of games and activities. With all these
variables in the House points, anything can happen.
Spring 2018
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Campus News
9
Memories made in memorial metropolis By Thomas Prudden ’18
Day One. My experience on Close Up was one to never forget. On the first day, we explored parts of Washington, DC, including the Washington Monument, and different museums around the area. In addition, we got to meet the people we were rooming with. My roommates in particular were from Florida Christian High School. The people on this trip were from many places, from Florida to Louisiana. “I got to make new friends and reconnect with old friends,” said Matthew Ko ’18. Day Two of Close Up was the first day we got into groups for the bus and various activities. On our bus, groups traveled to different places, including the Lincoln Memorial. Even though it was cold, it was still worth seeing. On Day Three we met up in our groups and traveled around DC. On that day, the most inspirational monuments we
saw were the World War II Memorial and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. On Day Four, the Riordan group dressed up in suits and ties and went to the Capitol and Senate. On that day, also we got to meet Rep. Jackie Speier, who gave us some words of wisdom. “I was impressed with her quoting Coach Wooden, ‘Success in not internal and failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.’ I thought this is a great quote for students,” said David Elu. After that, we met up with the group, went to Ford’s Theatre and watched a play. Day Five, the last day, we stayed with our Riordan group and visited more museums. The Close Up program is a good way to see all of Washington DC. Marcus Escobar ’18 said, “I thought the trip was very eye opening. It allowed me to see a handful of different point of views from students our age from across the country.”
Photo provided by Thomas Prudden ’18 Several Riordan students posed on the front steps of the Capitol with Social Science teachers Chris Fern, Jeff Isola ’98, David Elu, and Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA 14th District).
Teachers step it up for walking challenge By Mike’l Delfon Gregory ’18 competitiveness, he went from Competition has been gearing up among Riordan teachers, as some faculty members have chosen to participate in the Fitbit walking challenge. Using their Fitbit, each participating teacher is able to see and share their footsteps for the day. Teachers obtained Fitbits through the archdiocese health insurance plan. The faculty walking challenge serves to strengthen their bodies physically and emotionally as they progress through the day, while also creating healthy competition amongst co-workers. Studies show that walking helps maintain a healthy weight, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve balance and coordination. This walking challenge is setting teachers up for long term benefits. Christopher Fern, social science teacher, exclaims that participating greatly increased his step count. As a result of his
a benchmark of 10,000 steps to 14,000 steps daily. Competitions are weekly, beginning Monday morning, and continuing through Friday evenings. After each week, the mobile Fitbit app announces from first to last who’s walked the most. Social Science teacher Cory Nelson, Science teacher Julia Balasteri, and Fern are the top walkers who constantly compete for first place. “Not that I’m counting, but I usually come in first or second place,” said Nelson. While the participants vary from week to week, the core group includes science teacher Balasteri, Fern, Nelson, Religious Studies teachers Joshua Keeney and Michael So, Science Department Chair Chasen Mock, RSP teacher Orlando Perrotta, math teacher Mary Ann Datoc, Boarding Program Director Gary Whitehouse, and English teacher Susan Sutton.
Photo by Henry Novicki ’18 Teachers wear Fitbits and compete in weekly walking challenges.
10 Arts & Entertainment
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Spring 2018
‘Black Panther’ claws its way to top of box office By James Chun ’18 and Anthony Oropeza ’18
“Black Panther” has taken the nation by storm, already shattering its expected box office numbers. The film, in only its second week, has already surpassed $700 million worldwide. Starring many critically acclaimed actors (Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Daniel Kaluuya) it looks like it is on its way to joining the exclusive $1 Billion-Dollar Film Club alongside movies such as “Titanic,” “Avatar,” “Frozen” and “The Avengers.” Ryan Coogler, USC graduate, directed this blockbuster hit. This was his third major movie, with the others being “Fruitvale Station” and “Creed.” Coogler is an Oakland native, who struggled with his cultural identity as a kid. This is why he said he needed to make this movie. “I was grappling with something I’ve kind of been scraping at my whole life, which is my cultural identity,” he told Rolling Stone magazine. It seems to be a package deal with Coogler and Michael B. Jordan, because every movie Coogler directs has Jordan in it. This transitions into how good the acting was in this movie, especially from Boseman and Jordan. Chadwick Boseman, also known for playing Jackie Robinson in
“42,” was first introduced as T’Challa /Black Panther in “Captain America: Civil War.” T’Challa is returning home to his home land of Wakanda to claim his rightful place as king. Soon into his reign, T’Challa is tested by an unexpected challenger, putting the fate of Wakanda and the rest of the world at risk. Michael B. Jordan nailed his role as Erik Killmonger, the villain of the movie. Killmonger, a former United States soldier, has come to Wakanda looking to overthrow T’Challa as king. Killmonger’s goal of global liberation for black people stems from being abandoned as a child by T’Challa’s father. Jordan told Titan Magazine, “He’s the villain of this film – but hopefully you can empathize with him and see where he’s coming from.
Marvel Studios “He has reasons for doing what he’s doing and he feels that he’s right. He’s a very, very smart guy. He’s very intelligent. He went to MIT, graduated top of his class, enrolled in the Navy SEALs and special forces, and black ops.” “Black Panther” was such a great movie, because it was relatable to many people worldwide. It displayed struggles and ways to overcome them. Kids with tragedy-stricken families can relate to Killmonger through their actions and upbringing. “I thought Black Panther was amazing! I loved the acting, the music, the story, and the message. I loved the idea it presents of healing ancestral wounds to move forward. It encourages the idea that you can’t bury the past—you have to look at it honestly and confront it and the ways in which past mistakes negatively affect
the present,” said Social Studies Department Chair and Movie Madness Club adviser Christopher Fern. “Black Panther” displayed two viewpoints of growing up into wealth and the opposite as well— with a family and without one. The messages placed throughout the movie added to its value. The movie was also action packed and exciting to watch. It kept many on the edges of their seats with good fighting scenes. Watching “Black Panther” should be on everyone’s to do list. The film offers the audience something new, featuring a primarily all-black cast and amazing visuals. Dontrell Harden ’18 expressed his thoughts on whether or not the film helped the African American community by saying, “It was a really great movie, but it didn’t really help the African American community at all. It was great to see an African American superhero, but in a political way, it didn’t help the African American community.” Although there are differing opinions on how much the film has helped the African American community, “Black Panther” has definitely made some efforts. Disney said it would donate $1 million of the proceeds from “Black Panther” to STEM programs at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
Novicki represents Riordan at Shakespeare competition By Keven Munoz ’18
The Lindland Theater recently hosted the English Speaking Union (ESU) competition as the San Francisco Branch searched for a high school student to represent the City in the nationwide competition in New York City. Valerie O’Riordan, ARHS Drama Director, was responsible for organizing the event this year, as she took on the role as the San Francisco branch competition coordinator. This is her first year as coordinator and had to simultaneously work with the ARHS candidate, Henry Novicki ’18. This process, however, began at the end of the 2016-2017 school year when Novicki first chose his piece as part of his college admissions process requirements. Henry was selected through an in-house competition that was held earlier this past February, which included President Andrew Currier, and English teachers Susan Sutton and Michael Vezzalli-Pascual ’88 as judges. Novicki had to compete with Estefan Granucci ’19 and Michael Patterson ’18 before he could move on to compete with student
actors from other local high schools. The competition requires actors to prepare and perform a Shakespeare monologue and sonnet. These performances are then evaluated by three higherranking judges of the area, who then pick out a group to move on to the second round. The performers selected to move on to the second round perform their same monologue and sonnet one more time in front of the judges before they decide who will win the first second and third place. The top three students receive a monetary prize, but what distinguishes the first place winner is that he or she is chosen to represent the branch in New York with all expenses paid. It was a long process that could be seen as repetitive at times, especially for those who are not Shakespearean scholars, but it can be very fascinating when taking into account the fact that these are high schoolers performing Shakespearean pieces almost fluently. Each student held his ground and eloquently moved around the stage, giving the judges a difficult job of choosing reduce the group from 20 to
Photo by Keven Munoz ’18 Drama Director Valerie O’Riordan poses with Henry Novicki ’18, Riordan’s representative at the English Speaking Union’s annual Shakespeare competition. just one. It took them 15 minutes to competitors to only seven, and about one hour to pick the top three winners. Novicki proudly moved on the second round. He was the only student from a school
located in San Francisco besides Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts (SF SOTA). The competition ended with Julian O’Byrne, a senior from Marin School of the Arts (Marin SOTA), winning first place.
Spring 2018
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Arts & Entertainment
11
‘The Shape of Water’ mops up at Academy Awards By Henry Novicki ’18
“The Shape of Water” (2017) directed by Guillermo del Toro is a romantic drama in which a mute woman, played by Sally Hawkins, known for her role in “Paddington” and then “Paddington 2,” becomes involved with an amphibian creature, played by Doug Jones. The film takes place in Baltimore, Maryland in the late 1950s and centers on Eliza Esposito, a cleaning woman at a government facility. Del Toro’s tenth film release has garnered much critical acclaim. Hardly surprising as looking at his filmography, the Netflix TV series starring the late Anton Yelchin, “Trollhunters,” “Blade II,” “Hellboy,” “Pan’s Labyrinth,” “Pacific Rim,” “Crimson Peak,”
“Mimic,” “The Devil’s Backbone,” and “Cronos.” Del Toro even produced the 2014 animated film “The Book of Life,” which has brought the 2017 animated film winner “Coco” under fire for alleged plagiarism. The Mexican writer and director is known for films that can be best described as dark fantasy. “The Shape of Water” received 13 nominations at the 90th Academy Awards and won four Oscars in the categories of: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Production Design, and Best Original Score. “The Shape of Water” is the first fantasy film to win Best Picture since 2004, when the epic fantasy film “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” written and directed by Peter Jackson, won.
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Ads offer alternative to paying for online music By James Chun ’18
People all over the world love music, but money sometimes is an issue. A problem arises when artists do not get paid for their work, and because many people search for free music downloads. Now, artists can get paid from streams, ads, and downloads rather than just buying a song on the normal iTunes app. An array of apps help people do this like: Spotify, SoundCloud, Spinrilla, YouTube, and online radio stations like Pandora. People do not like spending money on items like albums and individual songs, so they originally would illegally download them through apps like Limewire and Napster (which people no longer use). This is where the idea of free apps with ads and other methods of paying artists came about. Many of these type of apps that were used to help benefit music listeners did not reward the artists for their work, which was a problem. Of course, people may still pay for music, or get subscriptions to some apps to avoid ads, but the moral is that there is an available means to listen to music for free that rewards the artists for their
hard work. For example, “Spotify pays its artists through ads,” said Jon Aguilar, college counselor and adviser of the DJ Club. However a question arose as to whether or not the free music would match the paid music’s quality. Rebecca Roberts, database manager, said, “Even though ads are annoying, it is better than paying, and the quality is good.” Using apps like YouTube to stream music also has a lot of pros. Gio Mendoza ’18 said, “It’s nice to watch the music videos as I listen to them, for free.” Visuals help make the experience better and can make up for the ads. The ads pay usually a couple cents to the artists per stream, but the amount paid can differ upon ad length, company, etc. The most popular app for music streaming among the school is Spotify. It captivates the biggest audience, and has the most song choice and genre choices. All in all, the ads may be annoying, but there are a lot of pros and some upsides to using free apps. People get free music to listen to, and the artists get paid, so everyone wins.
12 Environment
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Spring 2018
Straws suck life out of environment By Ian Martin ’20
Plastic products have always been an issue for the environment, mainly oceans, and today it is no different. Plastic products plague our oceans and landfills, killing wildlife. One of the biggest culprits is the straw. Sure, it’s a small item and most people overlook it, but an estimated 500 million plastic straws are produced and used in the world every single day. These straws hardly ever get recycled; they end up on beaches, the ocean, and all over the ground. Plastic straws are made of polypropylene, a petroleumbased plastic. This doesn’t break down in the environment, so they are just floating in the oceans, waiting for an ocean-dwelling organism to consume them. For example, there is a viral video of a Costa-Rican sea turtle getting a plastic straw removed from its nostril. More than 11 million viewers watched in horror as the sea turtle starts crying and is clearly in pain. This video brought awareness to the harm straws can cause to the environment and creatures.
Anti-straw campaigns started to form, advocating for the boycott of straws, and the boycotts continue. One such movement is Lonely Whale’s Strawless Campaign in Seattle. Their main goal is to convince people to use environmentally friendly alternatives to plastic straw use and to hashtag #stopsucking. AP Environmental Science Teacher Michael O’Brien said, “There are other ways to deal with the issue of plastic products. We don’t use straws for coffee. We could use the same lids instead [for other drinks], but then the question would be, where do those end up?” “I feel like if the straw war is this big, then there needs to be some changes. I would suggest paper or glass straws as a substitute to the harm plastic straws create,” stated Michael Curran ’20. An ocean gyre is a system of water currents that move in a circular motion. When litter like straws gets caught in these gyres, they form garbage patches. The most notable patch is the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch, which encompasses the
Photo by Keven Munoz ’18 Plastic straws, left, can be recycled, but are dangerous to wildlife and sea creatures, while paper straws, right, are biodegradable. west coast of the Americas, all the way over to Japan. “Plastic in general should get more news coverage. Straws are only a piece of the problem. Plastic bottles are a huge problem, even bigger than straws,” added O’Brien. Even though the garbage patch is giant, people cannot see it because most of the litter is
plastic, so it just gets broken into smaller and smaller pieces. When the plastics become smaller than the eye can see, they become microplastics. Just because the garbage is tiny, doesn’t mean it isn’t there. If it was possible to see those plastics, then there would be an enormous island of trash.
Riordan Weather Report: Rain marches in By Antonio Maffei ’20
Hey Crusaders! Exciting news is happening in the weather world! In this edition of the Riordan Weather Report, we’ll talk about what to expect for spring and the launch of a new weather satellite, which will completely revolutionize the way we look and track weather. First, March is here and that means the Spring Equinox, the first day of spring. The question is, what can we expect? It is very hard to predict this with the
current technology… I know it sounds crazy considering technology has rapidly advanced over the years. But, luckily we have the CFS Model (Climate Forecast System) and the news is not good. It looks like we will possibly have a record temperatures as the high pressure ridge builds in off the coast. High Pressure warms up the atmosphere, which then sinks to the surface, creating some warm temperatures. Precipitation also looks very dry as well. This leads
“Balboa Reservoir,” continued from page 1 According to an interview conducted by The Guardsman, Alvin Ja, a retiree and City College student, has filed a 10 page report, opposing the project. “I’ve been fighting for the Board of Trustees to defend City College for two years now, but they ignore everything,” Ja said. On June 10, 2017, residents filed into Archbishop Riordan’s Chaminade Hall to consider the designs of three teams: AvalonBay Communities and BRIDGE Housing with Mission Housing and others; Emerald Fund and Mercy Housing and others; and Related California with Sares Regis Group of Northern California and others. Emerald Fund and Mercy Housing proposed 1,245 units over 1,245,700 square feet,
including 5.0 acres of open space set aside for trailers, parks and places for people to gather. This includes about 600 parking spaces, with 135 exclusively for CCSF staff and residents. Opposing them was, Related California with Sares Regis Group of Northern California, Curtis Development, Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corp, and Bar Architects. They proposed up to 680 units, spanning over 800,000 square feet, with 5.8 acres of open space allotted for communal space, and 370 spaces for communal parking. The winning proposal was Avalonbay Communities and Bridge House. They had proposed up to 1,000 new housing units spanning over 1,100,000 square feet. The proposal has attempted
to a big question, is California heading for another drought? At this current time we are well below average for rainfall despite the recent wet weather. But luckily, due to last year’s very wet water year, the lakes and reservors are still at average. But due to this, we need a “March Miracle” or California is on track to head for another drought in Summer 2018. Second, I’m very very excited for the launch of The GOES-S Satellite. By the time you’re
probably reading this, the satellite will be already up and running (hopefully). This is the second generation of a constellation of satellites that NOAA and the NWS are putting up. The first has been delivering amazing images and data and is called GOES-16. Once GOES-S is launched, it will immediately be called GOES-17 and focus on San Francisco and the West Coast! Get ready for some amazing images soon! In the meantime, as always Crusaders, stay tuned!
to fill the city’s need for “affordable housing.” 80 homes are at 55 percent Adjusted Median Income, 24 homes at 105 percent AMI, 83 homes at 120 percent AMI. It called for 4.2 acres of open space. This space would be used as walkways, urban gardens, and “Community Gathering Space.” Their proposal would also account for 1,260, parking spaces, and at least 500 spaces in a shared parking garage. Residents expressed concerns about an increase of traffic. Others shared concerns that there were too many units being proposed. In contrast, some believed that there was too much parking, and by building less parking, it will encourage the use of public transportation. Several submitted comments expressed four to five stories is too
high, shading the communities around it. Others believe the proposal is a good mix of housing, integration with City College, and green space. Everyone is concerned about traffic. President Andrew Currier said, “I know that there’s a pretty strong opposition to the proposal by Westwood Park Association. It’s headed up by a Riordan grad. They were afraid this developer was going to cut through Riordan’s property to get to the dead end street by the field. That’s definitely not going to happen.” Currier added, “We’re going to be faced with more traffic, but hopefully can strike a deal with Westwood. Some day, we may want to put lights on our new field and might need their help because it’s difficult to put lights in a residential area.”
Spring 2018
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Health
13
Worst flu season in years afflicts humans, pets By Steven Rissotto ’20
The influenza virus has been rocking the United States this winter season, causing many people to become sick and even die. Doctors say that this is one of the most horrific outbreaks they’ve ever seen. There hasn’t been one state with the biggest outbreak thus far; instead, it’s been everywhere. According to Centers for Disease and Prevention, all the states currently have widespread influenza activity, with the exception being Oregon with activity only in local areas. Doctors all over the nation are suggesting the vaccination process to everyone, despite many people’s complaints about the side effects and unintended power it might have on children. The truth is, it’s healthy and doctors are still distributing the shot as we enter the spring season, even though it’s been reported to be the least productive vaccination in history. In some cases, it’s been a successful shot in the arm.
Centers for Disease Control The CDC offers advice to avoid the flu, or prevent it from spreading. The flu is very common and there have been more than 3 million cases per year in the United States. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms could be a fever, muscle aches, cough, congestion, runny nose, headaches, and fatigue. In order to get the best care for this disease, doctors
recommend over-the-counter pain relievers to help prevent the flu from spreading even more into the body. If it gets too bad, seeing a doctor or pediatrician is the best idea. To go along with humans acquiring the flu, dogs have been getting it as well. The outburst of
dog flu has spread to the point where veterinarians are comparing it to the 2009 bird flu that spread around the world. Veterinarians believe the average time for dogs to recover from the flu is around two to three weeks. This might cause pet owners to worry, but catching the flu from an animal has never been a problem, according to St. Francis Veterinary Hospital in Daly City. The vaccine is approximately $100 along with vet fees and other necessities. The price isn’t ideal, but for most, pets are special to them, and worth the cost. Overall, the flu in both humans and animals have left the United States in shock as the biggest outbreak of the year, although it does seem to be waning. Attendance Director Virginia Alvarado said, “The flu virus has hit our student population hard this year. In previous years, we had many students affected with the virus, but not as bad as this year.”
Opioid deaths continue to rise By Owen Murphy ’19
The United States has been plagued with an expansive and destructive health crisis caused by the spread of opioid addiction, which killed 64,000 Americans in 2016 and threatens to ruin the lives of thousands more. Opioids are a type of drug derived from the opium poppy and are most commonly prescribed as pain relievers. Drugs in this category also include heroin and a wide assortment of illegal drugs. Opioids, even those which are legal, induce a state of euphoria along with relieving pain. Unfortunately, this feeling can cause patients receiving an opioid treatment over a long period to become addicted. The current crisis began in the 1990s after pharmaceutical companies claimed that their new opioid based pain relievers were not addictive. This claim led doctors to prescribe opioids without warning patients of potential addiction. However, their addictive nature still led many patients to misuse the opioids that they were prescribed. Since then, doctors have not been able to curb this addiction in their patients and it has only continued to spread. Those people who have been refused more prescriptions, merely switch to illegal drugs such as heroin. This opioid epidemic has not come into being purely by chance. Pharmaceutical companies have become known for encouraging
doctors to prescribe more of their drugs and encourage use of these drugs, even in cases where they are not needed for recovery. This has led to an increase in the prescription of opioids rather than the reduction that is needed in order to cure this epidemic. Additionally, drug company influence extends to the halls of Congress. In the past decade, pharmaceutical companies have spent about $2.5 billion dollars on lobbying and political funds. This enormous amount is meant to further only one end, to deregulate drugs and prevent new legislation against drugs or drug companies. Some believe that this seemingly unstoppable lobbying is the greatest obstacle to solving the opioid epidemic because, while this epidemic is causing the deaths of countless Americans and ruining the lives of countless more, drug companies are continuing to profit and actively trying to limit legislation. A recent study by Dr. Jason Kane, the lead author and an associate pediatrics professor at the University of Chicago and Comer Children’s Hospital revealed, “Opioid poisonings and overdoses are sending increasing numbers of U.S. children and teens to the hospital, . . . showing a substantial rise in young patients needing critical care,” according to the Associated Press.
National Center for Health Statistics Opioid deaths in the U.S. have been on the rise for a decade. In addition, “The study included accidental poisonings along with overdoses from intentional use. Prescription painkillers were most commonly involved, but heroin, methadone and other opioid drugs also were used. The youngest kids typically found parents’ medications or illicit drugs and used them out of curiosity.” AP further explains, “The study involved 31 children’s hospitals, or about 20 percent of U.S. children’s hospitals. Opioid-related hospital stays increased from almost 800 to 1,500 during the study. The results echo research published last year that found the annual
rate of hospitalizations for opioid poisonings in kids nearly doubled from 1997-2012.” The opioid epidemic is a problem that kills thousands of people, even in the city of San Francisco. Surprising to many, is the breadth of this issue. It is not limited to the homeless and unemployed that are typically targeted by these problems. This epidemic reaches throughout the socio-economic spectrum and affects people of all walks of life. John Ahlbach, Riordan social studies instructor, said, “This isn’t an underground, you know, Tenderloin, problem. This is a middle-class problem.”
14 Features
Spring 2018
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
‘Words can be hard, bro’
Google reveals the most misspelled words in each state By Ian Martin ’20
Every person has that one word he always misspells no matter what. The word he always has to double-check to see if it is right. This story is about those words. Ever since the internet became a thing, people have been using it to check their spelling. Google has a program that records searches and stores them, and just released data on the most misspelled words of 2017 based on “how to spell” searches. In Hawaii, the word was “people” and in Arkansas it was “Chihuahua.” For Wisconsin, it’s “Wisconsin.” Oh boy, that needs some work. In the states of Connecticut and West Virginia, the word was “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” Why people are looking that up, I don’t want to know. And for here in California, it was “beautiful,” of course. English and journalism teacher Susan Sutton has had issues with “accommodate” in the past, but she has overcome it with a little help from her old boss. Long story
short, Sutton’s editor at a local news wire service was appalled at her spelling error and chewed her out in front of the newsroom. She said, “I will never misspell accommodate again.” Literature teachers assign and grade writing assignments throughout their career. When reading over so many students’ work, some words are bound to be misspelled a lot throughout the class, especially when there are vocabulary words involved. “My word is separate, I want to spell it ‘seperate,’ but, of course, that is incorrect,” said English Department Chair Diana Assereto. “As far as students, many mix up their, there and they’re, but I am not sure if that is a function of misspelling or something else,” she added. Tomizo Callejas ’20 said, “My most misspelled word is definitely Photo by Ian Martin ’20 ‘rambunctious.’ I don’t think I’ve Science teacher Michael Hickam invites bad spellers to unite (not untie). ever gotten it right.” Michael Curran ’20 said, “Words this, I haven’t spelled it correctly correctly is to keep writing them can be hard, so don’t judge bro.” down. After all, it is scientifically once, which is a little ironic. Apparently, my most misspelled Anyway, I find the easiest way proven that writing things down word is “misspelled.” While typing to remember how to spell words helps you remember them better.
Social media dominates society on daily basis By Steven Rissotto ’20
Looking around the streets of San Francisco, everyone is on their phone. It’s not just San Francisco, it’s everywhere. A gigantic growth in the technology wave has been the creation of social media. According to Statista, 81 percent of the United States population in 2017 has some kind of social media account, suppressing 2008’s original total of 24 percent and growing each year. The ideal point of social media is to stay connected with your friends and loved ones and keep up with their lives as well as advertising your own life. The average on social media is 24-34 years old, which is reasonably young. Here’s the deal: It’s getting younger. This generation is so used to the cell phones and technology, that one day grandparents will be on social media, not missing a beat since their younger years. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and plenty of others are taking center stage by storm and nobody seems to be interested in stopping them. Why is that? Facebook is known by the younger generation as an “old people” site, which Instagram and Snapchat sit near the “younger people”. Twitter is in between and arguably the most popular network for opinions and news.
American Psychological Association This graphic charts a survey about social media by generations, from “Matures” to “Millennials.” While going on these sites, it’s extremely important to know the safety concerns that one must encounter before creating an account for any of these sites. If there is a subject trying to “follow” you or send a “request” to be your friend, it’s crucial to know who these people are. School counselor Vanessa Martinez said, “Social media allows people to catch up to news and keep up with friends. I was around before Myspace, when life was less complicated”. The most important thing for
anyone at any age is to watch what you post, tweet, snap or whatever you do these days. The job you just interviewed for and the school you just applied to, can see everything. They won’t accept people who look immature or inappropriate. Many people understand the guidelines it takes to have a solid, safe, and fun social media account. Some safety lessons won’t be related to what’s going on in your phone. There is a new law in Honolulu where it’s illegal to cross a street looking at your phone. It’s
not about what’s on your phone, it’s about being aware of the situation you’re in and there have been plenty of deaths related to that cause. Last but not least, don’t be stupid. There is a monumental difference between addiction and regular behavior. Sometimes it’s best to just read a book every once and awhile instead of scrolling down Facebook when you are bored. Unfortunately, and fortunately, technology is at it’s highest point and everything is about to get even more insane.
Spring 2018
Food
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
15
Baker Bell: Coach, teacher, perfect pie maker By Anthony Oropeza ’18
Darius Bell ’08 is known by many in the Riordan community for his amazing talent on the football field, but what many do not know about him is that he is also an amazing baker. Bell has baked for birthdays, baby showers, engagement parties and weddings. Bell said, “A wedding cake is probably the most expensive thing that I have done, the cake being $900.” Last summer, Bell baked for English teacher Michael VezzaliPascual’s engagement party. Vezzali-Pascual said, “He baked two beautiful cakes for my wife and I. They were amazingly huge and delicious cakes. The taste was top-notch; he definitely knows what he is doing in the kitchen.” Bell is the owner of his own bakery called Phat Mama’s Bakery. Bell started the bakery in memory of his sister. Bell said, “I wanted to start something in her name and her honor. Her nickname is fat mama, so I started it in her memory.” This past Thanksgiving, Bell received around 40 requests but cancelled all of them to take some time off. Having to handle admissions, teaching and coaching, baking had to be put on
hold for the moment. There has been nothing but exceptional reviews from the faculty and students who have tried Bell’s baking. Football head coach Jay’sen Morris ’07 said, “His baking is top-notch and professional. My first time trying it was surprising because I did not think he could bake that well.” Travis Benham ’18 said, “I heard how good he was and he showed me some pictures but after trying it for myself I was blown away by how good everything actually was.” Bell has many special creations that he offers to his customers. A couple being Oreo Cheesecake, Pistachio Almond Cake, and Pecan Pie. Bell said, “Baking means peace to me. It is probably the only place in the world where I can be left alone because not a lot people like to bake that I know. So, when I bake I usually bake all night, that way it’s just me and myself.” Bell baked for the staff and students on Pi Day (March 14). The pies included banana cream, chocolate cream and sweet potato. The chocolate cream pie tasted like melted milk chocolate with fresh whipped cream and
Photos by Chris Peterson ’18 chocolate shavings. The banana cream pie had a thin crust and freshly made banana cream filling that was rich and sweet.
After indulging in the banana cream pie, Josh Ray ’18 said, “If this was on the market, I would pay for it.”
Top right, Darius Bell ’08 poses with two of his delicious pies, which are, banana cream and chocolate cream.
Spicy Skittles: Taste the sizzling rainbow By Shane McKnight ’18
If Skittles were not enough to satisfy your taste buds, Spicy Skittles will be quite the treat. Although Spicy Skittles are available in select stores around the nation, the candy company plans to dispatch “Skittles Sweet Heat,” which features fruity flavors with a spicy kick, this December. The five flavors consist of Blazin’ Mango, Sizzlin’ Strawberry, Fiery Watermelon, Flamin’ Orange, and Lemon Spark. “I’ve never tasted spicy Skittles before, but if I were to taste them I imagine they would be Spicy with a hint of sour,” said Danny Chan-Artiga ’21.
Mars Incorporated announced the new product at the National Confectioners Association Sweets and Snacks Exposition in Chicago in May. The price for a single pack of spicy Skittles will start at 99 cents and approximately $3.19 for a bigger bag if you plan to eat a lot more than just a couple Skittles. “I prefer spicy Skittles over the sour Skittles because I prefer spicy over sour. The regular ones are boring, while the spicy Skittles are unique,” Noah Yamsuan ’18. The news of Skittles going spicy stirred mix emotions and reactions online, with some people intrigued by the idea and others totally disgusted just thinking about it.
Photo by Eddie Monares ’19 Late last year, Mars Incorporated introduced “Sweet Heat Skittles,” featuring flavors such as Sizzlin’ Strawberry, Fiery Watermelon, Blazin’ Mango, Flamin’ Orange, and Lemon Spark.
16 Local News
Spring 2018
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Car crime causes continued concern By John Regidor ’18
After a long commute, many San Franciscans pull into their allotted parking spaces. As they unwind from their frantic day, they turn off their engines and secure the vehicle, with the hope of returning to it the next day. The following day, instead of finding their vehicle in pristine condition, they awaken to shattered glass and stolen items. “Our street is way out in the boonies, however once in a while there will be a broken window on the street,” said science teacher Collleen O’Rourke. “Some of my neighbors down the road sent an email saying that their car got broken into, and not only that, they took their garage door opener from the car and then got into their garage and stole a bunch of stuff.” Vehicle break ins have seen an increase across the country, and especially in San Francisco. According to a study by SF GATE, vehicle break ins have been up 26 percent over the past year. By November of 2016, 22,568 instances of larceny were reported. As of November 2017, that number rose to 28,395. At same time, arrests for auto breakins have fallen from 2 percent in 2016, to 1.6 percent. This has been in part to San Francisco’s strangely worded law that categorizes some break ins
as a felony, while other conditions are nothing more than a misdemeanor. If the doors are locked and someone breaks the window and steals anything, under current law, this action is classified as a felony. However, if the doors are unlocked and someone breaks the windows, stealing valuables in the process, it is simply a misdemeanor. In an interview with ABC 7 News, Attorney General George Gascon stated, “Under the law that we’re proposing, if you break the glass even though your vehicle was unlocked, it would be a felony.” Meanwhile, with break ins on the rise, the San Francisco Police Department has adopted a new strategy in order to take on the increasing crime waves. Since September 2017, SFPD has dismissed its 18-person citywide Patrol Bureau Task Force, in favor of a more involved approach. In an attempt to discourage criminals, they have deployed more patrols into some of the worst hit areas, such as the Mission, Central District, Palace of Fine Arts, Alamo Square, Richmond, and Golden Gate Park. The effects of these strategies have yet to been seen. “I think it’s up to the community to stop break ins. Community members need to be the ‘watch dogs’ of the neighborhood. Just
Stores such as Canyon Market in Glen Park warn customers about leaving items in their vehicles. having people in neighborhoods be more aware and look out for each other for the good of the community is what I feel needs improvement,” he said. “I mean there is no real way to stop break ins besides stronger police presence theoretically,” said Andrew Hipon ’18.
Staff photo
RSP Tier 3 Coordinator Chanel Nijmeh said, “My car was broken into in Piedmont early on a Monday morning. My car was parked in view of the big window, a Starbucks, where people were drinking coffee and working. Since I was just running in, I left my backpack in the front seat.” She added, “My laptop was in my backpack that got stolen, but luckily, I bought my laptop assuming that it would get stolen at some point so it was not a super
nice or expensive one. It’s sad that I almost have to assume that my car will get broken into and plan accordingly.” Hipon said, “I do think more patrols is a good step, though. In the end, more vigilance towards the problem is needed and also I think just the idea that break ins are not tolerated needs to be reinforced into communities.”
Logan Paul’s camera captures controversy By Jakeclark Bennett ’18
YouTube is a platform of entertainment, a place for people of all ages to tune in and watch their favorite YouTube content on a daily basis, becoming its own medium along-side television. It is a place for millions of people to upload and distribute their content, creating their own community. Logan Paul is an actor and vlogger who started his career on YouTube on Sept. 12, 2016 with the name “Logan Paul Vlogs.” Since his inception, he has successfully uploaded a video every day but stopped on Jan. 1, 2018 due to a controversial video. The result gave rise to a collective outburst by the YouTube community, who criticized Logan on his conduct in the video, including the others that preceded it. In one of Logan Paul’s Daily vlogs, while he was in Japan, he filmed himself going through Aokigahara, Japan’s “suicide forest,” where he got footage of a dead body. Shortly after, the video gathered major views and was on YouTube’s trending page
until he took it down. Regardless, this didn’t stop others from recording the moment and circulating the video across YouTube. Matthew Driskill ’18 said, “Well, there are two sides of me looking at this—the Japanese side and American side.” My Japanese side speaks to this as disgusting, and wildly inappropriate to record a dead body as he hangs. Like, the normal thing to do is to cut out the footage and just explain what happened off camera.” “And then, there is the American side of me: while I still think it is disgusting, he has every right to do it. I mean, yeah, it is disgusting and immoral; but he hasn’t “broken a law. But that is an important thing for my people: morality. It is something we are all taught at birth.” Other content creators criticized Logan for his inappropriate behavior in the aforementioned video and in many of his vlogs in Japan. Given the attention it gathered from the community, YouTube demonetized his videos, pulled
him out of YouTube’s Red movies, and stopped him from making money from the ads shown before his videos. Since then, Logan Paul had stopped uploading until Feb. 4, when he made his comeback video. Between that time, he had been reflecting on his actions over the Aokigahara controversy. Logan posted an apology video on Twitter, offering a new start for himself and pledged to donate $1 million of his fortune to suicide prevention charities. Shortly after that, in his comeback video, news online circulated that Logan Paul has not learned anything from his experience. He continues to portray the same crude and unsightly conduct he has been doing in his videos before. For example, his “LOGAN PAUL IS BACK!” video, which currently has 16 million views, starts off with a narration of his rise and fall into disgrace. In it, Logan Paul says, “What other YouTuber do you know that can take a three week break and still get a million subscribers?” As the video continues, not even at the five minute mark, he does
not get into details of his return, nor what he has been doing. He only says that he is excited to be back, as he advertises his Maverick merchandise and tells his viewers to subscribe. For the rest of the 12 minute video, Paul sheds light and reflects on what he has done in Japan. However, he makes constant cuts to make jokes or make sudden unnatural transitions from seriousness to more comedic stances. As a result, it undermines the message and the importance of him apologizing for his actions in Japan. From then on, he continues to make his usual content. As of Feb. 27, YouTube has allowed his channel to have ads again. “I mean, personally, the more attention you draw to a subject matter, it becomes more apparent. It gives him more attention, and we don’t want it. Because, it goes back to the saying, ‘there is no such thing as bad press’,” said Driskill. “The more we talk about it, the more relevant he’ll become. If we want to get past the issue, to stop talking about him.”
Spring 2018
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Local and State News
17
Mayoral race to replace late Ed Lee focuses on four By Ricardo Hernandez Jr. ’20 San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee passed away on Dec. 12, 2017. He left behind his wife, two daughters, and a host of grieving San Franciscans. In the wake of his unexpected death, Board of Supervisors President London Breed became acting mayor for six weeks. She was then replaced by Mark Farrell, a St. Ignatius graduate. San Francisco voters will choose a new mayor from among eight candidates on June 5. The top candidates in the race for mayor, in alphabetical order, are Angela Alioto, London Breed, Jane Kim, and Mark Leno. Angela Alioto, a Convent of the Sacred Heart graduate, is an anti-discrimination attorney
and former supervisor, who unsuccessfully ran for Mayor in 1991, 1995, and 2003. Her father, Joseph Alioto, was San Francisco’s 36th mayor from 1968 to 1976. London Breed is a San Francisco native. She represents District 5 as well as being the President of the Board of Supervisors. She grew up in the Fillmore, attended Galileo High School, and has seen and experienced first-hand the struggles of growing up in San Francisco’s Public housing. She dedicates her entire adult life to serving the communities of San Francisco, improving the city’s housing, public safety, transportation, and quality of life. Candidate Breed tackled the city’s ambulance response crisis,
AngelaAliotoForMayor
LondonForMayor.com
Former Board of Supervisors President Angela Alioto
Board of Supervisors President London Breed
fought for navigation centers for the homeless, and passed the strongest Styrofoam ban in the country. Jane Kim is an American civil rights attorney and politician. She represents District 6 on the Board of Supervisors. According to her campaign website, she “has fought to expand access to affordable housing, protect renters, close the income gap and improve public schools.” She is the first Korean American elected official in San Francisco. Mark Leno is an American politician, who dedicates himself to being a community volunteer. He was the first openly gay man to serve in the California senate. Some of his accomplishments
JaneKim.org Board of Supervisors Jane Kim
include raising California minimum wage to $15, stopping the chemical industry from putting dangerous toxins in consumer products, and promoting marriage equality. Sophomore Niko Vega said he hears a lot of good things about Jane Kim. Jordan Manlulu ’19 likes Candidate London Breed because of “the positive impact she has on the youth in San Francisco.” Help Desk Coordinator Tre’Jon Bolden ’12 said, “I want London Breed to win because we grew up in the same neighborhood.” Science teacher Colleen O’Rourke added, “It would be awesome to have a black female mayor representing the city.”
MarkLeno.com Former State Senator Mark Leno
‘New California’conjures up old ideas of splitting state
By Vince Francisco ’19 This splitting of California is not a new A renewed effort for splitting up California idea. Back in 2016, “Six Californias” was has erupted, where the “New California” will a proposed initiative in the 2016 elections be inland and country districts (i.e. Fresno supported by Tim Draper. The proposed and Riverside), while the original California names for the six new states were Jefferson, would have the coastal cities (San Francisco Northern California, Silicon Valley, Central and Los Angeles). California, Southern California, and West This new effort was led by Robert Preston California. Draper’s reasoning for this split and Tom Reed in a small ceremony in is similar to Preston’s and Reed’s belief that Marysville, California. The men indicated California is too large and ungovernable, so that the inland and countryside of splitting it up would make California more California cannot be governed economically efficient. like California’s coastal cities because of Opponents to the “New California” increasingly high taxes and California’s initiative protest it on economic and large size as a state. political grounds, saying that not only does Preston and Reed’s declaration calls for it segregate the poor from the wealthy, but a “free and independent state” with “full it also diminishes California’s reputation as power to establish and maintain law and a predominantly Democratic state. order, to promote general prosperity.” Some members from the Archbishop “Well, it’s been ungovernable for a long Riordan community have their own opinions time. High taxes, education, you name on the initiative as well. David Elu, AP it, and we’re rated around 48th or 50th Economics teacher, said, “It won’t work. . from a business climate and standpoint .[in the past,] industrial economies always in California,” said founder Robert Paul did better than agricultural economies.” NewCaliforniaState.com Preston. This map shows one of two proposals to break California up into two or more states.
Updates: Pioneer Statue and Geneva Car Barn
As reported in The Crusader winter edition, the San Francisco Arts Commission was considering removing the Pioneer statue called “Early Days,” which is located in Civic Center Plaza. Earlier this month, the commission voted unanimously to remove it, “placing the century-plus old bronze figures in storage until a long-term decision about
their fate can be made,” according to CurbedSF. “The statue features a pious but patronizing scene of a Spanish missionary helping a beaten Indian to his feet and pointing him toward heaven,” the news report said. In February, the Historic Preservation Commission also voted to remove the controversial statue.
Also reported in The Crusader, the Geneva Barn’s transformation into a community arts center officially began on March 19 with a groundbreaking ceremony. According to the Community Arts Stabilization Trust, “After 20 years, the effort spearheaded and championed by the Friends of the Geneva Car Barn and Powerhouse to rehabilitate this
building into a community arts center is coming to fruition.” “With an inspired design by Aidlin Darling Design, funding from State and City funds, bond funding, tax credits . . .we are ready to restore the Powerhouse, with arts programming anticipated to begin in Spring 2019.”
18 Sports
Spring 2018
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Fencers remain en garde for next competition By Jamar Kittling ’20
When he was 9-years-old, he and his mother were driving on Balboa Street and he noticed a picture of a foil fencer. He asked if he could try the sport and she enrolled him in a foil fencing camp that summer. “I thought it looked really interesting,” said Ethan Gassner ’20. The camp, offered by the San Francisco Fencer’s Club, “was a great experience and I continued to take classes and lessons there,” Gassner said. “As I developed my skills, I first competed in local club tournaments and later in the Bay Cup, a regional competition for Fencers in the Bay Area.” Now, he’s bringing home medals—most recently, a silver at the Pan American Games in San Jose, Costa Rica. Gassner has been competing at the national level since he was 10-years old, and over the past three years, at the national and international level. In addition to his medal at the Pan American Games, other significant accomplishments for the past season include: Placing 1st in USA Individual Cadet men’s foil in the 2018 Junior Olympics; 7th place in the Budapest Cadet World Cup; 8th place in the Cadet World Cup in Rome; and 16th
in the Cadet World Cup in Cabris, France. Additionally, he competed in US Cadet and Junior Team events. In the 2018, Bratislava Cadet World Cup, he served as Anchor of the gold medal-winning US Cadet Team with teammates Maximus Deback, Aiden Johnson, and Ethan Knight. In the 2018 Pan American World Cup he was a member of the Gold Medal-Winning US Junior Team and in the 2018 Junior Olympics he was a member of the goldmedal winning US Junior Team. Gassner has his sights on the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. Fencing competitively requires a lot of time and preparation in competition. He practices four days a week for three hours each day and completes lessons focused on technique three days a week. “I am very fortunate to be surrounded by a group of friends that support and encourage me,” he said. Sophomore Theo Reese has been fencing since second grade, at the young age of 8. Since then, he has been furthering his hobby by entering into numerous competitions and events. In fencing, people who are enthusiastic in the sport are able to join national competitions and events. The hardest part of going to competitions is the cost of such
an endeavor, including all of the equipment. Although he does enter into the events, he does fencing more as a hobby. Theo said that his easiest match was at a competition two or three years ago. He made it past qualifying rounds and the following was direct elimination. He already won one match, and was anticipating the next opponent. He was able to beat her 15-0, allowing him to advance further into the competition. However, later in that tournament, he faced his hardest and most tedious match in the finals. The scoreboard kept alternating between the two fencers, as both combatants grew weary and impatient. Finally, Theo lost focus and his opponent scored two easy points. Despite this loss, Theo continues to be excited about his fencing. He says his passion for the sport started a year or two after beginning. He said, “I just began looking forward to the classes and the competitions.” Many years fencing made Theo lighter on his feet, and more athletic. He learned to be more patient in his day-to-day life. Many who have read The Catcher in the Rye remember that the novel’s protagonist starts his
Photo by Tim Morehouse Ethan Gassner, right, with fellow fencer Lawrence Song. story by telling readers he left the fencing team’s equipment on the subway. This literary moment was not lost on Gassner, as he has a somewhat similar story. “Fencing requires a lot of equipment and when you are rushing to leave for a competition, it is easy to forget something,” he said. “When I read about Holden in The Catcher in the Rye, it really resonated and made me think about a trip when my fencing bag was misplaced at O’Hare Airport on my way to compete at a National Competition. Fortunately, in my case the airline covered the cost, and I was able get replacement equipment when I arrived and still compete!” Unlike Holden, Ethan and Theo have the support of many friends, family members, and teachers who eagerly await news on their latest fencing adventures.
Dormant offseason reignites fans’ fervor By Danilo Herger ’20
Calling the baseball offseason uneventful would be an understatement, except in the Bay Area. A national outcry for a meaningful transaction to take place has been voiced throughout America. At the start of spring training, which took place Feb. 20, six out of top 10 free agents had not found a permanent home, according to cbssports.com. Many are asking why this is happening. Yahoo writer Jeff Passan commented, “I’m just not sure that the structure that’s been in place for all of these years makes sense anymore. Now, whether anybody is prepared to blow that up is a completely different question.” This effect of not being on a team is the least of a free agents’ problem. First, they do not have a workout facility equipped to prepare a major league athlete for the upcoming year. No trainers, no pitching machines, and no weight machines. Next, a player might be able to take some simulated practice at home, but nothing can prepare you for real life play. To counter these problems, fans are trying to promote a free agent only spring training team. Not only will players be able to prepare themselves, but teams considering
SFGiants.com The Giants’ Evan Longoria, Andrew McCutchen, and Hunter Pence prepare for batting practice during spring training. signing these players will able to take a live look at them. Some baseball lovers might be wondering what moves did happen during this lonely off season. The off-season looked prosperous with the blockbuster trade that sent reigning MVP Giancarlo Stanton to the New York Yankees. The Marlins, who are currently in a rebuilding phase, received cash, former all-star Starlin Castro, and two minor league players. Stanton, who is currently 28
years old, has an estimated $295 million left on his 10 year contract. Focusing more on the Marlins, the team was sold to former baseball player Derek Jeter and his investment group. While trading away Stanton was a priority for Jeter, he also managed to trade their young core including Adeiny Hechavarria to the Rays, Dee Gordon to the Mariners, Marcell Ozuna to the Cardinals, and Christian Yelich to the Brewers, while mostly getting younger
prospects in return. In other news, Japanese star Shohei Otani broke Giants fans’ hearts and decided to not call San Francisco his home. Instead, Otani chose the Anaheim Angels to join forces with Mike Trout. Although they did not land Otani, the Giants’ front office filled two giant needs for the ball club. In mid-December, Giants fans were stoked to hear of the acquisition of all-star Evan Longoria. The Giants traded away Denard Span, Christian Arroyo, and two other minor leaguers. MLB. com reported the Giants traded former first round Kyle Crick and top prospect Bryan Reynolds for former Most Valuable Player Andrew McCutchen. The main question is who did enough to win the fall classic in 2018. With hours of research, the Commissioner’s trophy will find itself north of the border in Toronto. With strong pitching featuring youngster Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez, and superstars like Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki, the Jays are sound on both sides of the ball. Also, they have the veteran presence of Russell Martin who can guide key prospects like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to success. Watch out MLB, the Toronto Blue Jays will be contenders in 2018.
Spring 2018
Sports
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Eagles soar to victory over Patriots By Eddie Monares ’19
The 2017-2018 NFL season ended with former Serra Padre Tom Brady going down to defeat against the Philadelphia Eagles. The New England Patriots finished 13-3 in the regular season, finishing first in the AFC East and the number one seed in the AFC. The Philadelphia Eagles also finished 13-3, first in the NFC East, and the number one seed in the NFC. Tom Brady, in his 17th season, at age 40 years old, had an alltime great season, capping it off with winning his third MVP in his career. Carson Wentz, in just his sophomore season in the NFL, also had phenomenal season, but suffered a torn ACL in Week 13 against the Los Angeles Rams, forcing backup Quarterback Nick Foles to take the Eagles to Super Bowl. The Patriots and Eagles both earned first round byes in the playoffs. In the AFC Conference Championship, the Patriots made an outstanding comeback to defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars 24-20. In the NFC Conference Championship, the Eagles obliterated the Minnesota Vikings 38-7. The stage was set: Tom Brady and the New England Patriots versus Nick Foles and the Philadelphia Eagles. The game started off with the two teams exchanging field goals. The Eagles scored the first touchdown of the game, on a 34yard touchdown pass from Foles
NFL.com Super Bowl 52 featured the Patriots’ Tom Brady and the Eagles’ Nick Foles in an epic battle for the coveted Lombardi Trophy. to wide receiver Alshon Jeffrey, but a missed PAT made the game 9-3 Eagles. Alex Flores ’19 said, “I was rooting for the Eagles,” echoing many in the Bay Area who wanted the underdog to win. The Patriots marched down the field, but a missed Field Goal kept the game 9-3. One of the most infamous plays of the game was when the Patriots ran a reverse pass play to Tom Brady, but he dropped it. The Eagles scored another touchdown on a 21-yard rush from former Patriot, LeGarrette Blount, extending their lead to 15-3. Flores said, “I thought nothing but happiness because I like to see Tom Brady fail.” Another Patriots’ field goal made the game 15-6. Then, the Patriots turned it over on a “tip
drill” interception by Duron Harmon. The Patriots scored their first touchdown of the game on a 26-yard touchdown by James White, but they missed a PAT, cutting the score to 15-12 Eagles. With 38 seconds left, with the Eagles on the Patriots’ oneyard line, they ran the play of the game on 4th and 5, when they ran a pass play designed to be thrown to Nick Foles; Foles, unlike Brady earlier in the game, hauled in the touchdown, making the score 2212 going into halftime. The Halftime Show was performed by Justin Timberlake. The performance was met with mixed reviews, but most people appreciated Timberlake’s dedication to Prince. Some people watch the Super Bowl for the commercials and this year, Flores said, “I only liked the
Morgan Freeman commercial and the little guy over the Mountain Dew drinks.” The Patriots got the ball to start the second half, and immediately went down the field and scored on a pass from Brady to Gronkowski, cutting the lead to just three points. Foles went right back at him and scored a controversial touchdown pass to rookie Corey Clement, extending their lead back to 10. Brady and the Patriots scored on a 26-yard touchdown to Chris Hogan, cutting into a three-point lead. Another Eagles field goal made the game 32-26. Brady responded with a four yard fade pass to Gronkowski, giving the Patriots their first lead 33-32. The Eagles scored another controversial touchdown on an 11-yard pass to Zach Ertz, making the game 38-33, and giving Brady about 2:30 left on the clock to set up a game winning drive. Brandon Graham, Eagles’ defensive linemen, strip-sacked Brady, and Derek Barnett, the Eagles’ rookie defensive lineman, recovered, sealing the win for the Eagles. The Eagles kicked one more field goal, and the game ended with the Eagles winning 41-33. Nick Foles took home the Super Bowl MVP. Flores said, “I was just happy that someone took down Tom Brady.”
Jon Gruden returns to Silver & Black By Stephen Blecha ’19
Recently, the Oakland Raiders, soon to be the Las Vegas Raiders, announced that they have agreed to sign new Head Coach Jon Gruden to a 10 year, $10 million deal. Gruden, who is known as a quarterback whisperer, is hoping that he can get the Raiders back into the battle that is the AFC West division in which Quarterback Derek Carr put up lackluster numbers, throwing for 3,496 yards and only 22 touchdowns with 13 interceptions, leading the Raiders to a 6-9 record as a starter this year. Gruden hopes to get Carr back to being a Pro Bowl quarterback, as he missed the Pro Bowl for the first time since his rookie year four years ago. In a press conference at the NFL Combine recently, Gruden alluded to getting wide receiver Amari Cooper the ball from Carr, saying, “He’ll be the
focal point of our pass offense.” Gruden also said of Cooper, “He’ll be the headliner of our offense.” The Raiders, who finished 6-10, only ran for 97.1 yards per game, 25th in the NFL, after agreeing to a trade with the Seattle Seahawks that brought Marshawn “Beast Mode” Lynch out of retirement to play for his hometown team in Oakland. The Raiders and Carr threw for 226.9 yards per game, 16th in the league. The offense, however, only scored 18.8 points per game, 23rd in the NFL. In Gruden’s last season coached, which was 2008 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team went 9-7, but just missed the playoffs. The three seasons previous to that, Gruden’s teams played in only two playoff games, losing both. Gruden, in four seasons with the Raiders from 1998-2001, has a combined 40-28 record, with a 2-2 record in the playoffs.
SBNation.com In 2002, after going to the Buccaneers the year after his best season with the Raiders, Jon Gruden’s Bucs went on to a 12-4 season in which they won Super Bowl XXXVII. The Buccaneers’ opponent in the big game: the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders had gone 11-5 that season under a first year head coach.
Oakland Raiders’ owner Mark Davis welcomed Jon Gruden back to the team.
20 Features
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Spring 2018
Pilar places pressure on competition By Brandon Vargas ’20
The House of Pilar has proudly pulled its weight in the pursuit of the House Cup, under the leadership of Provincial Stephanie Lundin, and student leaders Chang Liu ’18, and ViceCaptain Sean Sheng ’18. In an interview, Lundin said that Pilar showed tons of participation in the first semester. She said, “We had really great attendance at a lot of sports games.” Of course, attendance played a huge part in gaining House Points. After gaining the second most amount of points in the first semester, Lundin has plans for the second semester. She said, “The biggest thing that I want is to motivate everyone in the house.” Lundin also wants the students under her leadership to “get more house identity” and she especially wants to “beat the other houses.” Lundin added that a goal for this semester is to have her House win one of the last service drives. These service drives cultivate competition amongst the Houses. They also serve another purpose in uniting the “Four Houses under one roof” through camaraderie in serving others in need. Lundin believes Pilar will have an even more successful semester this year, striving to win the final competition. The House of Pilar dominated
Photo by Eddie Monares ’19 Parliament members of the House of Pilar, Kenneth Palaad ’19, Sean Sheng ’18, JJ Trujeque ’21, Provincial Stephanie Lundin, Patrick O’Brien ’19, Ian DeVaynes ’21, and Tomas Palpallatoc ’18. the first Spirit Week of 2018, winning most of the Spirit dressup days. Some of these dress-up days included Snow Day, Dress Like a Teacher Day, and Disney Day. The t-shirt design for the House of Pilar features the artwork of Miles Poon ’20. This shirt depicts the House name, “Pilar,” drawn vertically in the form of a pillar. Poon thinks that his shirt, in comparison to the shirts of the three other houses, was “one of
the better designs,” primarily because the vertical letters make it distinct. Poon added that he hopes his House is happy to wear the shirt. In other Pilar news of the year, going back to the beginning, on Aug. 31, 2017, an all-school Rouchambeau contest was held in the hallways of the school. Later, a representative from the House of Cana challenged a representative from the House of Bolts, while Parth Solanki ’20 from the House
of Pilar faced off against Javied Moininazeri ’18 from the House of Russi. Parth and Javied faced off in a best-out-of-three matchup, resulting in Parth as the winner. In turn, the House of Pilar gained first place in the Rouchambeau tournament. On Jan. 8, another all-school Rouchambeau tournament was held. This time, however, instead of taking place in the hallways of the school, the contest was held in the newly-renovated gym. The gym, dedicated to former Crusader Kevin Restani ’70, provided a spacious environment for students to let their energy out as they battled against one another. Every mentor group gathered, and each person faced off against another. Pilar came out victorious once again. Pilar also won the Winter Spirit Rally on Feb. 2, which brought them up to a total of 448 House points at the time, making them the leader for a while. With the rally win, Pilar was able to gain free dress for two days the following week. They now are in second place with 623 points, behind Bolts, with 631 points. Cana is in third with 618 points, and Russi trails the pack with 557 points. After watching Cana gain the largest sum of points in the school’s first semester, Pilar is working their way to the top.
Peculiar passes parade teachers’ personalities By Nicholas Yee ’20
Hall passes. You see them in almost every classroom, and especially when you were in elementary and middle school, but most teachers have the same, boring hall passes. However, in high schools, different teachers have different hall passes, usually to fit their personalities. For example, Colleen O’Rourke, a biology teacher, has a hawk as a hall pass. She uses the hawk for students who need to leave the classroom for any reason like going to the restroom. Tomizo Callijas ’20 said O’Rourke has the best hall pass because, “It is a good representation of a biology class and the animals that she is into.” Another hall pass is Dr. Jennesis DeRosales’ Sigmund Freud action figure (which has not been opened out of the original case). She chose this as her hall pass because in the beginning of
the year, she she teaches about the psyche, and he is the founder of psychoanalysis after World War II. On the back of her action figure it reads, “What compels this desire to ask for passage to the restroom? Id, Ego, or Superego? Whichever it is, the urge cannot be repressed. Gotta Go.” English teacher Susan Sutton has a purple and white life preserver as a hall pass—for practical and symbolic reasons. She also has an Edgar Allan Poe action figure, but “No one is allowed to touch that, or Roderick (a life-sized faux raven).” Some teachers do not have a hall pass, like Spanish teacher Armando Castillo. He said that he did have four rubber ducks as hall passes at one time, but they all disappeared. One of the ducks was found floating in a toilet, but he opted to not retrieve it.
Photo by Henry Novicki ’18 Some teachers have unique hall passes, like a life preserver, Sigmund Freud action figure, or a hawk.