The Crusader Spring 2019

Campus News, Pages 4 - 8

FREE

VOLUME LXIX ISSUE iii

SERVING RIORDAN SINCE 1949

Arts & Entertainment, Pages 10 - 11

Science, Page 14

Sports, Pages 16 - 19

Spring 2019

ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN HIGH SCHOOL

THE NEWSPAPER OF CRUSADER COUNTRY

Mayer Family Field finds funding

By Steven Rissotto ’20

Archbishop Riordan High School’s dreams of owning a new multi-sports field complex are coming true.

After many years of raising money, the Carl Gellert and Celia Berta Foundation chipped in a $750,000 grant that will go towards the funding of the new field, which will be named The Mayer Family Field.

Director of Development John Ring told the SF Examiner, “They were so committed to getting this done that they gave the project a half million, so that gave the project some life.”

The field renovations will include replacing the grass with artificial turf, remodeling the press box, improving the grandstand, and adding new baseball facilities. This is one of the biggest gifts in the history of Archbishop Riordan High School, made possible by donations.

Although the current field has

Photo by Owen Murphy ’19 Will Miller ’20 and Jason Quinones ’19 are ready on defense. This is the last year the baseball team will play on a grass field at home.

Thanks to many generous gifts and grants, construction on the new Mayer Family Field will begin after this baseball season ends. been the location of many great moments and memories, the wear of six decades has become obvious to the public eye. The right field

system is close to retirement, and the drainage is poor. The switch to the turf design is meant to make maintenance easier and more

durable. This switch also saves the school $50,000 a year.

This renovation follows the Kevin Restani Court remodel, the painting of the school, and the addition of the Makerspace and Auto Shop.

The field takes up 20 percent of the school’s campus and impacts 100 percent of the student body. Baseball, football, soccer, and lacrosse are notable sports played there; the famous Crusader Camp also uses it productively. The marching band practices on it, and the Crusader Games are held there.

It’s an understatement to say that it’s a big deal to the community of Riordan, as many weeknights and weekdays are spent on the field playing passionately and having fun with friends. The Mayer Family Field will officially break ground shortly after the 2019 baseball season ends.

Coyotes creep into Crusader Country

By Stephen Blecha ’19

As of late, coyotes have been appearing much more frequently, especially around the Bay Area.

Here at Riordan there has been at least one coyote sighting in the Reservoir. Members of the newspaper, as well as many students, who live in South City, Pacifica, and San Francisco have all reported seeing them by their houses. They are even being reported as far away as Silicon Valley.

Jalen Viray ’19, upon seeing one, said, “Wow that’s a really weird looking dog. Wait, is that a coyote?”

These coyotes have been seen attacking animals, and thus many pet owners are keeping their dogs and cats inside. However, there have not been any reports of the coyotes attacking humans.

They have been seen walking around neighborhoods, shopping centers, and parking lots,

seemingly unaffected by seeing cars coming at them.

According to Biology teacher Colleen O’Rourke, “Coyotes are not inherently dangerous to humans, but there are still a few things we need to be respectful of.

For starters, coyotes can be very dangerous to pets—even during the day—so it’s important to keep cats inside and small dogs on a short leash at all times when walking in areas where there are known coyotes.”

Coyotes have been coming closer primarily due to habitat loss. However, coyotes are very good at adapting to different environments.

According to O’Rourke, “Urban environments are a difficult and dangerous landscape for many native predators, so coyotes’ intelligence allows them to exploit an ecological niche that has been largely empty until now.”

She added, “We still don’t fully

Photo by Mark Barer ’22 Coyotes are more visible in urban areas lately, like this one spotted near the Balboa Reservoir next to school this month.

Please see “Coyote” on page 6

2 Opinion

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Spring 2019

How logic trumps national emergency

By Jamar Kittling ’20

Not too long ago, in the 2016 election for President, Republican candidate Donald Trump controversially promised that he would build a wall and Mexico would pay for it. Almost two years into his presidency, Mexico still has no plans nor reason to pay for President Trump’s wall.

Children were being unfairly separated from their families, caravans from central America have been travelling toward the U.S. border, meeting much resistance, and all the while, tensions between the two political parties have been on the rise.

Critics on both sides have been waiting to see how President Trump fulfills his campaign promises, especially his controversial wall. However, Trump still needed a way to finance his wall, meaning that he had to go through those who have the ability to delegate federal funds, or the power over the purse: Congress.

The Democrats in Congress, led

by Schumer and Pelosi, offered resistance, and shortly afterward, the longest federal shutdown in American history began.

After this political debacle, Trump finally decided to bypass Congress by declaring a national emergency. However, by examining what President

Trump has said and the statistics and data, it is clearly apparent that this current “crisis” at the border is by no means a national emergency.

Trump has frequently argued for the wall by using fear tactics.

Notable speeches during and after the government shutdown include his Oval Office address, the State of the Union address, and his declaration of a national emergency; in all three he tells of the danger that illegal immigrants pose to the American people.

He often would give a statistic in the thousands, “In the last two years, ICE officers made 266,000 arrests of aliens with criminal records including those charged or convicted of 100,000 assaults, 30,000 sex crimes, and 4,000 violent killings. Over the years, thousands of Americans have been brutally killed by those who illegally entered our country and thousands more lives will be lost if we don’t act right now.”

Afterward, he would elaborate on specific cases, driving home the cruelness of the illegal immigrants: “In California, an air force veteran was raped, murdered, and beaten to death with a hammer by an illegal alien with a long criminal history.

In Georgia, an illegal alien was recently charged with murder for killing, beheading, and Social Media, Online Editor Eddie Monares ’19 Photo Editor Diego Ochoa ’19 Copy Editor Vince Francisco ’19

1949

175 Phelan Avenue San Francisco, CA 94112 RCrusaderNews.com RCrusaderNews@riordanhs.org Twitter @R_CrusaderNews Instagram @rcrusadernews

Editor-in-Chief Owen Murphy ’19 Opinion Editor Brandon Vargas ’20 News Editors Aidan Murtagh ’20 Zachary Phillips ’20 Features Editor Harrick Wu ’19 Sports Editor Steven Rissotto ’20 Arts & Entertainment Editor Stephen Blecha ’19 Health and Tech Editor Danilo Herger ’20

Meteorologist Antonio Maffei ’20 Artist Miles Poon ’20 Staff Reporters Fabian Aguilar ’19 Jonathan Blecha ’21 Dominic Borrego ’20 Jack Calonico ’19 Elijah Calip ’22 Zackary Conci ’21 Michael Conefrey ’21 David Dorantes ’21 Steven Elsner ’20 Logan Estrada ’22 Cheyne Fernandez ’20 Michael Gray ’20 Michael Jaurigui ’19 Jamar Kittling ’20 Roly Lo ’21 Jordan Tyler Maralit ’21 Jack McBride ’19 Michael Ortega-Portillo ’21 Jordan Noeuku ’21 Liam Peace ’19 Gabriel Santos ’21 JJ Trujeque ’21

Environment, Religion Editor Adviser Ian Martin ’20 Susan Sutton, CJE

dismembering his neighbor. In Maryland, MS-13 gang members who arrived in the United States as unaccompanied minors were arrested and charged last year after viciously stabbing and beating a 16-year-old girl.” This use of fearmongering would paint a dire depiction to the general public, like an army of criminals coming to invade our country, or illegal Mexican gang members running around stabbing people.

However, this talking point is instantly nullified by the almost obvious realization that more crimes against American citizens are committed

by American citizens. The Huffington Post reports that the criminal conviction rates for illegal immigrants in Texas is consistently lower than that of the native born population: “‘As a percentage of their respective populations, there were 56 percent fewer criminal convictions of illegal immigrants than of nativeborn Americans in Texas in 2015,’ author Alex Nowrasteh writes.”

According to factcheck.org, the growth of the illegal immigrant population has been declining since the mid 2000s: “DHS estimated that the growth of the illegal immigrant population had slowed considerably, saying the population increased by 470,000 per year from 2000 to 2007, but only by 70,000 per year from 2010 to 2015.”

Furthermore, border apprehensions have fallen considerably as well: “Apprehensions on the Southwest border peaked in 2000 at 1.64 million and have generally declined since, totaling 396,579 in 2018.” Both of these statistics show that illegal immigration as a whole has been going down.

How exactly, then, is illegal immigration a national emergency

when it has been decreasing ever since President George W. Bush?

Humorously enough, when Jim Acosta and another reporter questioned Trump about this after he declared a national emergency, Trump instantly dismissed him, saying he had “better numbers.”

Much to my amazement, Trump and his supporters still contend that illegal immigration is an issue that needs to be addressed immediately, and the only feasible way is to spend billions on a wall.

Illegal immigration is not a principle source of crime, and has been declining for the past decade: clearly not an imminent crisis that the whole nation would have to redirect funds from other helpful agencies for. A wall is not a panacea to border troubles, as there are more efficient, modern tactics to address illegal crossings.

The wall has already gone through Congress and received the funds thought appropriate. Ultimately, the national emergency was completely unnecessary, deployed only for President Trump to get what he wants: his big, shiny wall to fulfill his campaign promise and appease his conservative supporters.

When it comes to the issue of the wall debate itself, partisan politics dissolved the matter into absurdity. It will be nice to process individuals who come into this country to assure that gang members or criminals do not commit crimes against its citizens, but, once again, this issue is far from being of imminent importance and we do not need a wall to fix it.

Climate change and poverty are extant while Latin Americans still suffer in their home countries as they try to escape to the Land of the Free. An emergency about a campaign promise can go on the backburner for now.

Short classes affect students, teachers

By Diego Ochoa ’19 In this A-B schedule, classes change every day.

Recently, many teachers and students have been frustrated by the fact that many of the shortened days have landed on an A Day. Teachers have to adjust their lesson plan and maximize instruction during a limited time.

This affects the continuity and the ability to get the content to the students proficiently before the semester ends.

This adds stress to all. For teachers, they have to give as much information as possible to keep up to date with their lesson plans.

The stress on students is having to take in all the information at once, being required to study large amounts of content, and being assessed on

it in a few days.

In addition, some teachers assign what they do not finish in class as homework in order balance the classes. This means some classes get more homework than others even if they are taught by the same teacher.

Although the administration tries its best to balance the A and B short classes days, the days become uneven because of some unforeseeable events, like the poor air quality in late November.

Students disagree on the matter, as some say they prefer shorter classes whenever they can get them, but fail to realize that while it may benefit them in the moment, in the long run, they will be more stressed because of the extra homework and lack of instruction time.

Spring 2019

Opinion

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

3

What’s best for Kyler Murray: football or baseball?

Eddie’s Edification Football

Herger’s Hot Take

Baseball

By Eddie Monares ’19

By Danilo Herger ’20

The Heisman Trophy is

an annual award given to the most outstanding college football player in a season.

On Dec. 8, The Heisman trophy was awarded to Kyler Murray of the Oklahoma Sooners, the same Kyler Murray that was drafted ninth overall by the Oakland A’s.

Murray has officially chosen to pursue the NFL, and in my opinion, Kyler made the right decision to pursue a career in football.

Murray was the best college football player in 2018 posting a 69 completion percentage, 4,361 yards passing, 54 total touchdowns with only 7 interceptions.

To be successful at the next level, Kyler needs to get into a system where the offensive coordinator or head coach are willing to create a system built for a quarterback like Kyler.

Kyler is at his absolute best when he is outside the pocket and making decisions on the move, similar to how the Kansas City Chiefs allowed Patrick Mahomes play this season. Both Mahomes and Murray have baseball backgrounds, and are both at their best while outside the pocket.

If Murray can get drafted to a team willing to put this system around him, he will be very successful.

An issue that may deter teams from drafting Murray is his height.

Murray officially measured 5 feet 10 inches and 207 pounds at the NFL combine. Although Kyler is considered small for the quarterback position, we have seen other small quarterbacks be very successful in the National Football League.

Drew Brees and Russell Wilson are both Super Bowl Champions and they both are considered short to be playing quarterback.

If Kyler is allowed to be outside the pocket and the system is made for him to be on the move, his height will not matter as much as many believe.

Another reason many people

Art by Miles Poon ’20 believe he should have chosen baseball is the money. Although there is a lot of money in playing baseball, there is a lot to be made on the football field as well.

In football, the quarterbacks are paid a huge sum of the team’s cap space. For example, Kirk Cousins is guaranteed $84 million in his contract and he has produced little success. I believe Kyler can become superstar quarterback and he will be compensated with a lot of money Recent mock drafts project that Kyler will be the first pick in the NFL Draft by Arizona Cardinals in April.

The Cardinals are not a very good team, but still have a couple pieces to work with. Larry Fitzgerald is not what he once was but is still a reliable receiving target for Kyler.

David Johnson, just two years ago, was a 1,200 yard rusher, but since then has struggled to stay healthy. If Johnson can stay healthy, that would give Kyler an explosive running back option.

On defense, the Cardinals are particularly weak, aside from Pro Bowl rusher Chandler Jones.

With Arizona most certainly trading Josh Rosen, the Cardinals can use the rest of the draft to help bolster up their defense.

T

he sports world has been brought to a tough predicament in which there is no right answer: should Kyler Murray have chosen football or baseball?

There are a few good reasons why he should play football, but the amount of positive attributes that come with playing baseball outweigh football by a landslide.

First, there is obviously the higher risk of being injured. As seen with quarterbacks such as Teddy Bridgewater and Robert Griffin III, the injury bug can bite at any time, which could cost a player millions.

This doesn’t take into account the long-term effects of being in the NFL, either.

Concussions can lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

This shortens lives and includes symptoms such as impulsive behavior, depression, short term memory loss, and difficulty of carrying out simple tasks just to name a few.

Players can be cut at any point in their contract, so if Murray gets injured at the beginning of a contract, he would end up losing millions. Unlike the NFL, MLB contracts are fully guaranteed money. Given NFL players, especially quarterbacks, are paid more, it is not uncommon for a team to restructure a contract, so if Murray does not perform well, he will lose money.

In addition, his size is a major issue in the NFL. Being listed at 5 feet 10 inches, his size creates multiple issues. First, he will have a tough time seeing over 6-foot 5-inch offensive linemen. Next, his small body frame is at a disadvantage compared to 250-pound linebackers.

Multiple recent NFL mock projections have Murray going 1st overall, to the Arizona Cardinals.

Seeing how the Cardinals did not do a good job with former first round pick, Josh Rosen, Murray would not have the support he needs to prosper in Arizona.

The Cardinals do not have a strong offensive line; they have an aging wide receiver as their number one, and a terrible defense. A terrible defense would translate into Kyler being on the field more, which increases the chance of him being injured, and gives the other team more time to find the young quarterback’s weaknesses.

Again, if the Cardinals drafted Murray, there would be a fight for the starting job between Murray and Rosen. This could cause mistrust between the Cardinals and Murray, which might lead to him choosing baseball.

For these reasons, Kyler Murray should stick to America’s true pastime, baseball.

Listen to the podcast on this debate at https://anchor.fm/RCrusaderNews1949 Pope Francis to journalists on World Communications Day:

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

4 Campus News

Spring 2019

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Admissions adjusts avenue to enrollment

By Liam Peace ’19

Admissions is the process of allowing new people to enter an organization, institution, or place who bring new ideas and solutions benefitting the particular community in question.

Each organization has different ways of going about it, but all of them are in pursuit of the same goal: to bring newfound perspectives, diversity, and advanced abilities.

Each individual undergoing admissions in any place must prove his ethics, values, passion, and commitment to his occupation, ultimately placing him above others who lack these important components.

Archbishop Riordan High School, an esteemed, academic, and athletically recognized all boys school, has recently undergone many changes in its traditional admissions routine of the past.

As these different admission techniques are put in place, there is still the commonality of searching for young men who emphasize their values and hard work, benefitting the school and their respected communities as a whole.

Admissions Director Danny Curtin ’08 applies himself daily to help benefit the school and make it a better place by looking for individuals who stand out amongst the crowd.

He said, “I look for a student who is motivated, likes to get involved, a good citizen, and someone who teachers enjoy teaching.”

All of these traits represent the school accordingly, and have remained consistent since the school was founded in 1949.

But as time continues, change progresses, and while the results are similar to the past, the methods of going about it have a different mold.

To gain not only more diversity, but also an increased amount of viewpoints, Riordan’s recruiting outreach has now expanded outside the realm of San Francisco, bringing new talents and hardworking young men.

Another new change that has been put in place recently is group evaluations, where students in the application process are reviewed by competing and working together in different scenarios, displaying their skills of working on a team, as well as problem solving skills that are

Photo provided by David Lin ’99 Admissions Director Danny Curtin, Principal Tim Reardon, and Counselor David Lin visited Hong Kong to recruit students. applicable to the real world that transcend to their studies.

Curtin said questions include, “What is this student going to be like in the classroom, what is he going to be like working with new people and in situations where they are uncomfortable?”

This is important, as adaptability to one’s surroundings creates a physical intelligence in its own way, by determining the issue at hand, then creating a technique with what materials have been given to the student to solve the problem.

Attendance Office introduces new policy

By Harrick Wu ’19

As Virginia Alvarado, the former Administrative Assistant to the Dean of students, retired after the 2019 fall semester, Nora Birmingham, the Main Office Receptionist, has taken up the role of overseeing the attendance of students.

As a result, an email was sent out informing students and parents that there is a new attendance procedure for when students are going to be absent.

The previous procedure was to have parents call the Attendance Office before 9:00 a.m., stating their son’s name, grade, reason for his absence, their relationship to the student, and their phone number if the school has any questions. On top of doing all of this, students had to bring a signed note from their parents the day they returned to school.

The new implemented attendance procedure has two methods for parents to report a student’s absence. Parents can either send an email to attendance@riordanhs.org or leave a voicemail at 415-5868200 ext. 250, stating their son’s name, grade, and their contact information.

However, a signed parent note is still expected to be dropped off

to Birmingham the day they return to school as to eliminate the risk of students sending emails from their parent’s account.

This updated attendance policy was implemented to relieve the workload for Birmingham. On top of her other tasks as the receptionist of the main office, she now has to monitor students’ attendance.

Juan Zumbado ’98, the Dean of Students, said, “It’s just to make it easier for Mrs. Birmingham. It actually makes it a little more efficient, because when Mrs. Alvarado was here, she would listen to voicemails, but there would be some mornings where she would have to get through 15 to 40 voicemails to see who is missing. If the email comes in ‘Hey, my son is sick,’ to attendance, that is much easier to get through that log in sheet.”

Although the email informed students to bring a signed note the day they return from their absence, some students reported

Photo by Michael Portillo-Ortega ’21 Late students now check in at the front desk with Nora Birmingham.

that they were not chased down if they did not bring one. For that reason, both students and parents enjoy this new attendance procedure as there is one less requirement to do.

Brandon Chan ’19 said, “I like this new policy because it is more convenient, because you do not have to worry about reminding

yourself and your parents to bring in a note the next day. I think it is also convenient for the front desk as they do not have to immediately mark me absent.”

Zumbado said that is intentional.

He said, “A lot of the time, I would just accept an email. I would print it, use it as the note, and put it in the student’s file.”

Spring 2019

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Campus News

5

Shortened schedules cut down on class time

By Harrick Wu ’19

Shortened classes, caused by a combination of professional development meetings, Masses, department collaboration meetings, rallies, and mentor groups, have frustrated both students and teachers alike.

These events have caused classes to be shorter than the regular 80 minutes and are an annoyance to teachers, especially those who teach the same course, but on different days. Teachers who are in these scenarios have more work. Instead of making the same lesson plans for the same course, teachers have to change it up to fit the time allowed.

David Elu, a Social Science instructor, said, “Short classes have impacted me quite a bit, especially in trying to align the curriculum from the different classes in the A Day class versus the B Day class. If an A Day class is a short class and B Day is a longer class, then I’m off synced with the two classes, and so it makes assessment difficult, because I have to wait until a point where we’re covering the same material in order to give students a fair

assessment to both classes at the same time, covering the same material.”

He further said, “Also, it makes class planning rather difficult, because most of our class plans are for 80 minutes, and when they take 15 or 20 minutes out of the class plan, that significantly impacts the last part of class and that’s usually the most important part. That is where everything comes together to make sense.”

As a result, it also creates more homework for the students on the shortened days.

Darien Thomas ’19, a student taking AP Economics on A Days, agrees that these short classes negatively impact the students.

“It could have a lasting effect on us, because we’ll have to rush the material and we won’t learn it as well as the other class.”

The short classes do not only affect teachers with the same course on two different days, but teachers who need 80 minutes a day for most of the year to cover all the material before the AP test or when school finishes.

Jeff Isola ’98, another Social Science instructor, dislikes having so many short classes, since it puts his class further behind than

Percentage of Shortened Classes, A Days versus B Days

B Days 39.6%

A Days 60.4%

Graphic by Harrick Wu ’19 According to the school calendar, 32 A Days are shortened (16 in fall, 16 in spring), and 21 B Days are shortened (10 in fall, 11 in spring).

he wants it to be.

“I think it’s terribly detrimental, especially the way this schedule works, when you meet with your class every other day, so if it’s a Tuesday/Thursday one, you go an entire weekend in between that you don’t see them. I would say that especially in this first semester with the amount of A Days that we have short, I ended three class periods behind what I would like to be.”

Michael O’Brien, Dean of Academics, said the administration will take this year into account when making the calendar for next school year.

He said, “Every year we learn from the previous year to see what pitfalls, mistakes, and oversights we might have. Sometimes we end up having more and/or shorter A or B days. We do the best we can and will certainly consider this for next year.”

Financial course to teach smart savings

By Gabriel Santos ’21

High School students spend a lot of time working hard and studying important subjects that in turn will aid in the preparation for college and the future. These subjects tend to deal strictly with basic school matters, such as English, math, history, and more.

On the other hand, although being able to be grammatically correct and use algebra is important, there are some other tasks that students should have adequate knowledge of. These tasks include how to budget, pay taxes, write checks, etc.

It is important that a student is prepared not only academically, but financially for the real world. The state of California is implementing a financial course for students, as many students who move away for college from their hometown do not have adequate knowledge on how to manage thir money.

Financial courses would be an important tool for high school students as they are in the middle ground before being pushed into independence and adulthood. Students will be able to learn the importance of saving money and goal-setting for the future as this can help them in the long run, in case of an emergency where they

Although being broke in college is laughable in the moment, it is not so entertaining in the future when these students will not be able to buy a house, buy a car, or even invest in retirement, and all they are left with is bad credit and debt.

A financial course could be the change in the future of these students’ lives and teach them how to plan a financially stable future.

Lastly, learning early would mean that good habits are implemented at an early stage in life. These habits would be hard to break as the years of practice before college will eventually Photo illustration by Eddie Monares ’19 make good financial acts a habit.

Students will have adequate One of the goals of the proposed financial course for high knowledge as to how to handle school students is to teach them how to fill out tax forms. their money and will not experience as many setbacks need the money right away. spend their money recklessly. when they are older as they Next year, Riordan is offering Constantly eating out, spending will not be entering adulthood an Intro to Investing class, which money on material goods, or not and financial planning blindly. will meet twice a week. budgeting money wisely into They will be able to take the In college, students no longer groceries, gas, necessities, and knowledge from high school on have the luxury of having their savings is a habit of students, how to budget, file taxes, and parents pack their lunch, buy because they do not know better. save money that will set them up their lunch, or cook their meals. They learn the hard way, when for a future of stability.

The typical instant noodle people begin to live paycheck to Enoch Lin ’21 said, “It’s easier diet of college students simply paycheck with an empty savings to learn it once than to learn it stems from the lack of financial account and microwavable dinner again harshly.” preparation in school. from Target.

Although some students may Finance also plays an In this debt, many people rely not see the value in the program important factor in one’s life and on their credit cards and fall initially, they will realize it later many students lack the education deeper into debt, which sets them when the knowledge saves them on how to budget and tend to up for failure in the future. from learning the hard way.

6 Campus News

Spring 2019

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

RIP Parodi: Beloved alumnus, coach dies

By Jordan Maralit ’21 Coach Mike Parodi, Riordan alumnus and former football coach, died on Jan. 26 at the age of 69.

Coach Parodi graduated from Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in 1963, followed by Archbishop Riordan High School in 1967. He began his football coaching career in the Fall of 1967 at Riordan, and later received his Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education from San Francisco State University in 1971.

He was the Head Varsity Football Coach from 1974 - 1979

for the Riordan Crusaders, after which time he accepted an assistant position for the City College of San Francisco Rams football team.

Parodi coached linebackers for the first few years at City College, on the defensive side of the ball, then moved to coaching running backs for the bulk of his career for the CCSF Rams, approximately 35 years.

After a 41 year teaching career, Coach Parodi retired from Riordan in June 2013 and later from his part time teaching position at City College of San

Riordan community adds new staff members

By Cheyne Fernandez ’20

Jan. 21 was the first day of employment for the new college counselor, Dori Ryken, who is covering the position for Melissa Nagar while she is on maternity leave.

Ryken previously worked as a college counselor for 15 years at Mercy High School in San Francisco. Prior to working at Mercy, she worked for the Marin County School District, going from school to school in the role of nurse.

Initially, Ryken discovered the position of a college counselor while working at Redwood High School. “I was working at Redwood High School at an intro position for a year as a school nurse, I wandered up into the college and career center and said ‘wow this kinda looks like fun’.”

Through her curiosity, Ryken pursued a college counselor course at UC Berkeley, where soon after, she took volunteering positions at Washington High School, which later led to positions at Mercy, and now, Riordan.

Another new addition to Riordan’s faculty is Dr. John Elliot, who has taken the position of World Literature teacher.

Thus far, Dr. Elliot has worked in the school for a short while, and being his first time teaching 10th graders, he has had a varying, yet pleasant experience.

Previously, Elliot has taught in a German boarding school where he worked in IB (similar to Advanced Placement), the University of Michigan, Boston University, and has also been a professor in Shanghai and Japan, as well as an invited professor in Korea.

Given his diverse teaching background, his work as an instructor has proven to be liked by many.

Dori Ryken, college counselor

Dr. John Elliot, English teacher

“He is undoubtedly very intelligent in almost any field in literature,” stated Marco Aguirre-Celi ’21.

Dr. Elliot stated, “Most of us who go into teaching see the value in teaching as something that is more complex and more meaningful than, say, a job in a company.”

Dr. Elliot has currently taken up a temporary position here at Archbishop Riordan, yet in such little time has made a difference within the school’s community.

Francisco.

Due to illness, he retired his football career at the end of the 2014 season.

Fellow Riordan alumnus and former colleague Viggen Rassam ’87 recalled Coach Paradi with fond memories.

“Coach Parodi was a very humble person and he will sadly be missed,” he said.

The day of his funeral, which some faculty and students attended, was a sad day for the Crusader family, and certainly the end of an era.

Duggan’s Serra Mortuary Coach Mike Parodi 1949 - 2019

“Coyote,” continued from page 1 understand what their lives are like in the San Franciscan landscape, but most researchers think they’re primarily feeding on rats and other rodent pests.

Thus, having city coyotes around is unusual, but actually a sign of a healthy urban ecology coexisting alongside human systems.”

Neighbors who have lost pets to coyotes have a different perspective. Gail Marchi, who lives a few neighborhoods away from Riordan, lost her dog Didi, an 11 year old, 12 pound rat terrier/Italian greyhound, to a coyote three years ago.

Marchi said, “I let her out for her nightly potty break at 11 p.m.

While I usually walk down our 10 steps to watch her prance around and finally do her business, I stayed upstairs in our doorway.

I then heard the most horrifying screeching and quickly realized that it was Didi, not with a cat, but knew it had to be a coyote.”

She continued, “I ran down the steps and saw the coyote walking away while Didi escaped and ran into the house, bleeding. She laid down on our dining room floor bleeding and panting. I saw a puncture wound.”

Marchi and her husband rushed Didi to the pet emergency hospital, but she died on the way there.

The Marchis attended a City Hall meeting about coyotes, but

did not feel that their concerns were taken seriously. “We left the meeting, with many ‘sorry for your loss’ comments, and felt that nothing would happen.”

About six months later, a neighbor lost their shih tzu Bella to a coyote attack while her owner was unlocking the door to their porch.

Gail Marchi said, “I would hope that cat owners could try and work on making their feral cats indoor cats – if only, for their protection.

I suggest that all dogs be kept on leash at all times and in sight of their owner when walking in the neighborhood.”

She added, “We haven’t gotten another dog and don’t think we will.”

Brendan Passanisi-Boullet ’22 saw a coyote on the Balboa Reservoir earlier this month.

Passanisi-Boullet said, “We were walking on the trail next to the lower parking lot and two upperclassmen said they saw a coyote. We thought they were just messing with the freshmen, but then we turned, and about 15 feet away, sitting in the grass, was a coyote!”

Mark Barer ’22, who took the photo on the front page said, “I’ve never been nervous about taking a photo before.”

He added, “We made a sound, and it turned and looked at us, and we slowly backed away.”

“Balboa Reservoir,” continued from page 7 facilities.

There are codes dictating how dust and dirt are managed as well as how noise from construction is managed.

Please know that these concerns are in the forefront of my mind in regards to this construction, if it actually happens.”

The developers, Avalon Bay, hope to break ground in the summer of 2021, and it could last

from two to four years. The end result will be several buildings from two to seven stories high.

Dr. Currier said, “I hope to meet with delegates from the Mayor’s office in the near future to voice our concerns. Please know that we are closely tied to the conversations and hearings around this momentous project for our neighborhood.”

Spring 2019

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Campus News 7

Riordan reflects on re-establishing respect

By Aidan Murtagh ’20

The Riordan administration has doubled their efforts for the student body to be informed about what respect is and how it can be implemented into daily life.

The recent push culminated in a speech given by Nathaniel Simon ’98, Director of the Resource Specialist Program, which was in part inspired by the circulation of a controversial video posted on YouTube by a group of Riordan students.

Although he was a little nervous that his message may not be interpreted in the exact way he wanted, Simon accepted the administration’s request.

He said, “I was excited about it. I like talking to the guys at Riordan just because I feel that being a graduate and having some experiences a lot of [the students] have had is helpful.”

In his talk, Simon focused on several contemporary issues with society, particularly the difficulty of just listening to one another and empathizing with others.

He explained, “I was thinking about my wife and daughter and

how I have a voice here, and I was just thinking of what I could say that they couldn’t say and how I could get it across in a way that guys understand.”

He continued, “If you devalue something, you’re willing to do anything to it. If it has no value to it, you can throw it away, hurt it, ignore it. So a lot of times we have to remember the value that people have and to be empathetic with him.”

The value of respect reaches far beyond Simon’s speech, however.

English teacher Diana Assereto expressed, “I think it is important to think about how we speak to each other, be more thoughtful about how we interact with each other, and the kind of message we send to each other, whether in the classroom or on social media.”

She also explained how respect goes both ways, in a sense, and that in order to be respected, one should act in a dignified and respectable manner.

Junior Theo Reese said, “Students can show respect by understanding that people have different opinions and by not

insulting the person for having different opinions, but by having a civil conversation about the topic at hand.”

Another key part is listening and looking to others as role models, acknowledging that humans are flawed and can always improve.

Michael Vezzali-Pascual ’88, another English teacher said, “I think there is a lot to the values that we are trying to teach and reinforce here, including the Marianist characteristics of education, and Mary as a model of respect. So, I think students can emulate respect by looking to Mary as a model, of course, and every guideline and policy [at Riordan] is pointed at respect… and if we follow these basic tenets we’ll be in really good shape.”

This revamped emphasis on respect has found its way into the Summer Reading assignment.

This summer, all students will read the book Speak, which is a story about a girl who is a friendless outcast and only finds joy and a feeling of normalcy through her art project.

According to Principal Tim

NationalBook.org Reardon, “After Nate Simon delivered his speech about what it means to be a good man, we thought it would be a good idea to incorporate that theme into the overall curriculum of the school. We’ve since had a couple of Mentor Group meetings that have reiterated some of [Mr. Simon’s] ideas, and Speak is a great book for further exploration of these complex ideas. If the whole school reads the same book, we’ll hopefully be able to have great dialogue in our Mentor Groups when we come back from vacation.”

By having the whole school read the same book, the administration aims to help facilitate more widespread discussion among the student body and to help students more fully exhibit empathy and respect towards others.

Balboa Reservoir housing closer to reality

By Michael Conefrey ’21

The planning process for building a 1,100 unit affordable housing complex in what is now the Balboa Reservoir is underway.

The new proposal to build housing on the Balboa Reservoir was first conceived in 2014, when it was chosen as a possible build site for San Francisco’s Public Land for Housing Project. The City chose the private organization Bridge housing and Avalon Bay developments to construct and manage the ambitious project.

Bridge has built over 10,000 units around the Bay Area, including projects in the Mission, North Beach, and Hunters Point.

Planning is expected to be concluded by 2020, and construction will most likely begin shortly after that. Most estimates project that construction will be completed by 2026.

The reservoir was first dug and paved in the 1950s, but was never filled with water. Since then, the empty space has been used by the community for many different purposes, such as motorcycle classes, police safety training, additional parking for City College, and a place where Riordan athletic teams could meet to shore up on their conditioning.

Literature teacher Richard Sylvester ’01 recalled his experiences with the reservoir as a student, saying, “The reservoir has changed a lot since I went here. Some PE classes used to run around the top of the reservoir while others would run around

Photo by Vicente Francisco ’19 The Balboa Reservoir, adjacent to Riordan, will be home to several apartment buildings in a few years. the track. When I was in band, we would sometimes practice our marching in the reservoir if the field wasn’t available. I even remember some kids going out to tag the walls.”

Liam Funke ’21, a member of the Track and Cross Country teams, said, “Sometimes we’ll run on the street around the reservoir, but only rarely.”

Despite its wide use by the surrounding community, the city declared the Balboa Reservoir “void of positive features.”

An issue with the planned development is its potential impact on traffic and parking.

The reservoir is already used as a supplemental parking lot for

City College, and there is genuine concern that the new buildings will make it harder to find parking in the surrounding area.

There will be a new parking garage built with the complex, but it will most likely be reserved for residents.

This is not the first time the reservoir has been selected for housing development.

Back in 1985, the Mayor’s Office of Housing planned to sell off the piece of land to a housing developer that planned to build a large-scale residential area they intended to call “Balboa Heights.”

The plan was stopped, however, by a coalition of City College students, staff, and a group of

local residents through a series of elections from 1985 to 1991.

When asked if this current project has faced similar resistance, Bridge Project Manager Kearstin Dischinger responded by saying, “The 80s were a different time in history for San Francisco.”

Dischinger, who visited the journalism class this month, added, “The economy wasn’t booming the way it is now, and the population wasn’t where it is now. There wasn’t as much of a need for new, affordable housing the way there is now, and people didn’t want the project to go through. We feel the community is much more on board with the project this time.”

Dr. Andrew Currier, President of Riordan, said, “We have had significant discussions about how this development could potentially impact Riordan, including traffic, exit flow from our parking lot, and the proximity of housing to our property lines. There also seems to be some major benefits for Riordan including the potential for future enrollment and the possibility of easier, quicker access by car to Ocean Avenue.”

He added, “Another concern would be the impact of the construction on our operations.

Fortunately, the City of San Francisco has very strict codes mitigating the effects of construction on neighboring

Please see “Balboa Reservoir” on page 6

8 Campus News

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Spring 2019

Skippers take benefit rally trophy in coin toss

By Harrick Wu ’19

On March 8, Riordan competed against Mercy SF High School in the sixth annual Mercy vs.

Riordan Benefit Rally in an attempt to keep the trophy at Riordan for another year, and to raise money for the San Francisco Foster Youth Fund, a local charity focused on improving the lives of foster children.

This year, the competition was scored based on which school had the highest percentage of students attending, most money raised per capita, a rally soccer game, staff limbo, “Name that Tune,” Quiz Bowl, “Letter Diving,” and an obstacle course.

Riordan won the competitions for attendance, rally soccer, and Quiz Bowl.

The Riordan community was able to double the amount of money raised from last year. This was partly due to a fundraising event, “Water Balloon an O’Brien,” which was when students or faculty donated money to launch water balloons at a distance with their hands or a slingshot at Student Captain Patrick O’Brien ’19 and his father, Michael

O’Brien, the Dean of Academics and Science instructor. Various students and faculty joined in.

Mercy won the competitions for staff limbo, “Name that Tune,” and the obstacle course. “Letter Diving” had to be scrapped, as there were disagreements over who finished first.

There were many disagreements among the organizers about the points, and the winner of the event was ultimately decided by a coin flip, which Mercy won.

Many Riordan students were frustrated about how it was decided.

Dillion Ruggiero ’19 said, “I felt it was unfair of Mercy’s suggestion through the whole thing, which was cutting out the last two games, the “Letter Diving” game and yoga game, which we agreed on as the tie breaker. It was frustrating to see.”

Joey Klobas ’07, Student Activities Coordinator, felt that the coin flip was the best and fairest way to decide the winner.

He said, “I feel the benefit rally was decided in the fairest way we could have done it. At the end of the day, Patrick represented the

Photo by Eddie Monares ’19 Dillon Ruggiero ’19 races across the court in the Letter Diving game. the school the best that he could in saying that it was not fair we threw two games out, because if we won one of these two games, we would’ve tied. Patrick was able to convince them to be able to do a coin flip, and they won the coin flip.”

Overall, the rally was a success.

Riordan raised close to $3,500 for the charity, including tickets, the water baloon toss, and donations.

Although Riordan did not win the trophy, participants from both schools enjoyed the event.

Ruggerio said, “The benefit rally is such a unique experience at Riordan and I had a lot of fun.”

Jolly Curameng, a Mercy senior, said, “I had a splendid time, because Mercy won! It was one of the best rallies because you could definitely feel really good energy from both Mercy and Riordan!”

Riordan’s highest honor awarded to Cazahous

By Steven Rissotto ’20

The Blessed William Joseph Chaminade Award was presented on Jan. 25 to a trusted member of the Riordan community, as Philip Cazahous ’70 was the 2019 recipient.

Cazahous said, “When Dr. Currier called me to inform me that I’ve been selected as the Chaminade Award recipient for 2019, I was overwhelmed and humbled to receive the award.”

Cazahous follows 2018 winner Jerry Lucey ’61 and classmates Chris Callero (2000) and Tony Pantaleoni (1996). The Award first presented in 1975, marks the 44th anniversary of the prestigious award. Riordan’s highest honor is awarded each year to an individual who serves and helps advance the school.

The award is named after William Joseph Chaminade, a key factor in Roman Catholicism’s history and founder of the Marianist Order, present in Riordan’s affiliation.

Shortly before the award ceremony, the students filled Lindland Theater for a mass celebrating Blessed Chaminade and his lasting legacy. The cross behind the altar displayed blue and purple, as the choir sang throughout the mass with energey and grace.

Cazahous and his guests were seated in the first few rows of the auditorium during Mass.

He was called up to the stage by President Andrew Currier and Principal Tim Reardon to be

presented the award in front of roaring and cheering current Crusaders.

As a once illustrious athlete, Cazahous ran for the Crusaders during the track and cross country seasons and famously completed a half-mile in just two minutes and three seconds. His overall mile time was 4:42.

In life after the purple and gold, Cazahous earned his Bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of San Francisco and sought out an investing career.

Simultaneously, he was an important member of Riordan’s Board of Trustees.

In his speech, he stated that he chose to return to Riordan’s board after running into a couple Crusaders while on the bus and noticed a “great display” of good manners. This was a theme throughout his short time on stage, as he repeatedly cherished the charisma and respectful students all around campus who have given the school a sense of hospitality for strangers.

Through the past years, Cazahous has worked closely on the financial overview of numerous projects on campus, such as the remodel of the gym and the Riordan Field Project.

He said, “To be included in a list of individuals that have devoted their lives to educating young men, religious men who have continued to develop their lives as part of the Chaminade commission, is quite an honor.”

Photo by Steven Rissotto ’20 Phillip Cazahous ’70 is this year’s Chaminade Award recipient.

Spring 2019

Religion

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

9

Fr. John leads young group to sacraments

By Brandon Vargas ’20

The Communion and Confirmation Program, led

by Father John Jimenez, is available to those in high school or younger, and those who desire to receive First Communion or Confirmation.

Father Jimenez understands that high school students are especially busy, so he created this program to help those who desire to receive these two sacraments.

Some individuals also desire to receive the Sacrament of Baptism, but Communion and Confirmation are the most popular.

This group holds monthly meetings, and attends Sunday evening Masses together at St. Gabriel’s Church whenever possible. Father Jimenez said that these Masses tend to be “youth-oriented” and “fun” for his group of young adults.

Father Jimenez stated that the goal of the students in the program is to “receive the sacraments on Easter Vigil, which in this year will be… [in] April.”

Easter Vigil represents the period when Jesus laid in his tomb after his death. This day in history comes prior to his Resurrection.

Therefore, receiving the

Photo by Vicente Francisco ’19 Fr. John Jimenez traces the sign of the cross on a student’s forehead for Ash Wednesday.

Sacraments of Communion and Confirmation on this date serves as a testament to these young adults joining the Catholic faith.

Michael Bigler ’20, who has been in the program for roughly four months, said that this program “helps me stay organized and makes me realize my priorities as a young adult.”

This program has tremendously

changed Bigler: “It has changed me into bringing me closer to God and my faith in Catholicism.”

Bigler highly recommends joining this program, as it “makes you a better person and helps you come closer with God.” Father Jimenez explicates that Jesus is his primary motivation, saying, “That’s how Jesus works:

He calls a brother then he brings his brother along.”

In the future, Father Jimenez plans to bring his group to the Church of the Epiphany, where Masses are also youth-oriented.

He also plans to encourage graduating seniors to join the exceptional young adult group at Epiphany.

Pope Francis launches prayer app for faithful

By Logan Estrada ’22

The pope has an app? Well, why not? He has Twitter!

The official name of this app is called ClickToPray, an app that lets the user interact with others all over the world through the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, and possibly get closer to God. They are able to do this through acts such as online prayer for a certain cause, sending prayers and petitions to God and saints, and through donations. The app is clear overall, and focuses on a main point: prayer.

The app encourages users to pray every day for common causes, global challenges, and the Pope’s monthly prayer intentions. For example, the app encourages people to pray for the victims of violence and those who are responsible for the acts.

The app also encourages people to create prayers for themselves and others using the app. Finally, the app has a calendar set up that records when you pray three times in the day: in the morning, at noon, and at night.

This app was created by Pope Francis as a way for human beings to connect to one another, himself, and God through a modern way of communication. The Pope said, when the official app was released, “The Internet and social media are a resource of our time. A way to stay in touch with others, to share values and projects, and express the desire to form a community.” He also said, “the Internet is a gift from God.” In his address, the Pope specifically called on young people to download the app, believing that it will prevent the younger generations from losing their grip on God and their Catholic faith.

Campus Chaplain Father John Jimenez said, “I really think this app is a good idea. It is very similar to going to a chapel and putting intentions. I think this app is really great because it allows people to unite and pray together with the Pope, with power behind it.”

Photo by Eddie Monares ’19 The pope is now just a click away, as anyone can download his Click to Pray app to beseech assistance.

Chapel of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Wednesdays, Rosary at 7:15 a.m.

Fridays, Mass at 7:15 a.m.

10 Arts & Entertainment

Spring 2019

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

2018 box office hits intro

By Elijah Calip ’22

2018 was filled with many outstanding films that brought people together. However, five movies made it to the top.

First on the list is “Black Panther.” “Black Panther” tells the story of T’Challa, the upcoming King of Wakanda, and his struggle to keep his kingdom safe from his enemies.

The movie received a 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and earned $1.34 billion dollars at the box office. It also was nominated for Best Picture and won Best Original Music Score during the 2019 Oscars.

Second on the list is “A Quiet Place.”

This horror/thriller tells of a family and their lives in a world where, “If they hear you, they hunt you.” The movie received a 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and $350 billion at the box office. It also won plenty of awards such as an Academy Award for Best Sound Editing.

Third is “Crazy Rich Asians.” Based off the novel, the movie tells the story of Rachel Chu and her boyfriend, Nick, who is crazy rich.

When she accompanies him to Singapore, she learns that she has to deal with her new foes, one being Nick’s mother who

YouTube Rewind virtually disliked by all

By Ian Martin ’20

YouTube Rewind started in 2010 as a way for YouTube to acknowledge videos that went viral on the platform throughout the year.

Over the years, YouTube Rewind has been growing in production value and features prominent YouTubers, celebrities, events, popular music, and memes. The past few Rewinds haven’t gotten much love, but nothing compares to the backlash YouTube got for Rewind 2018.

The video is supposed to cover events and people who went viral in 2018, but it failed to acknowledge many internet dramas like the Logan Paul vs. KSI fight, the Pewdiepie vs. TSeries meme, and huge YouTubers like Pewdiepie, the most subscribed channel on YouTube, were left out.

To give some perspective, some of the YouTubers in the video had as many as 1 million subscribers, which is a lot, but Pewdiepie has a whopping 87.4 million subscribers and counting.

Many of the YouTubers featured in the video hadn’t even uploaded any new content for months while bigger channels have been uploading daily.

Tomizo Callejas ’20 said, “There were about four people I knew in the entire video.”

Missing out on many trends during the year wasn’t the only reason this rewind failed miserably. YouTube Rewinds are usually lighthearted and seem like a huge party, but halfway

YouTube Rewind 2018 received more dislikes than any other video online.

through YouTube Rewind 2018, the tone of the video shifts to become extremely political.

This segment got so much harsh criticism for completely ruining the fun environment YouTube Rewinds are supposed to embody.

The political segment focused on including many channels from different countries that nobody knew, so people were stumped about why they were even there.

The politics in the video were

liberal, but even liberal viewers criticized the placement of their beliefs in a video that doesn’t have anything to do with politics.

“They tried to make it something it’s not supposed to be and they ended up creating this liberal video about changes but missed huge trends in a video about having fun,” stated Callejas.

Since YouTube Rewind was universally considered a terrible video, it amassed an astonishing

YouTube

number of dislikes, 15 million, ironically making it the most disliked video on YouTube.

The king of most disliked videos used to be the music video “Baby”

by Justin Bieber, but Rewind had more. Many viewers removed their dislikes from “Baby” to make it easier for YouTube Rewind 2018 to overtake it. And so, the most disliked video on YouTube is made by YouTube and they only have themselves to blame.

Spring 2019

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Arts & Entertainment

11

oduce more diverse casts disapproves of her. The movie received $238.5 million dollars in box office revenue and a 91 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie also won awards such as the Critics Choice Movie Award for Best Comedy.

Fourth is “Avengers: Infinity War.” The movie had a budget of an astounding $316 to 400 million and received $2 billion dollars at the box office. The movie tells of the Avengers and their fight against Thanos, who will destroy the world, with his six Infinity Stones.

It received an 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and won many awards such as an Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects.

Last on the list is one of the most frightening and thrilling movies of 2018, “Halloween.” The movie tells of Laurie Strode, a survivor, and her struggle to keep her family safe from the legendary killer, Michael Myers. The movie received an 80 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and $253.7 million at the box office.

2018 was an amazing year for movies and films, and the festivities concluded with the 91st Academy Awards on Feb. 24.

Students step up to Shakespearean stage

By JJ Trujeque ’21

The 36th Annual National Shakespeare Competition, hosted by the English-Speaking Union, has attracted more than 325,000 young scholars to express themselves through Shakespearean language since its formation in 1982.

The competition consists of three stages: school, branch community, and national levels.

Each participant is required to memorize and perform a monologue from one of Shakespeare’s 38 plays, as well as a sonnet from Shakespeare’s 154 sonnet cycle.

This year, three students from Archbishop Riordan participated in the competition at the school level: Estefan Granucci ’19, Conor Hoelsken ’19, and Andrei Lynch ’22.

Granucci performed Iago’s soliloquy from Othello, recognized by the phrase “I hate the Moor,” and Sonnet 116, which begins with “Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments.”

Granucci advanced to the community stage, where 12

other schools in the ESU Branch participated. The judges narrowed down the finalists to five, where Granucci was the only male among them. The finals were then narrowed down to first, second, and third place; Granucci did not place in the top three.

Granucci said, “With Shakespeare, the most important part about performing is to give justice to what is written and to be able to articulate both the emotion and language with ease. Overall, I was happy with making it to the semifinals and being able to share my work.”

Photo by JJ Trujeque ’21 Estefan Granucci ’19, Andrei Lynch ’22, and Conor Hoelsken ’19 competed in the English Speaking Union’s Shakespeare competition.

12 National News

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Spring 2019

Government shutdown stimulates strife

By Owen Murphy ’19

The government of the United States recently experienced the longest shutdown in American history. The shutdown lasted for 35 days from Dec. 22, 2018 to Jan. 25, 2019, exceeding the length of the 21 day shutdown in 1995-96, which had previously held the record.

The prospect of a shutdown first appeared on Dec. 11, after President Trump met with Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Senate Minority Leader, and Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic House Majority Leader, in a televised meeting, where they discussed the appropriation of funds for the construction of a border wall.

After Democratic leaders refused to support the addition of $5.7 billion of spending to fund a border wall, President Trump decided to shut down the government, saying “I am proud to shut down the government for border security.”

Despite bipartisan attempts to pass continuing resolutions, no spending was approved in 2018.

The continuing resolutions would have provided short-term funding to specific agencies, including, notably, the Department of Homeland Security, the IRS, the EPA, and the FDA. Without a spending budget being passed, federal agencies were left with no new funding to pay for services or projects and several hundred thousand federal workers were furloughed without pay. This situation was largely due to President Trump’s promise to veto any spending bill without funding for a border wall, which

During the government shutdown, federal tourist attractions such as the Lincoln Memorial were closed to the public. dissuaded Republicans from supporting any such measure.

After the swearing in on Jan. 3 of the new 116th Congress, elected in the 2018 midterm elections, more legislation was introduced to end the government shutdown.

This legislation included multiple continuing resolutions, as well as competing Republican and Democratic proposals that included and excluded border wall funding respectively.

None of the legislation was able

to pass both houses, leading to attempts at negotiation. Parts of the negotiations between the Democrats and the Republicans included Nancy Pelosi, now Speaker of the House, postponing the State of the Union, President Trump giving an ineffective presidential address, and the convening of an abruptly short meeting between President Trump, Speaker Pelosi, and

Creative Commons

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Ultimately, none of these actions resolved the issues.

The actual resolution of the shutdown came on Jan. 25, when President Trump announced support for short-term funding that lasted until Feb. 15. This change was likely due to the growing negative impacts of the shutdown and the blame he was receiving for those impacts.

Spring 2019

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

13

State News

Pet sale ban regulates puppy mills

By David Dorantes ’21

You’ve seen those commercials. The ones where the sad music is playing in the background while a voice over is talking about saving abandoned and neglected animals. It is accompanied by a video of dogs and cats cold, shaking and neglected, that lasts for an eternity.

All across the country, puppy mills are breeding dogs at an alarming rate, and kittens are crowding the pet stores. The supply is greater than the demand, which leads to these animals being surrendered to shelters and they quickly become overcrowded.

California spends $250 million euthanizing shelter animals. On Jan. 1, Assembly Bill 485 became law, after it was signed by then Governor Jerry Brown in 2017. The Pet Rescue and Adoption Act bans the sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits at pet stores unless the animal came from a shelter.

Pet stores under this law are banned from selling animals unless they came from a public animal shelter such as the SPCA, humane society group, or a rescue group such as Rocket Dog Rescue or Nine Lives Foundation. The goal of the bill is to promote the adoption of pets from shelters

Dorantes Family The Dorantes Family adopted their dog Coco from the Peninsula Humane Society.

and to discourage unkowingly supporting mass breeding facilities, also known as “puppy mills.”

Many of these mills often have deplorable conditions where the breeder makes money off the animals. Retail stores such as Petco or Petsmart or any pet stores that sells dogs, cats, or rabbits would have to keep documentation on where they obtained the animal and would be audited yearly. People will still be allowed to purchase dogs, cats and rabbits directly from private breeders, but the goal is to discourage people from unknowingly supporting puppy mills.

The American Kennel Club, however, cautioned citizens about this Assembly Bill.

Phil M. Guidry of the American Kennel Club stated on their website, “When governments attempt to limit the legitimate sources from which a person may obtain a pet, it not only interferes with individual freedoms, it also increases the likelihood that a person will obtain a pet that is not a good match for their lifestyle and the likelihood that that animal will end up in a shelter.”

One common theme is that everyone wants the best for the animals.

Owen Harp ’22 has always grown up with rescue dogs. Harp stated, “Puppy mills are just no no’s.”

Newsom navigates new job as governor

By Michael Conefrey ’21

On Nov. 6, 2018, Democrat Gavin Newsom beat out Republican John Cox in the race to become California’s next Governor.

The former San Francisco Mayor won by a margin of almost 3 million votes and received about 62 percent of the total vote, the biggest victory California has seen since Republican incumbent Earl Warren beat out Democrat James Roosevelt with about 64 percent of the vote.

The election was one out of 36 gubernatorial elections held that day, and California was one out of nine states to retain Democratic leadership.

Newsom, the incumbent Lieutenant Governor and former San Francisco Mayor, succeeded Jerry Brown as governor. Brown could not run for re-election as he had reached his maximum term limit.

Some of Newsom’s political highlights are allowing same-sex marriage in San Francisco, leading the campaign for the legalization of recreational marijuana, and his successful push for the passing of proposition 64, which requires a background check on all ammunition purchases and bans large-capacity firearms.

History and Government teacher Jeff Isola ’98 addressed Newsom’s political history saying, “What’s concerned me about Gavin Newsom ever since he became mayor was his disregard for federal law when implementing his policies in San Francisco and California.

Throughout his political career he has refused to respect federal authority.”

Newsom listed his top political priorities as education, development of the California economy (already ranked 5th in the world according to GDP, one spot ahead of the UK), and protecting the environment, a hot button issue due to the unprecedented destruction caused by recent wildfires.

These plans also include free community college, universal and single payer healthcare, and universal free preschool, which could cost the taxpayer hundreds of billions if put into effect.

Newsom has a rocky relationship with the President of the United States, Donald Trump. President Trump threatened to cut off some of California’s $116 billion in federal aid, stating reasons such as poor management of forests leading to wildfires, and California’s sanctuary policy.

While Newsom received endorsements from almost every major California newspaper and political figure, he did not receive one from President Trump, who endorsed his opponent John Cox. Despite this, Newsom has said he is willing to work with the president on some issues, and has praised him for his work on things like NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement),TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership), and his investments in infrastructure.

gov.ca.gov Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order that will help prevent and fight California wildfires in the future.

Newsom said to the San Diego Union-Tribune, “At the end of the day we’re all in this together. My intention is not to wake up every day attacking him, but I have no trepidation.”

Despite Newsom’s words, there are still bitter hostilities between the president and newly elected governor. These hostilities were especially escalated after Newsom announced in his State of the State address that California’s planned $77 billion high-speed rail would be scaled back.

The Trump administration subsequently announced that it would cancel $949 million in

future funding for the rail, and is demanding another $2.5 billion back that had already been spent on the rail. Newsom responded to the administration’s statement with one of his own, saying, “This is California’s money, and we are going to fight for it.”

Isola sighed, saying, “When it comes to projects like the bullet train, federal funding is provided through categorical grants.”Categorical grants are funds given by the United States Congress for specific purposes.

“Once Congress has issued those funds, it is very hard to get them back.”

14 Science

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Spring 2019

Teen develops better way to ascertain food allergies

By Ian Martin ’20 Food allergies plague many people and prevent them from trying certain foods that others would describe as irresistible.

Some people are just sensitive to foods that trigger bodily reactions similar to the symptoms one suffers during an allergic reaction.

Allergic reactions can often frighten people and stress them out when they eat at restaurants.

“I first found out about my seafood allergies when I was about 7 or 8 years old and I was eating shrimp at a Chinese restaurant. Suddenly, my face was bloated and I was in pain.

Since then, I always ask, ‘does this have seafood in it?’ because I don’t want to take any chances,” said Jalen Viray ’19.

The reactions are so similar,

which cause some allergy tests to mistake food sensitivity for being fully allergic. This is why Ayush Alag, a 17-year-old senior at Harker School, began his research into developing technology that can test for food allergies accurately and separate them from sensitivity.

Alag had trouble eating as a child, since he believed he was allergic to many different foods, like cashews. They would cause his tongue to prickle up and make his lips swell.

Alag stated, “I remembered how my lips had swollen the last time I had eaten a cashew, how Benadryl had alleviated my discomfort.”

After extensive testing in his Stanford allergist’s office, he was told that he wasn’t actually

allergic, but rather sensitive to many foods.

“Although I was fortunately diagnosed as sensitized, I began to question the feasibility of a 4-hour long, terrifying, and lifethreatening test.”

The tests Alag endured included a blood and skin test, which aren’t always accurate.

The most reliable test is is the “oral food challenge.” Alag took it for different foods, mainly tree nuts, and had to fight through the pain when he had a reaction.

He wondered why there wasn’t a better option to test for food allergies instead of unreliable tests and the dangerous “oral food challenge.” So, he began to create an algorithm that searches for genetic markers that a person is allergic, not only sensitive.

Alag said, “My impulse to instigate change was augmented when I learned that an innocent three-year-old in Alabama had been killed by the food challenge.

I sought to help some of the 17 million other food-allergy patients by creating a safer, yet highly accurate, diagnostic test.”

Alag is using DNA analyses that are open to the public to create his algorithm but is looking for more DNA samples so his test can be as accurate and reliable as possible.

Alag started the company, Allergezy, with a $10,000 grant from Illumina, a company focused on genomic testing.

Alag hopes that his DNA test will be a huge help to other patients and that his findings can aid future scientists in their research for the allergy field.

China’s rabbit rover leaps into darkness

By Jamar Kittling ’20

Throughout history, humans of all ages, backgrounds, and nations looked up at the moon, but only the curious pondered what was on the other side.

The other side of the moon is indeed legendary for its ominous and perplexing mystery, so much so that many of people dub it the “Dark Side.” Despite the implications of this title, the Dark Side of the Moon is not always dark. As the moon orbits the Earth, the different hemispheres are illuminated and the phases change: when there is a new moon from Earth’s perspective, the Dark Side is essentially full, while during a full moon on our side, the Dark Side lives up to its title. However, no matter how many times the moon changes phases or orbits the Earth, its Dark Side will never face us.

Due to its close proximity and gravitational influence, our side of the moon is basically trapped facing the Earth. This phenomenon in astronomy where an orbiting object or satellite has one side eternally face the orbited object is called tidal locking. Now, we call the sometimes bright, sometimes dark, and eternally opposite hemisphere of the moon the far side.

Today in the age of space exploration, many have become familiar with the far side of the moon through images, with the Russians being the first to take a

photo of the far side with their Luna 3 spacecraft in 1959.

Scientists today are left with more questions than answers.

The most blatant difference between the two sides is the dark patches. These dark patches or “seas” that compose the signature face of the moon were caused by lava erupting from the lunar surface, eventually spreading and cooling across the landscape. The problem is that while the near side is renown for these large dark blobs, the far side of the moon barely has any, depicting only craters across a massive gray landscape. While scientists have theories explaining the two-faced moon, nothing will help more than making it to the Dark Side.

That is where China comes in.

On Jan. 2, China made the monumental step of being the first nation to land its rover, Yutu2, on the far side of the moon. It was deployed by the lunar orbiter, Chang’e-4. In Chinese mythology, Chang’e is the moon goddess and Yutu, or Jade Rabbit, is her pet.

Yutu-2 is the second Chinese lunar rover in a series of lunar missions conducted by China.

However, some may perceive this feat as underrated, as Russia dominated the Space Race in the beginning and the U.S. actually put people on the moon, and that’s not even mentioning America still being in contact with humanity’s first interstellar spacecraft.

However, the act of putting a rover on the Dark Side of the Moon is especially challenging because of tidal locking. The far side is always facing away from Earth, so most radio signals from us would essentially be blocked by the entire moon, making communication with the rover nearly impossible. To overcome this obstacle, China decided to go around the moon, launching the satellite Queqiao to relay messages from the Earth to the moon and vice versa.

Today, powered by solar power despite landing on the Dark Side,

even bringing some major flooding to Sonoma County.

So, what’s next? I think that it is possible we will see the wet pattern continue into mid March.

The storm pattern will slow down and sun will return during the end of March.

We will begin to see warm temperatures towards the end of March and beginning of April.

That’s what headed for us in the spring.

One more thing before I leave you all, keep a very close eye out

Creative Commons China launched its rover Yutu-2 on the Dark Side of the Moon.

Yutu-2 continues to travel across untouched territory to collect samples and possibly uncover secrets of the moon. Mysteries such as the lack of lava flows on the far side and the formation of the moon itself may be solved with the spacecraft’s data. The isolated environment of the far side may also prove instrumental in studying cosmic and solar radiation. China’s historic landing along with our one small step showcases humanity’s ancient and unrelenting fascination with the mysteries and potential discoveries of our moon.

Riordan’s spring weather report

Hey Crusaders! Meteorologist Antonio Maffei here with your forecast update. We’ve had some crazy, mind boggling weather since the last newspaper edition.

Everything from sun to hail, and we have had multiple atmospheric rivers move through the region,

over the next couple weeks as something MAJOR is coming when it comes to Weather technology!

Have a great day Crusaders, and don’t ditch your umbrellas yet.

Spring 2019

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Environment

15

Riordan revisits recycling requirements

By Michael Gray ’20 Today, in a time rife with news about an increasingly decrepit world, recycling has become less of a suggestion and more of an expectation.

It seems as though everywhere one looks, there’s a bright blue bin with a triangle of arrows. They’re outside of every home, on every street corner, and pretty much every commercial building.

Riordan alone has about 50 recycling bins. With such a high number of recyclable waste receptacles, the expectation that Riordan students and staff Photo by Vicente Francisco ’19 become active recyclers is high, Recycling can not only benefit the environment, but lower bills as well. but that may not be the case.

According to the Finance Office, and there was a committed group management.”

The dilemma of saving money Riordan’s monthly trash bill is of people (a Green Team) to about $5,539.52. That translates make sure the trash was sorted or saving the Earth should not be to about $66,474.24 every school properly, including at events like at cross purposes, some contend, but they are. The amount of effort year. basketball games.”

John Ahlbach, teacher and In order to decrease the refuse needed to meet the requirements local recycling advocate, believes bill, the school would need quite of the city and the cost that comes the cost stems in part from the a bit of effort. San Francisco city with it could result in a loss of school’s problems with recycling ordinance requires that recycling, money for the school.

President Andrew Currier and composting. compost, and landfill be properly He said, “If we doubled our sorted before making a “green” discovered evidence of recycling compost pick-ups and cut our pickup, or one that involves gone awry, stating that, “We trash pick-ups in half, we could recycling or compost. If the trash talked to the folks at Marin save $500 a month and help is sorted incorrectly, then the city Catholic, and they were promised lower rates for composting and the environment. My estimate might not take it. is at least 80 percent of what In the Feb. 14 edition of The their bill actually went up.”

Although he is hesitant to start goes out of Riordan as ‘trash’ is Broadview, Convent of the Sacred any new waste program, Currier compostable.”

Heart’s school newspaper, a This decrease in costs would front-page article details that does acknowledge the potential not be without consequences, school’s struggle with recycling. good of composting and other however, as Ahlbach continued, According to the article, the school ways in which Riordan can reduce “This would only work, however, has been fined “between five and its enormous trash bill, saying if everyone was conscientious nine times each month because of that, “We should be composting…

We are currently looking at reducing our bill, and I think composting could help that.

We’re also looking at other refuse companies… we can talk to our facilities director about ways to improve the recycling.”

Science Department Chair Colleen O’Rourke circulated a “Recycle for Lent” calendar published by the Anglican Environmental Network, which suggests ways to keep the Lenten Season green each of the 40 days.

The calendar can be found at RCrusaderNews.com.

In efforts to reduce the cost of Riordan’s waste, the administration can only do so much, as a large part of the burden will fall on the students to dispose of their waste properly.

Putting trash into the appropriate bin and trying to reuse materials or reduce their use is necessary in order to keep Riordan green.

In order to do this, students must be taught how to do so. It’s not easy to know what goes where.

For example, everything provided by the school’s food provider, Epicurean, is compostable. Not just the food, but also the forks, napkins, plates, and cups.

With benefits like these, it’s pretty clear that students need to be taught what to do.

President Currier said, “It needs to be an ongoing conversation through science class and school wide efforts to pull together as a community.”

State supports solar with subsidies

By Fabian Aguilar ’19 “By 2020, the Golden State hopes to produce 12 gigawatts of electricity with clean fuel sources like wind, solar, and fuel cells. To give you an idea of the magnitude of that goal, one gigawatt of solar electricity can power 700,000 homes,” according to the website solarauthority.com.

Solar power is considered one of the most efficient and renewable energy resources. San Francisco receives many sunny days during the year, which is a great advantage compared to the rest of the nation, but foggy or cloudy days as well. Solar power depends on specific frequencies of sunlight unaffected by temperature.

“Solar Power is important because it comes from the inexhausted and high-quality energy from the Sun. I think the most important reason is that solar power is a renewable resource,” argued Michael O’Brien, AP Environmental Sciences teacher.

Why do we need solar power?

“We don’t. We just need power.

But some sources of power pollute more than others. Solar power is

very clean,” responded Anthony Dunn ’82, physics teacher.

Solar power is not the only power that gets energy from the sun; all power comes from the sun except geothermal.

“Even burning coal comes from plants that lived millions of years ago. They got their energy from the sun. But when people talk about solar power, they are usually talking about solar panels,” stated Dunn.

Nonetheless, coal plants are dangerous, and producers of carbon emission, which contributes to Global Warming.

Each year in America alone, over one million gallons of petroleum spill in waterways, oceans, and groundwater.

On the other hand, nuclear power plants are more efficient than solar plants, but are dangerous for the radiation they manage and can cause incidents.

One of the most recognized disadvantages of solar power is the costs are high compared to using electric power from common methods. For example, prices from PG&E annually are not that high at San Francisco.

Homes and businesses are turning to solar power.

Dunn added, “If you can get a solar panel subsidized you might pay less in the long term for your electricity than you would purchase your electricity off the grid.”

In regards to whether Riordan should consider solar power, O’Brien responded, “I think it will be a good thing to try in certain small areas as an experiment.

Put inexpensive solar panels, to see how much solar energy they could harness. And even that is extremely expensive. I’m certainly in favor of it. It is just a matter of

Pixabay

is it cost-effective right now?”

On the contrary, the production of the solar panels produces waste as well. There is a carbon footprint in this production.

Apart from the pollution during panel manufacturing, solar power produces no pollution.

In the years to come, the price of solar power installation will be cheaper. With the climate changing, caused by the emission of gases to the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels, people are starting to take notice and preparing for a time when nonrenewable resources will run out.

16 Sports

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Spring 2019

Crusaders compete in CCS playoffs

By Eddie Monares ’19

The 2019 Riordan basketball season was very successful, filled with many great moments and sensational wins.

In 2017-2018, the Crusaders finished sixth in WCAL with a record of 4-10; however, in 20182019, the Crusaders flipped that record around, finishing 10-4 and second in WCAL. Zachary Quanico ’19 said, “I feel that our improvement in work ethic greatly impacted our success in developing a great team this year.

The team was terrific at home this season with a record of 5-2 at the Crusader Forum, including a 44 point victory versus Sacred Heart Cathedral, a close win over Archbishop Mitty, and a Senior Night victory over Serra.

On the road, the Crusaders were just as tough, posting a 5-2 record as well, with a close win over Sacred Heart Cathedral led by a career high 23 points from De’Sean Johnson ’19, as well as wins over Saint Ignatius and the defending WCAL Champion, Bellarmine Bells.

With a great team also comes accolades for individuals. Riordan was represented twice on the All WCAL First Team with the electric backcourt of Je’Lani

Clark ’20 and Bryce Monroe ’20.

Riordan was also featured on the All WCAL Second team with senior sharpshooter Justice Turner ’19 and two-way guard Chime Ugbaja ’19 was an Honorable Mention.

The Crusaders received the second seed in the Central Coast Section (CCS) Open Division playoffs and faced WCAL rival, St. Francis, in the first round.

Although the Crusaders were down early, a 19-5 second quarter as well as 18 points from Monroe and 15 from Turner propelled the Crusaders to a 69-53 win.

In the semifinals, the Crusaders were faced with another WCAL rival, Bellarmine. Monroe led all scorers with 27 points, but unfortunately that was not enough as the Crusaders fell 6861 in overtime.

Quanico said, “We definitely were all disappointed about our performance this year due to all the talent we had. Our expectations were very high but we didn’t accomplish them due to lack of focus and the mentality of being too comfortable with the talent we have.”

Despite coming up short in CCS, the Crusaders were awarded the eighth seed in the NorCal Division I playoffs and faced the Folsom

Photo by Patrick O’Brien ’19 Justice Turner ’19 goes for a layup against the Bellarmine Bells.

Bulldogs in the first round.

Monroe led all scorers with 25 points, but that wasn’t enough as the Crusaders dropped a nail biter 68-64, ending their season.

Quanico said, “We turned the whole program around for sure, but just didn’t accomplish any

of the goals we set for ourselves which was very disappointing.”

With seven seniors graduating, including three starters, Quanico is still confident in Riordan being an elite team for years to come.

“I can always depend on Riordan to be in the mix of success.”

Soccer ends season with high spirits

By Roly Lo ’21

This soccer season has not gone favorably for the teams. Despite this, there is still hope. As the players train and play together, the teams grow stronger and they can make more consistent goals.

Both teams, JV and varsity, won one preseason game while all regular season games were lost. Both teams’ records were 0-14. These losses could be disheartening, but the team remains undeterred.

Assistant JV coach Michael So said, “While the JV team didn’t have any wins in the regular season, which can be demoralizing, I was very impressed by the fact that a solid core group of guys were dedicated and continued to come out to practices and games, even in the cold and the rain.”

Varsity’s first non-conference game was a loss with a score of 5-0 at South San Francisco High School. A week later, they played at Mills High School and lost by a score of 5-0. Their next nonconference game was against Urban and the Crusaders won 2-1. Varsity’s first conference game was against St. Ignatius, and lost 7-0.

On the JV side, their first two

Photo by Diego Ochoa ’19 Max Gomez ’19 dribbles the ball downfield in a game against Valley Christian. non-conference away games were the Crusaders lost by a score of ambassadors of Riordan and also against SSFHS and Mills, 11-0. examples of the unconquerable losing by a score of 4-0 and 3-0 On Jan. 17, JV lost their Riordan spirit,” said Michael So. respectively. The day after their conference game against Junipero “As the season progressed, game with Mills, JV played Serra, 8-3. After this game, the JV the guys improved their physical against Leadership and won, 5-3. team began to consistently score a fitness, gelled more as a team, Afterwards, they played their goal on most matches. and were able to score goals in first conference game against “Their love of the game was almost all of the games of the Bellarmine. After a tough game, evident, and they were great second half of the season.”

Spring 2019

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Sports

17

Wrestling team maintains stronghold on WCAL

By Jack Calonico ’19

Michael Bigler ’20 took home the 7th place medal in the CIF Boys State Championship, making him the first junior to medal at state from Riordan and the city of San Francisco.

Bigler was very excited about his placing. “It felt amazing, truly was surreal,” he said. “It was so special because I was the first state placer since Coach (Zach) Contreras in 2013….I’ll be training and I’ll be back next year.”

Coach Tony Tran ’08 said, “Michael Bigler’s success this year speaks for itself as he becomes the 6th state placer from Riordan and the only junior to do it in San Francisco. Huge accomplishment by him.”

The wrestling team had a great start to the 2018-2019 season going 3-2 in preseason duals, placing fourth in the Webber Lawson Tournament, and finishing out league 5-1. The boys recently came in second place in the WCAL championship tournament.

Riordan finished in second place in WCAL behind Bellarmine (60), the only league team that

Photo by Erica Bigler

Michael Bigler ’20 celebrates his win with coaches Tony Tran ’02, Zack Contreras ’13, and Jose Herrera.

Riordan lost a dual to.

Coach Tony is happy for his wrestlers and what they accomplished this season.

“I thought we did exceptionally well this season.

Frosh won another league title (5th in a row) and JV also won a league title again,” he said.

“The varsity finished in second place by just 4 points at the WCAL

tournament while breaking a school record in team points.

Overall on all three levels we were 17-1 in the WCAL.” Raymond Russell III ’20 was off to a great start this year, showing he is a young, promising Crusader wrestler. Russell was ranked 11th in CCS for his weight class of 225s.

Russell said at the beginning

of the season, “I feel like I’m off to a great start. I could improve my game a little bit to get better but I’m for surely looking forward to the rest of the year and CCS.” Daniel Gerard ’19 was one of the only three senior wrestlers on the team and has been a leader throughout the year. Gerard is a WCAL champion for his weight class of 195s.

Gerard said, “The season [went] extremely well in regards to practice on and off the mat.

It’s fun, being one of the seniors.

Being a mentor was not what I was aiming for this season, but I ended up having to do so for some people.”

Coach Tran said, “Next season we should be even stronger, as we lose only three seniors with only one of them being a starter. We return three league champions and the four freshmen that were on varsity this year.”

He added, “I’m hoping to break more records by going undefeated in duals and winning the WCAL Tournament next year, while also placing top 4 as team at CCS and get more placers at State.”

Crusaders celebrate two new HOF inductees

By Jack Calonico ’19

The 2019 SF Prep Hall of Fame will include two familiar names this year.

Riordan alumni, Jim Walsh and Alton Byrd are two Crusader greats who are among the select 10 athletes being inducted this May. Alton Byrd ’76 was one of the greatest point guards in Riordan history and arguably in the entirety of the WCAL. Byrd was a major influence on the youth when playing at Riordan.

John Calonico ’79 shed some light on what it was like growing up with Byrd, “He was one of the best guards that played at Riordan in my lifetime. The reason why kids wanted to go to Riordan was to be like Alton Byrd.”

Byrd went on to Columbia University to play after his Riordan days were over. He was later drafted to the Boston Celtics. Alton went on to have an amazing 19 year professional basketball career, including playing in Britain. Byrd is now the Vice President of Lance yearbook Lance yearbook Jim Walsh ’68 played football and ran track. the Business Operations for the Long Island Nets in Alton Byrd ’76 in high school and now. the NBA’s G-League.

In an email interview, Byrd said, “This is a great honor. One of my favorite honors since I am from San Francisco and have been a lifelong fan/supporter of high school sports. This honor has to rank top five in my career.”

He added, “My connection to Riordan should be so much more. My high school years were transformational in both my personal and athletic development, and I know that I would not have been the man I am today without Riordan High School and the teachers and coaches.”

Jim Walsh ’68 was an all-league athlete in football and track and was a part of Riordan’s first CAL track and field championship in 1967. The following year, he won the shot put and discus to help his team in bringing home its very first WCAL championship.

Coach Liam Watters said, “Jim was an amazing football player at Riordan and was a key part to one of Photo provided by Alton Byrd Riordan’s championships back in the day.”

18 Sports

Spring 2019

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Giants hang up on AT&T, consult Oracle for new name

By Steven Elsner ’20

For the fourth time in the Giants history in San Francisco, they have changed the name of their home stadium on 2nd and King streets.

Before they moved to that location in 2000, they played at Candlestick Park, or “The Stick” as some people called it. The original name of the new stadium, when it was first built, was Pacific Bell Park. For the next three years, the stadium was known as Pac Bell until in 2003, when SBC bought Pacific Bell.

For the next three years it was known as SBC Park. In 2006, AT&T bought SBC and it was changed to AT&T Park for the next 13 years.

On April 3, 1996, Pacific Bell, a telephone company serving California based in San Francisco, purchased the naming rights for the planned ballpark for $50 million for 24 years. The stadium broke ground on Dec. 11, 1997 for an amazing $357 million, which is equivalent to $519 million today.

The stadium opened on April 11, 2000, just in time for the baseball season to begin. On Jan. 9, 2019, it was reported that AT&T had given the Giants the option of ending the naming deal a year

The Giants’ stadium name has changed from Pacific Bell to SBC to AT&T, and now Oracle Park. early, if the team could quickly find a new partner. The Giants and Oracle Corporation came to a rapid agreement, with the old AT&T Park signs being replaced with temporary Oracle Park banners the next day.

The name change will last for the next 20 years, as they bought the rights to the park’s name. The deal will expire in the year 2038.

The rights to the stadium’s name is worth around $300-350 million for the next 20 years.

AT&T said in an official statement, “We have decided to not renew our naming rights sponsorship with the San Francisco Giants, including AT&T Park. We’ve had a great relationship with the Giants over the years, and we remain committed to our employees and customers in the Bay Area.

This decision was part of our continuous evaluation of our corporate sponsorship portfolio

sfgiants.com

nationwide.”

Oracle was happy about buying the rights to the name, saying, “We are extremely proud that one of the best and most storied ballparks in America will now be called Oracle Park,” said Oracle Chief Executive Mark Hurd in an official statement. “Together we will create an incredible fan experience and develop programs to engage and impact the community in new ways.”

Fans bid farewell to owner Peter Magowan

By Steven Rissotto ’20

Former San Francisco Giants owner and CEO of Safeway, Peter Magowan, died in late January at the age of 76. He was gravely ill and died after a long battle with prostate and liver cancer.

In 1993, the San Francisco Giants were in clear jeopardy of leaving the City by the Bay and unleashing a new journey in St. Petersburg, Florida when owner Bob Lurie was in the final stages of selling the franchise. Meanwhile, Magowan was entering his 14th year as the CEO of a California grocery store chain, Safeway.

After graduating Stanford University and Oxford University, Magowan followed in the footsteps of his grandfather and uncle in the grocery business. Safeway was Magowan’s life and he was ultimately named CEO of the company in 1979. When he heard that the Giants were heading to Tampa Bay, he couldn’t resist a golden opportunity to help save his boyhood team.

The then 51-year old Magowan organized a group of investors to buy the team from Lurie for a total of $100 million, which was considered a huge amount of

Peter Magowan, who saved the Giants from moving to Florida in the 1990s, died of cancer in January. money back then. The group consisted of Sterling Bank founder Scott Seligman, billionaire and Yale donor Charles Johnson, and current CEO Larry Baer. The last minute deal kept the Giants in San Francisco and created a legacy that was just beginning for Magowan.

Even before the deal was officially struck, Magowan had his eyes on free agent outfielder Barry Bonds, who had Bay Area and organization ties. Bonds

mlb.com

grew up in San Carlos and his father, Bobby, had been a All-Star for the Giants in the late 60s and early 70s. Bonds was ecstatic and ditched an offer from the deeper pockets of the New York Yankees.

The left fielder’s six-year, $43.75 million deal was the highest ever for any big leaguer.

Magowan’s next task was finding a new home for the orange and black after the 1989 Earthquake weakened the already weak Candlestick Park,

which was considered the lousiest place to watch a game for the average baseball fan practically from the time it was built.

Due to the threat of more earthquakes, the City and County of San Francisco declined to help finance. Magowan took it upon himself to privately fund the 42,000 capacity ballpark on the shores of San Francisco Bay in China Basin, worth $357 million.

At what is now called Oracle Park, fans enjoy the scenery view of 24 palm trees in honor of Willie Mays just outside the park.

The water just beyond the right field wall is dubbed McCovey Cove in honor of the late Hall of Fame first baseman Willie McCovey. The bullpen mounds are located on the side of the field, which Magowan took from his favorite ballpark, the historic Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Magowan’s tenure at the helm of the Giants lasted until the end of the 2008 season. Shortly after, the Giants went on a run that would bring them three World Series titles in five years, something that Magowan’s legacy orchestrated.

San Francisco fans will always be grateful to Magowan for saving the team, bringing Bonds home, giving the Giants a new home, and winning three World Series.

Spring 2019

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Sports

19

On 100th birthday, Jackie Robinson remains relevant

By Zachary Phillips ’20

Jackie Robinson made a huge impact in the MLB during his 10year career, racking up a Rookie of the Year Award, six All-Star appearances, an MVP award, and a championship, but his accomplishments went beyond the game of baseball.

In an America riddled with racism against African Americans, Jackie proved they could play professional baseball. This year, America celebrates this American hero’s 100th birthday.

On Jan. 31, 1919, Jackie Robinson was born to a five child family in Georgia. His older brother, Mack Robinson, was an Olympian in 1936. Although Mack had won silver, when he returned home to America, the best job he could find was being a garbage collector due to his race.

This would later go on to inspire Jackie in his Civil Rights career.

Not only did Robinson stand out in baseball, but he also became an athletic machine at Pasadena Junior College and later UCLA. He played basketball, football, track, and baseball. This illustrious college sports career would not excuse him from the segregation he would later face in his life.

While Jackie was in the army, he was court martialed for refusing to sit in the back of the

JackieRobinson.com Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play on a Major League Baseball team. bus of a segregated bus. He took this battle to court, until an agreement was made on an honorable discharge. Now that Jackie was out of the military, his only opportunity to play professional baseball was in the Negro Leagues. In 1945, he signed with the Kansas City Monarchs, the minor league affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

In 1947, Jackie was given the opportunity to play for the Dodgers. This was received with major uproar and racism.

However, in spite of all the controversy, he still won MLB Rookie of the Year. Prior to

Robinson’s arrival, the Dodgers were called “the bums,” but Jackie was able to raise the team to later win a championship.

After his outstanding career, Jackie became a business executive. His baseball career was over, but it was just the beginning of his Civil Rights career. Jackie would later on go to become a manager of the N.A.A.C.P., campaign with Martin Luther King Jr., open up a bank in Harlem, and much more.

Jackie Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

He died of a heart attack in 1972.

He had a lasting legacy on the

Civil Rights Movement.

History instructor Kevin Fordon said, “Jackie Robinson was the first to break the color line in the MLB. He did it with such poise, even facing the fact that his teammates were against him. His actions inspired African Americans to stand up for equality. He turned the other cheek when faced with hatred and violence.”

Jackie will always be remembered as a hero. His actions gave the Civil Rights Movement more momentum, and inspired many other African American baseball players to pursue their dreams.

Black Sox ordeal remembered as centennial approaches

By Steven Rissotto ’20

In 1989, Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose was banned from baseball after rumors swirled that he bet on games while playing and managing.

Rose, baseball’s all-time hits leader (4,256), hasn’t been reinstated. 2019 marks the 30th anniversary of the ban, but it’s not the first or most popular expulsion in the history of baseball.

Way back in 1919, the Cincinnati Reds went up against the Chicago White Sox in the World Series. The Sox were led by star outfielder Shoeless Joe Jackson, who hit .351 in the regular season. Owner Charles Comiskey was a freak when it came to media and attention; building the powerhouse team made him even more frisky.

Comiskey was blind to any obstacle. Ultimately, when the players complained about the salary, he didn’t budge and turned a blind eye. This led the players to take charge. The ringleader was first baseman Chick Gandil, who pulled seven other players aside in an attempt to throw the series to the Reds for money.

A notable in that group was Shoeless Joe Jackson, who was one of baseball’s premier talents.

At 31, the outfielder from South Carolina was on his way to greatness. Just 17 years later, the

Chicagology.com Eight members of the Chicago White Sox were accused of accepting money to throw the 1919 World Series. Risberg is 5, Jackson is 6.

National Baseball Hall of Fame was formed in Cooperstown, NY. The Sox lost the series in eight games and an investigation began the following year when one of the players confessed. A grand jury was brought in and Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis was elected commissioner of baseball; he subsequently banned eight players in relation to the fix.

Jackson was one and many question that decision, as he hit a whopping .375 during the World Series. He was also illiterate.

Instead of hitting the books, he often helped his father with sharecropping activities around

the family’s home. It’s fair to question his involvement and how much he really knew.

Eric Risberg was told by his great-uncle Clem (Risberg), Swede Risberg’s cousin, about “an infamous relative who played baseball. It wasn’t until 1982 when I moved to San Francisco that a Sports Illustrated writer asked me if I was related to Swede (who was from San Francisco) and told me more about him.

Later, when the movie ‘Eight Men Out’ was released, I learned more about him, and I even visited the old Comiskey Park in Chicago where he played. I am a baseball

photographer, so the link to him was an interesting coincidence.”

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Gatsby tells Nick Carraway that (fictional character) Meyer Wolsheim was the orchestrator of the scandal.

The movie “Field of Dreams” also tackles the topic.

Risberg said, “I think it’s unfortunate. The Black Sox obviously were the better team, but these guys got paid hardly anything, and some of them were great players, like Jackson.”

Now, fantasy sports and Las Vegas involvement with betting is acceptable. However, the rules of betting as a player or member of the organization could still get an individual banned from the sport.

As the 100 year anniversary of the scandal approaches, the difference between today and then couldn’t be more distinct. First, players don’t need the money as much as they did back then. Also, players are also more hungry to win championships.

Risberg said, “It’s amazing that the MLB allows online gambling, where for years they wouldn’t have anything to do with it.”

He added, “It’s coming full circle.

The steroid scandal of its day was probably similar to the Black Sox scandal of its day, but who knows — the gambling may have been a bigger issue back then.”

20 Food Review

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Spring 2019

Ocean’s best fish sandwiches for Lent Story and photos by Vicente Francisco ’19 With Easter arriving in a couple of weeks, Catholics are looking for alternatives to meat to eat during Lent, where believers abstain from meat on Fridays.

In February, The Crusader took to the street of San Francisco’s Ocean Avenue in search of a fish sandwich that is fit for the tastebuds and beliefs of the Catholic Church.

At 1051 Ocean Avenue, is Beep’s Burgers. Since 1962, Beep’s has been serving burgers, fries, and assorted milkshakes to San Francisco locals.

In 2017, Beep’s Burgers was admitted to San Francisco’s Legacy Business Registry, which has a list of establishments that embody the San Francisco spirit.

On their menu, Beep’s Fish Sandwich is one to choose. When you take that first bite, you are welcomed to a crunchy, acidic taste from the locally sourced vegetables of lettuce and tomato. On top of the breaded and well-seasoned cod, a creamy tartar sauce accompanies the silky, steamy texture of the fish. What is most notable in this sandwich is that tartar, which angles in all of the ingredients together in a complete fashion.

Out of five stars, Beep’s Burgers Fish Sandwich receives four stars. This is priced at $8.00.

Beep’s, known for its burgers and shakes, also offers a fish sandwich.

Dinosaurs offers a Spicy Tuna sandwich on a French baguette.

At 1201 Ocean Avenue, sits McDonald’s, a classic American fast-food chain known for its burgers, fries, and shakes. McDonald’s sells a substitute for a meat sandwich, the Filet-O-Fish, which is an Alaskan Pollock sandwich topped with processed American cheese and tartar sauce, sitting in between a steamed bun.

According to USA Today, the Filet-O-Fish was created by a Cincinnatian McDonald’s franchise owner, Lou Groen, in 1962 to help bring up his restaurant’s sales.

On the plus side, the Filet-O-Fish has a fishy reputation that stands out from McDonald’s burgers. The bun is light and airy, which offers a pleasant first bite. This is then accompanied by the warm, melted American cheese. However, the Alaskan Pollock has a taste that seems only fit for fast food chains, meaning that it has a sort of pre-frozen history.

Out of five stars, the Filet-O-Fish gets two and a half stars. The sandwich is priced at $3.79.

During this Lenten season, Catholics have many options available, and some of the best are only a few blocks away for the Riordan community.

At the cross section of Ocean Avenue and Junipero Serra Boulevard at 2522 Ocean Avenue, lies Dinosaurs Sandwiches. Dinosaurs is a sandwich shop that specializes in serving Vietnamese sandwiches with a more modern, American take. At the Ocean location, is a small hole-in-the-wall shop where customers can eat their sandwiches outside at the nearby tables with easy access to soft drinks.

Near the bottom of the sandwich choices is Dinosaurs’ seafood option, the Spicy Tuna sandwich. Like all of the shop’s sandwiches, they use a warmly toasted French baguette.

This Spicy Tuna is a chunky tuna that has a sweet, spicy mayo folded into the fish. Though spiciness is a large factor for people in what they eat, the intensity is not as prominent as some may think. The spiciness of the sandwich mingles with the sweetness of the vegetables and the tuna.

Out of five stars, Dinosaurs earns four stars. The Spicy Tuna costs $8.25.

McDonald’s Filet-o-Fish is a fast food staple during Lent.

Vote in The Crusader poll about Lenten sacrifices at RCrusaderNews.com