The Crusader Oct 2016

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VOLUME LXVI ISSUE i

SERVING RIORDAN SINCE 1953

ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN HIGH SCHOOL

October 2016 THE NEWSPAPER OF CRUSADER COUNTRY

Crusader band wins grand prize of $10 grand

By Stephen Blecha ’19 On Oct. 9, the Crusader Band won the top prize at the High School Band Challenge, hosted by San Francisco Fleet Week, taking home $10,000 for the first time in school history.

They played “March of the Women Marines,” “25 or 6 to 4,” “Uptown Funk,” “Shut Up and Dance,” and the staple of the Riordan Band, “Comin’ Alive,” according to student Jalen Viray ’19.

The band had a total of 93 performers when playing at the competition with 77 band members and 16 members from Color Guard. When Band director Kyle Hildebrant first heard they won, he was overjoyed and felt great about how the band performed.

Hildebrant said, “When I first heard that we won, I felt an

intense amount of joy and pride coming from the band.”

After performing for Super Bowl L (50), on Aug. 27, the band played a couple of songs during halftime at the Oakland Raiders game at O.co Stadium versus the Tennessee Titans.

They played the NFL CBS Theme, “Uptown Funk,” and “Shut Up and Dance.”

Karl Vanuska ’19 said, “It was a cool experience. It was something that I didn’t think I’d get to do, so I was glad I got to do it.”

The band has at least three more competitions this year, including Santa Cruz Band Review, the Foothill Band Review, and the Fairfield Tournament of Champions on Nov. 19.

Photo by Edwin Serrano Band director Kyle Hildebrant, Nicolas Caracter, Eric Rocha, and Xavier Caracter pose with their trophy.

3D printer brings Makerspace to life

By Alexander Vallecillo ’18

At last, the Makerspace project is complete.

Although it was projected to cost $105,000, it ended up costing more than $125,000 due to upgrades made to the project.

The project was funded by gifts made through Silicon Valley Gives, an online crowd funding platform, the Michael and Sally Mayer Foundation, the student fundraiser and donations and pledges.

The Mayer Foundation was a major help in getting the Makerspace off the ground by matching the first $20,000 that was raised.

The $109,000 raised by the student fundraiser, donations and pledges, hit the grand total in nine days, which is a record for Riordan.

Silicon Valley Gives has since discontinued focusing on fundraising. Future school fundraisers are planned to be funded by the Purple and Gold Gala, which is taking place on Feb. 25 at Bimbo’s 365 Club and other organizations.

The main focus of the Makerspace is STEAM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math. It offers a high tech lab that brings 21st century learning to Riordan.

Photo by Patrick Brown ’17 Seniors Jonah Rivera and Amilcar Chacon work in the new Makerspace.

Over the summer, the Makerspace project was overseen

by President Joe Conti, teacher Jordan Hart and Principal Vittorio Anastasio ’84. The Makerspace is run by Hart, William Marrafao, and Anthony Dunn. Two classes of 14 students take the FAB Lab class, and another two classes of 14 students use the same space for Robotics. All classes are held in room 221.

“Being an all boys school, there is a demand for hands on learning that will engage the students in their imagination, creativity and technology to produce real unique manufactured objects,” said Anastasio.

Kabir Samara ’18 said, “We have learned how to design everyday objects to how we like them and to our personal tastes. Plus, they are capable of being used in

everyday life. We are able to use the technology in the room in order to help us with other areas of school such as making a model for a science project.”

He added, “It is giving a hands on approach to learning and allows us to learn from our mistakes quickly and adjust. I recommend this class to anyone who likes to create something that they can say is their own.”

2 Opinion

October 2016

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Colin Kaepernick Controversy Con Kneeling against injustice Kneeling under pressure

Pro

By Greg Guinasso ’17

Colin Kaepernick has gone through ups and downs while being on the San Francisco 49ers. He went from leading the team to a Super Bowl appearance and NFC championship, while having breakout seasons, to having a career worst year last year and being named the backup quarterback this year.

While being demoted to the second string quarterback may take the spotlight off a quarterback, this does not hold true for Kaepernick Photo by Meaghan Mitchell because he has all eyes on One of two recent murals of Colin Kaepernick in him before every game.

San Francisco. This one is at 15th and Mission.

Because of recent incidents regarding social injustice around the country, Kaepernick gets from the jersey sales, began to take a knee during the Kaepernick has decided to donate pre-game National Anthem in $1 million to various charities protest of the issues. that help support and bring While some people think that attention to his concerns.

Kaepernick should stand for the Being an American citizen, he anthem, many people, including has the right to not stand for the veterans and military personnel, National Anthem whether people support him for voicing his agree with his motive or not. opinion and bringing awareness The fact is, him not standing to the issue. for the National Anthem has During the 2016 ESPY brought the issue of the injustices Awards, basketball superstars occurring in America to light .

LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Kaepernick has brought a major Carmelo Anthony, and Chris issue to the attention of millions Paul called on athletes to take a of Americans and has started a stand against social injustice and nationwide conversation on how violence in our communities. we are going to fix these problems Kaepernick kneeling in protest in our country while doing it has drawn so much attention as peacefully as a person can, that he was just featured on the taking a knee. Colin Kaepernick latest cover of Time Magazine. has single handedly started a His impact has been so strong movement that is only going to that not only have other football grow and get louder until there is players around the NFL joined change in our country and he is him in protest, but athletes in doing it the right way. other major professional sports, as well as student athletes, have also joined him.

Kaepernick, having the luxury of being able to live in America, has the right to kneel during the National Anthem and publicly voice his opinion on injustices. While many believe he is disrespecting the military by not standing, he has gained support from many veterans and military personnel because they 1949 fight for him to be able to have the freedom to not stand if he chooses. The same people who Editor-in-Chief are getting angry at Kaepernick Roman Peregrino ’18 for kneeling are SITTING at home on their couch watching Opinion Editor him kneel before every game.

Jacob Taylor ’17 Many people have purchased Colin Kaepernick jerseys to show support for the quarterback, but Features Editor instead of keeping the money he Chris Peterson ’18 Sports Editors Greg Guinasso ’17 Chang Liu ’18

By Chris Peterson ’18

Is Kaepernick doing this for fame? What is wrong with him?

Why is he doing this to America?

As we all know due to recent news, Colin Kaepernick is a 49er quarterback who had a promising first season but has never lived up to the greats. Recently, Kap hasn’t been in the lime light and this has brought up his most recent “event.” What Kap is doing is just plain uncalled for. He has no right to do that and I have no respect for a person like him.

Neither do a lot of other people.

Jacob Sabba ’17 said, “What Kap is doing is just a plain disgrace to the team and to the message he is trying to send.”

Kap said, “You have people that practice law and are lawyers and go to school for eight years, but you can become a cop in six months and don’t have to have the same amount of training as a cosmetologist. That’s insane.

Someone that’s holding a curling iron has more education and more training than people that have a gun and are going out on the street to protect us.”

Not only is this false, but it’s just plain embarrassing for my home team, and for the image of America. If our own athletes do not support the very government which provides for him, that’s disgraceful. Not only that, but saying that being a police officer is an easy job is like saying being Kap is exciting.

Police officers go through “six months of training” in academy.

That part is not true in the case of the SFPD, which spend eight months just in basic training to become an officer. It takes rigorous trials and tribulations in Arts & Entertainment Editor Jabriel Andrade ’18 Health & Technology Editor Alexander Vallecillo ’18 Photo Editors Michael Kay ’18 Chris Peterson ’18 Copy Editor Keven Munoz ’18 Reporters Angel Anaya ’17 Andrius Appel ’19 Jakeclark Bennett ’18 Stephen Blecha ’19 Patrick Brown ’17 Johnny Caceres ’19 Nicolas Caracter ’17 Brandon Castro ’18

order to become some of the city’s finest. Not only that, but extensive background, behavioral, psychiatric, and physical tests are taken by the applicant to see if he or she is not only safe for duty in the field, but also if the applicant is not endangering the lives of others.

They have a strict code that says “Protect and Serve.” With all of these things combined they also do checks on their medical and mental health. They have to make split second decisions in a time frame that is less than saying, “Hi. How are you?” to a friend. They only shoot if they feel like their life or someone else’s life is in danger.

It’s nothing like throwing a football. It’s a moral decision and a costly one, a split second for a choice that will stay with you forever. Saying that’s an easy job is a joke. Disrespecting the boys in blue is not only a shot at them, but a shot at all Americans who care about them.

Disrespecting the flag, not only disrespects Old Glory, but those who serve under it is as well and shows how little he thinks of this country. You have every right to do it; it’s not against the law. I have no problem with that, but saying that you’re a figure head for the movement that you only supported after the fact is just plain stupid.

If there was any person who should have been a head of the movement it should have been Vernon Davis because he actually cared and has for the past years.

He’s been in the communities that Kap “supports.” I have lost all respect for Kaepernick and he will forever be a face of disgust in my mind.

Jaime Hernandez ’17 Michael Jaurigui ’19 Joseph Kerrigan ’18 Rodney Martinez ’17 Logan McLaughlin ’19 Aidan Murtagh ’20 Henry Novicki ’18 Abel Padilla ’19 John Regidor ’18 David Rodriguez-Mendez ’18 Jeancarlos Santos ’17 Uzair Shaikh ’17 Karl Vanuska ’19 Jimmy Velasco ’17 Harrick Wu ’19 Photographer Stephen Aguirre ’18

Adviser Susan Sutton, CJE

October 2016

Campus News

3

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Frosh Olympics results still under review

By The Crusader Staff

The final results of the 45th annual Frosh Olympics are still in question because of allegations that homeroom 202 had extra help from students in other homerooms in the final tug-o-war battle with 207.

The difference between the two teams was one point.

Dean of Student Life Catherine Mifsud said, Dean of Community Life Catherine Mifsud said, “The Administration has already been in discussion with student government members to discuss the next steps. We ask that people with information come forward to help this situation.”

Zachary Charlton ’20 of homeroom 202 said, “Nobody helped us out.” But, Andre Dias Jr. ’20, explained, “They helped because they knew we’d win anyway. They couldn’t beat us, so they had to join us.”

Fautua Tuaua ’20, from homeroom 207, said, “I think we need a re-match to decide, and to make it fair for all.”

Homeroom 202 moderator Jay’Sen Morris ’07 said in regards to the allegations, “I think they are ridiculous. My team won, homeroom 202. We fought to the end and didn’t quit fighting, and ended up winning. There was no

Photos by Stephen Aguirre ’18 extra help at all.”

Jeff Isola ’98, who along with his father Ron organized and supervised the much anticipated event, said, “I’m disappointed that an event that should show unity and camaraderie, Clockwise, from top left: Jasaiah Cox sprints around a turn; Danilo Herger may have been tainted by possible in an intense ping pong game; Tim Bryning and Ian Tupulua battle it out. cheating.”

Riordan stands on solid ground after seismic inspection

By Roman Peregrino ’18

The 1906 Earthquake. The Loma Prieta earthquake. The recent quakes in Japan and Haiti. These are some local and recent disasters that stem from earthquakes.

These earthquakes led to incredible amounts of damage in the places they occurred. In some, fires devastated the cities. Others had water wash everything away.

A common thread they all had was that buildings crumbled, infrastructure collapsed, and it took a long time for these places to get back on their feet. Another thread? None of these places was prepared.

It is important to avoid the pain and destruction that comes with earthquake damage. This is where seismic retrofitting come in. Seismic retrofitting “is the modification of existing structures to make them more resistant to seismic activity, ground motion, or soil failure due to earthquakes.” This may sound like a boring topic on the surface, but it is more important than is realized by Riordan students, who can be gravely affected if efforts are not made.

“When you live and go to school in properly constructed buildings, minor earthquakes are a trivial event,” said Tony Dunn ’82, ARHS physics teacher.

“[Seismic retrofitting] is in place to take old buildings with a classic feel, and bring them up modern earthquake standards.”

This is the reason that the Archdiocese has put a plan in place not only at Riordan, but at Catholic schools all over the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

The future is now at Riordan.

And thanks to seismic retrofitting and proper structural engineering when the buildings were constructed 70 years ago, students and staff can feel safe if and when danger strikes.

One Riordan student is happy steps are being made to improve school safety. “I’m glad [seismic retrofitting] was put in place because it could save a lot of lives if such a disaster were to happen, especially if the building is damaged severely by the earthquake,” said Santino Vattuone ’18. “This way, it will be easier to have order without as much panic or people stuck and severely hurt.”

So why did this come about?

“Seismic retrofitting has been an ongoing ordinance since 1989.

It is for all types of buildings in California,” said school president Joseph Conti. “Schools are the top priority. Public schools went first, and now private schools are going. The ordinance is about informing people in and out of the building if the building is safe

from an earthquake [and that] people could get out. That was the standard being looked at. All the schools had 3 years to get their information and post it at City Hall.”

The official wording on seismic retrofitting, retrieved from an article in the Catholic San Francisco, said “The ordinance grew out of The Private Schools Earthquake Safety Working Group which was formed by the city. In its report, issued in late 2013, the Working Group said 33 percent of private school buildings have characteristics that indicate they might perform poorly in future earthquakes while 43 percent of all San Francisco private school buildings have characteristics that indicate they are likely to perform well.

The ordinance, which applies only to private schools in the city of San Francisco, requires existing private elementary and secondary schools to obtain an evaluation by a licensed structural engineer whether the school conforms to the standard of life safety.”

The process was broken up into two phases. The first phase was an elementary evaluation from a licensed structural engineer to say whether or not the buildings fit the standards of life safety.

The second phase is a little bit

more complex.

It focuses on engineering and cost analysis of what is required in the buildings.

The reports from phase one are due in November 2017.

Engineers and Archdiocesan officials met on March 1, 2, and 3, 2016 to discuss phase two. Follow up meetings took place up until March 24. Phase two will begin after the individual tests have been completed.

Even though the reports are due in November, all the private schools in San Francisco that fall under the diocese have turned them in. According to a Catholic San Francisco News Report, engineering firms recommended 31 school buildings be retrofitted, while 22 complied with structural standards.

Rest assured, Riordan is not one of those schools and no work will need to be done. Even though it was a tough and complex process to get here, Riordan passed the tests with flying colors.

“The archdiocese brought in structural engineers who came in to evaluate the building, took samples from the building, did some lab work. It was an indepth engineering evaluation,” explained Conti. “It was Please see “Seismic,” continued on page 10

4 Campus News

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

October 2016

Nine new teachers join Crusader Country

By Rodney Martinez ’17 and Harrick Wu ’19 Deb Caterina is a new English instructor. Prior to Riordan, Caterina worked in the Jefferson Union High School District, Saratoga High, and San Jose State University. Caterina wanted to teach at Riordan because, “I have always attended and taught in public schools, and I have often wondered what it would be like to teach for a private school.” Teachers who have made Caterina’s transition to Riordan easy are Diana Asserto, Juan Zumbado, and Kim Loder. “Diana Assereto has been very helpful as she orients the new teachers and provides positive feedback on her observations. Mr. Zumbado has also been quite supportive and friendly. I admire his ability to stay positive and also maintain discipline so we can focus on teaching. Kim Loder is another positive influence who inspires me with her warm and caring presence.”

Rayler Dominguez is a new Theology teacher. Before coming to Riordan, Dominguez worked at a number of schools across the nation. “I wanted to teach at Riordan because it is a Marianist school and the only one in San Francisco,” said Dominguez.

The best thing about Riordan for Dominguez is the “Brotherhood.”

He enjoys how everyone is kind to one another and that each student is looking out for each other. Coming to Riordan was an easy transition for Dominguez because before coming here, he knew Alex and Mary Ann Datoc from Chaminade University.

They introduced him to the school and the faculty in a positive

Rosario Greer is a new Spanish I teacher here at Archbishop Riordan High School. Before coming to Riordan, Greer worked at many different elementary schools and high schools in the Bay Area, but wanted to teach at Riordan because she “Loves the positive energy that surrounds the school and enjoys the all boy school environment.” Greer said, “The best thing I enjoy about Riordan is the students because they very funny and fun to teach, the school’s strong focus towards Catholicism, and my fellow faculty members.” Coming to Riordan was also an easy transition for Greer because of the welcoming faculty.

Jordan Hart is a coding teacher and instructor for the Makerspace program.

Prior to Riordan, Hart did systems design and desktop publishing at Monotype. He also worked at Digital Media Academy, running the IT department, implementing new systems, and overseeing programming, robotics, and game design. He started their Minecraft and Arduino program while working there. Hart’s goal coming to Riordan is to enable the dream of an engineering track to bring STEM education to the Riordan’s classrooms in an integrated and industry aligned way. He also wants to prepare students for careers in technology: giving them wisdom for challenges for emerging technology problems.

Michael Hickam is a new science teacher who has taught for 10 years prior to Riordan. He taught science at many schools, including Holy Spirit School at San Jose for five years and Nativity School at Menlo Park for eight years. He came to teach at Riordan because it is a Catholic school and Hickam is a believer in Catholic teachings, even though he went to Crescent Valley High School in Southern California.

He began to teach at Catholic high schools because he saw the positive impact Catholic teachings had on his wife and his sons and saw “how it help shape who they are.” His goals coming to Riordan is to share his passion of science and faith with the students.

Hickam so far enjoys being part of the Riordan family. Regarding what he likes about Riordan so far, he responded with, “Do I have to choose one thing?”

Vanessa Martinez is the new College Counseling Associate for Melissa Nagar. Before coming to Riordan, Martinez worked at Visitacion Valley Middle School. “Although I do not teach, I greatly admire the hard work teachers do on a daily basis in the classroom. I wanted to be at Riordan because of the community culture atmosphere that everyone here values,” said Martinez. She enjoys Riordan because the staff and students have been extremely welcoming.

She also said that “the transition to Riordan has been smooth due to a collaborative effort.”

Catherine Mifsud, the new Dean of Student Life, came to Riordan because she always wanted to come back to the Bay Area and the school has special meaning to her as her father was a graduate in the class of 1956.

“It was always my intention to come back to the Bay Area. The school has a special meaning to me because my father went here and when I saw an opening, I’d thought it would be a good hit.”

Prior to Riordan, Mifsud worked at the high school she graduated from, which is Notre Dame High School in Salinas. Mifsud was the “Mr. Zumbado of ND-Salinas.”

She was the Dean of Students.

Mifsud’s goals at Riordan are to help the school’s community to know about the events Riordan has and how they can be involved in the life of Riordan’s community.

Tony Tran is a new mathematics teacher and a coach for the Crusader wrestling team. Prior to Riordan, Tran was a mathematics teacher and a wrestling coach for Sacred Heart Cathedral. Tran, an alumnus of Riordan, came back to his high school “to teach young gentlemen at mathematics and to coach them to the next level in wrestling.” He says it feels great coming back into the Riordan family and he enjoys being with the lively faculty and students.

Thomsen Young, the new ASL teacher, was an ASL teacher at Stanbridge Academy for six years. He came to Riordan because he liked the school’s atmosphere and environment. When he heard there was an ASL position from a colleague, he immediately applied for the job. His goals coming to Riordan is wanting “Riordan to have the best ASL program in the Bay Area.” He wants the program to be as successful as it can be.

Curtin call: Alumnus steps into spotlight as Admissions Director

By Rodney Martinez ’17

Earlier this school year, Danny Curtin ’08 was announced as the new Admissions Director of Archbishop Riordan.

Curtin has been at Riordan for four years now and has taught and coached for the school.

“I have taught Anatomy and Physiology, I have coached JV Football and I am currently the Varsity Defensive Coordinator. I also have been the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach the past three years,” said Curtin.

Curtin’s main goal as the new Admissions Director is “To ensure that every prospective student realizes the many amazing opportunities at Riordan.”

Curtin’s favorite part about the new position is to talk to different middle school students throughout the Bay Area and explain to them how great Riordan is and how it has impacted his own life.

When looking for a new Crusader, Curtin and the Admissions

team look for students who excel in Academics, Athletics, and Arts. Events that the admissions team has coming up this year are “Articulation Dinner for teachers and principals, Open House on Oct. 30, parent social, as well as the parent tours and Crusader for a Day visits,” said Curtin.

Curtin is excited about his new role as the Admissions Director and wants to make sure Riordan stays great for years to come.

Photo by Chris Peterson ’18

October 2016

Campus News

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Students, teachers, staff adjust to new schedule

By Jaime Hernandez ’17

This last past summer of 2016, Archbishop Riordan High school decided to break a daily ritual of only having four classes a semester, to having six classes the whole year.

Some students said they did not want a new schedule because it was so “weird” to stick with the same teacher all year long.

Others said it would be beneficial in many ways, such as starting later, having classes every other day, and even getting out earlier.

Although the 4x4 schedule has been a part of Riordan for many years, the administration decided to break it open and come up with a new schedule.

The main difference is that instead of semester classes, students all take yearlong class, with most of them taking six classes. For those who want or need more credits, they can opt to take an enrichment class, which are offered during Block 1, from

7:45 to 9 a.m.

Principal Vittorio Anastasio said, “It would most benefit them because not only do they get more rest, but it benefits their study time.”

Teachers also said there are pros and cons to this new schedule.

Spanish teacher Armando Castillo said, “It has been a good schedule for me. I have my light and heavy days, and it benefits me because on my light days, I get to catch up on all my work and get to prep for my next class.”

As for the students, Giovanni Benard ’17 said, “I love this new schedule. We all get to wake up late and don’t have to do homework the same day it’s assigned.”

Although the schedule has its benefits and drawbacks, many students are still adjusting and taking advantage of their rest time as school is well underway.

New courses enrich knowledge

By Brandon Castro ’18 Students returning to the 2016-2017 school year found that they now have an 8 block A/B Day and along with those classes, enrichment classes are optional, but students also intertwine them with the mandatory classes.

These enrichment classes include: Auto Technology, Entrepreneurship, Strictly Business, Fabrication Lab, Sports Psychology, Advanced Journalism, Literary Magazine, and Leadership. Among these classes, Auto Technology has the highest enrollment, with very few spots to fill.

Roshan Thomas ’19 said, “I think that the schedule seems complicated but will be beneficial to the students.”

Students who did not sign up had similar feeling about these classes.

Fernando Delgado ’18 said, “I think they are good classes if you want to get involved in the school, and also they might even look good on your application for future colleges.”

Summer reading catches on

By Abel Padilla ’19

A book can teach a reader life lessons, help experience other people’s journeys, and create a moment of reflection.

For students at Archbishop Riordan High School, summer reading and the accompanying assignment was a requirement, but the summer reading committee’s focus was more on creating an atmosphere where students enjoy reading as opposed to completing an assignment for a grade.

Late last school year, several teachers got together and formed the summer reading committee, comprised of Librarian Danny Appel, English teachers Diana Asserto, Bob Dalton, Mary Dalton, Susan Sutton, and Michael Vezzali-Pascual, Drama teacher Valerie O’Riordan, and Dean of Academics Michael O’Brien.

According to O’Riordan, they wanted to “give a larger group of faculty and staff the opportunity to define a new vision for summer reading.”

O’Riordan said the goal was to “introduce students to the notion of being a lifelong learner, and that not all books are laborious and boring.”

Assereto said, “We created this committee to look at ways to make summer reading more interesting, more fun, and more student-centered.”

Marcus Williams ’19 read The

Blind Side, “a very inspiring book that taught me that anyone can overcome adversity,” he said.

According to the National Education Association, the more students read for fun on their own time, the higher their reading score. Reading helps exercise the brain and improve listening skills.

Librarian Danny Appel read The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride, but has read most of the books on the list.

Appel said, “My summer reading book taught me about the struggles that others face and that I should be grateful for what I have. This year we gave students a selection of books to choose from compared to previous years were students had to read a certain book.”

Donte Henderson ’19 read The Five People You in Heaven.

“Summer reading was great for me. It helped me reflect on my own life experiences.”

With the change in format, teachers saw a difference in how students approached it.

“In my classes the students created an eye-catching image that encapsulated their book, and wrote a Haiku to match.

Then they did a Gallery Walk, ballot-in-hand, and voted on the top five pieces of art in their class,” O’Riordan said.

After the voting they did a second Gallery Walk and got to

5

see who won. It was thrilling to see them recognize the art they voted for, and to see the expressions of the winners. The winners are currently displayed in the theatre lobby.”

Summer Reading is also a great way to prepare for school in the fall. Most students do not do anything educational during the summer and when school starts, they fall behind.

With summer reading, the student uses his brain and expands his knowledge, which is why most schools in the country have their students read a book over summer vacation.

New to the staff, Nathan Villanueva had a lot to say about his new enrichment course, which teaches young men the basics to running a business.

Villanueva said, “It’s going well.

I enjoy the environment and love how things are going; all the kids have good heads and I’m really happy to be in a Catholic school.

Everyone is helpful here.”

Another new course, Strictly Business, taught by Leo Magnaye, guides students through the process of establishing a business, creating a business plan, managing a budget, obtaining funds, following a schedule, and continuing the simulation of owning a business. Future business owners will learn to make a profit and eventually sell the company in order to retire.

In addition, the course walks students through managing life, business, and the pursuit of happiness.

Counselor Vanessa Vincent said, “I think it’s an exciting opportunity for the students to allow them to connect to curriculum outside of the traditional classroom environment and to get inspired about fields and interest that they might not normally be exposed to.”

The most anticipated enrichment course, the Fabrication Lab, is already working on using the new 3D printer. Math teacher Ken Morris ’87 described it as students in various Autodesks (companies that work with them) designing individual projects like a chess board and pieces or a pencil case, and then printing the objects with the new 3D printer, which can also be engraved with a laser printer.

6 Campus News

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

October 2016

Marianists celebrate 200 blessed years

By Joseph Kerrigan ’18 This year Marianists will celebrate the bicentennial anniversary as the society of Mary, founded by Fr. William Joseph Chaminade started in Bordeaux, France, will be turning 200.

The Society of Mary came into existence during the French Revolution when churches were being pursued by the government for their gold and resources, according to the Marianist website.

The Marianist Society turning 200 years old is a major achievement because it signifies the resilience and will of the church as well as the Brothers and Sisters who make the society what it is today.

Campus Minister Alex Datoc ’87 said, “It’s significant because of the history of the priests and sisters that continue Chaminade’s vision of bringing Christ’s vision through Mary to the world.”

As the Society of Mary grew larger and larger over the years, it become an internationally based community with schools everywhere such as India and the Philippines. According to Datoc, “The Marianists are recognized throughout the world with 18 high schools on six continents.”

Riordan plans to celebrate the 200th anniversary through 2016 and 2017, saying special prayers in the morning pertaining to the brothers and sisters of the Society of Mary. Another way Riordan will celebrate is on Chaminade day, January 20, when special events will be held.

The celebration will continue into the next year because 2017 will be the 200th year for the religious brothers.

Other Marianst schools around the world also have special events planned for the commemoration.

Kairos promotes unity, faith

By Jimmy Velasco ’17 ARHS has many retreats provided for students in different divisions, which have all provided a sense of unity and faith. They have also shown to be very memorable for students.

The Kairos retreat for seniors is among the most popular in the school. On Sept. 20 to 23, 36 seniors went to Westminster Woods for the Fall Kairos retreat.

The retreat was four days and three nights.

Seniors had a chance to be a part of ARHS history with this retreat. Director of Campus Ministry Alex Datoc ’87 said, “The retreat has been at Archbishop Riordan for 33 years. The first Kairos was in Spring 1983 and Kairos was brought to ARHS from Chaminade College Prep in Los Angeles.”

The retreat is offered in the Fall, Winter, and Spring, and many alumni highly favored this retreat during their time at Riordan. The retreat team for the Fall Kairos consisted of Datoc, Coordinator for Service hours and Campus Ministry Assistant Leo Magnaye ’05, Mathematics instructor Ottilie Valverde, President Joe Conti, and Theology instructor Rayler Dominguez.

Kai Guingona ’17, who went on Fall Kairos, said Kairos has impacted him greatly.

“Kairos indirectly made me think about how I genuinely treated others, how I reacted to obstacles, and how I interacted with people in general. It has

given me perspective on how I deal with things, people, and what I am made here to be.”

Kairos has truly impacted those who attended and proved to be memorable. As Datoc said, “ARHS alumni that attended Kairos call the retreat a positive ‘life changing’ experience. Many of our yearbooks with senior ‘Top 5 Moments’ would testify that Kairos has made a tremendous impact on those that have gone to the retreat.”

Many faculty, staff and alumni know the impact Kairos truly has.

As Guingona said, “Kairos to me was developed to recognize love.”

Guingona added, “This love, for me is what I think the reason is that alumni and faculty see it as being great. This is the reason for faith in the first place. Kairos made me realize that love is the main source of power a human being has to influence each other.”

Datoc said, “Seniors should attend Kairos. We used to have only two retreats a year, but in the mid-1990s we expanded to three retreats a year so that seniors could have more opportunities to attend the retreat.”

President Joe Conti added, “The impact of Kairos on students and alumni is obviously life changing.

One is awakened to the reality of life and the responsibilities we have as individuals toward each other in light of God’s teachings.”

The Winter and Spring Kairos will take place on Jan 17 to 20, 2017 and April 9 to 12, 2017.

Service hours go digital

By Rodney Martinez ’17 “Community Service is an integral part of being a follower of Jesus. He calls us to serve others and to love others without hesitation,” said Leo Magnaye ’05, Campus Ministry Assistant/ Community Service Coordinator.

This year, Campus Ministry has changed the way students turn in their hours. In the past, students would turn in their hours on paper, and now students are required to turn in their service hours digitally on a website called x2Vol.com.

“Campus Ministry is pushing towards the universal “green” system of becoming paperless, and thus we needed to go digital,” said Magnaye.

Archbishop Riordan High School has required students to partake in service hours since the mid 1990s. Each student is required to fulfill 100 community service hours and/or S.H.E.D. hours.

“S.H.E.D. stands for Sick, Homeless, Elderly, Disabled,” said Campus Minister Alex Datoc ’87. Some examples of where students can obtain some S.H.E.D. hours are by volunteering at soup kitchens, hospitals, senior centers, and more.

Students who do not meet the required amount of hours, however, will have severe consequences, such as suspension from performing in school activities and ineligibility to graduate.

There are positive factors, though, for students who exceed the required amount of hours.

Students who go above and beyond with volunteering have opportunities to get scholarships for different colleges in the nation.

Datoc said, “Some colleges, universities, and agencies award scholarships to students for doing service hours, especially if the student exceeded the required amount.”

October 2016

Campus News

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Fr. Seagrave remembered for genorosity

By Jabriel Andrade ’18

Father Thomas Seagrave, a Riordan alumnus and longtime San Francisco Archdiocese priest, died on Dec. 18, 2015 after a long battle with cancer.

He was born on April 30, 1942 to Frank and Eleanor Seagrave, he attended Saint John the Evangelist Elementary School, and then Archbishop Riordan High School graduating in 1960.

The Chapel of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is named in his honor.

After graduating from Riordan, he then entered the seminary at Saint Patrick’s in Menlo Park and was ordained on May 17, 1968.

He served in multiple parishes including Saint Paul Church, Saint Peter Church, Church of the Visitacion and Saint Finn Barr. He retired in 2011, the same year he received the Archbishop Riordan Chaminade award. He lived the rest of his years at the Serra Clergy house.

Above all else, Father Seagrave was generous, going above and beyond in his love for the communities, whether is was traveling far distances to perform weddings as a request, or fully paying for students’ tuitions.

To many at the church of the

Visitacion, Father Seagrave was a smiling and likable pastor to those who went to mass.

Although he had not preached since 2011, the announcement created an air of sadness to those who were blessed to have attended his services.

According to Catholic San Francisco, a “Father Tom Seagrave Support a Student Fund has been established to award financial help to students of St. Peter School. Father Seagrave, though well-known to be quiet about his generosity, personally paid tuition for students from financially struggling families at Catholic schools through all the years of his 47 years as a priest.”

“At the Mass, we received $3,500 with a pledge of $1,000 more,” said Mercy Sister Marian Rose Power of St. Peter School to Catholic San Francisco. “We invite all who have known Father Tom to contribute to this legacy so St. Peter’s School can continue to support families who cannot a afford the full tuition.”

Contributions may be made to St. Peter’s School, “Father Tom Seagrave/Support a Student Fund,” 1266 Florida St., San Francisco 94110.

SAT changes create new challenges

7

Crusading journalist laid to rest

By Henry Novicki ’18 and Keven Munoz ’18

Warren Hinckle, a Riordan alumnus and journalist who never left San Francisco, died early this school year at the age of 77.

The hard-core reporter was struggling with Pneumonia which eventually caused his death. His family’s grief was echoed by many in his extended Riordan family, who said farewell at his funeral on Aug. 30 at Saints Peter and Paul Church.

California Historian and Hinckle’s close friend, Kevin Starr, said, “Warren took instruction from San Francisco and passed that instruction on to others via his writings for the Chronicle, the Examiner, the Independent, the Argonaut, and his fully deliberate, stylized performance as a San Francisco personality.”

He was a San Francisco native who graduated from San Francisco schools all through his educational life: St. Cecilia, Archbishop Riordan High School, and USF. Many professional journalists say that Hinckle changed the face of journalism not only in San Francisco, but all over the world.

He came into the field in the 60s and pulled no punches in his reporting. He lived the mantra “If someone is not mad at you, you’re doing your job wrong.”

“In a time of restlessness and turmoil within a city that was begging for the truth behind the machine of political grease wheeling,” said Marc Rovetti ‘87, Director of Alumni Relations, “one man emerged with an impeccable wit that scorched the pages of local papers like a wildfire sweeping through dry brush.”

At the funeral, his coffin was followed by his family members, friends, and his most beloved basset hound. The dog, Toby, his partner in crime, was heard howling loudly before the ceremony commenced, alongside his weeping friends and family.

Starr said, “At St. Cecilia he crusaded; at Archbishop Riordan High School he crusaded; at USF he crusaded.”

By Joseph Kerrigan ’18

During these upcoming months, juniors and seniors will face a new challenge as the college board has changed the SAT in order for colleges to obtain better and true results from students.

Talk of this change goes back a few years, as they announced the new test in 2014.

According to the College Board, the main changes being made to the test consist of the score range scale from 400 to 1,600, with an optional essay portion at the end of the test instead of it being mandatory.

Also, changes in scoring mean no penalty for guessing, and less time with fewer questions on certain subjects.

Marcus Escobar ’18 said, “I did not know the test was changing until now.”

This was the first he heard of the new test. Only two of the three people interviewed knew of the changes being made to the SAT. Michael Altman ’18 knew about the test, but only because his 8th grade teacher informed him and his classmates back in 2014 when

the new test was announced.

One of the major changes being made in the test is the essay portion, which is optional, and will receive more time to write.

Taking the writing portion will not better a student’s score, but will allow colleges the ability to see into the student’s mind and evaluate them in a better way.

Students seemed concerned with doing extra work and whether or not the essay will actually help them get into college. Altman said it “depends on if the essay is easy or difficult and if I get enough time.”

After being informed the written test time is 50 minutes, he changed his answer to yes.

Confused students are scrambling for answers, asking what reason brought about the idea of changing the SAT. Altman and Escobar had similar ideas as to why the SAT is changing, as both of them assumed it was for colleges to better assess students and make it easier for students to get into college.

Achieve Program celebrates 20 years

By Andrius Appel ’19

It’s been 20 years since the Achieve Program has started to assure academic greatness in Catholic schools in and around San Francisco.

The Achieve Program was founded by Barbara Bass Bakar because she wanted to give underserved students an opportunity to have a quality education, and be able to be successful and go to college.

There are currently 22 Achieve students at Riordan, and 84 across all schools in the Bay Area.

Besides Riordan, there are three other schools who benefit from this program, including Mercy High School in San Francisco, Holy Name High School in Oakland, and Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School in Alameda.

Alex Rivera ’87, the program coordinator here at Riordan and St. Joseph Notre Dame, said his goal for the students at the end of their four years of high school is

to achieve greatness.

Rivera said, “First of all, to get into a competitive college, and to possibly go to college outside of California. Secondly, to challenge themselves academically and personally, and to develop leadership skills that would make them successful in college and life.”

Achieve not only gives scholarships to students, but they also teach students to give back to the community and give opportunities with internships.

Later in the school year, Junior Achieve students have the opportunity to visit eight colleges in Boston.

Louis Mezie ’19, an achieve scholar, said, “We learn how to give back and the aspects of giving back to our community, and the whole scholarship is someone giving you money for you to achieve.”

8 Campus News

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

October 2016

Class of ’56 still ‘tough as bricks’

By Keven Munoz ’18 The Archbishop Riordan High School community celebrated the Class of 1956 with a Jubilee mass, followed by a reception on Sept.

12.

Father Michael Quinn ’70, current pastor of St. Mary’s Star of the Sea, celebrated the mass, which honored the Class of ’56 on their Diamond Jubilee and ended with the distribution of the Diamond Diplomas to the returning alumni.

The class motto, “Hard as nails, tough as bricks, we’re the class of ’56,” was used to describe the class.

Most of the Class of 1956 keeps the memories of war with them, for they lived in an era of constant battles and witnessed the rise and fall of Joseph Stalin, a communist leader of the Soviet Union. Many of them volunteered, or were recruited to join, the military after they completed their high school experience.

Many of the returning alumni were impressed by and grateful for the celebration that was created for them. Joy was evident on their faces as they proceeded down the aisles and sat in the front of the theater, surrounded by current students who were cheering for them.

Photo by Henry Novicki ’18 The Class of 1956 gathers in front of the school, proudly displaying their Golden Diplomas.

“I didn’t expect what I saw today,”said Capt. Richard Saber, one of the honored graduates.

Kai Guingona ’17, said, “It’s been 60 years since those guys were actually back at this campus so I could actually see myself as one of those guys... It was kind of eerie.”

ARHS reporter wins national first place

By Jeancarlos Santos ’17

The ambitious newspaper at Archbishop Riordan is driven to excellent standards. Last year, the National Federation of Press Women recognized many staff writers from The Crusader, including a national first place award in the category of Environment.

The NFPW is an organization founded by women “to provide a means of communication between women writers nationally; make possible the expression of a common voice in matters of national interest to press women, and otherwise advance the professional standards of press women.”

Although founded by women to increase the number of females in a typically male dominated profession, the contest is open to both genders.

The influence of the National Federation of Press Woman has extended to all parts of the United States and is recognized by many private or public schools.

Riordan’s national winner, James Saitz ’16, shared his experience: “I felt surprised and honored that my article made it as far as it could go.

Also, the award helped reinforce my belief that the issue I wrote about was a pertinent one to many people.”

In addition to Saitz, other juniors and seniors took home awards in their respective fields.

Winners included: Alex Perez ’16 and Xavier Caracter ’17, Second Place for review Writing; Daniel Etter ’17, John Regidor ’18, and Paul McSweeney ’16, Sebastian Fazio ’18, Second Place for Feature Writing; JC Canicosa ’16, Second Place for Sports Writing; Patrick Brown ’17, Third Place for Environment; and Eric Santos ’19, Honorable Mention for Feature Writing.

For upcoming writers, Saitz offered advice on how to possibly achieve success: write effectively, be unbiased, and be neutral on topics.

As the diamond diplomas were being distributed, the crowd roared with clapping and yelling, congratulating the graduates as they received their diplomas. A slideshow of graduation pictures of the people receiving the golden diplomas, prepared by Catherine Mifsud, astonished many of the

students as they compared the past to the present.

Mifsud accepted the diploma for her late father, Bill.

Father Quinn ended his homily by saying, “I guarantee you that when you leave this place you will be a better person than when you first came.”

Food festival focuses on family

By Aidan Murtagh ’20

On Saturday Sept. 17, Riordan High School hosted the International Food Festival in Chaminade Hall. .

Every year the school holds an International Food Festival that celebrates the diversity of the school through food and music. Numerous countries are represented through delicious food. Parents and students help with the effort by volunteering their time to prepare and serve these dishes.

Chaminade Hall was festively decorated, with flags from different countries hung on the walls. There were numerous tables covered with varying dishes from around the world. There were people everywhere - definitely a well-attended and enjoyed event.

Associate director Karin Haskell said, “There was a real sense of community.”

Music was playing the whole time from all different parts of the world, which seemed to be a big hit for those

in attendance. In fact, the recurring response from attendees, hands down, was music.

A favorite part of musical performances for many was the African drums, accompanied by theology instructor Ken Swan’s dancing. People also got a kick out of freshman football head coach Wylie Ilalia dancing to the African drums.

And of course there was food, and a ton of it! The food was very good, and attendees were trying a whole variety of foods from lumpia and Greek salad to chow mein and shepherd’s pie, just to name a few.

Those who prepared these amazing dishes were delighted to see it all go and be so thoroughly enjoyed. This year’s festival was a big success and many people said that they would for sure come back next year to have a blast while appreciating the school’s diversity.

Theo Reese ’20 said, “It was a lively and enjoyable experience.”

October 2016

State News

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The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Ferocious fires continue to ravage state

By Jacob Taylor ’17

California is ablaze again.

Northern California has been a hotspot for many years now for wildfires, with dry weather and winds taking over the hard to navigate regions. Last year, a 120-square-mile fire, California’s third-most-destructive wildfire, tore through Lake County and parts of Napa County.

“You have the dryness of the fuels,” Cal Fire spokesman Scott McLean said, according to KGO. “You have the weather concerning us right now as winds - and you have the topography that makes it difficult.”

The fire resulted in the deaths of four people and destroyed more than 1,300 homes.

Last month, Lower Lake, around two hours away from San Francisco, was recently targeted in an arson attack, authorities say.

The suspect, Damin Anthony Pashilk, was arrested on 17 counts of arson.

“Mr. Pashilk committed a horrific crime and we will seek prosecution to the fullest extent of the law. My thoughts continue to be with the people of Lake County during this difficult time,” California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Director Ken Pimlott told ABC News.

The fire resulted in zero casualties, with several thousand people able to flee, while also ensuring the safety of their livestock.

This came from the effort of 1,600 firefighters helping to contain its devastating path.

Data from NASA has reported that last August has tied with July as the hottest month the world has seen in the last 136 years. This can be easily noticed, as California has been in its worst drought every day since the end of 2011, according to the US drought monitor.

An estimated 95 percent of forest fires reported are caused by humans, the other 5 percent are caused by lightning. Though the Lake County fire was caused by a human, the environment has definitely been the major playing force in its strength.

The blaze that swept through Lower Lake has caused $10 million in damages to structures and has cost $5 million to fight, reported KCRA. “It doesn’t matter if there is one home or 2,000 homes. We do this job to protect life and property,” Cal Fire spokesperson Daniel Berlant said. “We worked very hard all last year to keep this community safe and the communities around it safe. And then to see last night: this fire to be able to come in here and burned what was saved prior is very hard to see.”

James Herger ’89, father of Danilo Herger, ’20, commented on how his family was affected by the fire. The Herger family lost their cabin located in Anderson

Springs, outside of Middletown (Lake County) last summer.

“Our house was lost as a result of an electrical problems in a home located in Middletown, California,” he said.

“Within minutes, embers had spread through a several mile radius, landing upon miles of dry trees, bushes and mostly wooden roofs.”

The family, who had never been affected by wildfires before, received assistance for picking up debris, but can’t fully opt in for rebuilding until central sewage lines are configured.

“My grandfather built the cabin after returning home from World War II. The property was significantly expanded over the years, and hosted a weekly Saturday evening Catholic mass for the community for several years.”

The Herger family is still recovering from the loss, as well as most other Lake County residents.

California Office of Emergency Services

North Coast Opportunities, Inc., a community action agency serving Lake and Mendocino counties, revived a fire relief fund created during last year’s fires.

Monetary donations are being accepted at any Mendo Lake Credit Union branch, NCO office or via PayPal. Checks should be made payable to NCO/Wildfire Relief Fund, with Clayton fire written in the memo section. They can also be mailed to NCO at 413 N. State St., Ukiah CA 95482.

California Catholics unite to defeat death penalty

By Nicolas Caracter ’17

The death penalty has been a controversial issue in California since it was reinstated after a 30year hiatus in 1976.

It has been in the headlines for its unstable procedures, whether it falls under cruel and unusual punishments, and if it should be outlawed or not.

Some verdicts involve the judge or jury saying something along the lines of, the “individual is not fit to continue to live among us human beings and as such, we recommend that you be put to death by...”

It also goes the other way as well. “Individual shall spend a time period of life in the states maximum security correctional facility with out the possibility of parole.”

While Californians have wrestled with this for decades, it is particularly important to Catholics. A few years ago, Riordan focused on the issue by featuring Dead Man Walking as its summer reading book and the drama department produced the play, which was attended by author Sr.Helen Prejean.

Domenic Marchese, Joey May, Alex Ruivivar, Ezra Affoumado, and John Ahblach

According to Catholic San Francisco, “The archdiocese’s Office of Public Policy and Social Concerns is in overdrive promoting the Catholic Church’s position that the death penalty should be repealed.”

“The California bishops urge a yes vote for Prop. 62, “The Repeal of the Death Penalty Initiative”; a no vote against Prop. 66, “The Death Penalty Procedures

Initiative”; and a yes vote for Prop. 57, “The California Parole for the death penalty and whether it should be abolished or on the other extreme, if it should be expedited, essentially killing more people, faster.

For Catholics, this is an interesting time as this is the jubilee Year of Mercy.

The three ballot measures to watch are as follows: Proposition 57: Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act. This proposes parole consideration for nonviolent felons. Authorizes sentence credits for rehabilitation, good behavior, and education.

Juvenile court judge, not prosecutors, will decide whether juvenile will be prosecuted as adult.

In regards to Prop 57, Kyle Frenna ’17 said, “A felon should remain as such and should be treated as a felon.”

Craig Tangonan ’17 would vote yes for 57, “as long as they are non-violent and don’t pose a threat to other people.”

Proposition 62: Repeal of the

Death Penalty. This proposes a repeal of the death penalty and replaces the maximum punishment for murder with life in prison without parole.

Proposition 66: Death Penalty Procedures Initiative. Proposes amending state law in an attempt to speed up the judicial review of death penalty cases.

Frenna said, “No person has the right to condemn another person to death especially if said person has no physical or relative relation to the crime.”

Matthew Driskill ’18 said, “We need the death penalty but I both like it and dislike because it increases the punishment for felons, but for really heinous crimes.”

Tangonan, regarding 62, said, “I would do life without parole, however prison shouldn’t be used as wasted space for people who have done gruesome crimes.”

Band Director Kyle Hildebrant said in reference to Prop 57, “Even if they are offered parole, they have to go through a parole board. I am ok with that happening. Then, the board makes the decisions.”

10 News

October 2016

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Holocaust survivor, novelist Wiesel dies

By Angel Anaya ’17

Elie Wiesel was a Romanian born Jewish writer, political activist, Nobel Laureate, professor, and Holocaust survivor. Having written more than 50 books, he was one of the greatest writers to ever live.

Wiesel died on July 2 in New York at the age of 87.

His novel Night, based on his time as a prisoner in concentration camps in Auschwitz and Buchenwald, was one of dozens that he wrote, but perhaps his most famous work.

In fact, students at Riordan have read it as part of class and this year, it was on the summer reading list.

Along with writing, Wiesel was a professor who helped establish the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Not only did he campaign for victims of the Holocaust, he also fought for victims of oppression in South Africa, Nicaragua, and many other places. He remained a strong defender of human rights throughout his lifetime. The Los Angeles Times said he was “the most important Jew in America.”

His activist philosophies came from the time he spent in a “Seismic,” from page 3 completed last September, and final results came in December.

Riordan was clear and no seismic work was needed.” Readers may remember from an earlier article that the Paint-our-School project needed to wait for the seismic tests to be finished to go forward.

The exterior of the school passed the tests easily.

Conti, for one, was quite happy with the whole process with the archdiocese. He said, “The arch-

concentration camp, being Jewish born in Romania. He described these difficult times in his novel, Night, “Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky.”

Through his novels, Wiesel delivered a powerful message of peace, atonement, and human dignity. Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee called him a “messenger to mankind.”

English teacher Kim Loder, who has taught Night for many years, said, “Through his novel, Night, Elie Wiesel left an inspirational account of human strength - the physical, spiritual, and psychological perseverance individuals maintained during one of the most horrific events in modern history.”

She said she was so saddened about his death because when she would first start reading Night with the freshmen, she would always say that although Elie

eliewieselfoundation.com

Wiesel went through such horrific times, he was still alive, he was still a survivor. If she was to have ever met him, she would tell him what an inspiration he was.

diocese has been very diligent about getting in front of this issue. [They are] handling the notification process. They are being proactive at looking at schools not meeting criteria, and encouraging the schools to get to work and raise the funds.”

Conti added, “I’m glad that we are cleared. That is a testament to Archbishop Mitty when he built Riordan. The way they envisioned it back then, they were looking to the future.”

She said, “I would want to hug him, embrace him, tell him what an inspiration he has been through his story.”

Archbishop Riordan Literary Magazine WE ARE LOOKING FOR: short stories poems plays artwork (submitted in jpeg format) photography

Frosh officers have 2020 vision

song lyrics (appropriate, of course) non-fiction written work in Spanish and Mandarin, with translations

THE LITERARY MAGAZINE IS LOOKING FOR SUBMISSIONS! Got that random piece you wrote in fifth grade and don’t know what to do with it? Fix it up and come submit it to us at the Literary Magazine! Don’t be shy — we know that there aren’t too many chances to show off your creative side, so here it is.

Your writings, your artworks, and your photography are meant to be seen and appreciated.

To submit your work, please email it to: mdalton@riordanhs.org or you can hand it in directly to Ms. Dalton in room 204.

DEADLINE IS FRIDAY DECEMBER 2ND. If you have any further questions, please email the above address or ssutton@riordanhs.org.

Share your creativity because your creativity shares you!

Photo by Keven Munoz ’18 New Freshman Class officers: Vice President Michael Gray and President Connor Rapier.

October 2016

Arts & Entertainment

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The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Brand split causes royal rumble among fans

By Henry Novicki ’18

For decades upon decades, the pro wrestling industry has dominated the sports entertainment industry. And the company that has dominated the pro wrestling industry is the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment formerly WWF, World Wrestling Federation).

The WWE has recently made a change to their rosters for their three main television programs, Raw, Smackdown, and their developmental program, NXT. WWE, for the second time, made a brand split, where each show has a roster of pro wrestlers who appear on each show exclusively.

The move also moved the formerly pre-taped Smackdown to Smackdown Live, which is live every Tuesday from 8 to 10 p.m. on USA. Monday Night Raw stays live every Monday from 8 to 11p.m. on USA, while NXT is pre-taped and broadcast every Wednesday.

wwe.com

Nxt has helped adapt long time indie talents into the WWE wrestling style and make them ready for the main roster including, Finn Balor, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, and Neville.

Currently in NXT are indie megastars Shinsuke Nakamura from Japan and Samoa Joe from Southern California.

“I would be a fan. The idea should work well, they just don’t

separate rosters without the same matches happening over and over again,” said Chris Hurliman ’16, an avid wrestling fan and Riordan alumnus. “I like the brand split concept. I don’t like, however, the manner in which the WWE is handling the brand split.”

The brand split promised to give new talent chances to shine on the big live shows.

Jacob Sabba ’17 said, “The brand split has the potential to work but it’s not working right now.”

RAW has many established WWE superstars and a few long time independent wrestling stars such as Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.

Smackdown features the world renowned AJ Styles, who wrestled in Total Nonstop Action wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling for around 15 years before signing with the WWE, and 15 time WWE champion John Cena.

Rapper George Watsky drops fourth album

By Henry Novicki ’18

A San Francisco rapper’s fourth studio album is rising up the charts.

George Watsky, rapper, author, and award winning San Franciscan poet, released his fourth studio album, “x Infinity” on Aug. 19. The album debuted at number four on the Billboard Hip Hop Album charts.

The album has 17 songs, plus one bonus track, running at around 72 minutes. The album has Watsky’s signature of funny and serious rap back to back or even in the same song.

Some songs explore his head and his emotions as well as his relationship with his parents and stories of him moving to New York City.

Other songs, like “Springtime in New York,” is a flurry of rhyming words meshed into a coherent

piece.

One of my favorite songs on the album, “Midnight Heart” features vocals by Mal Devisa and drumming by Josh Dun of Twenty One Pilots.

There is a bonus track available called “Exquisite Corpse,” which is almost 10 minutes long and features Dumbfoundead, Grieves, Adam Vida, Wax, San Francisco’s Rafael Casal, Oakland’s Daveed Diggs, as well as the performer of Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson from the Broadway smash hit “Hamilton” and Chinaka Hodge.

The song is one of my favorites on the album. “x Infinity” provides fresh experience with interesting political and social commentary with Watsky’s clever lyrical acrobatics. I rate this album 4.5 of of 5.

georgewatsky.com

Kanye’s clothing line creates fashion shrine

By Henry Novicki ’18

While Kanye West is one of the top dogs in the rap game, Yeezus has been making a name for himself in the fashion industry.

The fashion industry is not an easy market to break into, but Chicago rap superstar Kanye West has made an impressive breakthrough.

The Yeezus clothesline is partnered with Adidas and is in its fourth season at New York City’s fashion Week.

The clothes are minimalist, much like the rapper’s recent album, The Life of Pablo, which was redone days before its release date for a more minimalistic sound.

Despite its popularity, Garry Howe ’18 said, “I don’t know anything about the Yeezus clothesline.”

Travis Benham ’18 said, “I only know about the shoes.”

don’t like it.”

A Yeezus pop up store opened in San Francisco’s Chinatown in mid August for a weekend. There was a line forming the day before the store opened. Customers were only allowed to buy two items and only allowed to try on jackets.

This is surprising, as the clothes are selling for well into the thousands for shirts and jackets.

The shoes, the Adidas Yeezys are approximately $350 for the pair.

One parallel for the clothing line has been drawn to the fictional fashion line Derelicte from 2001 comedy movie Zoolander. In the movie, a clothes line is created to emulate the homeless people of New York City.

The clothing is tattered and bare, and sometimes over sized, but still makes a statement about the fashion industry and, like Kanye’s music, has an air of cockiness and supreme confidence.

12 Arts & Entertainment

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

October 2016

Movie goers marvel at Marvel’s magnificence

By Jabriel Andrade ’18

The Marvel and DC rivalry is one of the longest running rivalries in entertainment, dating back to the 40s when they were known as Timely and National Comics. The friendly rivalry between the two giants of comic books has finally moved itself to the big screen, with multiple movies competing for viewers and the almost endless amount of fan debate.

The silver screen rivalry began with the release of “Man of Steel” in 2013, Zack Snyder’s kickoff of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), starting a series of comic book movies that would compete with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). At that point, the MCU had become a juggernaut of a series with five different movies including the record breaking Avengers in 2012.

This gigantic lead, combined with Warner Brothers’ decision to forego any universe connection with Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy, has sadly left DC behind in in the rivalry. So far the MCU has released 12 movies and grossed over $10 billion worldwide, and while many say the quality of the released films has fluctuated, none of them have scored below a 60 percent on the reviewer aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes.

On the other hand, with its three films, the DCEU has grossed $2.2 billion in box office sales worldwide; however, this is marred by the terrible critical reception with each movie having less than a 60 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, “Suicide Squad” and “Batman Vs Superman” being in the 20s.

Marvel.com

DC’s box office numbers, while definitely great, have actually undersold compared to early estimates.

Last summer’s “Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice” was pegged to be the highest grossing film of all time, and while its $800,00,000 worldwide take is nothing to laugh at compared to the over $1,000,000,000 “Avengers” made worldwide, it’s safe to say that the film was a bit of a disappointment.

Riordan’s head comic aficionado and Movie Madness adviser Christopher Fern said, “Overall the quality of Marvel films has been higher than DC.” This view seems to be shared by many, both fans and viewers, and whether it’s DC’s rushing towards a full ensemble movie or the much darker tone, the large consensus is that in this rivalry, DC is losing. Hope is not lost for DC however, with both “Wonder Woman” and “Justice League” slated for upcoming releases, they might just turn this around.

October 2016

Arts & Entertainment

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The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Pokémon Go or Pokémon no?

By Jakeclark Bennett ’18

Pokémon Go has taken the world by storm ever since its release date, allowing old and new fans to come together as a community in an innovative game with interaction with the world.

Pokémon Go is a mobile game based on the popular videogame franchise, Pokemon. In Pokémon Go, players walk around their neighborhood, catching Pokémon characters on their phones.

Dean DeLeon ’18 said, “Well, everyone was hyped up and excited, but was disappointed by the bugs in the game. But we need to advance, everyone wants to see the world progress.”

He said that the game was exciting and everyone was happy about it, only to be disappointed by the game’s overall performance on its initial release. The game has certainly impacted the world, in both positive and negative ways. The game has brought many people together, but elicited bad critical feedback from players regarding how badly the game performs.

The game uses new technology that revolutionizes how people play games in public. DeLeon said, “It’s definitely innovative because not many games have GPS tracking. It’s really interactive with reality, as compared to playing with a headset and a keyboard; it’s a new step for gaming.”

Pokémon Go has shown astonishing gameplay mechanics that are often overlooked due to

game.

Screen shot by Stephen Blecha ’19

the game’s lack of explanation regarding those mechanics. This game does use GPS tracking, as players have to move in the game to do activities, such as, Pokémon catching and hatching Pokémon eggs.

In regards to how the community interacts by using this game as a catalyst to achieve that, “Well,

Meme of the Month Name a more iconic duo. We’ll wait.

most people play it in their car, or actually move around as the game wants you to do. The intent is to get people to move, but most people aren’t used to it.”

In other words, people are not necessarily inspired to exercise more than usual. This is because most gamers are more inclined to stay in one spot as they play their

This impacts the gaming community significantly, with the introduction of GPS technology being implemented into games like this on mobile devices, other games on the same device could follow in the same footsteps of Pokemon Go and create a community for themselves.

This is what Pokémon Go started: a community of gamers who came together and played this odd game of catching monsters in virtual reality while interacting with people outside that game.

Archbishop Riordan High School is a marked location on Pokémon Go’s map, marked as a “gym.” A gym is a location for players to interact with nearby participants.

Juan Zumbado ’98, Dean of Men said, “It’s a safety hazard. Since anyone can play the game, a sex offender could wander around the school, ‘playing’ the game.

Because of that, I believe it isn’t okay for strangers to visit the school because of Pokémon.”

According to VentureBeat. com, “To request a change to the PokéStops in your neighborhood, go to Niantic’s website and fill out this support form.”

Zumbado said the school administration will take that option into consideration.

Even the game is fun for youth to play, young adults play, too, and although earlier in the school year there were a few City College students seen in front of the Riordan campus, the phenomenon seems to have died down.

Netflix Fix

Top three choices on Netflix: Stranger Things Season 1 The Get Down No Country for Old Men Source: Netflix

The Caracter Brothers Nicolas and Xavier

Mr. Zumbado and Demerits

14 Religion

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

October 2016

Junipero Serra: Saint or sinner?

By John Regidor ’18

On Sept. 15, 2015, Pope Francis shocked the world by canonizing Saint Junipero Serra, marking a milestone in the Catholic Church as they canonized the first Latino Saint.

However, his canonization has raised a storm of controversy as his attempts to convert Native Americans are deemed by many as unethical and excessive.

Junipero Serra was given the title blessed by Pope John Paul II on Sept. 25, 1988. After 25 years, stjunipero.org his canonization was announced in January 2015 by Pope Francis.

Born Miguel José Serra, For Junipero Serra, the road Junipero Serra was born Nov. 24, to canonization was one of the 1713, on the Baleáricos islands, longest and most controversial in the small town of Petra. Raised in Church history since many by his parents, Antonio Serra considered him more of a sinner and Margarita Ferrer, he began than a saint. his journey of faith. He attended The Catholic Church honors the Franciscan church of St. people who demonstrate a Bernadine. Inspired by the brave life of almost perfect value as works of the medieval missionaries saints. The road to sainthood is and saints, he decided to follow in not an easy one. The first step their footsteps and, at the age of to becoming a saint is that a 15, Junipero Serra entered into local bishop must investigate priesthood. He began working in the candidate’s lifestyle and Palma, in Mallorca. At age 16, he evidence of heroic virtue. Then, applied to the Franciscan order, the report goes through a panel however, he was turned down for of the Congregation for Cause being too young. of Saints. If the panel approves, However, through his relentless then the Pope proclaims that the determination, on Sep. 14, 1730, candidate is venerable, or a role Serra was accepted into the model for Catholics.

Franciscan Order. When the time If it is shown that the person came for Miguel Serra to profess was responsible for a posthumous his vows of poverty and obedience, miracle, then the person is he adopted the name, Junipero beatified. In order for the person Serra. Historians estimate that to be canonized, there must be Junipero Serra received Holy proof of a second posthumous Orders sometime between the miracle. Only then can the person winter of 1737 and Feb. 1739. be called a saint.

In the fall of 1748, Serra

answered God’s call to preach in the new world to convert the gentiles, or, as they were commonly referred to, “pagans” or “barbarians.” Serra began his travels in the new world in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he preached God’s word until he was reassigned to the Mexican mainland.

There, he founded the College of San Fernando. He established many churches and taught in many locations in New Spain.

Later Junipero Serra journeyed to Spain’s newest colony, California. There, he founded the California Missions. He founded the first mission in San Fernando de Velicatá in May 1769. He began to move north, founding nine more missions.

Serra spent the rest of his life devoted to evangelical work.

He spent his time traveling up and down the California coast converting Native Americans, sometimes getting into conflicts with the way the Spanish would treat the Native Americans. For instance, when Native Americans would “break the rules,” Junipero Serra encouraged the use of corporal punishment.

He died on August 28, 1784, at the age of 70. He was buried in Mission San Carlos, one of the many missions he founded.

Through his works, he converted more than 7,600 Native Americans.

Despite his good intentions, there are those who say his work was that of a sinner, rather than a saint. In 2015, when Pope Francis canonized Junipero Serra, he stated that Serra “sought to defend the dignity of the native community.”

However, others have disagreed.

Historical evidence shows the maltreatment of the Native Americans behind the walls of the missions. Junipero Serra’s use of corporal punishment violated traditional Franciscan practices.

Religious scholars across the world still debate his canonization to this day.

“I believe he was truly a saint, because to be a saint is to be accepted in the eyes of God. Because of our baptism, we are all called to be saints. Some people are official saints of the church, but we are all called to be holy,” said Deacon LeBlanc, religion teacher at Archbishop Riordan High School.

He continued, “What he was trying to do was to spread the good news of God and Jesus, to those who had never heard it, it is our obligations, and baptismal a promises, as Christians to do that. That part was righteous.

What was not righteous was the way a lot of it was implemented by the colonial government. His intentions were good, however the Natives were treated as slaves, forced to abandon their customs and convert. They should have treated the natives better.

However, this was the culture at the time, not necessarily the religion.”

Dishonest person steals pieces of True Cross

By Johnny Caceres ’19

St. Dominic’s Church in San Francisco, was the scene of a serious sin, where a sacred relic, fragments of the True Cross, were stolen.

“The True Cross is a relic that goes back 2000 years to the very cross of Christ himself,” St. Dominic’s priest Michael Hurley said. “For it to be stolen in this kind of very deliberate way is certainly both upsetting and very saddening.”

Many students in ARHS did not know about this event, but were still shocked at the thought of someone stealing something as a precious as a relic of a church.

Stephen Shawn Agiurre ’18, an ARHS student who is familiar with St. Dominic’s Church, was disappointed by the thief’s action because having any church’s relic in general will not grant someone instant holiness; it takes a lot more than that.

He said, “I attended this school

for three years, and most of the parishioners were really nice.

Having this relic stolen is very unfortunate.”

Fr. Faller, the chaplain of ARHS, saw this incident as more of a serious sin than a mortal sin.

“It is always disheartening to hear when a sacred object or relic is treated with disrespect or stolen. The relic of the cross on which Jesus died is a very important relic for Catholics as we believe all the graces we receive in the Catholic Church come as a result of Christ’s death on the cross,” Faller said.

He added, “I can imagine many in the St. Dominic’s community are deeply saddened to lose this sacred object. I have no idea why someone would steal this object.

Maybe he/she is mentally ill and wanted to personally possess the relic of the cross for faith reasons.

I can’t imagine someone stole it as a religious hate crime and nor can I imagine they did it for monetary

stdominics.org

reasons. However, who knows, there are many possibilities.”

The thief who stole the relic is unknown, but there are possible reasons for the thief’s motive to commit this action, which is to sell it on the black market for profit or hold it for ransom.

Another reason is that the thief hates St. Dominic Church,

or even just Catholicism in general, which gave them an idea of stealing the relic and keeping it for themselves or destroying it.

These reasons explain different motives, but some are holding out hope that the thief will return the relic to St. Dominic’s Church.

Here, the question of forgiveness comes into play.

October 2016

Religion

15

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Pope canonizes Mother Teresa

By John Regidor ’18

On March 15, the world rejoiced as an unsung hero of the Catholic Church was finally recognized for her extraordinary actions.

Pope Francis announced the canonization of Blessed Mother Teresa.

“Mother Teresa’s canonization is one the should have happened a long time ago. Her works are that of a saint in that she has done work for the community,” said Jeremy Reyes ’18.

Pope Francis announced her sainthood after a second miracle, the healing of a Brazilian man with multiple brain tumors.

The Italian Catholic Bishops’ Association’s official newspaper reported that the man was healed when the family prayed to Mother Teresa. She was canonized as a saint on Sept. 4, the eve of her death on Sept. 5, 1997. She was beatified on Oct. 19, 2003, by now deceased, Pope John Paul II, who is also a saint.

The Catholic Church honors people who demonstrate a life of almost perfect value as saints.

The road to sainthood is not an easy one. The first step to becoming a saint is that a local bishop must investigate the candidate’s lifestyle and evidence of heroic virtue.

Then the report goes through a panel of the Congregation for Cause of Saints. If the panel approves, then the pope proclaims that the candidate is venerable, or a role model for Catholics. If it is shown that the person was responsible for a posthumous miracle, then the person is beatified. In order for the person to be canonized, there must be proof of a second posthumous miracle. Only then can the person be called a saint.

Mother Teresa was born Agus Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje, Macedonia. Her father died when she was only 8, leaving her alone

with her mother. Agus Gonxha left her home in September 1928, bound for Loreto Convent in Rathfarnham, Ireland.

There, she adopted the name Therese, in honor of Saint Teresa of Lisieux. Her first assignment was to travel to Calcutta, India.

Upon her arrival, she joined the Loreto novitiate, a Catholic organization. She made her final profession as a nun and, from then on, was referred to as Mother Teresa.

She founded and taught at many schools. She established the congregation of the Missionaries of Charity as an official religious institute in the Archdiocese of Calcutta. After establishing the order, she began to expand her missionary work throughout India.

On Feb. 1, 1965, Pope Paul IV granted the Decree of Praise, which is an official recognition of the order she established.

With the Pope’s encouragement, she expanded her work beyond India and established a branch of the Missionaries of Charity in Venezuela.

Throughout the 1960s, 70s and 80s, Mother Teresa expanded her order in all parts of the world. In particular, the order significantly grew in both size and number of houses in Australia, the Middle East, and North Africa.

Eventually, The Missionaries of Charity stretched out their hand to several communist nations in 1979. Despite tensions between eastern and western nations, Mother Teresa was able to establish a house in almost every communist country except China.

Mother Teresa’s actions won her the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, and she spoke to the United Nations General Assembly addressing global poverty and world peace.

motherteresa.org

During the late 1980s-1990s, despite Mother Teresa’s increasing health problems, she continued to travel the world, opening houses in war torn and disaster stricken countries.

By 1997, Mother Teresa had established nearly 600 houses in 123 countries. After many years of ministry, Mother Teresa returned to Calcutta. On Sept.

5, 1997, Mother Teresa died at the Motherhouse in Calcutta, India. Her body was ultimately transferred to St. Thomas’s Church, in Loreto India; where she had first began her mission nearly 69 years earlier.

Many have called her a modern day Saint Francis because of her focus on the poor. Mother Teresa’s works have inspired many to follow in her life teachings.

“I found her to be humble yet

adventurous. Mother Teresa’s lifestyle was totally and unconditionally devoted to God,” said theology teacher Stephen Baccari.

Some have viewed Mother Teresa as a missionary who was in it for the recognition, however many will disagree.

“The other thing that makes her so special is that, like Pope Francis, she admits that she is a sinner and she truly embodied the spirit of Christ in her charity to the poor. She didn’t do it for recognition,” said Baccari.

Baccari continued, “Saint Paul calls us to be saints and just because you can be doesn’t mean you are. There are people who talk the talk and those who walk the walk. Mother Teresa walked the walk, in the most dangerous of areas.”

Everyone has a calling—listen

By Jimmy Velasco ’17

Everyone has a calling in his life that has shaped him to be the person that he is today. That calling can come in different ways, either with an encounter with a person or one’s discernment.

There are different vocations people are called to do; there are different ways to express a person’s talents. The vocation to the priesthood is one that is declining.

Many priests today are getting older and there are not many seminarians studying to be priests today. According to futurechurch.org, approximately 800 parishes in the United States have had to close down from 2000 to 2008

because of the shortage of priests.

The Church is in need of more priests to support parishes today. Riordan Chaplain Father Cameron Faller said, “Less families have been fostering the Catholic faith to their children.”

The vocation to the priesthood is not always going to be realized at a young age, as Theology instructor Deacon Joe LeBlanc ’78 said, “A calling to a religious vocation can happen any time. It can sneak up on you, but that’s ok.”

According to forums.catholic.org, the average age for a man to enter the seminary is about 40 years old. If a young man were to hear the call, they might ask for guidance, as Father Faller

elaborated on, saying, “They normally go to a parish priest they know and also to their families.”

According to the Archdiocese of San Francisco, the Office of Vocations offers assistance to those who may be discerning as well. The life of a priest is not only celebrating mass, and that can also influence a young man’s discernment.

Sean Coffey ’17 believes the life of a priest is such that “they relax a lot, get ready for their next mass, pray, and read.”

It may be difficult to support more vocations, especially if they feel alone.

Deacon LeBlanc said, “I think they

feel conflicted because they feel called but it’s not encouraged by society.”

Father Faller added, “There’s conviction in the heart. Since a calling to religious life or priesthood, is out of the ordinary or an extra-ordinary calling, people called to this life typically feel a deep conviction of their heart that God is asking them to do something different in their life than most of their peers.”

The call to the priesthood is a special calling and it needs more support, many Catholics say. Many parishes around the world need support.

Father Faller said, “Every vocation has fear and lack of clarity. You need silence to hear the call.”

16 Local News

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

October 2016

The Mission: A cultural enclave forever changed

By Michael Jaurigui ’19

Gentrification is ongoing in the city of San Francisco. People with low income who pay low rent and have been living in San Francisco are finding themselves homeless because of rising rents or fires.

Long time residents are being replaced with people who are willing and able to pay higher rent. Julian Tejeda ’19 said, “It is sad to see that people that have been living in the Mission for generations are getting kicked out.”

According to Gabriel Medina, Policy Manager for MEDA (Mission Economic Development Agency), “Many see the Mission as no longer the launching point for working class families, or families at all for that matter. It is less of an immigrant gateway for new Latino immigrants to find job opportunities as well as goods and services available to them as businesses and nonprofits have been evicted along with onethird of the neighborhood Latino population.”

Medina added, “Between 2000 and 2013, the Mission has lost over 8,000 Latinos. Despite building over 1,500 new Mission apartments during that time, the third most of any neighborhood in San Francisco and more than 46 of 101 cities in the Bay Area, the Mission has seen population decline of more than 3,500 people.”

He said, “This is because large Latino and working class families have been replaced with affluent single residents without children. One-third of Mission family households are now gone.

Car ownership, meanwhile, has increased from 37 percent to 64 percent per household.”

The Mission is changing daily.

There have been multiple fires in the Mission, and allegations have followed that the fires are not accidental because it drives people out and opens the door for

people who pay more.

Medina said, “The Mission has lost over 200 low-income tenants and almost 50 businesses in a matter of a few nights. Most of those businesses, employing hundreds of working class people are permanently gone.”

Gentrification is not only affecting the Mission, it is affecting other cities in the Bay Area, including South San Francisco, San Bruno, and Daly City, just to name a few.

According to Spanish teacher Armando Castillo, “It can not be stopped. There is no real way to stop gentrification. The city likes it because it brings in more money.”

Gentrification does not always have to do with housing. Stores and businesses are also being changed. Castillo said, “They are adding yoga places.”

Lots of yoga places and coffee shops are being added to neighborhoods, taking out stores and shops that have been there for decades.

While some see this as disturbing, others see it as a natural progression and something not new to San Francisco, or any city, for that matter.

Native San Franciscan Kevin Birmingham, a real estate broker and President elect of the San Francisco Association of Realtors, said, “Every neighborhood in San Francisco has changed in my lifetime. When I was a child the Sunset District was predominantly Irish, by the time I went into high school it was largely Asian. In the Ingleside/ Oceanview neighborhood, which is adjacent to Riordan High School, you have seen a dramatic change of the neighborhood turning from an African American to an Asian neighborhood. San Francisco was much more of a working class city when I was younger. The first big change I noticed of San Francisco affluence was in the late 1990s.”

And while some have said those in the real estate market are greedy, Birmingham disagrees.

“I wouldn’t call it greed in the real estate market. I would say there are substantially limited resources for housing and incredible desirability to live within the city limits. Since the dawn of San Francisco, developers have built with a profit mode in mind. In regards to rent, much of the increase in rents is market driven due to limited availability of rentals because of limited development.”

Birmingham added, “Currently the market has leveled off. It has been on an upswing since 2012 and prices during that time have nearly doubled. Rents have gone down, but the average rent is still far above what many people can afford.”

Not only are American cities seeing a change, but other cities around the world as well.

According an article by the The Guardian, Amsterdam, Montreal, Lisbon, and Buenos Aires residents are also experiencing change.

According to one Lisbon resident, “I live in Lisbon’s historical centre, which has been suffering a growing gentrification process in the last four years with rising tourism and no regulation for short-term rentals. Rent prices are now completely unaffordable.

Entire blocks of homes are being converted to short-term rental apartments and hostels.”

Pieter Voogt of Amsterdam said, “Here gentrification happens very quickly. Every month some ‘nice’ restaurant or shop opens. I would enjoy many of the changes if I knew others could enjoy it as well.

But poor people have to leave, social housing is sold off, and rich people and tourists move in.”

Then, there are other American cities facing the same building surge as San Francisco. David

Chinook Bean, of Portland, Oregon, said, “The cult of efficiency, unchecked and ungrounded is the universal salve that greases the way to community destruction and dislocation. We are currently building our way to hell.”

Birmingham said, “There has been a lot of development the last few years of condos and apartments. New single family homes do not get built. So what we have is extreme pressure on neighborhoods such as the Excelsior and Bayview as the only affordable options in the city.”

Medina said “gentrification” is overused “because it hides the full breadth of the pitfalls of richer populations replacing poorer populations. The other part is where the poorer populations are being pushed to and how they are being pushed.”

He added, “More correct terms would be re-segregation or irreversible displacement because these working class populations do not have the opportunities to return to the neighborhoods they grew up in or that provide them with the essential services they need like health, childcare and financial services. Plus, these populations are not moving as neighborhoods ‘evolve.’”

“Neighborhoods change continuously by nature.

Neighborhoods rarely stay the same, they either get worse or better,” Birmingham said. “San Francisco is no longer a working class city and will never return to those roots.”

Medina said, “The neighborhood has changed because the neighborhood is no longer a working class gateway families could move to.”

“But through policies like Neighborhood Preference and the increased building of affordable housing while preventing evictions, we can save and replenish some of these lost populations.”

By Johnny Caceres ’19 In the San Francisco Bay Area, teacher shortages have plagued every school, whether it’s elementary, middle, or high school, private or public.

This shortage started, in part, because the high cost of living in the Bay Area does not match the pay many school districts offer.

Michael O’Brien, the Dean of Academics of ARHS, thought that this is really sad because helping students learn is a vocation that he hopes people would have a passion and become teachers.

“The big question is why are there not enough teachers in each school of the Bay Area?” he said.

As reported in Catholic San Francisco, “teacher job postings on EdJoin.org, the educator job portal, returned 8,292 job postings for a total of 16,044 job vacancies listed in California. Earlier, in mid-October, two months after the 2015-16 school year started, EdJoin.org still listed more than 3,900 open teaching positions in California, double the number in 2013, according to ‘Addressing California’s Emerging Teacher Shortage: An Analysis of Sources and Solutions,’ by Linda DarlingHammond, Roberta Furger, Patrick M. Shields and Leib Sutcher, published by Learning Policy Institute in 2016.”

Additionally, the newspaper

reported, “With 34 percent of teachers statewide age 50 and older, and nearly 10 percent age 60 and older, retirements will continue to be a factor for the next 5 to 10 years, according to “Addressing California’s Emerging Teacher Shortage.’

However, non-retirement attrition is more significant, typically accounting for twothirds of teachers who leave, the report by the Palo Alto think tank, said.

Jalen Viray ’19 does not seemed to be worried. “As long as there are replacements, it doesn’t matter,” he said.

On the surface, this seems to be true; however, the teacher

tion for all students since there may not be as many classes as before for some schools.

Not only that, it takes time for someone to be a teacher of any subject since the process of becoming one is very difficult.

Owen Murphy ’19 noted, “One must earn a degree to be able to become a teacher.”

Also, they must go to school for an additional one to two years to earn a credential. This partially explains the difficulty in having a career as a teacher, since it requires extra time and money, much as is needed for doctors or lawyers, although with a much lower salary.

Teacher shortage hits SF schools

October 2016

Local News

17

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Wave of renovation washes over Ocean Ave.

By Keven Munoz ’18

The neighborhoods surrounding Ocean Avenue are welcoming several new additions this year on and around the street, from a renovated BART station to a small plaza.

The small area between the new building and the bus terminal is scheduled to open this fall while Balboa BART station was scheduled to complete all renovations by the weekend of Oct. 15 and 16. To add to this, a Philz Coffee will also be located next to the Unity Plaza, at 1100 Ocean Ave. BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost told the San Francisco Examiner, “The next closure will be Balboa Park on multiple weekends between the end of July and October. So there will be no train service between Glen Park and Daly City” on certain weekends.

Balboa BART station commuters have been waiting for a major renovation for a number of years, which is now underway and is projected to be completed in the very near future. Similarly, the bus loop on Phelan Avenue is now being enhanced with a small plaza which will include a children’s playground. These additions, although causing more traffic than usual, have been a part of long time projects for several years.

English teacher and San Francisco native, Michael Vezzalli-Pasqual ’88 said, “I hope it will change the school community for the better...

Making BART a better option for students who take BART and making Riordan an attractive destination for students who live a little bit farther out.”

Emphasizing that she will have no lenience for tardiness just because of the heavy traffic which has been prevalent surrounding the construction, Catherine Mifsud, the Dean of Student Life, said students “really need to take

hours.

The Ocean Avenue community previously had no place to come together and enjoy an afternoon in close proximity, except for Sunnyside playground and Balboa Park, which are farther away from many convenient stores.

Upon the completion, BART commuters will be able to commute without the concern of the old tracks causing delays.

Photos by Keven Munoz ’18 Also, the residents and Above, top right, a new decorative staircase graces students have a place Ocean Avenue. Also, a mural where Ocean Avenue to hang out, which is meets Phelan Avenue was added this summer. conveniently located around several major stores like Whole Foods, a look at the traffic...students the streets as the construction have to prepare . . . It’s a lesson ofthe plaza has begun. Similarly, Quickly’s, McDonald’s, and, to learn.” the commotion is most definitely very soon, Philz Coffee.

Loreto Barroso ’17 said, “It’s noticeable as people search Finally, in regards to good that Ocean Avenue is for their shuttle at, or around, combating the traffic, Vezzallistarting to update itself with more the Balboa BART Station. The Pascual suggested, “The best modern stores and restaurants.” streets and sidewalks are usually thing that I used to do was ride Much ruckus can be heard on crowded during the construction my bike to work.”

San Francisco raises smoking age to 21

By Logan McLaughlin ’19

On March 10, San Francisco lawmakers voted, that as of June 1 this year, the legal age to purchase and use cigarettes will be increased to 21.

San Francisco now joins more than a 100 other cities and the state of Hawaii in raising the smoking age.

Lawmakers say that this law will help stop under age smoking and help prevent teenagers from being exposed to second-hand smoking.

They explain this by saying many seniors in high school who are of age will buy cigarettes for their friends that are under age.

By increasing the age to 21, seniors in high school will be unable to purchase cigarettes for their under age schoolmates.

While this is lawmakers’ main goal, many scientists say this can change young lives. They claim it will result in 250,000 fewer premature deaths and 50,000 fewer deaths from lung cancer from people born in 2000 to 2019 according to the Institute of Medicine.

sanfranciscotobaccofreeproject.org

18 Health

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

October 2016

EpiPen price pierces patients’ pockets

By Roman Peregrino ’18 With all the life-threatening illnesses afflicting America, one big problem may have gone unnoticed: the large uptick in pricing for EpiPens.

In short, an EpiPen is a lifesaving medical device that can help someone who is having an extreme allergic reaction known as anaphylactic shock.

In America, up to 15 million people have serious food allergies. Of American children, one in 13 have them. According to foodallergy.com, “every three minutes, a food allergy reaction sends someone to the emergency department – that is more than 200,000 emergency department visits per year. A reaction to food can range from a mild response (such as an itchy mouth) to anaphylaxis, a severe and potentially deadly reaction.”Also according foodallergy.com, “Anaphylaxis often begins within minutes after a person eats a problem food.

During anaphylaxis, allergic symptoms can affect several areas of the body and may threaten breathing and blood circulation, leading to fatalities.

Symptoms that anaphylaxis may be occurring include skin symptoms or swollen lips, difficulty breathing, reduced blood pressure, and gastrointestinal symptoms (e.g., vomiting, diarrhea, or cramping).”

Epinephrine (adrenaline), a self-injectable medication provided via the EpiPen, is the first-line treatment for anaphylaxis. Epinephrine is a highly effective medication that can reverse severe symptoms.

However, it must be administered promptly during anaphylaxis to be most effective. Delayed use of epinephrine during an anaphylactic reaction is often associated with deaths.

When someone is going into

Photo by Roman Peregrino ’18

anaphylactic shock, the EpiPen should be stuck into the patient’s thigh to get the medicine into their bloodstream as quickly as possible and combat the potentially fatal reaction.

“Since I am severely allergic to nuts, the EpiPen is extremely important because without it, I will die,” Hunter Harrold ’18 said.

The problem is that the price for these life-saving devices has been increasing exponentially for the last couple of years. In 2008, one single-dose (they are not refillable) EpiPen cost $100.

Today, it costs upwards of $500, a price hike of 400 percent.

To make matters worse, EpiPens must be replaced annually or they may not be as effective as they need to be to combat allergic reactions. That means that those who need an EpiPen have to pay

this price every year, even if they did not use it.

People ask why the government has not stepped in; it is because they cannot.

“The United States is one of the few countries in the world without a single payer universal healthcare that is given by the government and paid by taxpayers,” said John Ahlbach, Riordan theology teacher. “If they sold it in [one of the countries with universal healthcare, like] Canada, the company would have to negotiate the price with the government. [In the United States], the government cannot negotiate the price, so they must pay whatever the drug company demands.”

The architect of this increase is Mylan pharmaceutical company who has a virtual monopoly on the EpiPen market. Meaning, they are the only FDA approved distributor on the market today, thanks to a recall from their biggest competitor last year.

In a statement, Mylan said that the prices have “changed over time to better reflect important product features and the value the product provides,” and that “we’ve made a significant investment to support the device over the past years.”

The problem, critics say, is that the prices really have no reason to be that high. Mylan is incentivized by their near monopoly so are not trying to bring down prices. The epinephrine in the EpiPens cost less than a dollar per milligram.

To put that in context, EpiPens for adults have up to 0.3 milligrams of epinephrine and those for children contain 0.15 milligrams.

“The cost of epinephrine is literally less than a Big Mac,” Mark Baum, CEO of San Diegobased drug maker Imprimis Pharmaceuticals, told CNN

Money. The auto-injector, the part of the EpiPen that enables users to give themselves a shot of epinephrine, costs $3 to $7, Baum added.

All attempts to make a new, generic epinephrine injector have failed either by being not approved, or being recalled.

Several big names in politics weighed in on this pressing issue.

“The drug industry’s greed knows no bounds,” said Senator Bernie Sanders.

“There’s no reason an EpiPen, which costs Mylan just a few dollars to make, should cost families hundreds of dollars. The only explanation for Mylan raising the price by almost six times since 2008 is that the company values profits more than the lives of millions of Americans.”

Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton added that “This is just the latest troubling example of a company taking advantage of its consumers.

It’s wrong when drug companies put profits ahead of patients, raising prices without justifying the value behind them...Since there is no apparent justification in this case, I am calling on Mylan to immediately reduce the price of EpiPens.”

Donald Trump, Clinton’s Republican Party opponent, has not commented on this issue.

In response to criticism, the company has offered coupons on its website that can reduce costs.

In some cases, the coupons can be worth up to $300.

“When [the price hike] made news, they said they would offer all these breaks to people in need,” said Ahlbach. “But all it takes is for one kid to not get the medicine they need.”

Harrold added, “Mylan should be forced to fix the problem because although the goal of Mylan is to make money, they are also in the business to save lives.”

Soda tax seeks to reduce sugary drinks

By Karl Vanuska ‘19

In November, San Francisco voters will decide whether or not there will be a tax on soda.

On June 20, the San Francisco Department of Elections added Soda Tax to the November ballot; this soda tax will add 1 cent to every ounce of soda sold.

Supervisor Malia Cohen told Bay Area News 7, “Bullets are not the only thing that are killing African American males, you also have sugary beverages.”

The intention of this soda tax, according to supporters, is to discourage the distribution and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages in San Francisco by taxing their distribution.

Health officials note that soda has

many negative consequences. For example, the drinking of soda increases the risk of obesity by 1.6 percent. Also, soft drink beverages have been linked to the increase of Type II diabetes in America from 6.6 million in 1980 to 20.8 million today.

Though this tax has many health benefits, there are two reasons why people are against the soda tax. One, is that soda is not the only cause of obesity and diabetes, and that voters should not rule out just one beverage when there are many other beverages and foods that also contribute to health problems.

The other reason is that people are worried about where the tax money will go.

Reuben Sablad ’19 said, “I would want the money to go towards the schools.” But admitted, he would still not vote for the tax.

The tax purpose is to lower the consumption of soda, but Michael Jensen ‘19, said, “I drink soda once or twice a week, but this soda tax will not at all affect my drinking consumption or I think, that of others.”

The idea of drinking less soda is supported by Riordan Biology teacher Colleen O’Rourke, but she thinks this tax may not work. “Neurologically, we are addicted to all these high sweetened foods (like soda) and so some people will just pay more money for it anyway.”

While its purpose is to save lives,

others see it as nothing more than an extra 24 cent tax on soda. If it passes, the results, if any, will not be known until there is solid research of what this tax has done, which requires quite some time.

This is the second time the tax has been put before San Francisco voters.

Back in 2014, the tax was a 2 cent tax for every ounce of soda, but was not passed because there was a only 55 percent of the vote that said yes for the tax, and the approval needed twothirds supermajority vote.

Coming this November, this tax will be on the ballot and is aimed at lowering the consumption of soda, but many wonderwill this lead to less health problems?

October 2016

Technology

19

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

New class helps to program future

By Alexander Vallecillo ’18 Last year, Archbishop Riordan added a new class to the schedule that quickly caught on with students hoping to carve out their future in the tech world.

William Marrafao, who teaches the programming class, attended South Carolina Coker College.

He worked as a TI Technician intern and did research at his college. Marrafao learned about programming through his family and in college, but is also partially self-taught.

The skills he teaches are programming basics, going into algorithm, problem solving, and how to create iPhone and iPad apps. In addition to computer programming, he also teaches robotics and FAB Lab.

The class can help students in the future by making them more prepared for tech related jobs and internships, as well as being admitted into tech schools, and helping critical thinking skills.

“This class is very difficult and very complicated but, is possible,” said Jordan Manlulu ’19.

These skills are important since technology is increasingly a part of people’s everyday life and work. In addition, it is helpful to learn and understand how new technology is made.

Kabir Samara ’18 said, “Everything you do can be applied straight to the real world and can be used to make apps and other useful projects.”

.

Photo by Roman Peregrino ’18

A student works on his project

Schoology vs. iTunesU: Battle of the school apps

By Uzair Shaikh ’17 Schoology has taken over at Riordan, which has made the lives of Riordan students and teachers easier and/or harder, depending on individual opinions.

Many teachers have made the transfer from iTunesU to Schoology, an online management that allows teachers to create and manage academic courses.

This change may help teachers with managing lesson plans and homework, and Schoology even allows students to take tests on the app.

Many people have mixed emotions about the switch as some students prefer iTunesU over Schoology, but many believe Schoology is better because it is much more organized.

Michael Medina ’17 said, “iTunesU is much easier to manage and I don’t understand the switch to Schoology.”

The main reason that people do not like Schoology is because

they feel like having an iTunesU and a Schoology account can confuse the students.

Erich Rocha ’17 said, “iTunesU has been used since freshman year and I don’t understand the switch to Schoology for our last year.”

On the other hand, some students believe Schoology is a better fit because they have the option to turn in work online.

Students believe that Schoology’s turn in system is much easier than iTunes U. Moises Sandavol ’17 said, “Schoology is much easier to manage and turn in work.”

Alfonso Miranda ’17 said, “Schoology is much easier to use because you have all your classes set up on the app and you can manage them in a easier way.”

While some students are choosing sides, there are others who feel that no app is needed at all.

Anthony Reynolds said, “I feel both of the apps are pointless and we should all use books and paper

Screen shots by Roman Peregrino ’18 and Rodney Martinez ’17 Above, Chasen Mock’s Chemistry class on Schoology, and below, on iTunesU from last year.

Inside the Makerspace . . .

The Makerspace is equipped with 27” iMacs with 3.2 GHz i5 core processors, 16gb of ram, and 1TB fusion drives, and soldering and desoldering stations.

20 Sports

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

October 2016

Cross Country sets pace for successful season

By Harrick Wu ’19

Archbishop Riordan’s varsity cross country team took part in the 2.93 mile Lowell Invitational at Golden Gate Park on Sept. 10 for their first competition of the year.

Fifteen minutes before the race, the runners were placed at the starting line. There, the runners released their excitement, practiced their start, and warmed up their bodies.

The weather was nice for running; not too hot and not too cold. The runners were feeling good, confident, and like Gene Aberouette ’18, “juiced up.” The runners got into their positions and went quiet; waiting for the sound of the gunshot. Bang. The stampede of runners were on their way to the finish line.

The top three runners for varsity were Trevor Paulbitski ’18 who placed 29th with a time of 16:01.6; Ian Cranfield ’17 placed 36th with a time of 16:09.8, and Michael Kilgariff ’17 placed 62th with a time of 16:36.3.

Along with these three: James Upchurch ’18, Gene Abourlette ’18, Kevin Oliva ’17, and Kyle Quan ’17, helped the team score 9th in their heat.

The team finished 16th of the

64 teams overall in the varsity race.

Although the Crusaders did very well for their first race of the year, some of the runners were not satisfied with how they performed. In reference to this, Paulbitski said, “Definitely not good.”

Paulbitski had a goal of averaging a time of 5:20 per mile, but despite his efforts, he did not reach his goal, running about 5:50 per mile. He blames his results on not having enough confidence in himself.

Before the next race, he wants to raise his confidence when running in hopes of improving his time.

Coach Matt Ilarina, who oversees the cross country program and management, is proud of the runners’ efforts. He thinks that this race is the beginning of a solid season for the all of the Crusader cross country teams, including the freshmen team who did well for their first match, and the varsity team who demonstrated a strong performance.

“Solid season opener. The Freshman class competed and did very well. Strong

Trevor Paulbitski ’18 runs confidently among the pack.

team.”

Freshman EJ Odocayen ran his very first high school race with a time 12:51 in a 2.13 milecourse; winning a medal for his efforts.

Photo by Harrick Wu ’19

Throughout this year, Coach Matt wants to improve the varsity team and hope to place top five in the WCAL, top three for the CCS, and qualify for championships.

Rugby team takes one trip to rule them all

By Joseph Kerrigan ’18

Last summer the Riordan rugby team took on the challenge of facing some of the best teams in the world as they traveled to Australia and New Zealand, where rugby is king.

Every year for the last three years, Riordan rugby has made an end of the year trip out of state. The first year, in 2014, they traveled to Hawaii; the next year, in 2015, it was a week long trip to New York, but in the summer 2016, it was taken up a notch. Planning started months before the start of the regular rugby season in spring. It would be a two week trip, spending the first in Australia and the second in New Zealand.

In order to get there, the coaches and team parents came up with season long fundraisers of BBQs, raffles, and baked goods sold at games. A lot of the donations came directly from sponsors whose logos were placed on the jersey worn during the games. The sponsors were the Hardwear clothing store, SFPD, SFFD, and Island Erp. Thanks to the sponsors and the people in the riordan community who donated, the overall cost of the trip was taken down to roughly $1,600 for the players.

One of the main reasons the team decided to travel to New Zealand and Australia was because the coaches who are from that region, and the previous year, a New Zealand team came to the United States and billeted with some of the families and played Riordan. The team was an all boys school in New Plymouth, New Zealand. When they came to the states, instead of staying in hotels, the players billeted with Riordan families so this trip meant a little bit more than just visiting another country.

Playing in New Zealand and seeing the opera house in Sydney, Australia was an unforgettable experience. While in New Plymouth, they stayed with the families of the team that played them back in the states the previous year. The players gave tours of their hometown and showed Crusaders what they like to do for fun besides playing rugby. The beautiful scenery and the abundant fish and chips restaurant made the experience a good one. I was billeted with four other Riordan players who stayed on campus of the school, which gave us a different perspective on New Zealand student life. The staff

The Sydney Opera House in Australia.

and students staying in the boarding houses made the stay a pleasant one as they traded American jerseys for their New Zealand jerseys.

The team only played two games on the trip against College Rifles u20 rugby team and New Plymouth boys high school. The first game was a close one, as they lost by only one try and scored in the final minutes of the game. The team would not lose the next time and all their efforts paid off in the second game with a 36-17 victory

Photo by Joseph Kerrigan ’18

against NPBHS, the team who defeated them the year before.

The Riordan rugby coaches pride themselves on instilling brotherhood and family community into the players.

The trip was a way for players to grow as men and learn about the sport all they love to play from the power house rugby country that is New Zealand. It was a unforgettable experience that developed students as rugby players and was the perfect way to end of a successful season.

October 2016

Sports

21

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Varsity players seek return to gridiron glory

By Stephen Blecha ’19

The Varsity football team is coming off a terrific season in which they nearly pulled off a victory in the 2015 CCS Championship game last year.

They are coming into the season after setting the Riordan record for most average yards per game at a total of 380.9 yards per game through ten games. They finished with a total of 3,809 total yards last year.

After losing to Sacred Heart Prep Atherton last year in the championship, they got revenge for the loss by beating them in their non-league game earlier this year 19-3. So far, they are 2-1, and are looking to only go up.

According to Maxpreps, thus far, Garrison Howe ’18, is their leader in all purpose yards with 328, followed by Senior Joshua Boone with 316.

Their quarterback Xavier Caracter has a current completion percentage of .514 and has a QB Rating of 74.8, and has the most total yards, 591, with

444 passing yards and 147 rushing yards. He averages 147 yards per game.

On the defensive side of the ball, Donny Bendo ’17 is the leader with two blocked punts, one of which Lasa Tofi ’18 returned for a touchdown. In that same game, Tofi also got a 25 yard pick-six off a tipped pass.

Bendo is also the current leader in solo tackles with 17 and, paired with 17 assisted tackles, has an average of 8.5 tackles per game.

Mel Faaleava ’18 has the most tackles for a loss, with seven.

They started off going 0-1 but have won the last two nonleague preseason games. They are coming off an away loss facing the St. Francis Lancers, a home loss against the Saint Ignatius Wildcats, and a home loss against the Valley Christian Warriors. They primarily relied on their ground game in the loss against the Lancers, racking up 115 rushing yards and 92 passing yards.

Photo by Stephen Blecha ’19 Donny Bendo ’17 makes a catch along the sidelines.

JV, Frosh teams build promising future

Photo by Scott Patterson

The JV football team listens to words of encouragement at halftime.

By Joseph Kerrigan ’18

This year the football team looks to continue the success of the power house team from last year and the always improving Junior Varsity and Freshman teams. During the first half of the season, the JV team started out strong, hungry for wins with their first victory over Hillsdale

21-0. The freshman did not win their pre-season games although the close score shows that they went down fighting.

Entering league, both teams fell short their first few games with the exception of the freshman beating St. Ignatius 12-7, giving them currently their only victory.

JV keeps chugging along,

constantly improving and focusing on building their skills and athletic ability to prepare for next year’s varsity season.

“My goal is to win at least two more games. We’re in a rough spot right now, but I think we can get through it with hard work and discipline,” said Abel Padilla ’19 in regards to his goals going into

the second half of the season.

The Freshmen want to add to their victory over SI and claim another win before the season ends.

The WCAL is a tough league and will help foster great student athletes from the young Junior Varsity and Freshman teams who are dedicated and willing to put in the work necessary to improve.

22 Sports Features

October 2016

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Sports world mourns lasting legacy, favorable future

By Karl Vanuska ’19

On Sept. 25, the sports world received devastating news of the deaths of the Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez (July 31,1996-Sept. 25, 2016), and golf legend Arnold Palmer (Sept. 10, 1929-Sept. 25, 2016).

Jose Fernandez was killed in an early morning boating accident, while Arnold Palmer died of heart disease later that same day.

Vin Scully, the legendary voice of Dodger baseball, talked about Jose Fernandez’s love of baseball when he was broadcasting a game against the Marlins and said, “When Fernández was a little kid all he would do was hit rocks with a stick...He’d take a paper sack from his home and he’d go searching for rocks that had to be a good size like a baseball, and he’d spend his day hitting them with sticks.”

Jack Nicklaus, a rival to Arnold Palmer, talked about how Arnold popularized golf and said to The NY Times, “Arnold popularized the game, he gave it a shot in the arm when the game needed it.”

Fernandez was only 24 when he died, but was already considered one of the best pitchers in the game.

He was a two time All Star and the Rookie of the Year in the National League in 2013.

He only played two full seasons in baseball, 2013 and 2016. For major parts of the 2014 and 2015 seasons he was out due to right elbow strain that required a major surgery called Tommy John surgery.

But that didn’t stop his dominance; he still kept his ERA (earned run average) below 3.00 in all four seasons.

This year, Fernandez was making a great case for being the NL Cy Young winner, with 16 wins, an era of 2.86, 253 strikeouts through 182 innings.

All the potential he had, it’s now a what if scenario.

In contrast, Arnold Palmer lived a full life, full of achievements in the world of golf, which has led him to being one of the most successful golfers of all time.

Jose Fernandez July 31, 1996-Sept. 25, 2016

mlb.com

Palmer is famous for his performances at the Ryder Cup. In fact, as of right now, he has the most matches won for the US, with 22 matches won out of only 32 played.

Palmer is considered one of the first superstars in the history of sports. He helped popularize golf in the ’50s and ’60s.

Known as ‘King’ of the PGA Tour due to his huge success as a golfer, he won a total of 62 PGA

Arnold Palmer Sept. 10, 1929-Sept. 25, 2016

arniesarmy.org

events and seven majors.

He also continued to help the game of golf by designing more than 300 courses.

On Sept. 25, the world lost two great athletes. One lived a full life and had a huge impact on the sport that live on for eternity.

The other was taken too soon and his story feels unfinished. He was a great talent with a legacy unrealized.

Olympics to add surfing, climbing to 2020 Tokyo Games

By Jacob Taylor ’17

The 129th IOC Session in Rio de Janeiro included one of the most innovative and cooperative decisions made to an Olympic agenda ever.

The vote was a two-year process.

The idea of adding more sports, brought up in 2014, was to put a focus on innovation, flexibility and youth in the Olympic program.

IOC President Thomas Bach said, “We want to take sport to the youth. With the many options that young people have, we cannot expect any more that they will come automatically to us. We have to go to them.”

Bach continued, “Tokyo 2020’s balanced proposal fulfils all of the goals of the Olympic Agenda 2020 recommendation that allowed it.

Taken together, the five sports are an innovative combination of established and emerging, youthfocused events that are popular in Japan and will add to the legacy of the Tokyo Games.”

The inclusion of the new sports will add 18 events and 474 athletes, with equal numbers of women and men for all sports except baseball/softball. Softball teams have 15 players while baseball teams have 24.

Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori said, “The inclusion of the package of new sports will afford

young athletes the chance of a lifetime to realise their dreams of competing in the Olympic Games – the world’s greatest sporting stage – and inspire them to achieve their best, both in sport and in life.”

One major California sport entering the Olympic stage is surfing. A recent highlight of talents hoping to compete at Tokyo 2020 could be seen at the VISSLA Junior World Surfing Championships.

The tournament helped support the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board decision to include surfing.

IOC President Thomas Bach wishes to “bring and engage the world’s youth” in the Olympic Movement.

The fight for surfing’s inclusion into the Olympic agenda has been a well fought battle since 1994, when President of the International Surfing Association (ISA), Fernando Aguerre, was elected.

“Surfing will bring youth and a fresh way of doing things from the way we plan to have our competition to the atmosphere there will be,” Aguerre said in published reports.

The Olympic spirit can be seen through a deep devoted love for a sport. Surfing, which can be seen sometimes as more of a lifestyle,

is a fresh example of this. Surfing isn’t the only California strong sport making its way to the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics; indoor climbing will make its debut as well.

Climbing has become one of the most popular, growing sports worldwide, and now it is scaling Mount Olympus. According to the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC), there are 25 million people climbing regularly around the world, with 39 percent below the age of 18 years. Indoor climbing involves three parts: bouldering, sport climbing and speed climbing.

Bouldering is a form of climbing where un-roped climbers try getting to the top of a route—the climber who makes the maximum tops, wins. Bouldering walls almost always tend to be shorter than other forms of climbing walls, but are more difficult and stressful on the body.

Speed climbing sees two roped climbers go head-to-head on identical routes, where the first to get to the top wins.

Lead involves roped climbing where the climber who goes the highest in a fixed time wins.

Japan is the perfect venue for climbing’s Olympic debut. It has seen a climbing revolution with Yuji Hirayama’s triumph at the Lead World Cup in 1998—the

first by an Asian— and again in 2000. On top of that, Japanese climber Tomoa Narasaki has been dominating the men’s scene recently, winning the Adidas ROCKSTARS and IFSC Climbing World Championships in Paris, France.

Even though there’s a lot of positive noise coming from climbing’s inclusion, much backlash has erupted.

IFSC usually hosts separate competitions for each climbing form. At the Olympics, climbers will have to excel in all three categories to finish on the podium.

The proposal is being heavily debated in the community, with some fearing it may split the community.

“It will be very hard for athletes to train in three different disciplines,” said Gholamali Baratzadeh, a climber from Iran who recently spoke to the press on the subject. “I think it will hurt the quality of climbing and the joy associated with it—we have a saying in climbing that the best climbers are those who enjoy it the most. I don’t think it will stay true if you train for the Olympics.”

Though there is some debate on the subject still, climbing’s addition is a big step for itself and the Olympics. Along with surfing, and climbing, 16 other events will be added to Tokyo 2020.

October 2016

Sports Features

23

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Durant: Warriors put best foot forward

By Jimmy Velasco ’17 On July 4, Small Forward Kevin Durant declared his independence from Oklahoma City and announced his signing with the Golden State Warriors.

The two year, $54.3 million deal sparked a surprise in the NBA and all sports fans. According to NBA. com, Durant had previously spent nine seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, averaging 28.2 points per game, 8.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists this previous season.

Durant had also previously led the Thunder to the Western Conference finals against the Golden State Warriors when they fell in Game 7. Many people were against the deal. Out of frustration, fans burned Durant jerseys.

Art teacher Irman Arcibal said, “Most people are criticizing his decision because he actually had a choice. He did not force a trade, he was actually a free agent and had free will. The media had to make someone a bad guy in this, and the way storylines need to be ‘crafted’ every season, someone had to be blamed.”

As this deal surprised so many sports fans, players of the NBA were also all in on this deal.

LeBron James said to Business Insider, “When I saw the news I was like, ‘Wow.’ I think everyone had the ‘wow’ thing.”

James continued, “My reaction was no different from the average person who doesn’t know basketball to the person who watches it or covers it every day.

So, I think it’s all great for our

league. Our league is very competitive. It’s continued to grow, and (NBA Commissioner) Adam Silver has done a great job of picking up where David Stern started, so it’s pretty cool.”

Stephen Curry said to Marcus Thompson, “Just because we have KD, because the guys we have on the roster, we do have one of the most talented rosters in the NBA, but that doesn’t mean we’re just going to blow everybody out. It’s not like CYO, where you roll the ball out and the most talented team wins. We’re going to have to work. We’re going to have to play well. Nothing will be given to us.

We’re not going to go 82-0 and blow everybody out. We are going to be challenged.”

Many Bay Area fans are excited about what Kevin Durant can contribute to the team. Arcibal said, “Durant’s scoring ability is obvious. He won’t have to work as hard to get open looks like he did in Oklahoma City, where he pretty much had to go one-on-one with his defender outside of some pick-and-roll offense.”

Esquivel Santana ‘17 said, “Durant will be able to score more, they’ll also have more defense and offense than before.”

Many people have also been referring to the Warriors as a “super team” with the addition of Kevin Durant, and how Durant only signed with Golden State to chase a championship.

Arcibal said, “I think ‘super team’ is just an easy way to make the Warriors the villains; there have been plenty of super teams

nba.com Kevin Durant joined the Golden State Warriors this off season.

throughout the course of history - Bill Russell’s Celtics, Wilt Chamberlain’s Lakers, Magic Johnson’s Lakers, Larry Bird’s Celtics - this goes further back than most might think.”

According to NBC Sports, the deal had cost many of the Warriors players, including Maresse Speights, Festus Ezeli, Brandon Rush, Leandro Barbosa, Andrew Bogut, and Harrison Barnes.

The Warriors look to be ready as title contenders this upcoming season while dropping the NBA Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7. Power Forward, Draymond Green had been suspended in Game 5 of the NBA Finals while the team had a 3-1 lead in the series.

Social Science teacher Christopher Fern said the NBA Finals would have changed had Draymond not been suspended.

“If Draymond wasn’t suspended,

they would have won that game.”

In other Warriors news, the new arena is still in the works for the 2019-2020 season. According to Laura Dudnick, San Francisco Examiner Staff Writer, the arena is called Chase Center and will be a waterfront arena.

Arcibal said, “While I do live in San Francisco and am somewhat excited about the Warriors being on this side of the Bay, I feel like the charm of Oracle Arena and the atmosphere of a game in Oakland will be missed. I fear that many of the die-hard Warriors fans will eventually be priced out; it’s already changed dramatically in the last 5-7 years.”

Fern also said it means “More money, business, entertainment and traffic in San Francisco, less of the four for Oakland.”

The Dubs are anticipating many signs of hope this season and are looking to make this year great for the Bay Area.

Catholic school athletes shine in Rio Olympics

By Jabriel Andrade ’18

Rio de Janeiro, Aug. 21 2016.

The sun sets on the final day and closing ceremony of the XXXI (23) Olympiad.

In the scorching Brazilian heat, 11,308 athletes competed for both their nation’s and their own pride. Out of the thousands of competitors, nine stand out in particular because they are products of a Catholic school education.

Each of these students originate from the same chain of Catholic Schools, The Schools of the Sacred most of the attention was on Katie

Ledecky, the 19-year-old swimmer who won four gold medals in Rio. “Our athletes recognize that their gifts comes from God and are not to be wasted,” the school’s communications director Donna Heckler told the Catholic News Agency.

“They are taught to take personal responsibility for themselves while being self-disciplined in their efforts,” she said.

Although many may not have heard of this organization, Bay Area residents probably know of

at least one of their schools, such as Stuart Hall in downtown San Francisco.

According to Crux magazine, “After the first two days of compe tition, the Sacred Heart Olympians won four medals in Rio. Their alumnae are from four different countries, and include Katie Ledecky, Lia Neal, Anabelle Smith, KK Clark, Gaby Lopez, Gabi Nance, Erin Rafuse, and Denise Sheldon.”

While many may be surprised by the success, to others, it is the norm. It is not a big secret that the WCAL is one of the most

competitive leagues in California.

In fact, many students have probably heard this from their coaches during practice.

Athletic Director Mike Gilleran said, “Certainly, Riordan can produce an Olympic level athlete.

Jason Smith, Riordan class of 2016, has a chance to reach international elite-level status as a long jumper.”

Riordan did not have any representatives on this year’s Olympic team, but there is a possibility that a Crusader will represent the red, white and blue in the future.

24 Features

October 2016

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Bottle flipping trend nearing end

By Uzair Shaikh ’17

The newest trend this summer is bottle flipping, which started on Twitter when people were flipping water bottles so they landed upright.

Everyone can do this; it does not take much, as all anyone needs is a water bottle. Riordan students on campus have joined in and some have even accomplished crazy ones that landed on the Internet.

Walking the halls of Riordan, many will most likely see someone flipping their bottle, hoping it lands upright. The students here do this for joy, thrill, and to pass time.

Even though this trend had died down in recent months, most people still go insane when a bottle lands upright. Janio Baltinado ’17 said, “It’s really funny when they make videos and put it on Twitter, it’s just fun to watch in general.” Donny Bendo ’17 has had one of the most outra geous bottle flips at

Riordan as he landed the bottle on top of a ledge in the weight room. Donny Bendo said, “It’s just a pastime and something to do.”

Not everyone thinks so highly of bottle flipping as some teachers think it is pointless and students can be using their time doing things much more productive.

Some teachers have even told students around campus to stop playing with the water bottle and recycle it.

Spanish teacher Armando Castillo is not a big fan of bottle flipping and believes the trend should stop. Castillo said, “Bottle flipping is an easy tool to identify the students with a small cranial capacity.”

Although Castillo might be joking, he still does not understand the need to flip bottles and post it on the Internet.

Some may enjoy bottle flipping and some may hate it, but there is no denying bottle flipping made an impact this summer.

Photo by Stephen Blecha ’19 Bottle flipping was a big hit this summer and fall, but the trend is fading.

Harambe’s death calls animal captivity into question

By Greg Guinasso ’17

On May, 28 the 17-year-old Western lowland silverback gorilla, Harambe, was shot and killed at the Cincinnati Zoo because a 4-year-old child had fallen into his enclosure.

According to reports, zookeepers gave commands to the gorillas to go away, but Harambe would not. Harambe was sitting in a corner with the boy while people looked on, many recording the incident.

Many believe Harambe was trying to protect the child and his intentions were never to hurt the boy, but as people began to gather around and take notice of the situation, Harambe decided to move from where he was sitting and take the boy with him.

The silverback dragged the boy like a rag doll through water and sat him up to adjust the boy’s pants and shirt. Harambe then dragged the boy throughout the exhibit and zoo officials made the decision to kill Harambe rather than to tranquilize him, because they did not want to risk angering him, thus provoking him to hurt the child.

People were outraged by the event and thought the zoo should have taken a different course of action to try to preserve Harambe’s life, especially since his species is endangered, with an esti mate of 100,000 in

Cincinatti Zoo Western lowland silverback gorilla, Harambe, at the Cincinnati Zoo.

population.

Within 48 hours after the incident, a video on YouTube reached 12.6 million views and 41,000 comments, many blaming the parents of the child for the early death of Harambe.

Social media, such as Twitter, was flooded with comments about the death of Harambe with many hashtags trending worldwide such as #JusticeForHarambe,

#RipHarambe, and many other well known hashtags.

Theology teacher Stephen Baccari called the incident a “tragedy,” saying that in his eyes, “the gorilla was assisting the child.”

However, he concurred that, “Yes, a human life is greater than an animal’s life.”

Renowned primatologist Jane Goodall told Cosmopolitan mag-

azine, “It certainly appeared at times that he was being gentle, but he was nervous and agitated by the unexpected arrival of the child and the shouting of the people watching.”

She added, “It was awful for the child, the parents, Harambe, the zoo, the keepers, and the public. But when people come into contact with wild animals, lifeand-death decisions sometimes have to be made.”

Greg West ’17 said that “literally anything else they could have done would have been a better result. I think that they were panicking and reacted poorly.”

Some blame the parents for not watching over their son close enough, while others blame the zoo for not having the proper setup of the exhibit, which allowed the child to get over a small fence and into the exhibit.

Regardless of blame, many see this as yet another strike against keeping wild animals in captivity for public display, whether it be zoos, circuses or theme parks. In response, Goodall said through her organization, the Jane Goodall Institute, “Zoos reach a large audience of people with their conservation message although often this could be improved, and many zoos are involved in the conservation of animals in the wild — as all zoos should be.”