The Crusader Fall 2017

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VOLUME LXVIII ISSUE i

ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN HIGH SCHOOL

SERVING RIORDAN SINCE 1949

Fall 2017 THE NEWSPAPER OF CRUSADER COUNTRY

Restani Court reconstruction complete By James Chun ’18 In May 2017, a huge project blossomed that would change Riordan: a group of alumni donors contributed to help refurbish the gym and re-establish Riordan as a basketball powerhouse. Last year, phase one of this project, which included new hoops, scoreboard, and scorers’ table, kickstarted the renovation of the gym and cost $125,000. This was only a small taste of what was yet to come. The main part of the second phase, what everyone was anticipating, started in May and is now finished. It was a huge project: taking out all the previous flooring and putting in a brand new one, painting walls, hanging up banners, fixing the bleachers, and installing a new sound system. The much anticipated gym was made possible because of many donors with close ties to Kevin Restani ’70, a legendary Riordan alumnus, the Olympic Club, and other donors. This second phase cost $710,000. Finance Director Annette Brown said, “A big thank you to the Board of Trustees, building and grounds crew, and instrumental alumni who made this happen!” The decision to have a parquet floor, like the fabled Boston Garden, was an aesthetic one. According to Brown, it was

Kevin Restani Court is complete and ready for basketball season. chosen because “we wanted to be unique.” The cost was approximately 1 percent more expensive than a regular floor. The floor is made of maple, and comes from North Carolina. It was constructed by H.Y. Floor and Gameline Painting, who gave the school specific care instructions such as, “use walk-off mats in doorways and hallways,” “wipe up any spills immediately,” “make sure chair and table legs are properly protected with felt or rubber protectors,” “do not allow shoes with high heels or black soles,” and “do NOT use tape on your floor.” The company also recommends that the floor be sanded down to the bare wood and refinished every five to 10 years. The floor was torn out to the very base of the ground, and rebuilt layer

Also, along with the booked schedule, the parquet style flooring involved more work. Pride is important in Riordan athletics, so restoring the gym will “improve the best WCAL gym,” said Riordan Athletic Director Mike Gilleran. The separation from the stands and the court gives the court an arena type of feel, which is unmatched in the league. It is like the Roman Colosseum in terms of playing, Photo by James Chun ’18 knowing everyone is watching. The school hopes the remodel upon layer of new wood, which will attract students to come to will enhance the court feel and more games, and give the band eliminate “dead spots,” meaning, more incentive to play proudly the ball did not bounce as well in a beautiful gym. as in other areas, or as it should. “I am looking forward to the Many people who have been to new bounce in the floors, which Riordan have not played or even will definitely increase athletic been on the court, so they had performance,” said Josh Ray no clue about dead spots, but to ’18, a varsity basketball player players, they are apparent and excited to start playing on the problematic. Diminishing them new floor. will make a big difference. Jay’sen Morris ‘07, Riordan Many of the changes are more head football coach, open gym than cosmetic and won’t be player, and scoreboard keeper, noticed by outsiders. Playing on is looking forward to the new the court, the players, will notice gym opening. “I usually run the biggest difference between the stairs, but the remodel the new and old courts. was affecting me getting my The gym was ready on Oct. 20. cardio in, but the gym after (the It was originally projected to be remodel) should be spectacular.” done by September, but there was Many hope the gym will bring a delay because of the numerous a new energy to the school and other jobs that the construction re-establish the basketball team company, HY Floors, had to do. as one of the best in the WCAL.

Cana crowned as Frosh Olympics champions By Karl Vanuska ’19 With the new House System at Riordan, this means a shake up to the classic Frosh Olympics. Joey Klobas, Student Activities Director, said, “I was definitely nervous because of these new changes to Frosh Olympics, but these nerves were quickly settled because of our great staff in student government led by Roman Peregrino.” But already, these new Frosh Olympics are being viewed as a great success by many and showing that the new House system is working. New science teacher Julia Balistreri, said, “It was awesome, and shows how this house system can get students involved and make it competitive while also keeping that support and friendship aspect as well.” The new Frosh Olympics are

now the four Houses of Riordan having the freshmen compete to put their House into an early first place lead. This is different from previous Frosh Olympics because instead of house versus house, it was several homerooms competing to take first place. Another change was that this was the first time that the Frosh Olympics had been held out on the football field, which was done because of the gym renovations. This was a whole new system tested out for the first time, but already it is being seen as a success. Christian Castillo ’21, said, “I was excited about participating in this long standing tradition at Riordan. I was also excited to see how the house system really worked in school events like this.” The Frosh Olympics were

Photo by Stephen Aguirre ’18 divided into three parts, and the first part was having each member of every house going into one of the quadrants and cheering on their classmates from their

Members of the House of Cana cheer on their freshmen brothers at the annual Frosh Olympics.

Please see “Frosh Olympics” on page 3

2 Opinion

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Fall 2017

House System holds hope for future By Tomas Palpallatoc ’18 This year, the House system was introduced to the Riordan Crusaders. All students and faculty members, excluding a handful of people, across the entire school are divided into four Houses: Cana, Russi, Pilar, and Bolts. Represented by name and color, these Houses serve as a new way of dividing, yet uniting the Riordan populace. Houses were something never seen before at Riordan. Instead of by grade, merit, or activities, students are for the first time organized in a completely new way. Each student fits into a group of people they may have been best friends with or never seen before. Regardless, they were called together to be team members. The Riordan House system was created as a way to inspire new bonds between people. Far too often, students simply stick with a single friend group all four years at Riordan, never daring to venture outside of their comfort zone. The House system challenges this norm and offers students a chance to be more than just acquaintances. At first glance, this may seem forced. In fact, last year a lot of students disliked the idea of the House system, thinking it to be tedious or pointless. Yet the reality stands that no matter how willing, or unwilling we all were, the House system has made a significant change at Riordan. At its core, the House system’s power comes from its ability to encourage competition throughout the student body. Now, everything from game attendance, to tournament wins, to even donating becomes a

House vs. House event. Now, every aspect of campus life has a secondary incentive to it. Not only do you attend games, but you attend the game, have fun, and get points for your House. Same with dances, the Mercy Benefit rally and any other outside of school events. By incentivizing these events and putting House points behind them, it creates a chain reaction within the student body. If last time, Bolts blew out the competition for attendance at a football game, not only did that football game get way more fans than it would normally, but the next game other Houses are going to be sure to come to make sure Bolts doesn’t jump ahead in points again. This encouragement for increased participation is purposely put in place. The House system is challenging the norms of Riordan and encouraging its students to change along with it. It’s no secret that certain Riordan events are clouded with cynicism. Events like the Riordan Benefit Rally or the Winter dance or criminally underpopulated by students, especially upperclassmen. The House system challenges these ideas and tries to make these functions a more “worthy” experience to students. The overall goal is to raise morale and spirit for Riordan in general. As Mr. Fern, Cana House Provincial stated, “...one of the only ways to successfully overcome that spirit of cynicism is to really let yourself enjoy the moments you find yourself in rather than living in a state of anxiety over the past or possible futures.” Rather than students

Sports Editor Karl Vanuska ’19 Local, State, National, and World News Editors Vince Francisco ’19 Owen Murphy ’19 1949

Editor in Chief Roman Peregrino ’18 Opinion Editor Tomas Palpallatoc ’18 Campus News Editors John Regidor ’18 Harrick Wu ’19 Features Editor Jabriel Andrade ’18

Arts & Entertainment Editors Sebastian Fazio ’18 Henry Novicki ’18 Photo Editor Chris Peterson ’18 Copy Editors Keven Ariel Munoz ’18 John Regidor ’18 Exchange Editor Chang Liu ’18 Adviser Susan Sutton, CJE

simply turning down an event because of rumors or what they think it’s going to be like, the House system encourages them to get out and try it for themselves. For someone who’s participated in almost every one of these events in the past year, I can say that many would be surprised at how enjoyable they can really be. Further, with possibly increased numbers, which these events depend on for energy, the events will no doubtedly improve. Besides simple competition and participation, the House system focuses on the very basics of human nature. By default, people want to belong. They want to fit into a group of people who like them and accept them as they are. They want to be a part of something. These Houses serve as a way for people to do that. No matter who you are, no matter how different you are from the person sitting next to you in the stands, you will always have one thing in common if you’re in the same House. This can incite rallying cheers from the both of you, hyping the people around you, and creating a wave of excitement. Or, it can be simply something for the two of you to talk about. People you would have never taken a second glance at, are now partially responsible for you winning that prize at the end of the year. Now, they matter to you, and you matter to them. Now, that random face you see in the hallway is someone you can almost call a friend—even if they don’t play the same sports, aren’t in the same classes, and maybe not even in the same grade. This is especially important for the

Staff Reporters Jakeclark Bennett ’18 Stephen Blecha ’19 Christian Castillo ’21 Jacob Castillo ’21 Julian Castillo ’19 Brandon Castro ’18 James Chun ’18 Danilo Herger ’20 Ricardo Hernandez ’20 Michael Kay ’18 Ian Martin ’20 Shane McKnight ’18 Miguel Mijares ’18 Carlos Milian Leon ’18 Eddie Monares ’19

underclassman as it can be a gateway to more parts of the school system through House participation and mentor groups. There are many upsides to the House system, but the reality is that with all systems there will be downsides as well. What happens when a student is isolated from the rest of his friends in a different House? Instead of feeling more included, someone might feel excluded from a group of people he was already acquainted with. Or for seniors, the precious ideas of seniority they had waited four years for and watched three generations before them experience, are belittled in the face of a system which does away with traditional grade divisions. For many, this can feel like a betrayal. This only applies to seniors, but many other things could go wrong. What happens to competitiveness when a single House simply dominates the competition? What if a particularly strong or active House rises and leaves no chance for others, no matter how hard the other Houses try to win? Suddenly, the House system feels like a weight on students of the losing Houses. Or, what if a person is stuck in a House of people who have no motivation or care for the school, and is simply stuck? It can make them feel much worse than in a world without the system where they would simply succeed as long as they tried. What if perhaps, the system even divides us? What if those not within your House are thought of as enemies, rather than fellow Crusader brothers?

Please see “House System” on page 3

Aidan Murtagh ’20 Anthony Oropeza ’18 Zachary Phillips ’20 Steven Rissotto ’20 David Rodriguez-Mendez ’18 Alexander Ruivivar ’20 Kabir Samra ’18 Alexander Vallecillo ’18 Brandon Vargas ’20 Harrick Wu ’19 Staff Photographers Stephen Aguirre ’18 Marco Aguirre-Celi ’21

Fall 2017

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Opinion

3

Uniform pants policy Chris P’s corner JC sees it . . . Pro

Con

By Jakeclark Bennett ’18 This year, Archbishop Riordan High School imposed a new—but not so new—pants policy on both incoming and returning students. The pre-existing rule to have the student body wear khakis with the same color and style is now more strictly enforced. This pants policy is a good start for Riordan’s future. The strict pants policy has always been in place, but this is the first time it is being actively enforced. Juan Zumbado ’98, the Dean of Students, said, “Last year, a lot of teachers came to the administration saying, ‘Hey, I see a lot of students wearing different shades of khakis,’ so we made it mainstream and easier for the teachers. I also think it’s easier for the students to have one shade of khaki.” Before the rule was officially enforced, a majority of the student body wore khakis of varying shades and styles. One positive result is how group pictures will be “uniform” as well, now, with everyone having the exact same pants, instead of different shades. The change also alleviates confusion within the student body and teachers alike as to what is

legal. It also creates a convenient system when it comes to demerits. While the new pants system will be hard for some to adjust to, it does ease a lot of headaches. Therefore, this rule was placed to eliminate these problems and have students represent the school more uniformly. I personally believe the theme of unity helps to ease new and returning students alike toward khaki uniformity, and this is a good move on the school’s part. Dario Montenegro ’18 agreed it is a good move “because as a Catholic school, the administration would want unity among the students in uniform.” As previously mentioned, aesthetics in public portrayal would benefit the school in how the students are seen, which is usually dignified, orderly, and proud of where they go and where they belong. This has made it much simpler thanks to the Prep Shop offering their own brand of khaki, fully accepted by the school’s regulations. Following the rules is just a matter of compliance, and learning to adapt to change will benefit students at school, and in life.

“House System,” from page 2

not that bad. heights. People are talking about “This is just year one and...I House system seeks to reshape beating other Houses, rallying know that each year is going to the very way students see their together members of their own be even better as we gain more school, and that’s one serious Houses, and collectively working experience,” said Fern, and I challenge. Thankfully, Riordan together to achieve a common agree. This is something that’s seems to be going down a very goal. Shouts through the hallways only just begun, and there’s no positive path, and really only time or even theatre are heard, with saying where it will go. The chance can tell if by these Houses we are students chanting House names for problems still undoubtedly divided to fall, or if they allow us occasionally. exists, and no amount of change to stand together even stronger The Billy Choi AIDS Penny can get rid of that fact, but the than before. Drive saw a massive increase in participation, breaking the goal cones trying to make it as fast by far this year, which many “Frosh Olympics,” from page 1 as possible to the end without people could credit at least a House while they did an event. dropping the egg. And the last portion of increased interest to These quadrants were athletics, one was the water balloon toss the House points associated with academics, campus ministry, and in which a pair of students would the various drives. activities. continue to toss a water balloon The rochambeau tournament Some of these events included until the water balloon broke. through the hallways between athletics, like doing as many Finally, the last and most mentor groups and Houses was pushups as possible in a certain important part in Frosh Olympics one of the most energy filled events amount of time. Another area is the tug a war. This offers the I’ve experienced at Riordan in my was in campus ministry, where most points and can help the last past four years here. The truth is students attempted to answer place team jump to first place. that despite personal preference, questions about Catholicism. In the end, Cana faced off against differences, or even willingness The second part of Frosh Bolts. After several minutes of to participate in school activities, Olympics was more of a team pulling, Cana won, and with that it’s hard to resist the urge to effort, while the first part was took first place in both the Frosh cheer when you hear so many more for individuals. These Olympics and the standings. people screaming as well. It’s like team activities included tossing The results were: Cana, 117; supporting the Giants when they a medicine ball across to one Bolts, 104, Pilar, 97; Russi, 92. win a World Series, it’s hard to another until they reach the end When Cana won, the celebration resist bandwagoning even just a and running it back as many times was wild, with all Cana House little bit. The House system gives as possible. There was a human members holding up the Frosh something for Crusaders to rally ring toss in which students tried Olympics trophy and showing off behind and at least for me, I am throwing a hula hoop around the to the other houses that they won willing to respond to that call and Crusader mascot. this and that they had bragging suggest others do as well. I believe There was also an egg race in rights for this year’s Frosh most will quickly find that it’s which students weaved through Olympics.

The scariest part about these problems is that if enough of them arise, everything the House system creators worked hard to build could suddenly collapses. If a House dominates, other Houses lose faith in ever being able to come back, and might simply give up. Games that once were a necessity to go to for House points can become meaningless and a waste of time for many. Rallies and House vs. House competitions can come off as “stupid” or “rigged.” The dangers are almost equal to the benefits. The truth is that the success of the House system really relies on how well the system is executed and maintained. Thankfully for Riordan, so far it seems to be working out well. Sure, some students may be unhappy with the system or drew unlucky and got in a different House than their friends, but things like that will happen no matter what. It’s important to not take small incidents like that and apply them to the system as a whole to avoid discrediting it. Still, for the most part the House system is succeeding. While some might have disagreed at the beginning of the year, the morale of the students has risen to new

By Chris Peterson ’18 At Archbishop Riordan, for the past couple of years we have had uniform changes. The most noticeable ones being the change of Riordan formal sweaters and recently, the new pants policy. In my opinion the “policy” put into effect wasn’t well implemented, nor thought out at all. It’s understandable that as a private school, our uniforms are supposed to be consistent, however the pants that are offered are simply inadequate. Not only that, but the lone fact that this policy has not been enforced until now is simply unacceptable. Of course students wearing drastically different colored pants will get written up, but now there are other students who aren’t wearing the “school approved” pants getting in trouble as well. What I suggest the administration should have done is just checked uniforms more thoroughly, rather than wasting parent’s money who are already paying a monthly tuition. Right now, the problem is escalating, rather than being fixed. It’s like trying to fix one problem, but in the end it creates another. This was pointed out to

me by Harvey Sampson ’19 who said, “It’s a stupid waste of money. There’s no checks and it’s lazy regulations.” It’s especially cruel for the administration to have seniors, who only have one year left, to pay for completely new pants just because they aren’t a certain brand sold at the Prep Shop. Nick Oshita ’18 said perfectly, “It’s unfair for seniors because they have been wearing their own pants for so long.” When talking about this problem to students it became very clear what their position is. It’s poorly thought out and not executed correctly. As said perfectly by Henry Novicki ’18, “The pants (policy) is a misuse of time and energy for our school. The problem isn’t the pants themselves, it’s how it’s written in the handbook.” In the handbook it wasn’t clear at all in the rules, until recently. It said, “correct fitting khaki colored khaki pants.” Such a broad statement does not properly capture the true strictness of these newly implemented rules. This pants policy needs to be fixed in order for an effective and reasonable resolve to be reached.

4 Campus News

Fall 2017

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Welcome to Riordan, Principal Reardon!

By Chang Liu ’18 Over the summer, Timothy Reardon became the new principal of Archbishop Riordan High School. Reardon grew up in San Francisco and attended St. Cecilia, and then went onto St. Ignatius. After graduating from St. Ignatius, Riordan took his talents to Notre Dame where he played college baseball. He graduated from Notre Dame with a Bachelor’s Degree in American Studies. He returned to the Bay Area and earned a Master’s in Secondary Education from San Francisco State University. Afterwards, he returned to his Alma Mater and coached boys’ varsity basketball for eight years, and taught English. Reardon’s claim to fame is that Muhammad Ali watched him box. As an amateur boxer in the “Bengal Bouts,” an annual student boxing tournament that helps fund Holy Cross Missions in Bangladesh, India, Reardon was

the runner-up that year. In adidtion, he has written two critically-acclaimed books, Shadow Lessons (2010) and Part of the Game (2014). For the near future, Reardon plans to visit all the classrooms and meet all the teachers to get a sense of the culture at Riordan. He has enjoyed accompanying the Admissions staff on their eighth grade school visits. He was really looking forward to the football game against St. Ignatius where the Crusaders took down the Wildcats at Kezar Stadium. Lastly, he wants to encourage students to try everything that the school provides, by getting involved and contributing to the school community. His main piece of advice for students is that he does not want them to walk across the stage during graduation and think that they should have done something else or something more. He wants the students to have no regrets when they graduate from Riordan.

Photo by Jordan Jimenez ’16 Archbishop Riordan High School’s new principal, Tim Reardon.

President Currier hopes to carry on Riordan traditions

President Andrew Currier By Roman Peregrino ’18 2017 has been a year full of change at Archbishop Riordan High School. There have been schedule changes, teacher changes, uniform changes, and the institution of the new House System, just to name a few. However, one of the biggest changes has been largely behind the scenes, yet has important implications. This is the hiring of Riordan’s new president, Andrew Currier. It was a long and winding road for Currier to join the Riordan community. He was born on the island of Sitka, Alaska, where his father was stationed as a rescue pilot for the Coast Guard.

Riordan had a job available, he jumped at the chance. “When the Riordan president [position] became open I was very intrigued,” Currier said. “I had attended a Catholic all boys school [that was] very similar to Riordan [in Detroit]. So I was kind of excited to have that opportunity to apply and the incredible potential of the school drew me to it. The fact that we have a diverse student body both socioeconomically and demographically [helped]. And we have a great storied athletics program too. That combined with fine academic and fine arts programs made it very enticing.” Currier’s background made him enticing for Riordan as well. As Nina Russo, San Francisco’s Interim Superintendent said, Photo by Jordan Jimenez ’16 “[Currier] has a fine academic pedigree and proven ability to Born into a military family, he attract students and parents moved a lot as a child, but spent who want both a good Catholic most of his early life in Michigan, education and formation. Both and attended an all boys Catholic these qualities make him an high school in Detroit. He then excellent leader for Archbishop attended Grand Valley State Riordan High School.” University, where he received Many students and faculty his bachelor degree and played members agree. “He’s gonna bring baseball, and then Notre Dame new change to Riordan and put where he received his masters. us in a positive direction,” said Before Riordan, Currier Matthew Paul ’18 . “I believe he has had a long background in has what it takes to bring Riordan education. He was previously a back to number one.” Catholic grade school principal at “I really think he’s very two schools: St. Joseph’s Catholic approachable and friendly,” said School in Beltsville, Maryland Math Department Chair Mary and St. Adalbert School in South Ann Datoc. “I know for a fact he Bend, Indiana. He was able to do is a true Catholic and that sets a good work and was happy in both good precedent for Riordan. He’s places, but when he saw that definitely a very good role model

for our young men. On the very first day, I knew it would be a good match for Riordan just because of his presence. He’s a good guy.” He is also placing high expectations on himself. “My real mission here is to serve the students, teachers, parent population and the whole community to ensure that Riordan education is the best possible education for our students. I want to make sure our student population and our teachers feel supported by the administration to do the important work that they need to.” He continued, “In terms of long term goals, I’d like us to fire on all cylinders. We want to see our academic program as good as it can be as well as athletics. Our fine arts program seems to be well polished already but we want to see continued success there. We also want to make sure that on a long term basis our teachers will have access to all the resources they need to do their job.” A favorite anecdote that teachers like to tell is the gift that Currier brought from his previous school. “A few years ago I bought an industrial popcorn maker for my teaching staff at my old school,” Currier said with a smile. So, they gave one to the ARHS staff. Moving forward, Currrier wants to get to know the students better. For any student who sees him, he said, “I try to make a point to greet people as we go past. Please, if you have questions or want guidance, come to my office.”

Fall 2017

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Campus News

5

Jackson’s long, winding educational road ends with diploma By Roman Peregrino ’18 May 27, 2017 was a day of goodbyes. The class of 2017 came together as classmates for one final time on graduation day. However, it was also a day of welcome backs. An old face returned to deliver the commencement speech and received a diploma of his own. Larry Jackson’s return trip to Archbishop Riordan was long and winding. Larry Jackson entered Riordan in 1994. For the beginning of his high school career, Jackson was a 4.0 student. He was a member of the cross country and track teams, lettering for three years. In 1998, six weeks before he was set to graduate, Jackson was asked to leave. “When I was asked to leave, I had an exploding career in the music business. At that time, there was no Instagram, no Snapchat, no Pandora, none of the internet outlets that have segmented the market. KMEL (where Jackson was working as on-air personality and producer) was hugely popular and had the number one mindshare. I had the opportunity to really be at the helm and forefront of the station.” “Unfortunately, it was also in a competition for my mindshare. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy Riordan, it’s that I saw a clear path about the rest of my life, and [I feel] like I had to pursue it. My grades suffered, I think I had a 1.8, and I wasn’t showing any effort. They had to deal with me in a disciplinary way. They actually did me a great favor, as this was one of the greatest lessons in my life. In this pivotal time, I had to jump out of a plane without a

Photo by Victoria Terheyden Larry Jackson ’98, with his parents Larry Sr. and Ida Jackson. parachute and I had to succeed and Leona Lewis, along with the with my career.” production of songs for Whitney Jackson continued working at Houston, whom he describes as KMEL, and then began to rise “one of the best people I’ve ever up through the ranks of music worked with,” and Drake, “the producers and A&R (Artists and best of the best.” Repertoire) performers. As his With a burgeoning music star began to rise, Apple brought career, and an ugly end to his him on in 2014, where eventually time at Riordan, it may seem like became head of original content a surprise that Jackson would for Apple Music. Apple has proven return to Riordan. However, to be a special place for Jackson. Jackson was happy to, as not “My time at Apple has been graduating became one of his beyond educational. It’s the best greatest regrets in life. graduate school you could ever go “Returning to Riordan was so to for lessons. It has been rich and emotional and moving,” Jackson educating, and the people there said. “When I was thrown out before are the best at what they do in the graduating, [I let] my parents world,” he said. down and myself down. It scarred His time there gave him me, and was still something that influence in the entertainment I always thought about—as a realm, as on Billboard’s recent fixation, an obsession. So, it was Power 100, Jackson and his extraordinarily emotional for me associate Bozoma Saint John to come back. I am so thankful to were named number 67. the administration for doing this, Apple has also given Jackson my thanks is abundant.” an opportunity to work with some It took a team effort to to bring amazing artists like doing the him back. “A couple of Larry’s A&R work for Jennifer Hudson classmates, Carlos Koustas and

Donald Strickland, introduced us to Larry,” Development Director John Ring said. “I flew down to Los Angeles with our former Alumni Director, Marc Rovetti ’87, and we met with Larry and Carlos at Larry’s home in Beverly Hills. We had a great meeting and Larry told us his story, the impact Riordan has had on his life, his ups and downs in the music industry, and lessons learned along the way.” Ring continued, “It meant a lot to bring Larry back to campus. It is a terrific story about perseverance and redemption and Larry has brought positive attention to the school through his groundbreaking work at Apple Music. It was an added bonus to see Larry receive his diploma in front of his parents, Ida and Lawrence Sr.” Several Riordan graduates appreciated that Jackson came back and talked to them. Class of 2017 Valedictorian Athan Cheng, said, “Larry Jackson is the perfect example that success is the best revenge, [even though] he wasn’t even going for that. He wasn’t interested in proving everybody else wrong. He just wanted to move forward, and that’s what I’ll be doing, too.” That is the message Jackson wanted to leave behind. “There is no predesignated path, because that is what society tells you to take. It is much richer to follow your gut, your heart, your instincts, your inner compass. The point that I wanted to make was to think about [your path] now, to pursue it now, to go down the road less travelled. If someone had told me that when I was 17, I would have felt a lot less nervous. I wanted to be an example that I wish I had at that age.”

RIP to a Riordan legend: Remembering Tyrone McGraw By Keven Ariel Muñoz ’18 After a long battle against cancer, Tyrone McGraw ’06 passed away peacefully this past summer with his girlfriend by his side. He was diagnosed in 2014 with a rare cancer, a tumor had grown the length of his neck. Even with the illness, he managed to speak to the Riordan Class of 2016 at their graduation and gave them words of inspiration. He was a role model, a leader, an inspiration. McGraw was a student athlete with a 3.9 unweighted GPA by the time of his graduation from Riordan. He was his class valedictorian as well as a sports legend, setting records on the football field and the track. Ultimately, he graduated with honors from Stanford University in 2012. At Stanford, he played Varsity football for two years and ran for the track team for four years. His teachers and friends always

praised him for his driven personality to keep working harder even if all odds were against him. He was raised in the BayviewHunters Point District of San Francisco where his mother, a nurse, tried to give him a Catholic education so he would not be as exposed to the district’s bad reputation. He was born with crack cocaine in his blood system and lost his mother at 14-years-old. Four months later, his godfather, and legal guardian, also passed away. But he kept fighting through the tragedies and continued to live with his godmother. McGraw told The San Francisco Chronicle, “I’m most definitely a lucky guy.” He continued his good work by teaching at the Urban Prep Charter Academy for Young Men at the Southside of Chicago and later came back home to get judicial experience from Judge

Thelton Henderson and Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court, Ron George. This was followed by an internship at the White House under former President Barack Obama. “He was the only student that I ever taught that I thought could become the president of the United States if he wanted to,” said Valerie O’Riordan, Riordan Drama Director. His girlfriend, Mayte Sanchez, who stood by him in his last days, was the main organizer for a memorial in his honor in Lindland Theater in early July. The 1,200-seat theater was filled that day with family, friends, and his fellow Crusader Brothers, past and present. “He represented what we should all strive to be when we profess to be good people,” said Kim Loder,

English teacher. “He was humble, kind, generous, compassionate, and to the very end, he was a warrior and gentleman—living his life to help others and never wanting to call attention to himself.”

6 Campus News

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Fall 2017

Hidden figure under gym floor revealed during refurbishing By Julian Castillo ’19 In the 1970s, the sounds of Abba were being blasted and lava lamps lit up Sherbert posters hung on teenage girls’ walls. But more importantly, the Riordan Gym, or “Crusader Forum” was being refinished. The old gym floor was created on top of a hardwood, concrete and cork mixture. At the center of this concrete jungle was a cartoon Crusader logo created by graphic designer and grandfather of current Social Sciences teacher, Jeff Isola ’98. During the construction of the floor, there was no roof on Crusader Forum, so rain seeped through and ruined the base of the floor. With a ruined basis, they had to construct a new floor over the one they had, because they had run out of funds. With the construction of the

floor that year, a piece of Riordan history was hidden away for years, existing only as a rumor or myth to those who witnessed it. Sean Mullins ’19 said, “This is a really interesting topic that would be a cool thing to preserve for later generations as a sort of memento, as the first logo to the Crusader Forum, that was never seen.” Fast forward to 2017, the Isola name still echoes in the halls of Riordan, Abba is a meme, and lava lamps are a health hazard. Also, no one knows who the Sherberts are (Google them). Yet again, Crusader Forum is being renewed. With the refinishing of the floor, it had to be destroyed, low and behold, the original forum logo greeted workers with the classic Crusader smile.

Photo by Jeff Isola ’98 A hidden treasure was discovered under the gym floor: a painting dating back to the 1970s.

Pants policy creates khaki conundrum By Tomas Palpallatoc ’18 Along with a few other rules this year, the policy for pants was also changed. A simple yet frustrating change for many, students are now required to wear a specific brand of khaki specified by the school. The rule is not a new one, but more accurately, a more strictly enforced one. These khakis are sold online, at specific school uniform stores around the San Francisco area, and eventually at the Riordan Prep Shop itself. They come in all sizes, but only one style and color. The goal, as Dean of Students Juan Zumbado ’98 stated it in a video interview on the recently changed school rules, “Is to make it (the rules) more streamlined, make it easier for the teachers...to get rid of the khaki colored jeans, the Ben Davis…” For many years, the rules on what pants were allowed to be worn were specified to be khakis, but as the enforcement lessened, following the rule became much more ambiguous. Khaki colored jeans, even specific types of khaki colored sweatpants were being worn by students. This rule change was in response to that trend. By streamlining it to one color, it will make it easier to be checked by teachers, Zumbado, and staff alike. Now, they simply check the shade of a student’s khaki. For many students, however, this new rule is troublesome.

“It makes sense, but I feel like it’s unnecessary having students buy all these new pants, especially with all the seniors going out this year,” said senior Miguel Cortes. It can feel like a waste of money, not only for seniors, but for many students who already had sets of khakis from previous years or perhaps even bought in preparation for this year. Still, there has been an attempt to balance these changes, with special provisions made for certain students.

On a few occasions, there have been allowances for a specific pair of pants if a student for some reason could not buy new ones. There was help given to those who had trouble buying or ordering the pants, and even in some cases, Zumbado has personally given out pairs of pants to students who needed them. “The very first time you do anything,” Zumbado also said in his interview, “the first year of

anything, obviously is not easy for that first year of students who have to do it. But that’s the reason we did it.” It was a change that the administration felt needed to be made. While it may seem to be a difficult for some now, in the future, the administration hopes it will pay off for teachers and students alike.

Photo by Chris Peterson ’18 At left, an example of nonuniform khaki pants, and on the right, uniform compliant pants.

Fall 2017

Campus News

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

7

Riordan’s name change shows religious spirit

Class of 1989 graduate was instrumental in adding ‘Archbishop’ to school name

By Thomas Prudden ’18 During the mid 1980s, and long before, “Riordan High School” was known as just that: Riordan, whereas Sacred Heart and Saint Ignatius were known as San Francisco Catholic schools. Some unfamiliar with the school thought it was a public or private school, but not Catholic. So in 1989 Derrick Kualapai who graduated as student body president, wanted to add “Archbishop” to the name of the school. The high school is named after the second Archbishop of San Francisco, Archbishop William Patrick Riordan. Kualapai made his case to Fr. William O’Connell who was the principal at the time, saying, “I pleaded my case how I thought adding the name ‘Archbishop’ would be the beginning of a new brand name and give the prestigious quality that the school was lacking.” No vote taken nor a committee formed to take this into account. “Fr. O’Connell believed in the vision I had for the school, its reputation, and the future of Crusader Pride,” Kualapai said. “After my graduation in May of 1989, Fr. O’Connell announced the school would be adding Archbishop to the name Riordan

Photo by Roman Peregrino ’18 Derrick Kualapai ’89 stands in front of the school’s official name, which he orchestrated. High School, thus becoming Archbishop Riordan High School. The first change was the school letters on the front of the school building facing Phelan Avenue.” “The name change is significant to me because it is the legacy I left behind as a then young visionary for the school,” Kualapai ’89 said. “Adding Archbishop to the name really reflects our heritage, which is being named after the second Archbishop of San

Francisco, Archbishop (William Patrick) Riordan,” said math teacher Ottilie Valverde, who was a teacher before, during, and after the name change. English teacher Michael Vezzali-Pascual ’88, who was a student before the change, and a teacher after it, said, “There is no big difference. I largely see the same spirit and character we had. That’s why I am here.” Since the change happened

almost 30 years ago, many students never knew of the school’s former name. “I did not know that there was a name change, but I’m glad it was changed because the name gives a whole new meaning to the school,” said Noah Yamsuan ’18. Physical Education teacher Liam Watters said, “I think the name change helps us focus more as a high school.”

New program engineers school’s future By Kabir Samra ’18 This year, Riordan built off last year’s successes of the creation of the new Fabrication Laboratory by creating a new four-year engineering track for the freshmen. The program was created to give Riordan a strong STEM curriculum that has access to the newest technologies and practices being used in the industry. This has been part of the nationwide expansion of science, technology, engineering, and math. STEM allows students to learn about academic and intellectual concepts while also practicing skills that are both practical, and fun to learn. William Marrafao, head of the STEM program at Archbishop Riordan High School, along with Jordan Hart, provides support to help build the curriculum. This program currently has 18 freshmen who meet every B Day for their class. With frequent classes over the next four years

Photo by Chris Peterson ’18 Engineering students compare designs during class. at Riordan, the students will be able to steadily build their skills and be ready to enter the competitive tech world when they graduate. The regular Fabrication Laboratory classes have students across all four classes for those not in the program.

Marrafao explained, “Without the program the Makerspace and all the infrastructure that was built one year ago, it would not be possible to run a program of this caliber.” This program teaches app, web, and video game development

from start to finish. To do this, they utilize the 18 new Mac desktops, a laser cutter, four 3D printers, and a Computer Numeric Control (CNC) machine. Matthew Candler ’21, said, “My favorite part of the program is to be able to learn to use the tools and technology for any projects we want. I want to be able to take the skills I learn here past high school and into college so I can build a career and my life around STEM. This program at Riordan is the perfect place for me to learn and enhance my skills.” In order to facilitate more classes in the future, more space will be needed to provide the facilities for all four classes at once. Riordan has embraced the future of technology and, once again, is preparing students to enter into the increasingly technology dependent world with the skills they need to distinguish themselves from the competition.

8 Campus News

Fall 2017

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

New school staff starts year strong

Julia Balistreri

Paul Cronin

By Sebastian Fazio ’18 Julia Balistreri is a new chemistry and conceptual physics teacher at Riordan. She used to teach at Saint Ignatius, but now proudly wears purple and gold! Balistreri came to Riordan in hopes of a new, energy filled, environment and according to her Riordan did not fall short. “I am always kept on my toes by the ridiculously large array of personalities here.” Paul Cronin ’93, the new Director of Alumni and Donor Relations, is an alumnus of Riordan as well. Before returning to Riordan, he worked with a Costar Group in the Real Estate industry. He was a Senior Manager and watched over Inside Sales and Digital Marketing groups. Cronin hopes to strengthen alumni relations from consistent alumni activity. His end goal is to boost alumni involvement, participation, and funding here at Archbishop Riordan High School.

Thomas Harlan

Roberta Havens

Before Riordan, Thomas Harlan ’08 was a professional pitcher with the Pittsburgh Pirates and a field engineer with United Airlines. He had always wanted to teach and as a Riordan alumnus, the school was a perfect fit. At Riordan, Harlan works in the weight room with sports teams, teaches anatomy and physiology, and coaches baseball. He hopes to bring a competitive spirit and a lot of Riordan pride, while bettering himself as a coach of the freshman baseball team. Tier 2 Coordinator for Freshmen, Roberta Havens, is from Southern California, and has taught in the Los Angeles Archdiocese, Oakland diocese, and San Francisco Archdiocese. For the last three years, she worked at St. Philip the Apostle Grammar School as the learning specialist for grades K-8. Havens said, “I value the learning experience you get from attending a single sex school environment. I was the Dean at Our Lady of Loretto High School in Southern California, and taught at St. Pius X High School, and I knew one day I would go back to teaching.”

Class of 2021: Biggest class in 20 years By Zachary Phillips ’20 Riordan just admitted the biggest class since 1997. The class of 2021 has 204 students. This was considered a huge win for the Knights, the Admissions Department, and the school overall. Sally O’Connell, admissions assistant, said, “We did a better job in explaining the spirit of Riordan.” This can also be good to hear for the regular student body because it means students are doing a good job demonstrating the Riordan spirit in their everyday school lives. One of the big factors in the new large class is the success of the Knights of Riordan. Jules

Mulwa ’20, a current Knight, discussed the plans for the Class of 2022, saying, “We will work on improving our social media presence, especially on Instagram and Snapchat. We want to use it as an interactive and fun resource for Crusaders for a Day and other people interested in our school to learn more about it.” Benjamin Lau ’21 talked about the unique feel or vibe Riordan has. “Not only are we the only all boys school in SF, but everyone is kind.” This big addition of students to Riordan can be interpreted as an amazing sign for Riordan’s future. If this continues it could open up many opportunities for the school and its students.

Joshua Keeney Leslie Roberts

Recommend to Riordan by former chaplain Fr. Cameron Faller, Joshua Keeney is a new sophomore and freshman theology teacher. He had been studying at a seminary learning to be a Catholic priest, and now hopes to bring a faith-filled presence, hopeful disposition, and charitable environment to encourage students to remain engaged with the material. New counselor, Leslie Roberts, has 10 years of teaching and in 2011 she completed her Graduate Certificate program in College Admissions and Career Planning at UC Berkeley. She then went on to be the college counselor at SOTA and finally worked for her own private counseling practice. She attended Lick Wilmerdang High School and knew several Riordan students. As someone familiar with Riordan, Roberts was thrilled to take the opening here. She hopes to build on the college counseling program and help students achieve their academic goals.

Brandon Vaca

Before coming to Riordan to teach theology, Brandon Vaca was in graduate school at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, CA. While in school, he worked as a receptionist, research assistant, youth wrestling coach, building manager, and cashier. Before moving to California, he worked as a high school teacher at Xavier High School in Chuuk, FSM and at Red Cloud High School in Pine Ridge, SD. Vaca said, “I had heard great things about the Catholic schools in SF and was able to see first-hand how supportive the community is. I was excited to apply when I saw that there was a position open at ARHS.”

Fresh faces elected to serve Class of 2021 By Alexander Ruivivar ’20 With a busy start to the school year, the freshman House Captain elections were held on Sept. 14 and 15. Four candidates from the House of Cana, Pilar, Bolts, and Russi were elected as Frosh officers from their respective Houses. Joey Klobas ’08, the Student Activities Director, had positive reviews on this year’s winners. He said, “I expect them to bring a new look in the school and ideas haven’t thought of.” He added, “They add youthfulness and a fresh eye to events on campus.” There was one candidate running for Cana, Hayden Peregrino; two candidates for Pilar, JJ Trejeque and Ian DeVaynes; three candidates for Bolts, Anthony Rizo, Jorge Martinez, and Jonathan Torrea; three candidates for Russi, Brandon Lee, Carlos Valencia,

and Gabriel Santos. The winners were: Cana, Hayden Peregrino ’21; Pilar, J.J. Trejeque’21; Bolts, Jonathan Torrea ’21; Russi, Brandon Lee ’21.Brandon Lee said, “I felt nervous, but hope to do my best to win.” He added, “I will help our people and the community. I will bring a new view to the school and change for the better. I want happiness in this school.” This year’s election was tough, but the students are confident that the candidate they chose will represent each winner’s Houses well and with pride. Enaam Maqsood ’21, a member of the Russi House, said, “I feel confident that he will represent my house well.” Klobas said, “I am looking forward to having new members; new blood that will benefit our Parliament.”

Fall 2017

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Campus News

9

Cafeteria changes stir flavorable reactions from students By Ian Martin ’20 The new 2017 school year kicked off with some noticeable changes to the beloved cafeteria, Chaminade Hall, and the scrumptious food served there. The old line in the cafeteria was located on the left-hand side of the cafeteria towards the front, but is now located in the middle area of the cafeteria. In the past, students complained, saying that it takes 20 to 30 minutes just to get to the front of the line so the lines now snake through the cafeteria, making them more organized. “The lines were definitely worse at the beginning of the year, but we’ve changed them to be more efficient,” stated Juan Zumbado ’98, Dean of Students. Manager Yosef Plotkin said that they have been timing the lines both this year and last year, and the average time to get through the line last year was around 18 minutes, while this year the average is about 12 minutes. Now, there are two ice cream bins now for students to have a frozen treat to warm their hearts. The ice cream has already been a

hit, and the cafeteria has run out of ice cream multiple times since its debut. Nicholas Yee ’20 said, “The ice cream has been very helpful due to the recent hot weather.” Plotkin said, “We’ve been asked not to sell ice cream during Munch because kids are going to class eating ice cream, and making a mess.” The quality of food has changed a bit too, as the pizza looks and tastes different and there is more than one special going on at a time. Epicurean used to buy pizza dough, but this year they make it themselves. They’re also waiting on two more flat screens that will show menus as well as images of food. Head Chef Eddie Hunter said,
“We’re trying to make restaurant quality food at a high school so kids can go out to eat dinner and say, ‘My high school has better food than this’.” Tomizo Callejas ’20 stated, “I have enjoyed the food more compared to last year because

Photo by Henry Novicki ’18 One new item includes a stand with cookies, chips, pastries, and fruit. it tastes more fresh, it isn’t cold, and they have a variety of drinks.” New flat screen T.V.s have been installed in the cafeteria above the main food station. “The screens will be used as menu displays in the future,” said Zumbado.

Many students are wondering why the cafeteria needed to be changed because it was fine the way it was. Zumbado said, “Changes had to be made to help Epicurean with their new equipment, like the pizza oven.”

ARHS Clubs get on board Location, location, location! to revitalize bulletin boards New offices for five staff members By Steven Rissotto ’20 Every new school year comes along with a new change to the school itself and this year, the bulletin boards in the hallways were newly adopted and designed before Back to School Night for the 2017-18 school year. New Principal Tim Reardon said the change was prompted by “the fact that they were sitting the same way for so long. The change signifies there’s a lot going on around school.” The boards were restructured with new paper, new borders, and of course, new pictures. The paper and designs from previous years started to show wear and tear after a few years, and were calling out for help. Many clubs and activities have their own board. Notably, near the elevator on the first floor is a board for the awardwinning Riordan Band, updated with brand new pictures and displays. In reference to the amazing work now displayed on their board, Reardon said, “I was

shocked to find out that most of our band students haven’t played an instrument before coming here.” Upstairs, directly above the band board, there is the case for the Riordan newspaper, The Crusader, where there are numerous awards, sample papers, and information about club meetings. The most notable addition to the new boards is the House System and student parliament display on the first floor. The names of every student government member are listed by House. When students look up, they’ll see the different Houses and different logos to go along with the names. Student Parliament has big plans to move the House System’s bulletin boards into the cafeteria to display the House points for everyone in the school to see while enjoying food or working on homework. RSP Coordinator Chanel Nijmeh said, “The goal of the bulletin boards is to get the kids involved in activities and clubs and to make the campus look good.”

By Steven Rissotto ’20 The new school year is well underway, and five members of Riordan’s faculty and staff are serving their first full year in a new office space for the 2017-18 school year. Student Activities Coordinator Joey Klobas ’07 is now located in the back of school, right next to the Prep Shop, where his doors are always open for students to come through, pick out candy, and hang out with him in his new, spacious office. Dean of Community Life Catherine Mifsud-Heller changed offices from Klobas’ new office in the parking lot all the way inside the main building near the finance office. Klobas said, “The foot traffic was better at my old office, but now I get to see students only when I’m supposed to, and it makes it easier.” Admissions Associate Sally O’Connell’s office got a wall constructed to give her more of an office space in the Admissions Department.

Alumni Director Paul Cronin ’93 moved into the office near the second staircase in the side hallway, which many people recognize as Klobas’ former office. Cronin looks to round up all the former Crusaders from his brand new office, and remind current students that once they leave Riordan, they can still be a part of the community. President Andrew Currier is one of the new additions to the Riordan family, and his new office is near the counseling wing on the right side. The office is stacked with brand new furniture and personal pictures hanging up on the walls. One of Currier’s favorite new additions is a typewriter on his desk, approximately from the 1970s. With his new office, he left behind a view of a large cathedral church for a view of beautiful San Francisco. Currier looks forward to helping to lead the Riordan family in his roomy new office. Currier said, “It’s half the size of my former office and I love it. My last office was old fashioned. This room is very comfortable.”

10 Campus News

Fall 2017

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Penny Drive paves way for philanthropy By Aidan Murtagh ’20 From Aug. 28 to Sept. 7, Archbishop Riordan High School held its annual AIDS Penny Drive to raise money for those who have fallen victim to the deadly disease. This year, the school raised money especially in the memory of Billy Choy ‘06 who died last year after a lifelong battle with AIDS. Many circumstances about this year’s Penny Drive were different from previous years. To begin with, two new moderators, science teacher Julia Balistreri and theology teacher Joshua Keeney, led the penny drive with help from the Core Service Team and LIFE Team, as Balistreri and Keeney, new faculty members, were still getting used to their roles in the school and how it operates. Furthermore, the House System played a huge role in this year’s Penny Drive, affecting the amount of money that was donated in a big way. One way the donations were affected was through the ability to sabotage other houses’ scores through donating coins. Because of this feat, $752.80 in coins alone were donated to support the cause of the drive. In addition, the ability to

sabotage fostered healthy competition while at the same time supported a charitable cause. Many people believed that the new House System gave a revitalized and refreshing twist to the drive, and students also thought that it gave the drive a competitive edge and a turn for the better. Unfortunately, for one house the points were announced halfway through the Penny Drive, and after the House of Pilar had been announced as the leaders of the race, they were hit pretty hard. Almost $300 in coins was donated in just Pilar’s bin alone (and had to be counted by hand). Many people were thrilled about this year’s AIDS Penny Drive, and Balistreri said it was “a great introduction to the school.” Riordan crushed the goal for this year and the record set last year. With the way donations have been looking, upcoming charity events look to benefit from this upsurge in generosity. One aspect about the drive that felt lacking, however, was capturing the essence of who the drive was for. Since it was the beginning of the year and things

Photo by Joshua Keeney Alexander Vallecillo ’18 and Caelan Bevan-Abel ’19 count coins collected.

New items in Prep Shop

Annual Giving Day gives much to many By Aidan Murtagh ’20 Last May, Archbishop Riordan hosted a day when people were encouraged to donate to the school to support campus beautification. That day, known as Giving Day, is a way to engage new and frequent donors alike to come together and support the school. This year’s Giving Day raised $65,285, and Philip Cazahous ’70, a member of the Board of Trustees, donated $25,000 as a matching grant, showing the great gratitude he has for the school and teachers. The donors had the option to dedicate their donations to teachers that they remember as mentors or ones who had a positive influence on them. For example, a Riordan parent who donated said, “We appreciate the entire Archbishop Riordan family, but particularly want to recognize

were just lifting off the ground, those who organized the drive thought that they did not get to fully explain why Billy Choy was being commemorated. Despite his condition, which had plagued him since birth, Billy Choy always had a smile on his face and looked to help others before himself. Because of his inspirational attitude, the moderators felt that Billy Choy would promote other people to support his cause. However, the story of Billy Choy was not fully explained to the students, which was the only part of the drive that some felt could have been better. In regards to the overall success of the drive, Balistreri said, “I am proud of this school. Every person stepped up whether in the sake of competition or for Billy Choy.”

coach, teacher, and mentor, Benny Willers, for his dedication, constant effort, and benefit, to our young men.” Another parent simply donated “in the honor of Juan Zumbado.” Giving Day reminded the school that they create a great community that allows alumni to give back to their school in a show of appreciation for what it gave to them. Director of Communications Victoria Terheyden, said, “It was great to see the Riordan community come together, to honor our great teachers, past and present, and support the school.” This year’s successful Giving Day opens the door for more donations and support, and because the community comes together for a common cause, more success is yet to come.

By Michael Kay ’18 This school year, the Riordan Prep Shop has many new items, including a Riordan Rubik’s Cube, which costs $20, a new tank for $10, a black and yellow baseball jacket for $120, new ladies jackets, with prices ranging from $35 to $68, and much more. Also, there is a new spirit shirt, designed by Panote Nuchprayoon ’18. The white shirt with the Crusader on it has been flying off the shelves, as nearly everyone is wearing it. The new student designed shirts will be coming into the Prep Shop soon. Student Activities Director Joey Klobas ’07 said in regards to the idea of house hoodies that he “would be down for house hoodies, [but] they would have to be student designed, of course.” Paul Stevens ’08 said that the Ron Isola bobble heads “have gotten a lot of compliments. A

Photo by Marco Aguirre-Celi ’21

few people have suggested that we make bobble heads of other teachers.” Klobas said teacher bobble “would be pricey, because a certain number of them must be bought. Like for the Ron Isola bobble heads, we had to buy a huge number of them, which is why we have so many left over.” New brands that are making appearances on new apparel include Sports Tech, East Bay, Nike, Port Authority. Another new item in the Prep Shop is a Riordan umbrella, which costs $35. This may not have seemed useful a month ago, especially during the heat wave, but once winter starts, students, parents, and teachers will go looking for them.

Fall 2017

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Campus News 11

No fog machine needed at first outside dance By Miguel Mijares ’18 When describing an event, there are many words available: fun, boring, exhilarating, or dry. When describing the first Riordan dance, no negative comments come to mind. "We thought it was a lot of fun,” said Karina Sanchez ’18 of Balboa High School. “The music was really good, everyone was so energized, and I think it showed a lot of school spirit.” "I believe the dance was a success,” said Joey Klobas ’07, Student Activities Director. “We had about 650 students at the dance. This dance is going to be hard to top because it was a tent outside, something we might never have again.”

Klobas added, “There was a certain point where I was just so exhausted, so I went up on the DJ table and instantly got revitalized after seeing all the fun the students were having. My job is to see everyone have fun and looking out at that crowd was just pure excitement, fun, and happiness. All the hard work was worth it.” “It was crazy and totally exceeded everyone’s expectations,” said Giovanni Mendoza ‘18, House of Pilar Divisional Captain. “Since we were gonna have it outside in a tent, many students didn’t believe the dance would be as fun or successful, but it was the total opposite. I saw that everyone had a good time and when we came

back to school the next week, everyone was talking about it.” With the reconstruction of the gym, Riordan opted to move the first dance into the parking lot and that turned out to be a great idea, according to many who attended. With a bigger space, came more room for dancing and other activities. Student Parliament added a video game section and provided students with free food and drinks for those tired of dancing. From start to finish, the dance floor was always filled with dancing. There was never a dry moment where people stopped dancing or booed the DJ, Big Geezy, who played a variety of music that suited the taste of all

the students on the dance floor. Riordan students were able to establish new connections with girls from different schools. The night was filled with lots of memories and good times. Every class showed immense school spirit, but the senior class showed the most. All the seniors were encouraging the other students to dance. They helped keep the dancing in check and kept the event from getting out of control. The majority of people said they completely loved the dance and they would come again. Riordan really out did themselves this year. Dean of Students Juan Zumbado ’98 said, “The dance was a success.”

Common Core creates cutting edge curriculum By Danilo Herger ’20 The California Board of Education has recently made a major change to the way curriculum is now being taught. In 2009, Common Core was just an idea. Now, it is being sprinkled in little by little in Language Arts and mathematics. Jay’sen Morris ’07, a math teacher and coach at Archbishop Riordan, said he has not made drastic changes to his teaching style yet, because he does not see major differences in the way students prepare for his class. As a former student of Riordan under the old system, he said he might struggle at first with Common Core, but would eventually adjust to it. Overall, he is happy that the board of education switched, because he thinks, “Common Core will prepare students to critically

think more.” Another math teacher, Mary Ann Datoc, who is also the department chair, said the change to Common Core had been made because of consecutive years of low test scores compared to other countries around the world. She also felt while under the old system, student capacities were not as high as they are today. Datoc adjusted her teaching style to be more project based, small group activity, more writing, and putting things in real life situations. Datoc said she would flourish in Common Core because, “In the old system you only have to follow the steps and solve. There is no why. Common Core relates to the real world, which causes problems to be more practical and easier to understand.” She elaborated on some of the

complications in the old system, like lectures and note taking, but in Common Core, she is happy to teach critically, especially with different types of assessments catered to students individual learning styles. Lastly, she is mostly happy for the switch to Common Core because she feels the students are grasping the concepts more. Datoc explained, “Students are remembering the activities in class more. Test scores are having better results because of this.” Noel Aleman ’20 found himself struggling to grasp the concepts in lectures, but now with projects he feels he can connect to problems in the real world. This connection helps him remember how to solve the problems on test day. When the lesson plan was to

take notes and listen to a teacher, he found himself trying to pay attention, and had difficulty. With projects, it opens up a line of communication between him and other students, while also being able to talk to the teacher more. English Department Chair Diana Assereto said she finds “the Common Core document is thorough, clear-cut, and easy for teachers to understand.” The new curriculum encourages students and teachers to focus more on non-fiction reading. Assereto said, “This change emphasizes composition skills, which is a key part of high school English.” Aleman said, “I feel like I can get better grades in Common Core, which will help me to succeed in life.”

Summer Reading . . . had me a blast By Ricardo Hernandez ’20 Summer reading is an assignment to keep students’ minds stimulated over the long break from school. During summers when students are away from school, they are not always using their minds in a productive way. The summer reading committee consisted of Diana Assereto, Mary Dalton, Robert Dalton, Susan Sutton, Michael Vezzali-Pascual from the English Department; Valerie O’Riordan from the Visual and Performing Arts Department; Librarian Danny Appel; and Dean of Academics Michael O’Brien. The committee felt like there

were too many selections so they cut it down, and organized the books into upper and lower divisions, fiction and nonfiction. They discussed creative ways for the students to spend time on the assignment, instead of limiting students to the trite book report. Instead, they made it possible to incorporate hand drawings, computer images, magazine clippings, slides shows, videos, ceramic pieces, and other artwork to represent students’ interpretations of the books. Freshman English teacher and Department Chair Assereto compiled a list of the books her students read, categorized by

Photo by Henry Novicki ’18 Some of the summer reading projects were displayed in the library. how popular they were. Number one on the list was “The Life Of Pi,” followed by “Time Machine,” “Chasing Lincoln’s Killer,” and lastly, “Mexican White Boy,” which was her favorite. The book, by Matt De La Pena, was so

enjoyable, she said, because of how it incorporated English and Spanish. Freshman Julian Neal liked “Undefeated” by Steve Sheinkin because he learned about the Pop Warner football origins.

12 Local News

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Fall 2017

Balboa Park BART Station enters next construction phase By John Regidor ’18 Since Feb. 29, 2016, the Balboa BART Station has undergone major renovations to improve the safety of riders as well as the overall look and feel of the BART station. BART had hoped to complete the construction by June of 2017, however, bad weather and other unseen reasons have somehow forced an almost threemonth delay. The Balboa Station Renovation is part of the city’s larger Balboa Park Station Area plan. This plan “provides a vision to connect, restore, and enhance the area” according to the City and county of San Francisco’s Planning Department. The city plans to implement a new Ocean Avenue Corridor Design, improve Balboa park, restoration of the Geneva Car Barn and Power House, as well as reconfigure the Phelan Loop. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s official website has stated that the Balboa BART Station renovations have the following objectives in mind: “To implement safety, accessibility, and transit improvements around the Balboa Park Station to enhance the customer experience in one of the region’s busiest multimodal facilities.” The renovation comes as no surprise as Balboa is the center of the one of the busiest transit

hubs, serving more than 24,000 people a day, according to San Francisco Municipal Transport Agency (SFMTA). This number will only continue to increase with the addition of new apartments on the former Balboa Reservoir. “From what I know, it’s other people who have to go there. It’s usually most people on the wrestling team. I think it’s a good thing that they are repairing the station, but bad because it’s during the school year,” Daniel Gerard ’19. BART aims to make the somewhat older station cleaner, safer and more appealing to riders. In order to achieve this, BART has made many changes. These changes include: sidewalk widening, expansion of already existing medians, red only transit lanes on Geneva Avenue, improved pedestrian crossing on Ocean Avenue, near I-280 on ramp, pedestrian lighting along the perimeter of the Balboa Park Station, a flashing beacon system on the I-280 Ocean Avenue offramp, relocation of the Overhead Contact System poles, additional signs around Balboa Park Station, American with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant curb ramps on Ocean and Geneva Avenue, resurfacing of Geneva Avenue between San Jose Avenue and

BART.gov The next phase in the Balboa BART construction has already begun. I-280, and finally, upgrading of traffic and train signaling systems. The renovation plan was proposed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 2009. This has served as the template for all development in the area. In October of 2012, the Balboa Park Station Capacity and Conceptual Engineering Study was completed in order to improve the station. Commuters are expected to encounter traffic delays, parking restrictions, bus stop relocations,

changes. General construction hours are between 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The SFMTA has stated that any major impacts and projects have been scheduled to “avoid disruption of weekday, peak hour congestion.” These inconveniences only add to the already congested Geneva Avenue, as LickWilmerding School has closed off a lane in order to accommodate pedestrians as it undergoes its own renovations.

BART clips cost for student commuters By John Regidor ’18 On Jan. 1, 2018, BART plans to implement a new Clipper card discount in order to make student costs cheaper and more reasonable. Teens from ages 13-18 have until Jan. 1 to make the switch to Clipper if the wish to receive a 50 percent discount on BART fares. In addition to the discount, BART will also be charging a 50-centseach-way surcharge for paper tickets. BART’s decision was not only to save the environment by reducing the amount of paper tickets being circulated, but they also hope to use this discount to reach out to teens who many not have the necessary funds required to take public transportation. In an interview conducted by BART Communications Intern Jiahao Huang, and Julia Yim, BART’s Customer Services Department Manager stated that “With this increase in ridership, BART hopes to instill a sense of independence in youth, to encourage environmentally friendly public transit use.”

With many schools opening their doors for the new school year, the BART discount comes as a relief to many. “In my opinion, a Clipper card is more efficient and beneficial rather than a standard Bart ticket. Inputting money every day to receive a regular Bart ticket is time taxing and potentially risks you missing your Bart train,” said Nikolo Gerodias ’18. As of Aug. 9, only 0.4 percent of the 68 percent of Clipper uses are taking advantage of the current youth discount. Previously, BART has offered a 50 percent discount for student riders in the form of an orange ticket. Students, ages 13-18 were eligible to receive these tickets only if their school was participating in this program. The new Clipper card discounts seek to solve the problems that arose because of non-participating schools as well as a limited surplus of orange tickets. Since everyone is able to purchase a Clipper card, the question of availability will no longer be an issue. Another advantage of the new

Clipper system is that it will be treated as a youth discount, rather than a student pass. A student pass can only be used Monday through Friday during the school year, though the definition of “school year” varies from school to school, while youth discounts can be used year-round. This means that

instead of only getting 50 percent off rides for a small portion of the year, students will be able to enjoy a huge discount year round. There are many ways to apply for a Clipper card, and the easiest and most common way is through the BART website. Other ways include visiting central BART stations, Walgreens and other participating retailers, Golden Gate and MUNI transit buildings

Photo by Stephen Blecha ’19 BART has three options for students: a Clipper card, regular fare ticket, or student ticket. and Clipper Customer Service centers. Despite these seemingly large discounts, some people say the the cost of taking BART, even with the 50 percent discount is still too much.

Fall 2017

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Local News

13

Pioneer Monument faces removal amid racism allegations By Owen Murphy ’19 Recent uproar over allegedly racist statues across the United States has reached San Francisco, as the Pioneer Monument has been targeted by a Facebook group demanding its removal. The offending statue, which sits between the Asian Art Museum and the Main Library, is one of the four surrounding a statue of Minerva, which depicts a Native American man lying prone before a Spanish missionary and a conquistador. The statue was erected as part of the Pioneer Monument, which was created to symbolize the pioneering spirit in California in 1894. In 1991, due to the planned construction of a new public library, the 800-ton monument was moved to its current location. Around this time, heated debate began over the sculpture’s degrading portrayal of Native Americans. Five years later, a compromise was reached that added a plaque to the statue, which better described the suffering experienced by the Native Americans. Even at the time, however, this compromise was not certain to appease the protesters, to quote the then President of the San Francisco Art Commission, Stanlee Gatti, “Retribution is not going to be granted by a plaque.” The current of opposition to the statue is largely a reaction to the recent events in Charlottesville and the decision of other cities across the United States to tear down Confederate statues. After the events in Charlottesville revealed the resurgence of white supremacist groups, state and city governments have begun the removal of offensive images, namely statues. Some of the Riordan faculty

Illustration by Owen Murphy ’19 The Pioneer Monument in San Francisco’s Civic Center is at the center of a removal controversy. has also seemingly pledged its Kevin Fordon, Social Science support behind the removal of the instructor, explained, “The statue statue. Multiple teachers agreed should be replaced with a more wholeheartedly with its removal, culturally sensitive depiction of claiming that the statue does not Native American people. It’s a represent San Francisco’s values little disturbing to see him in and culture. such a submissive position. He’s Chris Fern, the ARHS Social being looked down upon by these Science Department Chair, said, European Christians.” “It would be more representative The teachers were only slightly of the diversity and the reality of more divided upon the issue California’s history to have a new of the other statues across the statue built.” nation. Though all advocated for Other teachers similarly the removal of the Confederate advocated for the replacement statues, the reasoning and views of the statue, often with the new that accompanied the support statue representing the Native varied. The reasons ranged from American civilizations in a better the belief that society should not light. memorialize Confederates

who seceded from the Union, the need for sensitivity towards the African Americans who had been oppressed and enslaved, and the need to move the statues to more appropriate locations, such as museums, where they can be viewed with proper historical context. John Ahlbach, Social Science instructor, did not mince words regarding the statues. “I don’t care what kind of heroism they showed in war, what kind of a great general Stonewall Jackson was, there might have been some great Nazi generals too, but you don’t put a statue up to them.” The movement to remove the statue from the Pioneer Monument has plenty of support and the San Francisco Art Commission considered the proposal on Oct. 2. According to SFCurbed, “Arts Commission spokesperson Kate Patterson-Murphy note(d) that technically the commissioners did not vote on removal. Rather, the vote was ‘to initiate the review process described in Section 7 of the Guidelines of the Civic Art Collection of the City and County of San Francisco [...] to consider deaccessioning and/or removal of the ‘Early Days’ sculptural group of the Pioneer Monument,’ which may or may not lead to removal later.” SFCurbed also reported that “Commissioner Marcus Selby compared the Pioneer Monument to Confederate flags and statues in the deep south, saying, ‘I’m not going to let this happen here’ before casting his vote. The next full Arts Commission meeting was scheduled for Nov. 6, but as of this publication it is unclear as to whether the issue was on the agenda as it had not been posted yet.

Hit the snooze button! State Senate changes school start time New law will not affect ARHS’s enrichment courses By Brandon Vargas ’20 Starting school early or late can be both beneficial and detrimental to a student’s learning process. Senate Bill 328 states that on July 1, 2020, middle schools and high schools in California will be required to start a school day no earlier than 8:30 a.m. Michael O’Brien, Dean of Academics, said that Riordan will not be affected by this measure. Even if this Bill did affect private

schools, the average student would still start school at 9:00 due to the block schedule. The school would also be allowed to continue enrichment courses since they are considered “zero periods,” much the same as public schools have. In many instances, starting school later can be advantageous for a student. Math teacher Ottilie Valverde has enjoyed many years teaching at Riordan. She said, “They (students) are at

their best if they can go to bed later and get up later.” Typically, the more rest a student gets, the better he performs academically. While looking at the positive side of this change, Valverde is indifferent about it. She said, “Because of traffic, I don’t really care if it starts early or it starts later because I will come early; it takes me less time to get here.” On the other hand, some people

see issues with a later school start. Social Science department chair Christopher Fern said, “Some parents have to find different ways” to drop off and pick up their children at school. It may be more trouble for parents to change their usual routines.” Moreover, Claudel Garcia ’20 said, “… if you have a club or sport after school, then you would stay even later, limiting your hours to do homework at night.”

14 World News

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Fall 2017

United States-North Korea tensions heat up By Alexander Ruivivar ’20 After the suspension of the Korean War, the once unified Korea was divided into two countries: North Korea and South Korea. North Korea, under the protection of China and Russia, became a communist country, while South Korea became a capitalist country under the protection of the U.S. The border between the two Koreas is divided by the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). This divide has created tensions between the North Korean alliance with China and the alliance of South Korea and the United States. Today, tensions have dramatically increased between North Korea and America. The inciting incident of the crisis was when North Korea began testing their nuclear missiles in an effort to show their dominance, which prompted President Donald Trump and his administration to Tweet responses, which further escalated the tension. North Korea has threatened the United States and its allies: South Korea, Japan, and Guam, with missile strikes. In response to these threats, the United States has moved US naval carriers closer to the coasts of North Korea in order to defend its allies in the Pacific.

OtherWorldMap.com On Aug. 9, at a press conference, Trump said, “North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen… he has been very threatening beyond a normal state. They will be met with fire, fury and frankly power the likes of which this world has never seen before.” The already strained relations were made considerably worse

by the death of Otto Warmbier, an American college student who was visiting North Korea during the crisis. Rob Portman, an official involved in negotiations to secure the release of Otto Warmbier, said, “For 16 months they did not tell us that, in fact, he suffered severe brain damage. That’s how evil that regime is. So, it’s not a matter of propaganda. It’s a matter of telling the truth about the nature of that regime.” Many people are opposed to the escalation of conflict between North Korea and the United States. They reason that it will only cause more issues and problems to arise without solving any current issues. Chris Fern, the Social Studies Department Chair, said, “It’s obvious that the aggression between North Korea and the United States is negative. We should aim to strive for peace, so humanity can progress.” Kim Jong-Un can see what happened to Sadam Hussein and Omar Kadafi, and he’s going to want to hold onto his nuclear weapons as a deterrent to his being overthrown. Kim Jong-Un knows if he went to war with the United States he would lose and so he doesn’t want a war, but if he feels that he is being pushed to the brink, his survival instinct

could lead to a devastating war for the Korean Peninsula, the United States and our allies.” Fern added, “To resolve our issues with North Korea, we have to decrease tensions. It will work if we negotiate honestly. We don’t want to negatively affect other countries, so we don’t lose our allies.” Many South Koreans are also concerned about the conflict. Michael So, a theology teacher of South Korean descent, said, “There is not very much concern that North Korea will actually instigate an armed conflict. There is, however, concern about the threats and possible future actions of President Trump unbalancing the armistice on the Korean peninsula. There are concerns, therefore, not only about a return to military conflict in the future, but the work of rebuilding socially, politically, economically, etc. that will need to be done afterward as well.” The Tweet battles, the aggression between Trump and Kim Jong-Un, the death of Otto Warmbier, and the recent missile threats have increased tensions between the two sides and experts believe this can have a major global impact. Without finding solutions to resolve the international global affair, many fear it could lead to war.

Catalonia voters say ‘adéu’ to Spain By Vince Francisco ’19 Currently, Spain is in a domestic crisis after Catalans in the Catalonia region, near Barcelona, Spain, voted for independence. This soon lead to Spanish police obstructing the voting polls. The police allegedly beat voters with clubs, confiscated ballots, and tore down polls involving the referendum. This event descended into chaos as Catalans fought the police with equal force. Using the data from the polls, the Catalan government publicly stated that it deserves the right to secede from Spain after the votes showed that 90 percent of the overall total votes were in favor of independence. But, after the response from the police, the results went down to about 42 percent. On social media platforms such as Snapchat, users saw on the weekend of Sept. 31 to Oct. 1, a compilation of Spanish Snapchat users taking videos and photos of the event unfolding. One user’s video displayed a Catalan man being forced out of a voting poll, thrown to the ground, then beaten with a club all the while holding a ballot in his hand.

Another video had a Catalan woman beating a pan with a wooden spoon in rhythm with her neighbors, representing their desire to secede from Spain. The conflict stems as far back as the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s. One of the reasons for the previous war was full governmental independence because of dictator General Francisco Franco’s regulations to suppress the Catalan language. After his death in 1975, Spain transformed into a democracy, giving the Catalan government more independence, but not enough to function by themselves. At one point, the government considered giving Catalonia full autonomy, but when the proposal was vetoed by the Constitutional Court in 2010, tensions rose. At Riordan High School, two members of the community sympathized with the Catalans. John Ahlbach, ARHS religion teacher and humanitarian, said, “The Spanish government sending in police to beat people up for voting, whether they were going to allow [the referendum] or not, is about the stupidest thing a government could do.”

Creative Commons Independence supporters march with Catalan flags. Another member in the community of Riordan, senior Henry Novicki, stated, “I think you should let [Catalans] vote for independence. I mean you’re not a president of a democratic country if you’re not democratic, you know?” Similar responses came from people who knew of the crisis in Catalonia. Some responses even praised the Catalans for standing up for their cultural identity and their region. Mireya Boya, a Catalan

lawmaker who supports independence, announced that a Declaration of Independence would follow a session in parliament to evaluate the results of the Oct. 1. On Oct. 19, the Spanish government said it will suspend Catalonia’s autonomy and impose direct rule over the region. At press time, Catalonia officials surrendered in Belgium and are awaiting extradition, facing charges of rebellion.

Fall 2017

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

World News

15

Natural disasters storm nation, leaving path of destruction

By Harrick Wu ’19 An unusual number of active hurricanes have occurred since Aug.17, negatively impacting people living in the affected areas of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, and most recently, Ophelia. Hurricane Harvey mainly affected the people of Texas and Louisiana. It destroyed 100,000 homes, displaced 30,000 people, and killed an estimated 83 people, according to Business Insider. On Aug. 30, the Archbishop of San Francisco, Most Reverend Salvatore J. Cordileone, announced an event, “USCCB Hurricane Harvey Emergency Collections,” that was held on Sept. 9 and 10 to collect donations to support a nonprofit Catholic organization, Catholic Charities USA. Hurricane Irma mainly affected those living in Florida and some of the Caribbean Islands. According to Business Insider, it knocked out power, displaced people from their homes, and killed approximately 41 people. Hurricane Maria, was a Category 3 storm that killed 17 people in Puerto Rico and Dominica, according to Business Insider. Dan Donnelly, Director Office of Sponsorship, asked the people at the Riordan to donate to help a Marianist school, Colegio San José, in Puerto Rico. The Hurricane resulted in $1 million of water damage to the gym’s

roof, and a lack of clean water and fuel needed for people to resume a normal life. School Director, Bro. Francisco González, is concerned with the need for emergency financial aid for families that have been impacted and we pleaded with the Riordan community for help. “In other words: imagine if your parent/ guardian’s workplace was shut down or destroyed; they would have no way to pay your tuition!” Riordan’s Campus Ministry did not have drives for the student body determines which drives to focus on the year before. Every year, they decide to have specific drives like the Penny Drive, Blood Drive, Thanksgiving Drive, Christmas Firefighter Toy Drive, Homeless Drive, International Drive, and the School Supply Drive. They do, however, encourage and collect donations for Catholic Charities. Alex Datoc ’87, the Director of Campus Ministry, said, “When certain disasters happen, we try to encourage donations by going to Mentor Groups to collect donations to Catholic Charities. They will distribute the donations to the most needed areas. Right now, ARHS is planning to collect donations in one of the fall plays. In the Blood Drive, all

Students of Colegio San Jose help clean up after Hurricane Maria tore through the school and surrounding area. blood donated will be sent to the Pacific Blood Centers, which they will send to Houston and other places that need it.” More recently, Hurricane Ophelia hit Ireland, killing at least three people, while the Northern California counties of Sonoma, Solano, and Napa were ravaged by devastating urban wildfires. Michael O’Brien, the Dean of Academics and a teacher for AP Environmental Science, believes that the natural disasters were partly due to anthropogenic climate change. He expects severe changes to occur in places where

they are not expected as humans continue to affect climate change. O’Brien believes that people can limit climate change if they limit the carbon dioxide humans put in the air. “Think about the choices we make when it comes to putting excess carbon in the environment,” he said. O’Brien does not expect humans to stop inputting carbon in the short term, but believes it can happen in the long term. “In the short term, not very. In the long term, with education and leading by example, we can do anything.”

Photos by Antonio Mari Alvarez of Colegio San Jose

Judge blocks Trump’s attempt to ban transgenders from military By Zachary Phillips ’20 On July 26, 2017, President Donald Trump posted a tweet stating, “After consulting with my generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U. S. Military.” This was met with a huge backlash from the public. People denounced the move as being unpatriotic. The tweet says the reason for the ban is because of the disturbance they cause and the more expensive medical costs to the military.

Trump was also was accused of tweeting this to cover up the controversy around his continued attacks on Attorney General Jeff Sessions. He was also criticized because some citizens consider a tweet regarding something of this magnitude to be inappropriate. Some would have preferred it to come from Secretary of Defense James Mattis. Spanish teacher Armando Castillo, a veteran of the Marines, said, “He has no right as someone who had four deferments to dodge serving to tell someone if they can or can not serve. The military didn’t ask

for the removal of transgenders. The Joint Chiefs of Staff has said that everyone is equal in the United States Military.” Although this action received a lot of criticism, some actually praised President Trump for putting forward the idea of repealing this Obama administration policy. Supporters of the ban believe that integrating transgender people into the armed forces and treating them like their opposite sex could be very problematic. For example, this policy raised the question, “Would transgender individuals need to pass the

physical for their birth or identity gender? Where would they shower?” Gen. James “Mad Dog” Mattis said, “I’ve never cared much about [what] two consenting adults [do] . . . My concern is on the readiness of the force to fight and to make certain it’s at the top of its game.” According to The Hill, “A judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that Trump’s directive changing the transgender policy . . . and banning new transgender recruits from enlisting cannot be enforced while the case is being reviewed in court.”

16 Environment

Fall 2017

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Ford pedals out new, green alternative By Brandon Castro ’18 If you live anywhere in the Bay Area, you’ve probably noticed the Ford GoBike stations on what seems to be every other street. Ford CEO Jim Hackett worked with a development team to create these “new technologies,” which are an environmentally friendly alternative to driving. These “new technologies” that Ford created, mainly for the purpose of turning around the company’s 40 percent stock drop, are supposed to help cities like San Francisco and the rest of the Bay Area go green. Ford GoBikes, which were released in late June, were made in collaboration with Motivate, a GoBike sharing network that helped launch plans with Ford back in September. Along with the GoBike program, Ford has also expanded on its Chariot program, which is a low-cost ride sharing shuttle transportation, kind of like an updated form of Uber or Lyft. The Ford GoBike stations can be found almost everywhere around San Francisco, San Jose,

Oakland and the East Bay. There are about six different stations within a seven-block radius around 16th and Mission streets. This new form of affordable and ecofriendly transportation allows riders to go toand-from their desired location without harming the environment, and also spend less money than they would riding in or driving a car. AP Environmental Science teacher Michael O’Brien said, “Most people that rent these bikes are tourists. There are a great deal of bicycles competing for pavement space. While this creates an imminent hazard for both, it’s certainly doing its job helping lower their carbon emissions in the state. I hope the royalties are going toward resources to put into more research for ecofriendly projects.” Pricing for the GoBikes start

Bikes parked at Ford Go-Bikes Station at 17th and Valencia. at $3 for a Single Trip to $149 for an annual membership. Day pass pricing starts at $9.95. Commuters can also use their Clipper card to pay for the bikes.

Photo by Brandon Castro ’18 Although they are meant to help the community, some SF natives are showing a little resentment toward the interlopers and their new form of transportation.

Riordan Weather Report

After record high temps, SF can expect rain and cold weather By Antonio Maffei ’20 We have had some very wacky weather these past couple months . . . from heat to thunderstorms…the Bay Area has had it all! It started with the total solar eclipse, which crossed the United States. Unfortunately, thanks to our typical summer pattern, the fog eclipsed the sun! Then, we went to recordbreaking heat, with temperatures in downtown San Francisco skyrocketing to an all-time high of 106 degrees, as a high-pressure system settled over the Bay Area. On Sept. 11, a low-pressure system and a high-pressure system met in the middle with remains from Tropical Storm Lidia, which caused some intense thunderstorms. More than 600 lightning strikes hit the Bay Area! What’s next for the Bay Area? We can expect a rainy winter with some cold temperatures. Stay tuned. Antonio Maffei is a weather enthusiast, NWS and AMS Certified, freelance KTVU-2 and KPIX-5 weather reporter. Follow him on Twitter @AntonioWxInfo.

At left, lightning strikes across the Bay Area skies in a rare fall thunderstorm. Below, the average, expected, highs and lows for San Francisco January through December.

Photo by Antonio Maffei ’20

Fall 2017

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Environment 17

San Francisco fog eclipses solar spectacle By Carlos Milian Leon ’18 One of the highlights of August 2017 was the solar eclipse that passed diagonally over the continental United States. With lots of chatter coming from all over the U.S., this was sure to be one of the memorable events of the year. Unfortunately, San Francisco’s fog wasn’t having it that day. The cosmic event lasted more than two minutes in length, with videos and photos on social media appearing in an instant. While those in San Francisco had a bad experience with the solar eclipse, some didn’t hesitate to make haste to states like Oregon, where totality was expected. One who flocked to Oregon was physics teacher, Tony Dunn ’82. Dunn said his experience in Oregon was an awesome event. He shot video of the event with a 360-degree camera. The video, which he posted on YouTube, shows the moon slowly passing over the sun and a brief moment of darkness as totality began. The sounds of cheering from the audience around is reminiscent of a sporting event, where those gathered cheered as the sun drew closer and the awestruck mentality of the people can be heard in their applause as the moon moved on. His video is one of the most immersive ones available, showing the mass of people who gathered at the field where Dunn was. While the solar eclipse was the best part of the trip, the ride home, however, was not. Dunn stated that “what should’ve took 7 hours, took 14.”

States will be on April 8, 2024. This solar eclipse will actually start by the state line of Oregon, yet at the northwestern part of California and end in the southwest area of Florida. This offers an incredible opportunity to travel to totality on the west coast of the United States. While that may be an extremely long time from now, there are other astronomical events to look forward to. The next blood moon that can be seen from North America will be at the end of January 2018. While some astronomical events are often noted and predicted, always check the NASA website for more information on what events may be happening. One never knows if something cosmically amazing may be happening.

Photo by Jordan Jimenez ’16 While things in Oregon have wound down, things back at ARHS were just getting started. Mary Ann Datoc’s Statistics class decided to use the data from the solar eclipse and turn it into a class presentation. The data that the students gathered was used as an assignment to interpret changes in temperature and humidity as the solar eclipse passed over. The graphs follow a time line, charting the path of the moon and totality. While eclipse fever begins to fade away, some are already gearing up for the next big event. According to Bruce McClure from earthsky.org, the next solar eclipse to pass over the United

Photo by Chris Peterson ’18 Journalism students wear NASA approved eclipse glasses to view the solar event, which was mostly blocked by fog.

Graph by Lei Chen ’18, Jerry Li ’19, and Lorenzo Russell ’18 Above, students in Mary Ann Datoc’s statistics class used data from the solar eclipse to calculate the temperature change over the course the solar event. At right, a look at future solar and lunar eclipses for 2018.

TimeandDate.com

18 Religion

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Fall 2017

San Domenico removes religious statues to include all faiths By Jakeclark Bennett ’18 San Domenico, a collegepreparatory school in San Anselmo, is removing some of its Christian statues, curriculum, and tradition. According to the Catholic San Francisco newspaper, “San Domenico has adjusted the number and location of its Catholic statuary many times in its long history, school officials said. The removal of six of 16 Catholic statues before the start of the 2017-18 school year is ‘part of that continuum,’ Kimberly Pinkson, San Domenico’s director of marketing and communications, said in an email to Catholic San Francisco.” In addition, the newspaper states, “The school’s strategic plan adopted in 2016 describes San Domenico as ‘California’s First Independent Dominican School.’ The San Domenico website says the school is ‘anchored by our 167-year old history and the Dominican spirit of inquiry’ and the community is comprised of ‘families of many faiths including Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, etc., as well as families who do not follow any particular faith but appreciate the value of discovering a sense of the sacred in its many manifestations.’” Deacon Joe LeBlanc responded, “I don’t think it’s a good idea. If they’re a Catholic school, have the symbols associated with it. Here at Archbishop Riordan we have a crucifix and the Characteristics of Marianist Education in every classroom. We know symbols are important and we try to show them to people.” Given San Domenico’s long

history of Catholic tradition, the idea of having their statues removed is disturbing to some in the Christian community. The board at San Domenico explained that this change is to teach and welcome world religions. However, some believe this does not justify the removal of something that was in place for a long time, which can be considered an attempt to hide their Catholic faith. Pinkson told the Catholic San Francisco, “We are dismayed by the maelstrom caused by this recent news cycle and grateful for the outpouring of support from both Catholics and non-Catholics to the changes at our school.” She added, “Many parents, alums, faculty, staff, and community members have stepped up to voice their backing to retain our strong commitment to our Dominican Catholic education while at the same time remaining an independent school that is inclusive for all.” In response to a question on if this change of tradition is a rejection of Catholic faith, Deacon LeBlanc stated, “I don’t think it’s a rejection. But I do think they are diluting the tradition of Christianity.” Jonathan Battad ’19 said, “It’s not a rejection. But they’re trying to be something or someone else. Nowadays, people are thinking more about the bad things about the Catholic faith rather than the good.” This change of direction wasn’t received well by parents either, who speculate that rather than a rejection of faith, it is a fear of proclaiming their Christian faith and tradition, which even

SanDomenico.org The logo on San Domenico’s Inclusivity and Diversity page reads: “Take care of others” and “Take care of yourself.” translated into a way to attract a larger demographic of students. Deacon LeBlanc said, “It really sounds like a compromise of their Catholic heritage to reach a larger range of students. But if they’re willing to go this far, they should reconsider being a Catholic school. Because you shouldn’t be embarrassed by it.” Andrew Currier, President of Riordan, said, “The erosion of Catholic identity in schools is nothing new. In fact, the Ivy League universities are examples of once religious Christian institutions becoming utterly secular in scope and nature. Harvard and Yale were established to train Protestant preachers.” Currier continued, “What we see over the last two hundred years is a steady secularization in many sorts of once religious schools. I’ve read and seen, in many cases, that the diminishment of religious identity is often in pursuit of prestige by being less associated with parochial thought and governance. The less a school is associated with religious control, the more universal it is perceived. I disagree with this wholeheartedly and have spent the last eight years studying Pope St. John Paul

II’s response to secularization in Catholic higher education called, Ex Corde Ecclesiae (1990). The pope gave us specific guidelines for how Catholic universities should maintain their Catholic nature.” Some wondered if Archbishop Riordan will take this direction, as it is a Catholic institution. Currier said. “As for Riordan? This school is every bit a service of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, and as such, will pride itself on handing the faith to its students. Some of my most important goals as president/head servant of this fine school are directly related to improving the Catholic identity of the school—quite the opposite direction San Domenico is taking. As for me, I’d rather perform some other type of work than serve in a school that was anything other than thoroughly Catholic.” The Dominican Sisters of Mission San Rafael were scheduled to meet in September to further discuss the issue, according Catholic San Francisco. Kate Martin, the order’s director of development and communications, said, “In true Dominican tradition, the sisters will be meeting as a body to pray, study and reflect on all of this.”

Father John answers call to serve Riordan community By John Regidor ’18 With Father Cameron Faller moving full time to serve Church of the Epiphany parish, Riordan was left without a strong spiritual leader. Father John Jimenez answered the call, becoming Rordan’s new chaplain, as well as Freshman religion teacher. Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone asked Father Jimenez to serve as Archbishop Riordan chaplain, and though he had been assigned to a strange place, he felt as if he had known the school for years. Father John began his ministry here, in the Ingleside. A mother of a Riordan student who served at Saint Emydius Parish had asked John Jimenez

to assist the church with fifth graders and their catechism. He offered to help, with no inclination of becoming a priest. Soon, he began to actively participate, not knowing where it would lead him. John Jimenez never had any intention of becoming a priest. Originally, he wanted to become a public school teacher. He had dreams of coaching sports and getting married; however, he realized his calling to ministry when one of his students was killed in an act of gang violence. “It’s not the only issue, there is more,” he said. “But it hit me at a deeper level, so I started to feel a calling.”

Photo by Chris Peterson ’18 Father John Jimenez joined the Riordan community this year as chaplain.

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Riordan banding together for new musical frontiers By John Regidor ’18 and Jacob Castillo ’21 As everything is getting started at Archbishop Riordan High School, the Crusader Band has their eyes set on a strong and prosperous year. Director Kyle Hildebrant said, “I think we will be the same band we have been known for over the years. Although we lost many talented seniors, we are ready to build the band and are very excited for what the class of 2021 band students have to bring to the table, and as as long as we are all on the same page, we will be just fine.” The Crusader Band has performed at events such as, the 2017 Giants Race, the USF Spirit Walk, and football games at City College. This Crusader Band is filled with huge talent thanks to the help of Hildebrant and assistant band director Edwin Serrano. This band is known for pumping up crowds and bringing good spirit when performing. Many know that the Crusader Band works to its fullest potential and can accomplish almost anything. The Riordan Band stepped off the year on the right note with great performances, starting with Turlock Band Review. Under the smoldering heat, the Crusaders got their first taste of the new location, as the previous band review, Delta Band Review, no longer existed. They performed “Anima Nobile,” (translated to Noble Spirit in English) by Marcia Brillante. The band placed first in Division A Marching Band, and placed fifth in Color Guard. The band went on to perform in San Francisco’s Italian Heritage Parade. There, they were greeted by cheering crowds and generous sums of money. The Crusader Band played “Louie Louie” by Richard Berry, arranged by Paul Lavender, for cheering patrons and received a generous donation of $10,000. The band also placed second in the parade’s “marching band category,” winning a $500 prize. At the esteemed Fleet Week Band Challenge, the Crusader Band fell short of placing in the competition. However, their persistence and energy earned them a generous donation of $2,000, courtesy of the United States Marine Corps. On Oct. 21, the marching band traveled to Santa Cruz to compete in the annual Santa Cruz Band Review. When the calm waves of the sea were interrupted by the

Photo by Henry Novicki ’18 Drum Major Stephen Aguirre met with Councillor Robert Davis, MBE Deputy Lord Mayor of Westminster in prepartion for the band performing in London for the New Year’s Day Parade.

Now you see him, now you don’t! melodic sound of music, the Crusaders placed first in Mace Drum Major, second place in Ancillary, and third place in Division 4A Marching Band. This band has a lot to accomplish this year and the talented young men who are in it are hoping to make their brothers proud. In regards to trophies, Hildebrant said, “Ideally, maybe four or five, but if we tried our hardest and played to our fullest potential, definitely seven or eight.” This year is going to be full of excitement, especially with the recent announcement that the band has the opportunity to perform in Disneyland in the spring and during the London New Year’s Day Parade. As band review season continues, members lose their weekends, but gain experience and confidence. These reviews are heavily judged and Riordan always impresses when performing.

Directed by Joey Klobas ‘07

Featuring your friends and classmates.

November 10-19 2017

Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. Closing Sunday Matinee at 2:00 p.m.

Support your friends! Support your House! Support your classmates! Support your local thespian!

20 Sports Features

Fall 2017

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Re-Kap: Looking back on the NFL’s controversial player Sports Commentary By Chris Peterson ’18 Colin Kaepernick. A name that has dominated sports and news for more than a year now, mostly because of his political views that culminated in his decision to kneel during the National Anthem to protest police brutality. For some, it was a disgrace and for others, a sign of doing the right thing. A follow up to a great 49er Quarterback, Alex Smith, he has the skills to be a great player. Of course, it would have been hard to equal 49ers greats like Joe Montana and Steve Young, but he strived nonetheless. Nick Oshita ‘18 said, “They’re mad that he’s not playing for the wrong reason because he just wasn’t good with the Niners.” After the star coach Jim Harbaugh left for the University of Michigan, it was up to Kaepernick to keep the Niners’ fame going. With his actions, the chemistry he had with the team just didn’t work anymore. He alienated himself and his team didn’t fully trust him, which is an important aspect of team chemistry in order to get the team working like one well-oiled machine. The management didn’t like him and it just wasn’t working for the Niners as a team. He knew this and opted out of his contract in March of this year. This made him a free agent for the 2017 league year. During the preseason, he was unsigned and approached by the Baltimore Ravens. There was no formal deal on the table at the time, but they were looking at him as another quarterback.

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Ray Lewis was very adamant about getting him on the team saying, “I have been fighting for this kid behind the table like nobody has inside the NFL.” They were in the process of approaching Kaepernick when a tweet was sent by Kaepernick’s

girlfriend comparing Steve Bisciotti and Ray Lewis to the characters portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson in the movie “Django Unchained.” After this, those trying to hire Kaepernick immediately ceased the talk of giving him a contract. This left him unemployed with no team for the season. This does not mean he, as a player, is necessarily bad. Tom Brady, quarterback for the New England Patriots said, “I’ve always watched him and admired him. The way that he’s played, he was a great young quarterback. He came to our stadium and beat us and took his team to the Super Bowl.” He certainly has the skill to be a good quarterback but he needs the right direction in order to succeed. Social Science teacher Cory Nelson said, “He has talent to be a good quarterback, and he has the right to express his speech, but it’s understandable why the NFL won’t hire him because of his statements. He should be playing, but I understand why he’s not.” As most fads fade away, this one has gained momentum as last month, hundreds of NFL players took a knee or linked arms in solidarity with the cause. Even some of the owners joined the players on field to show support. Editor’s Note: At press time, according to Sports Illustrated, “Kaepernick has filed a grievance against the NFL for collusion,” claiming several owners conspired to make sure he did not have a job this season.

Yips nip away at athlete’s sanity By Steven Rissotto ’20 The yip epidemic in sports is nothing new, haunting athletes as they try to avoid a mental collapse. It happens more in baseball than any other sport, and is quite embarrassing when it occurs. The yips are when a player has a mental breakdown while performing a certain fundamental in sports. For example, Chicago Cubs’ pitcher Jon Lester has a mental fear of throwing to first base and former big leaguer Rick Ankiel was transformed into an outfielder after he threw several consecutive wild pitches in the 2000 postseason. A question hovers over every athlete who has the yips: How in the world does this happen and how can it be prevented? The answer is unknown at this point, as examples keep flowing in throughout the baseball world. Aside from baseball, former Lakers’ center Shaquille O’Neal made one three point shot in his

entire career. Stepping away from sports entirely, children all over the world have the yips when it comes to taking a test in school. They black out. There are times when students study all night and feel pretty confident, and then they approach the actual test . . .boom. The pressure gets to them and the good grade they hoped for turns into the opposite just because they were nervous. This might sound super silly, but it’s actually a psychiatric fear for players to accomplish a task that they have trouble performing, and nobody seems to know what the problem is. Varsity Baseball Coach Brandon Ramsey said, “Yips are all based on nervousness. Every great competitor gets nervous. As you mature, you deal with them better. What’s been successful is to clear the head and do everything faster.” Nobody really knows how to cure the yips, or even if it’s

PeakSports.com The yips, an athlete’s mental block to perform, are a cyclical problem. possible. Sports psychiatrists have the fun and exciting job of helping athletes, any athletes (even the great ones), get situated and back on track for success, but even they don’t know what’s going on half the time. In response to a tweet from The Crusader, former Major

League infielder Elliot Johnson said, “We always were told not to talk about it. It’s all in their head and they’re already self conscience about it so you try not to make a big deal out of it. It has to be done with the mental skills coach or psychologist.”

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Golden State reclaims crown from Cavaliers By Eddie Monares ’19 The Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2017 NBA Finals. After the tragic ending to the 2016 NBA Finals, where the Warriors became the first team to blow a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals, the Warriors were poised for a comeback. Going into the 2017 NBA Finals, the Warriors were still favored to win the Finals despite losing to the Cavaliers last year. On July 4th, however, their odds skyrocketed. All Star Forward Kevin Durant decided to join the Warriors for 2 years, a $54.2 million dollar deal. Alex Flores ’19 said, “I was extremely happy when KD signed with us and I thought he was going to thrive with us.” After signing Durant as well as other key players and veterans such as Zaza Pachulia, Javale Mcgee and David West, the Warriors were ready for the season. On opening night, the Spurs had other plans. The Spurs dominated the Warriors 129-100, giving the Warriors their first loss in the Durant era. On Christmas day, the Warriors were poised for their rematch against the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers. The Warriors lost 109-108 off a game winning shot from Kyrie Irving over Klay Thompson. The Warriors got their revenge on Jan. 16, when they blew out the Cavaliers by 35, including 20 point games from Steph, Klay, and Durant.

NBA.com Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors dethroned King James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant were voted as starters for the 66th All Star Game and Klay Thompson and Draymond Green were voted as reserves for the team. Steve Kerr was also named the Coach for the Western Conference. The West won 192182 over the Eastern Conference. On Feb. 28, against the Washington Wizards, their key acquisition and All Star Kevin Durant went down with a sprained MCL. And the Warriors lost 112-108. Flores added, “I was worried for KD, but I knew other players would step up and do what they needed to do to win.” From there, the Warriors preceded to win 14 games in a row before Durant returned April 8 against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Warriors swept the Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz, and San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs, going 12-0, and were

set to take on Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Irman Arcibal, art instructor, said, “I did not expect the Warriors to breeze through the playoffs. The series with San Antonio would have been much different with a healthy Kawhi Leonard. But when I think back, the Warriors could have been even more dominant. Klay Thompson was excellent defensively, but could have contributed more on the offensive end. Although Kevin Durant’s defense was huge, he is still learning to play team defense within our system.” The stage was set for a trilogy between the Cavaliers and Warriors. The Warriors dominated the Cavaliers in five games. Flores said, “I had a feeling of completion. I had no doubt the Warriors were gonna win.” According to Ben Fawkes, ESPN Staff Writer, the Warriors

have 5-11 odds to repeat as Champions for the 2017-2018. Flores said, “I fully expect them to make it as far as they did but as you know every year there are new teams and you never know with the NBA.” Arcibal added, “Barring any injuries (knock on the hardwood), I fully expect the Warriors to repeat. There might be teams approaching or nearing the collection of talent, but the chemistry that is in the Golden State locker room is second to none. It will build and blossom even more from last year. I expect increased contributions from the likes of Patrick McCaw and Javale McGee, and efficient minutes from ring-thirsty veteran additions Omri Casspi and Nick Young.” The Warriors hosted the Houston Rockets on Oct. 17, and received their championship rings that night.

Knuckles clash in McGregor vs. Mayweather battle By Shane McKnight ’18 The highly anticipated showdown between Connor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather sparked major furor with people across the nation. After 10 intense rounds between the men, Mayweather ended up victorious. The defeat of McGregor brought about an uproar on a variety of news outlets, as well as social media, due to McGregor’s MMA background. “I thought that the uproar was unnecessary because either way there would have been some backlash at who won, but the massive reaction was totally unrequired,” said Kevin Alvizo ’18. Physicians such as Darragh O’Carroll, an Emergency Physician at USC Medical Center, also known as the “Fight Doctor,” felt like McGregor was

outmatched against Mayweather. McGregor was unable to follow the MMA rule set to challenge the world’s best in Mayweather’s own sport. “I felt that the fight was somewhat fair because of McGregor’s history, and the fact that McGregor is 12 years younger than Mayweather, but I also felt he was at a disadvantage because of his lack of experience,” said Terrence Narag. “I appreciate the fact that McGregor was willing to step into the ring even though, deep down, I knew he would lose in the end,” said math teacher Ken Morris ’87. Posts on social media quickly rolled in as well, from the difference in money the two fighters earned, to the way McGregor handled himself towards the end of the fight. There was some dispute on how the earnings were unfair; the

MMAFighting.com MMA idol Connor McGregor and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather battled it out in a pay per view special. minimum payout for Mayweather was a whopping $100 million, while McGregor’s payout was $30 million. Overall, the fight received mixed reactions from different

audiences. Pietro Sanfilippo ’18 said, “If the fight wasn’t called off early and they kept it going on for a couple more seconds, the outcome might have been different.”

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Fall 2017

Crusaders capture Haskell Trophy in overtime By Eddie Monares ’19 The school year is back, and for the Crusaders, it’s a start of a new season for Varsity Football. The Crusaders are undergoing changes as former Head Coach Kevin Fordon decided to step down after two seasons. Last school year it was announced Defensive Line coach Jay’Sen Morris ’07 would take over as full time Head Coach. The Crusaders spent the summer working hard in the weight room, attending camps, and getting better. They were prepared to shock people with a bounce-back from last year. The Crusaders had an encouraging pre-season, going 1-2, with a big win over Salesian and a hard fought battle with the Napa Indians. Against Salesian, Quarterback Travis Benham ’18 tied a school record of five touchdowns and broke a school record with 410 passing yards in a 42-7 victory. Also against Salesian, Je’Lani Clark ’20 had an impressive game with a 96-yard touchdown. In the last preseason game before the beginning of WCAL, the Crusaders faced the Napa Indians. Although the Crusaders came up short, they saw impressive play by some of their players. Chime Ugbaja ’20 had two long touchdowns, one for 85 yards and one for 26 yards. The defense also played very well, giving up only six points in the second half. Morris said, “We want to get our athletes the ball and let them

go to work and make plays.” Morris also added, “The defensive line was strong in the second half and cornerback Jordon Fox ’18 played very well in the second half.” Riordan didn’t have the best start in WCAL, losing 45-0 to the Serra Padres and then 43-0 to the Mitty Monarchs. On Oct. 7, the Crusaders fared better against the Bellarmine Bells. After falling behind 14-0 at half time, the Crusaders turned it around in the second half. Junior Marcus Williams ’19 took a quarterback counter run 69 yards for Riordan’s first touchdown in WCAL play. In his debut, new transfer Joshua Miles ’19, also had a touchdown, but the Crusaders fell to the Bells 21-14. Oct. 20 was a classic WCAL matchup of the Riordan Crusaders and the Saint Ignatius Wildcats for the Gil Haskell trophy. The game started with an early S.I. fumble recovery and score, putting the Wildcats up 7-0. Riordan quickly answered with a 35-yard touchdown from Travis Benham ’18, but a missed PAT, making the score 7-6 Wildcats. In the second quarter, S.I. tacked on another touchdown, making it 14-6 Wildcats. Riordan answered again with a one yard touchdown from Lasa Tofi ’18, and a successful two point conversion from Benham to Clark, tying the score at 14-14. In the third quarter, S.I. scored

Photo by Victoria Terheyden Varsity players and coaches rejoice after winning the Haskell Trophy.

another touchdown, and decided to go for a two-point conversion, but a big hit from Tofi blew up the Wildcats’ play, keeping the score 20-14. In the fourth quarter, the Crusaders tied the game with a nine-yard pass from Williams to Max Mezie ’18. The fourth quarter ended in a 20-20 tie, sending the Gil Haskell game into overtime. Riordan won the coin toss, and elected defense where they were able to stop the Wildcats, including a big fourth down tackle from linebacker Jeffrey

Peleseuma Breiz ’18. The Crusaders started with the ball at the S.I. ten yard line, per OT rules, and on second down, Benham threw a fade to Clark, who hauled it in, giving Riordan the 26-20 win over the Wildcats, and bringing the Gil Haskell trophy back to Phelan Avenue. As of this publication, one game remains: Valley Christian, which was postponed earlier because of poor air quality caused by the California wildfires. Tofi said, “For the rest of the season, we need to be mentally prepared and focused.”

New generation of football kicks off

By Christian Castillo ’21 and Eddie Monares ’19 As the new school year has started, that means football season is back! The incoming freshmen were excited to begin their high school football career. The freshmaeg a couple of nice wins over the Serra Padres 14-6, and the Mitty Monarchs 7-6. They also tied the Bellarmine Bells 26-26. Freshman Ellis Cato ’21 said, “The goal is to win games and contribute the best I can as an individual player.” In regards to the team’s future, he added, “We have a lot of young talent on the team.” As far as JV football goes, the sophomore and juniors were thrilled to be back on the field, but this year they have a brand new, strong addition to the team. Quarterback Filip Brazdil ’21,

who is from the Czech Republic, is just getting used to having so many brothers here at Riordan High School. Brazdil said, “I was playing almost two years as a quarterback in Czech, so I now know what this position is about. I am sometimes nervous because it is a big difference from quarterback in Czech and here.” He also added, “My personal goal is to dominate with our team this season and try my hardest for the team to take the win. I will leave everything on the field for my brothers.” The JV team won a couple preseason games against Salesian 41-6, and the Napa Indians 34-0. However, the team hasn’t had success in the regular season, going 0-5 so far in WCAL play, but can change that when they play the Warriors of Valley Christian.

Photo by Scott Patterson AJ Velasco runs the ball downfield in a game against St. Francis.

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Keeping on track with Riordan’s hidden athletic gem

By Harrick Wu ’19 The start of a new school year means the start of another season of cross country. Most crosscountry runners have continued their practice even after their season ended last year. Many runners continue their favorite hobby of running by being a member of the school’s track team. According to Logan McLaughlin ’19, “Most of us are also distance runners for the track team, so the team basically practices yearround because we practice in the winter for distance track.” The Riordan cross country team participated in the annual Lowell Invitational at Lindley Meadows located in Golden Gate Park. EJ Odocayen ’20 ran the 2.13mile Freshman and Sophomore course with a time of 12:28.4 minutes, which earned himself a medal. Trevor Paulbitski ’18, ran the 2.93-mile varsity course in 15:32.3 minutes, achieving a personal record and also earning himself a medal. The other varsity runners, James Upchurch ’18, Alexander Vallecillo ’18, Gene Aberouette ’18, Logan McLaughlin, and Ethan Lin ’19, all achieved personal bests on this course. The courses in cross country’s competition are usually the same year after year like the Lowell Invitational. Many would think

Photo by Benny Willers ’08 Cross country runners EJ Odocayen, Gene Aberouette, Trevor Paulbitski, and James Upchurch set a good pace for the race. that the athletes will get bored as it seems to be a routine, but runners like Paulbitski think that it is not, and is actually an advantage. “It’s never boring. It’s always a little different with the competitions. You can get acquainted to the terrains of the course and it definitely gives you an advantage, having to run it before.” Benny Willers ’08, the assistant coach for Cross Country, also thinks that running the same courses is good as it builds up consistency and experience for the runners so that when they

get to their senior year, they will be a professional at it. He enjoys seeing the athletes improve their time over the course of their four years. Willers hopes that the new student parliament at Riordan can bring light to the less known sport by being advocates for cross country, like football and basketball, which are talked about a lot and featured on Riordan’s telecast or newspaper, whether they do well or not. He hopes that the student parliament will set up fundraisers and information tables to allow the Riordan community to better

understand the sport so that it will hopefully increase participation, whether it is being an athlete or coming and cheering on the teams as they compete. The number of spectators for cross country compared to that of football or basketball, is somewhat discouraging for the runners. Even if they make it to state finals, it gets less recognition than the other sports. To help cope with the lack of spectators, Willers tells his athletes that it does not really matter. “None of that stuff really matters. In the end, what matters is personal growth, achieving your own kind of personal growth, and the team doing better, and the team accomplishing their goals, winning, and getting results. As long you understand that and you respect that, and give awareness to that, then it is all good. What other people think, honestly in the end, doesn’t matter even though it feels good.” He added, “So it’s great if you can build that kind of mindset where, ‘Hey! I’m doing it for myself and for the team and I’m not doing it for anyone else and if they come and support us, it’s a plus, and we would appreciate that.’ If you can have that mentality, then I think you can be successful and you’ll stay motivated.”

Marathon Man: Riordan alumnus runs 26.2 miles in SFPD uniform By Roman Peregrino ’18 and Alexander Vallecillo ’18 Huffing and puffing, San Francisco Police Department officer Irving Garcia rumbled to the finish line of the 2017 San Francisco Marathon on July 23. For Garcia, Archbishop Riordan graduate of 1999, running was nothing new. He picked it up eight years ago, when a fellow officer got him started. Even running in a marathon isn’t a new experience. After all, he has run eight marathons on different continents in the years since he picked up the hobby. However, something was off on this day. Around mile 13, each step became harder and harder. The conditions were fair and roads were clear. There was no external forces that he hadn’t faced before. So, what was different on this day? Today, it was all about the uniform. Officer Garcia wasn’t in running shorts or tennis shoes. In an effort “to honor the men and women in law enforcement and those who have lost their lives in the line of duty,” Garcia decided to run the entire race in full police uniform, wearing his gear. Officer Garcia did not take any shortcuts. He ran in all the equipment they would wear:

the vest, belt with equipment, an extra pair of handcuffs and pepper spray. All of this combined weighs a total of about 35 pounds. Luckily for Officer Garcia, he didn’t find the clothing to be too terrible. The real struggle was with the police boots. Garcia said the boots started to take a toll on him on the 13th mile and after that, he could feel each step he took. However, he never gave up. It is not surprising that Officer Garcia refused to give up, as he is accustomed to competition. While at Riordan, he wrestled for four years and played football for two. He says his favorite memory is Frosh Olympics, so the competitive edge carries on in running. However, running a marathon is a different beast. According to Riordan English teacher Mary Dalton, who has run several marathons, “You need to start training five to six months before the race,” Dalton said. “Map out a plan for each week and slowly increase the mileage. Diet is very important for taking in calories, and [that doesn’t stop during the marathon]. It is imperative to drink water, and get the right nutrients during a long run.” To even consider running in

Photo by Jessika Cazares-Garcia Officer Irving Garcia ’99, and colleague Officer Glennon Griffin. this uniform is shocking. According to Dalton, “I imagine it to be very difficult. Clothes are very important because you have to be sure that they don’t chafe. Long distance runners usually wear comfortable clothing, so I think you would have to be very strong and tough to run in a police uniform.” Besides his inner strength, Garcia had something else pushing him: his fellow brothers and sisters whom he ran for. It

was a proud moment for Garcia, who was able to run alongside his academy partner Glennon Griffin. Garcia is an officer at San Francisco’s Mission Station, and is very proud of being a member of the SFPD. According to Garcia, with the simple act of running in his uniform, he has inspired other officers to start running as well. He will be happy to do this again to raise even more awareness for the cause. But next time, he might leave the boots at home.

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Fall 2017

House of Bolts: Orangemen hope to crush competition

By Anthony Oropeza ’18 The House of Bolts is currently in a tight race against the other competing houses to win the House Cup. The House of Bolts is named after Brother William Bolts ’53. Brother Bolts received degrees from St. Mary’s, UCLA, and St. Louis School. He was the recipient of the Chaminade Award in 2014. This is the first year Riordan is using a House System. Riordan no longer breaks the student body by division: freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Instead, the students are placed into one of four Houses. The House System is meant to create stronger bonds and strengthen school spirit. Raymond Angelo ’18 said, “I think it’s cool because we get to meet and talk to the underclassmen more than we did last year.” The students are not the only ones having to adjust. Teachers and counselors also have to get accustomed to the changes. Vanessa Martinez, House of Bolts counselor, said, “The biggest

Photo by Chris Peterson ’18 Parliament members of the House of Bolts, led by Provincial Leo Magnaye ’05 change for me has been not having only one division. Now I get to meet students from all grades, which is pretty cool.” By meeting two times a month, the house system has helped create good competition to boost school spirit and encourage brotherhood. One of the most liked activities so far has been the Rochambeau competition. The Rochambeau competition

created excitement and a chance for students to bond in a fun way. The halls of Riordan were filled with students roaring and cheering for their classmates. Leo Magnaye, the House of Bolts Provincial, said, “The whole house chanting one student’s name. Now that’s amazing.” The AIDS Penny Drive was successful in reaching its goal for money donated. It also allowed

students the opportunity to “sabotage” the other Houses and gain more points for their own House. Magnaye said, “The competition served its purpose where it got all of us excited and participating, but also was for a greater cause.” The House of Bolts is currently in last place following the AIDS Penny Drive. Angelo said, “We are in last place because everybody attacked us by putting change in our bucket.” Martinez said, “We were winning so much in the beginning that we sort of put a target on our back and people set out to sabotage us, but it’s okay because we’ll come back.” The House of Bolts is confident that they will make a comeback. Angelo said, “I think we have the best freshmen. They seem to be into it and they want to it win.” Magnaye said, “We have a strong family spirit, and a lot of our teachers have a connection to theology or campus ministry. We emphasize that everyone feels successful, growing, and their faith is strong.”

Lake Merced: Site of America’s last deadly duel By Henry Novicki ’18 The phenomenon of ghosts, or spirits, or supernatural entities, whatever you want to call them, has gripped mankind for literally thousands of years. Every culture has some superstition about someone or something coming from the afterlife to our human world. Around the campfire, camp counselors tell kids spooky ghost stories. TV shows like “Danny Phantom” have ghosts as main characters, and movies such as “The Sixth Sense,” and “Ghostbusters” feature all sorts of anomalies. Of course, in my time of researching Bigfoot, aliens, and a slew of other cryptids, the paranormal was something I hadn’t dabbled in. These thoughts led me to think about the history of San Francisco and connections to the other worldly. San Francisco: A town that boomed in the 1849 Gold Rush. The town where Charlie Manson’s followers lurked and the Zodiac Killer stalked. There’s bound to be some spirits in a state of unrest.
 So, I set out with an electromagnetic frequency meter to search of some anomalies of our living world. My journey started in the Sunset District of San Francisco, coincidentally, where I live. A stroll around the neighborhood and Lake Merced presented me with no spiritual anomalies. Yet, I wasn’t satisfied with those

results. This city with centuries of history has to have some ghosts Chinatown, the Haight, and Golden Gate Park all have ghost tours. Instead of paying for the tours, I just read the reviews and figured out the routes from that. The results, however, did not please me. The only time my EMF meter spiked was near things like electrical boxes, fluorescent lights, active cellular phones and other wireless technologies. Now, I thought about calling it a quits, but I did not. On Sept. 13, 1859, California Senator David C. Broderick and former Chief Justice David S. Terry met at Lake Merced in a nicely wooded clearing on the San Mateo county side. The men stood back to back, walked ten paces, turned and fired. Broderick was seriously wounded and died three days later. This is now known as “the last notable American duel.” So, if there was anywhere I thought I could find ghosts, it would be there. The area has a plaque and markers where the men stood when they fired. I set out to see if one of their spirits was restless, and still in the area. Upon my arrival, I first walked Photo by Carlos Milian Leon ’18 around the area observing the A plaque marks the site of the Broderick Terry Duel near Lake Merced. details of the site and breathing Broderick later died of a gunshot wound after lingering for days. in the fresh air. I took out my During this whole experience, I maintain that if I do let my EMF meter and danced in a low sweeping circle from inside the I was hoping for some lead or mind go to that place, no one two markers and out. Sadly, I did something to dig deeper into. I’m gets affected, and in general, not detect any anomalies. This not a full believer in the unknown, life maintains a modicum of but I’m not a non-believer, either. excitement. disappointed me.