Campus News, Pages 4 - 9
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VOLUME LXIX ISSUE i
SERVING RIORDAN SINCE 1949
Arts & Entertainment, Pages 10 - 11
Frosh Olympics, Page 6
ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN HIGH SCHOOL
Sports, Pages 16 - 19
Fall 2018 THE NEWSPAPER OF CRUSADER COUNTRY
Engineering program cruises into second year By Roly Lo ’21
The engineering program is a four year, project based course at Riordan, teaching its students many practical skills useful for a technologically advanced future. The program, which started two years ago, is very broad, covering many different fields such as computer-aided design, 3D printing, laser cutting, graphic design, programming on several platforms, circuitry, and robotics. A student will take two courses per year. “It’s exposing them to different areas early on so they can make informed choices,” said engineering instructor William Marafao. To enroll, a student must join as a freshman. Admissions are based on seventh and eighth grade math and science grades, ability to handle a rigorous course load, and an interest in engineering. Currently, there are 17 returning sophomores and 34 freshmen in the engineering program.
“It’s fun. It’s really fun,” said Andrew Chang ’21. “I’ve been interested in engineering since primary school.” Considering San Francisco’s location in the Bay Area and proximity to Silicon Valley, notable for its computing and electronics industries and home for many start-ups, today’s youth have a lot of exposure to technology, especially with the internet. Their presence and potential for the future could be invaluable for the face of technology and engineering. There are many opportunities for those involved in engineering, considering how many types of engineers exist. From research and development, reaching new horizons, and improving life, there are countless possibilities. Marafao said, “At least they tried something new, tried something different.”
Photo by Diego Ochoa ’19 Gianni Brattesani ’21 proudly stands next to his creation, the Crusader Mobile. For more information about the mascot’s new wheels, read the story on page 4.
AIDS Penny Drive collects record amount of cash, coins By Eddie Monares ’19
From Aug. 27 to Sept. 7, Riordan held its annual AIDS Penny Drive in honor of Billy Choy ’05, who died in 2016 after his struggle with AIDS. Choy had a lifelong battle with AIDS, but in his time at Riordan, he was constantly smiling and was a happy person, considering his circumstances. The drive was run similarly to last year, where bills donated helped a house, while coins negatively affected other houses. During Mentor Groups, the money collected was worth double in each house. During the drive, there were two Mentor Group days, Aug. 29 and Sept. 5. In those two days alone, Cana raised $1,932, Bolts raised $1,322, Russi raised Photo by Aidan Murtagh ’20 $671, and Pilar raised $641. Michael Gray ’20, Zachary Phillips ’20, and Caelan Bevan-Abel ’19 With Cana off to an early lead count coins and cash donated to the Billy Choy AIDS Penny Drive.
in house points, the Houses of Pilar, Russi and Bolts saw this drive as an opportunity to try to knock off Cana and put all the coins in the Cana bin, hence the #CoinsforCana slogan. The attempt was evident, with several students bringing in rolls of coins exclusively for the Cana bin. In the end, the House of Cana totaled an extraordinary $734.35 in coins, while Bolts, Pilar, and Russi combined totaled $807.50, which is only $73.15 more than Cana alone. This didn’t faze the House of Cana, as they went on to win this record-breaking drive with a total of $2,250.00 raised. In second place was the House of Bolts with $1,526.00, third was the House of Russi with $1,158,00 and last was the House of Pilar with $775.00. The total money raised was $7,262.31, the most money ever raised for this drive.
2 Opinion
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Fall 2018
Immigrant children should not be separated from families By Jamar Kittling ’20
It is irrefutable that our current Commander-in-Chief is the center of political discourse and debate, from the Senators of Capital Hill to the ordinary folk in our neighborhoods. The subject of the debate, however, is if his actions are truly unjust to particular people or great for our country. As these lengthy four years proceed, the battle lines become more defined and the key promises of President Trump’s campaign are brought into question. One of these promises is to limit illegal immigration. Immigrants, today synonymous with the term Indigenous Mexicans, have been placed in the center of the debate. How cruel is the treatment of this group of people? Is all of this for the benefit of the American people, or is all of this is to satisfy the racism and xenophobia of our current leaders? It is these questions that bring the American people to divide into the left versus the right: the advocates versus the protectors. Allow me to say my opinion, referring to a highly publicized incident that took place this year regarding illegal immigrant families and the border. It is no secret that the U.S.Mexico border is a frequent site of illegal immigration. According to the Migration Policy Institute,
56 percent of the illegal alien population originates from Mexico. Other than building a wall, the Department of Homeland Security has many protocols when it comes to detained people, especially families. The DHS clarifies that there is no policy that calls for the separation of families at the border. However, there are three circumstances where this does occur. “These circumstances include: 1) when DHS is unable to determine the familial relationship, 2) when DHS determines that a child may be at risk with the parent or legal guardian, or 3) when the parent or legal guardian is referred for criminal prosecution.” These measures are taken because of the influx of many people simply posing as families at the border. When children are separated from their families at the border, they are detained at licensed facilities, known to many as the sinister cages, where they are held no longer than 20 days. These laws are not revolutionary to the Trump Administration and, in reality, seem pretty fair. However, as in many instances, things change when we get to President Trump. Remember this: there are no laws that mandate the separation of families at the border. Starting with March of 2017, PBS gives a full storyline of the Social Media, Online Editor Eddie Monares ’19 Photo Editor Diego Ochoa ’19 Copy Editor Vince Francisco ’19
1949
175 Phelan Avenue San Francisco, CA 94112 RCrusaderNews.com RCrusaderNews@riordanhs.org Twitter @R_CrusaderNews Instagram @rcrusadernews
Meteorologist Antonio Maffei ’20
Arts & Entertainment Editor Stephen Blecha ’19
Staff Reporters Fabian Aguilar ’19 Jonathan Blecha ’21 Dominic Borrego ’20 Jack Calonico ’19 Julian Castillo ’19 Zackary Conci ’21 Michael Conefrey ’21 David Dorantes ’21 Steven Elsner ’20 Cheyne Fernandez ’20 Michael Gray ’20 Michael Jaurigui ’19 Jamar Kittling ’20 Roly Lo ’21 Jack McBride ’19 Michael Ortega-Portillo ’21 Jordan Noeuku ’21 Liam Peace ’19 Gabriel Santos ’21 JJ Trujeque ’21 Brandon Vargas ’20
Health and Tech Editor Danilo Herger ’20
Photographer Alex Hsing ’21
Editor-in-Chief Owen Murphy ’19 Opinion Editor Karl Vanuska ’19 News Editors Aidan Murtagh ’20 Zachary Phillips ’20 Features Editor Harrick Wu ’19 Sports Editor Steven Rissotto ’20
Environment, Religion Editor Adviser Susan Sutton, CJE Ian Martin ’20
president’s illegal immigration policies and actions, addressing when the White House first talked about the issue of posing families. In May of this year, the zerotolerance policy was announced. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said, “If you cross this border unlawfully, then we will prosecute you. It’s that simple.” It is during this time when the separation of families at the border increased. Many assume that the goal of this would be to deter illegal immigration. Yet, according to PBS, “The administration says border crossings at the El Paso sector dropped by 64 percent. But Lind finds the opposite: that federal data showed an increase of illegal border crossings during that time.” The Trump Administration has been separating immigrant families at staggering numbers, with Homeland Security officials confirming that 1,995 children were separated from 1,940 adults at the U.S.-Mexico border from April 19 through May 31. Based on the laws listed in Homeland Security, these colossal numbers just do not make sense. By June, these injustices were reaching the light. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders responded to the outcry of criticism and questioning by stating that the massive separation was because of the existing laws, of which there are none. A true talent for words. The Department of Homeland
Security states that children can be separated from their families “when the parent or legal guardian is referred for criminal prosecution.” However, the zero tolerance policy makes ALL who cross the border illegally subject to criminal prosecution. This is a clear and utter abuse of the law, making it so that even true families and asylum seekers are subject to separation and detainment. Anyone coming to the border, either to smuggle drugs or seek a better life, is considered a criminal; that is the law that the Trump Administration mandated. There is no question why this law is universally seen as cruel and inhumane. Illegal immigration has been depicted as a grave problem weakening our country and harming our economy. However, the balance says that immigrant work helps provide cheap labor, which lowers the cost for the average American. While others rightfully take other approaches, it is clear to me that the actions of the Trump Administration illustrate the severe xenophobia and racism that encompasses our current executive branch. These long, long four years continue to drag on along with the political battles, with some positives and, to some, many negatives. When it comes to families seeking refuge and a better life in the land of the free and the home of the brave, I must side with the advocates.
Hair policy cuts self-expression By Cheyne Fernandez ’20 Archbishop Riordan High School’s hair policy, a revised portion of the dress code, garnered a lot of attention when the school year began. Students and parents received notice of this policy during the summer, and some students were upset by the school’s decision. August 16, 2018 was my first day back at Riordan. As a member of Student Parliament and CORE team, I learned of the policy earlier than others. During the summer, I grew out my hair, knowing I would have to cut it eventually, but I never thought of the emotions that would accompany the big chop. My locks were shorne, both literally and metaphorically. Hair gives many students confidence—whether it’s in length or style. Being in a private,
Catholic school already restricts students from opportunities of self-expression, such as requiring a uniform. By further restricting the dress code, it offers even less freedom of expression through appearance. With the new policy, students are required to cut their hair if it exceeds one inch in height above the scalp, which is a huge issue for students with kinkytextured hair. An individual with straight hair can get away with longer hair by simply laying the hair down with products. The hair policy, requiring students to have hair no longer than one inch, is too restrictive. It does not facilitate learning, but rather suppresses expression. It should be revised to consider hair texture and self-expression so students may grow into the people they are meant to be now, and in the future.
Pope Francis to journalists on World Communications Day: “I would like, then, to invite everyone to promote a journalism of peace . . . a journalism that is truthful and opposed to falsehoods, rhetorical slogans, and sensational headlines. A journalism created by people for people, one that is at the service of all, especially those – and they are the majority in our world – who have no voice.”
Fall 2018
Opinion
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
3
Does Barry Bonds deserve to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame?
Rizzo’s Resolve Pro
Vanuska’s View Con
By Karl Vanuska ’19
By Steven Rissotto ’20
In
a storied and illustrated career, Barry Bonds defied all odds in an era where video game statistics became the norm. He blasted a total of 762 career home runs and earned 2,558 walks, the most all-time for anyone who’s ever sported a big league jersey. He also holds the single season home run record with 73 in the emotional year of 2001. His accolades and his meaning to the City of San Francisco was one for the ages. Before he started blasting home runs into San Francisco Bay, Bonds was a young, athletic outfielder with the Pittsburgh Pirates. His dreams of becoming superior were at their peak when he won two MVPs before he signed with the Giants in 1993. It saved baseball in San Francisco, as owner Bob Lurie had a deal in place to send his dear Giants to Tampa Bay. I think it’s fair to say that the steroid era is one of the biggest debates and times in baseball history. Bonds found himself in the middle of the conversation, and his tough personality fueled the fire for the media. For reporters and oppositions, he was easy to hate. Behind the scenes, he worked harder than anyone. He never tested positive for a performance enhancing drug, even after the testing became more advanced towards the end of his career. In court documents, it was revealed he used steroid cream, but unknowingly, he said. The Baseball Writers Association of America votes for the Hall of Fame annually, and when Barry Bonds’ turn came up in 2013, they embarrassed themselves. He received 36.2 percent of the 75 percent needed to get in. After all, the writers made quite a career of writing about the era, so why don’t they give the respect back? Bonds’ first rumored time using steroids was 1999, and he was already in the 400 home run/400 stolen base club. He also had eight Rawlings’ Gold Glove awards for his work in left field. So, he was already a Hall of Famer before he used steroids. Next, Oakland slugger Jose Canseco estimated that about 80
BarryBonds.com Despite his many records, Barry Bonds has not been elected to the Hall of Fame because of alleged steroid use. percent of baseball players at the time were juicing, which means Bonds was playing against pitchers who were on the same stuff he allegedly was, and performed against them at an elite level. Who knows? Maybe a steroid user is already in. Jeff Bagwell had connections early in his career to PEDs. Mike Piazza was drafted in the 62nd round and had poor minor league statistics. Ivan Rodriguez was among those that Canseco called out for using in his bestselling book. There are steroid guys in the Hall of Fame already, so what’s the big deal? Bonds hit the ball so far, so how do we know steroids helped him? I would estimate that he would have lost 35 home runs, and still would be over the illustrious 700 marker on the famous home run record list. In September, the Giants retired Bonds’ number, 25, in a ceremony before a game against the Pirates. Willie Mays, one of baseball’s greatest of all-time and Bonds’ godfather, begged the baseball writers to to vote him in, which is important coming from someone with Mays’ pedigree. Cooperstown is a museum of baseball greatness, not a fraternity. If you leave out Bonds and other potential users, you’re leaving out an entire era. The game evolves, and it won’t be played the same forever. Barry Bonds is the greatest player of all-time and deserves to have his plaque hanging in the halls with iconic superstars in baseball history. When the voting is announced in January, Bonds should have his totals go up, or make the jump and get in.
Barry Bonds, a generational
talent surrounded by controversy. An icon in the Bay Area, but labeled as a cheater by others for the use of steroids. An asterisk next to his home run record of 756 in baseball Hall of Fame records probably best describes the tricky situation Bonds is in right now. With all that said, the question still remains: Should Barry Bonds be allowed into the Hall of Fame? The answer is simple: no. The Hall of Fame is for truly great players who put hard work and dedication into becoming the best, and didn’t take any shortcuts or quick fixes to do so. Using steroids or PEDs completely undercuts that idea, because then, what constitutes greatness? If we allow Barry Bonds, then what’s stopping other players from looking at him and saying, “Well, if he got away with using steroids, why shouldn’t I take them?” This sets a dangerous precedent, because allowing cheaters into the Hall of Fame, no matter how great they are, will lead to players freely and openly taking steroids. Then, we wouldn’t know if any records or moments of greatness were produced by great players or simply through taking steroids. And, it puts into doubt whether anything in baseball is real anymore. Look at Derek Jeter’s last at bat at Yankee stadium back in 2014. It was a walk off hit that was the greatest send off you can ever have. That moment shows that we have never needed steroids to make these amazing storylines. Consider the punishment for the use of banned substance in other sports, such as the Olympics, they
take away that player’s accolades and awards. In the Olympics: they take medals away from people who are caught using banned substances, if they won any event. Immediately stripping these players of their records, because they used banned substances, rewards players who actually competed clean, and did everything within their own skills to get to the apex of the sport. Our own Dean of Students, Juan Zumbado ’98, said, “If other sport federations wipe their pages of their winners for using banned substances, then that should be true for Barry Bonds as well.” Barry Bonds holds the record for the most home runs in a career, which has been tainted by his use of steroids. That record should go to Hank Aaron, because from what we know, he competed clean. Steroid users are performing at levels beyond human capabilities, almost like robots. It’s unfair to those who have competed clean, because they are essentially going up against robots, since steroids and other PED’s take a person well beyond what they are actually capable of. Barry Bonds probably would have been in the Hall of Fame based on his individual skill, but he took steroids, and he should deal with the consequences of taking them and being caught. He still cheated, and it doesn’t accurately portray his own greatness. What he showcased was how far one can go with steroids. With the use of steroids, we don’t truly know what Barry Bonds would have been after the 1999 season, because Father Time might not have been so kind to him without the use of steroids. We know Bonds cheated, and that makes it a clear cut case: Bonds shouldn’t be in the Hall of Fame.
Editor’s Note: Go to our website, RCrusaderNews. com, to vote in the poll and find links to listen to the podcasts with Associate Athletic Director Bob Greene and Dean of Students Juan Zumbado.
4 Campus News
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Fall 2018
Classroom clocks await time change By Brandon Vargas ’20
Students are wondering why the clocks in some of the classrooms on campus don’t function properly. They look up at the clock in the middle of the test and think they have all the time in the world to complete it, but then the teacher announces, “Five minutes left!” and they suddenly wonder why the clock deceived them. Scott Rea ’87, Director of Facilities, is extremely knowledgeable on this issue. Rea said that the clocks are all wired to the main office. He said, “Some of [the] clocks have failed, and because of the age of the clocks and the age of school, they’re not connected to the master system.” It is evident that some clocks run about an hour behind than normal. This is due to the fact that daylight saving time switched several years ago.
Photo by Steven Rissotto ’20 Many classroom clocks are an hour behind. Given the school’s aged system, the clocks essentially believe that daylight saving happened already, thus automatically turning back time by an hour. Rea explained that this situation is “not a simple fix.” The process is “extremely expensive because
of all the wires.” He also pointed out that, at this point, it would prove too costly to fix the entire system. As a result, in the interim, he is “replacing the clocks that are dead with the battery-operated clocks.”
Rea notes that it is his job to ensure that all the classrooms are “perfect.” Given that some teachers do not tell him about the clock(s) in their rooms, in addition to the entirety of the situation, Rea is still trying to get a hold of the issue. Math teacher Ottilie Valverde said that the incorrect clock times “confound [her] sense of what time the class should end.” Moreover, Valverde stated, “...when the bell is about to ring, and I haven’t realized it, I feel like I haven’t closed the lesson well.” On the contrary, Julian Molina-Lopez ’20 does not pay much attention to the clocks. He believes that, during a test, “The teacher should be able to tell [students] or write on the board how much time [is left].” Rea hopes to have the clocks fixed by the start of the new school year in 2019.
Crusader Mobile rolls out with hot, new wheels By Ian Martin ’20
The Crusader is the cherished mascot of ARHS who is always at events and rallies to get the students pumped up. This year, there will be one more reason to keep your eyes on the Crusader when he rolls up in his sick new ride, the Crusader Mobile! That’s right. This year, the ARHS mascot will be cruising in a vehicle sporting the signature school colors, purple and gold. The mastermind behind the creation of the vehicle is Gianni Brattesani ’21 who created it as a final project
for the engineering program at Riordan with help from his teachers and his father Stephen Brattesani, DDS. Gianni said, “I decided to make something big that would be cool to give to the school and really leave my mark here at Riordan.” Walking past the fab lab, students and faculty may see it just inside the door in all its glory. The seat of the cart is a chair from the cafeteria with the metal legs taken off to add some Riordan flair. It may just look like a normal go kart, but
the Crusader Mobile is extremely advanced and has a variety of functions. The ride has a working speaker system with a microphone. It can be controlled remotely, shoot fog from the back, and make smoke rings; and yes, it has lasers. “There’s two lasers in the front so people in the stands will see lasers driving in front of the vehicle,” stated Stephen Brattesani. With a project as advanced as this, things are bound to get pretty expensive and time consuming. “It took us around 100 hours
to put it together and cost $3,000 to make,” said Gianni. “Home Depot actually donated $1,500 of the cost,” added Stephen Brattesani. There has been some concern about the wheels making marks on the new gym floor, but Gianni has thought of everything. “We bought special solidrubber wheels to prevent the cart from making any marks on the gym floor,” stated Gianni. The debut date of the Crusader Mobile has not been determined yet, so be on the lookout.
Abundance of freshmen creates deficit of desks Michael Conefrey ’21 and Michael Gray ’20
An increase in the number of freshmen has led to shortages of desks in some classrooms. It’s no secret that applications to Riordan have swelled in the past year. The school has gone from receiving 393 applications in 2017 to 487 in 2018, and with this rise comes a rise in class size, and thus, a need for more desks. The astounding number of incoming freshmen created a desk shortage. Last year, Riordan had one of the largest freshman classes in a very long time, with 211 students. This year’s freshman class nearly tied the sophomores with 203 students. Desk shortages could continue to be a problem if future freshman classes become larger and larger. Such an unprecedented increase in students begs the question— what’s changed? According to Sally O’Connell, a
member of the admissions team, “The admissions team is better able to articulate what Riordan is to people and why we’re different than other school.” The influx of students is not a coincidence—the spirit of Riordan has been getting through to incoming students better than ever. With this increase in students, however, comes problems. A bigger freshman class could potentially mean difficulties for current students. According to Dominic Borrego ’20, “There are a lot more freshmen crowding the cafeteria and clubs.” In addition, some classes needed more desks to accommodate the larger numbers of freshmen in those classes. Desks were moved from one class to another to accommodate for more students in some classrooms, which led to students than desks in many rooms, according to many teachers.
An example of this is room 203, English teacher Michael Vezzali-Pascual’s classroom. Vezzali-Pascual ’88 returned to his classroom from summer break and discovered that two of his desks were missing and were replaced with two wooden desks with separate black chairs. “I always have about 30 desks every year, but the desks are always moved around from classroom to classroom every summer,” he said. Another classroom with a shortage of desks is room 117, where math teacher Tony Tran ’02 is based. In some of Tran’s classes, there are many more desks than students, so much so that Tran does not allow his students to sit in the front or back rows. But in other classes, Tran does not have enough desks for everyone. “I almost didn’t have enough desks at the beginning of the
year,” Tran said. “One of my blocks has 31 students when I only have 29 desks. I had to borrow a desk from the lecture hall and almost hope somebody would transfer out to have enough desks for everyone.” Another classroom affected by the widespread desk shortage is Maren Nymo’s 2B American Sign Language class in room 106, where multiple students will have to sometimes sit on counters in the room if they want to sit down. “We have (prospective students) a lot in the class, so at least five people have to sit on the counter every day,” said Antonio Roca ’21, a student in Nymo’s class. While there might be some negative consequences to this new class, a larger student body also means a more diverse and thriving Riordan community. “Too many freshmen is definitely a good problem to have,” VezzaliPascual said.
Fall 2018
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Campus News
5
New archery class hits fun bullseye By Michael Ortega-Portillo ’21 Archery is a new enrichment class at Riordan, consisting of eight students, and while that may not seem to be the ideal number, it offers enough shooting time for everyone to have a go. They practice shooting arrows on the field and have fun doing it. Science Department Chair Colleen O’Rourke and Assistant Band Instructor Edwin Serrano teach archery. O’Rourke said she created the class because she grew up practicing archery and wanted to give an opportunity to Riordan boys. She wanted to give the students in the club more practice before takingthem on field trip to the Pacifica archery field. O’Rourke said, “They seem to like it a lot! It’s pretty low-key at
the moment as the students learn how to handle the bow and play around with the best forms, but hopefully we can introduce some more competitive aspects of target shooting next semester.” Juan Rojas ’21 said, “I enjoy going out on the field shooting arrows with my friends. I find it relaxing.” There are other benefits as well. “Target sports take patience and focus, which are excellent skills to practice in our busy world,” said O’Rourke. “I also try to incorporate brief sessions of meditation in each class to help practice avoiding distractions and just being in the moment.” While Riordan Archery is not Photo by Michael Ortega-Portillo ’21 going to be in tournaments, Student Kyle Pan ’21 takes aim while archery teacher O’Rourke is enthusiastic for the Colleen O’Rourke carefully monitors his technique. future of archery.
Kelly ‘comes home’ to serve Riordan community By Cheyne Fernandez ’20
At the beginning of the school year, Archbishop Riordan High School introduced an abundance of new faculty members, one of whom was Sacred Heart alumnus Brian Kelly. This being the first singlegender high school Kelly has worked at means that it would take some getting used to. Initially, Kelly said that, “It was a trip because I was a counselor a lot, I worked with young ladies in my office, and seeing that there were no more girls walking around was different; just seeing a flood of boys was different.” Yet, it didn’t take him long to get used to the student life at Riordan, stating, “The dance really helped me understand something that wasn’t a norm for me. Seeing the interactions at
the dance helped me to realize that teens all act like teens and they all deal with similar issues.” In terms of how Kelly’s current position at the school differs from his former positions, he focused on communication. At his former job he would typically interact with teens, being the dean of discipline at his former school, and a counselor prior to earning that position. Kelly’s interaction with adults wasn’t as prevalent as it is now. “I was essentially Mr. Zumbado, so very different,” he said. “Now I deal a lot more with scheduling and with adults, whereas before I was a dean and a counselor, which was primarily interacting with students.” One of Kelly’s primary goals is to continue the school’s honored
tradition of athletic events. He believes that something Riordan has always been consistently great at is the sports events. “I want to make sure we keep that pride and tradition, because we are Riordan Athletics and that’s a very important thing in San Francisco.” He also wants to better understand the House System. Kelly believes it is a very unique and different approach to a typical student body. He added, “I want to help Mr. Klobas grow it into something that makes it very unique to Archbishop Riordan.” Lastly, Kelly said in coming to Riordan, he felt like “I was Photo by Cheyne Fernandez ’20 coming home. I was away from Brian Kelly joined the Riordan San Francisco, and I liked SI a community as the new Dean of lot, as well as Marin Catholic, but Athletics and Student Affairs. I knew what I truly wanted was to come home.”
Principal returns to classroom to connect with students, teachers By Jordan Noeuku ’21
Photo by Cheyne Fernandez ’20 Principal Reardon reacts to a student’s response in World Literature.
Principal Timothy Reardon returned to the classroom this year, teaching one section of World Literature. With a diverse background that includes English teacher, basketball coach, and alumni director, Reardon finds fun in all that he is engaged in. Some might question why Reardon took on another duty, but the answer for him was clear. “I love English. I love books and writing, and as principal, it is easy to forget that stuff,” he said. “I knew it was going to help me as a principal because I have had administrators in the past when I was teaching, and the longer they were out
of the classroom, the harder it was for them to be able to relate to the teachers,” he said. “So being back to the classroom with kids, and being part of this schedule, I think it helps me to be a better principal and helps me to understand the teachers better.” Being a teacher has an impact on his emotions, as he feels nostalgia flooding in. “I started to teach when I was 22 years old and I had 17 year olds in my first year,” he said. “To be out of the classroom for the last five years, there was a little hole in my days when I didn’t interact with teenagers. The only ones I got to interact with were my kids. So, it was good to get back, good to know Riordan kids better.”
6
Campus News
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Fall 2018
44th annual Frosh Olympics unites freshmen in four houses By Vince Francisco ’19
Friday, Sept. 14 was a night of glory, triumph, and fraternity. Freshmen from the houses of Bolts, Cana, Russi, and Pilar competed in the Frosh Olympics, a renowned annual Riordan tradition where they compete for the Frosh Olympics Trophy and 100 points for the house in first place. With the addition of the house system as of last year, the competitive spirit between the four houses is higher than ever. Valerie O’Riordan, provincial of Russi House and Drama teacher, said, “[Russi isn’t] out for blood, and we aren’t always in first place. But watch out for the Green Machine, we’ll surprise you when you least expect it.” The Frosh Olympics kicked off with the buzzer commencing the half court basketball competition. In this event, Bolts
Photos by Vince Francisco ’19 Members of Cana House celebrate a back to back Frosh Olympics win.
to back Frosh Olympics Champs definitely made it something I’ll always remember and be proud of.” Per tradition, all of the freshmen participated in a Tug of War contest, which did not count towards points because “the provincials wanted to make it a fun event like how we did it with some games at the Mercy Benefit Rally,” said Joey Klobas, Director of Student Activities. In both matches, all of the frosh were enthusiastically rooted for by faculty, family, and staff. In this game, Cana lost to Russi and Pilar won against Bolts. The Frosh Olympics this year was one full of camaraderie shown by the newest members of the Riordan community. This event was only the second year with the house system. Angel Fontanilla ’22, student of Bolts House, said, “It was way more fun than I expected.”
At left, Dan Baradi and Angel Fontanilla compete in a rochambeau tie breaker officiated by Estefan Granucci ’19. Above, Russi freshmen pull together in a tug-o-war match. At right, Ray Byrd carries Ziion Best in the relay race. faced off against Russi, losing in the process. On the other side of Restani Court, Cana was celebrating its victory against Pilar. Second, was the full court dodgeball game. Cana and Bolts came out on top in their matches, while Pilar and Russi lost theirs. As the dodgeball players were competing, there were freshmen under the bleachers who played against each other in checkers. In this round, Pilar and Cana beat Russi and Bolts. Mid-Olympics, the freshmen were greeted with the rally game. To win, the house that is in the outer circle had to knock down all of the opposing contenders in the inner circle with gigantic yoga balls. If the contenders in the inner circle are all standing before time ends, the outer circle fighters lose the game. In this match, Cana and Pilar lost to Bolts and Russi. For the relay event, participants dressed up the Crusader mascot in their respective house shirt to win. Before that, however, they had to complete several tasks like making three shots
from the 3-point line, dashing to the end of the court from the other, and running an agility ladder through hula hoops. Pilar and Russi beat Cana and Bolts to the punch on this one. In the second to last event, Riordan’s freshmen participated in a flag football competition. The game between Bolts and Russi lasted for a short while with Bolts coming out on top, but the match between Pilar and Cana was the complete opposite. The House of Cana was determined to win this game because they needed only one more win to take win Frosh Olympics, however House of Pilar was set on leveling the playing field to get the first big win of the year. This match went back and forth, back and forth with both teams at 1-1. The match carried over into overtime. In a surprising turn of events, Cana succeeded in beating Pilar with a catch in the endzone. Christopher Fern, provincial of Cana house, said, “[Football] was really high stakes and of course Cana winning it and cementing us as back
Frosh officers announced
Photo by Diego Ochoa ’19 The new freshmen class officers include Georgios Tsokas, Isaiah Diaz-Lopez, Cole Anderson, Noah David, Oisin McClorey, Luca Ricci, Collin Murtagh, and John Kosewic.
Fall 2018
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Campus News 7
Students spend summer studying stories By Aidan Murtagh ’20
The 2018 Summer Reading assignment underwent some significant changes, prompting various responses and questions. According to Michael O’Brien, Dean of Academics and member of the Summer Reading Committee, “The summer reading assessment grew out of an agreement [that still stands today] that students should be encouraged to read over summer. [The Committee] came to the conclusion that the assignment should not be punitive, but rather it should be Photo by Diego Ochoa ’19 encouraging and rewarding for The math department graded the summer reading assignment this year. the students.” Therefore, various teachers and Mr. Reardon.” Riordan’s newspaper, The throughout the school work Appealing the scope of ages Crusader, the most popular book together to assemble a project found at Riordan, the committee this year was “Fantastic Voyage” that will keep students at least chose various books, including by Isaac Asimov, and the least somewhat focused on literature “Ball Don’t Lie” by Matt de la popular was “This Boy’s Life” by and education. Peña and “The Curious Incident Tobias Wolff. The selection of books was of the Dog in the Night Time” by After completing their the originally put together by the Mark Haddon. assignments, many returning Summer Reading Committee, After the list was agreed students arrived at school consisting of Librarian Danny upon, it was communicated to bewildered after hearing that the Appel, Dean of Academics the students, who then decided assignment would be graded by Michael O’Brien, and English on a book to read. The student the math department. teachers Diana Assereto, Mary reaction to books was generally From a student perspective, Dalton, Susan Sutton, and positive, as every student found a the reviews were mixed. On one Michael Vezzali-Pascual. Starting novel that more or less suited his hand, many students appreciated sometime near the end of the first interests. the transition of grading. semester, usually November, Nicholas Lundquist ’20 said, Lundquist continued, “The these members decide what books “I believe that this year’s book transition of grading the will be read, and how the student selection was very well rounded assignments to the math work will be assessed. in a sense that there were books department had good intentions As a member of the committee, that were suited for a wide variety on grading how well students Appel explained, “We narrow of readers.” followed the instructions. It also it down according to age level The books ranged from topics trained teachers who are not appropriateness, relevance, such as sports and mystery to usually used to grading essay style whether the book has or will be issues including imprisonment assignments to understand the used as a course assignment, and and totalitarian regimes like the grading style and could help them most importantly, whether it will Nazis, suiting the diverse interests incorporate that understanding be of interest to students. Final of the Riordan community. into their own teaching and approval comes from Mr. Currier According to the survey taken by grading.”
On the other hand, some students felt confused by the change. Edric De Mesa ’19 said, “When I heard that the math department was Chair, “The reason why the grading the summer reading, I felt really confused as to why a non-literature teacher was grading literature homework.” According to Mary Ann Datoc, the Math Department English department did not grade the summer reading is because the summer reading assessment is a schoolwide assessment, which means that every subject should grade the assessment, not only the English department.” Mary Dalton, the Chair of the Riordan English Department, added, “[The Summer Reading Committee] made the assessment straightforward because there would be so many [to grade]. The assignment focused on following directions and seeing what the students thought about the books, so virtually any teacher could grade the responses.” O’Brien added, “It’s not a perfect model, and it certainly could be better, like for instance, getting the word out regarding who will be assessing it and the process itself. But since [the Summer Reading Committee] has turned to our current system, we’ve noticed more and more students being invested in their books over summer. This is just like the house system; we need everyone in the school to be invested in order for this program to work.”
College Board angers students, parents with score adjustments By Harrick Wu ’19 The College Board, a nonprofit organization that offers one of the two standardized tests in the United States for colleges, is taking a lot of heat from test takers who took the 2018 June and August SAT. On June 2, students took the exam at various test sites and many came out thinking that they did well. When the scores rolled out, however, many saw their scores lower than previous tests, despite having significantly less incorrect answers. Angry students and parents sent out strongly worded emails to the College Board, expressing concerns and requesting a rescore of the test. The concerns expressed did not prevail, however. On Twitter, the College Board tweeted, “We understand your questions about your June SAT scores. We want to assure you that your scores are accurate. While we plan for consistency
across administrations, on occasion there are some tests that can be easier or more difficult than usual. That is why we use a statistical process called ‘equating.’ Equating makes sure that a score for a test taken on one date is equivalent to a score from another date. So, for example, a single incorrect answer on one administration could equal two or three incorrect answers on a more difficult version. The equating process ensures fairness for all students.” Chris Yung ’19, one of the test takers of the June SAT, understands why the harsh curve was given out for the test, but does not think College Board should have given this test. “I think the curve was fair, because the test was pretty easy. However, I think that College Board should not have given such an easy test that would warrant such a harsh curve. I got five wrong in math and that was -110
points, which is crazy.” The criticism the College Board received eventually died out, with students accepting that nothing will be done and choosing to focus on the next SAT instead. The fury of the students came back, however, after August test takers realized that the exam they took was the same test used for the 2017 October International SAT, which was leaked all over the internet. This created an unfair advantage to those that studied off the leaked test. A daughter and father in Florida decided to file a lawsuit against the College Board for compensation, because they claim the organization failed to maintain the integrity of the test. Sean Moore ’19 disagrees. He said, “Though students may have known about the reused test, they are few in comparison to all the test takers. The scores would therefore be unaffected by those who had the unfair advantage,
and the ones who did see a suspicious increase in their scores would have scores delayed or cancelled anyways.” Those who are unsatisfied with the SAT have an alternative: the ACT. This test has not had any recent problems and might increase the security of their tests by making students take it on a computer, which is being tested in various international tests. According to Melissa Nagar, Head of College Counseling, “Colleges are very much aware of the impact of the unfair advantage in the differences in scoring. The admissions, in recent months, understand that there were some issues with the exam.” She continued, “While the numbers might definitely impact students individually, I think colleges are aware that these things exist in the system, so they’re always going to take these test scores with a grain of salt.”
8 Campus News
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Fall 2018
Phelan Avenue to Frida Kahlo Way transition begins By Michael Conefrey ’21
After a vote by residents that lasted about two weeks, a vote by the Board of Supervisors, and a debate that still continues, Phelan Avenue will be renamed “Frida Kahlo Way.” The community around Phelan Avenue was able to vote on five different names, and “Frida Kahlo Way” was the one chosen. The election turnout was very small, with only about 30 votes being cast. Supervisor Norman Yee, who spearheaded the renaming effort, said the electronic vote count was “not as high as I would have liked,” according to the San Francisco Examiner. At the meeting with the supervisors, President Andrew Currier spoke on behalf of the Riordan Community and the neighbors on Phelan, who did not want the change. The effort to rename the street began at City College about three years ago, when student activists at City College researched former San Francisco mayor James Phelan, and discovered his racist past. Phelan campaigned for anti-immigrant and anti-Asian policies during his political career, and used a plethora of racist slogans. These students started to seriously look into the process of renaming a street, and their efforts have since been proven effective. “I agree with the change 100 percent,” said Social Studies Department Chair and Cana house provincial Christopher Fern. “Historically, Phelan made anti-Asian and anti-immigrant comments. And while that was
socially acceptable at the time, it is not something we want to associate ourselves with now.” The future namesake of the street on which Archbishop Riordan resides, Frida Kahlo, was a Mexican artist who took inspiration from the Mexican indigenous culture. “I would have preferred someone with a closer connection to San Francisco was chosen, but I do believe it is important for more women of color such as Frida Kahlo to be recognized,” Fern said. Cabot Maloney ’21 held a Photo by Diego Ochoa ’19 similar position to Fern, saying, “On one hand it is appropriate to MUNI bus 43 has already changed Phelan Avenue to Frida Kahlo Way. name the street after her because she was an influential artist who would have been really cool to be a five-year grace period where inspired many. But on the other have the street named after a either “Phelan Avenue” or “Frida hand,they’re naming it after a Riordan man like Tyrone McGraw Kahlo Way” will be acceptable to woman who didn’t contribute to ’06 (who died last year) or Bob use in their addresses. No official San Francisco society in any way.” Dalton ’61 (an English teacher date has been set for when the street signs will be changed, but The selection of Kahlo could who recently retired.) “I don’t really like changing they must denote the old name also be seen as problematic, as she was an active communist street names, but I understand under it for five years. The issue of renaming streets sympathizer, a movement that why they would want to change it,” said Spanish teacher Armando and taking down monuments killed more than 110 million people in the 20th century and Castillo. “Nobody knows who that may be deemed offensive is a propelled countless more into James Phelan is, but Frida Kahlo heated national debate with a lot is an internationally recognized of nuance. Some people believe extreme poverty. that society should not recognize Many believe it is unjust to artist.” Phelan Avenue residents are people of the past who do not rename the street, as it is not actually named after Mayor upset that they will need to work align with current values, while James Duval Phelan, but his through complicated paperwork some believe that it is important father, James Phelan Sr. The elder and city processes now. The to remember these people so Phelan was an Irish immigrant change will also be costly to that we do not repeat the same who became wealthy as a banker the school, as they will need to mistakes, while some others do and real estate investor during change their postal address on all not think we should judge people the Gold Rush of 1849, and is stationery and publicity materials of the past through our moral an important figure to the Irish to account for the name change. lenses. MUNI has already made the “You can’t judge the people of American community. This summer, Riordan Principal change from “Phelan” to “Frida the past through our standards,” Castillo said. “We have evolved Tim Reardon told The Squire, Kahlo” on their buses. As per public policy, there will as a species since then.” Camp Crusader’s newspaper, “It
Class of 1988 reunites to celebrate 30 years of brotherhood By David Dorantes ’21
On August 25, Riordan’s Class of 1988 celebrated their 30th high school reunion. Twenty four members reunited at Thirsty Bear on Howard Street in San Francisco. Riordan Class of 1988 alumnus, Brenden Dobel, who is a brewmaster at Thirsty Bear, helped give the Crusaders a great evening to catch up with one another. The event was organized by Orlando Perrotta, Riordan English teacher Michael VezzaliPascual, and Mark Girish, who was class president their senior year. David Dorantes Sr. ’88 stated, “It was good seeing these guys. We reminisced, told stories and laughed about our time at Riordan. We had a great four years there.” Perrotta live streamed the
Photo by Michael Vezzali-Pascual ’88 Members of the Class of 1988 reunited to celebrate the 30th anniversary of graduating from Riordan.
night to those who could not be in attendance. Vezzlli-Pascual said, “We were very close as a class and it’s always good to see each other. And 30 years later, we thought it would be a formal way to celebrate.” The evening continued with a toast to those classmates who have passed away. Also, a big cheer was given to two classmates, Soni Cham ’88 from Toronto, Canada and Raymond Chen ’88 from Singapore, who traveled back to San Francisco just for the event. The evening wrapped up with the group gathering together, taking pictures, and the singing of the alma mater. “We sang the alma mater and it was loud!” said Dorantes. Even 30 years later, the Brotherhood is strong.
Fall 2018
Campus News
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
9
New teachers open new doors to education Stories and photos by Vince Francisco ’19
Alejandro Adam is a newcomer to the Riordan community, teaching Spanish I and Spanish III. Adam’s foreign language ability is attributed to his cultural heritage as a Latino, as his family is partly from Venezuela. He graduated from George Washington High School in San Francisco and studied at the Lycée Français de San Francisco where he became fluent in French.
David Major has worked for the archdiocese before in numerous different roles. In his career, he’s worked as a teacher, resource director, and assistant principal. Many of the people he’s worked with over the years have praised Riordan to the point that he wanted to experience the brotherhood for himself. He serves as a teacher in the RSP department.
Richard Sylvester is the new World Literature and American Literature teacher. Sylvester graduated from Riordan in 2001, attaining a major in Chemistry. When Sylvester was a student, his favorite class was Advanced Placement Chemistry with Mr. Powell and English with Mr. Valdez. He also was a member of The Crusader newspaper.
Maren Nymo is Riordan High School’s new American Sign Language teacher alongside Coach Ryan Jones who teaches ASL as well. Before coming to San Francisco, Nymo taught at a public high school in Tucson, AZ called Canyon del Oro HS, and at The Nueva School, a K-12 school in Hillsborough. She also teaches American Sign Language at Yelp, helping the engineers.
This is not Lauren Upadhyaya’s first time at Archbishop Riordan High School. Currently, she is a member of the Russi House, teaching both Chemistry and AP Chemistry. Upadhyaya is originally from Hawaii and graduated from the University of San Francisco, majoring in chemistry. Before she taught at Riordan, she taught in Houston, Beijing, and Hong Kong.
Wife and husband Ariel and Sam Soto-Suver teach the photography enriched course. Beginning in 2010, they have documented “the effects of socioeconomic inequities and the efforts of individuals, groups and movements to address imbalances, often from a women’s rights perspective.” Prior to this, Ariel was a photojournalist in San Francisco and Sam was a civil rights attorney.
Terrence Yang is a new addition to Riordan’s engineering and computer science program for the future Silicon Valley-esque engineers. Before Riordan, Yang graduated from Balboa High School and then was an instructor at San Francisco Mill Valley Code Club. As a self-established man in technology, Yang is excited about his position because it is his first time as a teacher.
Updated hair policy cuts back on length By Jordan Noeuku ’21
In the past few years, there have been changes at Riordan High School, from improvements to the gym and soon, the field, and there have also been changes to the dress code policies. While students are in favor of the improvements to the athletic venues, some are not happy with the revised hair policy, which requires that students’ hair be no longer than one inch in length, and corn rows and/ or braids are now prohibited. Dean of Students Juan Zumbado ’98 said the policy is not completely new. “A form of hair policy was established LONG ago. We simply updated and made it somewhat stricter.” He added, “I am seeing a vast majority of students in compliance with the hair policy.” Davin Lin ’99, counselor for the freshmen and seniors in the House of Pilar, said, “I think it depends on how you look at it, and as a counselor, I sympathize and empathize with students and I understand that for them it is a strict rule.” He continued, saying, “If we
were to consider the policy as a positive thing, it is because just like anything, you have to make sacrifices to be part of something you care for especially.” For reference, Lin cuts his hair once a month for a price of about $25 to $30. Hubert Yi Bo Wang ’20 does not see why this policy needed to be implemented. He said, “We came to school to study, not to be disciplined for hair.” Zumbado said, “The policy to have a student cutting their hair does not aid in academics per say. It does contribute to a ‘culture of expectations and responsibility’ that helps build young boys into men. Wherever our young men go after graduating from Archbishop Riordan the odds are fair that expectations of some kind will be placed on them.” In addition, Zumbado said, “Grooming may make the difference in attaining gainful employment or in entering a rewarding and fulfilling relationship. This is always underscored when it comes to discussing grooming but it does
not change the fact that it is true.” Riiny Giir ’20, said, “They are changing our look according to what they want it to look like, but students want to do their own hair style.’’ His cousin, Chan Mayuot Ngot ’20, cuts his hair for $20 every month. He said, “Some institutions will ask you to cut your hair depending on how you display it. We have had cases where people had dreadlocks and the profession they are in don’t allow them.” Chan added, “So, I also understand the school is trying to prepare us for upcoming jobs, but at this point I think we should just keep our hair.” Zumbado said, “As of today (Oct. 23) and including through the summer, when the initial notice went out to our families, my office has not received one single complaint about the hair policy from families,” Zumbado said. He continued, “This conveys to me that the policy has wide support from our families. I have received phone calls; comments when I am off work in the community from alumni and
graduates of other Catholic high schools; emails from our alumni, all commending us for raising our standards if ever so slightly. Parents have called stating that they are ‘relieved’ and ‘elated’ that their son has to cut their hair.” Still, students want the freedom to control their hair, since they have little control over anything else. Riiny said, “I need to enjoy my young age, have my hair according to the way I like it. We are still teenagers and we want to enjoy our life.” Also, some students argue that hair defines their cultural identity. Zumbado understands this, but notes that his children, who are Costa Rican and Polynesian, have closely cropped hair, and that their hair does not determine or denote pride in their culture. “They are being taught that how they present themselves to the others will help determine how others treat them. They are being taught that much of this is in their control. If my children learn this, and presentation includes this, I feel I will have succeeded as a father.”
10 Arts & Entertainment
Fall 2018
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
‘Big Bang Theory’ goes out with a bang By Danilo Herger ’20
to stay on for another two seasons. As conspiracies grow on why Parsons decided not to take part in the sitcom anymore, fellow co-star Kaley Cuoco, who plays Penny, shut down the theory that it was Jim Parsons’ fault. Cuoco posted on her Instagram days before shooting the last season, “Please stop accusing Jim for the show’s ending. He is NOT responsible for the executives’ decision. While details on how events actually went down are vague, as I understand it, Jim merely decided that he wanted to stop playing Sheldon after his upcoming season (12).” Other co-stars have also backed Parsons in similar ways Cuoco did. The first episode of the final season aired on Monday, Sept. 24, on CBS at 5 p.m. Anatomy teacher Thomas Harlan said the “The Big Bang Theory” changed how people viewed scientists. “Not all physicists stay in their lab all day, they are humans too.”
For the last 11 years, CBS’s “The Big Bang Theory” was an intricate part of most households’ TV watching experience, with as many as 23 million people tuning in each episode last season. Recently, reports have confirmed the cancellation of the beloved program. Mateo Guittap ’20 talked about how the show changed his perspective on science. “The Big Bang Theory has made me see how fun science can be.” According to Deadline.com, “The Big Bang Theory debuted in 2007 and airs in syndication around the world . . . (it) has received 52 Emmy nominations and 10 wins to date, and 7 Golden Globe nominations. Speculation of the canceling was aimed towards one of the main co-stars, Jim Parsons who plays the lovable character known as Sheldon Cooper. Parsons was said to have declined a $50 million contract extension if he agreed CBS.com
Mourners show r-e-s-p-e-c-t to Queen of Soul By Steven Rissotto ’20
Jan. 20, 2009 was a historic day for the United States, as Barack Obama, an African American, was inaugurated into office as the 44th President of the USA. One of the iconic moments of the extremely cold, Washington day was Aretha Franklin singing “America” in front of a large audience, in person and on television. It wasn’t the first time Franklin, nicknamed “Queen of Soul,” performed in front of millions of people, and it wasn’t the first time she was honored by an American commander in chief. In 2005, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush for her significance in culture. These two events were regarded as her biggest moments by some fans. Franklin passed away on Aug. 16 after a short battle with cancer. It was just so fitting that her funeral was held at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, the same holy place she began her singing career as a gospel singer as a young child. She was known for numerous hit songs, such as “I Say a Little Prayer” and “Respect.” She gained the respect she deserved by singing with a voice powerful enough to secure herself 18 Grammy Awards. Franklin has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and is the first woman to ever be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Director of Bands Kyle Hildebrant said, “Aretha Franklin had amazing poise and professionalism and knew exactly
Aretha Franklin, known as the Queen of Soul, died in August after a short battle with cancer and was mourned by fans around the world.
what she wanted musically.” For many people around the world, it wasn’t just Franklin’s singing that made her powerful. She was a popular AfricanAmerican in a crucial time for her community, as her hometown of Detroit was right, smack in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement that changed America for the better. Franklin said, “I suppose the revolution influenced me a great deal.” She also became known to the public as the daughter of famous figure in the Detroit community. Her father, C.L. Franklin, was the pastor of New Bethel, the
aforementioned starting spot for Aretha. In the 1950s, C.L. took young Aretha with him on tours around the United States, most notably in 1963. Martin Luther King Jr. was good friends with C.L., and invited him to walk down Woodward Avenue in Detroit. It was an incredible moment in the Civil Rights Movement, and something Aretha took into her own life. When reports leaked that Franklin was gravely ill at 76-years old, many people in the industry weren’t surprised. She had a history of inconsistent weight issues, smoking problems, and alcoholism.
ArethaFranklin.net
Her funeral was packed with some of the most popular celebrities in the world. Former president Bill Clinton described her as having “the voice of a generation” and maybe “the voice of a century.” Singer Ariana Grande, whose vocals compare to Franklin’s, did her best imitation of Aretha by singing “Natural Woman.” Franklin’s legacy is unmatchable. In 2008, Rolling Stone magazine voted her as the number one greatest singer in history. She will be remembered for her musical ability, as well as an icon in the Women’s Rights and Civil Rights movements.
Fall 2018
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Arts & Entertainment
11
Reardon’s ‘Shadow Lessons’ sheds light on diversity Book Review
By Eddie Monares ’19
Second year principal Tim Reardon’s book “Shadow Lessons “was a huge hit over the summer with the students and teachers. Reardon’s book was one of the upper division fiction reading choices for the students’ Summer Reading, and it received the most votes on the The Crusader newspaper website poll for juniors and seniors. Reardon said, “My inspiration for writing a book was that I tried to put my skills in English and writing and use it in a different, creative way.” Knowing Reardon, the similarities between the main character, Sean Cullinan, and himself are quite noticeable. Sean Cullinan is a high school English teacher, as well as the basketball coach. When Reardon wrote the book, he was at St. Ignatius as a English teacher and the head varsity basketball coach. Reardon said, “Half of the characters in the book are from
people I know in real life. Some characters are even a combination of a couple different people that I know.” The main topic of the book, in my opinion, was very unexpected. The characters and some of the storyline seemed pretty normal, but the topic was a bit surprising. The main topic was primarily about racial ethics and public reaction to a hypothetical situation involving race. Reardon said, “The news media does a lot of coverage on issues involving race and so it seems that people are interested about race.” The topic of race is a complex issue to try to create a fictional storyline for, especially for it being his first published book. Despite that, Reardon did a good job creating an enticing storyline with credible dialogue to culminate in a solid, interesting book. Reardon has another book published, “Parts of the Game,” available on Amazon.
Photo by Eddie Monares ’19 Principal Reardon’s book, Shadow Lessons, was on the summer reading list this year.
Maffei pens book on life as a teen meteorologist
Book Review
By Steven Rissotto ’20
Aspiring meteorologist Antonio Maffei ’20 already has an impressive resume and more big plans ahead. The young up and coming weather lover wrote his first book, “My Journey (SO FAR!) Becoming A Meteorologist.” The book became an instant hit with students, teachers, and other fans of Maffei. The book highlights his life story and some of the key events that created a love and passion for weather. The story will make you laugh, cry, or both. Many of the chapters are personal, and go deep into the life and rise of Maffei. There is one chapter that includes details of a songwriter who admires him from afar, who created a song for him. For his age and inaugural book, Maffei received a warm welcome into the writing industry with solid reviews all the way around. “I truly do have to give a shoutout to my co-workers at Apple,” Maffei said. “They’re really the ones who inspired and made this come true for me and really all of my weather adventures and tasks that I’m taking on is with Apple and my co-workers there.” Shortly after the book was
Photo by Danilo Herger ’20 Antonio Maffei ’20 has written two books about his life as a teen meteorologist, with another on the way.
released, Maffei announced a brand new book deal with his publisher, which would include future books. His second book, a weather textbook “Weather/ Severe Weather,” is an informational book about the different variations of weather. In early 2019, Maffei will release his third book of the series titled “Truth.” This is set up to be the greatest and most revealing book of the series. To go along with his book series, Maffei has started a brand new podcast titled “On Air with Antonio,” and it’s currently available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The future is bright for the 16year old Maffei, who works with Apple on numerous activities and projects, as well as frequent appearances on the news updating the Bay Area on weather in his hometown of Daly City. Maffei said, “There’s a lot of exciting things coming up in the future. First, I’m actively working on getting my weather assistant “Cumulus” setup and I’m working closely with big technology companies to get rolled out. Second, I have my third book coming out titled ‘Truth.’”
12 National News
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Fall 2018
Family separations at border stir controversy By JJ Trujeque ’21
Between April 18 and May 31, nearly 2,000 children were separated from their parents at the border, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The dilemma has incited a question that many have been debating for months: Who is at fault— families crossing the border illegally or the U.S. government? Immigrants crossing the border have been an issue for quite some time now, and many policies have been enforced to try to prevent this from continuing. Beyond immigrants crossing the border, there is yet another issue at hand. Children of immigrants are being separated from their parents and they are not always reunited. Armando Castillo, Spanish teacher, said, “Separating a child, an infant, from 2-6 years of age from their parents for extended periods of time causes psychological damage, and any child therapist in the world will tell you it is so.” There is much controversy surrounding the situation, whereas there is no actual law saying
Wikimedia Commons Citizens gathered outside the Capitol Building this summer to protest the Trump Administration’s immigration policies. that families must be separated. However, there is a policy that states all undocumented immigrants must be criminally
McCain remembered as maverick, war hero By Zachary Phillips ’20
John McCain, a war hero, United States Senator, and father was taken away by brain cancer on August 25, 2018. Americans across the country mourned his death by lowering their flags at half staff. McCain grew up in a military family where his father and grandfather were four star admirals. McCain continued this tradition when he became a naval aviator in the Vietnam War. While flying his plane, McCain was shot down over Hanoi, Vietnam and landed in a river with broken arms and legs. Captured by the North Vietnamese Army, McCain was held as a prisoner of war for five and a half years. His status as the son of a high ranking military officer made him a target in prison. He had the opportunity of an early release if he signed a confession stating that he was illegally bombing civilians and that the United States should not be involved in the Vietnam War. He knew there were other prisoners who had been there longer — resulting in some serious “enhanced interrogation.” Despite all of this, he refused. After his return to America, his mother inspired him to pursue a career in politics, where he later won two terms in the House of Representatives,
US.gov Sen. John McCain 1936-2018 and six in the Senate. Jeff Isola ’98, AP Government teacher, said, “The McCain family has a huge legacy. His character and personal opinions were strong — so much so that he became a polarizing figure, even within the Republican party. The reason why he got the pomp and circumstance was because he was willing to make his own decisions. He was not reliant on the party. There are those who revile him. But the reason he is appreciated is because there are so few politicians like him.” McCain was nicknamed “Maverick” due to his self reliance and confidence. As a person who does not fit the stereotypical mold of a politician, the people of the United States will miss John McCain.
prosecuted, which leads to children being taken from their parents until they are released. Alleged child abuse has stirred
the controversy and outrage even more. In late July of this year, two workers at a migrant children center in Arizona were arrested on charges of child molestation and child abuse. The allegations involving the two men came shortly after First Lady Melania Trump’s visit to the border in Arizona. The issue with much of this is that people tend to jump to conclusions (on both sides) and don’t consider investigating further information on the issue. The reality is that there are different facilities used for holding the separated children— those that are administered by the state or ones that are privately funded, which is where the abuse allegations come from. Jeff Isola ’98, AP Government and U.S History teacher, said, “Nobody wants to see parents separated from children, but at the same time, we also want to be a nation of laws and that we enforce those laws.”
Kavanaugh named to SCOTUS By Owen Murphy ’19 The United States Senate confirmed the appointment of another Supreme Court Justice. The highest court in the land has filled its second vacancy of the Trump administration with the appointment of Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Kavanaugh was nominated by President Trump on July 6. His nomination angered many Democrats who were fearful of Kavanaugh’s views on Roe v. Wade, while Republicans were supportive because of those views. Despite the reservations of the Democrats, Kavanaugh’s confirmation was initially expected to pass through the senate very quickly because of the Republican majority both in the Senate and the Senate Judicial Committee. Republicans in the judicial committee tried to expedite Kavanaugh’s passage through the process, likely in hopes of increasing party support ahead of the midterms. Democrats criticized Republicans for these actions and called for an unrestricted process. Committee and Senate approval of Kavanaugh was guaranteed by Republican control, until allegations against Kavanaugh were made public by Democratic members of the Judicial Committee. Christine Blasey Ford, a professor
of psychology at Palo Alto University, made claims that Kavanaugh committed acts of sexual misconduct against her while drunk in high school. Ford eventually agreed to testify before the committee after Republicans acquiesced to some of her requests. On Sept. 27, she testified before the committee. Her hearing seemed extremely emotional and heartbreaking for many, even many Republican Senators described it as “credible.” This view, however, was not shared by all, as many in the country felt she may be a political agent rather than a genuine accuser. Ford’s testimony was followed by testimony from Kavanaugh, which was characterized by outrage over what he claimed were false accusations made to defame his character. The process climaxed with the announcement of an FBI investigation into Kavanaugh after Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) brought his vote for Kavanaugh into question should an investigation not take place. Ultimately, the investigation was performed quickly, leaving many uncertain as to its effectiveness. After the investigation, the Republican majority of the Judicial Committee approved Kavanaugh. This was quickly followed by confirmation on the senate floor, passed by Republicans along party lines.
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National News
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Technology plays vital role in firefighting efforts By Cheyne Fernandez ’20
Last summer and fall, “42 people died across Northern California, including 23 in Sonoma County alone, making the 2017 fire season the deadliest in the state’s history,” according to news reports. In addition, “More than 160,000 acres—or 250 square miles—have burned in Sonoma, Napa, and Solano counties, just north of San Francisco. Another 36,000 acres burned farther north in Mendocino county, and approximately 8,400 structures were destroyed, according to Cal Fire. This year, “6,936 fires [have] burned an area of 1,518,918 acres,” and 14 people—including firefighters, civilians, and a PG&E employee—were killed, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the National Interagency Fire Center. At least some of the fires’ sources were allegedly caused by PG&E equipment, and so this month, the company “warned residents of Napa, Sonoma, and Lake counties on Sunday that the utility was taking the unprecedented step of shutting off power to thousands of customers in an effort to prevent a devastating wildfire,” according to KTVU. “The outages were expected to affect 17,000 customers in Napa, Sonoma and Lake Counties and in the following communities: Angwin, Calistoga, Deer Park, Bowden supports this claim Lake Berryessa, Pope Valley and St. Helena,” Megan McFarland, a PG&E spokesperson, said. On their website, PG&E posted the following message: “As part of our Community Wildfire Safety
Program, PG&E is implementing additional precautionary measures to help reduce the risk of wildfires. For public safety, it may be necessary for us to turn off electricity to communities in high fire-threat areas when extreme fire danger conditions occur.” And continued, “We know how important electric service is to our customers. We will only consider temporarily turning off power in the interest of safety, and as a last resort. In the event that we do need to turn off electricity due to extreme fire danger conditions, we will attempt to notify you in advance.” In August, the Santa Clara Fire department released a statement regarding throttled internet speeds from service provider Verizon, which detracted from their abilities to track the spread of the fires; Verizon claims it was an honest mistake, while officials state that the company unfairly cut their service reach, in demand of higher pay. Firefighters claim the use of internet data is essential to combating wildfires; CNN’s interview with Fire Chief Anthony Bowden supports this claim stating, “The internet has become an essential tool in providing fire emergency response, particularly for events like large fires which require the rapid deployment and organization of thousands of personnel and hundreds of fuel engines, aircraft, and bulldozers.” The details within his explanation demonstrate that the use of the internet is imperative to effectively accomplish battling the natural disaster. Throughout all this, new technological advancements remain lax
FEMA Last year’s fires in California resulted in the deaths of 42 people, making 2017 the deadliest in state history. This year, the death toll stands at 14, with close to 7,000 fires burning across the state from early summer to late fall. Technology plays a vital role in firefighting because if firefighters cannot communite with each other, their lives and the lives of those they are trying to protect, are more at risk. in
the area of firefighting. Scott McLean, spokesman for California Department Forestry and Fire protection stated, “Our basic foundation is tried and true - there is no real shiny object out there that would work for us right now.” Essentially, according to those within the fire department, There is no need for technological advancements in fire fighting, according to an article from the San Francisco Chronicle. The use of internet ranges farther than a simple phone call, as the firefighters depend on drones and satellite feeds in order to analyze the current state of the blaze. The data collected from these tools act as eyes in the sky, providing comprehensive views of wind patterns, escalation of the
fire, and where it will spread next. After synthesizing the data, the fire department is able to send out units of smoke jumpers in order to combat the fires. Knowing this information is crucial to correctly dispatch resources. In the situation of the Santa Clara wildfire, the fire department alleges that Verizon Wireless Service Provider failed to contribute to the fire fight, miscarrying their role in the battle by throttling service lines within a certain radius. This delayed the use of the tools provided to determine fire growth, as well as leaving the department uninformed during key points of decision making, resulting in many firefighters being “stranded and overworked.”
Revamped Balboa Pool makes splashy resurgence By Julian Castillo ’19
The year is 1985 and it’s a hot summer day. Confused as to what to do, you and your friends from Camp Crusader walk to Roxie’s and get a warmed up piece of sourdough bread with mustard for 25 cents. Next, you head on over to the Balboa Pool to cool off and enjoy the day. Being that this 1.1 million square foot park holds a pool in a neighborhood blooming with kids and adults eager to find somewhere to swim, it was a staple of many childhoods, such as Ernesto Castillo ’87, who learned to swim there along with his classmates because Riordan did not have a pool, as was originally planned when the school’s design was proposed. In 2012, when the city passed the Clean and Safe Neighborhood Parks Bond and Housing Grant, three out of nine public pools in the city were granted multimillion
Illustration by Kuth Ranieri Architects The Balboa Pool was recently renovated, and the illustration at left shows what the finished product will look like.
dollar projects to renovate their spaces. With their $10.7 million grant, they began construction in November of 2016 and were slated to finish in the summer of 2018. With construction entering the summer of 2018, they still lacked one important piece, approval of electric services, which is integral to a city project. Finally, in June of 2018 the
Recreation and Park Department announced they had reached a deal of approval for the electrical services to the pool and could continue towards the home stretch of the project with a new expected completion of fall 2018. Soon, local residents will be able to appreciate the pool along with a new multi-use room. As for Crusader swimmers, the growing interest for a swim program has
risen since the one man team placed in CCS in 2017, and with the new pool on the way, the future of Riordan swimmers is bright, according to Athletic Director Bob Greene. Reuben Sablad ’19 said, “I’ve always loved the water and having a new pool nearby would boost support for a club or team at school.” It’s okay to “test the waters” this time around, Crusaders.
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The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Social media shaming soars to new heights By Eddie Monares ’19
Recently, a surge of questionable calls to the police, where citizens complain about other citizens’ behaviors, dominated social media platforms. It has become popular only recently because until social media, these calls were hidden from the public eye. According to several news reports, a woman named Jennifer Schulte, who was dubbed “BBQ Becky” online, called the cops on 37-year-old Kenzie Smith who was having a barbeque in Lake Merritt Park in Oakland. Schulte insisted that the charcoal barbeque Smith was using was illegal in the park and reportedly waited two hours for the police. The police showed up, but no one was arrested. A 25-minute YouTube video was posted by Smith’s wife, Michelle Snider, which soon went viral online, and the “BBQ Becky” meme was born. Videos and memes were all over the internet with “BBQ Becky” on different images, such as the picture of Schulte calling the cops “memed” on pictures of Martin King Luther’s “I Have A Dream” speech and former President Barack Obama wearing a tan suit. Vanessa Martinez, counselor of sophomores and House of Bolts seniors, said, “When people don’t
understand things, they often see it as bad. The people in the videos are doing nothing wrong, it’s people being in other people’s business.” This isn’t the only incident that’s gone viral online. Several other incidents similar to “BBQ Becky” have occurred in the Bay Area. One such incident occurred across the street from AT&T Park. Alison Ettel was filmed calling the police on an AfricanAmerican 8-year-old girl for selling water without a permit. Martinez said, “This is 100 hundred percent race driven and it seems to be a trend of white women calling the cops on black people.” Ettel called the cops because the girl was selling water without a seller’s permit. The 15 second clip posted on Twitter has 9.9 million views, and the “Permit Patty” meme came about online. The online mockery forced Ettel to resign her job as the CEO of Treatwell Health, and make a public apology, but she denied calling 911. However, subsequently, the 911 recorded call was released and Ettel can be clearly heard in the call. Edric De Mesa ’19 said, “Although it’s harsh and extreme for people to lose their jobs, it is fair for them to lose them because they displayed a poor showing of character and maturity
Photo illustration by Eddie Monares ’19 People calling 911 to report on others’ behavior can result in viral social media shaming. in the midst of a minor Live, and Sintay reportedly and unimportant event.” assaulted the man, and ran Back in Oakland, a man away with the man’s phone. was nicknamed “Jogger Joe” According to reports, Sintay when he was caught on video was then arrested, charged with throwing a homeless man’s second degree robbery, and was belongings into Lake Merritt. being held in Santa Rita Jail The man, Henry Sintay, in Dublin on a $55,000 bail. claimed he was cleaning the The community outpouring for lake by getting rid of the man’s the homeless man named Drew belongings, but others have was huge. Kenzie Smith, the target pointed out the irony of Sintay of the “BBQ Becky” incident, wanting to clean the area by set up a GoFundMe page for the lake, by throwing the items Drew, which has raised $12,000. into it, which did not contribute De Mesa said, “Reporting to the cleanliness of the lake. minimal issues to the police is The next day, a man went to pointless, absurd, and a huge confront Sintay while on Facebook waste of time for everyone.”
New font gives dyslexics confidence By Aidan Murtagh ’20
The new “Dyslexie Font” has been created that is reportedly able to unscramble the letters many dyslexics confuse. The font is currently under judicial review and very well may be implemented across the nation and abroad. As a dyslexic himself, Christian Boer, the creator of the new font, experienced great troubles throughout school whenever he was assigned a reading segment. Due to his condition, he would often scramble up letters and misinterpret the words on the page. While studying graphic design at HKU University of the Arts in Utrecht, Holland, Boer decided to do something to lessen the difficulty of reading for people in a similar position as him. The result: a font that tweaks letters in order to make them easily distinguishable for the brain. After observing the common features of dyslexia, Boer found that many dyslexics had a much easier time comprehending 3D letters, as opposed to 2D letters, which account for a majority of fonts. Using his graphic design skills, Boer transcribed 3D letters into a 2D format, thus
letters stand out from each other by instating “heavy bottoms” and coloring the text blue, making it easier for readers to differentiate letters that look similar, such as the letters “h” and “n.” At Riordan, Dyslexia-reading-well.com the discovery A new font helps dyslexics read easier. of his font is relevant, as the allowing dyslexics the ability Resource Specialist Program to read with relative ease. helps serve students who have The font itself is very been diagnosed with learning asymmetrical, with the goal hindrances. Director of Riordan’s being to help readers more RSP Program Nate Simon ’99 easily distinguish similar explained, “Every person who is letters from each other. dyslexic has a different way of In an interview with the describing what happens to the BBC, Boer explained, “It is like letters on the page when they fixing a brick onto a bicycle read. Some describe letters as wheel. If you turn the wheel, floating, some really struggle the brick will always fall to the with the spaces in between bottom. With the letters, if you words and it looks like words turn them upside down, they flow together. I think the jury look unnatural as the heavy is still out on whether this font side should be on the bottom.” can change this for dyslexics, Instead of keeping letters but it is interesting and I’m uniform and easily confounded, glad someone is working on it.” the Dyslexie font helps The font, which is now available
for download from their site, provides hope for the more than 700 million people with dyslexia. An ARHS RSP student, who did not wish to be identified, said, “If this new font proves to be something effective, then it could make my life so much easier. I hope it will take away all of those nights where I have to read for school and I feel helpless and defeated because I can’t hold on to the information I’m reading.” Of course, there are difficulties with providing this new font. According the Simon, “I think this font could help some of them, but getting readings from digital textbooks to a PDF and then changing it into this font is a lot of steps and very time consuming, so the big issues of reading textbooks won’t really be helped by this font unless publishers start using it.” However, the font could be very useful when reviewing and editing essays for school. If students were able to construct their essays with a more manageable font, they would have an easier time reading their own writing. Creators hope to “help people make their way through the daily letter jungle and make reading, learning and working fun again.”
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The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Environment
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Climate change debate continues to heat up By Fabian Aguilar ’19
Climate cycles and patterns are changing at an unexpected rate in California and across the planet, according to Michael O’Brien, AP Environmental Sciences teacher. The reason for this, is mainly the greenhouse gases emitted by humans, which are released in many different ways. Since the 18th century, the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, scientists have tracked and reported how global warming trends have increased at a fast rate. According to energyupgradeca. org, this type of activity, like the use of fossil fuels, or the release of special types of gases, have been increasing the levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. “With just a rise in temperature in our Earth, then every cycle (air currents, sea level, and ocean currents) changes,” said O’Brien. This means that one of these changes, such as the rise of temperatures due to the emission of gases to the atmosphere, can change the direction and current of everything, which can lead to a mass extinction of animals, because they would not be able to adapt to brutal changes. Hurricane Florence, in North Carolina, which caused lots of damage through the area, and the climate change in the Bay Area, where there are now more sunny days than rainy days, are examples of anthropogenic. Anthropogenic is something caused by human activities, like pollution or other emissions of carbon gases to the ozone. But, O’Brien said, “There is still a reason for hope! A hole in the ozone appeared in the 1980s and scientists started to realize that the sun’s rays were penetrating through the atmosphere, actually burning people’s skin.” He added, “After some months of investigation, they realized that it was caused by the releasing of a hydrocarbon called chlorofluorocarbons, which is any of several volatile, inert, saturated compounds of carbon, fluorine,
chlorine, and hydrogen: used as refrigerants, foam-blowing agents, solvents, and, formerly, as aerosol propellants. Then scientists became concerned about depletion of the atmospheric ozone layer. The discontinuation of these hydrocarbons in the production and market resulted in the ozone hole being filled and secured. According to energyupdgradeca. org, “in California, much of the state’s energy still comes from our dependence on fossil fuels like natural gas or oil.” In addition, “there is greenhouse effect, when the sun’s heat gets trapped in the planet’s lower atmosphere and due to the bounce of this heat on the planet’s surface, the heat of the sun is unable to escape from the planet’s atmosphere because the gases get trapped, forming a special wrap or cover around the Earth. This causes the surface to heat even more because it is being trapped.” Some scientists argue that this is why California suffers from large, uncontrollable forest fires, because the heat is too high on land and the surrounding areas are unable to support it. “Taken as a whole, the range of published evidence indicates that the net damage is likely to be significant and to increase over time” the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stated. Scientists from the NASA have high “confidence” that global temperatures will continue to rise for decades to come, due to human activities, mostly. The intergovernmental panel includes more than 200 scientists from the U.S. and other countries. “Climate change isn’t a retreat threat—it’s happening now. The past three years were hotter than any other time in recorded history,” according to nature.org. Global warming has existed for more than 10 years and scientists worry that people have become so apathetic, that they just care about themselves. “Climate action must come from the ground up,” declared
Lynn Scarlett, the Nature Conservatory’s Co-Chief External Affairs Officer. “Already, we’re seeing the greatest momentum come from the people who are facing everyday challenges due to climate change.” O’Brien proposes two solutions: “Educate people to be more responsible toward their daily activities and advise them that they are affecting their living world, and that if the actions continue, they will risk the lives of their children and the future generations will be affected, or worse, they won’t even get to live the lives that we are living.” “The second solution will be to slow the production of certain technology or things that emit carbon dioxide, but don’t STOP its production because it might really affect global economies. We depend a lot on the technology that produces these types of gasses, so if we stop its production, the economy might fluctuate or even drive into a recession.” People all over the world depend a lot on the technology that produces these types of gases and they are used in many products or machines, so if production is halted the economy might fluctuate. But, one way people can contribute to the betterment of the environment is by burning fewer emissions. Some think that hybrid or electric cars are really helping the environment, but by plugging it in to recharge the
battery, more energy is wasted. “If we don’t act now, it will continue at an exponential rate to increase temperatures unless we slow it down,” said O’Brien. Campus Meteorologist Antonio Maffei ’20 warns that “Climate change has already affected ongoing wildfires as winds become more unpredictable. Firefighters have no idea where the fire is heading and how big it’s going to get, but we’re beginning to see San Francisco Bay rise. If this current trend continues, landmarks such as AT&T Park and San Francisco International Airport will be gone by 2045.” Yet, there is hope. People can do their part. For example, “I try not to buy too many plastic water bottles, instead I try to drink from the water fountain,” O’Brien said. Also, “Using one car at time, to take my whole big family to places, instead of taking two.” On Oct. 8, according to published reports, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), said “the planet will reach the crucial threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels by as early as 2030, precipitating the risk of extreme drought, wildfires, floods and food shortages for hundreds of millions of people.” Notably, the planet “is already two-thirds of the way there, with global temperatures having warmed about 1 degree C.”
Right now, if we were to take a look at the Equatorial Eastern Pacific Ocean, we would begin to see water temperatures heating up in the region, which is a signal of El Nino back in action! This would bring—hopefully— warm, yet very wet conditions to Northern California. This has its pros and cons. The pro is obviously water, and a lot of it, but the big con is the lack of snow supply in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Be sure to keep an eye out on my
website for more information: www.antonioweatherinfo.com Secondly, I want to talk a little bit about what is going on with AWI as well as some EXCLUSIVE news, which you’ll hear first right here. As most of you may know, I work for Apple, Inc. on software (iOS, watchOS, audioOS) and very very lightly on hardware. We are actively working on a Project called “Typhoon,” which will revolutionize the way you get weather data. Many people
complain how inaccurate the stock weather app is. It’s about to get a lot more accurate as I have been working with our Hardware Team, Chip Team and others to create an all new weather station, which is the most advanced ever created, and as we are putting the weather stations throughout major cities in the country, it will create the “AWI Cumulus Network.” Stay tuned for more details in the coming months!
U.S. EPA This graphic shows the change in aragonite saturation since 1880.
Riordan’s winter weather report By Antonio Maffei ’20
Hey Crusaders! Welcome back to another school year of wild weather! And if my models turn out to verified, a wild year indeed it will be. Let’s go in-depth with my favorite and busiest of seasons when it comes to weather… Winter! Winter is known as the time for presents and also joyful times, but it is also known for cold weather and stormy conditions, and it is certainly looking that way. At least maybe half of that.
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The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Riordan runners race to remarkable ratings By Harrick Wu ’19
“On your mark, get set, BANG!” Runners ran with all their might when they heard this, trying to race to first place. The Lowell Invitational is typically the first race of the season. It is usually the first one ran by the newer members, but it is also ran multiple times by the veteran members. Aidan Murtagh ’20 is one of these members. Although it was the same race when he ran it this year, it was a totally different experience than the previous runs. He felt more prepared and more confident. “This year, at the Lowell Invitational, I felt a sense of confidence that I had never had before. After putting in hundreds of miles over the summer, my teammates and I felt prepared for the race in a way we never had before,” said Murtagh. For others, typically freshmen, it’s their first time running it. Compared to the 2.93 mile course JV and Varsity members run, freshmen only have to run a 2.13 mile. Having to run the 2.13 mile race for the past two years, EJ Odocayen ’20 got the opportunity to run the varsity race this year. He, along with other varsity members like Murtagh and Nicholas Lundquist ’20, hopes that with lots of practice they will improve their time for next year. Odocayen said, “Next year, I really want to take whatever level I’m at the end of the season and
just soar to an even bigger one. However, it’s a lot easier said than done, as in the off-season, I have to be running constantly while still pushing myself to load more and more mileage.” Benny Willers, an RSP Aide and a coach for Cross Country, hopes to get back into higher levels of competition this year. For example, CCS, but to ultimately hopes that his athletes have fun and remain in good shape. Willers said, “Our goals for this season are to obviously, as always, get back to the section meet and get back to CCS. Our long term goals are hopefully going back to the state meet, but most importantly to have fun and stay healthy.” Besides the goals set by their coaches for the rest of the season, runners have their own goals. For example, Murtagh wants to show that their team is still able to compete in the league, even with many members graduating from last year. Ambitiously, he hopes to help place the team in the top two in CCS, so they can earn a spot in the state meet, which is a feat done by very few teams. Odocayen’s goal is to make it back into CIF State Championship, which he was able to accomplish in his freshman year, but unfortunately, missed out on his sophomore year. While Lundquist’s personal goal is to maintain or exceed his overall fitness, he also wants to improve the team’s culture so that everyone can achieve their
EJ Odocayen ’20 at the Lowell Invitational at Golden Gate Park. goals together, as cross country is a team sport. Lundquist said, “My primary goals are to make myself better through my time and overall fitness. My goals for the team is to work on the team culture and that we work together as a team instead of focusing our individual goals in it itself, so we focus on all our goals together to improve as a team, because Cross Country is a team sport, and I want our team to be better than all the other teams.” Whatever the runners accomplish or do not accomplish, cross country has made an impact on their experience at Archbishop Riordan High School. Not only
Photo by Alex Hsing ’21 has it helped runners grow athletically, but it has helped some learn discipline and time management for their academics and practices. Furthermore, their social circles have expanded by meeting new friends while on the track. Murtagh said, “Cross country takes up a big portion of my life at Riordan. Running has allowed me to grow athletically, but also academically. I learned how to manage time much better than I had previously. Cross Country has also introduced me to some of my best friends on campus, and without cross country and track, my life at Riordan would be tremendously different.”
Underclassmen undercut by unfortunate losses By Zackary Conci ’21
The Riordan JV football team started the season with a win over Salesian, on August 25, as a result of a forfeit. Led by head coach Joe Curtin, the team record is 3-4, with their next game Oct. 27 against Saint Ignatius. Coming off of the 33-22 victory over Serra High School, the team unfortunately lost in the following game against St. Francis with a score of 7-38. The Crusaders football program recently added a new scoreboard, which has been seen as a motivation for the players and coaches. The football program is also getting a new field in early 2019 to prepare for the fall 2019 season. Some goals for the upcoming season also include a positive record, and winning WCAL. JJ Trujeque ’21 said, “My goal for the whole team is to win WCAL. Although before we do that, we need to develop more, memorize our plays, and communicate as team to work together.” He added, “Our guys have been
working out since January, and there were also summer workouts. On top of that, our linemen were sent to competitions.” Isaac Arguello ’21 said, “The plans for the new field and scoreboard are nice. I think the venue will be one of the best out there and this will motivate our players to play better. Also, I think that this will bring out larger groups of supporters leading to more motivation through fans.” On top of the new scoreboard and field, the team also has a few new faces. Felix Alfaro ’21 is a new player to football, and was welcomed with open arms to the team. Some of his goals for the team are, “...learn the plays more, workout more, and have a team attitude so we can better work together.” Returning player Jacob Lin ’21 said, “We need to get bigger, stronger, and faster.” He said also said, “The coaching staff taught us how to tackle more efficiently, and also keeps us committed by putting more time in.”
Isaiah Clark ’21 sacks the Mitty quarterback.
By Jonathan Blecha ’21
The Archbishop Riordan freshman football team did not start their year off great, but that is to be as expected because this was their first game together. Their first non-league game ended in a 14-28 loss at San Ramon Valley High School. The team fought hard in their first WCAL game with a tough loss to Bellarmine College Prep 22-23. Hoping to bring the same energy and fight from their Bellarmine game, the team fought hard against Archbishop
Photo by Alex Hsing ’21 Mitty, but was unable to piece together the win, losing by 7 with and final score of 20-27. The next week, they faced their greatest competition in the 4-0 Serra Freshman team. This was a heartbreaking loss, with a score of 6-39. This game said a lot about what they needed to work on, and how they could improve. After a week of hard work, the Crusaders were back on the field playing against Saint Francis. They came out the gates hot, scoring first but, but fell behind and lost 12-45.
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The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Sports
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Courageous Crusaders hope to catch comeback By Gabriel Santos ’21
Varsity football is off to a slow start with a 1-7 record, but the future looks bright for the Crusaders, with their most current win being a 40-31 victory against Napa and with the star player and junior quarterback, Adham Abdelghani, throwing for 304 yards and five touchdowns. The team opened up the beginning of the West Catholic Athletic League against two top tier teams, Archbishop Mitty and Bellarmine, but came up short in both games. Bellarmine was a tough opponent as both teams were neck and neck until the fourth quarter when Bellarmine pulled away with a 20-34 victory. Mitty was a formidable opponent, and they outplayed the Crusaders 6-34 in their most recent defeat. In the loss against Mitty, Abdelghani suffered a knee injury. “I was in the pocket, the pocket collapsed, a defender landed on my knee and rolled on it.” With the loss of one of their players for a bit of time, the future of the Crusaders looms uncertainly. In spite of the injury, he is set to make a return in the upcoming weeks. He has decided to play a position he says he is more comfortable playing, the receiver position. Although he is unable to play for the time being, he believes his team can pull through and step up these next weeks. However, this is just the beginning of a tough season, and while it may be tough, slow and steady wins the race and the hard work and consistency exhibited in the offseason is sure to pay off. In regards to preparations during the offseason, Head Coach Jay’sen Morris ’07 said, “Our guys have been working out since January. Then guys who played winter sports began to go to June lifting when their seasons were over. We have a solid group of young men at our linemen positions as a number of them went to competitions competing against other top players at their position.” The extensive training by the students on the football team shows the dedication they have to their sport and the preparedness to take on other athletes in intense competition. With a player incapable of participating, it is vital for the team to use their chemistry and hard work to learn how to play together with a link of their team missing. Coach Morris foresees a bright future ahead for the football program at Riordan, “Riordan has a lot of potential. I can’t wait to see what these guys can do. Our future is bright.” This year’s varsity team is full
Photos by Diego Ochoa ’19 Above, Quarterback Azaan Ledbetter ’21 runs downfield in a game against SHC at Kezar.
of energy and players who hold a lot of talent and passion for their sport. With the passion, preparation, and energy combined, Riordan’s football team sees a successful season ahead. With the construction of the new field, which is set for the next upcoming school year, this level of energy radiating from the team can soon be seen from the audience. The players and coaches hope the new field will make ARHS one of the top venues to play at in the West Catholic Football League. Gabe Martin ’20 said a way to improve this season is to “learn the plays more, work out more, and have a team attitude so we can better work together.” With teamwork and good chemistry, athletic training, and adequate knowledge of the team’s plays, the Riordan football team just might be unstoppable.
The team stands in solidarity during the National Anthem.
Jalen Camp ’20 pushes past a Mitty defensive player.
18 Sports
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Fall 2018
Dub Nation celebrates another NBA Championship By Eddie Monares ’19
The Golden State Warriors, who were considered one of the laughing stocks of the league not too long ago, have won three of the last four NBA Finals and are the back-to-back world champions. Something Warriors fans have not experienced much of in the last four years is two things: One, the Warriors not being the number one seed in the Western Conference, and the Warriors facing elimination in the playoffs. Last season, they experienced both. The Warriors finished with a record of 58-24, seven games behind a Houston Rocket squad led by the league’s eventual MVP James Harden and the newly acquired Chris Paul. The injury bug hit the Warriors hard last season, as all four of the Warriors all-stars missed time. They went into the playoffs without Stephen Curry, who was recovering from a grade two MCL sprain. The Warriors had no problem in the first two rounds of the playoffs, beating a San Antonio Spurs team without Kawhi Leonard in five games in the first round, and defeating Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans in five games in the second round. In the Western Conference Finals, the Warriors had their
facing a new opponent in the finals. I would have liked to see Boston or Philadelphia. The Celtics are like a younger version of Golden State, and the Sixers would have been a fun match up. There would have been a nice historical footnote with Philadelphia, since it was the Warriors’ city before they relocated to the Bay.” Despite a valiant effort by James, the Cavaliers were overmatched by the Warriors, who swept the Cavs 4-0 to become back-to-back NBA champions. Durant became the back-to-back Finals MVP. Warriors Media Guide The winning did not stop The Golden State Warriors celebrated another NBA Championship there for the Warriors. They season this past summer with a parade in Downtown Oakland. arguably won the offseason, when All-Star center Demarcus biggest challenge in the Western substantial leads in the first half Cousins, who tore his achilles in Conference since the 2016 of both games. January, had no offers and agreed Oklahoma City Thunder team The Warriors, who outscored to take the Mid-Level Exception with Kevin Durant. opponents by a whopping 524 of $5.3 million. After splitting the first four points in the third quarter in Arcibal said, “I was very games in the series, the Rockets 2018, were fueled by comebacks surprised that Cousins signed won a pivotal Game 5 in Houston led by Klay Thompson in Game 6, with Golden State. But I’m more to go up 3-2 in the series. Kevin Durant and Curry in Game surprised at all of the haters. It’s Irman Arcibal, art teacher, 7, and went on to win the series not the Warriors’ fault that no said, “I was very concerned when 4-3 to reach their fourth straight one made him an offer. Blame the the Warriors fell behind in the NBA Finals. rest of the league.” Houston series. If Chris Paul is In the East, Lebron James led The Warriors $1 billion dollar healthy, Houston probably wins. a depleted Cavaliers roster to project for their new arena, the The Warriors really caught a their fourth straight finals, over a Chase Center, will be ready for break with that one, but then Boston Celtics team without their the 2019-20 NBA season. again, Chris Paul rarely goes a two best players Kyrie Irving and The Warriors are going to move full season without injury.” Gordon Hayward. For the fourth from the Oracle Arena, adjacent In Games 6 and 7, the Rockets straight year, it was the Cavaliers to the Oakland Coliseum, to played without their All-Star vs. the Warriors in the finals. Mission Bay, which is just a halfpoint guard Chris Paul, and those Arcibal said, “I was really mile from AT&T Park, the home games also saw the Rockets take looking forward to the Warriors of the San Francisco Giants.
Dodgers face Red Sox in World Series By Stephen Blecha ’19
162 simply was not enough, for multiple National League teams. The Los Angeles Dodgers finished in the NL West at 9171, with the Colorado Rockies finishing the exact same, 91-71. Therefore, these division rivals had to play a game 163 on Oct. 1, fighting for the number 2 seed and the number 5 seed, which is the bottom wild card spot. And, for the first time in MLB history, there were two separate game 163’s in the same season. The NL Central was still up for grabs as the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers played for the number 1 seed in the NL, with the loser receiving the number 4 seed, the top wild card spot. The St. Louis Cardinals were in contention for the fifth playoff spot, but were eliminated with a loss in game 161. The National League East finished with the largest gap between first and second placed teams, with the division winners, the 90-72 Atlanta Braves, finishing
up eight games on the second place Philadelphia Phillies. The American League West, host of the reigning world champion Houston Astros, finished with the closest race, similar to the NL West. The ‘Stros finished at 103-59, with a six game lead over the Oakland Athletics, 97-65. The American League Central leader, the Cleveland Indians, were the first team to clinch the division at the record of 83-65. The American League East final standings were actually fairly close. The top spot, and the best record in baseball this year, belongs to the 108-54 Boston Red Sox. The AL East is also home to the 100-62 New York Yankees who finished 8 games back, enough to be deserving of the number 4 seed. In the NL Central game 163, the Brewers star closer Josh Hader tied for his third longest relief appearance, throwing 2.0 innings and racking up 3 punchouts. This secured a victory over the Cubs at Wrigley and the top seed in the NL for the Brew Crew, meaning
the Cubs would need the Wild Card. In NL West game 163, rookie phenom Walker Buehler went 6.2 innings of one-hit ball, leading to a 5-2 home victory and clinch for the Dodgers. In the NL Wild Card game, the first run was scored before the first hit was registered. The Rockies struck first after two walks, a passed ball, and a sacrifice fly. In the bottom of the 8th inning, the Cubs answered back and put up their only run of the night. The game would then go into extra innings, taking a total of 13 innings before the Rockies would add one run in the top of the frame. The Cubs could not respond, and instead watched a second team celebrate a victory on their home field on back to back days. In the AL Wild Card game, a game that was hyped up to be an offensive onslaught, the Oakland Athletics’ bats simply did not show up. The Yankees struck first with a two-run Aaron Judge bomb in the bottom of the first inning. The Yanks would then put up a four spot in the 6th and
another in the 8th. The A’s could only muster 2 runs in the top of the 8th, meaning the Yankees would go on the play the top seed, and division rival, Boston Red Sox. In the NL Division Series, the Milwaukee Brewers swept the Rockies in three games, clinching a spot in the NLCS, while the Dodgers took four games to eliminate the Atlanta Braves. In the ALDS, the Houston Astros showed no signs of World Series hangover, sweeping the Cleveland Indians right out of the playoffs. The Yankees, shortly after chanting “We want Boston” during the Wild Card, were then eliminated by Boston in four games, with the series ironically ending in New York. Both League Championship Series were tightly contested. The Dodgers defeated the Brewers in seven games, with the last game in Milwaukee. The Red Sox defeated the Astros in Houston, moving on to the World Series to face off against the Dodgers, making back to back World Series appearances for L.A.
Fall 2018
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Sports
19
NFL surprises supporters with strange season By Jack Calonico ’19
The first five weeks of the NFL season are done and in the books. If there is one word to describe them, it would be “bizarre.” We start in Tampa, Florida where the backup quarterback to the suspended Jameis Winston, Ryan Fitzpatrick, threw for more than 400 yards and four touchdowns with a passer rating of 95.7 in each of his first two starts. “Fitzmagic” is the newly acquired nickname that he picked up over those two weeks. However, he managed to stink it up in week 4 to then lose his job to Jameis Winston. He’s now being called “Fitztragic.” The New England Patriots started off extremely slow by losing back to back weeks in unlikely fashion. However, in the last two weeks, the Patriots have blown by their opponents, essentially bringing things back to normal. Special teams has always been an essential factor of winning football games and this was
evident during week two. It was almost like kickers in the NFL forgot how to do their job. There were 18 missed field goals/PATs during the Sunday of week two. The Cleveland Browns took the crown though, with having their kicker, Zane Gonzales, miss four kicks, including a possible game winner. Dillon Fullerton ’19, talked about the kicking epidemic in the NFL and the value of kickers going forward, saying, “I think that kickers are more important now than they ever were. You can make the argument that they are just as important as quarterbacks, seeing that they can either make or break a game.” The Cleveland Browns are a notorious team for being bad and losing, but have actually won a couple games this year under the new leadership of rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield. Under Mayfield, the Browns look like an entirely new organization. The Browns will be a team to reckon with
NFL.com The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have dueling quarterbacks in Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jameis Winston, who are battling for the job. going forward this season. The San Francisco 49ers were a promising team going into the 2018 season. Jimmy Garoppolo, the starting quarterback for the 49ers, tore his ACL in week 3, solidifying he would be out for the
season. The Niners aren’t worried though. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said, “I’m definitely happy with the guys we got.” From a fan’s perspective though, things aren’t looking good.
NFL draft fields fantastic footballers By Steven Elsner ’20
The NFL Draft took place from April 26 to 28, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, where 256 of the best college athletes assembled to see if their dreams of making the NFL would come true. In order to be eligible for the NFL Draft, a player has to be three years removed from high school. For the second year in a row, the Cleveland Browns had the first overall pick, and they selected the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield, quarterback, out of the University of Oklahoma. He was a two-time Sporting News player of the year winner, a twotime Big 12 offensive player of the year, Big 12 offensive freshman of the year, two- time first team All-American, and three-time AllBig 12. He is seventh all-time in college passing yards. He got his first start on Sept. 30 against the Oakland Raiders but lost. The week before his first start, Mayfield helped the Browns win their first game in almost two years. After the first five weeks of the NFL season, Mayfield has passed for 838 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. With the second overall pick, the New York Giants selected Saquon Barkley, running back, out of Pennsylvania State University.
Getty Images First round draft pick Baker Mayfield has brought the Cleveland Browns respect on and off the field.
His team won the Big 10 championship, he was a consensus All-American, two-time Big 10 offensive player of the year, twotime First Team All Big 10, second team All Big 10, and Freshman All-American. He set a franchise record in the NFL for most receptions in franchise history. He also tied the all-time rookie record. Barkley has run for three touchdowns and almost 400 rushing yards after five games this year. With the third overall pick, the New York Jets selected Sam
Darnold, quarterback, out of the University of Southern California. He was a first team All-PAC 12, won the Rose Bowl, the Archie Griffin Award, and was named PAC 12 Freshman of the Year. He has played in two NFL football games and he has passed for 532 yards, three touchdowns, three interceptions, and has completed 66.1 percent of his passes. After four games, Darnold has passed for 1,100 yards with seven touchdowns and six interceptions.
With the fourth overall pick, the Cleveland Browns selected Denzel Ward, cornerback, out of Ohio State University. He was a Consensus All-American and was on the First Team All-Big 10. In his first game in the NFL, he has two interceptions, three deflected passes and 12 tackles. He also won the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week Award. After four games, he has three interceptions, six pass deflections and 25 tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. With the fifth overall pick, the Denver Broncos selected Bradley Chubb, defensive end, out of North Carolina State University. He was a unanimous First Team All-American, Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner, ACC defensive player of the year, First Team AllACC, AP First Team All-ACC, and the winner of the Ted Hendricks Award. In his first game in the NFL, Chubb has recorded 1.5 sacks and 12 tackles. With the ninth overall pick, the San Francisco 49ers selected Mike McGlinchey, offensive tackle, out of University of Notre Dame. He was a consensus All-American. He has played one game in his NFL career. His cousin is 2016 NFL MVP Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons. He has started all four games he has played in.
20 Health
Fall 2018
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Vaping targets teens for trendy, unhealthy habit By Michael Jaurigui ’19
Vaping is common among children and teens across America, partly because the sweet and colorful flavors attract young people. Vaping works by getting an herb or a liquid, that can be marijuana or tobacco, and heating it very hot until it turns into a vapor. It does not use fire or any sort of fuel as regular smoking. It uses an electricity charged battery. The smoke that comes out is very different, but is still has negative effects on people’s health. There are different types of vaping. Two of the most popular types are marijuana and nicotine vaping. These two have been found to be easily accessible to youths. A student at Thornton High School in Daly City said, “I know that vaping is harmful for me, but I do it anyways because it helps relax me at night and helps me forget about all the hardships I go through in the day.” Many teens see vaping as a way to relax. In 2016, a National Youth Tobacco survey showed that 1.7 million high school students had vaped in the last 30 days. Just recently, the FDA has declared vaping an epidemic and more restrictions to prevent minors from doing it may be on the horizon. Despite the alarm that adults are raising, many teens say they will continue because they feel that it calms them down. Vaping is getting more and more popular because of how easily accessible it is, and the number of celebrities seen doing it influencing teens. Some teens, though, are strong enough to resist the urge to vape.
Tinker Air Force Base In addition to vaping being illegal to those under the age of 21, all e-cigerettes are banned on military bases across the country.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, “San Franciscobased e-cigarette company Juul dominates the vaping market, and more than 70 percent of all U.S. nicotine vape sales are of Juul products.” On Sept. 28, the feds raided the San Francisco facility as part of
an investigation into Juul’s alleged marketing campaign to minors. As the Wall Street Journal reported, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration “conducted a surprise inspection” of Juul’s headquarters and confiscated “over a thousand pages of
documents.” According to an FDA news release, “The inspection followed the Agency’s request for information that we issued to JUUL Labs in April for documents that would help us to better understand the reportedly high rates of youth use and the youth appeal of JUUL products, including documents related to marketing and product design.” Juul CEO Kevin Burns issued a statement, saying, “We are committed to preventing underage use, and we want to engage with FDA, lawmakers, public health advocates and others to keep JUUL out of the hands of young people.” A junior Riordan student said, “I have tried vaping before, but it does not appeal to me and I don’t find it as interesting as many people do. I do not see the fun in it at all.” Some teens do not find the need to vape or smoke, but others do not think vaping is harmful, even though it has as many bad chemicals as cigarettes and other non vape tobacco products. In fact, vaping still adds many harmful chemicals to the body, as some vape juices also have nicotine, which is the addicting part. Teens try it a few times, thinking they are going to be able to stop, but they will not be able to because of the effects of nicotine. Most adults can not even fully control their addiction. “I can really see how people like vaping because of the names and flavors of the juice,” a Riordan senior said, “but the toll it takes on the body is not worth tasting the flavor.”
Disease data may doom hand dryers y Jack McBride ’19 B With the world becoming more and more concerned about sanitation, no bathroom appliance seems safe. Bathroom hand dryers have been found to blow bacteria and fecal specs around a restroom. The intake vent collects bacteria from bacteria the toilet has propelled into the air, and sprays it on freshly washed hands. “The more air ya move? The more bacteria stick,” Peter Setlow, lead author of the study, said. Petri dishes exposed to normal bathroom air had about one bacterial colony, the samples exposed to 30 seconds of hand dryer air had 18 to 60 bacterial colonies per dish. Patrick O’Brien ’19 is worried and said, “I am somewhat bothered by this information.” Although this information may be troublesome, immune systems are able to handle the extra germs. It could also have a positive result, for it is possible for the contraction of germs to better the immune system.
Staff photo Hand dryers blow germs around, but are relatively harmless to those with good immune systems.
Patrick also said, “There are many other actions that we do in everyday life that spread germs.” “The restroom isn’t that dangerous,” Jack Gilbert, a microbiologist at Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois said. “The organisms which can grow there have a very low probability of being able to cause an infection.” Other experts contend there is very little to worry about when it comes to modern bathroom sanitation. Plus, air dryers are easier on the environment because thousands of acres of forest do not need to be chopped done to provide paper for hand drying. So, the only people who should be worrying about hand dryers are those with weakened immune systems and people highly concerned about germs. As long as one washes their hands thoroughly and often, nobody should fear an epidemic caused from air dryers.