The Crusader Feb 2015

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VOLUME LXV ISSUE iii

SERVING RIORDAN SINCE 1949

ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN HIGH SCHOOL

February 2015 THE NEWSPAPER OF CRUSADER COUNTRY

Candlestick memories ’ 7 6 C r u s a d e r reduced to pile of rubble

awarded Chaminade

By Jordan Batres ’15

By Joshua Cardenas ’15

Photo courtesy thebolditalic.com

With the 49ers now at their new stadium in Santa Clara, what is in store for Candlestick Park? Let’s go in-depth into the demolition of Candlestick and the development plan for the open space.

Candlestick Park is a San Francisco icon that will be demolished some time within the coming months. “The Stick” has a plethora of memories from the last Beatles concert in 1966 to “The Catch” in 1982, and to the 1989 World Series disrupted by the Loma Prieta earthquake.

Although Candlestick was the 49ers’ home since 1971, the team believed it was time for an upgrade.

The 49ers decided on Santa Clara as a new home, building the new beautiful Levi’s stadium for the 2014 season, leaving Candlestick behind.

Spanish teacher and 49er fan Armando Castillo said, “I hate it for many reasons. One, they abandoned their long established fanbase; two, by taking it out of the city, they changed the dynamic of how you watch the games; three the move was ill-conceived. There’s not enough parking, there’s not enough spaces to barbeque, which is an important part to football, and there’s not even shade!

It’s all about the money.”

Candlestick was originally set to be imploded as an easier way to be destroyed, but some health concerns were raised by environmentalists and members of the community. Residents of the surrounding communities were concerned of the effects of the implosions to their health, (mainly with asthma) and how toxins would affect them.

Bayview-Hunters Point has some of the highest asthma rates in the city and residents argued it would be detrimental to their health. Asbestos and lead based paint has been found

at the site, but it will be taken out before demolition. It is still up in the air about how the demolition will take place, but city staff has said Lennar Corp. does not have a permit to implode nor dismantle Candlestick Park.

Now that Candlestick is in the stages of demolition, what is planned for the 500,000 square-feet of open space? The plans for Candlestick are being reviewed by Lennar Corp., a housing developer and owner of Candlestick Point, and Macerich, a retail developer. It’s expected to be finished as early as late 2017 and cost well over $200 million as projected by the Wall Street Journal.

The development will consist of an urban outlet, similar to that of Santana Row in San Jose. Some 6,000 homes are expected to be built, many of which will be affordable housing.

A movie theatre, performance venue, hotel, and parks will also be included in the 500,000 square-foot development. It’s expected to create 3,000 permanent jobs, 50 percent of those promised by the developer to go to people in the Bayview-Hunter’s Point area. San Francisco leaders hope it is going to be one of the biggest and finest developments of its kind in the country.

Not everyone is behind this project, though. The developers stated that this will for the community. Many believe it will be made for the people who are going to move in, not the community that’s already there. They are worried about the gentrification of their neighborhood, and what will happen if they cannot live there anymore due to rising rents.

Their fears are realistic as San Francisco has been subject to much gentrification in the past years.

Developers are hoping to embrace the community now and be inviting to the community to come.

On Jan. 23, Archbishop Riordan High School celebrated its Marianist Heritage and honored the 2015 Chaminade Award Recipient, Steve Herrera ‘76.

Riordan recognizes members of the Riordan community who have exuded the characteristics of Christian service, made a long-lasting impact upon the community, and advanced the mission of the school. Recipients of this high honor include faculty and staff, alumni, parents, and benefactors.

Herrera, a Riordan graduate and father of an alumnus, has demonstrated exemplary service to the school, serving as a member of the Board of Trustees and football coach for many years; being actively involved in the school; and always providing his insight and advice when requested.

In his speech, Herrera expressed his gratitude to his parents, the Riordan community, and his friends. He was grateful for “the many brothers, teachers, coaches, and mentors, past and present, that prepared us all to be responsible, accountable, and socially conscious men.”

“Each of you is here today because someone is making a sacrifice.

Whether it is your parents or parent, family members or family friend, or one of our many generous benefactors that gives to support your education,

something special is being given to you,” he said.

He emphasized that Riordan students should be grateful to those who have helped them receive “a Marianist education that is second to none.”

He said that morning he felt the same way he did the first day of his freshman year--nervous. “But one strong feeling remains. I am as proud today as I was in 1972 to be a Crusader and still a part of our Brotherhood.”

Photos courtesy Lifetouch

2 OPINION

February 2015

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Polar bears are losing their homes - are we next?

By Daniel Norman ’16

Humans are the main reason global warming is happening right now. If we were not so greedy about attaining more gas, and were happy with what we have, the planet would be completely fine.

Global warming is the increase of temperature of the whole planet.

The earth is usually heated by carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants. The citizens of the world are not helping by driving cars, smoking cigarettes, etc. Gigantic wood industries are not helping either because they are cutting down

trees in the rainforests that produce most of the oxygen in the world.

In 2008, scientists said the arctic is melting because of global warming.

Many marine animals that lived there are migrating to Canada’s bay. They also think that the ice in the arctic is going to melt in a couple of decades.

Not far from the Arctic, polar bears in Norway are losing their habitat. As the days, months, and years go by, more and more polar bears are losing their home, which means they have to work twice as hard to survive. They are predicting that the polar bears and the arctic will be extinct by the year 2050.

In Alaska, there is a group of indigenous people called the Inuit.

As global warming continues, they are losing land to hunt the seals and walruses they use for food. The landmarks have been melted so they don’t know where the seals and walruses frequent. They have been using those landmarks for centuries.

One man said, “We have lived in this region for centuries and we will

continue to. As the climate changes, we will adapt.”

All over the world, glaciers are just floating to shores that are about 10 miles out from where they usually were. Mountains that have ice on the top are disintegrating, like Mount Blanc. Also, bare rock and meltwater are shrinking on the edge of the Harrison Glacier. There were 150 glaciers and now there are only 27 left. Scientists predict that they will vanish by 2030.

To prevent this, we must act now. We need to be responsible with our resources. We need to protect our Earth. The polar bears are losing their home because humans have been irresponsible. After they lose their home, we may be next in line.

Education prevents gun violence

Photo courtesy critcalshadows.com

By Daniel Norman ’16

“The pain we share with these families and families all across the country who’ve lost a loved one to gun violence— I’m assuming that’s not a temporary thing.”- President Obama Gun violence has been an issue for quite a while now. California has made attempts to do something about it, but not enough. There are laws to protect citizens against gun violence, but they are a little shaky.

One example is the assault rifle law. The government says that we can’t have a military look alike rifle, but somehow kids or teenagers get their hands on one and bring it to school. These shootings can happen at any time and anywhere. Most of these shootings are in public schools.

In the Bay Area, most of shootings are by 18-25 year old men and women. The Bay Area has the second highest homicides in the country as of 2015. Right now, the Bay Area has had 18 shootings in the new year: 8 of them are in Oakland 2 in San Jose,

1 in Palo Alto, 6 in San Francisco, and 1 in El Cerrito.

That’s a lot of shootings for one month. Too many, in fact.

Some people will say that the gun laws are strict enough and have done much to decrease gun violence.

But in my eyes, I don’t see any of the laws working right now. In the past few years, the number decreased, but starting off the new year, it is not looking good for the Bay at all.

Our primary focus is to get the teenagers off the street. Many of the shootings are by high school students, recent graduates, or dropouts who do not have positive role models in their life. They do not have a job, belong to a sports team, a school club, or a community group.

They do not have anything to cling to for a sense of security. Many drop outs either end up in juvenile hall and later, jail. That’s where they form gangs and cliques, which turn into

rivalries, which create fist fights, and then escalate to shootings.

Another way is to start off small.

Provide children with programs to show them what is right and wrong.

Then, work our way up. Teach them that while yes, the right to bear arms is guaranteed in the Constitution, it can be abused like any other right. Guns, in the wrong hands, in inexperienced, angry, hopeless hands, are dangerous.

Next, provide teens with alternatives to using guns to solve problems, whether the problems is a desire to fit in or lack of education and employment.

Those who fire weapons at people with the intention of killing someone reached that point gradually. We need better education so that far fewer people never reach that point and so that families do not have to mourn the death of a loved one lost to gun violence.

Editor: Jordan Batres ’15 Contributing editors: Jabriel Andrade ’18 Jordan Batres ’15 JC Canicosa ’16 Joshua Cardenas ’15 Brandon Castro ’18 Robert Colton ’15 David Cuddihy ’15 Eric Galindo ’16 Adrian Garcia ’15 Jack Harty-Connell ’15 Patrick McSweeney ’15 Keven Munoz ’18 Daniel Norman ’16 Alex Perez ’16 Roman Peregrino ’18 John Regidor ’16 James Saitz ’16 Stephen Smith ’15 Newspaper Advisers: Ms. Mary Dalton Ms. Susan Sutton, CJE

1949

Photo courtesy oaklandnorth.net

February 2015

CAMPUS NEWS

3

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Riordan vs. Mercy : Sibling rivalr y c o m m e n c e s i n ‘ B a t t l e o f t h e Av e n u e s’

By John Regidor ’18

Two schools, Mercy High School San Francisco and Archbishop Riordan High School, are like siblings.

They care for each other, help each other to grow, and work together to overcome any obstacle, but on Jan. 16, they put their friendship aside for a little competition.

The second annual Battle of the Avenues had begun, hosted by Mercy High School. Doors opened at 6:00pm, and the atmosphere was tense as both Mercy and Riordan students began to pour in.

At 6:30pm, the event started.

Riordan’s Drum Line arrived and

Photo courtesy Lifetouch

delivered a spectacular performance, followed by the pledge and a prayer.

Both schools said a few words of encouragement for good, friendly competition. Soon, the games began.

Jeremy Reyes ’18 said, “It was very lively. The outside of the school looked bare, but when you walked in, it was full of life and excitement.”

The first event was volleyball. After 10 intense minutes, Mercy won by a landslide, 15-6 over Riordan. The pie-eating contest followed with contestants on both sides scarfing down a pie for gluttonous glory. Once again, the victor was Mercy.

Basketball followed and this time Riordan crushed Mercy, winning 14-5.

One of the most memorable games was the hamster ball. Its silliness mixed with a competitive attitude made for hilarious gameplay.

The objective was to race in a hamster ball from one side of the gym to the other. The first team to reach the end was the winner.

The next event was the relay race, another memorable, laughable game. This was no ordinary race, however. Once the whistle was blown, both contestants raced to put on each other’s uniforms. Afterwards, they tagged the next two people in line. One rode on a small cart used for moving objects, while the other person pushed. When they reached the next station, the objective was to knock down a bottle using a nerf gun.

Once the bottle was knocked down, the next person was tagged and was spun around in an office chair, then dribbled a basketball and threw it into the hoop. Riordan won the event, sending Crusaders in the audience into celebration mode.

The last event was a seniors only tug of war. This event was like no other. Instead of having a fight between Riordan and Mercy seniors, it was decided that the teams should be evenly matched. John Howard ’15 said, “At first I was disappointed that they split us up by gender, but then I realized that it was more of a community bonding than a competition.”

The food served at the rally was superb. It was an all you can eat buffet of candy, chips and other snacks.

“They had a large variety of chips, chocolate, and baked goods,” said Jeremy Reyes ’18. “The food was so abundant that I took some of it home.”

In the end, Mercy took the trophy, winning 40 points to 30 points. As Riordan sung their Alma Mater, and Mercy celebrated their victory, both schools showed a huge amount of sportsmanship.

Joseph Biscocho ’18 said, “I felt very spirited, and it brought us closer to each other.”

All money that was raised was sent to the charity La Casa De Les Madres.

Time to meet your Papa: Papa Karim Ndiaye

By Robert Colton ’15

Photo courtesy Michael Conti

Riordan’s 6 foot 8 inch tall

excellent academic programs as well

Senegalese basketball player Papa

as tradition of athletics excellence.

Karim Ndiaye is back on the court

He is undecided on a major and is

this season after ACL injuries kept

working on keeping his GPA as high

him sidelined in his sophomore and

as possible at the moment while also

junior years.

working on developing his basketball

prowess.

He says that he has been “working

hard to get my legs back so I can

In addition to sports, N’diaye is

dominate the league.” He has had a

a contributor to life in the boarding

rough start to the season, not playing

program and takes his academics

many minutes as he accustoms

very seriously. He considers himself

himself to the fast style of play that is

a father figure to many and he feels

WCAL basketball.

this matches up to his first name,

which is Papa.

He says of his performance so far

this season, “It’s okay, I can do better”

Despite this, he is still learning a

as he strives to earn a Division 1

lot about American culture, which is

college scholarship for the fall. His

very different to life back in Senegal.

lack of play these past two years

For example, he recently discovered

has been an issue as he has a lot of

the power of bleach when he

catching up to do due to time missed

accidentally bleached his basketball

because of injury. Despite this, he

knee sleeve, leaving it looking very

says he has full confidence he can

strange. He takes it all in good humor

perform well enough this season

and still wears the sleeve saying that

to help lead Riordan to a State Title

he is “starting a new trend.”

and earn a College Scholarship in the

Whether it’s on the basketball

process.

court,

Ndiaye says his dream school

the

is the University of California Los

is a constant contributor to the

Angeles (UCLA). If he could get a

community of Archbishop Riordan

basketball

High School and forms a significant

scholarship

anywhere,

it would be there because of its

in

the

boarding

classroom

or

program,

Ndiaye

part of the school’s identity.

in

4 CAMPUS NEWS

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

February 2015

Meet the president: Elliot Lloyd

By Joshua Cardenas ’15

Graphic art and photo courtesy Yearbook staff

Riordan students elected Elliot Lloyd ‘15 to become the leader of the school last year. In his message to the student body, Lloyd said he wanted to serve as president to voice the concerns of his peers and ensure that their interests are wellrepresented. “To put it simply, I ran because I love Riordan,” he said.

With the school year half over already, The Crusader sat down with Student Body President Lloyd to reflect on the first half of his term, to discuss student sentiment about the efficiency of student government, and to share what students can expect in the upcoming months.

Lloyd sees the role of student government as an elected body that “represents the student body in discussions with administrators” and “tries to make Riordan as fun as

place as it can be,” adding “whether we fail or succeed is up to your interpretation.”

He believes that he has made the voices of students heard on campus; however, he thinks he personally needs to do more, coming in with the mindset this semester to accomplish more before he leaves office. “I haven’t done anywhere near enough. But wait for it. Things are going to start happening,” he said.

Lloyd proposed to the student body various initiatives he wanted to work on, such as dress code, a NCAA 2 style tournament, easier club production, getting a student seat on the Board of Trustees, revised class scheduling, and awarding students who “make [the] huge leaps and bounds and improvements” at Riordan’s best. He said the NCAA

2k style tournament is still a work in progress. He really “want[s] to make sure [this] happens. Everybody absolutely loved the idea and I’m going to begin to discuss it.”

Lloyd has discussed with President Conti and Principal Anastasio regarding a revision to the block schedule and the struggles of AP students; he considers this as a first step to making some change to the current block schedule. As president, Lloyd has approved the creation of the 10 new clubs, so he believes that he has done as much as he can with creating a new club an easier process. Lloyd stated that he has found it difficult to find a student who is interested and would invest their time in representing the student body on the Board of Trustees.

Lindland Theatre—meetings, prayer services, theatre art, and other special events are hosted in the Lindland Theatre. The school year at Riordan starts with the freshmen, sophomore, junior, and senior orientation at the Lindland Theatre and so it holds a special place in the hearts of the Riordan community.

That’s why most of students and staff know about the legendary and “glorious” theatre water.

The water fountain in the theatre lobby is known for its refreshing, cool taste. It is known as the “best water on campus,” according to Valerie O’Riordan, acting instructor and

director of the upcoming musical Godspell.

O’Riordan explained, “When the theatre was renovated in early 2000s, they wanted to take away the water fountain and I wouldn’t let them. I told them […] that we don’t need to spend money on something that already works great.”

The water, when poured in a cup, quickly forms dew around the edges of cup, showing off how refreshing it tastes.

Stephen Aguirre ’18 said, “The theatre water is really cold and refreshing. It will always be the best water at Archbishop Riordan.”

He has a relatively good relationship with the administration.

He meets with them to discuss the biggest problems facing the school.

“We all put our heads together and came up for solutions to student apathy, scheduling, food pricing, and even simply building community at Riordan,” Lloyd said. “They were very receptive to our ideas.” When asked about how is his leadership different from his predecessors, he replied, “I think my leadership is different in a way because people know me more.

Last year a lot of people would say they weren’t sure who the student body president was, but it seems like whenever I walk down the hallway I can’t avoid people calling me ‘Mr. President.’”

Theatre water quenches quest for best h2o

By Keven Munoz ’18

Photo courtesy Jordan Batres

Although the reasoning of O’Riordan is that the source of the taste is the machine’s “old fashioned nature,” it’s still fun to create stories.

And so, the theatre water stands gleamingly proud with a mysteriously great taste and most likely will stay a mystery.

But that doesn’t mean a creative story cannot be built around the mystery. So it is concluded with creativity, as the sign above it thus decrees: “This is the best water on campus! The source of this water is from Stratford-upon-Avon, England, William Shakespeare’s hometown.

ENJOYETH THY DRINK!”

February 2015

LOCAL & WORLD NEWS

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

5

Multi-billion dollar price tag slows high speed rail

By Jordan Batres ’15

The California high-speed rail broke ground on Jan. 6, 2015 in Fresno, CA. The high-speed rail is a first of its kind in the United States. This is a project that is much needed for California’s poor infrastructure, supporters say. Although California is leading the way for the United States with this project, it is far behind other countries such as Japan, who built one in the 60s, and Germany, who finished their first one in 1991.

The project comes with a large price tag, $98 billion. That is where the critics bash the project. It will be one of the most expensive public works projects in the United States. It was originally only supposed to cost $33 billion, but the numbers did not add up when Gov. Jerry Brown got into office so he had his administration work on it and it ended up to be

almost three times as high.

For a third and last time, the California High-Speed Rail Authority reduced the cost estimate to $68.4 billion. This is a project that Brown has been pushing since the early 2000s and he was now finally able to execute it.

Another problem is estimates on the logistics of the train. It was originally only supposed to cost $55 for a ticket, travel at 220 mph, and ridership was estimated to be between 65.5 to 95.5 million annually.

It is now estimated to cost upwards of $80 for a ticket, travel speeds will be less than 200 mph, and ridership will be as few as 29.6 million. Some say this might be a waste of time and money, but others are praising it for its ingenuity.

This train is not only impacting the infrastructure, but also the

Photo courtesy hsr.ca.gov

environment. First, the rail is projected to reduce greenhouse emissions by 12 billion pounds a year by getting passengers off the roads and onto the trains. It uses one-third the energy use of planes and one-fifth that of cars.

It will also reduce dependence on foreign oil by 12.7 million barrels a year. Not all of it is good stuff, though.

The project will run through precious farmland in the central valley that will have to be relocated to fulfill the role the area has in the agriculture needs of the world.

One of the biggest problems of this project is how California is going to pay for it. Only about $14 billion of the $68.4 billion is coming from state and federal funds. Brown has persuaded the legislature to devote 25 percent of future cap-and-trade revenue to the project, which would

add an estimated $1 billion to funds annually.

“In fact, we cannot afford to not do it as we look at building a future that really works,” said Gov. Brown Eric Waligora, ‘15, said, “I believe the money could be spent on other expenses in California to something like healthcare or something pertaining to help California’s public school system.”

President Barack Obama had a plan to give 80 percent of America access to high-speed rail within the next 25 years. This would have awarded California $3.2 billion to build the high-speed rail. When Republicans took over the House of Representatives a year after this plan, they cut off all further funding to high-speed rail. Where the rest of the money will come from is still up in the air.

Overall, many see this project as beneficial to California. With the population expected to increase to 51 million by 2050, transportation is an important factor. This rail will take away less agricultural space than building more freeways. It will be less harmful to the environment than putting more planes in the air or adding cars onto the roads.

It is about $100 billion cheaper than the alternatives to accommodating the expected population increase. Over the next 15 years, 66,000 new jobs will be created as well as 4,500 permanent jobs.

In 15 years, Californians can catch a train from San Francisco to Los Angeles and arrive in less than three hours.

New office to focus on schools’ Catholic identity

By Roman Peregrino ’18

On Jan. 1, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone created a new office that will directly affect Archbishop Riordan.

The Office is called the Archdiocesan Office of Catholic Identity Assessment and, according to Catholic SF, its job is to assess Catholic content, Catholic witness and Catholic practices within the schools; also, to help the faculty and administrators.

Heading the group will be Dr. Melanie Morey, who has dedicated a good portion of her life to addressing issues surrounding Catholic culture and identity.

Theology teacher Stephen Baccari said Morey is the right person for the job. “My perspective is that Dr. Melanie

Morey has a clear understanding of what she expects secondary Catholic institutions to portray in terms of Catholic identity,” he said.

The schools affected by this are the four high schools within the archdiocese and 10 other schools owned by the religious community: Marin Catholic, Archbishop Riordan, Sacred Heart Cathedral, Junipero Serra, San Domenico, Saint Ignatius, Convent of the Sacred Heart, Stuart Hall, Mercy San Francisco, Immaculate Conception Academy, Mercy Burlingame, Notre Dame Belmont, Sacred Heart Atherton, and Woodside Priory.

Within the schools, Morey and her soon to be appointed board of Catholic academics and experts will

assess how well the Catholic faith is being applied in the schools. They will see how Catholic content is used throughout the curriculum, not just in theology classes.

Also, Morey and her team will look at how willing the faculty is to incorporate and talk about the Catholic faith. The final area they will assess is the little ways the school calls to mind our faith in our daily school lives.

This new office will also focus on the formation of the faculty and administration of the aforementioned 14 schools. There will be in-service days and summer immersion seminars to begin to implement the changes that the team is looking for.

“If [Riordan is] asked to foster and

develop our ‘Catholic Identity’ just as WCEA (Western Catholic Educational Association) calls for, then I do think it is necessary,” said Alex Datoc, director of campus ministry.

“I believe that since the Society of Mary (Marianists) left ARHS in 2010, it is up to the lay people to continue our Catholic faith, and this is what Blessed Father Chaminade preached during his time in France,” Datoc added.

Baccari is also ready and enthusiastic about the new office. “I always get excited when I know that there are people and resources who are willing to help us enhance our Catholic identity.”

6 LOCAL & WORLD NEWS

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

February 2015

Republicans take control of Congress

By Joshua Cardenas ’15

As many expected, Republicans increased their numbers in the House of Representatives and took control of the Senate in the 2014 mid-term elections.

As with most mid-term elections, where there is a low voter turnout and the electorate consisting of more white and older voters, election results typically reflect the attitudes of voters on the President’s performance in office.

Following the mid-term elections, Republicans added 10 more seats to their majority in the House of Representatives and won 10 of the 13 most highly contested races, having a majority in the Senate with 53 GOP members. With a Republicancontrolled Congress, could Republicans demonstrate to the American party that they are the party of governance?

The Republican-controlled Congress is off to a bitter start. Speaker John A. Boehner, Republican of Ohio, lost 25 votes from members of his own caucus in his re-election bid for speaker. These members are hard-right conservatives who unified in opposition to his election as Speaker, casting their votes for another candidate or no one at all.

This contingent of House Republicans has often given Speaker Boehner problems when it comes to passing legislation in the House.

Boehner never wants to face retaliation from them, as they can wield a considerable amount of power in the House that they can use to block his agenda and make controlling his caucus harder.

The caucus in the House is divided among the moderates and the more conservative members of the party. In the 113th Congress, Boehner struggled with controlling his caucus, often needing the votes of Democrats to pass budget deals and not going over the fiscal cliff--despite having the majority.

Boehner virtually never allows the House to have a vote on pieces of legislation when a majority of his party will not vote for it; this occurs because Boehner cannot convince the far right to vote his way. These members want to go further than that; they push moderates more to their right.

With a majority of 246 members, this gives him more flexibility to be able to get the 218 votes he needs to pass certain legislation in the House.

However, there will be members who are affiliated with the Tea Party who will challenge his leadership. We’ll see in the upcoming months if Republicans can work with Republicans.

Republicans are now in charge in the upper house: The Senate.

Most Democratic incumbents were unsuccessful in holding their seat, as well as Democratic candidates who could not win slightly left-leaning states. The Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell looks forward to a more functional Senate under Republican Leadership, and that “all the bills that sat on Reid’s desk” will come

Art courtesy thefederalistpapers.org

for a vote in the Senate Floor.

However, McConnell has his own challenges in the Senate, including managing his caucus, ensuring Republicans remain in control, and working with Senate Democrats who hold hard feelings regarding the mid-term election results and how Republicans operated when they were in the minority.

Republican incumbents facing re-election in swing states--New Hampshire, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania--will call on the Majority Leader to have legislation that is bipartisan in nature, so that they can show to their constituents that they are pragmatic politicians, willing to work with both sides of the aisle.

It is conceivable that Democrats can regain control of the Senate with new messaging, stronger candidates, a more favorable electorate in 2016-a presidential year--and a Democratic presidential candidate who will bring voters to the polls.

Potential Presidential Republican contenders--Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and Rand Paul--will be leaning more to their right to show voters in the primaries that they can have the conservative credentials that reflect the interests and attitudes of the party.

Meanwhile, there are newly elected senators, winning states that have negative attitudes of the President, who will never accept any sort of compromise deal. Senate Democrats may use the special rules of order and procedures of the Senate to prevent Republicans from moving their agenda, just as Republicans did in the minority.

The President, the Speaker, and the Majority Leader believe that there are areas of agreement where they can work together, such as the Trade Partnership Agreement, Tax Reform, and infrastructure. They all expressed this optimism in their press conferences; however, sentiment and tone changed once the 114th Congress was in session.

President Obama has issue a veto which would have approved the Keystone Pipeline. It is expected that he will also veto the bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act--also known as Obamacare--and key provisions that would undermine the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Democrats have stated that they will fiercely oppose such measures from passing.

After President Obama announced his executive order that will protect approximately 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation and allow them to remain and work in the United States, Republicans sharply criticized the President for his actions.

They expressed their frustration with President Obama in the $1.1 trillion dollar spending bill that was passed by Congress last December.

The spending bill funded most of the government; however, the Department of Homeland Security--the department that deals with immigration--will only be funded until February 2015, so that Republicans in the 114th Congress can explore options until then to defund the programs created in the President’s executive order.

They believe that such an executive order is unconstitutional and that the President is exceeding the constitutional authority of his office. The question still is how will Republicans work with the President to address the funding of the department.

The Department of Homeland Security not only deals with immigration, but with important matters related to our national security. Will they keep the department hostage?

In a closed-Republican conference meeting, Congressman Charlie Dent (RPA) said this about Republicans’progress so far in this new Congress,“Week one, we had a speaker election that did not go as well as a lot of us would have liked. Week two, we got into a big fight over deporting children, something that a lot of us didn’t want to have a

discussion about. Week three, we are now talking about rape and incest and reportable rapes and incest for minors. … I just can’t wait for week four.”

Teachers and students at Riordan generally have the same feelings about this Congress. Social Science teacher Jeffrey Isola, a Libertarian-Republican, said, “I believe that the two Republicancontrolled houses can work together in a concerted effort, but since they’re neither veto-proof nor filibuster-proof, I don’t think much legislation will pass.

The real question lies in what they want their image to be considering those factors. Appear too antagonistic, and it may backfire come November 2016. If they can balance their image and garner sympathy for their causes (difficult to do against the bully pulpit of the presidency), they may parlay it into a victory in 2016 -- but that’s a serious uphill climb, none of the front runners for the presidential nomination seem very strong.”

Julian Guerrero ‘15 said that the Republican party is “too divided” to decide what to prioritize on their agenda. “The warring factions within the party pose a challenge for Republicans to legislate and be unified.

I don’t think anything will get done.”

Greg Schoepp ’15 has the same concern. “I see a growing divide in the Republican Party between the more radical Tea Party members with more radical registered Republicans and more moderate Republicans on the other side. A majority in Congress means nothing if the GOP is divided.”

Theology teacher John Ahlbach, a progressive Democrat, said, “Before they govern, the Republicans need to believe that government is about meeting people’s needs, ALL people’s needs, in the most egalitarian way possible. They seem to think ‘government’ is something that openly impedes a capitalistic system they believe would do just fine if left alone.”

February 2015

LOCAL & WORLD NEWS

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

7

Ta k e a h i k e : f i n d p e a c e

By James Saitz ’16

Hikers, now and in the past, have found that trails offer benefits that are both physical and mental.

Strolling down a dirt path, chatting with friends, a hiker looks up and realizes just how much he can see from his location on the side of a mountain.

The feelings of rapid breathing and aching legs seem to diminish as he takes in all the natural beauty surrounding him.

A wave of peacefulness envelops him as he starts to feel in control of his own existence by being so high in elevation. This is the experience and tradition that millions of people share each year.

Some of the first people to walk on the now well traveled Bay Area trails were early Spanish explorers. Gaspar de Portola was an explorer who discovered the San Francisco Bay in 1769 from atop what is now Pacifica’s Sweeney Ridge.

What set Portola apart from other explorers was the fact that he undertook the expedition over land, while most others used ships. To honor Portola, the city of Pacifica has a statue dedicated to him, which is listed as a historical landmark.

Because most landscapes are unique in one aspect or another; every hiking trail varies. Because of this, people have many different experiences when they hike. Some people may not realize it, but the Bay Area offers opportunities to get outdoors and enjoy nature.

One opportunity is Archbishop Riordan’s Outdoor Adventure Club, which meets on Fridays, during lunch in the lecture hall. Club moderator Joey Klobas said, “The club’s founder was a Boy Scout and an Eagle Scout and we have a few scouts involved with the club. They saw this lack of nature appreciation on campus, so the club’s mission would be to bring awareness to nature.”

Additionally, Tycho Meimban, a member of Outdoor Adventure Club said he enjoyed hiking and that his favorite hiking trail was Sawyer Trail because, “It is a very pleasant experience that lets you alleviate the tension you get during the school week and you get the chance to go out on a very pleasant hike on a very

pleasant weekend with beautiful scenery all around you.”

The reason why so many great parks and wilderness areas exist today is because of President Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt was so touched by the Grand Canyon that he left the instructions to,” Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it.”

He utilized his power as president to help protect the public lands and wildlife by creating the U.S. Forest Service, which later evolved into the National Park Service.

Today, the National Park Service (NPS) manages all 58 National Parks and 7,804 State Parks. According to www. nps.gov, “The National Parks employ roughly 22,000 paid employees and has 221,000 volunteers.”

All these workers are needed to accommodate some 282 million visitors who visit the parks each year.

The best part about the national park system is that only about a quarter of the parks in existence charge an entrance fee. The fees that are collected are usually around $25, which is usually only charged for a parking permit.

As for State Parks, they may only charge a few dollars for park maintenance and this proves how inexpensive and healthy a hobby hiking can be for a person.

Many people these days are concerned with maintaining a healthy body while coping with the semisedentary lifestyle that most Americans possess. Hiking will definitely do the job of keeping a person physically fit by exercising the legs, knees, ankles, arms, hips, abdominals, shoulders, and neck.

The benefits of hiking are enormously plentiful. They include lower risk of many kinds of cancers, lower risk of high blood pressure and heart disease, improved cardiorespiratory fitness, and even improved muscular fitness.

Coach Liam Watters, a P.E. teacher at Archbishop Riordan, said hiking is a good cardiovascular workout that strengthens one’s legs while being in the fresh air, surrounded by beautiful scenery.

Equally as important as the physical

benefits are the mental benefits that accompany hiking. People often hike to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life, and this helps reduce the feelings of depression and anxiety.

Also, the solitude, coupled with a natural environment, helps to clear the mind from distractions. It is no surprise that this all encompassing experience of hiking is gaining in popularity each year.

Hiking has produced only a select few people who have really stood out in the annals of time. The first person most people think about when they hear “hiker” would most likely be John Muir. This avid hiker was a cofounder of the Sierra Club, which was dedicated to preserving wildlands. He was instrumental in pushing to have Yosemite become a National Park because, according to Muir, “One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.”

Similarly, Daniel Boone, even though he was not a recreational hiker, led hunting expeditions through dangerous territory and even blazed a trail to the west through the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky. Boone was such a skilled outdoorsman that he almost always knew his whereabouts.

However, he is credited with having said, “I have never been lost, but I will admit to being confused for several weeks.”

Since not everybody possesses the orientation skills of Daniel Boone,

everything they need is to follow the list of the 10 outdoor essentials, employed religiously by mountaineers and Boy Scouts alike. This list includes 1. water, 2. map and compass, 3. first aid kit, 4. warm layers, 5. rain gear, 6. flashlight, 7. nonperishable food, 8. matches or a fire starter, 9. sun protection, and 10. pocketknife.

Also, while duct tape, toilet paper, and rope are not included, they are still highly recommended and useful.

Additionally, a good, broken in pair of hiking boots with ankle support is of paramount importance because happy feet make a happy hiker and nobody wants a twisted ankle when they are miles from any medical help.

This sounds like a lot of equipment to lug around while hiking, but all of it can easily fit into a school book bag and simply having these things might just save a life.

There are some fantastic hiking experiences available to people living in the San Francisco Bay Area that are just a short day’s journey away.

Pinnacles National Park, near Soledad, California is quite exceptional in the fact that the area of the actual park is on the leftovers of an extinct volcano and this park, with its more that 30 miles of trails, attracts hikers, rock climbers, and people who want to explore the two caves in the park.

If some hikers are more intrigued with the wildlife of the area than with

Photos courtesy Joey Klobas

getting lost is a very real possibility among hikers today. According to www.nps.gov, in 2010, Yosemite national park had to send out 245 search and rescue operations. With 53,139 hikers that year, the amount of searches seems expected, but to the Yosemite authorities, that is 245 searches too many.

It is wonderful that so many individuals wish to embrace nature, but they fail to realize that hiking, while an enjoyable activity, can also be quite unforgiving. Dehydration, physical injuries, hypothermia, heat stroke and drowning are all common dangers found along Yosemite’s hiking trails and this demonstrates just how unprepared and ill-equipped some people can be.

An easy way for hikers to remember

the geology, then Big Basin Redwoods State Park, the oldest state park in California, would more than satiate that craving for nature. The more than 80 miles of trails through the old growth coastal redwoods and magnificent waterfalls are a pleasant experience for all who visit.

Closer to home, the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department has been working on improving existing trails and creating new ones in McLaren Park (in the Excelsior) and Glen Canyon (in Glen Park), both of which are a 15 minute bus ride away.

Whether its the purpose is communing with nature, clearing one’s mind, or getting exercise, hitting the trail is a great activity and there are plenty of opportunities available in the Bay Area to explore the great outdoors.

8 LOCAL & WORLD NEWS

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

A br i d g e d i v i d e d : n e w b a r r i e r prot e c t s d r i v e r s

By Patrick McSweeney ’15

Bridge’s

have considered it suicide to even drive

notoriously dangerous left-most lane

in those lanes, thus the name, “suicide

is that no more. Most reactions are

lane,” while others have enjoyed the

that of relief, and the opening of the

thrill of a game of chicken on the way

barrier on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2015, was

to work or home.

witnessed by some of the victims of

Many families live in Marin County

past head-on automobile accidents.

and have children who attend schools

According to the Golden Gate

in San Francisco, and vice versa. For

Bridge records, 16 people have died

Riordan families who have to cross

on the bridge in 128 head-on collisions

the bridge every day, the new barrier

since 1970. The bridge opened in 1939

is a huge safety upgrade, according

to coincide with the World’s Fair, which

to Stefano Piccinini , a Senior at

was held in San Francisco that year.

Archbishop Riordan High School: “ I

The

Golden

Gate

Photo courtesy goldengate.org

commute from across the bridge every

Francisco

day to Riordan and this barrier makes

Chronicle article dated Jan. 12, 2015,

my commute to Riordan feel a lot more

Dr. Grace Dammann was on her way

safe.” In addition, the lower speed limit,

home to Marin County after picking up

down from 55 to 45, and the shrinking

her daughter at school in San Francisco,

of the lane width, by an average of 6

when another driver collided into her

inches, is a small price to pay when

car. Dr. Dammann was left paralyzed

lives can be saved, commuters say. The

after the accident; her daughter was

commute time across the bridge may

not seriously hurt. The other driver,

increase by a few minutes, but many

Brian Clark, had lost control of the car-

are willing to give up minutes in traffic

-he had passed out at the wheel - after

rather than lives.

having just learned that his father had

The Golden Gate Bridge is one of

terminal cancer.

the great symbols of San Francisco; its

The two cars collided into each

beauty is pictured worldwide, and it

other in the “suicide lane.”

Dr.

enjoys a vast number of visitors every

Dammann and Clark both attended

day. The barrier will now also make it

the barrier opening. Over the years,

one of the safest bridges in the world,

they have became active supporters of

supporters say.

the building of the barrier, and in the

Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo,

process, also have become friends.

stated the following at the opening

Lane shifts have always been part

of the barrier, “You can’t prevent all

of the way the traffic flows on the

automobile accidents, but you can

Golden Gate Bridge. Many drivers have

prevent head-on automobile accidents

traditionally avoided the center lanes-

and serious injuries and deaths on the

-those that faced opposite traffic--

Golden Gate Bridge. This barrier is

rather than risking a head-on collision

really about public health.”

According

to

the

San

with oncoming traffic. Some drivers

February 2015

Gas prices plummet, raise energy crisis fears

By David Cuddihy ’15

As drivers have noticed lately, gas prices have dropped significantly. But is this really a good thing?

The drop in gas prices is alarming because the lower the price of oil, the greater our dependency, and the susceptibility to economic collapse increases long term.

According to Gasbuddy. com, in January 2014 gas averaged around $3.30 per gallon nationally, while in January 2015 gas has fallen to $2.18 per gallon nationally.

While prices in San Francisco have not dropped that low, some parts of the country are seeing prices fall below $2 per gallon.

The root cause of the drop in gasoline prices has been the drop in crude oil prices. Crude oil has fallen under $50 per barrel, and it is currently uncertain whether or not it will remain around the same level, or drop even further. Oil prices have dropped due to a drop in demand, and overproduction.

Demand has dropped for a number of reasons, including America’s emergence as the world’s largest oil producer. The U.S. has significantly cut its importation of oil, which has created a surplus in overseas markets. That surplus has led to low prices because countries wish to unload oil instead of leaving it in warehouses.

Another cause of this drop in oil prices is overproduction.

Foreign oil importation has dropped to its lowest volume since 1994. This is due in part to the increase in American oil production, and a lower overall demand. The drop in demand has been attributed to increased fuel efficiency, alternative fuel sources, and a heightened awareness of the effects of oil production and use.

Joshua Zumbrun, an economist for The Wall Street Journal, believes that the low price of gas is a good thing for consumers short-term, but is concerned about the long-term effects if gas prices stayed low for an extended period of time. His main concern is that the shift toward higher-efficiency products will be hampered.

An example of his fear realized is already evident today.

GM recently decided to lay off 510 workers at two small car plants in Michigan due to the weakening demand. GM also plans to continue the production of Hummers, an SUV that was discontinued as gas prices rose in 2010. Although

other factors have contributed to these actions, the continuing trend of low gas prices has played a significant role.

However, not all companies are cutting back on energyefficient advancement. Toyota recently released thousands of hydrogen fuel cell patents.

Their hope is to spur fuel cell technology advancement. This a massive step because hydrogen fuel cells only produce heat and water vapor, release no carbon dioxide, and hydrogen is plentiful.

If the technology is perfected, our society could end up being run on hydrogen, not oil. Hopefully this industry wide cooperation will lead to a shift from gasoline to hydrogen fuel cells in the near future.

Timothy Chan ‘15, who drives to school daily, believes “low gas prices are good because it’s cheaper to fill up, and go places,” but is, “concerned that lower gas prices may slow the advancement of eco-friendly technology.”

This seems to be the general sentiment of all at the moment because our environmental awareness has greatly improved over the past few years, but, we all still love cheap gas. Austin Palaad ‘15 shares this sentiment, but believes low gas prices are good for the economy as it increases spending.

Overall, low gas prices appear to be a good thing, but only for a short amount of time.

Although consumers wish to see low gas prices last, the long term effects of low gas prices could hurt economic growth in the long run, and lead to a slowdown on the worldwide move toward global fuel efficiency.

The Good • Keeps GDP growth going strong • Products easier/cheaper to produce • More money in the consumers pockets • Quickens economic recovery • Americans could save $75 billion on gas this year The Bad • Americans may drive more, and purchase less efficient vehicles • Fuel economy standards will come under fire • Less environmental awareness • Potential oil crisis as seen in the 1970s • Texas oil industry suffers

February 2015

9

LOCAL & WORLD NEWS

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Sleep deprived students struggle to stay awake

By James Saitz ’16

Although sleep is vital to human survival, more than one-third of Americans still endanger their wellbeing by not catching enough zzz’s.

So far, scientists have yet to prove a single scientific reason as to why people sleep, but they have developed several theories to find an answer to this question. Most explanations look back to human ancestors to whom sleep was an evolutionary trait acquired in order to be better suited for their environment.

The first theory, the Inactivity Theory, explains that sleep may have served the purpose of keeping people out of harm’s way during the night by having them stay still and quiet when they could be vulnerable to nocturnal predators.

According to healthysleep.med. harvard.edu, the Energy Conservation Theory explains sleep as a way, “to reduce an individual’s energy demand and expenditure during part of the day or night.”

There are also theories that explore sleep’s purpose in stimulating and changing the brain while in the REM sleep stage. This is why there appears to be a correlation between well rested people being able to be more alert and receptive to learning new ideas, while sleep deprived people have difficulty performing daily functions.

When someone doesn’t sleep enough, it is generally just thought that they will be tired for a while and nothing will come of it. However, there are some serious health risks, such as heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure, risk of stroke, and diabetes that can result from sleep deprivation.

Also, mental health is negatively impacted with symptoms like forgetfulness and impaired judgment when making decisions.

Just going from day to day life the question of, “How much sleep should I get?” is usually answered with the standard, “as much as possible,” or “each person is different.” Most people will actually find it helpful to know the actual breakdown of hours needed by age group. Infants require about 16 hours a day, children need 10 hours per night, teenagers should get 9 hours per night, and adults must have 7 hours per night.

Victor Tejada ‘16 said that he usually gets 6 hours of sleep each school night and still feels tired most of the time.

Tejada said, “Since vacation ended, I have enough sleep lately to go through my day without sleeping, but as the semester goes by, I will eventually start to sleep in class if this pattern continues.”

Dean of Academics and science teacher Michael O’Brien said he usually gets 4.5 to 5 hours of sleep a night. In regards to the importance of sleep, he said, it is “extremely important. Without sleep, performance goes down, people can get tired and irritable, and it’s important to get sleep. My goal is to get at least six or seven hours of sleep a night. I think younger people need

well over eight, probably nine hours a night.”

Most people may not realize it, but a good night’s rest actually carries with it many benefits. According to Dr. Merrill Mitler, a sleep expert and neuroscientist at NIH, “Sleep services all aspects of our bodies in one way or another: molecular, energy balance, as well as intellectual function, alertness, and mood.”

Enough sleep on a regular basis allows for clearer thoughts, quicker reflexes, and better focus. So, the decision seems pretty simple: get more sleep, feel more alert. But some people just don’t have a choice about how much sleep they get.

A major issue is 70 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep problems such as insomnia, sleep apnea, and even narcolepsy. Insomnia makes it difficult to fall and stay asleep, which leads to people being fatigued, moody, and less productive, according to Sleepfoundation.org.

People with sleep apnea repeatedly stop breathing during their sleep and according to sleepapnea.org, “Sleep apnea can have serious and lifeshortening consequences: high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke.” Some common symptoms are loud snoring, obesity, or even waking up with a dry mouth and a headache. The scary part about this is that it is said to affect 22 million Americans and most of them don’t even know they have this disorder.

Affecting one out of every 3,000 Americans, it is fair to say that narcolepsy is a pretty prevalent brain disorder. Having this disorder, which is caused by lack of the brain chemical, hypocretin, entails involuntary sleep attacks which could last seconds or even minutes. The unpredictability of this disorder can pose serious danger to the patient because they are at risk of crashing their cars, getting hurt operating machinery, or contracting injuries due to falling suddenly.

Despite being as common as it is, research is still being done to better understand this disorder. According to Dr. Michael H. Silber, a neurologist and sleep disorders specialist, “What we don’t know is why patients with narcolepsy don’t produce hypocretin... this is still speculative.” Scientists hope to understand it better in the future, but recently, there has been evidence shown in favor of the power nap.

The power nap, which typically lasts 20-40 minutes is a very useful tool to employ when trying to learn a new skill. Practicing something, then taking a nap afterwards will help reinforce the concept and increase alertness after waking up.

In a study done at NASA, military pilots and astronauts were found to have 34 percent better performance and 100 percent more alertness after a 40 minute nap. One must be careful though, not to nap for too long or nap too close to bedtime because these can make a person groggy and disrupt

their sleep cycle.

In addition to the more well known sleep/wake cycle, there exists another body system, the Circadian Biological Clock, that regulates periods of sleepiness and wakefulness during the day. People always talk about how they feel tired or less energetic after lunch and the reason for this is the Circadian Dip. A Circadian Dip usually occurs between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. and is caused by a release of the hormone, melatonin, which promotes sleep, according to Sleepfoundation.org. The problem for teenagers these days is that since most of them stay up later at night browsing social media, they fall asleep later at night, which correlates to having a longer Circadian Dip during the day.

Over the decades, people, as a species, are getting less and less sleep on average. According to a study at Princeton, the populous in 1942 received around 7.9 hours a night, while the average person living in 2013 would only receive 6.8 hours. This loss of more than an hour reflects on people’s busy lifestyles these days and all of the electronic and artificial lights may be playing a role in this sleep loss pattern.

When Roger Ekirch, a professor of history at Virginia Tech, was researching sleep patterns for people in times before the 1800s, many references were noted that refer to people sleeping in two sessions during a 12 hour night. The way this worked is when it was dark outside, they would sleep for 3 to 4 hours, wake up for 2 to 3 hours and go back to sleep until natural daylight awake them.

To test Ekirch’s findings, psychiatrist Thomas Wehr conducted a study in which he restricted the amount of light available to 15 people and observed its effects on their sleep pattern. At first, people would sleep for a long period of time, 12-14 hours or so. Interestingly enough, after they had made up for their sleep debt that had accumulated over time, they fell into the pattern of having two sleep sessions a night.

The fact that these test subjects fell into the same sleep patterns as our ancestors brings forth the explanation that modern people are disrupting their natural sleep cycles by living the way they do. All of the electronic devices and even electric lights that keep people awake at night could be the very root of the issue people face of not getting enough nightly rest.

In order to feel more well rested, it is pretty simple: nap more, get a quality night’s rest, and limit electronic devices around bedtime. When this is achieved, greater alertness and energy will just become a part of life.

S AT c h a n g e s l e a v e students with more questions

By Jack Harty-Connell ’15

As the class of 2015 leaves, new SAT test guidelines are set to be put into place. Will these changes create an easier test, or will they become more difficult? The questions regarding the test are as numerous as the questions on the test.

In the spring of 2016, the SAT college exam will undergo major renovations to the way the test is scored, and how students can prepare for the test. According to the College Board, there will be eight key changes to the current test.

These changes include: element words in context, command of evidence, essay analyzing a source, focus on math that matters most, problems grounded in realworld context, analysis in science and in history/social studies, founding documents and great global conversation, and no penalty for wrong answers.

Along with these key changes, the College Board is planning to change the test score from 2400 back to 1600. Also, the College Board will partner with Khan Academy for the first time to provide free test preparation materials and courses.

College Board President and CEO David Coleman said that standardized tests have become “far too disconnected from the work of our high school.” The test has not changed since 2005 when it altered some question formats, added a written essay and changed its score scale from 1600 to 2400. The main reason the SAT is being changed is because the College Board believes that the test needs to be simpler and easier to understand.

Coleman said, “No longer will it be good enough to focus on tricks and trying to eliminate answer choices.” Over the years, the ACT has become more popular than the SAT as several states adopted it as part of their standardized testing programs. The biggest question left to answer is how the test will change and whether it will benefit the students.

The new SAT test will add or improve aspects of the test that the College Board believes needs to be fixed. The new and improved test will make content changes and technical changes. For example, the current SAT has reading passages drawn from a limited number of academic disciplines. In the redesigned test, reading passages will include texts from science, history, social studies, and literature.

Also, the redesigned vocabulary test relates to “relevant words in context,” taking into account that an expansive vocabulary is necessary in college and in professional life. Vocabulary words may have multiple meanings depending on the context.

Along with these changes, the new test will be easier and more straight forward for the taker to follower. Some of the technical changes to the test will make it better for whomever is taking the exam. These changes include: the total exam time of around 3 hours without the essay and around 4 hours with the essay; the SAT will now be available in both paper and digital formats; there will be no point deduction for incorrect answers; the math section includes some no-calculator segments; and there will be only two required sections: Evidenced-based Reading and Writing, and Math.

With all of these changes in mind, Dean of Academics Michael O’Brien said, “Moving back to a 1600 point scale is something that is much easier for people to understand and identify with.”

In terms of how this will affect students and teachers, O’Brien said, “It is a shift in mindset back to the original mindset with a few modifications. Though it is important that our teachers are aware of that shift.”

He added, “I think changes were definitely necessary for the SAT exam as it is an exam that needs to evolve and needs to be organic and dynamic in line with the evolving and changing populations in the United States and especially in California.”

10 LOCAL & WORLD NEWS

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

February 2015

Terrorists target France’s free speech

By David Cuddihy ’15

Millions gathered in Paris, France on Sunday, Jan. 11, to honor the lives of those killed in recent terrorist attacks that shook the nation.

The rally for unity has been called the largest demonstration in French history with an estimated 1.3 million people in attendance, including world leaders such as Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority. This massive show of solidarity helped bring the nation together in a time of fear.

On Jan. 7, in Paris, at around 11:30 am local time, two masked gunmen attacked Charlie Hebdo, a satirical newspaper. Twelve people were killed, including eight journalists, two police officers, a building maintenance worker, and a guest of the newspaper; 11 people were injured.

The two suspected gunmen, brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi, were not captured after the initial attack, and fled. A city-wide man-hunt ensued, which forced the French government to deploy an additional 88,000 security forces. A third man turned himself in on suspicion of helping the brothers, but was later released.

Then on Jan. 8, a policewoman was shot and killed by a man just outside of Paris. Investigators believe that the two shootings are connected, but have not given full confirmation. The brothers also robbed a gas station.

On Friday, Jan. 9, shots were fired on a highway north of Paris. The Kouachi brothers then hijacked a car, and took one hostage to a printing business in Dammartin-en-Goelle, a suburb of Paris.

To complicate the tragedy, Amedy Coulibaly, who is believed to have killed the policewoman on Thursday, took numerous hostages at Hyper Cacher, a kosher grocery store in Paris.

Along with releasing images of

Amedy Coulibaly, Police released pictures of his girlfriend, Hayat Boumeddiene, who was believed to have been inside the supermarket also.

Friday evening, police planned raids on the two locations. Police fired on the printing business, and the brothers shot back, but were ultimately killed; however, the lone hostage emerged unharmed.

Police then raided the Jewish supermarket. After a minute of gunshots and explosions, police killed Amedy Coulibaly. Four hostages were killed,

Photo courtesy france24.com

another four were critically injured, and several captives escaped unharmed. The incident was shown on live television, highlighting the gruesome scene, as several bodies were dragged out of the market.

Saturday, Jan. 10, French forces resumed their search for Hayat Boumeddiene. The French police eventually concluded that Boumeddiene had traveled to Turkey, and was now most likely in Syria.

Sunday, Jan. 11: A German newspaper in Hamburg that re-published some of Charlie Hebdo’s cartoons of Mohammed

was fire bombed, but no one was wounded. In Paris, the massive march began with world leaders at the front.

The attendance of the rally is believed to be higher than that of the rallies after the Liberation of Paris from Nazi Germany.

By Sunday, a total of 17 people had been killed by the three suspects.

In the days after the attacks #JeSuisCharlie and #JeSuisAhmed went viral online to show support for the newspaper and one of the officers who was killed. However, many people have bashed the newspaper, calling it racist, hateful, and anti-Islamic. Many have questioned whether or not Charlie Hebdo was exercising its right of free speech, or writing hate speech.

Calvin Lam ‘15 believes “the cartoons can be considered offensive, but Charlie Hebdo has the right to free speech, and this is just that.” Many others share this sentiment, however, many others have mixed feelings.

Al-Qaeda in Yemen has since claimed responsibility for financing, and providing training to the Kouachi brothers, but that claim has not been substantiated.

Some citizens have seen the attacks as justification for attacks on mosques throughout France. More than 16 mosques were attacked by firebombs, pig heads, or gun shots.

Muslims have also reported increasing harassment on the street and online. French authorities are warning the nation not to associate Muslims with terrorists. With five or six million Muslims in France, French officials hope that the anti-Islamic groups realize that these terrorist issues only concern about 1,000 individuals. Breaking the current stigma against Muslims in France will be essential to creating true national unity.

This is part of a larger problem of discrimination toward Muslims. In

2010, the French government banned concealing one’s face while in public.

This outraged Muslims because Niqābs, a traditional Muslim garb, are no longer allowed. This cloth covers women’s faces entirely, except the eyes, which violates the concealment ban. Laws like these have furthered the division between Muslims and the French non-Muslim public.

Theology teacher Andres Uribe believes that “the extremists are a minority,” but “extremism is a dangerous course to take” when trying to push an agenda. Uribe also sympathizes with Muslims because some of the images published could be considered hateful, and not just freedom of speech.

Muslims are not the only religious group that is uneasy after the recent attacks. Jewish people feel unsafe because they were main target in the attack on the supermarket, and two of the three gunmen have previously stated their anti-Semitic sentiments.

French authorities, in an attempt to quell the fears of the Jewish people, have added extra security personnel to Jewish areas. However, this same action has not been taken in areas with heavy concentrations of Muslims. This has left Muslims upset as they feel that they’re all being punished for the actions of a few.

Charlie Hebdo released its “survivor” issue Wednesday, Jan. 14, and sold it out almost immediately, with more than two million more being printed soon.

Five million copies are expected to be released, which is a massive jump from its typical circulation of 45,000.

Although it remains to be seen how France handles the situation long-term, a massive shake up in French security and relations between Muslims and non-Muslims will most likely ensue.

Improp e r u s e of a i r g u n s t a r g e t u s e r s

By Patrick McSweeney ’15

Many people participate in Airsoft games, and most seem to know the laws about owning airsoft equipment.

However, some of the people who participate in this game are uninformed or use the equipment in a more grim manner.

Matthew Hoffman, for example, was allegedly provoking three SFPD officers on Sunday, Jan. 4 and was shot three times by the officers because they say he was pointing what looked like a gun at them. He allegedly had intentionally blacked out the orange tip of his airsoft gun to commit “suicide by cop.” ​ The airsoft guns have become popular among the age group of 15-21 year olds, as a large amount of video games encourage gun battles in real life. However, there is a very real danger lurking here.

Counselor Jonathan Aguilar said, “With airsoft guns or any type of guns for that matter, you have to be careful because when you have them out in the open those around you do not know that it is fake (if there is the absence of the orange tip) and that you have to be aware of the message that you are sending out when you pull out something like that.”

The police have a duty to protect and a certain criteria as to how to identify a gun. If the toy gun is not identifiable as such, and can instead be perceived as a real weapon, the person holding it, regardless of age, can be in severe danger.

The police force is most often shouldering the blame for various reasons like socio-cultural bias and inadequate training, rather than putting the blame squarely on a public entity.

Some believe the public should be fair in placing blame and focus on the responsibility of the individual, families, and schools.

Airsoft guns look like real weapons and can still be (and have been) used to threaten others, to commit a bank robbery, or to hold a hostage.​ To prevent tragedies involving airsoft guns, community leaders believe families and schools should work together to educate the youth about guns, violence, about the role of law enforcement. In addition, they want parents and schools to teach uninformed youth the difference between video games and real life.

The police are often seen as the villains, but police agencies across the country say this is unfair. They hope that reaching out to the community, meeting with youth and teens, and talking to high

school students will be a positive way to disperse information about the police and how they operate. ​ Community leaders and police agree that youth and adults who use airsoft guns should do so in accordance with the law and without causing life-threatening incidents. Perhaps Matthew Hoffman was a troubled man, but in recent years there have been countless kids, as young as ages 12 and 13, who used airsoft guns that were mistaken for real guns.

The prevention of violence, and especially of devastating incidents caused by use of toy guns, is a top priority in the community. If all parties work together, lives can be saved and tragedy can be avoided.

February 2015

SPORTS

Teams bask in winning afterglow

By Jack Harty-Connell ’15

As the ARHS winter sport season comes to a close, fans eagerly await the results of a season full of excitement and surprises.

Photo courtesy Michael Conti

At the beginning of the season, all three teams were ready to make some noise in the WCAL. Each of them, basketball, wrestling and soccer were off to a strong start and the Crusader soccer team got their first league win since 2013!

Expectations were high for the sports teams and many fans supported them as they faced WCAL rivals during the winter season.

Last year, Riordan basketball made it to the Nor Cal semifinals, but ultimately lost to the Sir Francis Drake Pirates.

Fans expect nothing but success as the Crusaders make another appearance in the Nor Cal playoffs.

The Crusaders started strong, with a record of 8-2 in the preseason. When the league season started, Riordan was ready to battle with their WCAL rivals.

Unfortunately, they lost the league opener to Saint Francis, but rebounded and beat Valley Christian on their home floor.

The Crusaders are stellar at home and looked to use the home crowd to fuel their game. Last year, the Crusaders had a 9-3 record at home and they are looking for the same results this year. With a record of 13-5 and a home record of 8-2, the Crusaders defended the home floor brilliantly.

As Head Coach Rich Buckner leads the Crusaders again, expectations are high and fans are excited about the playoffs.

Riordan soccer has had many challenges the past few years. But now, it seems that there is a bright future for the program. As the team got its first league win against Saint Ignatius on Jan. 7, confidence grew and a positive outlook for the season blossomed.

With that the win is behind them, the soccer team needed to use the win as a confidence booster and a reason to continue to fight every game.

With a record of 2-8-3, the soccer team, led by Mike Cisneros, gained their footing and will soon become a team to watch out for in the WCAL. With a league win this season, teams will soon have to respect the Crusaders’ game and make sure that they don’t just brush them off.

Riordan wrestling is always expected to be great and nothing less will be accepted. At the beginning of the season, the Crusaders started strong by beating Sacred Heart in their first league meet on all three levels. 46 Crusaders took part in the WCAL Wrestling Championship at Junipero Serra High

11

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

AAU basketball boasts flash, but lacks discipline

By Eric Galindo ’16

School. With all 3 levels competing, the Crusader Wrestlers were looking to improve on their dual meet season which saw the Varsity team in 3rd place, JV tied for 1st and the Freshman in 2nd.

These Crusaders came out on fire and the team and individual results were historic.

The young varsity team (only three seniors) was in the lead and in contention for the WCAL Championship for most of the afternoon. The team ultimately finished in 3rd place with 209.5 points. ARHS sent five young men into the finals and came away with two Champions; 13 continued on to the CCS Championship on Feb. 27-28.

The JV and freshmen teams brought home league championships.

All three levels of ARHS sports gave it their all in every game they played. As the freshman begin to learn the ropes of the sports system, we are learning that they are full of fight and determination.

The freshman basketball team has both an A and a B team. The freshman B team is coached by Will Watkins and he is looking to improve the game of our incoming freshmen. As they begin the season with a record of 8-6, they are looking to get better in every game.

The freshmen A team, coached by Danny Arias, is looking to ready the team for the next level. The A team started the season with a record of 4-11, and is looking to pick up the intensity and carry it throughout the season.

The freshman wrestling team is always looking to improve and this year is no exception. With a record of 4-0 and the help of Whitehouse, the freshman team dominated in WCAL, taking home the championship title.

The freshman soccer team started the season strong with a 2-0 win against Valley Christian. They then hoped to bounce back as the season progressed.

With a record of 1-7, Coach Thomas Stroh tried to make the season a great one, with the team finishing strong.

The JV teams fought throughout the winter season and the intensity has always been high. With JV soccer, basketball and wrestling competing at a high level, the season was full of improvement. Fans know that Varsity is the team to be on, and that freshman and JV members strive to be a part of the Varsity team. While playing on the freshman or JV teams, athletes look to improve and advance.

JV basketball, led by coach Joey Curtin, looked forward to having a successful season. The season started off on a good note with four wins in a row. However, in league play, the team has come up short and hoped to improve on WCAL play. With a record of 8-9, the Crusaders wanted to finish strong.

Riordan’s wrestling program has been put on a pedestal and that is true for all three levels. The JV wrestling team started by beating Sacred Heart in their first league match. The wrestling team started with a record of 3-0-1.

Always striving to be better, the team was ready for the season ahead. With the right help from the coaches, all of the wrestlers had the potential to have a prosperous season, and they did, also

Basketball players such as Aaron Gordon, Ivan Rabb, Stanley Johnson and even NBA stars such as Lebron James and Kevin Durant all played it.

But how good is it really?

AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) basketball is full of flashy moves, big name players, mix-tapes, dunks and college recruiting. People are more likely to know the top AAU programs around than the top high school teams in the country. If someone were to ask who a top prospect player played for, it would be more likely that one knew his AAU team instead of his high school.

Is this good for the development of basketball? As basketball becomes more and more popular, is AAU the style that it should be known for?

AAU basketball has been constantly criticized for its “run ‘n gun” style of play. Countless players and coaches believe that AAU not only neglects teaching fundamentals, but also reinforces bad habits. Kobe Bryant remarked in an interview with ESPN.com, “Horrible, terrible AAU basketball. It’s stupid. It doesn’t teach our kids how to play the game... They don’t know the fundamentals of the game. It’s stupid.”

Bryant isn’t alone with his negative feelings toward AAU basketball. Hall of Famer Charles Barkley had this to say: “They’re killing the game.

AAU is the worst thing to happen to college basketball ever... These kids aren’t getting good coaching. They’re playing too many games and not working on their game enough.”

College basketball is probably the most structured form of basketball.

NBA style of play is mostly centered around isolation of the better players,while college basketball is centered around the whole team and a lot of ball movement. However, AAU basketball prepares players for NBA style of play more so than college, which will be the next step in these players’ career.

This style of play diminishes the importance of playing team basketball and encourages selfish play. At the college level and even at most high school levels, this style of play is not tolerated. This creates a conflict within players’ mindsets.

Whether to play AAU style of basketball or the structured college style of play, the youth of basketball are leaning towards the AAU style

merely because it is more “glamorous” than the college way.

According to part-time varsity basketball player Robert Colton ‘15, “AAU basketball is a fun showcase, but does not actually teach you how to play the game the right way. It is sad that it is such a necessary step to play college basketball.”

AAU basketball has not only been criticized for its style of play, but also for the poor values that it instills in players. For example, if a player is unhappy with his AAU team, then he can merely find a new program that is better suited for him. This results in a lack of team chemistry and structural consistency.

More detrimental to the game is the idea that if one is unhappy with his coach or another player, he can just leave to find a new program.

Players carry this idea over into their college careers. In the NCAA Division 1, 445 basketball players transferred in the 2010-2011 season, which is more than 10 percent of the league.

Of all freshmen Division 1 basketball players, 40 percent will be attending a different school by their third year, according to USA Today.

Many coaches will attribute these high transfer numbers to the increasing popularity level of AAU basketball, calling it “...a disservice to young athletes.”

However, AAU basketball does have its upsides. How rare is it that a local high school game features multiple Division 1 prospective athletes competing against each other? How often do local high school tournaments feature hundreds of possible future Division 1 players?

The simple answer is almost never.

Popular AAU tournaments bring hundreds of prospective Division 1 athletes under one roof in one weekend to be evaluated by hundreds of coaches at a time. This makes recruitment easier, yet more competitive for college coaches.

Overall, AAU basketball, has its pros and its cons. Whether the cons outweigh the pros, or vice-versa, it is up to the athletes and the coaches to decide.

Head varsity basketball coach Rich Buckner said, “AAU basketball is probably the best way to get noticed by college coaches, but the worst way to learn how to play the game.”

taking home the WCAL championship title.

The JV soccer team struggled this season, but that did not stop them from giving it their all in every game.

The Crusaders started with a record of 2-6-5 with coach Kevin Esquivel leading the way and the Crusaders not giving up. They continued to fight throughout the season. Along with freshman and varsity, JV soccer was ready to be on the upswing and start winning games.

With playoffs on the horizon for the basketball and wrestling teams, Crusader fans are eager to see how it will play out.

Photo courtesy Lifetouch

12 SPORTS

February 2015

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

NBA boasts season of surprising stories

By JC Canicosa ’16

but an elite offensive system with four

offense potent at all times on the floor.

away with this award going into the

all stars! Kyle Korver may be one of the

Paul Millsap and Al Horford unques-

All-Star break.

If you told me at the beginning of the

best players off-the-ball of all time.

tionably make one of the best front

season that by the All Star break, the

courts in the league. Combine that

Draymond Green

What a first half to the NBA season!

Ranking up with Reggie Miller and

Defensive Player of the Year:

Atlanta Hawks would have an eight

Coming from the best defense in the

game lead over the entire Eastern

NBA, Green has emerged as one of the

Conference and the Oklahoma City

most versatile defenders in the league.

Thunder would be in 10th place in the

He can switch off of Dirk Nowitzki to

West entering All Star break, I would’ve

close out on Monta Ellis on a pick and

said you were insane.

roll. He can hold position when guys

like Blake Griffin and Zach Randolph

This season has had some amaz-

ing storylines and surprises as well

are backing him down and force very

as highlights as exciting as ever. The

contested shots without fouling.

2014-2015 season so far has been one

to remember.

Warrior fan than seeing Blake flop on Ray Allen, Korver is hitting a ridiculous

with their captain Jeff Teague, and

The Atlanta Hawks have finally

52.3 percent from three this season!

you’ve got a starting lineup with four

emerged as a true title contender after

To put that in perspective, Korver’s

all stars.

years of mediocrity. Nicknamed the

three point percentage alone would

Coach of the Year:

“Spurs of the East,” this is one of the

rank 13th in the entire league in field

Mike Budenholzer, Atlanta Hawks

rare teams that doesn’t rely on individ-

goal percentage. He deserves to be an

Coach Budenholzer has established an

ual superstars to carry their offense,

all star because he makes the Hawks’

elite offense in Atlanta. The ball move-

Surprise Team: Atlanta Hawks

There’s nothing more fun as a

every other possession trying anything

ment and spacing is some of the best in the league and Hawks basketball is fun to watch.

Rookie of the Year:

Andrew Wiggins

Andrew Wiggins was the most hyped player coming out of college. He is as athletic as anyone else in his draft class and can shoot lights out on any

to score on Green. And when Bogut

given night. He’s emerged as one of

missed significant time, the Warriors

Minnesota’s top scoring options after

still ranked #1 in defensive efficiency

Kevin Martin, Nikola Pekovic, and Ricky

mostly due to Green’s interior presence

Rubio missed extended time. He’s run

and quick hands.

February 2015

SPORTS

rest of his $48,500,000 two-year deal

Thomas, Goran Dragic, and Eric Bled-

and then retire as one of the best

soe, but don’t count the Suns out of

players to ever play the game.

the playoff picture just yet.

Best Team: Golden State Warriors

the season fresh off two injuries that

I don’t know which is bigger: the

would have been career ending for

amount of wins the Warriors have

any other player: a torn Achilles and

or how many people I’ve said, “I told

a lateral tibial plateau fracture. He

you so” to. The Warriors rank 1st in

then led the Lakers to the worst start

points per game, 1st in field goal per-

in franchise history while shooting a

centage, 1st in opponent field goal

by far career low 37 field goal per-

percentage, 1st in point differential

centage on the season. Even while

(the difference in point differential

shooting historically inefficiently, he

Oklahoma City vs Phoenix Suns

One and a half games separate the

supposed to take the league by

three teams in the dogfight for the

storm, but they stumbled coming

8th seed. The Suns hold the 8th spot

out of the gate with a .500 record of

for now and New Orleans owns the

21-21. After two great trades to ac-

tiebreaker over the Thunder after An-

quire sharpshooter JR Smith and rim

thony Davis hit a double clutch three

protector Timofey Mosgov, the Cava-

over Kevin Durant in maybe the best

liers have finally clicked and won 13

game winner all season.

of the last 14 before being blown out

by the Bulls entering All-Star break.

The Thunder fell really far behind

in the playoff hunt in the West. The

This change is biggest for Kevin Love.

season started with Kevin Durant

After being the center of the offense

breaking his foot and fans waited

for years in Minnesota, Love has em-

months for his return. Meanwhile,

braced his Chris Bosh role as a stretch 4 and opened the floor for the Cavs.

Love’s best days may be behind him now.

between the Hawks and Bucks), 1st

in defensive efficiency, and 2nd in

levels of inferiority. In a league where

They have two All-Star starters

the West may not even get the Thun-

and two defensive player of the year

der into the playoffs, the Heat, a team

candidates (Andrew Bogut and Dray-

eight games below .500, could likely

mond Green). This is as legitimate

have a chance to fight for the Larry

a title contender as title contention

O’Brien trophy. That’s just not right.

gets. But the main argument against the Warriors is their health issues. Bo-

took the most shots in the league

gut has missed over a fourth of their

and averaged 22 points a game

games and the Warriors hold a record

before sustaining another injury that

of 9-5 without him and 33-4 with

threatened his career by tearing his

him. With the way this team is built,

right rotator cuff. And to top it all off

the Warriors are going to live and die

for Laker fans, he did all this while

by their health situation come playoff

getting paid $24,000,000, about one-

time. But if the Warriors enter the

third of the Lakers’ salary cap. Money

playoffs with a fully healthy roster, I

well spent Jeanie Buss, money well

wouldn’t bet against them.

spent. I expect Kobe to cash in on the

Final Score: 98-97

The Warriors found themselves

down 9 within five minutes left in the game until Steph and Klay caught fire and hit three straight threes to tie the game; Steph pulled up in transition with 2.5 seconds left to give the Dubs the win.

Surprising Storylines

Kobe Bryant: Kobe Bryant came into

Predictions

East: The East has reached historic

offensive efficiency.

Warriors vs Magic Dec. 2, 2015

The Cleveland Cavaliers

Lebron’s revamped Big Three was

4.4, about the same as the difference

Best Warrior Game of the Season:

vs New Orleans Pelicans

between the Warriors and Hawks is

13

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Russell Westbrook broke his hand

The first round should be a breeze

in his third game into the season.

for all the top four seeds in the East,

Without two top 10 players in the

where the only match up that could

league out for months, the Thunder

go either way is the 4th seed vs 5th

fell several games out of the picture.

seed match up. Then things get really

Now halfway through the season, the

interesting in the conference semifi-

Thunder have almost fought all the

nals. My predictions are a Hawks vs

way back, just a half game behind

Cavaliers conference finals where the

the Suns entering All-Star break.

Hawks prevail.

Meanwhile, the Suns have lost

West: The West is a straight up

some real heartbreakers this season.

bloodbath. Assuming the Thun-

It doesn’t get more depressing than

der make it, all eight teams have a

losing a double overtime road game

legitimate shot at coming out of the

on a contested, fade away off a post

West. When the potential 1st seed vs

up three by Blake Griffin. This was

8th seed match up and 2nd and 7th

followed by buzzer beating losses

are Warriors vs Thunder and Griz-

to Khris Middleton and the Bucks,

zlies vs Spurs respectively, the fans

James Harden and the Rockets, and

know they're in for a real treat in the

Jeff Green and Marc Gasol of the

West. My predictions are a Warriors

Grizzlies. This Suns team still has a

vs Spurs conference finals match

lot of rotational issues to figure with

up where the Golden State Warriors

three great point guards in Isaiah

come out on top.

Photos courtesy sbnation.com and bleacherreport.com

14 SPORTS

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

February 2015

Patriots prevail in Super Bowl 49

By Robert Colton ’15

It’s the biggest single event in American sports. It’s that time of year again, Super Bowl 49. Legacies were on the line as they always are in such games, but in this case it was a clash between old and new.

Tom Brady, the battle tested veteran and hailed quarterback of our generation, was at the helm of the Patriots against the Legion of Boom defense of the Seahawks led by dangerous, trash talking cornerback Richard Sherman.

The Patriots’ road to the Big Dance was not unexpected, after a strong finish to the season that included only 4 losses. However, with 2 of those losses coming in the first four weeks, many, including the ESPN First Take crew, labeled Tom Brady as “done,” especially after an embarrassing 41-14 loss to Kansas City in week 4.

In almost miraculous fashion, Brady responded in style, throwing for 4,109 yards on the season with 33 touchdowns. This increased scoring output coupled with a rise in level of play from his teammates allowed the Patriots to improve from 2-2 in week 4 to a final 12-4 record, which secured them a trip straight to the Divisional Playoff.

Their match up with a talented and resilient Baltimore outfit was far from a cakewalk and challenged the Patriots in every way possible. With the best record in the AFC, the Patriots were favorites to win, but the Ravens came out firing and took an early 14-0 lead.

The Patriots fought back but ultimately found themselves trailing 28-14 in the 3rd quarter and many were talking upset. The Patriots dug deep and fought back to overcome two 14 point deficits for the first time in NFL postseason history to win 35-31 in a game for the ages.

The Patriots would then advance to the AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts in a game

thick with controversy. Despite the disciplined Patriots blowing the game wide open early and eventually winning 45-7 in freezing cold conditions, it was the accusations after the game that were controversial.

Many around the football world accused the Patriots of cheating by deflating the game balls while they were on offense and using regulation pressure balls for the Colts’ offensive possessions. This made the ball easier to catch for the Patriot receivers and harder for the Colts offensive players. While no concrete evidence has emerged, the fact remains that Tom Brady led his Patriots to their sixth Super Bowl with him at the helm and a chance to win his fourth World Championship.

The Legion of Boom had a similar rough road to the Super Bowl, facing doubters and all manner of obstacles. Coming off their first World Championship as a franchise in the 2013 season, many thought they would suffer from a Super Bowl “hangover” and would not repeat as champions.

Early season performance seemed to support this view with the Seahawks losing back to back games in weeks 5 and 6 to the Cowboys and the Rams, prompting talk that they might not even make playoffs. Despite the 3-3 record at that point in the season, this championship team rallied around its defense and only lost one more game for the remainder of the regular season, finishing with a 12-4 record and the number one record in the NFC. The Divisional Round match up with the Panthers was a breeze for the number one ranked defense of the Seahawks as they won 31-17. A highlight was a Kam Chancellor’s 90 yard pick six to seal the game for the defending champions.

The NFC Championship game was next and a powerful offense led by the Green Bay Packers lay in wait for Seattle.

The game started off horrendously for

the defending champions with Russell Wilson throwing three interceptions in the first half to go along with four total Seattle turnovers.

Ferocious defensive play by the Sherman-led defense meant that the Packers lead was kept to 16-0. In the early 3rd quarter a huge 3rd and 19 conversion by Wilson led to a fake field goal attempt, which resulted in the first Seattle score of the game, trimming the score to 19-7. With 5 minutes left, the Seahawks’ chances looked slim as Wilson threw his 4th interception of the day and the Packers took over possession.

With 2:09 remaining, a huge drive

by Wilson set up a touchdown run to put the score at 19-14. The onside kick recovered by the Seahawks set up a powerful run by Marshawn Lynch to put Seattle up 20-19. The ensuing 2-point conversion on a Hail Mary by Russell Wilson gave the Seahawks a 22-19 advantage with 1:19 to play in the 4th quarter.

The Packers weren’t done yet and they drove down the length of the field to kick a field goal as time expired and send the game into overtime. The Seahawks took possession and Wilson took over, throwing two long passes, including a touchdown pass to win the game 28-22 and send Seattle to the Superbowl. The Seahawks would now move into position to defend their World Championship against a very talented Patriots outfit.

The day finally arrived, Super Bowl Sunday and Americans gathered around their TVs to watch these two teams do battle. With an audience of 114.4 million people, this was the most watched television event in American history.

This wasn’t the only record shattered that afternoon. In a spectacular come from behind victory, the Patriots pulled off the greatest 4th quarter comeback in Super Bowl history. A game that had a slow start heated up as each quarter

progressed with a halftime score of 1414 after a crazy last 2 minutes where both teams scored.

It was all Seahawks in the 3rd quarter with the defense intercepting Brady twice on the way to a 24-14 lead. The Patriots dug deep as they had all season and Brady connected to Bay Area native Julian Edelman twice with 8 minutes left and 2 minutes respectively to give the Patriots a 28-24 lead with 2 minutes remaining.

The game seemed to be decided, but a miracle juggling catch by Jermaine Kearse on a 33 yard pass from Wilson gave Seattle a first and goal from the 5 yard line with 66 seconds remaining. A short run by Marshawn Lynch advanced the ball to within half a yard of the goal line.

Seahawks fans around the country watched with bated breath as they expected the most dominant running back in the game, Marshawn Lynch, to receive the ball and run it in for a touchdown and another World Championship. Nobody could have expected Coach Pete Carroll to go to a pass play with 30 seconds remaining and for that pass to be picked off by Patriots undrafted rookie Malcolm Butler turning him into a Super Bowl hero.

New England would go into victory formation and the celebrations began in Boston as Patriot fans celebrated the ending of a 10 year Super Bowl drought as Tom Brady and his team returned to the top of the football world. Brady would receive his record tying 3rd Super Bowl MVP award as he won his fourth World Championship.

With this win, Brady has elevated his legend status to another level and it doesn’t appear he is done yet.

The Patriots franchise have further established their legacy as one of the great modern dynasties. Meanwhile, in Seattle, a young and talented Seahawks outfit will no doubt regroup for another run next year.

Photos courtesy theguardian.com

February 2015

ENTERTAINMENT

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

15

Grab a front row seat to 2014’s top 10 mov ies

By Alex Perez ’16

Happy New Year, Crusaders! Now that 2014 has come and gone, I feel it is appropriate to look back and reflect on what I think are the best pieces of cinema the year had to offer.

Before I list those off, I wanna go over some honorable mentions: The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Under the Skin, Still Alice, X-Men: Days of Future Past, The Theory of Everything, Life Itself, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Selma, The Babadook, and Nightcrawler. Now let’s go ahead and count down my top 10 favorite movies of 2014.

10 “American Sniper” - Clint Eastwood’s best film since Letters from Iwo Jima. Credited as the most lethal sniper in U.S. Military history, Chris Kyle was a true American hero, and this film honors his legacy. Bradley Cooper delivers a career best performance as

emotionally draining films of 2014.

8 “Inherent Vice” - Director Paul Thomas Anderson delivers a film that is both entertaining and confusing in the best way possible. Based on the novel by Thomas Pynchon, Inherent Vice is a fun and engaging detective procedural that creates a wonderful 70s atmosphere and gives us one of the

Kyle, and Clint Eastwood’s direction really makes us care for him while he struggles to balance life on the battlefield and life at home.

9 “The Imitation Game” - This historical drama beautifully sheds light on the still very unknown story of what Winston Churchill credited as the single greatest contribution to Allied victory in WWII. Elevated by a revolutionary and heartbreaking performance from Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game is one of the most riveting and

year’s most fascinating lead characters, played brilliantly by Joaquin Phoenix. I urge you to seek this one out.

7 “Gone Girl” - David Fincher proves himself once again as one of Hollywood’s great directors. With a sharp script from Gillian Flynn and stellar performances from both Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl is a dark, intense, unpredictable, and surprisingly funny film that will keep you guessing throughout its entire runtime.

6 “Foxcatcher” - One of the most fascinating and nerve-wracking films I saw in 2014. Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, and Mark Ruffalo all give careerbest performances and elevate this dark, dreary, and claustrophobic film about the relationship between two brothers and an eccentric wrestling coach. It had me on the edge of my seat, and I’m still thinking about it to this day. Check it out if you haven’t already.

5 “The Grand Budapest Hotel” My pick for the funniest movie of 2014.

This movie is absolutely hilarious.

It’s got a wonderfully unique visual style, it’s expertly written by director Wes Anderson, and this has the best ensemble cast of the year led by the wonderful Ralph Fiennes as the incredibly entertaining Gustave H. Definitely one not to be missed.

4 “The LEGO Movie” - Yeah, I’m surprised it’s this high on the list too, but The LEGO Movie is truly one of the best animated films I’ve ever seen.

Equally entertaining and profound, The LEGO Movie was by far the most fun I had at the movies all year and I can’t wait to see how they continue the LEGO movie franchise. With a terrific voice cast and ingenious writing and animation, everything is indeed awesome.

3 “Boyhood” - Shot over a span of 12 full years, director Richard

Linklater’s latest film depicts the life of a young boy from the ages of 5 to 18, in what might be perhaps the most honest look at growing up ever put to film. I can guarantee plenty students here at Riordan will relate quite a bit to this story. I know I did. I’ve seen it multiple times and I can’t wait to see it again. It’s filmmaking at its finest.

2“Birdman” - This story of a washed up actor trying to reclaim former glory is one of the best character studies I’ve seen in the past few years, with Michael Keaton giving a raw, spinechilling central performance, and one definitely worthy of an Oscar. This, along with incomparable direction from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, an expertly written screenplay, and incredible cinematography and editing make Birdman one of the year’s finest cinematic accomplishments.

1 “Whiplash” - This engaging and visceral film about an aspiring jazz drummer is the most intense, gripping, and nerve-wracking film I saw all year.

Brought together by the incredible direction from Damien Chazelle and the powerhouse performances from Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons, Whiplash is an astonishing cinematic achievement that asks many interesting questions on what the cost of greatness truly is, and it’s by far the best movie I saw in 2014.

16 ENTERTAINMENT

Movie reviews

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

February 2015

By Stephen Smith ’15

“The Interview” - 5/10 … this is it? THIS is the movie that created a call to arms regarding freedom of speech, that the country it parodies threatened war over, that got a multi-billion dollar production company hacked and made theaters scared to show it? This piece of stale garbage?

Wow. Anyway, on with it. The Interview is a political satire action comedy directed by the team of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, directors of This Is The End and writers of Superbad and always bad The Green Hornet.

Starring James Franco as Dave Skylark, a media puppet talk show host whose show is like any other tabloid website dedicated to breaking down the personal lives of celebrities, and Seth Rogen as Aaron Rapoport, Dave’s producer and best friend. They’re having the time of their lives, partying in celebration of their 1,000th episode, but Aaron is obviously sick of the whole tabloid scene and seeks to put out real news, not typical smear campaigning stuff like the kind he and Dave have been putting out.

That’s when they’re offered the chance of a lifetime: to interview North Korea’s America-hating, communistjunkie leader Kim Jong Un (Randall Parks). The two leap at the offer, seeing it as a chance to finally do a real interview with someone who isn’t a Hollywood blowhard. That’s when the CIA comes knocking on the door and asks the two to use the interview to their advantage: to assassinate him.

Don’t get me wrong. I give credit where credit is due. For example, the last 30 minutes of the movie give way to some pretty awesome scenes with gratuitous violence that’s like something out of Quentin Tarantino, and there is a joke involving Eminem that is actually pretty funny. But for the most part, it just felt like besides being the first comedy flick since Team America: World Police (a much better and much funnier

movie) to openly mock North Korea, it wasn’t at all breaking any new ground.

Some of the jokes in this are so flat and unfunny that Dane Cook could have done them and sounded funnier. It’s all the same--just a bunch of drug and fart jokes, Rogen’s typical fare. To add to that, the only things that manage to keep this sinking ship afloat would be

Park’s and Franco’s chemistry. See, the stuff those two do in this, that’s funny.

That works. Franco and Rogen? Don’t expect to see anything like you saw in Pineapple Express.

Eh. Chances are you’ll end up seeing it anyway because of its notoriety. Just don’t expect to laugh as hard as you hoped.

“American Sniper” - 9.5/10 There’s a guy I know who once said that he preferred to not see war movies because he was afraid they would be too “rah-rah America” for him. Well, if you are unable to say rah-rah America every now and then or say the Pledge of Allegiance or sing the National Anthem, then you might as well join up with the crowd of America haters who live in Europe and whine and complain about how our military is a bunch of self-righteous invaders.

The film suggests: the terrorists are murderers who will not stop until anyone who opposes them is dead. We are in the Middle East to put a stop to all of that, and every one of those who would give his life fighting for the man fighting next to them deserves to be commended.

The ideology behind the fight was clear in the mind of Chris Kyle, a Christian good ol’ boy from Texas who was called a legend and hero by his fellow soldiers, and “The Devil of Ramadi” by those he

fought. He was clear in his views as the terrorists being a pack of savages and his love of being able to defend his fellow Americans, and this has split America down the middle.

It is this war movie masterpiece.

Directed by virtuoso and legend Clint Eastwood (the man who was Dirty Harry, for those who don’t know), the movie tells the story of Christopher Scott Kyle (Bradley Cooper, The Hangover, Silver Linings Playbook), a man spurred by anger at the 1998 US embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya to enlist in the Navy, eventually being accepted for SEAL training and becoming a sniper. He also falls in love with a woman named Taya (Sienna Miller, Foxcatcher, G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra), who will be his emotional crutch when he returns home with an overwhelming sense of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and the one who will remember and honor him after his death at the hands of a disturbed veteran at a Texas shooting range in 2013. The movie not only serves as a look into modern day combat with all of its grit and gore, but also shows the psychological impact the war had on one of its most cherished and heroic veterans.

Bradley Cooper seriously outdoes himself in this. You instantly forget that this beefy schmuck used to do raunchy comedies and voiced a pyromaniac raccoon. It’s a role he was born to play, and he relishes in every minute of it, giving a better performance than he ever has. Yes, movie geeks, I thought his performance in this was 10 times better than what he did in Silver Linings Playbook or American Hustle.

He captures perfectly the attitude and personality of a Frogman (SEAL term, for those who don’t know) and when he comes back home psychologically unbalanced, you believe every word and every physical act. Wahlberg did a good job as Marcus Luttrell when he did Lone Survivor, but as far as a sense of believability and true event reenactment, Cooper’s got the upper hand. The rest of the cast you can’t really say much about, just that they do their jobs. But this movie is meant to focus on Kyle, so you can forgive Eastwood.

Not that you would ever dare question or contradict Eastwood. He’d destroy you with his manly death squint.

What splits American moviegoers and critics down the middle on this one is that one half sees Kyle as the hero that I and many others know he was, and the other side sees him as a murderer in a

movie that expresses what they believe to be a pro-war statement. What they fail to realize is that these men and women put their lives on the line just so whiners like Michael Moore can breathe easy. If a movie is what it takes to get the argument going at an even greater pace, then so be it. Point being: a lot of men today are playing with their children or waking up to the smell of coffee instead of the sound of gunfire because Kyle put his life on the line for them and defended them in the hour of battle. He was not just the American Sniper, he was the American Hero.

“Exodus: Gods and Kings” - 9.5/10 If you’ve ever read the Bible or don’t live under a rock, chances are you’ve heard the story of Moses, once the adopted son of an Egyptian princess, and who became one of the most memorable messengers of God, leading his people out of Egypt after 400 years of slavery at the hands of the Pharaohs, but not with the help of God he unleashes 10 terrible plagues on their former captors.

Cinematically and story wise, the Book of Exodus is ripe for the picking.

Some people are probably quite familiar with movies like The Ten Commandments or The Prince of Egypt, but does Ridley Scott’s visually driven epic add anything new while sticking to the original and cherished account?

Nope.

Taking on a role made legendary by the late great Charleton Heston and also by Val Kilmer, Christian Bale (The Dark Knight) plays Moses, a general and member of the royal family, whose brother Rameses (Joel Edgerton, The Great Gatsby, Zero Dark Thirty) is next in line for the throne of Egypt.

Moses one day travels to the city of Pithom where he is appalled by the treatment of the slaves, specifically one named Joshua (Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad). After meeting with the overseer who appears to have no care over what becomes of his workforce and also happens to be a thief, Moses meets with a Hebrew elder named Nun (Ben Kingsley, Iron Man 3, Gandhi), who reveals his true Hebrew heritage and how he is the one destined to save them from bondage.

Moses, however, refuses to believe the claims, but when he sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, he kills him. After the viceroy is informed

February 2015

ENTERTAINMENT

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

17

Perez predicts Oscar winners

By Alex Perez ’16 by two sneaks as to Moses’ lineage, he confides in Rameses in effort to save face.

Rameses, although conflicted, casts Moses out into the desert. After arriving in the Middle Eastern land of Midian, he marries a woman named Zipporah (Maria Valverde) and succumbs to the life of a shepherd.

One day he ventures onto the nearby Mount Horeb/Sinai, where he gets caught in a mudslide. He then finds himself face to face with a burning bush and an angel of God, who gives him God’s instructions to go to Egypt and free his people.

Right off the bat, let me just say that Ridley Scott’s irreligious sense is quite apparent in the movie. Instead of actually talking to God like in the Biblical account, Moses instead talks to what amounts to a whiny little kid throwing a fit. You read that right. In this movie, God is a child throwing a hissy fit. There’s also the fact that he turns to “natural causes” instead of divine intervention when it comes to explaining the plagues. If he can’t believe it, then neither can we, and therein lies the problem.

He doesn’t believe in the subject matter as being factual like the target audience does, so the result is sure to either annoy people with what may or may not be a touch of sacrilege or make them walk out of the theater laughing. The script also manages to be incredibly dull with lines that sounded like they just threw in for the hell of it and for the sake of getting it done quicker.

This is a movie made by Ridley Scott, the guy who made movies like Gladiator and Blade Runner. Absolute masterpieces.

And yet, it seems that he’s hit the inevitable creative decline. He adds nothing new to a story we’ve seen and heard many times over, and pulls some pretty lame performances out of some big names actors, some of which are reduced to nothing more than background characters or practical cameos. What a joke!

That being said, although the movie does manage to have quite a number of drawbacks, it isn’t exactly all that bland.

Bale and Edgerton (although they sure as hell ain’t no Chuck Heston or Yul Brynner) both manage to give out two good performances, humanizing both the second greatest Biblical prophet and the pharaoh who fought against him physically and psychologically.

And my God, those are some beautiful sets they got there, and the visuals of Pithom, the plagues, and the finale of crossing the Red Sea are absolutely stunning. It almost makes the movie worth seeing in 3D. Unfortunately, good performances by the two lead actors and some spectacular visuals weren’t enough to keep this movie going strong, which is unfortunate considering the talent it boasts in front of and behind the camera. The script is bland, the actors are underused, and God is portrayed as a kid throwing a nasty temper tantrum. It’s a shame, seeing as how excited I was for this.

Oh well. At least it was better than Noah.

Well, the Academy Awards are over and as a life-long movie lover, this is one of my absolute favorite times of year. A time where me and other fellow film lovers get to reminisce about the previous year in film and celebrate the art that is cinema.

The nominees for the 87th Annual Academy Awards were announced just recently, so let’s review the major categories. For a complete list of all the nominees, go to www. oscar.com. Now, my predictions . . .

Best Picture: Won: Birdman Alex’s Pick: Whiplash

I had no doubt in my mind that the big award of the night would go to Richard Linklater’s wonderful film Boyhood. What this film did was simply unprecedented, shooting a young boy and his family for a full 12 years, and such craftsmanship resulted in what I think is one of the best films of 2014. However, if it were up to me to vote, I give it to the highly acclaimed jazz film Whiplash.

The most intense and visceral film I saw all year, Whiplash is an incredible cinematic achievement, and I’m just happy to see it on this list. Other nominees include: American Sniper, Birdman, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, Selma, and The Theory of Everything.

Best Director: Won: Alejañdro Gonzalez Iñårritu, Birdman Alex’s Pick: Richard Linklater, Boyhood Though I wouldn’t personally give it the Best Picture win, I would be remiss not to recognize the director, Richard Linklater, for what he was able to accomplish with Boyhood.

He took a concept that could be seen as simply a gimmick, and used it to its full advantage to provide an honest and often heartbreaking look at growing up, and for that I say Linklater deserves the Best Director win. Other nominees include: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for Birdman, Bennett Miller for Foxcatcher, Wes Anderson for The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Morten Tyldum for The Imitation Game.

Best Actor: Won: Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything Alex’s Pick: Michael Keaton, Birdman Who would’ve thought just a few years ago that Michael “Beetlejuice” Keaton would be a frontrunner for an Academy Award? Well, now he is, and he absolutely deserves it. The job he did in Birdman, portraying a washed up actor trying to regain former success and reshape his life, was just astounding, as he brilliantly conveyed the heartbreak, rage, and desperation of the central character in a performance that is both haunting and hilarious. Other nominees include: Steve Carell for Foxcatcher, Bradley Cooper for American Sniper, Benedict Cumberbatch for The Imitation Game, and Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of Everything.

Best Actress Won: Julianne Moore, Still Alice Alex’s Pick: Julianne Moore, Still Alice Julianne Moore is without a doubt one of the best actresses working today, and possibly even of all time, and it’s safe to say her Oscar win is long overdue. Portraying a woman suffering from early onset Alzheimer’s disease, Moore gives a subtle, layered, and dynamic performance in a film that not many people out there have seen. The film itself is excellent, and I urge all of you to see it, but Moore truly makes the film, and for that she definitely deserves the gold. Other nominees include: Marion Cotillard for Two Days, One Night, Felicity Jones for The Theory of Everything, Rosamund Pike for Gone Girl, and Reese Witherspoon for Wild.

Best Supporting Actor Won: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash Alex’s Pick: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

Anyone who knows me knows how much I adored Whiplash, and one of the absolute best parts of the film is the unbelievable performance from J.K. Simmons as the jazz conductor who takes his methods way too far. Simmons is simply mesmerizing here, shifting from calm and reassuring to loud and terrifying seamlessly throughout the film, delivering one of the year’s most unpredictable and memorable characters. Other nominees include: Robert Duvall for The Judge, Ethan

Hawke for Boyhood, Edward Norton for Birdman, and Mark Ruffalo for Foxcatcher. I just realized we got both Incredible Hulks (Norton and Ruffalo) going head to head.

Interesting.

Best Supporting Actress:

Won: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood Alex’s Pick: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood You’ve heard me sing the praises of Boyhood, and for good reason, but it would be callous not to mention the absolutely wonderful performance from Patricia Arquette as a single mother trying to raise her two kids while also running into dead-end relationships and struggling to get her life back together. This is the first time we’ve seen Arquette really sink her teeth into such a meaty role like this, and it definitely paid off. She delivers a heartbreaking performance that is not to be forgotten. Other nominees include: Laura Dern for Wild, Keira Knightly for The Imitation Game, Emma Stone for Birdman, and Meryl Streep for Into the Woods.

Best Animated Film Won: Big Hero 6 Alex’s Pick: Big Hero 6

It’s hard to talk about this category without addressing the elephant in the room; the fact that The LEGO Movie, which I and most others considered last year’s best animated movie, didn’t even get nominated. In my opinion, this is one of the biggest snubs in recent Oscar history, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around how it didn’t even get a nomination. That being said, it’s safe to say at this point that the award will probably go to DreamWorks’ critically acclaimed How to Train Your Dragon 2, and I would be very happy if it did win. It’s a great film and I’m glad to see it get some recognition, but if I’m the one voting, I give it to Disney’s Big Hero 6, a hilarious, visually stunning, action packed, and surprisingly emotional tale of a boy and his huggable robot.

Still, if either one wins, I’ll be a happy camper. Other nominees include: The Boxtrolls, Song of the Sea, and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.

18 TECHNOLOGY & GAMES

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Apple’s shine diminishes quickly

By Eric Galindo ’16

February 2015

2014’s top 10 games

By Jabriel Andrade ’18

Photo courtesy gizmodo.com

Everyone is buzzing with talk of all the new Apple products: iPhone 6, 6 Plus, a brand new operating system and even an entirely different code language. But what is Apple not telling us about these new products?

Every one of us should be familiar with Apple products to a certain degree.

The entire student body has iPads now and numerous students have an iPhone as well. So we should all be familiar with how easily these products begin to wear down and become outdated.

After a year or two of good usage, your iPhone or iPad begins to lag and becomes full of glitches. But this brings up an important question. How come Apple, a company that is worth more than $500 billion, does not take the extra money to make its products more durable?

Some people believe that Apple intentionally ignores this problem.

They claim that Apple designs its products so that they will intentionally become obsolete in the near future, forcing people to purchase the latests models, creating a never ending cycle of consumerism.

The act of companies purposely designing their products to become obsolete is known as “planned obsolescence” or “built-in obsolescence.”

Companies that pursue this strategy believe that it will generate long term sales. If the product is almost a necessity, people will continue to buy the latest model since theirs will soon become obsolete.

Many students, at some point, might have experienced difficulty with an iPad or iPhone, whether it was crashing, lagging, freezing or even the battery dying out unusually fast. These occurrences are especially common after Apple releases a new software update or new product.

Research conducted by Harvard University PhD, Laura Trucco, revealed a peak in Google searches for “iPhone

slow” in the immediate weeks following the release of a new software update or the release of a new phone. This pattern has been happening since the release of the iPhone 3G in 2008.

Many people do not see this is a mere coincidence.” Every time a new phone comes out my iPhone gets slower and crashes all the time. Apple has to be doing it on purpose,” said Alex Herrera class of ‘16.

However, many experts would say that Alex’s claim is ridiculous. They point out that Apple would lose money by practicing planned obsolescence.

People could easily switch to a different smartphone that wouldn’t break down.

To better understand why it would be a poor decision for Apple to partake in planned obsolescence, one must understand why the products are breaking down in the first place.

The battery life is a common complaint for Apple users. After owning an Apple product for an extended period of time, one will find that it dies much faster than it used to. Many people would say that this is done purposely.

However, this people do not take into account just how Apple would have to fix this issue.

In order to fix this, Apple would have to design a type of “super” battery that would drive the cost of the iPhone through the roof. People would not be willing to pay for an iPhone with such a high price, even if it had a guaranteed lifelong battery life.

There are two sides to every story and in this case, both sides have pretty strong arguments. Since Apple has refused to comment on this problem, it will continue to be a debated topic.

“With all technology, it is constantly getting better and better, so older technology is incompatible with the newer technology, therefore, change must occur. I don’t know if Apple is intentionally making their products with a ticking timer, but it does feel like it sometimes!” said Help Desk specialist Richard Huling.

2014 was an amazing year in gaming.

With the eighth generation of consoles in full swing, there have been amazing releases. This list includes the top 10 games from 2014.

10 - This War of Mine When a player thinks of a game with a war setting, the first things to come to mind are the insane action hero soldiers, but this This War of Mine asks what happens to the people caught in the crossfire. With interesting art, tense survival gameplay, and great atmosphere, the game puts the player in situations that makes them question their own morals. Set back by being a little too confusing at the start, and having some features put only for DLC, This War of Mine is one of the most unique experiences in gaming, putting it at number 10.

9 - Far Cry 4 Far Cry 4 had a lot to live up to after its amazing predecessor, and thankfully Far Cry 4 took everything 3 did made it look even better. Then, it put in the insanely unique setting of the Himalayan Mountains. FC4 gives the players hundreds of hours in content with a huge open world, fun combat, and freedom to explore it in any way they wanted, whether it be junk helicopter or wing suit. Sadly, the game has a mediocre story with an antagonist who couldn’t hold a candle to Vaas from the last game.

8 - Wasteland 2 Before the Fallout series graced gamers with the post nuclear war adventures of the Lone Wanderer, there was Wasteland, a top down, turn based game about the Desert Rangers. Wasteland 2 thrusts the player into a new and unfamiliar world, with characters each having their own stories, opinions, and morals. The gameplay is interesting and tactical, making the player think about every move they make. The biggest fault would be the terrible state the game launched in.

7 - Wolfenstein: The New Order Id Software, the fathers of the FPS, graced us with one of the most enjoyable experiences in video games. Wolfenstein puts players in control of B.J Blazkowicz in a version of the 1960s, post World War II, where Germany won. Playing out like an 80s action movie, Wolfenstein shows players that even after the waves of copy paste Call of Duty sequels, first person shooters can still have new interesting ideas.

6 - The Wolf Among Us By the studio that made the good Walking Dead game, Wolf Among Us gives us the story of the world’s favorite fairy tales, in a much, much darker world.

Giving players an awesomely written mystery story, Tell Tale Games shows that it’s not always happily ever after.

5 - Hearthstone Set in the universe of the massive MMO World of Warcraft, Blizzard brings out a new collectible card game. Relying on

strategy as much as cards owned and card draw, this new addictive game makes players think more about the characters’ moves.

4 - Lord of the Rings: Shadow of Mordor A side story set in Tolkein’s beloved universe, Shadow of Mordor brings the best from other games, biggest example Assassins Creed and Arkham, adds it own spin on things with the nemesis system and contains an insane amount of content and replay value to create the best playable Lord of the Rings experience.

3 - Bayonetta 2 “Flawless” is used to describe a small amount of things in video games, but you’ll be hard pressed to find someone who says Bayonetta’s combat isn’t.

Although the story is pretty nonsensical, Bayonetta offers the smoothest, fastest, and most satisfying combat systems to ever appear in video games.

2 - Super Smash Brothers 4 The original party game is back! Smash Bros. is everything the fans wanted, whether casual or serious. Sporting a huge roster with a plethora of game modes in both Wii U and 3DS versions, and a huge amount of challenges to make sure you won’t be putting it down for awhile. It’s never been a better time to settle it in smash.

Graphic courtesy dragonage.wikia.com

1 - Dragon Age: Inquisition After releasing three disappointments, Bioware finally comes back to the storytelling mastery in the world of Dragon Age. This gives players an amazing combat system letting them choose from action or strategic and letting them shape the world and their inquisition, and having an amazing story with tons of callbacks and throwbacks to the first two games in the series. If that wasn’t enough, Inquisition features an enjoyable co-op mode. Inquisition is everything in gaming done right and it proudly sits at number one on the list.

February 2015

TECHNOLOGY & GAMES The Crusader

19

Archbishop Riordan High School

NBA 2K15 shoots, misses

By JC Canicosa ’16

Graphic courtesy wollpoper.com

In light of a new NBA season, so too comes a new NBA game. NBA 2k15 is 2k Sport’s latest installment in the popular NBA 2k series, which, to put it nicely, is not impressive.

NBA 2k15 has given video game fans the best example so far of the increasing gap between next gen consoles and why current gen will soon become obsolete.

There has been a lot of great improvement in NBA 2k15.They’ve changed shot releases, making a perfect release an automatic basket, but a lot harder to make.

Instead of timing shots by guessing the apex of jump shots, there are shot charts with a moving line representing the release below every player. The goal is to time a jump shot so the moving line hits directly in the middle of the shot chart to get a perfect release.

Besides a new soundtrack, that’s about the only improvement to the newest installment for current gen.

Hate to break it to you, but if you don’t have a next gen console, you’re basically paying $60 for a roster update.

As for next gen, there have been many great improvements on this installment.

The graphics have never been better and new great visual features have been added, like an Inside the NBA preview to every game. MyPlayer has also been greatly improved. Instead of the usual rookie showcase and draft, your MyPlayer gets undrafted, picks a team to sign him to a non-guaranteed contract, and works his way up to becoming a star.

Add that to vast improvements in the MyGM and MyLeague modes, and this game because a must-have among NBA 2k fans.

The vast differences between the two games really show how obsolete non-next gen consoles are becoming. It seems like NBA 2k has put all their effort into next gen and the bare minimum to current gen.

This game is a must have for those with an Xbox 1 and PS4, but basically a $60 roster update for Xbox 360 and PS3.

Final Verdict:

5/5 for next gen 3/5 for current gen

Competitive gaming reaches new heights

By Adrian Garcia ’15 Competitive video gaming has existed for about as long as home video game consoles were first sold to consumers around the late 1970s and 1980s. However, competitions in recent years, such as the League of Legends Championship Series and EVO Championship Series, have drawn in viewers in greater numbers than that of recent Super Bowls and even World Cups.

What makes watching video games with millions of people as entertaining, maybe even more so, than playing those same games with a group of friends?

Although there have been hundreds of video game competitions around the United States in the past, a lot of the early forms of competitions ranged from goals of who can claim the highest score within a certain amount of time to who can clear a game in the fastest time.

One of the earliest known was a Spacewar tournament held at Stanford University in 1972 for the grand prize of a year’s subscription to Rolling Stone magazine.

The mid-to-late 2000s have seen large surges of e-sports being televised for countries such as South Korea, France, United Kingdom, and United States. Within the past couple of years, however, a majority of competitions are streamed online through the popular website, Twitch.

One of the most popular e-sports games, League of Legends, has a large following around the world. The 2013 world championship game held in Los Angeles’ Staples Center was sold out in addition to 32 million people watching the matches online.

The following year, the finals were held South Korea’s Seoul World Cup Stadium with 40,000 in attendance, along with opening and closing ceremonies for the event. Robert Morris University in Pennsylvania and University of Pikeville in Kentucky are two of the only known colleges in the United States to even offer scholarships to professional players.

Other PC games such as CounterStrike, DOTA 2, and Starcraft; and first person shooters like Halo and Call of Duty have had their own share of competitions as well.

Games in e-sports are not just limited to team based games, as shown by the large following of fighting game tournaments. Last Summer, Nintendo sponsored the Smash Bros. Invitational in Los Angeles, inviting some of the world’s best Smash Bros. players to duke it out in the newest Super Smash Bros. game, which was yet to be released at the time.

Capcom has had a long history of hosting competitions for their own Street Fighter and Marvel vs. Capcom games. Just this past December, the Ultra Street Fighter IV world

championship finals were held at San Francisco’s Warfield Theater with more than a thousand in attendance and millions watching on the internet.

The atmosphere around the crowd was one almost similar to that of attending an event like an MLB or NBA game. When the tournament matches began, the crowd picked their favorites and reacted strongly to each player’s successful combos and comebacks.

A great example of that was when Puerto Rican Street Fighter player and San Francisco resident Eduardo Perez, eliminated one of the most famous Street Fighter players, Daigo Umehara of Japan, from the losers bracket of the USFIV tournament. Hundreds of fans cheered him on through the tournament, despite the fact he was later eliminated in the Losers SemiFinals. From the beginnings of the event in the late morning to the evening, the event was entertaining and electric.

There is no doubt that e-sports is rising in popularity, especially in recent years. But do they really deserve to be called as they are titled: Sports? Many opinions supporting the argument that competitive games should be considered a sport for the fact that most games involve amounts of strategy, teamwork and skill that most sports like football and basketball similarly demand from players.

ESPN President John Skipper does not consider e-sports to be sports and it’s only a competition like that of chess or checkers. An opinion like that can be hard to back up, considering that ESPN has showcased video game competitions in the past, such as the DOTA 2 championships and even once having a show centered around competitive NFL Maddens.

But in Mid-2015, The U.S. State Department recognized the League of Legends Championship Series, which also allows players from outside the U.S. to allow them travel under specific visas that are the same to that of professional athletes who regularly travel here to work. (Or in this case, play.)

The school has its own eSports Club, which just started in the 2014-2015 school year. The club mainly focuses on League of Legends, Starcraft, and Hearthstone, including having teams of the High School Starleague, a program that offers high school students a competitive and rewarding esports experience, similarly to traditional high school sporting leagues. This addition has left some wondering one question: Is it possible for eSports to become a part of the athletic program here at Archbishop Riordan?

Timothy Chan ‘15, eSports club member, said, “The goal of this club is to introduce the idea of eSports to the school and to eventually have it part of the athletic program. Colleges offer scholarships to gamers to play on their

teams now. Our League of Legends team competes in the High School Star League, which offers up to $2000 in scholarships for each person on the winning team. Beyond high school and college, there is the professional scene where pros make at least $500,000 a year (not including tournament winnings and sponsorships).

Tournaments get viewed by millions of people. I hope Riordan will be one of the first schools to recognize eSports on their athletic program as another competitive outlet.”

Another club member, Austin Palaad ‘15, said, “I don’t think that eSports has a place in any school athletic program.

The competitive scene, as far as it has come today, does not have the proper upward mobility to support players in schools to have a viable career as a professional gamer. I was offered a partial scholarship to play League of Legends at Robert Morris University, and as both a serious student and long time eSports enthusiast I can’t possibly entertain the thought of it being a seriously legitimate program with the current state of eSports”.

Palaad continued, “I believe eSports would benefit little from being regarded as an official school sport and instead is fine as a student run club. This is not to say that it hasn’t been taken seriously. In fact, Riordan’s eSports club had two League of Legends teams competing in the Fall High School Star League competition for over $20,000 in scholarships. eSports right now is developing at such an amazing pace and creating its own distinct culture, that I feel attempts to force it into the mold of traditional sports will only stunt its growth. So I am content with the current state of competitive gaming as a whole and don’t feel the need for it to be a part of any athletic program as of now.”

Athletic Director Mike Gilleran said, “I’m not sure how eSports could become a part of Riordan’s athletic program, unless of course we re-define what we mean by high school athletics.”

Freshman Basketball Coach Danny Arias said, “I do not think eSports should be included in the athletics program because these are not athletic sports. While I do realize that this takes skill and effort, in my mind it is more of a game than a sport - similar to chess.

I admire the skill and time people dedicate to gaming but sports have to do with physical ability (along with mental, emotional and so on)- gaming has more to do with mental ability (as the physical does not play a large role).”

Perhaps it’s better that eSports be taken as something entirely separate from athletic sports. Either way, the community will continue to grow and millions of players will continue to compete for their own chance at glory in the world of competitive gaming.

20 TECHNOLOGY & GAMES

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

February 2015

CES 2015 showcases latest technology

By Adrian Garcia ’15

Las Vegas is most famous for its many casinos and luxury hotels along the world famous strip, giving thousands of people the chance to go from rags to riches with a single jackpot.

This year, the world famous City of Lights hosted the 2015 Consumer Electronic Show (CES) where hundreds of tech companies, including the wellknown Apple and Google, exhibited thousands of the newest upcoming products that could hit retailers’ shelves in 2015. Here are some of the exhibitions that consumers can expect to see in the near future and beyond.

Car manufacturer Audi made a huge mark on the event with the A7model named Jack, which is fitted with technology to make it possible for a car to drive by itself. Jack stole the show by taking a 550-mile road trip from San Francisco to Las Vegas, arriving just in time for the event.

Not to be outdone, Mercedes Benz presented their “living room on wheels,” the F105. Their own take on auto-driving cars is very sleek and the interior includes six high-resolution touch-screen display panels on the doors, which allows passengers in the car to use their hands and even their eye movements to navigate or see the outside of the car.

Don’t expect to see these models on the roads anytime this year, but with the technological progress that auto companies have been making in recent years, autonomous vehicles could very well be a regular occurrence 10 to 15 years from now.

Virtual Reality has always been a popular trope in many sci-fi tv shows and movies and it can sometimes be hard to believe that we are getting closer that making a reality soon. The well known Oculus Rift was displayed in one of the largest booths at the show

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with hundreds waiting outside just to try out the headset.

Although the headset is mostly geared towards gaming consumers, the developers at Oculus VRs stepped more towards its audio advances with the Oculus Audio Software Development Kit. This upcoming software will be able to allow developers to create 3D sound in games and programs that use the CV1, the Oculus Rift consumer model.

Fantasy Club member William Lapachet ‘15 said, “The Oculus is a

very interesting step in video gaming, adding a new level of immersion to some games that has not previously have been achieved. The impact it has on the game industry will be about 5050. One half where games can be easily integrated because of their first person perspective is a benefit for games like Outlast or Call of Duty. Where the other games such as Hearthstone or Fire Emblem will be harder to integrate the Oculus because of their different perspective during play.”

The 3D audio was not implemented in any of the demonstrations at the booth, but the announcement of such a feature to be released soon will excite

many who are already looking forward to more Oculus in the coming future.

Unmanned drones also made a few appearances on the show floor. Some drones such as the EHang Ghost and AirDog are centered around capturing video and audio wherever it goes, even being able to follow the user around using a smartphone or a bluetooth powered armband.

Drones that are so small that a user can hold it in the palm of his hand, like Hubsan’s Nano Q4 and FPV X4 models showed how much power and tech can go into such a small machine. The Maxaero X-Star features a full high definition camera and can be guided by GPS, but can’t do much with a battery life capable of only 25 minutes of flight.

One of the strongest showing drone was the TraceR, which has the ability to autonomously control different devices and its camera is capable of live-streaming online.

The technological innovations that probably grabbed the most attention at the show were in the technology television field. Cable TV provider Dish demonstrated a brand new video

service called Sling TV. This service allows customers to watch a lineup of TV channels on devices such as Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Xbox One, iOS and Android devices. The starting price is $20 a month with no contracts. Its main competition, Sony’s Playstation Vue, is also set to release sometime this year.

As for TV hardware, the recently introduced 4K TVs are starting to rise to popularity since being brought out around 2014. As a result, prices for 4K TVs are dropping around the same price as 1080p High Definition TVs, prompting most manufacturers to go bigger quicker.

Samsung introduced the new model for their SUHD TVs, the JS9000.

What exactly does SUHD stand for?

That wasn’t really made clear, but the JS series of TVs from Samsung are built with something they call quantum dots. These are actually nanocrystals applied to the LEDs which help to achieve brighter images and a wider color range than most LED televisions.

Its main competition, LG’s OLED TVs, are already out on the market for quite a large sum of money. (Look at about $3000 for the cheapest model in the series.) Other manufacturers didn’t introduce anything new than what’s

already out on the market today, but it’s looking like 2015 will be a bigger and brighter year for televisions.

Audio Visual teacher Mauricio Wright gave close attention to what was introduced at the show and gave his thoughts on the event.

Wright said he is most looking forward to “Wearable Tech. This will be about the 2nd or 3rd generation coming out this year and I’m an Android user. So I’m looking forward to how these new products do a better job at doing stuff like support exercise or even integration with other wearable tech items. Because, you know, Google Glass came out, the watches came out, which are cool, but they don’t really communicate or work with each other. So I’m thinking in this 2nd or 3rd generation, some of these items like the Samsung stuff, we should be seeing some integration with multiple wearable tech products.”

In terms of benefit to schools, Wright said, “The largest benefit would come from a robotics direction. But at first it could start out with something small and possibly integrate into stuff like the small flying drones. Something like this thing called the Ozobot could be considered a possible first step if Riordan were to one day take a direction towards robotics.”

The Ozobot was not considered a main attraction at this year’s CES, but is definitely something to be looked at.

This bottle cap sized robot doesn’t look like it can do much and just seems to follow a simple lined path, but it’s able to recognize colors and uses that to adjust speed, direction and path finding. This could be useful for something like board games or tablet games, but it’s possible to teach students basic programming using the Ozobot’s technology and the current iPad technology we have. This was demonstrated by the Ozobot’s developers at CES this year.

Overall, the CES presented a good mix of things already seen, things yet to come, and things to expect in the near future. They might not come at a cheap price, but it seems this can be considered a landmark if consumers are looking ahead to having more technologically influenced lives in the future.