FREE
VOLUME LXV ISSUE v
September 2015
ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN HIGH SCHOOL
SERVING RIORDAN SINCE 1949
THE NEWSPAPER OF CRUSADER COUNTRY
Paint-our-School project progresses By Roman Peregrino ‘18
Photo by Chang Liu ’18 At left, Chaminade Courtyard as it looks now. On the right, various areas of the school with the proposed color scheme.
The walk-a-thon. The bake sales
alumni, but with students too. The
what is the hold-up? The only hurdle
sometime in September. At that
at the basketball games. The brick
director of alumni, Marc Rovetti,
left to cross is a mandate from
time we will have a better sense
selling campaign in the Chaminade
reports that “over $125,000 has
the archdiocese office requiring
of the timeline for painting the
Courtyard. What do all of these
been raised. The students alone
the school undergo a seismic
building.
fundraisers have in common? All
raised about $47,000 [from the
evaluation.
requested that we not engage in
the funds raised are going toward
walk-a-thon].” That is a staggering
In a letter to parents,
School
any major maintenance projects
the Paint-our-School project.
sum of money. The money seems
President
wrote,
until the Phase 2 evaluation has
The Paint-our-School project has
to be in place, and the excitement
“Recently a City of San Francisco
been completed.”
been talked about for a long time
is definitely there. So why hasn’t it
ordinance was passed that required
There is another factor holding
and was finally put into action at
happened yet?
all schools in the Archdiocese to
up the project. Karen Politz, member
the beginning of last year because
Everything is pretty much good
complete a multi-phase seismic
of the Paint-our-School committee
it is achievable and could have a
to go. The paint colors have been
evaluation. Phase 1 was completed
and a Riordan parent, said, “What
visible impact.
picked, the contractor has been
in the spring, with the positive
people need to understand is
That’s when fund-raising really
chosen, and most of the small
results that we anticipated, and
that this building is owned by the
took off with not only parents and
details have been ironed out. So
we expect Phase 2 to be finished
archdiocese. So, we can’t move
Joe
Conti
The
Archdiocese
has
continued on page 5
Proposal calls for housing on Balboa Reservoir By John Regidor ‘18 On August 27, 40 San Francisco residents attended a meeting at Lick Wilmerding High School to discuss possible housing on the Balboa Reservoir, a vacant lot adjacent to Archbishop Riordan High School. The reservoir, built in 1957, is a massive basin that can hold up to 450 million gallons of water. To put into perspective how huge it truly is, the daily water consumption of San Francisco is about 60-70 million gallons, according to the San Francisco Department of Public Works. Despite the plan, the reservoir was never used for its original purpose. Instead, it has sat there gathering weeds and serving as an overflow parking lot. Now, the city of San Francisco sees this as an opportunity to address a major problem plaguing
the city: population growth and lack of affordable housing. On Nov. 4, 2014 voters passed Proposition K, whose purpose is to build affordable housing, provide down payment, and help families and individuals stay in affordable homes. This plan calls for 30,000 units to be built by 2020 to meet San Francisco’s rising population. As of now, the plan is 33 percent affordable with a goal of 50 percent affordable. The city searched for prospective properties and the Balboa Reservoir seemed like a solution to the problem. “We have an opportunity to shape a big unknown. We have a blank palette and it’s up to us to do it in the best way possible,” said Kate Favetti, representative of City College of San Francisco, who sits on the board who
will help determine how to best use the unused land. The location is ideal for housing, some members of the board believe, because it is located near public transportation (Balboa BART station and several MUNI lines), stores, and educational facilities, Riordan included. The Balboa Park Station Area Plan calls for apartments and businesses to be built on the reservoir. The reservoir is 27 acres; CCSF owns the upper reservoir, while the city owns the lower 17 acres. Although California is experiencing a severe drought, city officials say other reservoirs such as Lake Merced and Laguna Honda Reservoir, as well as the McLaren Park Blue Tower, can provide San Francisco with more than enough water.
Although other ideas have been tossed around, the main focus of the plan calls for housing. To do this, the city has to sell the land and doing so will only benefit San Franciscan residents. Under California tax law, the housing must be sold at a fair market price value to compensate San Francisco Public Utilities Committee (SFPUC) rate pages. Members near “ground zero,” as it is called, will get priority over residents living elsewhere. Jon Winston, a representative of the mayor who also sits on the board, said, “I want what concerns the whole city. Affordable housing, congestion, parking, and neighborhood character are all problems the city would like to address.” The main topic for the first meeting was affordable housing. Those who
continued on page 5
2 Opinion
September 2015
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Students should not fear AP classes By Nicolas Caracter ’16
academically which will hopefully
something I enjoy, which is science.
for tests, which is much easier. AP
catapult them successfully into
I requested AP Chemistry and about
Chemistry is a very interesting class,
college.
a day and a half after starting the
and students learn a lot.
AP classes do require more work
’15-’16 school year, I was switched
My advice for people taking an
due to the faster learning curve.
over to Mr. Mock’s AP Chemistry
AP class is that before you decide
For some, just hearing people talk
class.
which class you want to take, make
about all the negatives of AP classes
It did feel very odd to be stepping
sure that you will be interested
makes them fearful of wanting to
into an AP class for the first time,
and want to be there. For me, I like
request that class.
mainly because there were six
science, so chemistry fit the bill.
Advanced Placement classes are
My father told me, “If you have
people in it. Mr. Mock talked me
a special breed of classes. When
an AP class on your schedule and
to about the learning curve since I
they are spoken about, the mood
do well, colleges will take you more
have not taken chemistry before.
shifts from fun and games to an odd
seriously academically because it
The workload is heavy, but when
type of seriousness with the phrases
shows that you do care about your
I balanced it, it was much more
“a lot of work”, or simply, “it’s hard”
academics and are not afraid to
manageable.
being uttered.
challenge yourself academically.”
Taking three pages of notes
AP classes are for those who
I figured out that if I were going
each time I have the class is rough,
want
to take an AP class, I should do
but it is worth it as far as studying
to
challenge
themselves
Summer reading is a bonus, not a burden
Photo courtesy Brainscape.com
By Yisheng Zhang ’16
Things They Carried, and uses the
last hour of light pretending.” O’Brien
first chapter to describe everything
describes a plot that looks like the
they needed. This long list consists of
story is out of the environment of the
necessities and near-necessities, such
war. Jimmy tries to force him to put
as C-rations, water, identification card;
his attention on the war that he had
things which were decided by their
burned the letters from Martha, but
own duty, like lieutenant’s compass
cannot burn them from his brain.
and maps, medic’s morphine and
O’Brien
gave
soldiers
various
plasma, tents and explosives use for
personalities through the description
mountain field; and things personal
of what they carried, but on the
to individuals.
battlefield, their characteristic be
interested me. What does the title
“Ted Lavender carried six or
destroyed. People became moving
mean? At first, all I knew was that it
seven ounces of premium dope...
items without feeling. People lost
was my assigned summer reading
Norman Bowker carried a diary. Rat
their emotions in the war, and it
for senior year, but when I started
Kiley carried comic books. Kiowa, a
made them look like groups of dead.
reading the first chapter, I felt that
devout Baptist, carried an illustrated
They became confused with the war
this book is much different than any
New Testament.” These things may
they were fighting for, including the
other war story. A war story is often
seem funny to most of us. Think
narrator O’Brien, who thought they
a recounting of a horrible personal
about
earthquake
were fighting for a wrong war in a
experience, especially one involving
occurs, we carry money, jewelry, real
wrong place at the wrong time. “I was
fighting, violence, danger and even
estate certifications and many other
drafted to fight the war I hated,’ he
The Things
precious things. We might see the
wrote. People hate war, and hate wars
They Carried is a story that records
things they carried as ridiculous.
with no reason even more.
the experience of the narrator Tim
But that is not all. Lieutenant Jimmy
I could not have imagined that
O’Brien during the Vietnam War, and
Cross carried the letters and pictures
before, but after O’Brien described it
the impact on individuals, including
from a girl named Martha, the girl he
such detail, it gave me an extremely
himself, during the war. It is also
loved: “In the late afternoon, after a
new outlook on war, and summer
about the memories from the war,
day’s march, he would dig his foxhole,
reading. This book is authentic and
how these things affected them, and
wash his hands under a canteen,
worthwhile. Everyone should try to
their lives after the war.
unwrap the letters, hold them with
read it .
O’Brien titled the book The
the tips of his fingers, and spend the
The Things They Carried. The title
bloodshed.
However,
it. When
an
Co-Editors: John Christian Canicosa ’16 Ben Martin ’16 Contributing reporters: Jabriel Andrade ’18 Patrick Brown ’17 Daren Bucko ’16 Nicolas Caracter ’17 Xavier Caracter ’17 Dominic Collantes ’17 Daniel Etter ’17 Christian Pascual-Fernandez ’16 Peter Kolokotrones ’16 Chang Liu ’18 Coleman McGrath ’16 Alfonso Miranda ’17 Keven Munoz ’18 Roman Peregrino ’18 Alex Perez ’16 Kyle Politz ’16 John Regidor ’18 Jacob Taylor ’17 Alexander Vallecillo ’18 Yisheng Zhang ’16 Newspaper Advisers: Ms. Mary Dalton Ms. Susan Sutton, CJE
1949
September 2015
Campus News
3
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Top 5 apps to maximize student success By Patrick Brown ’17
Photo courtesy itunes.apple.com
(the graphing calculator) Since students at Riordan have iPads, they can maximize their productivity. With the app store always expanding, students now more than ever can be the best they can be. Apps like planners and note taking will help students get the most out of school. These are the top five apps for the iPad to help students stay on top of schoolwork and assignments.
1. Evernote Peek This is a great app for making flashcards for an upcoming quiz or test. This app makes it fast and easy for students because it turns an iPad into a flash card machine. For those who do not have a cover for the iPad, in Options, students can turn on a virtual cover to better help them study. This app is a great for the higher-level classes and even for college.
3. Things for iPad For those who are looking for a better way to keep track of work, look no further. This app allows students to sort all classes into projects; homework is then managed by due dates. One thing the app is good at is creating a sense of order by letting users to see what’s due now and what’s due next. Students can even add multiple entries of the same event for quizzes scheduled get every week on the same day.
2. Graphing Calculator Graphing calculators are expensive, but it’s a lot easier to do homework with a graphing calculator on an iPad. Students take their iPad everywhere anyway, so why not take the graphing calculator along? It plots and traces many equations on the same graph. It even has graphing polar and parametric equations and more. Plus, students can take screen shots to email to themselves.
4. Grammar Up While vocabulary is important in everyday life, grammar is even more important in that knowing it can open doors, or close them. The problem is, some students find grammar boring and hard to learn. Grammar Up offers an easier way by showing a simple way to understand grammar. Grammar Up shows students parts of speech,
predicates, object of the preposition, and appositives, with many more important grammatical topics. These lessons are shown through multiplechoice tests, which show in detail every mistake and correct answer. 5. Ted TED talks are known worldwide for their lessons, and for a good reason. Hundreds of people speak about ideas that inspire and teach them, ideas that may help the world to become a better place. TED talks have the power to keep students interested for long periods of time, and teachers sometimes use them in high school. Although the people talk about educational ideals, they are shown in a way to capture the attention for hours and make viewers want to watch and learn. Doing work by watching TED talks is a lot better and educational.
Class of ’50, ’55 honored at Welcome Back Mass By JC Canicosa ‘16
Members from the class of ’50 and ‘55 receiving their diamond diploma. Photo by staff
while being showered with applause
been
year of one of the first graduating
when receiving their diplomas. After
Francisco Hall of Fame for football
they’ve
classes of Archbishop Riordan, the
Mass, President Joe Conti awarded
and was honored during mass as
brotherhood and every concept of
school honored several members
the alumni with a golden diploma.
well. “It’s quite a thrill,” he said. “San
the Marianist education with them
of the classes of 1950 and 1955 at
Lou Signer, the Class President
Francisco is a big city and to be a
throughout their lives, which is
the Welcome Back Mass to cap off a
of 1955, said, “The energy and
part of best of the best of this city is
what’s made them so successful,”
successful first full week of school.
enthusiasm was great. It really was.
a huge honor.”
said Conti. “This example shows our
The energy in the building was
It’s what makes Riordan what it is
Members of the classes of 1955
current Crusaders that if you carry
electric as several students gave
today and shows the best of what
and 1950 have done so much for the
these values through your life, you
these honored alumni standing
Riordan has.”
school as benefactors and models
will be successful.”
the
diamond
inducted
into
the
San
“We honor these guys because
anniversary
In
carried
the
Crusader
ovations for what they’ve achieved
And Riordan truly did give these
of what it means to be a Crusader,
So much has changed from the
in being one of the very first
alumni their best. The student body
so it is hard not to feel pride to know
day they stepped onto campus for
examples of Archbishop Riordan’s
wasn’t shy at all when showing their
that what these alumni invested
the first time. The school has gone
brotherhood.
appreciation for these men.
in 60 years ago makes them proud
from Brothers of Mary to a Lay
The honored Riordan alumni
Another
today.
Community, yet the brotherhood is
certainly felt the Crusader pride
alumnus, Rich Max, had recently
still unwavering.
esteemed
Riordan
4 Campus News
September 2015
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
L I F E r s l o o k t o ‘S t a r t a F i r e’ New staff
strengthens Riordan
By JC Canicosa ’16
By Chang Liu ‘18
Luis Martinez, Director of Admissions
Martinez worked at Stanford University
in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and as the Assistant Dean and Coordinator of Multicultural Enrollment at Bates College prior to Riordan. He attended Bates College and
Middlebury
College’s
Monterey
Institute. In high school, he attended Cleveland St. Ignatius, an all boys school. He wanted to come to Riordan because of flexibility, leadership, and community. The 2015-16 Marianist LIFE team on the annual Pacific LIFE Retreat. Photo provided by JC Canicosa ’16
Fresh off Marianist LIFE’s annual
Working at Riordan means that he can have the ability to have fun on his holidays and
or ‘Start a Fire,’” said LIFE Squad
Food is provided as MLCvs are
Pacific LIFE Retreat, Archbishop
member Nick Banaria.
great opportunities to meet new
Riordan’s 2015 LIFE Squad looks
“Start a Fire” is the slogan
people, become closer to Riordan
forward to this year are Robotics Club,
to “Start a Fire” in Riordan’s soul as
for
Marianist
brothers, and get more in touch
marching band performances, the plays,
the school’s spiritual leaders, and
the
country,
bring together the community in
team is trying to emphasize in
“We’re really excited with the
the brotherhood.
Riordan’s community. This sense
direction we’re going with this
Their mission statement this
of brotherhood and community
year’s MLCs. We want to make
year is: “We the 2015 LIFE SQUAD,
being instilled into the school will
each one unique and really use
through trials and tribulations,
bring together many students,
them as an opportunity for the
vow to ignite faith and family spirit
especially
new
like
brotherhood in our community to
Superintendent
in God’s name through promoting
freshmen,
who
getting
grow while giving them the retreat
Development
and understanding MLCs, assisting
accustomed to their new high
feel. Expect a similar experience as
prayer services, masses, guiding
school.
the Junior or Sophomore retreat,”
retreats, and promoting social
“I’m extremely excited about
said LIFE Squad member Hayson
justice in our local community”
Riordan’s LIFE team this year.
Chui.
young men at Riordan receive. Her goals
In this 45th year of Marianist
I expect they’re going to be
The MLCs this year are going
are to support the mission of the school by
lay community building, Riordan’s
Spiritual role models for the
to be on Sept. 10, Oct. 15, Nov. 19,
LIFE
truly
community by being welcoming
Dec. 10, Jan. 21, Feb. 18, March 17,
understand the mission of Father
to everyone, sharing their faith
April 21, and May 12.
Chaminade, starting at the annual
through small group building, and
Members say MLCs are a great
and Golden Gate Law School. After he
Pacific LIFE retreat.
most importantly, making new
way for students looking for a
graduated, he worked at the firm of Lynch,
“The retreat has given us a
friendships,” said LIFE moderator,
fun way to get integrated into
sense of community and family
Mary Ann Datoc.
the school’s brotherhood or for
we didn’t have before. We’ve made
But the most important part
returning students who are looking
lifelong friends in Oahu, Maui,
of the LIFE Squad’s mission this
for an escape to that retreat feel.
Los Angeles, and St. Louis and
year are the MLCs. MLC stands
The goal is to leave with a closer
are going to try our best to give
for Marianist Lay Community and
bond with your fellow Crusader
that sense of family we had at the
are like a mini retreat for students
brothers, and maybe even a closer
focus and skill in thinking a few steps ahead.
retreat in our school’s community
held after school or during lunch.
relationship with God.
Ring would use these skills and a couple
squad
learned
to
schools which
around the
students are
LIFE
with one’s spiritual side.
weekends. As Director of Admissions, he has leadership responsibilities over the admissions staff. A few things he is looking
football games, basketball season, Kairos, and Latinos Unidos. A goal he has is to secure 354 applications from prospective students. He compares himself to a tree because like a tree, he respects longevity and a person’s roots. Annette Brown, Director of Finance Brown
worked
as for
and
the
Assistant
Finance Planning
and at
the
Archdiocese of San Francisco. In 1992, she earned her Masters in Business Administration from the University of San Francisco. Having great respect for Marianist education, she admires the education that
collecting revenue, managing the cash, and finding efficiencies in expenses. John Ring, Director of Development Ring
attended
Long
Beach
State
Gilardi and Grummer and also raised money for Saint Ignatius College Prep and attended the school when it was an all boys school. His goal is to improve fundraising by 25 percent in year one and to build a Development Office that supports the students and improves our community. He describes himself as a chess player because chess is a game where one needs extreme
more learned from practicing law.
September 2015
Local News
5
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Paint-our-School project progresses continued from page 1
the lookout for more news on the
forward unless we get the OK.”
“First impression is everything,”
move forward.”
That is both good and bad
Politz said. “As a parent, you are
“Working
and
painting project. In his letter, Conti
news.
On the unfortunate side,
always looking for the best place
completing the Paint-our-School
said, “We will keep you updated
the painting of the school must
for your child. People need to
project
on the progress of this project,
be held off until Riordan gets the
look at a school and say ‘I want to
students and community something
including
affirmation from the archdiocese.
go in.’ Inside [Riordan], it’s a great
to be proud of,” Peregrino said.
when the final color scheme has
On the positive side, “Once we get
[school]. We need to get people in
It isn’t only the adults who
been selected. Thank you for your
the OK from the archdiocese, we are
the door. That starts with the first
should care about this, they say.
patience as we move to provide a
ready to go,” Elizabeth Peregrino,
thing people see—the outside.”
Evan Cosentino ‘16 said, “[Painting
new look for the beautiful home of
another committee member and
And the exterior really could
the school] is long overdue. I know
Archbishop Riordan High School.”
Riordan parent said. “We are excited
be better, committee members
this will be a great addition to an
This update came at back to
and ready.”
say. “It’s been 20 years since the
already great school.”
school night, Aug. 27, when Conti
Many people may be wondering:
school has been painted, and [some
Nestor Fernandez III said, “I really
made an announcement to the
Why go through all this trouble to
believe] it looks like it’s been twenty
want to see Riordan improve, and I
congregated parents that painting
just paint the school? This doesn’t
years since it has been power
know that [painting the school] is
should be beginning sometime in
seem that important. However,
washed,” Politz said.
going to help our school.”
early October.
many believe it really is.
to happen for the entire school to
“This needs
will
together give
the
parents,
sharing
renderings
Lastly, students should be on
Proposal calls for housing on Balboa Reservoir continued from page 1
Photo courtesy SFPlanning.org
qualify for affordable housing ranges from $39,250 for low-income families to $85,600 for moderate income families. Many residents in attendance are appalled by the city’s definition of affordable housing. “Affordable housing is a large problem in San Francisco. We have beaten you in the past and we will beat you again,” said local resident Ken Crizer. “I am very disappointed at the mayor for eliminating a college education and not selling the property to some developer.” Crizer spoke for many residents when he mentioned the fact that they were taking away education, meaning the empty reservoir could be used to expand facilities for CCSF. In the city’s defense, CCSF owns about 40 percent of the reservoir, and is part of the team discussing the development. Local businesses feel threatened by the new plan. With the proposed apartments (or condominiums), business will also be moving in. So far, no grocers have signed a lease to
occupy the retail spaces proposed for the area. This is due to the high rent, some believe. Business are concerned that the location will be filled with big name brands like Target (already planned for the area), taking away small family owned stores, which has been happening in the Ocean View Merced Heights Ingleside area for the past few years. In an article by NewsWire21, Takis Galiatsatos, owner of the Fruit Barn for six years, said, “The truth is we don’t know how we will be affected. What they’re doing down there will bring people into the community, but it could take business away. We just don’t know.” City officials say that it is only giving the people what they want, a market. Other concerns included traffic. The city plans to extend Lee and Brighton avenues across Ocean Avenue into a 237 car parking structure beneath the market to create a one-way flow of traffic. Then Lee Avenue will serve as a loading zone for the grocers from 6
a.m. to 11 a.m. “I think traffic is hard as it is because of all the accidents,” said Joseph Biscocho ‘18. “A lot of people go to work or school at that time, which causes traffic at the stop light at the exit of the freeway. With the building of the new apartments, traffic would be crazy with all those additional cars on the road.” CCSF representatives also voiced their opinions. They want a place for student and staff parking as well as housing. Overall, neither City College or Lick Wilmerding High School seem to be opposed to the building. The city reached out to all residents to participate, yet not all were able to come to the table. According to President Joe Conti, he was invited to be on the board, but because of time constraints was unable to do so. Conti said, however, that while Riordan is not officially on the board, the school’s interests are being heard and taken into consideration in terms of any development on the Balboa Reservoir. He is apprised of the situation and
monitoring it closely. Mike Martin in the City’s Office of Economic Workforce Development, said, “We do very much want the Riordan community to feel like it has a voice in the CAC’s work. We have asked all of the appointees to consider themselves representatives of not just one narrow constituency but actually instead look more broadly towards neighborhood- and city-wide interests.” Principal Vittorio Anastasio said, “On the positive side, more families and more income will come to the community as wells as new businesses. On the negative side, traffic will increase. I told Mr. Conti, ‘I hope they put a field down there for Riordan to practice on.’” As it stands now, with no firm plans in place (as it is in the early stages of development), Riordan students, neighbors, and merchants watch as those involved debate the pros and cons of the building possibilities, and the Balboa Reservoir Project unfolds.
6 National News
September 2015
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Candidates vie for presidential nomination Democratic Candidates
GOP Candidates
By Jabriel Millen Andrade ‘18
By Daren Bucko ‘16
former presidents.
of the House of Representatives. self-
Supporters: The
confessed Democratic Socialist, and
Vanguard, his family, Wall Street
is the most left wing candidate in this
donors.
race. Sanders focuses on reforming
Opinions: Jeb Bush is a good
measurement for other candidates,
due to his rather middle ground
stance on most issues and no
extreme beliefs.
Opinions:
Sanders
is
a
the political system, believing big money should not be able to buy out Photo courtesy state.gov
With the primaries drawing near, many are wondering about the current individuals bidding for the democratic candidacy. Although we are a good amount of time into the race, many people do not know about the current candidates. Here is a quick overview: 1. Hilary Clinton Background:
Hilary Clinton has
always been a part of American politics, whether it’s being the First Lady, the Senator of New York or even the Secretary of State. Clinton originally ran for President in 2008, however she lost in a very close race to Barack Obama. Opinions:
Clinton
represents
the larger views of the Democratic Party without being too liberal. Economically,
she
calls
for
strengthening the middle class by lowering the taxes on working families, and raising the minimum wage. She is also a very public women’s rights activist. Supporters:
Banks,
Older
Democrats
My estimation of her victory: 7 out
of 10. Although many thought Clinton was a shoe in for the primary, the next two candidates may change that very quickly. 2. Bernie Sanders Background: The longest serving independent member of Congress, Sanders has been in politics since the 80s when he was elected mayor of Burlington and has a very long political history as both a senator and member
politics. He also focuses on stopping the increasing wealth gap, and civil rights. Supporters:
Unions,
Younger
Democrats
My estimation of his victory: 2 out
Photo courtesy donaldjtrump.com
With the upcoming 2016 election,
Conservative
My estimation of their victory: If
and some of you, the student body,
Donald Trump loses the lead in the
becoming old enough to vote, or
polls, 1 in 2, if not, 1 in 7.
to simply begin caring about the
3. Ben Carson
workings of our government, the
Background: A Neurosurgeon
of 10, but slowly rising. Sanders was
world of politics might seem like
and
thought to be an almost negligible
vast, alien, and incomprehensible
in a poor neighborhood in Detroit,
part of this election, however he has
world to you. Well, it is, so, to help
and had a fiery temper, which he
gained traction thanks to a very well
in this matter, this is a guide to the
claims he only rid himself of we he
made campaign and the spread of his
top three GOP candidates, their
became much more religious in his
ideals over the Internet, giving him
platforms, experiences, and my
late teens.
rising poll numbers.
personal opinion on their chances
Supporters: Neo-conservatives,
3. Joe Biden
of winning the primary, giving them
conservative intellectuals
Background: A senator since 1972
a shot at the White House.
Opinions:
and current Vice President of the
1. Donald Trump
talking points, though he has shown
United States, Biden dropped out of
Background:
the 2008 race to then run as Barack Obama’s running mate. Opinions: Biden is very much a candidate for the working class. Having worked through the recent recession, he has done all he can to help the middle class, from Obamacare to The Job Creation Act. Supporters:
Obama supporters,
author, Ben Carson grew up
Usual
conservative
businessman,
himself to be a fair bit more liberal in
who has made his fortune in real
his scientific views, and has voiced
estate, and then moved on to reality
support for gun control in the past.
TV with his first appearance in the
news being an article in 1975 in the
20. I wasn’t really even planning on
NY Times, documenting the lawsuit
covering him, except he had a recent
leveled against him by the NAACP
jump in the polls, so I couldn’t skip
for unfair housing discrimination
him. He doesn’t have the resources
against African Americans.
of either Trump or Bush, and he is
Supporters: Young conservatives,
eccentric enough to be off putting
A
My estimation of his victory: 1 in
businessmen, and anti-immigration
to the conservative base, but not
Democratic Politicians
activists.
enough to be considered unique.
My estimation of his victory:
Opinions: Known for his focus
According to the most recent
As of right now, Joe Biden has not
on immigration, Trump believes
polls, these are your top three
officially decided on running for
that
choices for who you want to lead
president; however, if he does run,
our country from the south are
the
his
and
criminals, and a massive wall must
control of the executive branch.
large amount of support gives him
be built to keep them out. In more
They aren’t the only ones, however,
a noticeable chance, 6 out of 10 if
economical matters, he advocates
though most of the other 14, due
Clinton continues to drop in the polls.
for lowered corporation taxes, and
to their quantity, more or less melt
These three candidates have the
less governmental oversight.
together and aren’t that interesting
most sway over the party so far, so
or, frankly, don’t have the chops
charismatic
personality
voters (or interested minors) should check on the other three candidates and see which best suits their political views.
most
folks
coming
into
My estimation of their victory: 1
right-wing
charge
towards
in 3.
for this. If you are into the Apple
2. Jeb Bush
Pie, Baseball, and Mom version of
Background: Former Governor
America, look no further than these
of Florida, Son and brother of two
three elephants.
September 2015
Features
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
7
M U N I p a s s e n g e r s e n du re bu mpy r i d e
By Nicolas Caracter ‘17
Photo by Gabriel Howell ‘19 “Please hold on. ” For those who take MUNI, they have heard that countless times. MUNI, the public transit system that serves San Francisco County, and parts of Daly City, is known for its consistent tardiness, long travel times, and over
crowded buses, which result in people having to wait for the next one. Many individuals who ride MUNI use some sort of app that tells them when the next bus comes. Those apps are able to do that by tracking the signal to a gps on the
bus. One such app is NextBus. Sometimes, however, the gps will be off and instead of next bus showing what time the bus is going to be there, it will tell users when the next one after that will come. This can be very frustrating and actually sometimes resulting in “plan b,” which sometimes involves being late to school. The bus prediction apps are great for today’s society but when it fails, things go wrong. After MUNI instituted a new system whereby passengers can enter through the back door with a Clipper Card, Fast Pass, or transfer, people started to find a way to cheat the system. Basically, boarding without paying. People who cheat the system by not paying are actually hurting themselves and others around them. When people pay that fare, the money they just gave to the SFMTA goes towards upkeep of vehicles, equipment, roads and anything else public transport related. However, when people steal rides (go through the back door and not pay, follow someone through the turnstiles at the metro stations, or make up an excuse why the Clipper Card does not have any money on it), it affects everyone because then the SFMTA cannot maintain buses,
trains or roads, which then leads to a bad, inconsistent, unreliable transit network. Some consider a ride on MUNI to be an adventure. Every time someone rides MUNI, something odd or strange happens. From that old lady with a billion bags on a crowded bus to the driver who does not care about their speed over speed bumps, riders are in for a new adventure almost daily. The time of day also is key to the environment while onboard. MUNI is somewhat calm in the mornings. People are tired, and some are asleep. There is the occasional “Back door!” yelling or a driver telling people to move off the back steps to close the doors. The evening rush hour is completely different. There are groups of people who are talking, little kids with their parents going home, and the occasional jerk that decides to blast his music in the back of the bus. The mornings are a routine: catch the same bus to get somewhere by this time, notice some people sit or stand in the same places all the time. Evenings are a matter of “I just wanna get home.” MUNI can be an odd, yet useful place to get from point a to point b.
Omar Bradley Middle School, where he completed grades 6 through 8. Baseball and football dominate the sports scene in Texas, fostering an intense pride in one’s favorite team. Alex competed in less popular childhood sports like soccer and karate, but enjoyed football and soccer the most. He remembers football in Texas as characterized by intense rivalries between high schools. The stands would be packed Friday nights and the atmosphere would be crazy. He said, “High school football in Texas is on a whole different level. Most Texas high school players have been on the field in pads since the age of 8, and many began weight training in the 6th grade. Players are faster, stronger, and more knowledgeable in the strategies and rules of football.” In addition, “Texas high school football stadiums are very large, and usually surpass in size and quality San Francisco venues like Kezar. Friday Night Lights are spectacular events in many Texas communities during football season. Often it seems every game is considered part of a deadly rivalry.” Alex has a passion for football and played in Texas youth leagues until he reached high school age, at which age he entered Riordan, where he played for two more years. While in San Antonio, some of his other extracurricular activities included playing sports like baseball, as well as
hunting, fishing, and enjoying rodeos. Annual rodeos are occasions for local people to socialize and appreciate skilled horseback riding along with other activities associated with the cowboy life. Hunting and fishing are very popular activities as well. Alex is still heavily involved in hunting, and prefers to stalk deer, wild hogs, and turkey. These favored activities help him recapture his experiences in Texas and recall to mind his life back in San Antonio. Unlike much of California, which is strongly pro-gun control, there are only a few gun laws in Texas that citizens there have to follow. It is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to purchase or hold a rifle under his name, and it is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to purchase a handgun. Permits to carry concealed handguns are more common in Texas than in California. Most students, however, do have parents and relatives who own firearms, and many are familiar with pistols and rifles. Alex owned his fair share of guns, mostly rifles, that he used in hunting, as it is the norm in Texas for a teenaged boy to own a gun. After moving to San Francisco and leaving friends and family in San Antonio, Alex entered Archbishop Riordan High School because he was searching for a private school near his home. He had to adjust to the rigorous 4x4 block schedule, but found it even
more difficult to accept the idea of an all boys school. Like many young men who enter Riordan, it was his first time in an all male academic setting. It was unusual to see a single-gender school in San Antonio. With respect to maturity levels in California and in Texas, Alex observed, “In Texas kids grow to be independent much quicker than kids do here in San Francisco. As to why that is so, I have no idea, but that’s how I see it when I go back to Texas.” After graduating from ARHS, Alex plans to attend a four year college. At present, he has no geographical preference with respect to his post high school education, but he does hope to pursue a career in sports medicine. Alex does miss Texas. “I mostly miss basketball season in my former hometown. There’s nothing like going to Spurs home games. I think everyone in the city takes pride in this team, even if they aren’t basketball fans. One other thing is Texas style barbecue; that’s something I wish I had every time I sit down for lunch.” For Alex, life has changed a great deal by his move from conservative San Antonio to very liberal San Francisco. Although Alex has moved 1,500 miles away from his birthplace, he has been able to not only remain true to his Texas roots, but he has also been able to adapt to San Francisco’s uniquely diverse and liberal culture.
From Deep in the Heart of Texas to California Dreamin’ By Coleman McGrath ’16
Alex Herrera ‘16 Moving to a new city is extremely difficult for any teenager entering high school. But life changes for students when moving into a new city that has a wholly different culture from their hometown. This was a challenge that Alex Herrera ‘16 experienced. Born in San Antonio, Texas, he had nothing to truly him prepare him for the change he would experience upon moving to San Francisco. 1,500 miles separate these two cities, and this distance accounts for enormous differences in daily life, cultural norms, politics,and even attitudes toward sports. Alex Herrera grew up in a suburb of San Antonio, where he experienced and grew to like Southern living. His earliest memories of San Antonio are of his elementary school, a K-5 public school called Coker. He also recalls
8 Features
September 2015
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Students put best fashion foot forward
Hands-free scooter provides futuristic fun By Christian Pascual-Fernandez ’16
By Dominic Collantes ‘16
Photo courtesy monorover.com
Hands-free
Photos courtesy tumblr.com
scooter,
Skywalker,
difficulty because they panic and
smart drifting scooter, my next
move their body all over the place,
present, whatever you want to call it.
causing them to lose balance and fall
This new device made its way into the
off. The trick is to stay calm and stand
market and is getting a lot of attention.
up straight. The scooter will not take
There does not seem to be an official,
off unless both feet are well placed
consistent title for the device, so let’s
on the scooter. Steering is easy to get
call it the “mini-seaway.” The mini-
the hang of, as all it requires is for the
segway is a hands-free scooter that
rider to shift his feet in the direction
allows users to ride around by leaning
he wants to go. To brake, riders simply
forward and using their feet to steer.
lean back or shift their feet backwards.
Fortunately, a good friend of mine
Again, the scooter will not take off,
invested in a scooter and allowed me
unless both feet are detected by the
to try it out for myself.
pressure pads. The scooter is easy to
The scooter weighs about 27
balance on, as it adjusts to the shift in
pounds, and travels at most a speed
weight and tries to catch up with the
of 15mph. The battery life is supposed
rider to prevent the rider from leaning
to be able to last for a 10 mile radius
forward too much and falling off.
and only takes 2-3 hours to re-charge.
Riding up and down hills is a bit more
The features of the scooter include a
difficult, as they require more effort
power button, charger port, pressure
and attention (obviously).
Walking through the hallways,
can see all kinds of shoes. Making
one thing stands out… which
appearances are Air Jordan, Nike,
is no one stands out. The polos,
Adidas, shoes that don’t even have
khakis, and hoodies take over the
a brand on them!
movements we see from Riordan
students walking in the hallway.
the best way to make a fashion
Although there’s not much
statement. It sounds strange,
students can do about the dress
but shoes can mean a lot when it
code, some find a way to have
comes to appearance.
fashion at school. Kyle Farrell ‘16
Looking at students, one can
likes the way students dress. “I
see they are following the dress
think it’s alright wearing polos and
code, but dressing differently.
khakis,” he said. “I like to wear skinny
Even though students are wearing
fit Levi’s jeans and cool polos that
similar clothes, everyone looks
pads for activation, and indicators for
Much fun is to be had when riding
are within dress code colors.”
unique in some way. At Riordan,
battery life and feet detection in the
the scooter. I felt so futuristic when
The cool thing about the dress
fashion may not be the most
center. The scooter will enter a sleep-
riding it, that I almost didn’t want to
code at Riordan is that the guys
important aspect, but everyone
mode when left idle for 5 minutes, in
get off. It also felt good riding past
can wear any kind of shoes, which
tries putting in some effort into the
order to conserve battery.
my friend’s neighbors as they walked
is an important aspect of fashion.
way they look to stand out as an
The wheels are made of solid,
their dogs or went out on a jog, while
Walking through the hallways, one
individual.
non-inflatable
eliminating
I was going faster than they were. My
the possibility of a flat tire. One thing
only problems with it were how easily
I noticed was that the safety pads/
it scratches and inability to climb over
bumpers are on top of the scooter,
some ramps and curbs.
Shoes at Riordan are truly
CIRCUS OLYMPUS Opens November 13!
A high-‐energy re-‐telling of five Greek myths under the big top!
Starring people you know!
THE CAST: Alex Perez, Andrea Sanchez, Bianca Gonzalez, Darren Bucko, Dominic Collantes, Dylan Kay, Estefan Granucci, Gracie De Battista, Henry Novicki, Jalen Viray, Jacob Rattner, J.P. Detweiler, J.P. Jacinto, Katie Schmidt, Keven Muñoz, Lorenzo Perotti, Luis Martinez, Matthew Ko, Phoenix Bednar, Sam Martins, Sarah Wallis, Stephen Aguirre, Vherny Rustrian, Vince Francisco
rubber,
rather than in front or behind. In
Pricing for this scooter can be
addition, there are two lights in the
outrageous, as they range from $200
front of the scooter, which do not
to more than $1000. Thing is, they’re
serve much purpose other than being
all practically the same, so people
a form of indication for the scooter
are mostly paying for the branding.
being on. The scooter’s body holds
Amazon is probably the better
pretty well, being able to support
source, as prices are reasonable (not
at most 220 pounds, and taking on
in the $1000s) and a more trusted
collisions with sidewalks, pavement
source, other than eBay. Overall, the
scrapings, and a small drop from knee
scooter is a ton of fun and is definitely
height in stride.
something worth investing in (for fun
Learning to ride is much easier than most people expect. People have
of course).
September 2015
Features
Kolokotrones among most wanted for FBI Te e n A c a d e m y By Chang Liu ‘18
Sharon Hadden Public Affairs Specialist FBI San Francisco Division (Left) Peter Kolokotrones ‘16 (Right).
In May 2015, Peter Kolokotrones ‘16 attended the FBI Teen Academy, held in San Francisco, for prospective FBI agents. To get in, Peter had to write a long essay, fill out an application, and get a signature from an administrator at Riordan to attest to his GPA and leadership qualities. He also needed a recommendation from a current FBI agent. Out of 200 applicants, 20 were accepted. To apply, a student must go onto the FBI website and fill out an application. The student must also meet certain criteria. “My experience at the FBI Teen Academy was terrific!” Peter said. “When I first got there, I met the other 19 accepted applicants. I was the only applicant from San Francisco.” According to Peter, there were many presentations about what the FBI does, but due to top secret clearance, “I can only tell what the topics main focus was. The first presentation was about counterintelligence. The second presentation was on counterterrorism. The third presentation was given by the head SSA (Supervisory Special Agent) of the San Francisco office gave a presentation about the San Francisco office and what cases they had been involved in.” “The last presentation was given by the San Francisco FBI SWAT Team. I was also able to get into a full SWAT Suit,” Peter said. “Next, the applicants were sent to the Gun Vault. Only a few Special Agents are allowed to go into the vault. I was able to hold different types of weapons which had been seized by the FBI. My two favorite guns that I was able to see were the Tommy Gun and M-4 Carbine.” The last thing the applicants were able to do was go to a makeshift crime scene. “We were able to collect evidence and fingerprints along with using different types of colored light to find blood splatter and other bodily fluids,” Peter said. This experience left its mark on Peter, possibly a future FBI agent. “I have always had a passion to become an FBI agent. After going to the FBI Teen Academy, I was able to determine if I really wanted to pursue that career. Now I know that I do want to pursue a career with the FBI. At the academy, I learned a lot. The main thing that I learned for myself was that the FBI was a great career choice and that I want to keep striving to be an FBI Special Agent.”
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
9
Te a c h e r s ’ s u m m e r d r e a m s c o m e t r u e By Peter Kolokotrones ‘16
Normally at the end of May, just before Memorial Day weekend, the halls at Archbishop Riordan High School are bursting at the seams. The students are practically breaking down the doors to start their summer vacation. As the students make their mass exodus and run past the teachers, many do not realize that teachers daydream about summer vacation, too. Unfortunately, not all faculty and staff get the entire summer off. Students who have hung out by the prep shop see Dean of Student Life Frances Dillon in her office between the prep shop and ice room. Her desk faces the unobstructed window through which students can see her beaming smile. Because of her work demands, Dillon disclosed that she has no “real” summer vacation. Lucky enough for her, she was able to sneak away to Cabo for a week. Little did she know that her R&R would be rudely interrupted by two El Niño storms that almost prevented her from coming back to the Bay Area. While some Riordan graduates were reporting to their new colleges/ universities, Dillon was able to end her summer vacation by sneaking away once again and delivering her
son to his new college. During the summer, teachers who are coaches for various sports do not get a summer break. For example, Kevin Fordon, Danny Curtin, Jay’Sen Morris, Ryan Jones, and Darius Bell did not get a summer break. These coaches were working their tails off preparing the football team for a strenuous upcoming season. The coaches never once complained about not being able to have a vacation because they only want the best for student athletes here at Riordan. Sally O’Connell, Admissions Associate, whose office is located adjacent to the Admission Director’s office, does get summer vacation. O’Connell has an extroverted personality that can’t be missed when walking into the Admissions area. During her break, O’Connell traveled through California with her children and husband. They visited Lake Tahoe, Santa Cruz, and Sonoma. O’Connell made a point to say she stays “unplugged” during her summer vacation in order to capitalize on family time. Like many Riordan students, she too feels that she did not have enough time to “decompress and relax.”
While many Riordan students left to far away places for summer vacation, Luis Martinez, the new Admissions Director, returned from far away Hong Kong to report to Riordan. Martinez shared that he did not want to continue traveling a lot for his job at Stanford University, so he welcomes the stability that Riordan offered him. As Martinez described Riordan’s attributes that he found attractive, he mentioned that Stanford University did not offer the students an inclusive and tightly knit community. Most importantly, Martinez believes the community here is extraordinary. He feels a sense of camaraderie that exceeds any place he’s ever worked and neither rank or prestige can substitute that. For next year’s summer vacation, Martinez plans to visit his sister in San Diego and his parents in Cleveland. Summer vacation means many things to different people. For some people, summer means travel. For others, summer vacation is just another day on the job. While for others, summer can lead to a new beginning.
New turf field—the dream lives By Alfonso Miranda ’17 and Daniel Etter ’17
The question of whether or not Riordan will get a turf field has a temporary answer. Not this year. For two years, the school has been working on a fund raiser for a new turf field, but so far, it has not materialized. The reasons are varied, but mostly financial. According to School President Joe Conti,“The cost to replace the field within the boundaries of the track is estimated to be $2.2 million. The campaign has raised approximately $225,000 to date (roughly 10 percent of the goal.) Riordan will need to raise almost $2 million more to install a turf field.” Conti is working with Development Director John Ring and the Board of Trustees to come up with a revised plan and a new timeline for this project. In the meantime, the 2015-16 Crusader football season will not host any home games at the school. Instead, Riordan home games will be played at City College of San Francisco across the street, and Terra Nova High School in Pacifica. City College football field is one of the most well maintained turf fields in the area, and this is what attracted the attention of Riordan coaching staff and administration. Varsity games against Serra and St. Francis will be played at CCSF and the games against Bellarmine and SHC will be played at Terra Nova. Coach Kevin Fordon said the reason that the football team is playing at City College and Terra Nova is because of
the drought that California is suffering, compounded with the predictions of impending El Nino storms. With El Nino looming, the team did not want to have to cancel or reschedule any games. Riordan’s field has had many division one athletes and NFL players strap up and perform at a high level. Coach Jay’Sen Morris believes all the players and fans will be excited to see Riordan play their home games on a turf field. Coach Morris said, “The facilities are very nice and I’m sure all fans will want to see the team playing on a better field.” City College has a large seating area, giving a college feel to the fans and players. They look over the field and will give a fine view of the area of play from the stands no matter where fans are sitting. The only downside to the new location is there still will not be any lights for Friday or Saturday night games. An added unintended benefit to avoiding rain delays will be that the turf better suits the team’s style of play. Looking toward the future, Coach Danny Curtin ’08 said that playing on a turf field will give the team an advantage with their fast paced play style this year. He said it is unfortunate that this year they will not be able to keep the tradition of Riordan football going at the school, and that turf field interest started in 2006. Coach Morris also pointed out how it will benefit Riordan’s new high octane air raid offense, which was first established
by well renowned Cal football coach Tony Franklin. Coach Franklin calls the offense “The System.” Cal, as well as a few high schools in California, use this offense. He added, “Although I do think our players, especially our seniors, will miss playing at Riordan, I think moving the games is a good decision.” He added, “There is a big storm coming supposedly, and if this happens, our Riordan field will lose footing and it will be a big mess.” Not only will it be a big mess, Riordan would not be able to utilize the complete potential of “The System,” which is so dependent on the fast playing style turf provides. So, while the need is clear, the financial obstacle remains for now. The school is moving forward, revising a plan to raise enough money for the football field, baseball diamond, home dugout, away dugout, batting cage, field equipment house, long jump, shot put, and discus throw. In the meantime, other projects are being completed this year, such as the school being painted and renovations in the gym. Riordan’s field will still get its beating during practice, but a new dawn of high school high speed football is approaching, which forces the team to take to a turf venue and a new environment for Riordan Crusader ball.
10 Sports
September 2015
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Cal Bears look to dominate Pac-12 By Daniel Etter ’17 stronghold on offense by averaging 38.2 points per
game in their 2014 campaign.
and 12 touchdowns through 12 games. This year Cal
Cal’s defense was the worst in the Pac in every
hopes to boost the amount of carries he gets to balance
category. This year, Cal looks to improve their defense
out their offense and utilize the weapon Lasco is coming
after picking up senior defensive end Kyle Kragen, who
out of the back field.
missed the 2014 season with Mononucleosis. Kragen, a
Senior Bryce Treggs and Junior Kenny Lawler are
transfer from Diablo Valley College, had 3 sacks, 5 tackles,
back at the receiving position to help keep Goff back in
and one quarterback hurry his 2013 season.
the hunt for another record breaking year. Jared Goff, a
This year, Kragen is listed as the number one
junior out of Marin Catholic High School, will continue
defensive end on the preseason depth chart, with last
this year to captain the team to a bowl game.
year’s number one Noah Westerfield behind him at two.
Last year, he threw for 3,973 yards and 35
The Cal defense is also getting a boost from a much
touchdowns, putting himself third on the all time list of
improved defensive back group. After a one-on-one
most career passing yards at Cal and second for most
Cal Football season outlook:
session, while panting for air, one of Cal’s wide receivers
career touchdown passes. Having only two seasons to
Trevor Davis commented, “As you can see, they are
put himself up high on the list, he still has this season
began preparations for the upcoming Pac-12 season.
making us work more now.”
and his senior season to put himself on top for arguably
Word around the college football community is that Cal
In addition to Davis this summer, multiple Cal
the best quarterback to play for Cal. Goff also has a 9:1
will be a force to be reckoned with.
receivers continue to comment on how the defensive
touchdown to interception ratio, which could have a
With a defensive coordinator with 34 seasons of
backs have worked them much harder in drills and in
huge effect on the season.
collegiate ball under his belt and top defensive recruits,
team runs. With improvements from all sides of the
Every player, fan, and coach is hopeful that Cal will
Cal has developed a team with a balance of attack on
defense, Cal is hoping to hold their opponents to less
have its breakout year led by coach Sonny Dykes, who
both sides of the ball.
points this season.
will be looking to get his first bowl win while coaching
Last year, after going 5-7 with losing three games by
This year, California’s offense will continue to not
Cal. After looking at all the changes and improvements
2 or less points, Cal looks to improve their defense this
only center their offense on quarterback Jared Goff
Cal has made in the off season, they could go 9-4 in the
year to keep their high octane offense unreachable.
and his arsenal of receivers, but they will use their under
regular season. Cal looks strong, but only the games will
California’s offense has continued to show their
appreciated back Daniel Lasco.
tell how strong they really are.
Photo courtesy calfootball.com
On June 28, the California Golden Bear football team
Last year, Lasco rushed for 1,151 yards on 210 carries
Australian rules the day at PGA Championship By Ben Martin ’16 Australia,
everyday
played the round of his life as he shot
appliances that many take for granted.
a record breaking 20 under par to take
“I remember watching my mom
home the trophy and the $1.8 million
cut the lawn with a knife because we
prize. The previous record was held by
couldn’t afford to fix the lawnmower,”
Tiger Woods set more than 15 years
Day said while looking back at how
ago. Day’s first ever Major win brought
far he had improved upon his life.
him to third overall in World Standings
Day’s career had been littered with
this season, only behind Jordan Spieth
shortcomings, with more than 160
and the injured Rory McIlroy.
events played and 44 top 10 finishes,
Day was not the only one
Day knew that he would have to play
celebrating. With the second place
perfectly to beat the heavily favored
finish, Jordan Spieth advanced to first
Jordan Spieth.
on the World Standings. “Being World
Riordan’s varsity golf coach Jeff
number 1 is as good a consolation
Isola said, “The win was well deserved.
as I could have. This was Jason’s day,”
Beaudesert growing
Queensland, up
without
The nine year international veteran
Photo courtesy PGAtour.com
Wisconsin on August 13.
He has been very consistent lately and
Spieth said after Day’s landslide
Day’s story is truly amazing. Once
deserves it after all of his close finishes.”
victory.
Jason Day made history as he
a
drinking
Varsity golf player Nikko Quimson
shot the lowest score ever in a
on the street, now he is a record
said, “This win solidified his spot as one
left this season, all eyes are set on who
PGA Championship Major at the
breaking champion. Day grew up in
of the big four (Rory McIlroy, Bubba
will take home the Tour Championship
stormy Whistling Straits Golf Links in
an impoverished neighborhood in
Watson, Jordan Spieth, and Jason Day)
this month.
delinquent
teenager,
of this generation.”
With only a handful of tournaments
September 2015
Sports
Warriors play starring role in NBA Finals highlight reel By JC Canicosa ’16 After an action packed NBA Finals with the highest TV ratings since Jordan, the Golden State Warriors became the NBA Champions for the first time in40 years in what looks like the beginning of the league’s newest dynasty. The playoffs were rather anticlimactic as both conference champions steamrolled their way to the Finals with a combined record of 24-5, one of the highest in decades. These playoffs did have a lot of great moments, but the “Lebron vs the World” storyline in the Finals is what fans will always remember. Best playoff series: Los Angeles Clippers vs San Antonio Spurs Winner: Los Angeles Clippers Besides The Finals, the most excitement fans got in the playoffs was in the first round. The defending champions, the San Antonio Spurs, fell all the way to the sixth seed and lost home court to the Los Angeles Clippers. The series went back and forth as the Clippers lost home court, regained it in San Antonio, and then lost it again back in LA. It was do or die for the Clippers in Game 6 as they were down 3-2 in San Antonio. Against all odds, the Clippers were able to force a Game 7 back at Staples Center, but all the minutes Chris Paul had logged caught up to him as he strained his hamstring and basically had to play the winner-take-all Game 7 on one leg. The game went back and forth, but the hobbled Chris Paul won the series for the Clippers when he hit a TOUGH floater in traffic with just a second to go. In the most back and forth series in the playoffs, the exhausted Los Angeles Clippers defeated the defending champions and moved onto the 2nd round for the 3rd time in four years. Western Conference Playoff MVP: Stephen Curry Honorable Mentions: Blake Griffin, Anthony Davis, James Harden If longevity and games played weren’t factors, Anthony Davis would’ve been the runaway playoff MVP as he averaged 32 points a game on 54 percent shooting, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks against the statistically best offense and defense in the league. But the Pelicans’ playoff berth was a short one as they were swept in the first round. From there, the MVP race was basically a two man race between Blake Griffin and Steph Curry (as James Harden’s turnover rate was much too high (4.5 a game) and FG percentage was too low (44 percent
Photo courtesy gswarriorsnation.com
11
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
). Though very close, Curry gets the edge because of how much more potent he made his offense. Defenses were forced to double Curry every possession to get it out of his hands while Griffin arguably wasn’t even a first option in his offense. Not to mention, Curry was consistently good, being able to produce more at a more efficient level for four series as opposed to Griffin only playing in two series. Eastern Conference Playoff MVP: Lebron James Honorable Mention: Derrick Rose Honestly, the Eastern Conference MVP race wasn’t even close. Lebron James is clearly still the best player in the world and led the Cleveland Cavaliers to two sweeps on the road to the Finals. Averaging more than 30 points a game and almost a triple double (30 points-12 rebounds-9 assists) over the entire playoffs is an insane feat on its own. But the most impressive thing Lebron had done this year is force a Game 6 in the Finals without all stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love against a great Golden State Warriors team. Lebron James also showed fans how much better he makes his teammates as he made role players Tristan Thompson and Matthew Dellavedova extremely serviceable in the series. Biggest Choke of the Playoffs: Los Angeles Clippers vs Houston Rockets
Photo courtesy cleveland.com
Winner: Houston Rockets The Los Angeles Clippers came into the series without their floor general Chris Paul in Houston for Games 1 and 2. Despite this, however, the Clippers were able to steal Game 1 and get the split they needed in Houston. Chris Paul returned in Game 3 for the series and led the Clippers to take the next two games in Los Angeles. Entering Game 5 down 3-1, the Rockets began to look like a completely different team. “We were locked in since being down 3-1. We just said one game, one game, one game,” said James Harden as he led his team to a victory in Houston with the first playoff triple double of his career. Back in LA, the Rockets really showed their mental fortitude and will as they were down 19 points late in the third quarter and came all the way back to force a Game 7 after a whopping 34 point swing to end the game. The Clippers were clearly mentally shaken and the Rockets took full advantage by winning by double digits and advancing to the Western
Conference Finals for the first time since 1997. The NBA Finals 2015 The Finals this year took an interesting turn and matched up two perennial losers. The Cleveland Cavaliers hadn’t won a championship in its franchise history and the Warriors hadn’t won a championship in 40 years. There was a lot of hype around this matchup with the “MVP vs Best Player in the World” storyline going on, and the series certainly lived up to the hype, even though the injury bug bit the Cavaliers hard as Kevin Love had been ruled out for the rest of the season and Kyrie Irving fractured his kneecap in Game 1. Many predicted the Warriors to easily take the series against a heavily injured Cleveland Cavaliers team, but they split the first two games at home as both games had to be settled in overtime (first time in NBA history opening two
games of the finals went into overtime). Cleveland’s defense vastly improved when Matthew Dellavedova and Tristan Thompson replaced defensive liabilities Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love and Lebron played out of his mind in the Finals, averaging 42 points in the first three games. It was enough to give Cleveland the 2-1 series lead, but the fatigue caught up to them as they basically ran a seven man rotation for six games. Kerr’s adjustments, like putting Andre Iguodala into the starting lineup and Steph Curry finally waking up, were enough to let the Warriors win the next three games and bring the Bay their first championship in 40 years. Not even Lebron in God mode could deny them that golden trophy. All in all, the 2015 playoffs were rather dull. Without Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, or Paul George and many other all stars playing below 100 percent, the championship seemed like a steamroll for the World Champion Golden State Warriors. The East has so much less talent than the West that the next few years will be “The Cleveland Cavaliers vs whoever survives the West.” But even though the playoffs weren’t the most exciting, they have paved the way for the new wave of upcoming superstars: Stephen Curry, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, and Anthony Davis. The future looks bright in Golden State.
Varsity football tackles dinner, then opponents By Daniel Etter ’17
There are more changes in store for Riordan varsity football. This year, the varsity football team will host team dinners the night before each game in the cafeteria after practice. This tradition is being brought back from the 2000s. Coach Jay’Sen Morris, who ate dinner with his Riordan teammates when he was a player here, said it is “a different way to mentally prepare after a hard week of work.” Receiver Peter Kolokotrones ‘16 loves the idea of having dinner as a team, saying, “As long as those linemen don’t over eat.” Peter and coach Morris both agreed it is a great way to bond as a team. Players and coaches are excited for this change, which has also come with a new head coach and a new venue for home games. Coach Morris also believes that the dinners will add a college ball feeling to the team and create a very fun environment. “It is like the last thing you do to prepare for the game,” Coach Morris said, adding that it would lock him in and he hopes it will lock in the whole team. Tradition is what Riordan is all about and many believe that bringing back big meal as a team is a good way to get ready for the WCAL.
Football Schedule ARCHBISHOP MITTY (Away) 10/3/15 | 3PM JUNIPERO SERRA (Home)(CCSF) 10/10/15 | 1PM BELLARMINE (Home)(Terra Nova) 10/17/15 | 5PM SAINT IGNATIUS (Away) 10/24/15 | 2PM VALLEY CHRISTIAN (Away) 10/30/15 | 7:30PM SHC (Home)(Terra Nova) 11/7/15 | 5PM SAINT FRANCIS (Home)(CCSF) 11/14/15 | 1PM
12 Sports
September 2015
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Basketball teams hope to build on last year’s success By Alfonso Miranda ’17
Returning seniors from varsity team from left to right, Jake Rassam, Danial Norman, Jason Smith, Eric Galindo, Eddie Stansbury, and Luis Cardenas. Photo courtesy of staff
Swish! The Riordan Crusaders
Last year, the Crusaders fell short
the freshman, varsity, and junior
their speed and quickness on the
basketball team is already starting
in the CCS quarter-finals, losing to
college level. He hopes to bring that
court. They ended the WCAL season
to prepare for the ’15-’16 basketball
Sierra 49-54. This year, the Crusaders
leadership to the younger guys to be
7-7 and they hope to
season.
will be lead by Coach Rich Buckner
a role model.
that this upcoming season with
This year the team will have new
and his assistant coaches will be
Coach Arias expects the team
new additions to the team and the
additions, with juniors now joining
Coach Todd Chesebro and returning
to play hard, do things right, play
seniors, who hope to end their high
varsity after the class of 2015 has
from the freshman team, assistant
unselfishly, and put winning above
school basketball career on a good
graduated. The Crusaders team this
Coach Danny Arias.
everything. He expects the team to
note with a WCAL championship and
year does not have a lot of height,
have the ability to win WCAL open
possibly a CCS championship.
but they work hard and don’t give
to be back on varsity, coaching the
division and make it to state.
up. The basketball team might carry
older guys. He said he has been
The Crusaders this year will be a
15 players this year.
coaching for 15 years, coaching at
small team but, they will try to use
The athletes on Riordan’s track
our eyes mostly set on. However a
even more competitive event than
team have had another successful
CCS championship is not out of reach
the state meet.
season this past year, coming in 5th
as well,” Willers said. “But most impor-
in the Varsity WCAL track and field
tantly I’m just excited to see the kids
surprising,” Jason said. “[I] did good
league, which is a difficult task.
grind it out and continue to improve
work and have great expectations for
With standout performances, in-
as they have been.”
next year. I’m a two sport athlete so
cluding multiple personal bests, the
In addition to a successful overall
right now I’m working out with bas-
coaches could not be happier.
team season, there were many stand-
ketball but as that ends I’ll be head-
Distance Coach Benny Willers said,
out athletes, two of whom went on to
ing out to the track to put in more
“Summer training went really well.
compete at the CIF state meet. This
work.”
You know it’s hard and all with kids
included now senior, Jason Smith,
going away on summer vacation and
and Adan Pena, who graduated this
ed for most athletes in March, came
what not, but the varsity team defi-
past school year.
to a close in June at the Jacksonville,
nitely made some sacrifices to get the
The CIF state meet being one
Florida USATF Junior Olympics. At
necessary miles in.”
of the most difficult track meets in
the meet, Jason Smith reached a per-
He added, “This is by far the best
the country, truly shows how much
sonal best time in 200-meter race at
team Riordan has had in the past 15
standout effort and will these young
22.62 seconds.
or so years and it’s not only because
men have to compete.
of their hard work and dedication,
Thinking to even extend their
and saw a multitude of excellent per-
but because of the bond they have
successful seasons, many athletes,
formances from other athletes.
with each other.”
including Jason and Adan, competed
“The state meet is what we have
in the USATF Junior Olympic trials, an
Coach Arias said that he is excited
improve
Alumni track stars pass baton to inspired team By Jacob Taylor ’17
Jason Smith ’16 returns to improve on his
state qualifying first season on track. Photo by staff
“Overall it was a good season, very
The long track season, which start-
Alongside that, the team bonded
September 2015
Entertainment
13
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Movie Review
Batman vs. Robin: It’s a family affair By Christian Pascual-Fernandez ’16
Though she contributes to the advancement of the plot by providing a key step, that event doesn’t exactly feel important, nor was it exciting. Viewers can see it coming from a mile away a quarter through the movie. As a whole, “Batman vs. Robin” was not absolutely terrible. The center of the movie is with Bruce and Damian, having a feud that only a father and son could have. The fight scenes (except for the majority of actual Batman vs. Robin), were stunning and gruesome, partially making up for where the plot fell. The inclusion of Nightwing (Dick Grayson), the first Robin, was a great choice as it compared the two Robins, the first being more successful than the current, and Photo courtesy DCcomics.com
of Owls, plays a significant role as he tries to drive
put them against each other (sibling rivalry).
the two apart by bringing out the killer in Damian
Prior to taking up the title of Robin, Dick
that he was born to be and appeals to Damian
Grayson already knew how to love a family, making
And DC did… kind of. The DC Comics and
as the person that he wants his father to be. The
it easy for him to develop a good relationship with
Warner Bros. Animation combination has usually
first half also includes stunning, memorable fight
Bruce. Damian, on the other hand, never felt true
been known to create animated films that are
scenes, filled with much detail and brutality.
love from family, as he was forced into training for
appealing to both the visual and theatrical senses.
It is in the second half of the film where things
killing. The intro scene was definitely memorable
In the case of Batman vs. Robin, the theatrical
start to go downhill. The plot starts to no longer
for how horrific it was, providing a creepy image
sense department was definitely lacking.
make sense, as motives become questioned and
of the Dollmaker’s motives and methods. The
Directed by Jay Oliva and released in April of
logic is thrown out the window. It feels rushed, as
confrontation between Dollmaker and Damian
2015, “Batman vs. Robin” is the direct, animated
if the makers of the film wanted to skip ahead to
was definitely thrilling, as it brought out who
sequel to the 2014 film, “Son of Batman.” Following
a final confrontation while not wanting to go into
Damian really is and displays his struggle to keep
the events of its predecessor, the film focuses on
detail on how that confrontation came to be.
up with his father’s expectations.
Damian Wayne (voiced by Stuart Allan), son of
Traditionally
twist,
The film wasn’t great, but it wasn’t terrible
Bruce Wayne (voiced by Jason O’Mara) and the
the conclusion is gained gradually. Here, the
either. It was definitely entertaining and worth
In the film, Damian is targeted by the Court of
conclusion was practically jumped to after the
viewing, but didn’t meet the potential it had to
Owls, a secret organization of the rich that seeks
plot twist. In addition, the film doesn’t exactly
be a great film, nor did it come to par with the
to take control over Gotham. In order to take full
live up to the title Batman vs. Robin, as the actual
portrayal of the story within the comics. It would
control, Gotham’s watchful guardian would have
fight between the two wasn’t exactly that great.
have been better if the transition from climax
to be eliminated, so the Court turns to Robin
Neither fight the way they do with others, which I
to conclusion was gradual and more effort was
(Damian) to take out the Bat. The film starts off
guess is because they still are father and son.
put into it. The cast was “fitting,” so to say. Jason
great, but doesn’t follow through toward the
Other flaws lie within various points of the
O’Mara and Stuart Allan return to lend their
second half.
film. First, the Court isn’t as sinister as they are
voices to Batman and Robin from the previous
relationship
in the comics. All they have in the film is money
film, as well as Sean Maher for Dick Grayson.
between Bruce and Damian, and it is clear that
and a private army of cool, undead ninjas. Second,
The inclusion of Kevin Conroy to play the role of
both are trying to make things work, but like with
the only female lead and practically only female
Thomas Wayne was definitely a nice touch, as he
most fathers and sons, things don’t always run
character, excluding extras and one civilian, offers
voiced Batman from the original animated series.
smoothly. Talon, one of the members in the Court
little to the table, other than her sexual appeal.
Out of a possible 10, this movie receives a 6.
“Do it!”
after
the
climax/plot
fifth Robin to fight alongside the Batman. Because of the way he was brought up by his mother, Talia al Ghul, Damian’s life has been focused on killing and becoming a deadly assassin.
A year has passed since Damian was left under
the care of his father, Batman, and it hasn’t been easy for him. He constantly feuds with his father because of their different mindsets. Bruce doesn’t exactly know how to be a father and Damian doesn’t know how to be anything other than a killer, which is against his father’s code of conduct. This leaves Damian feeling imprisoned and limited, as his father sets many expectations and guidelines to live by and not allowing Damian to be himself (typical father-son theatrical relationship).
We
are
given
a
father-son
14 Entertainment
September 2015
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Movie Review
Summer 2015: Best and worst on the silver screen
By Alex Perez ‘16
As every movie fan knows, the
in the 1980s, and how they used their
and entertaining experiences. Sure, it’s
environment are just a wonder to
summer season is the time of year
experiences to make some of the most
not quite as well rounded or fun as the
behold. But it’s how the movie tells its
everyone looks forward to. It’s the time
iconic music in hip-hop history. Just
first outing, but I love “Avengers: Age
appropriately simple story that really
of year where the biggest movies are
like their music did, the film also
of Ultron.” Rating: 9/10.
stood out to me. Within all the crazy
released, and where kids and families
brings to light several issues that we
are given more time to check them
as a society still face today, and shows
3. “Mission: Impossible - Rogue
use of visual storytelling. There’s not a
out. This past summer was pegged
both how far we’ve come and how far
Nation” - Talk about a franchise that
whole lot of dialogue here, but we still
to be the summer movie season of all
we still need to go, and serves as a very
just keeps getting better and better.
get wrapped up in this engaging story
The previous outing in the “Mission:
of Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) and
Impossible” franchise, 2011’s “Ghost
Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron)
Protocol,” was a fantastic film that many
facing off against cult leader Immortan
considered the best of the franchise. I
Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne, who also
did as well, but after seeing “Rogue
played the villain in the original “Mad
Nation,” I honestly like this one a little
Max”) and his War Boys. Simply put,
more. A common complaint with
“Mad Max: Fury Road” is masterful
many action films these days is the lack
film-making. Rating: 10/10.
of stakes. Here, the stakes are higher
than they’ve ever been before. There’s
back, people, and it brings me so
a real sense of urgency throughout
much glee to be able to say that.
the entire film, which makes many of
“Inside Out” is one of the most original,
Photo courtesy Movies.disney.com
action beats, the film makes brilliant
1. “Inside Out” - Pixar is officially
summer movie seasons, as a whole
relevant and important experience.
the film’s key sequences (including
heartbreaking,
slew of major motion pictures were
Even if its conclusion doesn’t match
perhaps the greatest motorcycle
and thrilling animated films not only
finally given the chance to see the
up with the rest of the film, incredible
chase I’ve ever seen in a movie) all the
of this decade, but possibly even of
light of day.
performances and confident direction
more intense and gripping. This also
all time. Taking place inside the mind
Going as far back as 2013, so many
make “Straight Outta Compton” one
makes the story even more engaging,
of a little girl named Riley, the story of
film fanatics were highly anticipating
definitely worth checking out. Rating:
and I was honestly on the edge of
five personified emotions struggling
what the 2015 summer movie season
8.5/10.
my seat the entire time. In the end,
to keep her mentality stable after a
“Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation”
big move may not sound like the most
would have to offer, myself included.
hilarious,
beautiful,
After having watched a good majority
4. “Avengers: Age of Ultron” - This
is a mission worth going on, and
original thing in the world, but it’s how
of the big releases this summer, I
is a movie that I definitely enjoyed and
continues to prove Tom Cruise is one of
the film tells its story that makes it so
honestly have to say that it was a bit
appreciated more than most. Many
our generation’s greatest action stars,
unique. For an animated family film,
of a disappointment. There were a fair
people thought this was an enjoyable
and one of our greatest movie stars in
“Inside Out” is surprisingly mature,
amount of entertaining and well-made
film, but that it didn’t measure up to
general. This guy just won’t stop, and
taking the time to really explore
films, but there were also a handful
the greatness of its predecessor or of
that’s awesome! Rating: 9.5/10.
every aspect of the human mind, and
of underwhelming and unpleasing
other Marvel outings like “Iron Man” or
movie-going experiences. So as we
“Guardians of the Galaxy.” And while
2. “Mad Max: Fury Road” - “Oh
understanding of how it works. At the
look back on the summer that’s come
this film definitely isn’t as good as its
what a day! WHAT A LOVELY DAY!”
same time, the film is able to perfectly
and gone, I present to you my picks
2012 original, I can safely say that I
Those were exactly my sentiments after
balance an incredibly fun story with
for the top 5 best and worst movies of
still loved “Avengers: Age of Ultron.”
seeing this gem known as “Mad Max:
hilarious and exciting moments, along
summer 2015. Let’s start on a positive
Director Joss Whedon once again
Fury Road” for the first time, because
with some of the most heartbreaking
note and look back on all the good
brings so much style and energy
this is not only the best action film I’ve
stuff I’ve seen in quite some time. I
that summer had to offer.
into this film, and fleshes out the
seen all year, and not only the best film
cried like a little baby, and even as
characters in a way that we really do
in the legendary “Mad Max” franchise,
a 17-year-old male, I am not afraid
5. “Straight Outta Compton” -
buy them as a team and we get the
but “Fury Road” is honestly one of the
to admit it. “Inside Out” beautifully
Directed by F. Gary Gray, this biopic
feeling that they actually need each
greatest action films I’ve ever seen.
represents everything that I feel makes
tells the story of one of hip-hop’s most
other. I felt Ultron (James Spader, “The
“Fury Road” is one of the most chaotic
a perfect film, and films like this are the
legendary groups, N.W.A. The film
Blacklist”) was one of Marvel’s most
and relentless action movies out
reason I love cinema in the first place.
paints a very honest picture of what
unique and compelling villains, and
there. This has some of the most crazy,
Welcome back, Pixar. Rating: 10/10.
life was like for members Ice Cube, Dr.
witnessing the Avengers squaring off
frenetic action sequences I’ve ever
Dre, and Eazy-E growing up on the
against him and his robot army was
witnessed, and these insane set-pieces
recognize the bad, and with that, here
harsh streets of Compton, California
one of this summer’s most thrilling
paired with the harsh post-apocalyptic
are my picks for the biggest pieces of
doing so in a way that shows a firm
But with all the good, we must also
continued on page 15
September 2015
Entertainment
15
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
continued from page 14
to the geek community, in the vein
set up towards its finale feel completely
even after over 30 years of release.
of things like “The Big Bang Theory.”
undeserved and out of place. In an era
Unfortunately, the same will never be
Instead of treating these classic geeky
where superhero movies are finally
said about this new “Vacation” film,
5. “Terminator Genisys” - This
properties - including Pac-Man, Donkey
being taken seriously, it really sucks
as this is quite possibly one of the
movie is further proof that the
Kong, and Q*Bert - with any kind of
to have to sit through trite movies like
worst comedies I have ever witnessed.
“Terminator” franchise really should’ve
love or respect, they just point their
“Fantastic Four.” Rating: 2/10.
Even in films as unfunny as “Pixels,” I
ended with “Terminator 2: Judgement
fingers at them and laugh at them, all
still find myself able to laugh at least
Day,” which I still think is the greatest
while essentially saying “Hey look! It’s
2. “The Gallows” - Anyone who
once or twice throughout. I did not
action film ever made. I can handle
all these things that nerds like! Nerds
knows me knows that I am a big theatre
laugh a single time during this entire
changing up the continuity of an
will LOVE us!” Well, too bad, because
guy. Thus, to see a horror film revolving
film. My entire theater was laughing
entire franchise (well, to an extent),
even the nerdiest of nerds can tell you
around the theatre is something
hysterically, while I just sat there bored
but to do so in such a confusing,
that this movie sucks. Even with a cool
that would naturally appeal to me.
out of my mind. These jokes are way
incomprehensible
just
visual style and some creative action
Unfortunately, what we have in “The
too gratuitous for their own good, and
baffling to me, and that’s exactly what
sequences - particularly one involving
Gallows” is further proof as to why the
the movie suffers from the mentality
“Terminator Genisys” does. But even
Pac-Man - “Pixels” completely fails on
horror genre is one of my least favorite
that every joke has to be the craziest
beyond that, this movie really doesn’t
everything it tries to accomplish, and
genres of film. Instead of actually
joke in the whole film. And honestly,
have much to offer. The special effects
is yet another dud for Sandler and
infusing the film with a true sense of
I think a lot of that has to do with the
are just garbage, the screenplay features
company. Rating: 3/10.
terror or building up some genuine
cast. Christina Applegate and Leslie
some of the worst dialogue of any film
tension, first time directors Travis Cluff
Mann are fine, but Ed Helms is out of
this year, the action sequences feel
3. “Fantastic Four” - Great, I have
and Chris Lofing just opt for cheap
place, Chris Hemsworth feels forced,
watered down and underwhelming,
to talk about this movie AGAIN? As if
jump scares, and it’s these kinds of
and Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo
the direction from Alan Taylor (“Game
writing my full review wasn’t painful
conventions that I hate seeing in horror
have barely anything to do in their
of Thrones” and “Thor: The Dark World”)
enough. But either way, I just need to
movies. And I’m sorry, but how exactly
returning roles. If I haven’t stressed
is just horrendous, and the acting,
get this out there: DO NOT SEE THIS
did this movie receive an R rating?
enough how bad this movie is already,
for the most part, is terrible. Arnold
MOVIE. Out of all the movies you’ll see
Content-wise, this has to be one of the
just know that this movie actually
Schwarzenegger and Jai Courtney do
on this list, “Fantastic Four” had by far
safest horror films I’ve ever seen. Save
made me physically ill, and I’m not
fine, but Emilia Clarke, Jason Clarke,
the biggest potential, and all potential
for one slightly graphic shot towards
even joking. “Vacation” is the epitome
and J.K. Simmons? Not so much. Just
it had is completely squandered.
the film’s conclusion, there really isn’t
of garbage, and I’d re-watch “Pixels” a
let this franchise die already. Rating:
Director Josh Trank and 20th Century
much in the way of disturbing or
thousand times before going back to
3.5/10.
Fox have constructed a superhero film
graphic content in the film, there’s little
this trash. Rating: 0.5/10.
that doesn’t even realize it has to be
profanity, and there’s no sexual content
4. “Pixels” - How do you take such a
one until its final 10 minutes, in a climax
to be found. Either way, “The Gallows” is
has been somewhat hit or miss. Even
fun and unique sounding concept and
that feels more panicky than confident.
horrifyingly horrible. Rating: 1/10.
outside of the films I mentioned, movies
turn it into a movie as bad as . “Pixels”?
Before that, there is nothing in the
Simple. You get Adam Sandler and
film to actually make us care about
1. “Vacation” - “National Lampoon’s
like “Jurassic World” disappointed. I
his buddies to take this concept, beat
anything going on, and the extreme
Vacation” is one of my all time favorite
just hope the rest of the year is more
it, and shove it down our throats in a
lack of character or story development
comedies. It’s one of the most quotable
consistent. Now bring on “Star Wars”
hackneyed attempt to try to appeal
makes the “team” dynamic they try to
movies of all time, and still holds up
already.
Photo courtesy variety.com
trash the summer forced upon us.
manner
is
Looking back on it, this past summer
like “Ant-Man” surprised, while others
16 Entertainment
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
September 2015
New “Fantastic Four” movie ain’t so fantastic
By Alex Perez ’16
Photo courtesy Fox movies.com
In 20th Century Fox’s third attempt to bring Marvel’s first superhero team to the big screen, they’ve somehow found a way to dig themselves into an even deeper hole than ever before. In an age where films like “The Dark Knight,” “The Avengers,” and “X-Men: Days of Future Past” have shown just how intelligent and worthwhile superhero films can be, to get a film as lackluster, boring, and incomplete as “Fantastic Four” is a true tragedy. For those who don’t remember (lucky you), Fox first gave life to the property in 2005 with the release of Tim Story’s “Fantastic Four,” and then with its 2007 sequel, “Rise of the Silver Surfer.” While those films were successful at the box office, critics and audiences tore them apart with harsh, but deserved criticism. But as bad as those films were, it pains me to say that this film, somehow, is even worse. “Fantastic Four” follows Reed Richards (Miles Teller, “Whiplash”), Sue
Storm (Kate Mara, “House of Cards”), Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan, “Fruitvale Station”), and Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell, “The Adventures of Tintin”), as the four youngsters develop special and unique powers after embarking on an inter-dimensional journey. Reed can stretch any part of his body to any length, Sue can become invisible and create force fields, Johnny can manipulate fire, and Ben becomes a giant rock man with enhanced strength. The four must come together and use these powers to take down the villainous Doctor Doom (Toby Kebbell, “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”) in a plot that I’m probably making sound a lot more epic than it actually is. You might be wondering, “sure this movie sucks, but is there ANYTHING good about it?” Well . . . I suppose. I will admit that I did not hate the first hour or so of this film. Granted, I still didn’t give a hoot about anything that was going on, but nothing in the first half of the film really infuriated me. In fact,
I think they actually presented some potentially engaging story beats, particularly in the dynamic between Reed and Ben. The problem is the film fails to fully develop these story elements or do anything interesting with them. That’s one of its many problems at least. I mentioned earlier that I didn’t find myself hating the first half of the film. Well, by the time these characters actually get their powers, things start to get really bad really fast. After we see them get their powers, we’re not given any time whatsoever to see them learning how to really use them or get accustomed to them. Instead, they just jump to a year later with the characters under the control of the military. As a result of the film’s horrendous pacing, we never see anything really develop. Anyone who’s followed the production for “Fantastic Four” knows that the making of this film was just a mess. Director Josh Trank (“Chronicle,” also starring Michael B. Jordan) even wrote on his Twitter that the final product was not the film he intended to make, as Fox completely butchered his vision for the movie, and now “You’ll probably never see it.” Because of the studio’s interference, the whole film feels really incomplete, and characters and ideas that would’ve been developed more go completely untouched. We’re never given the chance to see the characters grow in their relationships with one another (Heck, I don’t think Sue and Ben even have any dialogue together!), and by the end of the movie when they try to establish a “team” dynamic between the Four, it just doesn’t feel warranted.
But honestly, that’s not even the worst part. Once this actually realizes it has to be a superhero movie, it feels as though the filmmakers were just panicking to try to put something together. The way they handle the big super-powered “climax” of the film is one of the most insulting, mind-numbing things I may have ever seen in a superhero film, at least in this day and age. The climactic battle scene only lasts for about 5 minutes, and considering that we’re supposed to buy these characters as brilliant science prodigies (well, two of them at any rate), the whole thing feels really dumb. Instead of actually throwing in some sort of logic or some cool scientific elements, all this consists of is the Fantastic Four punching and throwing stuff at Doctor Doom (who by the way, they’ve completely ruined . . . again) with horrid CG effects, all taking place in a dimension I like to call “Planet Green Screen.” It’s just horrendous. There’s a good movie in here somewhere. I honestly think there is. I’d actually love to see a director’s cut of some kind on the DVD release to see what Josh Trank had originally envisioned this film to be. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that’ll ever happen, and what we’re stuck with is a boring, uneven, shockingly stupid and putridly edited attempt at a superhero movie. And considering its lukewarm reviews and devastating box office returns, it’s highly unlikely that Fox will follow through on a sequel, even if it is scheduled for release in 2017. Overall, “Fantastic Four” gets a not-so-fantastic 2/10.
Halo? Is it Master Chief you’re looking for?
``
By Kyle Politz ‘16
Photo courtesy Halowaypoint.com
One of the most iconic games of all time, Halo, is about to release its new game on Oct. 27. There have been many great additions and sadly some omissions, in the series, since its inception in November of 2001. The game is created by Bungie (owned by Microsoft) and has had many aspects of it that made gamers fall in love with the series. While there are many great parts of the game, there are also some not so pleasing aspects that have made it to
the final copy. By far the most successful Halo game to date, was Halo 3. While all other Halo games made around $10 million in gross sales, Halo 3 topped the average by earning around $11.4 million. Halo 3 was the most loved game of the series, for the main facts that it was a game that was fit for everyone and was different than the majority of the games back then. Custom Games, where players can join up with friends and create game types that they wish to play or that were made by others and are offered, allowed players who wanted to do something other than the normal story mode or multi-player to do something different with over 8 friends or random players. Forge, another game type made for players who wanted to change
from the normal game, was for people who wanted to build different environments or re-create places from the story were able to go and do whatever they wanted with all different pieces of the game. Both of these additions to the Halo game, brought in a lot more people than it would have normally gotten because of the fact that it branched out from the normal and grabbed people’s attention from other games that were looking for what was just added. For the players who got the game and like me, mainly focused on playing it for the competitive online multi-player, it was great except for how the game is set up versus how most are. The Halo 3 multi-player matchmaking system was set up by skill level versus how much time you
played the game. What I mean by this, is, that if you were to win many games in a row with a high score, that was how you would rank up in the game and advance to play better players who are the same rank as you. The same could also true in reverse. If you were to play a lot of games and continuously lose them, you would de-rank and be moved into a lower bracket to face people at that skill level. This was great because it discouraged people from trying to purposely lose because they thought it was funny or briefing their team. This was different than the norm at the time, because the ranking system was based on how much time you played the game in order to rank up. This was annoying for some people, because if you had just started the game, you could be playing against
continued on page 19
Entertainment
September 2015
iPad Repair Club rescues t a b l e t s By Alexander Vallecillo ‘18
Photo courtesy Richard Huling
There is a new club on campus,
17
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Movie Review
Batman rules the Knight
By Christian Pascual-Fernandez ’16
“I am vengeance! I am the night! I
fight against these criminals.
ever get tired of chasing after Scare-
Equipped with a new suit, a wide
crow, you can always come back to it
Indeed you are. Once again, Rock-
variety of gadgets, and combat and
and work on a side mission. The same
steady studios does an excellent job
detective skills, it is your job as Go-
thing goes vice-versa, as many of the
in putting players behind the cowl of
tham’s savior to track down Scare-
side quests cannot be fully complet-
the Dark Knight, giving players full
crow and stop him from releasing his
ed without further progressing in the
access to Batman’s various gadgets,
fear toxin. The task, however, is not
main mission. This system of progres-
combat skills, and detective tech-
easy, as crime rages throughout the
sion works well, as it prevents players
niques. This game appeals to gamers
city and it is your job to stop them as
from breezing through the game, or
and comic lovers alike with its game
well (it’s in the job description). One
losing track of what is happening.
play and story. What better way to
individual in particular is given more
The various characters are also
kick off your summer than to actually
attention (his name is in the title): the
well developed, as they have much
kick a guy in the face and send him
Arkham Knight. The Knight is a mys-
personality that is fitting with their
flying head first into a nearby wall?
terious new villain who works with
portrayals in the DC comics. Kev-
Scarecrow to take control of the city
in Conroy makes a return to lend
am Batman!”
Arkham Origins is the fourth install-
his voice as Batman. Troy Baker also
and even students who are not
makes a comeback, lending his voice
interested in joining, might be in
to Two-Face, the Arkham Knight, and
need of their services at one point in
of course, Joker. Doing a superb job
their years at Riordan.
in voicing the Joker in the previous
The iPad Repair Club teaches
game, Arkham Origins, Baker once
students how to repair damaged iPads, whether they have a cracked
again kills the role of the Joker.
screens or a cracked LCD. Archbishop
They also build connections with
Riordan High School students can
the player, and our opinions of them
get their iPad fixed for $100 - $120.
are perfectly justifiable. For example,
Students
can
also
repair
other
people’s iPads for their own price instead of the cost at ARHS.
Riddler returns to the series, challeng-
Photos courtesy Batmanarkhamknight.com
ing the detective capabilities of the
ment of the Arkham series and takes
and is determined to kill Batman. His
Dark Knight. As you progress through
video
place after the events of Arkham City.
appearance is similar to that of Bat-
the game, Riddler taunts players by
tutorial, which is one to two hours
After the Joker’s death in Arkham City,
man, as he wears similar armor and
taking shots and calling them “intel-
Gotham prepares for a power strug-
even has pointy ears on his helmet;
lectually inferior” in some shape or
gle among Gotham’s super-villains
however, he does not wear a cape.
form. It may get annoying for players,
for the top spot in the crime world.
making them want to shut him up
However, the struggle never came;
as he wears a helmet equipped with
and cause him much harm.
as a matter of fact, crime actually de-
a voice-scrambler. In addition, not
Many of Batman’s other famous
clined… until Halloween. Scarecrow,
much is known about him as he has
super-villains make an appearance
the main villain of the game, finally
no known background information.
in this game such as Poison Ivy, Pen-
launches his plan for control over Go-
His skills in combat are much like
guin, Man-Bat, Firefly, and Death-
it is going to take full effect this year.
tham. Scarecrow unleashes a small
Batman’s, but unlike the Dark Knight,
stroke. With all these villains, you’d
Currently, the club consists of
amount his fear toxin at a local diner,
he carries sidearms and has a willing-
probably wonder if Batman can do it
around 10 ARHS students and is going
causing people to hallucinate, panic
ness to kill. The Arkham Knight is in
alone (some may argue that he can
to officially opened the week of Sept.
and cause chaos.
command of a large militia of high-
because HE’S BATMAN). Batman ac-
8. The benefit of joining the club is
The event is televised to the
ly-skilled mercenaries and drones
tually doesn’t work alone here, as he
that this skill can be carried on past
rest of Gotham, followed by an an-
that occupy much of Gotham after
has many allies such as Nightwing,
high school and could potentially
nouncement by Scarecrow that the
the evacuation. Checkpoints, watch
Robin (Tim Drake), Alfred, Lucius Fox,
become a job in the field, or possibly
diner incident was nothing com-
towers, and drone patrols make navi-
Barbara and Jim Gordon, and Cat-
lead to becoming an entrepreneur.
pared to what he has in store. Scare-
gating Gotham a bit more difficult (as
woman. Throughout the game, there
crow warns people to leave Gotham
if you didn’t have enough to worry
are numerous Easter eggs, referenc-
before he, “engulfs the city in fear.” A
about).
ing different aspects of the DC Uni-
The
students
watch
a
long, and this teaches them how to repair the iPad. Further questions are answered by club moderator Richard Huling, who is there to assist them.
Huling has repaired iPads and has
now taught the students how to do it. The iPad Repair Club went through a test run last year with the E Sports students and it proved successful, so
Brian Zheng ’16, a member of the club, said they repair broken and damaged screens, LCDs, and batteries.
They
can
also
repair
iPhones. Brian,
who
has
helped
four
students with damaged iPads, said, “It is a great club and the talent I learn enables me to be take it into the real world.”
His identity is kept secret (at first),
verse such as the Justice League and
mass evacuation is conducted, leav-
The main story is both satisfying
ing the city to individuals, ranging
and compelling, making sense in the
various parts of Batman’s story.
from the common street-thug to the
DC Universe, and Arkham storyline.
Gameplay wise, Arkham Knight
different Batman super-villains to do
There’s always plenty to do because
is pretty enjoyable. Players are giv-
as they please in the almost barren
of the different side quests. At certain
en such an open world for them to
city. However, the criminals aren’t the
points of the game, new side quests
explore, which is fitting as Gotham
only ones to stay behind, as much
will open up, requiring players to pur-
is such a large city. The layout of the
of the police force, fire crews, and of
sue some super-villain or investigate
world consists of three islands, all of
course, Batman, remain in the city to
areas that require attention. So, if you
which are accessible by bridge or by
continued on page 18
18 Entertainment
September 2015
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Batman rules the Knight
continued from page 17 gliding over to them from the skies.
ball bats and pipes that players can
this form to take on unmanned remote
down does not always function prop-
Unlike previous games, Arkham Knight
wield.
drones in tank warfare. Players can also
erly. During a FEAR take-down, time is
takes place more outside, rather than
A new mechanic of the combat sys-
upgrade the Batmobile, to unlock abil-
slowed as players take down thugs one
indoors. This makes a big difference in
tem is the dual play feature, allowing
ities such as EMP blasts, drone hacks,
by one. The thugs are first highlighted
the traditional Arkham stealth formula,
players to control to characters at once
improved armor, and increased fire rate
by the player, then the attack is execut-
as stealth portions usually take place in
(in a sense). In one scenario, Batman
and missile ammunition.
ed. However, sometimes not all high-
small, confined rooms with well placed
teams up with Nightwing to take on a
The game makes full use of the Bat-
lighted thugs can be taken down, as
advantage points. However, in previous
group of Penguin’s thugs. Starting as
mobile, as situations such as combat
sometimes they move out of range or
games, players could just camp in van-
Batman, players fight through some of
and puzzle solving call for the Batmo-
move behind an obstacle such as large
tage points from the ceiling, wait, strike,
the thugs, while filling up a meter that,
bile’s use. However, the Batmobile is
boxes, corners, or walls.
and repeat. Arkham Knight changes
when filled completely, allows the play-
supposed to be a GADGET, not some
this by adding less ceiling and more of
er to perform a dual take-down on an
sort of limb to the Dark Knight. In vari-
where they either run in circles in place,
other approaches such as floor grates,
enemy with Batman and Nightwing.
ous points of the game, the Batmobile’s
or try to reach a destination, but are
ledges, ventilation shafts.
When the take-down is complete, play-
use is spoon-fed to players to the point,
blocked by a small portion of a wall.
Smarter AI makes players reconsid-
ers then continue the fight, but switch-
so much to the point where it becomes
With every game, there are bound to
er and adapt to changes in their ap-
es over to Nightwing. Players do, how-
tedious. It is actually much more con-
be technical issues, especially on the
proach, as enemies learn from how the
ever, have the ability to switch between
venient for players to grapple around
Xbox One edition. Unlike the PS4 edi-
player approaches the scenario and
characters at any time, with or without
the city and glide, rather than drive
tion, the Xbox One is subject to more
adapts to prevent a repeated plan of at-
the dual-team combo meter being
through the streets, as it is much faster.
drops in frame rate, glitches, unloaded
tack. A new mechanic introduced is the
filled.
In addition, the Batmobile’s combat
segments, and freezing. Certain ele-
system eventually gets repetitive. It was
ments in the story and side-missions
fun the first few times when players
also have their faults. For me person-
had the car in its base form, but after a
ally, I was somewhat let down by the
few upgrades and tank battles later, it
reveal of the Arkham Knight’s identity.
becomes clear that tank battles are just
The hints that pointed to who he was
the same cycle repeated over and over:
were so obvious that the developers
shoot, dodge, repeat. This is because
practically announced it wayyyy before
the drones do not keep a steady aim on
the final reveal.
In addition to combat, players are
FEAR take down: a type of maneuver
Enemies can also glitch out at times
the player, other than seeker missiles.
All in all, Arkham Knight was a great
The drones aim at the player’s current
game. However, it is allegedly the final
position at the given moment and lock
installment of the series. If that is the
on to that area. Players can easily move
case, there were some things that I wish
that allows Batman to take down mul-
given access to Batman’s arsenal of
out of the way and use their cannon
were included. I would’ve liked battles
tiple enemies within seconds. Batman’s
gadgets. Of course, there are the tra-
on the drones as they shoot at literally
with Killer Croc or Bane, as those por-
new suit is much lighter than his previ-
ditional batarangs, bat claw, remote
nothing. There isn’t really much variety
tions were very memorable from previ-
ous Arkham suits, but packs even more
hacking device, and freeze grenade.
in enemy tanks, as most of them just
ous installments. In addition, I felt that
of a punch. With less weight and more
New gadgets include the voice synthe-
have a different shot pattern or have a
some boss battles were pushovers or
punch, Batman can move faster and
sizer, weapons jammer, and the all new
missile feature while others do not.
not as good as they could have been,
take enemies out in quick succession
Batmobile.
with the FEAR take down.
Fault is not only with the Batmobile’s
such as the battle(s) with the Arkham
The Batmobile was not intended to
combat form, but with regular combat
Knight. But hey, it was still a good game
Once again, the combat system
originally be in the game, but was the
as well. Enemies, unlike in previous
with fun game-play, stunning design in
is breath-taking and jaw dropping.
developers’ apology gift for pushing
games, now have the ability to charge
scenery and character models, and new
Throughout the series, the combat’s
the release date further and further due
and tackle the player. This attack can-
mechanics.
brutality increases with each game with
to technical issues.
not be countered other than by throw-
This game was definitely better than
its movement and free flowing nature.
For the most part, players have full
ing a batarang or dodging. Normally
the previous game, Arkham Origins, as
Nonetheless, the combat makes play-
access to the Batmobile, except for nav-
during combat, the camera would
that game lacked originality and inter-
ers feel like a total boss, being able to
igating to certain areas of the map too
focus on the enemy who is about to
est. DLC is said to be released for this
take on so many foes at once. Additions
early in the game. A certain rush can
charge; however, the camera does not
game, so hopefully those better the
to the combat system are environmen-
be felt when driving in the Batmobile
always focus and the enemy can come
game’s experience. Some DLC has al-
tal and assisted take downs. During
as you chase other vehicles and race
from behind the camera, not allowing
ready been released and my preference
combat, it is important for players to be
through the streets. Humorously, play-
players the opportunity to even react.
lies with the “Episodes from Arkham”
aware of their surroundings, as there
ers will often run over thugs with the
In addition, the game can become un-
expansions. My personal favorites are
are opportunities to quickly dispose of
car, but do not actually “run them over,”
responsive in some instances as players
the Red Hood and Matter of Family
foes such as dropping a hanging light
as the car apparently releases a small
try to counter an attack, but are unable
DLC’s. But hey, just appreciate the game
onto their heads, slamming them into
electric shock to make thugs jump out
to do so and results in the player taking
for what it is and you can legitimately
fuse boxes, and throwing ventilation
of the way before impact. In addition,
damage when they may have pressed
say, “I’M BATMAN.”
vans. There are also various weapons
the car transforms into a combat tank
the counter button.
scattered about such as baskets, boxes,
equipped with 60mm rounds, chain
The stealth portions have their flaws
and gas tanks to throw, as well as base-
gun, and non-lethal rounds. Players use
as well. For instance, the FEAR take-
September 2015
Technology
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
19
Windows 10: A welcomed update or a tired retooling? By Alex Perez ’16 and Xavier Caracter ’17
Photo courtesy microsoft.com
On July 29, 2015, Microsoft released the latest in their successful line of operating systems, Windows 10. Despite initial hesitation towards its impending release, the operating system was met with much critical acclaim, with many calling it a welcomed improvement over Windows 8. And after trying my hand at it, I can safely say that this is one instance where you can definitely believe the hype. 2009 saw the release of Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system, which went on to take the world by storm. The OS was met with much acclaim, with users praising its increased functionality and new features when compared to its previous outing, Windows Vista. Things came to a screeching halt, however, when Microsoft released its successor, Windows 8. While many praised it for trying to push the envelope on what operating systems can do in this day and age, it was still criticized for its messy interface and more touch-friendly approach. This resulted in some justified apprehension towards Windows 8’s new baby brother, but it looks like those fears have been put to rest. Windows 10 is not only a significant improvement over its predecessor, but it’s a wonderful combination of the best elements of both Windows 7 and 8. If you’re still on the fence about upgrading, just know that Microsoft has made Windows 10 available to current Windows 7 and 8.1 users for free throughout its first year of
release, in an absolutely brilliant marketing strategy. Windows is keeping the same feel of a tablet while at the same time optimizing usage for Laptop and computer users. The OS also has increased security, new browser (so no more automatically installing Google chrome), the Cortana assistant, and its own version of office for mobile editing on phones and tablets. This new OS is a great attempt by Microsoft to repair their flop when releasing Windows 8. Although some loved the old OS for its tablet usability, PC users hated the useless and time consuming features, which were buggy and glitchy. Even on the Windows Surface, things were going wrong. But Microsoft definitely made up for it with Windows 10 and many are satisfied with all of the new fixes and features. Windows 10 offers several new features while also bringing back some fan favorites from previous operating systems. For example, users were elated with the return of the classic Start menu that was missing with Windows 8. It’s a welcomed return, though it should be noted that Microsoft has definitely made some changes to it. Aesthetically it’s more in line with Windows 8, but it functions more like the one we saw in Windows 7, which makes it much easier to navigate than the jumbled mess we saw before. Also, returning from Windows 8.1 Mobile is Cortana, which is basically Microsoft’s answer to Apple’s Siri. The only difference lies in the fact that Cortana
can be used on any Windows 10 device, and it actually works. It’s a very neat feature, even if you don’t find yourself using it very much. We’re not saying it’s useless or anything, because it’s far from it. We just don’t feel the need to utilize it too often. But really, all the new features make Windows 10 stand out from the rest. This OS really does combine the best elements of Windows 7 and 8 to make a very visually appealing and easy to use interface. The return of the Start menu definitely helps on that front. Multitasking has become significantly easier to manage as well. Windows 10 allows you to pull up to four windows on your screen at a time and go from one window to another, along with the option to produce multiple virtual desktops for different functions. It’s a very useful tool that we’ve used fairly often. Windows 10 also allows easy access to the new Windows Store, where you can purchase all your favorite apps, music, video content, and games. Speaking of, we’re now given the option to stream Xbox One games on our PCs, and record high quality game-play footage instantly. You might not have any use for this function at the moment, if you don’t currently have an Xbox One, but this is a very fun and useful feature for those that do. But perhaps the most impressive part about Windows 10 is its flexibility. Windows 10 can be used easily on your PCs, phones, and tablets, and has its own unique functions for each. Microsoft has also given us the option of hooking a Windows Phone up to your PC and using it like you would a PC. It’s a pretty innovative touch. Windows 10 is not without its flaws, however, as should be expected with any OS this early in its release. One of the most talked about features is the addition of the new Microsoft Edge web browser, which basically serves as a replacement for the long obsolete Internet Explorer. After using it a few times, it’s certainly a step up from Internet Explorer (although that’s not really saying much), but we will say its
performance is surprisingly slow, and it doesn’t feel quite finished. This will probably improve, however, with the release of various Windows 10 updates, but for now just stick to good ol’ Google Chrome. Speaking of which, with Windows 10, updates are now installed automatically, and while some may find this useful, it presents a bit of a problem. With Windows now installing updates instantly, we’re no longer able to manually select which ones we want and which ones we don’t. This is unfortunate, as we’re no longer given the choice of what updates we want or don’t want, and even if we don’t want one, ultimately, it won’t matter. Lastly, and this is more of a personal flaw, we are extremely disappointed with the removal of Windows Media Center. People loved Media Center, as it was a great hub for all your music and video content, and served as a great DVD and CD player as well. Now, Windows has replaced Media Center with the new Windows DVD Player - which they’re making users purchase on Windows Store for a whopping $14.99 - and while this is certainly useful, it just not the same. Even with all its setbacks, however, Windows 10 is quite remarkable. Though some new features are definitely not as fleshed out as others, and some are still peeved at the absence of Media Center, everything else is just stellar. The interface is considerably more manageable and customizable this time around, the new gaming features are very fun and innovative, and its flexibility is just outstanding. Microsoft has made Windows 10 available for free for current Windows 7 and 8.1 users, and if you qualify for the free update, we recommend you take advantage of it. Even if you decide to wait a while to see how Microsoft addresses some of its flaws, jump on the Windows 10 bandwagon at some point. Techie or not, you won’t regret it. Overall, Windows 10 doesn’t quite live up to its titular numeral, but it still gets a very impressive 8/10.
to be possible when making a new game type. The biggest aspect that I am sad to see be changed, was the match-making system, which was changed back to the old way of being based off of how much you played the game versus how good you were. This was the most annoying change I feel overall, because it meant that you could once again get people who were absolutely unable to play the game, but since they played so much(and didn’t get any better) they could be placed with or against you. Another big change that came with
the new games was the removal of the voted most favorite and used gun in Halo 3: The battle rifle, which was the only three round burst gun, for the addition of the DMR (Designated marksman rifle). On the other hand, some of the cool things that they added with the addition of the new game, was armor abilities. This is where different abilities could be done every 45 seconds and would give you certain boosts or affect the flow of the battle in some way. One example of this would be the jetpack and sprint. These abilities were able to change how the flow of battle
was fought for many reasons. The sprint allowed people to run and move faster, meaning that you would have to re-adjust your aim in order to hit them. The jetpack allows you to fly up in the air and shoot at people from above. This was really useful because if someone was trying to shoot you from a distance, you could use the jetpack to fly behind cover faster than running would have allowed. Overall, I feel like the Halo series is exceptional and even though there have been many changes throughout its history, it never ceases to amaze.
continued from page 16 people with a much greater skill level than you and vise versa. In the next game following Halo 3 (Halo Reach and Halo 4), many things were changed, for the better and for the worse. Some of the things that were improved with the new games, were the fact that Forge, the place to build custom maps or anything you can think of, got an increase in new items and ways to work with items that were already there. Also, custom games, where players can create their own game type to plays with their friends, got an expense boost and allowed more ways and ideas
20 Technology
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
September 2015
Constant changes in eSports create conundrum iPhone 6s adds By Yisheng Zhang ’16 shine with A9 By Xavier Caracter ’17
Photo courtesy apple.com
Photo courtesy e-sports.net
eSports may be popular, but it’s
quently.
es and other tweaks often hitting
got a long way to go before it comes
It’s an interesting conundrum.
once a week (and sometimes even
close to eclipsing the popularity and
Developers need to keep two rev-
more frequent than that). Throw in
ubiquitousness of traditional sports.
enue streams going: one to earn
the steady feed of new guns, maps,
The
television
money from the people playing
and modes from season passes for
program in North American history
the game, and other to get people
games like Call of Duty or the new
is the NBC broadcast of Super Bowl
to watch other people play it. It’s a
characters to buy in Heroes of the
XLIX that aired on Feb. 1, 2015, which
common belief that competitive vid-
Storm and it’s easy to see how much
was watched by 114.4 million US
eo games (eSports games in partic-
a single game can transform into a
viewers. That’s more than a third of
ular) need to be constantly updated
whole new beast even a few months
the country’s population, all sitting
to stay interesting and to stay fair.
after release.
down to watch the North American
Exploits are fixed to keep the
sporting event of the year.
playing field level, but characters
portunity to explore the long-term
Nearly half of all Americans con-
can also be modified to force players
ramifications of how these changes
sider themselves pro football fans,
to change strategies, and additional
affect play, because there’s a good
even though they may not neces-
game-play wrinkles like new items
chance that the next patch will com-
sarily catch every single game on TV.
and objectives can be added to spice
pletely undo the last one. It’s one
eSports has the potential to hit these
things up within the community.
thing to play these games on a dai-
kinds of numbers, but it’s current-
It sounds like a great idea - noth-
ly basis and understand how these
ly fighting an uphill battle with the
ing like waking up one day to find
changes can affect their flow, but it’s
general sports-watching populace.
the game you’ve spent hundreds of
another thing entirely to be casually
Despite what certain people
hours playing suddenly has a whole
invested in the game and not under-
would have others believe, eSports is
new set of rules to learn and con-
standing why what you’re playing or
here to stay. But what can eSports do
cepts to conquer. But this is precisely
watching seems completely differ-
to entice more casual players - and
what is keeping eSports from truly
ent from what it was three months
by extension, viewers? How can they
entering the collective conscious-
ago.
appeal to the masses, who want to
ness like other, more physical, more
And that’s to say nothing of the
see what these games are all about
static sports.
yearly releases of games like Call of
but aren’t able to devote the hun-
Public opinion already considers
Duty, which each seem to have their
dreds of hours just to get to a point
games like League of Legends and
own presence within the eSports
where they’re remotely competi-
Dota 2 to be virtually impenetrable
scene, each one playing just similar
tive? How can it pull in the people
to all but the most dedicated players,
enough to each other to be familiar
who wouldn’t mind watching some
and these games are in a constant
and just dissimilar enough to have
exciting competition filled with
state of flux. Changes in Dota 2 can
their finer points obscured by the
swords and spells and spectacular
range from more granular tweaks on
differences. It’s like watching Amer-
showdowns, or throw the metaphor-
ability and item strength and timing,
ican Football one year, then getting
ical football around a Dota match on
to flat out changing the landscape of
Canadian Football the next - sure, it
a lazy Sunday? I have a theory, and
the match, moving tower locations
looks the same, but all of its nuanc-
it’s one that might not be easy to
and adding additional game-chang-
es add up to make it a bizarre new
stomach for the companies design-
ing runes to the mix.
experience that comes with its own
ing these eSports platforms: these
These changes can come fast
learning curve.
games need to stop changing so fre-
and frequent, with balancing patch-
most-watched
eSports players rarely have an op-
The iPhone is currently the most popular and the most demanded Smartphone on the market. Creators of the iPhone 6s are claiming it to be the greatest jump from the base to the S series in iPhone and that the new iPhone 6s is the most advanced iPhone in the smartphone market. Sources say that the iPhone 6s will be full of new features and new technology, including their claimed fastest Apple chip that they have ever put into a phone, the A9 chip. Also included, the newest operating system for Apple devices, ios 9, which will add a load of new features software wise. But what’s software without hardware? The iPhone 6s will have a brand new set of LPDDR4 ram. This new type of random access memory will be power efficient and efficient performance wise. If Apple should come through with this, an increase in RAM to 2GB will certainly make the next generation iPhone a powerhouse. The iPhone 6s is rumored to sport the same design as the iPhone 6, but with internal improvements such as an A9 processor, a DSLR quality 12 mega-pixel camera and a 5 mega-pixel FaceTime HD camera with Retina Flash, “Multi Touch” officially named 3D Touch display from the Apple Watch will make its way to the iPhone 6S. Some of the features of the 3D Touch feature of the iPhone 6s is the main “Peek and Pop” multi touch features. Some may see this feature as a downside because it will increase the thickness of the device by 2 millimeters, but all in all, this device should be another amazing installment in the iPhone series. Among the other features is a second generation touch ID, 7000 series aluminum (so no more bend-gate), LTE Advanced and faster Wi-fi. All in all, I would say that I am extremely impressed with the New iPhone 6s. The new device is currently able to be preordered and will be available in an apple store near you on Sept. 25 at 8:00 am. So get your wallets ready because it is going to be a busy and great tech season.