Campus News, Pages 4 - 5
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VOLUME 74 ISSUE 2
SERVING ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN HIGH SCHOOL SINCE 1949
Features, Pages 14 - 15
Sports Features, Page 17
ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN HIGH SCHOOL
Sports, Pages 18 - 19
December 2023
The heat is on!
THE NEWSPAPER OF CRUSADER COUNTRY
School’s boiler system undergoes repair, emanating heat through classrooms during winter months By Normay Arriola ’24
As winter approaches Archbishop Riordan High School, the newly fixed heaters are now being put to the test, transforming classrooms that had unbalanced temperatures into warm and comfortable learning spaces. The school experienced issues with the heating system last year, but these were fixed over the summer. Brandon Ramsey, Director of Facilities, stated that the previous heater had “incomplete data, uninsulated pipes [creating] a loss of heat, and bad or old valves [that] were not functioning properly.” The pipes were insulated and new valves were added to each room with a thermostat to receive better data. The temperature was also raised, so classes that were previously chilly now receive more heat. Ramsey is confident that the new heaters are equipped to handle the winter months but will gather more data over the next months to see where they can improve. AP Statistics teacher, Van Whipple, is conducting a project
or closed, and if the blinds were up or down. All of these factors are variables to consider. He elaborated, “I’m going to combine the data from the classes and see if there are differences between the classes or between the time of day. If we’re not seeing any differences, then that tells us that the system may not be working.” He concluded, “The goal is that by the end of the year, we can go to the admin and say, ‘Here is what each room temperature is like, what it looks like throughout the school’ and use that to help fix the system.” Some have noticed the difference, Photo by Nick Nye ’25 Reporter Normay Arriola ’24 interviews Facilities Assistant Jeff Ramirez and others have not. about the school’s boiler system and how it affects the heat in classrooms. English teacher Michael VezzaliHe raised the question of what Pascual ’88, whose classroom is where his students gather data on the heaters in each classroom factors contribute to the heating on the second floor, said, “In the to identify inconsistencies in system. “Is it caused by the morning, it’s cold in my room, so room temperatures, to potentially heaters or because some teachers I have not noticed a significant influence heating system leave some windows open or change.” closed? We’re trying to figure out On the contrary, Camille Brown improvements within the school. what the answer is.” ’25 said, “I have noticed the Whipple said, “It’s an idea His students measured the heating system has been fixed. that tries to make the class more practical and is based on temperature in each class, as well Walking around campus is way as if windows and doors were open warmer than before.” something that we care about.”
Dance team chaînés into new year By Sarah Cai ’24
Earlier this month, Riordan’s dance team officially kicked off, and students were overjoyed. Cara Wong ’24, a member of the dance team, expressed, “I’m excited that there’s an official dance team this year. In all the time I’ve been at Riordan, there have been dance club activities but they weren’t really consistent, so I’m glad that this year there is finally an established group.” The auditions were a huge success. It was held before the Thanksgiving break and lasted three days throughout the week. With almost 50 students auditioning, 34 members were accepted onto the team. The requirements were: warmup choreography, across-thefloors, and choreography. The dancers will be working on a piece called “World Eater” by Ashnikko.
Rehearsals will be in the cafeteria every Friday after school. During this time, they can be found warming up, practicing the basics and techniques, learning new dances, or planning future performances. Although the team became
Photo provided by Jade Nguyen
official this year, this is not the first dance team Riordan has had. There were attempts to create a dance team in the past, however, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the team was forced to shut down. It will be the first dance team to be organized in
this particular format. Dance Team and Color Guard Coach Jade Nguyen stated, “The main goal is to have a successful dance season with the dance team! This is my first time running a team like this and hope that this program can grow the dancers it has currently and future dancers.” “I plan to have fun and make a dance team that can shine and perform to their greatest potential,” she added. For the first year, the team will be performing for rallies and events at school but is hoping to expand in the future to other performing opportunities, such as the possibility of competing. The dance team aims to showcase the beauty of dance and enhance the overall spirit of the school community while fostering a sense of unity and creativity.