Campus News, Pages 4 - 7
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Arts & Entertainment, Pages 10 - 11
VOLUME LXXI ISSUE i
Environment, Page 17
Sports, Pages 18 - 19
October 2020
ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN HIGH SCHOOL
SERVING RIORDAN SINCE 1949
THE NEWSPAPER OF CRUSADER COUNTRY
Athletes pumped to use refurbished weight room By Christian Ramirez Cortes ’22
Archbishop Riordan High School has upgraded its athletic facilities in a big way. Construction for the new locker rooms and renovated weight room that began in the beginning of May is now complete. The next phase of this process is installing lockers, painting, and rebuilding the weight room in terms of equipment and platforms. A girls’ locker room has been installed, along with new bathrooms and showers for both girls and boys. The weight room has been expanded, almost double in size, with new rubberized flooring, and brand new equipment is being added day by day. Ryan Jones ’09, strength and conditioning coach, said, “There are brand new showers, and all new equipment throughout. The weight room has also been expanded, doubled in size, and with that, there’s a lot more possibilities in terms of what we can do with the weight room.” With the news announced in January that Archbishop Riordan High School would be going coed starting in the 2020-2021 school year, there were many items and facilities that needed to be added. Two of these additions were the new locker rooms and the
The new weight room is nearly finished, and athletes are eager to use it. renovated weight room. The construction phase is complete. However, there are still areas that need to be touched up. Aside from the construction process of the locker rooms and weight room, there is an incredible amount of excitement stirring up within the faculty and student-athletes. Jesus Aguilar ’22 stated, “I’ve been looking forward to using the new equipment in the weight room and I feel like the locker rooms were overdue for a remodeling.” There will be aspects in the locker rooms and weight room
that will take some getting used to for both the coaches and students. This includes new rules for the locker rooms and a new schedule for the weight room. Jones said, “For the weight room, the schedule definitely has to change. Not only because we can accommodate bigger teams, but we also have girl athletes as well, which is something else to factor in. So, it’s definitely going to be a big change in that regard.” The future holds many new and exciting challenges that will take a while to get used to. The new locker rooms and weight room is something that all
Photo by Ryan Jones ’09
students and faculty are looking forward to. The Athletics Department raised the bar in a big way and the upgrading of the athletic facilities came full circle after remodeling the basketball court, the field, the locker rooms, and now the weight room. Bob Greene, athletic director, said, “This is a fantastic upgrade for our students and our school. It will be a nice space for our new students to walk into and a treat for our returning students to enjoy being that they will understand very clearly just how much nicer this is than what they had previously.”
Coed changes focus on curriculum, activities, athletics By Grayson Salomon ’22 and Tayte Sall ’21
This year at Riordan marks the first year that the school will have a co-ed student body rather than all boys. This significant change to the school has led to many smaller changes such as curriculum in the classrooms, the facilities, co-curricular activities, and sports. This year, some teachers changed up their curriculum now that the classes are no longer all boys. Some of the English teachers have revised their reading lists for the year. English Department Chair Mary Dalton as of now has no coed classes, but next semester
she will be teaching a coed World Literature Honors class in which she will make slight changes to her curriculum. “Once I have coed classes, I plan to change my curriculum slightly in order to include more books that both the male and female students would enjoy,” said Dalton. In Student Activities, Student Activities Directors Benny Willers ’08 and Jené Morris have been making sure the new female students have been incorporated into Student Parliament and making them feel a part of the Riordan community even while away from campus.
Photo by Benny Willers ’08 Gigi DiGiulio ’21 and JT Torrea ’21 are history makers as the school’s Student Body Presidents for 2020-2021.
Please see “Coed” on page 4
2 Opinion
Fall 2020
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Editorial
Young people need to get involved in election process early Although the set age limit to vote is 18, minors still have the ability to actively participate in the election process by staying educated on ballot measures and candidates, working at polling places, watching debates, and other projects. No matter one’s opinion or party, politics still affect your surrounding community. Not being able to vote in the presidential elections shouldn’t restrict someone’s voice, as there are still opportunities to get involved. With the assistance of research, witnessing rallies and debates, and engaging in dialogue with adults and other teens, students can maturely converse about politics and formulate their own
opinions. Rizlin Jew ’22 agreed, saying, “Despite being under 18, we’re citizens of the country and our duty to our nation and to ourselves is to exercise our rights.” This isn’t necessarily suggesting lowering the voting age, but there is a measure on the ballot supporting the idea. For those who cannot vote, they can participate as a volunteer poll worker, which is allowed for anyone over the age of 16. “A poll worker’s job is to maintain a free, fair, and functioning election. I gain an understanding of how our elections are processed. Being a poll worker helps me understand politics because I can see how our voices are heard and how
everything works during the election day,” said volunteer Andrei Lynch ’22. What else can teens do? Easy. Watch debates, remind those eligible, register early, and research a varied range of opinions before speaking on a topic. On top of this, look into issues and policies candidates support, or share informational posts on social media reminding others where to vote. Casting a vote is extremely important. By living in a democracy, our voices are more than acknowledged, they’re accounted for. We’ve worked hard for the right to vote; exercise it. As the upcoming generation, it’s our duty to lead the nation in the
correct direction. Oftentimes, our opinions differ from those already in office or a position of power, so remember, “Voting is an opportunity for change.” No good comes from withholding a vote. For example, in 1960 during John F. Kennedy’s presidential election, if one U.S. Senator and a singular person from each voting site changed his or her ballot, Richard Nixon would have won. This situation puts into perspective that every vote does in fact count. The Crusader staff encourages all students to become involved and take advantage of the influence they hold. As active members of society, we must understand the privilege voting presents and respect it.
Pope Francis to journalists at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic: “During the current crisis, we need good, free journalism that serves all people, especially those who do not have a voice: journalism that is dedicated to the search for truth and which opens paths toward communion and peace.”
Letters to the Editor
Science Editor Jonathan Godoy ’21 Technology Editor Andrei Lynch ’22 Exchange Editor Cole Anderson ’22
175 Frida Kahlo Way San Francisco, CA 94112 RCrusaderNews.com RCrusaderNews@riordanhs.org
Editors-in-Chief Jordan Tyler Maralit ’21 Grayson Salomon ’22 Opinion Editor John McQuaid ’22 News Editors Christian Ramirez Cortes ’22 William Lenoyr Ortiz ’22 Boys Sports Editor Cameron Bevan-Abel ’22 Girls Sports Editor Sophia Carrasquilla ’22 Arts & Entertainment Editor Sean DiNicola ’22 Environment Editor Delaney Mulqueen ’22 Religion Editor Marisa Hamilton ’22 Health Editor Elijah Calip ’22
Letters to the editors will be accepted with the same deadlines as ads. These letters may come from students, staff, parents, board members, or other members of the community. The Crusader reserves the right to edit the letter for grammatical and spelling errors, as well as length, but not content unless it includes foul language, plagiarized material, or libelous content. If the claims or assertions are incorrect, The Crusader reserves the right to refuse publication of the letter.
Copy Editors CJ Cabanero ’21 Joseph Zuloaga ’23 Photo Editors Noah David ’22 Clara Liu ’23 Brandon Tam ’23 Graphic Artist Rizlin Jew ’22 Staff Reporters Jesus Aguilar ’22 Juan Carlos Campos ’22 Jackie De Leon ’21 Sebastian Elsner ’23 Joseph Grysiewicz ’22 Kevin Guinasso ’23 Arianna Jaboneta ’23 Tony Kent ’21 Nathan Loeffler Malatesta ’23 Maxwell Meadows ’21 Cooper Nelson ’21 Michael Ortega-Portillo ’21 Aysaiah Radoc Manrique ’21 Joziah Rizzo ’23 Ethan Vargas ’23 Jolie Verzosa ’22 Anthony Domingo Wierzba ’23 Santino Woo ’23 Adviser Susan Sutton, CJE
Mission Statement for the Archbishop Riordan High School Newspaper
The mission of The Crusader is to inform, educate and entertain the readers—students, teachers, parents, members of the community—about issues that affect the students as well as citizens of San Francisco and the nation. We hope to instill a sense of understanding, responsibility, and curiosity in our readers that results in an eagerness to learn more about their peers and the world around them.
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Fall 2020
Pro
Opinion
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Halloween 2020: Trick or Treat? By Arianna Jaboneta ’23
Thinking about skipping out on Halloween this year? Listen to these pros before throwing your cat ears and pumpkin baskets in the trash. Every age group looks forward to Halloween. Whether you are going trick or treating, hosting a costume party or opting for a horror movie night in with your significant other, All Hallows’ Eve can be enjoyed by everyone. Many people are deciding not to go out this year, but there are still ways to have fun without getting sick. If you want to treat your best friends or partner, you can make a “Spooky Basket” for them! What is now known as a “Spooky Basket” started on TikTok and has recently gone viral. They consist of candy, festive socks, blankets, or anything else you can think of to put in a pumpkin or Halloween themed basket. These are super fun, easy, and most importantly, affordable to make if you are on a budget. Head to the dollar section at Target and fill a basket with goodies to your heart’s desire. Make sure to disinfect the items before packing and fill the basket using gloves to be extra cautious. On Halloween, go to your friend’s house (with a face mask) and hand them the basket! Here are a few suggestions: “In my opinion, going out this
Halloween would be a very difficult choice for some people. In many ways, it is very irresponsible, but at the same time I could definitely see why people would want to,” said Hailey Westall ’23. “However, if everyone stays in this Halloween, there’s a better chance we can all stay safe, and also possibly get to see our friends next Halloween (if the COVID cases go down).” “It is definitely a unique year, but we really like to celebrate Halloween, so we are getting creative this year. My family and I plan to dress up as Pokémon characters and participate in Virtual Halloween Bingo with some family friends and have a Halloween scavenger hunt around the house,” said Megan Rabbitt, RSP and English teacher. “We also plan to ‘Boo’ our friends earlier in the day. This means leaving little treats on our friends’ doorsteps.” The most dangerous part of going out during Halloween this year is trick-or-treating. Going from house to house to get candy from strangers is controversial. For one, hand-to-hand contact with strangers can spread germs from one household to another. Missing out on Halloween may sound like the best option for you, but consider safe ways to celebrate the spooky holiday.
By Grayson Salomon ’22 As Halloween 2020 approaches, ghouls and ghosts aren’t the only thing to be feared on Halloween night. As we are about eight months into the Coronavirus pandemic, people are tired of the social distancing and masks. As a result, some people have lost the motive to continue to follow the safety precautions placed in order to protect themselves and others from the virus. As the annual holiday approaches, many have been planning what to do on the 31st, and I am urging everyone to please refrain from the traditional celebrations such as trick or treating and Halloween parties. We are not out of this pandemic and as we have seen from previous holidays such as Independence Day and Labor Day, the COVID-19 cases always go up the week after such as when San Francisco saw a post holiday spike of 171 new cases in a day after the 4th of July weekend according to SFist. COVID doesn’t take holiday breaks. When going out and celebrating, you are putting yourself and others at risk for contracting the virus and spreading it to your loved ones at home, especially with the staple celebration being trick or treating, which is going door to door and asking for candy.
3
Con
Even though transmission of the virus is low from surface contact, the bigger factor is being face to face with someone. Also, don’t think bowls of candy people leave on their door are completely safe, either. Imagine all the people who came before and stuck their hand in there, spreading germs all over the candy. Another tradition that people have on Halloween is the big costume party. From the beginning of the pandemic, we have been urged not to gather in large groups with a bunch of random people indoors, which is exactly what a party is. This is the main way the virus spreads. Also, at parties even if you start the night with masks on, people will make questionable decisions and at that point is where the masks start to come off. Even though it is not smart to celebrate Halloween the traditional way this year, it doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate at all. The CDC has released guidelines on how to safely celebrate this year such as carving and decorating pumpkins with your household and having a Halloween movie night. The more we practice social distancing and wear masks, the quicker we can be out of this pandemic and hopefully back to celebrating like we usually do next year.
Returning to campus sounds great, but let’s stay safe By Juan Carlos Campos ’22
While some schools have gone back to school in-person in other states and counties, most of the Bay Area schools have not, including our own school Archbishop Riordan High School. Many students, including myself, are hesitant to return, especially with the risks involved of returning to school while the Coronavirus pandemic is still happening around the world. Even though there are a few upsides to returning back to inperson learning, there are even more downsides as to why we shouldn’t, and instead, continue distance learning. One of the upsides as to why students should return to in person learning is it affords students who work better in classrooms the opportunity to do so. This is an upside for students
to return because distance learning is a new experience for both students and teachers. Most students are used to learning in a classroom environment and some succeed better when doing so. With being able to go back in person, learning in a hybrid system allows students who work better in classrooms to have the opportunity to attend school and get back into the classroom environments, but with many changes involved to keep students safe. Some changes include wearing a mask at all times and maintaining a six-foot distance from other students. Another upside of going back to school is it allows student athletes the opportunity to participate in a sports season. While many other states have already started their fall sport seasons. California is one of the few states that decided to push their seasons back and
start in January. By allowing student athletes to participate in a sport season it gives many students the chance to get back to their normal lives by participating in something that they love to do. While the upsides of returning to school are important, there are many more downsides as to why we shouldn’t return, and those reasons have everything to do with the risk of having students, teachers, staff, and in return, their families, being exposed to COVID-19. Even if schools take all the right precautions to keep students safe, there is a chance that some students will not take these precautions seriously and this could cause much harm to the community. While most students would not be as affected by having the
virus, they could pass the virus on to someone in their household that could potentially become sick and seriously harm that person. This is a serious con because going back to school shouldn’t mean risking the lives of our loved ones. We see schools attempting to send their students back to campus and taking the right precautions to do so, but some of these plans and precautions have already been proven to not work because a few students did not take the rules to keep a safe environment seriously while attending school during this crazy year of 2020. Schools around the Bay Area should not rush to send students back to campus, but instead take time to ensure that students, faculty, and families remain safe while awaiting the end to this pandemic.
4 Campus News
New dean is a real OG By Jackie De Leon ’21
Riordan has a new dean. Raquel Oliva Gómez, who was most recently a dean at Mercy High School, will be working alongside Juan Zumbado ’98 as the Dean of Students. During her time at Mercy, she worked hard to make sure all the students were safe and supported. Now she is hoping to carry that into her transition as a dean at Riordan High School, where she can help and be a part of the Riordan community. “I am blessed to continue working with many of our Mercy students, and I look forward to meeting and growing with the new and returning Riordan students, faculty, staff, and community members,” said Oliva Gómez. Zumbado said, “I am very excited about working with Ms. OG. She and I have already had a number of positive interactions and working meetings.” Grace Jacobs, a senior transfer from Mercy, stated, “Seeing a familiar face going into a new
“Coed” continued from page 1
“They have had opportunities to participate in our on campus activities for the rallies and now Frosh Olympics. I also make sure they feel heard and have a voice in our virtual zoom meetings. We made sure that girls had an equal opportunity to pursue leadership roles in parliament,” said Willers. “That being said, we created girl positions for all of our executive positions. For example, not only do we have a boy school body president, but now we have a girl school body president.” Speaking of student leaders, for the first time in Archbishop Riordan history, there is a female president, Gigi DiGiulio ’21. Willers also touched upon how DiGulio became the school copresident. “She had to submit an application, a three to five minute speech, and then go through an interview with both myself and Jené (Morris). We were looking for someone willing to take on the challenge that this year was going to give us, while being someone that was inspiring and full of positive energy,” said Willers. The sports and facilities have had many changes to accommodate the new students. Although many people are eager to get back on the field, there are concerns of how people will maintain their distance and keep from spreading the virus. There will be new protocols and safety precautions taken if students and teachers return to campus but also, everything is looking ready as for the physical
Fall 2020
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Chiu introduced as new Development Director
By Christian Ramirez Cortes ’22
and improving environment is comforting. Since my first day of Mercy until my last, Ms. Oliva Gómez has always been a welcoming and familiar administrator.” With Oliva Gómez working along with Zumbado, they create a strong team ready to support students, parents, and teachers. Oliva Gómez’s priorities are the students and their well being. Students who need someone to talk to can find her near the College Center. Those familiar with her say she’s a great listener. changes to the school. Starting online instead of in-person has given the construction workers more time to finish up the new locker rooms and updated weight room. President Dr. Andrew Currier said he is excited for the new facilities for the students and how it can help ease the transition for new students. “The boys locker room, the girls locker room, the entire exercise facility are completely new and renovated, which is spectacular. I was really happy and encouraged by the fact that everyone wins on the exercise and locker room facilities. This should help ease the transition,” Currier said. Athletic Director Bob Greene said the new sports for girls that were chosen were based on how many people would most likely be interested in joining them. Generally, students are cautiously excited to get back on campus, but are aware of the potential dangers COVID-19 present. Faculty and staff have also tried their best to help new students feel welcomed to Riordan even though they are at home learning. Currier also touched upon the benefits that distance learning has had for the new students. He stated, “While the pandemic has been difficult for everyone, teachers, students, parents, administrators, I believe the move to virtual learning has helped our new students including transfers and freshmen, acclimate to knowing the school’s teachers, counselors, coaches and administrators virtually without the acute pressures of being new to a campus.”
Simon Chiu, former Vice President of Financial Development at the YMCA of Silicon Valley, took a new step in his career at the end of June. Chiu became the new Director of Development at Archbishop Riordan High School. Chiu attended St. Peter’s School and grew up in San Francisco’s Mission District. He went on to Saint Ignatius High School and enrolled in Santa Clara University where he was an English major. After receiving his teaching credential at UC Berkeley, he started his teaching career as an English teacher at Saint Ignatius where he worked with Principal Tim Reardon in the English Department. He went into the business world, but decided he wanted to work in education. His first administrative job was at Moreau Catholic High School in Hayward where he was an assistant principal for five years. Next, he worked as a principal at Saint Joseph Notre Dame for eight years in Alameda, where he currently lives. He then was president at Saint Francis High School in Mountain View for a few years. After doing fundraising work at the YMCA of Silicon Valley, he received a phone call from President Dr. Andrew Currier during the spring time and decided to apply for the position of director of development. Chiu said, “I knew there was good stuff happening in the school [Archbishop Riordan High School]. I knew that the school had just renovated the gym, redid the field, and announced that they were going coed. It seemed like there were a lot of cool and exciting things happening in the school. So, it seemed like a really interesting opportunity and I decided to apply and here I am.” In the springtime, Riordan High School was searching for a new director of development as John Ring had announced that he was leaving. Chiu had some connections with other administrators at Riordan, including Currier and Reardon. He had only talked with Currier
over the phone a few times, but he knew Reardon from their days as teachers in the English department at Saint Ignatius. Chiu has multiple ideas in mind for the goals he wants to accomplish at Riordan. As many of Riordan’s athletic facilities have already been renovated, Chiu is hoping to focus on other aspects of the school that need to be worked on. Chiu stated, “My major goal, really, is to focus on remodeling and modernizing all the academic spaces. So that would mean the main school building, the classrooms, things like that.” Through Chiu’s enthusiasm and knowledge, many hope Riordan will continue to elevate the school’s profile and quality of experience. Currier is looking forward to the great ideas that Chiu will bring to the Riordan community. Currier said, “I believe Mr. Chiu is going to assist the school in renovating the building, adding much needed sources of money for scholarships and tuition assistance, and looking for areas where we can improve our development efforts in terms of alumni relations, community relations, and telling the Riordan story far and wide.” Chiu has many ideas and projects for the development of Riordan, and hopes to gain even more experience by making valuable connections. Chiu stated, “I’m looking forward to getting to know all of our great faculty and staff. I know we’ve got a lot of awesome teachers and we’ve got a lot of new teachers this year. I’ve been able to meet a few of them on the various Zoom meetings that we’ve had, but I’m just looking forward to meeting all these great people.”
Stefanie Lopez ’22 said the transition from Mercy has been smooth and welcoming. Lopez said, “To be in a coed environment from a single gender high school doesn’t feel too different because I grew up going to a coed school.” Currier said students should feel safe upon return and it takes everyone to ensure everyone in the community stays healthy.
He said, “Our parents, teachers, and students should feel reassured by the great building safety preparations being made in partnership with the City of San Francisco’s Department of Public Health. There are distancing measures, sanitizing stations, smaller groups. . . This is going to take everybody agreeing to help keep each other safe.”
Fall 2020
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Campus News
5
20 new faces for the 2020- 2021 school year By Jonathan Godoy ’21 and John McQuaid ’22
Melanie Aguas is the latest entry into the counseling department, coming from Marin Catholic High School. Aguas attended UC Davis for her undergraduate and the USF for her masters in Psychology. She is the Freshman divisional counselor where she helps students transition from middle school. Aguas said, “I am very excited to start working at Riordan during the coed transition and look forward to all aspects of Riordan from campus ministry to student parliament.”
Edgar Beteta ’85 teaches Spanish and Social Science in addition to working in the RSP program at his alma mater. He previously taught History, Religious Studies, and English at Our Lady of Mercy in Daly City. Beteta earned a BA in Sociology from San Francisco State University and a Teaching Credential from Notre Dame de Namur University. Beteta has coached football, baseball, and basketball, and volunteered with the National Kidney Foundation.
Kevin Estrada ’00 joins the Riordan English Department and will help co-moderate the PAC Club. Estrada previously worked as a teacher, book designer, and a book publisher after graduating from Riordan. Estrada went to UC Davis to pursue his major in English and later attended Brooklyn College in New York to receive his masters. He enjoys reading, writing, listening to music, hiking, and collecting baseball cards with his brother. Estrada is glad to be back.
Ken Harrington joins Riordan after teaching at USF for 22 years, and at Convent of the Sacred Heart and Stuart Hall for 15 years. He teaches Algebra 1 and calculus. Harrington enjoys his free time when he is able to go rowing and golfing, and hopes to get more involved at Riordan later on. Harrington is another San Francisco native, having gone to Lowell High School, and his father was a member of the third graduating class of Riordan in ’51.
Elizabeth Heuser is Riordan’s new wellness director, an entirely new position this year. She will be helping the community to stay mentally healthy while it powers through the difficulties of the pandemic. Prior to Riordan, Heuser taught at Mercy for four years as their wellness director and international student counselor.
Mike Kennedy, an international educator, joins the Social Science Department. He received a BA in History and Theological Studies from St. Louis University. He also has a Master’s of Education from the University of Notre Dame. Kennedy taught History and Humanities at the Concordia International School in Shanghai, China and was Department Chair.
Before Joe Kopp joined the Admissions Department, he worked at Willamette College in Salem, Oregon, where he was a football coach and an academic success coordinator. He is a graduate of Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon and now lends his skills as a defensive coordinator for the football team, and RA in the boarding program.
A 2016 graduate of Riordan, Brian Kosewic serves in the RSP program and teaches English. He graduated from Loyola Marymount University where he was a Trustee Scholar in the Honors Program, and a Knott Fellow for English and Creative Writing. At Riordan, Kosewic was a St. Francis Scholar, varsity runner, and Eagle Scout.
Science teacher Stephanie Lee teaches Biology and Earth Science. Lee will also be coaching the girls volleyball team with 6 years of prior experience in Catholic private high schools, including Mercy High School. A San Francisco native, Lee went to Sacred Heart Cathedral, and remembers attending Riordan dances.
Nicole Morello came from River Valley High School in Yuba City to join the Social Science department, along with coaching track and field. Morello previously attended Sonoma State for her undergraduate studies and later earned her teaching credential and masters from UC Davis. She also participated in soccer programs and enjoys hiking.
Jené Morris is the new Assistant House Director. Before, she was an events manager for the American Diabetes Association. Morris received a BA in Communications from San Diego State, where she played Division I basketball and was Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year. She played for the WNBA’s Indiana Fever and Tulsa Shock.
Lance Ohnmeiss brings his multi-layered musical talent to Riordan as the new Associate Band Director. He has experience as a marching band instructor and music director. He has a Bachelor of Music (Musical Education) from San Francisco State University and a Master of Music (Instrumental Conducting) from Messiah College.
6 Campus News
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Fall 2020
Parents attend Back to School Night at home By Joseph Grysiewicz ’23
Riordan community. Who would stole the show, as they always have thought that parents do.” would be meeting their students’ The event, which lasted for an teachers on screens instead of in hour and a half, seemed to have classrooms? been a success for everyone who Dealing with a pandemic means attended. adjusting to new ways of life, Dean of Academics Nate and challenges are a part of that, Simon ’99 said parents and like being prepared on how to teachers conveyed that the event approach and execute events. was “Well formatted, easy to According to Principal Tim navigate.” Reardon, the format received Parent Samantha Huebly positive messages. “We just had agreed, saying, “Back to School to set up the schedule, create a Night was organized and well couple of introductory videos, formatted, as well as helpful in and organize the Zoom tech,” telling the parents what they he said. “After that, the teachers needed to know.”
On Sept. 17, as the 6:00 p.m. hour rolled around, student guardians started to go to their devices to log on to their Back to School Night classes. This night was unique compared to past Back to School Nights, as it wasn’t in classrooms in person, but virtually on Zoom. “I did the same thing I do with all Back to School Nights. I played the music the way I do at the beginning of class, I took roll and I was myself,” said visual and performing arts teacher Valerie O’Riordan, who has been teaching
at Riordan for 21 years. This night was overall different for the
Avishan Peer joined Riordan’s World Language Department, and teaches Spanish. At Mercy, she spent four years teaching Spanish and two years as their Language Department Head. She received a Bachelor of Arts from UC Berkeley with a major in Spanish and a minor in Education. Additionally, Peer is currently working towards her Masters of Arts at San Francisco State University’s Spanish Program. She enjoys running, hiking, playing with her two puppies, and watching foreign movies.
Stefania Pierucci is the new drama and dance director. She is the co-owner of a small film company and worked as the executive producer for the movie I Wrote This For You. She also has a Bachelor’s degree in music, specifically opera, from San Francisco State University and a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Musical Performance. She also works as an aide in RSP. Pierucci enjoys gardening, watching classic films, reading, writing, and painting. She is excited to “bring the arts and culture back.”
Megan Rabbitt is the most recent member of the RSP community, and assists female students exclusively. She also teaches English to some of the girls in the program. She was recently the resource specialist for St. Cecilia’s School, and before that, director of admissions for the Laurel School. She has a degree in Elementary Education from Indiana University, a Masters in Journalism from Columbia College, and a Masters in Special Education from Notre Dame de Namur.
A native San Franciscan, Lauren Ragusa is the RSP Coordinator for the Junior Class. An educator with a passion for inclusion, curriculum design, and making connections with students and families, she most recently worked at UCSF’s Early Education Program. She also worked in the SFUSD as a Student Teacher developing IEPs and performing curriculumbased assessments. She has an MA in Special Education from San Francisco State, and a BA in Psychology from Cal State Chico.
Angela Rubang joined Riordan’s Campus Ministry team as a new Religious Studies Teacher, and as a Liturgy Team Coordinator. She has worked as a campus ministry director before, for the Newman Center at Sacramento State University. She has a bachelor’s in philosophy and religion from San Francisco State and a Masters in Theology from the Augustine Institute. She is the Junior Varsity coach for the new volleyball team. Some of her hobbies include hiking, playing tennis, and ballroom dancing.
Frank Torrano is the Engineering Program’s new Liaison for this year. His previous experience includes teaching computer science and various digital courses in the Berkeley and San Francisco Unified school districts. He also served for 10 years as the Director of Technology at Cathedral School for Boys and as a Computer Science teacher at Lincoln High School. He holds a Bachelor’s of Arts from San Francisco State University and has teaching credentials in industrial arts and technology.
Brian Tuel is beginning a new role as an Earth and Space Science teacher. He previously helped Riordan athletes as a strength and conditioning coach, and will continue to serve in that role. He is a Business Administration graduate of San Diego State University, and is in the final semester of getting his Masters in Arts and Teaching at USF. Tuel will continue to be a strength and conditioning coach, while teaching and working as an RSP aide.
Elizabeth Watters is one of Riordan’s newest Religious Studies teachers, specifically working with freshmen and sophomores. Her previous jobs include teaching at St. Peter’s in San Francisco, Guardian Angels Catholic School in Colorado, and Incarnate Word Academy in Texas. She majored in Religious Studies at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts and received her Masters in education from the University of Notre Dame. Watters is the head coach for the girls volleyball team.
Photo by John McQuaid ’22 Parents attended Back to School Night via Zoom this year.
Fall 2020
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Mercy donors shift scholarships to Riordan By Marisa Hamilton ’22 Three previous Mercy SF donors have transferred $125,000 to Riordan, continuing to provide scholarship money for Catholic high school students. Since these donors had a connection to the Mercy and Riordan students, they specifically wanted their money to go to student scholarships, instead of campus bills for a closing school. This generous donation will prove beneficial for the Riordan community, as 67 percent of students apply for financial aid. Bill Best, now a trustee at Riordan and previously at Mercy SF, stated, “I’m so glad Riordan was able to throw a lifeline to the Mercy girls and, at the same time, help Riordan find new and wonderful students.” He has continued to donate to Mercy SF and Riordan even after his son and daughter graduated from the two high schools. In fact, Mercy’s Ann L. Best Scholarship, named after Bill’s late wife, will also be transferred to Riordan. One of the donors thinks it is
Campus News 7
AIDS Penny Drive ditches coins for cards, surpasses last year’s totals By Cooper Nelson ’21
Photo by Paul Totah Donor Bill Best presents a check to President Dr. Andrew Currier. very important to continue giving to the Mercy students as an alumna, according to Riordan’s Development Director, Simon Chiu. “[One donor] really felt in a lot of ways it saved her life, being able to go to a school like Mercy; getting a great education and meeting good people gave her the structure that she needed. Obviously, she became a good person, a successful person, and to the point now where she can give back.”
Billy Choy, a member of the Class of 2006 at Archbishop Riordan High School, was a focused and passionate student, even though he was fighting AIDS. Choy participated in many activities at Riordan such as musicals and plays. He was also a part of Campus Ministry, as he loved to be involved in his school. According to drama teacher Valerie O’Riordan, “Billy participated in the play One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest in which he played the role of Chief Bromden.” Although Billy was dealing with AIDS and having to go to the doctors frequently, he still managed to keep a focused and serious mindset. The AIDS Memorial Drive has been a tradition for 14 years. According to Josh Keeney, comoderator of the CORE Team, “The main goal of the memorial drive is to raise money for people who are currently fighting AIDS.” A few years ago, after Choy died, it was named in his honor.
Graphic by Grayson Salomon ’22 The drive has been part of a House competition at Riordan for about four years now. The donation goal for the 2020-21 school year was $2,000. All four of the Houses and other outside donors donated a total of $6,725.24. This year’s donation collection was the second highest ever collected since 2017. Cana raised $3,010, Russi $1,850.24, Bolts $575, and Pilar $320 by the designated deadline.
Riordan community remembers former teachers Barbieri, McCluskey By Jesus Aguilar ’22 Unfortunate news reached the Riordan community on March 30, when former Riordan alumnus and faculty member, Kenneth Barbieri, died due to complications with Parkinson’s Disease. Barbieri was a San Francisco Native who attended Riordan. He would eventually come back to teach history at Riordan for the next 40 years. He was heavily involved in the theater program, producing shows such as Mame, Pygmalion, and Hello, Dolly. Multiple Riordan alumni voiced their thoughts on his passing. Juan Zumbado ’98 said, “I would like Mr. Barbieri to know that he made a positive contribution to my life. As a lifelong meathead, it matters that I enjoy Shakespeare because of this man. It gave me an appreciation of culture that all young men sorely need. I expect he is enjoying his time in heaven reading Shakespeare without the pain or discomfort of Parkinson’s.” Christian Peeples ’66 reminisced about his time in the theater program with Barbieri. He was involved in multiple productions such as My Fair Lady and Pygmalion either as a part of the cast or working behind the scenes on stage crew. Peeples described him as different from the other teachers. Peeples said that Barbieri was, “One of those leaders who can
Kenneth Barbieri lead without being oppressive.” Barbieri’s former students and friends also described him as charismatic and inspiring. He was a considerate person who loved Europe and spending time with his nieces and nephews. Peeples added, “I remember his warmth and how he managed the unruly crew that is a play.” Barbieri’s impact was memorable to his students and the entire Riordan community. Riordan intends on naming a history classroom after Barbieri and possibly planting a tree in his memory, as his obituary suggested. President Dr. Andrew Currier stated, “We would love to plant a tree in his honor. We are hoping to name a history classroom in his honor once they are renovated. He influenced and inspired many students to consider history as an academic concentration in college. Although I never had the good fortune of meeting him, I’m told he was an incredible teacher.”
By Tony Kent ’21 On April 9, 2020, the Riordan community lost a former teacher and colleague, Patrick McCluskey. He is remembered by Nate Simon ’99, current Dean of Academics, as, “one of the most patient and kind human beings I have ever met. He had a way with words that I wish I could emulate; he was always able to say something extremely profound with very few words.” Early in life, McCluskey studied to be a Jesuit, but before final vows he felt a different calling from God, to be a teacher. At the time, his uncle was the principal at Riordan and gave him a job. McCluskey taught at Riordan for 38 years; he taught English and Religion. According to Simon, his focus was not on testing, but rather on teaching. Jeff Isola ’98, social science teacher, remembered “[McCluskey] emphasized the importance of curriculum. He also allowed us, as students, to guide the conversation.” Outside the classroom, he
Patrick McCluskey coached tennis and was a Kairos leader. Being a Kairos leader was his favorite activity. According to his family, “he loved the teamwork, camaraderie, and opportunity to write and deliver words that sparked love, faith, and a deeper connection.” He also enjoyed journal writing, and used his entries to create writings for use at retreats. Juan Zumbado ’98, Dean of Students, remembers, “he helped make my time at Riordan, through Kairos, a success.” McCluskey is survived by his wife, Linda Holmes McCluskey, daughter, Erin Holmes McCluskey, and his granddaughter, Darcy Alice Wheeler.
8 National News
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Fall 2020
This election year, America decides: Trump or Biden By Joseph Zuloaga ’23
The 2020 election is in the home stretch. What started as a diverse field of Democrats determined to take on President Donald Trump, has now turned into a race between him and former Vice President Joe Biden. In August, the focus was on whom Biden was going to choose as his running mate. On Aug.11, Kamala Harris accepted the role over a Zoom call. Shortly after, news broke that the California senator could become the first woman, the first South Asian American, and the first Black vice president if elected. On the Biden-Harris ticket, AP Government teacher Jeff Isola ’98 said, “The role of the vice-presidential nomination is to ‘balance the ticket,’ and Harris was the ideal pick to make up for what many consider to be Biden’s liabilities: Biden is old, Harris is younger, Biden is a career Washington politician, Harris is new to the Hill, Biden is a white male, Harris is a multiracial woman, Biden tends to be a moderate, Harris more progressive — if the goal was balance, Kamala Harris ticks all the boxes.” Coral Shafer ’21 said, “Kamala Harris is a really smart choice as a running mate for Biden … she is a woman of color in America who has a lot of valuable experience within politics. She offers a valuable perspective not only as a woman of color but as someone younger than Biden, and this
More voters are voting by mail this election year. appeals to voters.” Maxwell Meadows ’21, though, has a different point of view. “It’s obvious Harris wasn’t a fan of Biden, especially during their respective campaigns this past year and a half, but his choice has little to do with those disagreements. One could argue that by choosing her, Biden is openly bringing a wider, broader set of beliefs into the White House and his cabinet, but to me, it looks as though another example of identity politics.” The race for a vaccine for the coronavirus continues these final months, with Trump claiming it would be ready for distribution in October, which contradicted the CDC’s timeline. Trump has come under fire for being caught on
Photo by Noah David ’22 tape during an interview with Bob Woodward in February admitting he knew how risky the virus was and saying that he always wanted to downplay the threat to not cause chaos amongst Americans. “It is clear to all of us that President Trump responded poorly in terms of cracking down on COVID-19 precautions,” Shafer said. “He is cited on tape saying himself that he downplayed the threat of COVID-19. He blames China in a series of tweets for bringing COVID-19 into the world, yet it was his responsibility to coordinate the United States’ response to the pandemic.” On Oct. 1, Hope Hicks, a close aide to the president, tested positive for the coronavirus. This led to the president and the First
Lady also testing positive, as President Trump, announced to the world via Twitter on Oct. 2. That same afternoon, Trump was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in “an abundance of caution.” On Oct. 5, Trump was discharged, taken back to the White House and almost immediately removed his mask when he reached the top of the South Portico balcony. In regards to mail-in voting, Isola said, “People need to remember that elections are run by each state, NOT the federal government. The question about mail-in ballots varies by state — yes the postal service is run federally, and, according to most experts, mailing in ballots would not overwhelm the postal system (which has always been reliable). Sadly, this has also become a political issue — there has been nothing to prove that voting through the mail doesn’t work.” Trump has avoided the question of whether or not he will commit to a peaceful transition of power if he were to lose the election. “It’s almost guaranteed that the projected loser will contest the results,” said Isola. “The only good news is that there are layers of safeguards in place to ensure that both the election process and tallying of votes is valid — if it ends up going to the Supreme Court (like in 2000), this concept will become evident. As for the way people react to the results, no one can predict that.”
One death sparks movement against systemic racism By Jolie Verzosa ’22
On May 25, George Floyd was buying cigarettes from Cup Foods in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minutes later, as Floyd was about to get into his car, he was arrested by the police, accused of using a counterfeit $20 bill. Floyd showed some resistance towards the officers, and right about when he was going to get into the police car he fell on the ground. Moments after the fall, he was pinned down under officer Derek Chauvins’ knee, as shown in a widely distributed video. He repeatedly cried out for the officer to stop, pleading, “I can’t breathe.” Pedestrians walking by saw this and started to record the incident on their phones. Floyd was under the officer’s knee for 8 minutes, 46 seconds. Floyd was taken to the hospital, where he died an hour later. The videos of Floyd circulated quickly over the internet, and soon a new demand for social justice arose. Days later, protests in Minneapolis broke out in the name of George Floyd and soon, there were protests happening
across the whole nation. Terms like “I can’t breathe” and “no justice, no peace” were being chanted everywhere. The protesters demanded justice for Floyd and that the officers involved face the consequences of their actions. There were many peaceful protests regarding the BLM movement and George Floyd. However, there were also some that resulted in rioting and looting. Many have different opinions on whether the riots were necessary or not. Justin Samniego ’22 stated, “I believe these protests are good because it is allowing change to happen. Riots are the result of the police brutality and people are furious about the police brutality and racism that has been going on for years and years.” Elci Cortes ’22 said, “I support the Black Lives Matter movement fully. Besides the looting, I support it ALL. When MLK Jr. was assassinated, there were riots, too. Silence can speak volumes, but some people don’t see it that way. The riots were a very public minority, which made others feel
Art by Rizlin Jew ’22 George Floyd’s death prompted protests across the nation. this was the whole movement.” However, peaceful or not peaceful, protesters were still met with tear gas, physical violence, and even arrests. Floyd’s death caused a spark in the social justice movement. Nailah Reynolds ’22 said, “I feel like his death was like the breaking point in a way, especially
since COVID is going on, people are becoming more aware of issues in the Black community and how poorly we’re treated.” History teacher Cory Nelson said, “I think that the tragedies of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmed Arbery are very tragic. Their deaths impacted the BLM movement to rally people that might not have been supporters and gained more momentum to make strides towards equality in the United States.” With this generation already as aware as it is, because of George Floyd many have spoken up and used their voices to make a change. Reginald Brown ’22 stated, “I think the BLM movement is going to keep doing what they have been doing for years, which is striving for racial equality and to make the world a better place.” The death of George Floyd, and the many others, has caused an increase in awareness for those who are willing to make a change, with education being in the forefront of the movement.
Fall 2020
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
State News
9
Harris hopes to make history with ticket to White House By Joziah Rizzo ’23
Kamala Devi Harris, was born in Oakland and grew up in Berkeley. Harris’ parents were both immigrants; her father was African American, and her mother was Indian American. Therefore, she is the first African and Indian American woman to be a vice presidential running mate, the first to be elected for the position of county district attorney for San Francisco, and the first woman to serve as California’s attorney general. Harris has an impressive resume, being former District Attorney of San Francisco, county district attorney, state attorney general, serving on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, the select committee on intelligence, the committee on the judiciary, the committee on the budget, and is currently a U.S Senator. Modern world history teacher Edgar Beteta ’85 stated, “A lot of people were angry at her for her decision as the D.A of San Francisco to refuse seeking the death penalty for a man who killed a police officer in 2004.” Harris first announced her nomination to run for President on Jan. 21, 2019 during an appearance on Good Morning America. Coming from a family of civil rights activists she chose to
announce her decision on Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a remembrance. She started her campaign on Jan. 27 at a rally in Oakland, where over 20,000 people attended. She spoke about her life, economic issues, Universal pre-K, debt free-college, a tax cut for working middle class families, Medicare for all, abolition of private insurance, and her will to fight and not give up. Harris ended her presidential campaign on Dec. 3 2019 due to insufficient funds to support it as it got increasingly difficult to raise money. Another factor was the declining rate of her polling average while other candidates’ averages were rising. On Aug. 11, former Vice President Joe Biden chose Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate. On Oct. 7, Vice President Mike Pence and Harris, his challenger, faced off in the only vice presidential debate. Less of a personality show than the presidential debate, people watching the debate got to see more ideas and views from both parties. Organizers took extensive safety precautions in protecting the people in the building from contracting the virus due to President Donald Trump testing positive only a week before. The debate touched on the topics of
USSenate.gov Senator Kamala Harris the Coronavirus, climate change, the Supreme Court, economy, jobs, taxes, race, the justice system, and foreign policy. Like the presidential debate, the candidates evaded questions, and left many unanswered. Kamala Harris’s views on key issues play a huge factor in whether people want her and Joe Biden to become President and Vice President. Her views on healthcare are, she believes that there should be medicare for all, to provide government run medical insurance for all Americans. She supports the elimination of private health insurances. Harris
wants to create a path to citizenship to the numerous undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. She supported decriminalizing border crossings by undocumented immigrants and providng them with free healthcare. Harris is pro-choice and fully supports taxpayer funded abortions, she suggests large companies should be required to be equal pay certified to close the gender pay gap. Harris has what some consider to be extreme gun control agendas. She believes there should be more strict gun rules and control. She supports bans on assault weapons, mandatory background checks, tightening loopholes, and the idea of mandatory buyback forcing the owners to turn in the assault weapons. Beteta said, “Gun control has to be sensible, you can’t just take away everyone’s guns.” Harris believes in climate change and that the government should tackle the issue. While she personally opposes fracking and has called for federal legal action against the fossil fuel industry, Biden does not. In regards to police and race relations, she supports law enforcement reforms. In addition, Harris released plans establishing her vision to stand up for Black America.
Wildfires burn California, causing $60 billion in damages By Sebastian Elsner ’23
More than 7,500 fires raged through California this year. The fires have burned more than four million acres, making 2020 the worst wildfire year in the state’s history, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The record heat wave and winds sparked the August Complex fires making it the largest, passing the Mendocino Complex fire in 2018. The August fire burned more than 1 million acres. Mark Howell ’85, who has a house in the Russian River Valley, said, “To be better prepared for forest fires we need better forest management.” Once again, another heat wave struck the area in the last week of September, creating up to 20 more fires. The most recent big fire was the Glass Fire just north of St. Helena, in Napa County. This fire burned for more than three weeks, and more than 70,000 acres. It has stretched through two counties, Napa and Sonoma. The cause is still unknown. More than 25,000 evacuated in most of Napa and Sonoma counties. This fire season in California is the largest, but not the most dangerous. For the Glass Fire, in certain non-populated areas, firefighters are letting the fire
burn, because if the forest does not go through a cycle of the tree dying, the trees will not release more seeds. If the forest does not go through that cycle, the trees have a higher chance to burn. Michael O’Brien, AP Environmental Science teacher at Archbishop Riordan, said, “The fires that have been happening, climate change is not the only cause, there is also forest management. What I saw was containment, within the nonpopulated areas so that the trees can regenerate.” So far, 2018 was the most dangerous because 25,000 houses were destroyed, more than 100 deaths occurred, and more than 80 injuries were sustained. Also, 2018 cost more than $25 billion to help people affected. And, the fires are not over yet. Currently, the fires have cost more than $60 billion. No one is ever prepared enough, but there are ways to reduce the damage. Howell suggested, “...removing dead and fallen trees, clearing out undergrowth and dried out vegetation.” Removing dried out vegetation helps the environment to become more fire retardant. Living in wooded areas, it is more important to be prepared. Tommy Taylor, retired police officer for SFPD who has a house
A fire burned close to houses near the South City Sign this month. in the Russian River Valley, said, “If you live in a wooded area, there’s really not a lot you can do except clear the defensible area around your house of tree limbs, brush, and weeds.” Residents are encouraged to have a bag ready and prepared to evacuate at any time. If officials ask to evacuate, those orders should be followed. Taylor said, “It depends if the fire is close and you do not live in a heavily wooded area. I felt safe because the fire was far, but I was ready to leave if needed.” The fires didn’t just affect the people who had to evacuate, but everyone in California, because
Photo by Noah David ’22 the smoke permeated all throughout the country. On the Record Searchlight website, their Hazard Mapping System shows that the smoke from the California fires stretches all the way to New York and other Northeast states. Since August, 15 fires have been burning in California, Oregon, and Washington. This has been the biggest, recordbreaking fire in California. There are 25 major wildfires destroying more than 70,000 buildings and more than 40 fatalities. Being nervous about fires is normal, but people still need to be prepared, have a backup plan, and clean around the house to remove dead vegetation and leaves.
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10 Arts & Entertainment
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Fall 2020
Fashion forward thinkers accessorize with face masks By Grayson Salomon ’22
The Coronavirus pandemic has introduced a lot in our “new norm” of living. We are constantly washing our hands, avoiding touching our face, and socially distancing from friends and family. But, the most noticeable item that hopefully everyone is doing, is wearing a face mask that covers the nose and mouth to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As masks become an essential item to our appearance and outfit, they have become a fashion staple. There is probably a mask with any design you can think of available for purchase somewhere. Kenneth Arteaga ’23 said his mask always has to go with his outfit. “You gotta match the mask with the fit for the extra drip.” For some people, they own more than five masks, like fashion enthusiast Jolie Verzosa ’22. She owns about seven to compliment her daily outfits. Is the mask part of her outfit? “Always,” she said. “Is that even a question?” To others, such as Rafa Cazorla ’21, the masks are just another necessity and not really thought of as a fashion accessory. “I guess subconsciously I do use masks in outfits, but I never
Photo collage by Grayson Salomon ’22 Custom face coverings have emerged to provide individuals with opportunity to express themselves during the pandemic. really thought about it because the new norms due to the pandemic don’t feel normal, even though things have been this way for a while now,” he said. As the pandemic drags on,
many companies have started producing masks for their consumers, including high end designer brands such as Burberry and Louis Vuitton. In August, Burberry was the first designer
brand to release its own high end masks that cost 90 British pounds or about $119. Following a similar path, Louis Vuitton is set to release a set of luxury face shields retailing at an extremely high price of $961. Verzosa shared her opinions: “I understand the Burberry one, but the LV face shield? That makes no sense unless it’s made of plastic off of God’s water bottle! There is no need for it to be almost one thousand dollars.” Here at Riordan, there currently are no requirements for masks that are to be worn by students such as certain colored masks or Riordan branded masks. It is also unknown if Riordan will be selling the masks that were worn by graduating seniors of the Class of 2020 and faculty at graduation earlier in June. “I think for right now, so long as you have a mask and it doesn’t have inappropriate words, phrases, or symbols, it should suffice” said Dean of Students, Juan Zumbado ’98. As the virus continues to be the main focus of our lives, we will definitely be seeing many different kinds of masks as people continue to express themselves while they protect one another.
Concerts hope to make comeback with social distancing setups By Grayson Salomon ’22
When the Coronavirus pandemic first started, people were told to stay home and social distance from each other. This meant all in-person events, such as concerts, were cancelled or postponed. Avid concert goer and English teacher, Michael Vezzali-Pascual ’88, expressed his remorse on the absence of live music. “One of the biggest things I am missing during the pandemic, besides being at school with the Crusader Family, is going to see live music,” he said. As we are about seven months into this pandemic, live events have been returning slowly with in-person attendance in certain states, such as football games. Concerts, on the other hand, are projected to make a return in late 2021 or early 2022. Though this might not be the case for the United Kingdom. On Aug 11. 2020, a pop-up venue called the Virgin Money Unity Arena in Gosforth Park, Newcastle, Northern England, tested out a socially distanced concert with about 2,500 people in attendance. People arrived in groups up to five to watch artist Sam Fender, on socially distanced platforms in the park. Upon arrival, distancing was enforced. Cars were parked two
meters apart and attendees were guided to their own private platform to view the show. Noah Tango ’22 thinks the show was a good first step towards the return of live music, saying, “The socially distanced concert in the UK was a good step in providing entertainment for people who enjoy concerts. I think it was a good idea.” After seeing the show, VezzaliPascual believed that this type of event could be done at the Polo Fields in Golden Gate Park here in San Francisco. Now, one of the main questions that arises from this concert is, would people feel safe and want to attend? Antonio Roca ’21 said that he would feel safe attending a socially distanced concert, but only under the right precautions. Tango feels the same way. “I would feel safe attending a socially distanced concert because there would be strict guidelines enforced,” he said. Not everybody supports this
Photo by Brandon Tam ’23 Stern Grove, a popular concert venue, will remain silent for awhile. new norm. Vezzali-Pascual said, “While my days of crowding up to the stage with thousands of other loud, sweaty, and crazy mosh-pit people are long gone, I think I would prefer the old style.” He added, “There is nothing like the energy of a crowd packed in closely in the same space and all vibing to the same artist who is creating a one-time piece of live music that will never be done in
quite the same way again. To me, it just wouldn’t be the same having to be socially distanced. But who knows? I’m sure I would appreciate just being there and hearing music!” While the future of live music is foggy, many hope concerts will return to their traditional style. Roca said, “I believe when the whole pandemic has ended, the traditional style of concerts will be better than before!”
Fall 2020
Arts & Entertainment 11
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Stranded by indoor theaters, moviegoers pull up to drive-ins By Sean DiNicola ’22 “...you had to leave your car No event in recent history and walk to the food booth — has affected the entertainment industry more than the coronavirus: live concerts are on hold, movie theaters remain empty, and socially distancing has become our new way of life. But one business seems to be back in business: the drive-in theater, and it’s become a new way to reach audiences. So far, people are excited about the resurgence of drive-ins and seeing movies on a big screen again. “I think it’s awesome because it’s the perfect solution for the producers and the viewers,” said drama teacher Valerie O’Riordan. “You can be in the safety of your own car, with friends or family, and still get quality entertainment. AND...take your own goodies!” Drive-ins were popular back in the 1950s and 60s and at their peak, over 4,000 theaters were spread across the country. Families could watch movies, grab a bite to eat, or visit some of the other nearby activities, such as arcades or playgrounds. For young couples, it was a way to enjoy some private time together. According to Math teacher Ottilie Valverde, there were some downsides.
sometimes a considerable walk and, sometimes, miss part of the movie to do it,” she said. “I remember not liking the noise of another vehicle entering or leaving in the middle of the movie; families often went to drive-ins and sometimes babies or little ones were noisy in a nearby car.” Today, according to the United Drive-in Theater Owners Association, only 300 theaters remain, including the Fort Mason Flix in San Francisco. Many theaters have upgraded and now include modern conveniences such as Bluetooth transmission to car speakers and HD movies projected onto screens. The Geneva Drive-In, the closest one to Riordan’s campus, opened a year after the school did, but closed in 1999, and was demolished in 2002. For those communities without drive-in theaters, pop-up theaters are being set up on a temporary basis. Fort Mason Flix in San Francisco, for example, operated in September and October, screening a variety of movies, from family films to blockbusters. And the drive-in experience isn’t just limited to movies.
Photo by Sean DiNicola ’22 Drive-in movie theaters have been on the rise to give patrons a way to watch new and favorite films while maintaining a safe distance. Encore Drive-in Nights is featuring bands such as Metallica and Kane Brown who filmed concerts specifically for drive-in theaters. Other bands, such as Sublime and Garth Brooks are using drive-ins to play live for their audiences, who are safely in their cars watching the show. While many are experiencing drive-ins for the first time, will they survive once indoor theaters open up again? Arav Patel ’22 doesn’t think so. “...drive-ins have the same
type of snacks and stuff without the environment or peace inside of a movie theatre. If you are outside it could be loud, which you would most likely not get inside of a movie theatre,” he said. “The overall experience of the indoor theatre is better in my opinion.” “I think drive-ins will stay in business after the pandemic,” said Valverde. “They offer something different that hasn’t been available to a whole generation of young people.”
Technological innovations help with filming during pandemic By Sean DiNicola ’22
With people around the world suffering on many fronts from the coronavirus pandemic, many are suffering from the lack of new entertainment. Most film studios were forced to stop production of movies and TV shows, but some have turned to technology to get their productions back on track. According to English Department Chair and Star Wars fan Mary Dalton, she does not see a difference between virtual and physical sets. “I think the productions look really cool, and I can’t tell the difference. I’m sure someone who is more of an expert in filmmaking might have an issue with the quality, but at least there are creative ways to keep producing entertainment” she said. The creative folks at Disney are using LED technology and actors are filmed in studios with giant LED screens covering the walls and ceilings that act as the backdrop for any environment, such as a city, mountain range, or anything necessary for the shot. According to Disney, over 50 percent of the first season of The Mandalorian production was filmed using LED technology, eliminating the need to travel to shoot a scene. When the pandemic reared its ugly head, Disney was well-positioned to continue
production while keeping their actors safe.
When asked if he thought the set of Mandalorian was real or virtual, Javier Sanchez ’22 commented, “The immediate set looked real since people go in and out of them, but the background looks virtual.”
He is absolutely right. There are pieces of the set that are physical, such as buildings but the background is on a screen the end result is what looks like a real life film set! In an interview with The Crusader, Beth D’Amato, a digital paint supervisor and 24 year veteran of ILM/Disney, talked about LED screen technology, which Disney started using extensively in the filming of Deep Water Horizon, released in 2016. “On that film the biggest effects were fires from an oil rig explosion. Rather than putting real fire on set with many actors, it was decided that large LED setups would project the fire instead and it worked out great,” she said. “That led to the technology being used on Solo: A Star Wars Story. LEDs were utilized outside the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon. We projected the hyperspace effect on screens and it provided great results for all the same reasons mentioned above AND in this case it also
provided the actors with a real sense of entering hyperspace.” D’Amato sees a bright future for LED technology and virtual reality, in general. “I’m excited to see where it will take us for future seasons of The Mandalorian and beyond. We’re creating volume setups in several locations around the globe so there will be more,” she said. She also added that the applications for VR are “endless” and she
is excited for the future of this technology. Moving forward, these new creative approaches may open doors for big-budget studios and we may get some new titles soon. For our immediate future, we can count on technology solutions to allow for productions to keep working and these creative approaches may open doors for smaller studios with limited resources.
12 Religion
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Fall 2020
Campus Ministry keeps Catholic faith alive on campus
By Anthony-Domingo Wierzba ’23
As Archbishop Riordan and every other school in the county started school online this year, students and staff have also not been able to attend Mass in person as a community. However, there are multiple ways Riordan has worked to continue to keep our faith during school which include, prayers before the start of class, prayer services by Fr. Faller on Fridays, adoration, which allows people to pray outside of church, and through the Staff Rosary, where the staff meets online to pray the Rosary. “Live-streamed Masses provide the opportunity for students to deepen their faith during remote learning. Our community comes together to grow spiritually, and it is in this joint moment that we see Christ in others and in
Archbishop Riordan Campus Ministry Chaplain Fr. Cameron Faller delivers his weekly Gospel reflection. ourselves,” Riordan religion teacher Elizabeth Watters explained. The Masses help everyone at Riordan continue to have a
connection to the church and to have a better understanding of the Catholic faith. “Going to Mass made me closer with God, and got me more
involved with something,” Anthony Wuestifeld ’23 explained. Although everyone is trying to continue their faith digitally, there are new ways to do so, which include the upcoming digital Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Kairos retreats. While some people are skeptical, Riordan’s chaplain Fr. Cameron Faller said, “‘We know that all things work for good for those who love God’ (Romans 8:39). Therefore, as hard as this moment might be, our faith teaches us that God hasn’t abandoned us and God can use this situation for our good. I would encourage students to reflect on what God can bring out of this situation. How can we grow from this situation?”
Plaque remembers school gardener’s heroic deed By Ethan Vargas ’23
The statue of Mary the Immaculate Conception in the center of the school courtyard entered its second phase of beautification. A new plaque was recently installed at the base of the statue, commemorating Reno Taini ’59 and the legacy of his father, Gaspare Taini. Gaspare was the school gardener who saved the statue from falling during an earthquake in 1957. In August, V Fontana & Co., along with Reno, came on campus to install the plaque. According to Reno, the installation process took about two hours. Reno wrote the words on the plaque, and said, “The Fontana family selected the marble and
put the letters in place to tell the story.” While another earthquake is possible, Reno is hopeful the statue will hold up. “To me, at this age, I can only say that I have been through many earthquakes where the shock waves bypassed delicate structures for reasons unknown to me.” Although many people have been trying to figure out who the sculptor of the statue is, there are no leads as of yet. Reno said his father “Came from a village near where it was made. In his time, a village statue was a very deep symbol of faith. Today it still prevails.” To this day, the name of the artist remains a mystery.
A plaque commemorates the dedication of the Mary statue in the courtyard and the gardener who saved it during an earthquake in 1957. The Crusader
Catholics attend live-stream Masses, anticipating in-person services By Kevin Guinasso ’22
This year has been a rough year for everyone, and people say they need to turn to their faith more than ever. But, just like everything else, it’s challenging. Stores, salons, and other businesses have recently opened up, and although a lot of people are happy, the Catholic community is still waiting for more churches to open. “I felt upset and unjustly discriminated against,” said religious studies teacher Joshua Keeney. “The local government showed their true colors and communicated very clearly that in their eyes, religion does not hold an essential place in the lives of their constituents.” Social distancing will help to follow protocols, but city officials think there will be a significant risk of transmitting COVID-19.
Photo by Julien Untalan ’24 Parishoners at All Souls Catholic Church in South San Francisco practice social distancing while attending Mass. Aidan Geraldi ’22 said, “It depends on the amount of people gathering. Church usually has a larger gathering of people than a grocery store or a salon, so I agree
with it.” Currently, Catholics are experiencing Mass via live stream. Although parishioners are practicing their Catholic faith
through live streams, some Catholics feel like they are not getting the full experience. “While we can experience God anywhere, being in His physical presence does something to a person and can change them more powerfully,” said Keeney. “The presence of Christ in Eucharist cannot be experienced in the same way through a television as it can be through being truly present at Mass.” Geraldi also said, “Receiving the Eucharist is something you can only do at Mass, you can’t do it virtually.” Receiving the Eucharist is important to Catholics, and they hope the City will lift the ban and loosen the restrictions on reopening the Church so Catholics can once again experience receiving the Sacrament of Communion in person and rejoice with their fellow parishioners.
Fall 2020
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Features
13
Could 2020 be the worst year ever?
By Anthony-Domingo Wierzba ’23
Is 2020 the worst year yet? In this past year, we have faced multiple shocking events. We have seen the deaths of Chadwick Boseman, Kobe Bryant, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, John Lewis, Naya Rivera, Eddie Van Halen, and many more. George Floyd, whose death at the hands of police officers was seen by millions on video, stirred a resurgent rise in protest for the Black Lives Matter movement, as civilians expressed their continued concern for racial brutality. COVID-19 took the world by storm, as the number of cases have gone up dramatically in just a couple months. As the Bay Area works to keep the amount of COVID cases from rising, students have started school this year digitally. “It’s something worldwide that’s affected everyone whether they want it or not. It feels like COVID pushed itself into our lives,” Alexander Robinson ’23 stated. As Riordan started its school year on Sept. 8, students began
Photo illustration by John McQuaid ’22 Many people are looking forward to Dec. 31, when they can finally put 2020 and all its misery behind them. the semester the same way it ended last year: with online learning. 2020 offered many unexpected tragic events, as many people were hopeful that this new decade could be a chance to make a change and to make their lives better. But as this year has
continued to get worse than anyone expected, it raises the question: Could any year compare to this year? “We had some major celebrity deaths this year, a pandemic, world leaders blaming each other and having no regard to working to make it better, but I think
because of technology, we have been able to get closer via video calling and all of us going through this together,” history teacher Cory Nelson said. He then continued, “I would compare it to our last pandemic of 1918 because the world was very divided at the time with World War I and at the same time going through a pandemic.” However, this is only one of many years that could be comparable such as, the Great Depression in the 1930s, or when millions of Jewish people and others deemed dispensable by the Nazis were forced into Concentration Camps from 1942 to 1945, and killed. Even though this year has taken a toll on everyone, “I hope when we return students maximize their opportunities on campus and cherish their time together. The last and most important thing we could have benefited from is perspective,” Director of Admissions Danny Curtin ’08 said. “I hope we all gained some perspective on life, and we do not lose sight of the power of the community and others.”
Fallen Crusader remembered decades after Golden Dragon Massacre
By CJ Cabanero ’21 On Sept. 4, 1977, the gangrelated shooting attack that is forever known as the Golden Dragon Massacre, took place at 822 Washington Street in Chinatown, San Francisco, California, inside the Golden Dragon Restaurant. Being stimulated by the well established quarrels, five offenders of the Chinese youth gang, the Joe Boys, attempted to kill the leaders of their rival Chinatown gang, the Wah Ching. This massacre, which left 11 injured and five dead, was vengeance for a shootout on July 4, 1977 in Chinatown’s Peace Garden with the Wah Ching, according to police reports at the time. One of the victims fatally shot was an 18-year-old, Calvin M. Fong ’77, a recent graduate of Riordan High School. Glen Perez ’77 met Clavin their freshman year. “Calvin had a special way of making you feel like a friend right away, but in a very genuine way,” he said. “His spirit was animated, he was kind and very bright. Never heard him say a mean thing about anyone.” Aysaiah Radoc Manrique ’21 said, “It is sad to hear that one of our Riordan brothers died so young, not even getting the chance to live his life to the fullest.”
Photo by Clara Liu ’23 1977 Lance yearbook Calvin Fong was a staff member of The Crusader newspaper and Lance, the school yearbook. Antoinette Perez, Glen’s wife, also knew Calvin. “We were devastated by Calvin’s death. I remember attending his funeral in Chinatown. The place was packed and the crying was just heartbreaking,” said Antoinette, a 1977 graduate of Notre Dame High School. “I am grateful for this opportunity to honor the memory of a dear and most
Calvin Fong ’77 was caught in the crossfire of a gang shooting at the Golden Dragon restaurant in 1977. The Chinatown restaurant is now called Imperial Palace.
delightful person.” After this tragic event, a cut down in operating hours for the Golden Dragon occurred, closing at 10 p.m. instead of the usual 3 a.m. In addition, the tourist and business traffic greatly decreased following this shooting and remained like this for a handful of weeks. Following many attempts to continue its operation after the shooting, it was shut down after a failed health inspection, and did not reopen until May 2006.
Today, the Golden Dragon is called the Imperial Palace Restaurant. Between 1991 and 2018, the four men convicted of the killings were released on parole. Riordan parent Janett Cabanero stated, “It is crazy to know that where we usually eat after funerals, a shooting happened 40 plus years ago.” Glen Perez said, “I just remember feeling like — why him? He was such a bright light in the world.”
14 Technology
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Fall 2020
Trump threatens to terminate popular app TikTok By Clara Liu ’23
Ready for the latest social media uproar? President Donald Trump wants to ban TikTok for good, and although this may seem ridiculous, it almost happened. TikTok, formerly Musical.ly, is a social media platform where people from all around the world make content that they can post and share with others. TikTok is now one of the most popular social networking sites used by teenagers from all around the world. Many people especially like TikTok as it was a place where users could “Express themselves freely.” said Natalie Lin ’23. “If TikTok is banned, we lose a way to share our opinions. He [Trump] should not have the right to take that away from us.”
The app is owned by a Chinese company called ByteDance and for a few months now, the Trump Administration has allegedly claimed, “TikTok is a risk to national security because the app is owned by a Chinese parent company…” They’re also claiming “ByteDance could be required to hand over TikTok’s user data to the Chinese government, compromising the safety and privacy of US users,” according to Technology reporter Brian Fung. Fung added, “There is no proof of that whatsoever. From the information we have so far, Trump’s doing this based on his own speculation.” According to CNN News, “The Trump administration said it will restrict access to TikTok on
Photo by Grayson Salomon ’22 Sunday, Sept. 20,” though “... you’ll still be able to use TikTok — if it’s already on your phone. But at midnight between Sunday
and Monday, TikTok will vanish from US app stores… That means US users looking to install the app anew, or who are looking for security patches or other updates, won’t be able to receive them.” That was more than a month ago, and while TikTok fans held their breath awaiting the bad news, there was a last minute reprieve. But, the controversy is not over. There’s a possible partnership with TikTok and Oracle to help solve the security issue. If they can’t agree on a deal by Nov. 12, “then further restrictions will be applied to TikTok that could degrade its functionality, Department officials said,” according to Fung.
Musk unveils new chip, connecting brain to computer By Andrei Lynch ’22
The Neuralink company was founded in 2016 under Elon Musk. Their mission is to help make the lives of individuals with serious brain issues better. The Neuralink chip would have to be implanted in your brain through a surgical procedure that would last hours. Neuralink’s complete objective is to make humans able to compete with a future world with Artificial technology. Neuralink is a small square chip implanted into your brain. The chip would be connected to tiny wires the size of your hair throughout your brain. These wires would be connected to the most important parts of your brain relating back and forth.
Neuralink works by “The implants will help in the ultra-amplification of the very faint brain waves, and its further digitisation. A single USB-C cable provides fullbandwidth data streaming from the device, recording from all channels simultaneously. One electrode records the electrical signals between neurons, which instructs the brain. Now consider 1,500 electrodes. This could help map all different parts of the brain and bring a new understanding on decoding the complex brain signals,” according to The Week magazine. The animal tests worked out. The monkey with the chip implanted was able to control the computer. Humans are different because every brain is different
and having something stuck in the brain for a long period of time may not be healthy. The Food and Drug Administration has not approved trials at this time. The benefits for people are extraordinary because it claims to make deaf people hear, blind people to see, and help those suffering with major health issues. John Wu, Director of IT stated “I’m not sure about my stance on it because it’s so new. It’s a interesting concept. I think it’s a good start to try to use the brain interface to understand and improve certain medical conditions.” David Tuvshin ’22 said, “ To be honest, it would be pretty cool to have a computer in my head.
Neuralink.com But in all seriousness, I still most likely would. Because someone has got to do it, if not me than someone else, might as well contribute to humanity while I’m still around. Even if I end up receiving horrible brain trauma, it will be documented and engineers in the future could work on Neuralink to solve that problem.”
Teen teaches Mayan language to followers on TikTok
By Michael Ortega-Portillo ’21
TikTok is an app that’s mainly
known for dances and comedy, but an 18 year old named Santos Tuz went viral mid-July for teaching the Mayan language. Tuz is from Yucatán and he said he was inspired by others who were teaching English. Tuz was taught the Mayan language when he moved in with his grandma at the age of 6 or 7, and has been speaking it now for more than a decade. “I always wanted to show people how proud I feel about my roots,’’ he said, according to Yucatan News. When he first started, he never imagined he would have thousands of people who were interested in the Mayan language. “I saw him on my ‘For You’ page on TikTok when he first started teaching and I’ve been following him since,’’ said Jose Gonzalez Campos ’21.
Screenshot by Michael Ortega-Portillo ’21 Tuz currently has 72,300 followers on TikTok and 7,610 followers on his YouTube channel. Santos has also faced criticism when he was posting videos teaching. “People asked me why I was
teaching Mayan, that I should teach English, that Mayan was useless, that people from Yucatán did not even understand Spanish, and that made me feel very bad. They discriminated against me for teaching Mayan, and later I realized that people began to support me,” he told Yucatan News. He also said young people who speak the Mayan language are afraid to be made fun of. Tuz never stopped teaching. Now that millions of people are social distancing because of the coronavirus, Spanish teacher Armando Castillo said this is the perfect time to learn a new language. “When you learn a new language it teaches you to think in that language and expands the parameters of individual learning. It is a good way to exercise your mind,” he said.
“It teaches young people that they can make a significant difference in the world.” “It gives me hope for the future. A dying language can be brought back to life through the individual efforts of like minded people. This has been demonstrated in Ireland where the native Irish language has been resuscitated and, in Israel where the ancient Hebrew— once in danger of disappearing—is now widely taught and spoken.” Tuz has taken a proactive approach to revitalize the Mayan language by taking advantage of media platforms. Castillo said, “I feel very happy when anyone takes steps to preserve the history, language and culture of the Mayan people. This is an ancient culture that revered the natural world and tried to live in harmony with it—it offers much that we in the modern world can learn and apply.”
Fall 2020
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Health
15
Companies continue to work toward developing COVID-19 vaccine By John McQuaid ’22
The COVID-19 pandemic has been raging for over nine months now, and virologists and epidemiologists say that we may have to wait a while longer before it ends. We know that the development of a vaccine will speed up the end of this pandemic, but we also know that the vaccine will not be here for a long time. The current estimates for when a vaccine will complete testing is highly uncertain, as the expected timeframe continually changes. Most vaccines take around 10 years to fully develop and be deemed safe, but COVID is different. Right now, there are eleven vaccines in phase 3 testing, the final phase of testing, according to the New York Times. Colleen O’Rourke, the Science Department Chair, mentioned that, “Basically, instead of individual labs plodding along collecting data piece by piece, we turned the world-wide scientific
Photo by Bicanski for Pixnio Several pharmaceutical companies are diligently working to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. community into a networked supercomputer. Such an effort has never happened before in the history of our species, and hopefully, all of humanity will be better for it.” Scientists were able to create this networked supercomputer
after the virus’s genetic sequence was made public and different groups began sharing information. With everyone working so closely together, groups like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have estimated that a vaccine may be ready as
soon as Spring of 2021, though delays are also expected. While this may seem like a fast development cycle, it could be several years before the vaccine can be distributed to the public, due to factors such as anti-vaccine sentiments, and pharmaceutical companies possibly trying to profit off the vaccine. Knowing that, it is also unknown how long schools will continue to practice distance or hybrid learning, which in turn means that transfer students and freshmen could spend most or all of their time in this situation. In addition, this year’s seniors and juniors might spend their early college years learning virtually. This is a fairly pessimistic view. Should the vaccine be ready and safe earlier than expected, it could begin distribution sooner. Also, distribution could be quick regardless of the current situation and if the pharmaceutical companies rein themselves in, it is entirely possible for the vaccine to be accessible by all.
New Pepsi drink helps consumers drift into sleep By Elijah Calip ’22
“To sleep or not to sleep?” is a question humanity has been asking itself ever since the dawn of time. With a pandemic and what is yet to come from 2020, sleep is something everyone needs. To further enhance sleep quality and experience, say hello to PepsiCo’s new product, Driftwell. The blackberry and lavender flavored beverage aims to “sip into relaxation” with its new de-stressing and relaxation properties. Driftwell is a 7.5 oz water-based beverage containing 0 carbon, 0 sugar, 0 calories, 10 percent of the daily value of magnesium, and 200mg of L-Theanine. L-what, now? L-Theanine is an amino acid that is most commonly found in Bay Bolete mushrooms and tea leaves. The amino acid promotes a handful of benefits ranging from anxiety and stress relief to cancer and tumor treatment. Healthline addresses a 2011 study that suggests that L-Theanine in Bay Bolete mushrooms can boost the efficiency of several chemotherapeutic drugs. A survey conducted by the American Psychological Association reported that
American adults were averaging 6.7 hours of sleep a night, which is less than the minimum recommended amount. From this study, 43 percent of these adults reported the past month to be staying up at night due to stress. Furthermore, 42 percent of teenagers have reported an increase in stress from falling below the minimum hours of rest. To combat this ongoing crisis, Colleen O’Rourke, Science Department Chair, advises, “Practice good sleep hygiene. Basically, this means being intentional about when you get ready for sleep. Try to maintain a consistent bedtime. Stop looking at screens one hour before bed, or use a screen light-adjuster which reduces the amount of blue light they admit.” She added, “Have a sleeping space that is clean and clear of distractions. Try to sleep in as dark a room as possible. If you live somewhere noisy, use earplugs or a white-noise app on your phone. If your mind feels anxious, try practicing calming rituals before bed, such as meditation and prayer. Some people enjoy listening to ‘sleep stories’ to help calm themselves as well, and there are many free options
PepsiCo.com PepsiCo has developed a drink they say will help consumers drift into sleep easier.
available online. I highly recommend trying such behavioral modifications before trying supplements or
prescription solutions.” Driftwell is set to hit the online markets around December.
16 Science
Fall 2020
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Venusian clouds cause chatter among scientists By Jonathan Godoy ’21
PH3 — or as it’s usually known — phosphine, was detected on Venus on Sept. 14 and may be the biggest lead scientists have for extraterrestrial life. An international team of astronomers ranging from different space programs around the world first made the discovery of the gas in Venus’s atmosphere in September, using the Alma and James Clerk Maxwell telescopes to determine their findings. Science teacher Tony Dunn ’82 said, “Most life on Earth is microscopic. It makes sense to assume that for other planets. We don’t have any samples of Venus’ atmosphere to study directly. So instead, we look for signatures of molecules created by biological activity. Oxygen is one.” Dunn added, “Alien astronomers looking at Earth may not have telescopes large enough to see elephants and horses, or even the Great Wall of China, but they can detect the signature of oxygen in our atmosphere. This may lead them to conclude that Earth probably has life. Phosphine is another molecule, which can be a signature of life.”
NASA.gov Is there life on Venus? Venus was never a true contender in the habitable planet conversation like Mars, Europa, and Enceladus. Now, with astronomers finding phosphine, it points to the possibility of life through ariel anaerobic life in the atmosphere. On earth anaerobic life (oxygen free organisms) can most commonly be found in oxygen free environments like swamps, marshlands, and even in the intestines of some animals. Phosphine on Earth is a toxic gas that consists of one phosphorus atom surrounded by three hydrogen atoms, which can be
found in anaerobic organisms that live in the marshlands, swamps, and in most animal intestines. Venus is a rocky planet with an atmosphere that consists of carbon dioxide, with clouds of sulfuric acid droplets. The atmosphere on Venus is very thick, which results in the sun’s heat being trapped on the surface for temperatures higher than 880 degrees Fahrenheit. With humanity looking to the stars for the next frontier, nations have sent missions to the moon, rovers to many planets, and many spacecraft to scout the solar system. Life on other planets will probably not be as it has been portrayed in pop culture, but microscopic life is a real possibility. “That’s a great question. If you asked a hundred scientists, you’d get a hundred answers. Most would include the capacity for reproduction and evolution. Viruses are not considered to be alive, but they do have a means to reproduce and evolve,” said Dunn. Even though there is data and measurements from the telescopes, it can only take the theory so far. To understand if Venus is truly habitable and contain life, scientists need to go back with spacecraft and see what lies ahead.
Science Department offers new, out of this world class By Maxwell Meadows ’21
In a year defined by change, the Riordan community has embraced it and focused on improving the school and its environment. Many people know it’s the first year as Riordan being a coed school, but there is a new, exciting class flying under the radar: the Space and Earth Science class. The class offers students the opportunity to explore a branch of science never before taught at Riordan since its founding in 1949, one concerning the study behind Earth’s physical development process. Those leading the integration
of this class, Science Department Chair Colleen O’Rourke and science teachers Tony Dunn ’82, Stephanie Lee, Michael O’Brien, Julie Stricker-Balistreri, and
NASA.gov Brian Tuel have worked to ensure this class is taught in a way that makes learning fun and puts students in position to succeed.
The Science Department now offers a Space and Earth class.
Bay Area woman wins Nobel Prize for Chemistry By Santino Woo ’22
The Nobel Prize is a prestigious annual award that is given to those who help to make a difference in the world. This year, the Nobel Prize for Chemistry went to Jennifer A. Doudna, a professor and researcher at UC Berkeley, and Emmanuelle Charpentier, the Director of the Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens in Berlin, for their “development of a method for genome editing.” “A ‘genome’ is basically an individual organism’s entire sequence of DNA,” said Colleen O’ Rourke, a Biology teacher and Science Department Chair at Archbishop Riordan High School. “What they discovered is a
method of editing a genome with a much closer level of accuracy and precision than we ever have been able to do before. The technique is called CRISPR and in the eight years since its discovery, it has rapidly accelerated the field of genetic engineering in labs worldwide,” she said. This new technology is also being used to possibly cure forms of cancer, genetic diseases, HIV, etc. Doudna and Charpentier’s achievement is significant because they are the first women to win the Nobel Prize in science together. Additionally, Doudna is the first woman to win such a
Duncan Hall for Wikimedia Commons Jennifer A. Doudna
greatly sought after award at UC Berkeley. Allen Forte ’22 described this achievement as, “amazing,” and goes on to say, “What they’ve done is incredible and it’s allowing you, me, and really anyone that has an inspiration and motivation to want to contribute to the world as much as they do.” O’Rourke is extremely appreciative of Doudna and Charpentier’s work and said, “I am extra proud of how their win draws more attention to the important role women and other marginalized groups have always played in scientific advancement.”
Fall 2020
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Environment
17
Hurricane season: so many storms, so few names By Aysaiah Radoc Manrique ’21
In the midst of all the problems 2020 has provided us with, Mother Nature decided to join in the fray as hurricane season has reached its peak. Tropical Storm Beta recently formed in the Gulf of Mexico, being the last of the 23 storms to have brewed this year. The 21 pre-approved names for this year’s storms were already used, with six of the storms becoming hurricanes, and two, Laura and Teddy, becoming major hurricanes at a strength of Category 4. As a result, forecasters have had to result to using the Greek Alphabet in naming newlyformed storms for the second time in history. The first time this happened was in 2005, when its deadly hurricane season gave birth to Tropical Storm Alpha, Hurricane Beta, Tropical Storm Gamma, Tropical Storm Delta, Hurricane Epsilon, and Tropical Storm Zeta. Former member of The Crusader staff, Antonio Maffei ’20, now majoring in meteorology at Skyline College, said, “The 2020 hurricane season ends on Nov. 30. We have had a very active year, the second most active season behind the 2005 hurricane season. So far, there have been 27 tropical or subtropical cyclones, 26 named storms, 10 hurricanes, and four major hurricanes. This season has also been the second season on record to move past the primary name list and onto the Greek alphabet names.” The first storm labeled with a Greek letter was Subtropical Storm Alpha, which formed off the coast of Portugal on Sept. 18. Subtropical Storm Beta was expected to be short-lived but brought strong winds and heavy rain to the country.
T s
There were so many storms this season, that the National Hurricane Center ran out of traditional names for all of them. Not long after this, Tropical Depression 22 was officially named Tropical Storm Beta by the National Hurricane Center. Tropical Storm Beta is currently drenching parts of the Southeast of the United States of America, with showers and thunderstorms moving towards the mid-Atlantic. Before this, the most notable hurricanes that have occurred this year were Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Teddy. Hurricane Laura was a devastating Atlantic Hurricane that hit the midwest of the United States of America in late August, tying the 1856 Last Island hurricane as the strongest hurricane on record to hit the state of Louisiana. The hurricane produced deadly results such as a 17-foot surge, validating its predictions of
being unsurvivable, rendering areas uninhabitable for an extended period. Maffei said, “So far, Laura has been the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the United States this season. Laura was a deadly and destructive Category 4 hurricane that tied with the 1856 Last Island hurricane as the strongest on record to in Louisiana, as measured by maximum sustained winds.” He added, “It caused $14 billion in damage, even taking out the NWS radar tower in Lake Charles, Louisiana.” Hurricane Teddy was just as immense, with the 1,000 mile wide storm slamming into Canada. The majority of past storms this year have acted in a different manner, passing through quickly and
National Hurricane Center being short-lived. The National Hurricane Center is predicting 28 storms, which would tie the record with 2005 for most storms in a season. Thirteen hurricanes and six major hurricanes, Category 3 or stronger, are predicted in the latest seasonal outlook. Summarizing this year’s hurricane season, Maffei said, “A large majority of the hurricanes have to do with La Niña. During La Niña, westerly winds high in the atmosphere tend to weaken, resulting in an expanded area of low vertical wind shear. Wind shear tends to weaken hurricanes and prevents them from forming, however, due to the weak shear accredited to La Niña, this allows for more hurricanes to develop and become stronger.”
Pandemic increases pollution thanks to single-use masks By Delaney Mulqueen ’22
As if the Coronavirus couldn’t get any worse, disposable masks have polluted the oceans so horribly there eventually could be more masks than jellyfish. Similar to six-pack rings, “COVID waste” has increasingly become a problem. Single-use masks are polluting the waters, and with a lifespan of 450 years, the effects cause more harm than good. Using multiple disposable masks, except for hospital personnel, is not only unnecessary, but hurtful to the environment. There are more sustainable alternatives such as cloth reusable masks, or biodegradable ones, which are thicker. Science Department Chair
Colleen O’Rourke said, “For our everyday lives, cloth masks are more than sufficient.” This so-called “COVID-waste” is a large contributor to plastic pollution. “The second that I saw people were wearing disposable masks, that aren’t reusable many times, the first thing I thought of, where are those going to end up? They will end up right where the plastic water bottles did. Same problem,” noted Michael O’Brien, AP Environmental Sciences teacher. To ensure the safety of marine life after use, people should cut the ear straps, recycle the metal nose piece, and throw away the remaining fabric. These extra steps keep seagulls out of harm’s
Photo by Grayson Salomon ’22 Disposable masks have increased pollution.
way from being either choked or rendered immomible. Recently, during quarantine, people also began sewing their own masks, reducing the impact of major industry production, which follows the three Rs in terms of sustainability: Reduce, reuse, recycle. As O’Brien said, “The only person you can truly change is yourself. Hopefully, we can change others by awareness.” Change isn’t possible unless everyone holds each other accountable. Polluting the Earth only accelerates the short timeline, roughly seven years, before the effects of climate change are irreversible.
18 Sports
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Fall 2020
Girls’ teams score W with Coaches Watkins, Watters, Wong By Sophia Carrasquilla ’22
With the addition of new sports teams to the Crusader Athletic Program, Riordan also welcomes new coaches. Introducing, the head coaches in women’s sports for the fall, spring and winter seasons. Serving up the tennis season is Coach Raymond Wong, who will lead the girls varsity team. “My goal at Riordan is to build a program and continuity to where the girls learn how to use the tools they acquire in class and on the court for their adulthood. Most importantly, that they have fun playing tennis.” Wong was born in China, but has lived in San Francisco his whole life, coached his two sons at Sacred Heart Cathedral for 18 years, then followed two years at Mercy SF. Wong played at Francisco Junior High School and continued to play in United States Tennis Association tournaments as well as father-son tournaments. For the first time ever at Riordan, the Crusaders will have volleyball teams, and heading
Girls’ Varsity Basketball Coach Will Watkins ’99 that program is Coach Elizabeth Watters. “In our inaugural season, our goal is to build a community of athletes who are passionate about the sport of volleyball. We want to learn the skill of the game, challenge ourselves to reach our potential, and have some fun. Go RVB!” Coach Watters is a San Francisco native, played Division I volleyball for Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, and
Girls’ Varsity Volleyball Coach Elizabeth Watters continues to play for different leagues in the city. She has been playing since third grade of elementary school, and continued until senior year in college. Assistant Volleyball Coach Angela Rubang joins Watters in leading the inaugural volleyball program at Riordan. She said, “I hope to foster women athletes of strong character and virtue, so that as individuals, they can
reach their full potential, and as a team we’ll achieve success.” Coach Rubang grew up in the East Bay, and attended SFSU when they cut the volleyball program; however, she played in adult leagues, as well as seven years in school. Joining the boys in the upcoming season, the women’s basketball program will be led by Coach Will Watkins. Coach Watkins said, “My goal with the girls basketball program is to establish a high character, competitive, fun culture that mirrors what I grew in as a Crusader and have carried on as a member of the boys’ basketball staff for the last seven years. I look forward to welcoming our young ladies to the Riordan athletic program and continuing Riordan’s proud tradition of athletic excellence.” Watkins is a San Francisco native and Riordan alumnus (Class of 1999). He has been playing since he was eight years old and coaching since the age of 16. He went to College of San Mateo and Academy of Arts.
WCAL welcomes Riordan women into league By Sophia Carrasquilla ’22
WCAL, also known as the West Catholic Athletic League, is a part of the CIF/Central Coast Section. This league has been running since 1967. At first, the WCAL only provided competition for men’s teams. It wasn’t until 2002 when the league included women’s teams. Over the years, the WCAL has become known as one of the most dominant and competitive athletic associations in Northern California. On the state level, men’s teams have won five state championships and the women’s teams have won two. Archbishop Riordan High School has made a name for itself in this league for strong sports teams, highlighting especially the 2020 wrestling champions and 15 time WCAL basketball champions. With Riordan’s current status in the WCAL, the following womens sports will be joining the league in their upcoming seasons: women’s volleyball, women’s basketball, women’s tennis, as well as women’s soccer. Having the new women’s teams joining the league was surprising news. Riordan’s athletic director,
The volleyball uniforms are purple for home, white for away games. Bob Greene, explained why the program decided to introduce the new teams into the WCAL so early. “Our plan going into everything had been to have the majority of our girls sports participate, at least this first year, with an independent schedule. We felt this allowed for the best situation for our girls’ programs to get off the ground successfully,” Greene said. “With the pandemic has come a lot of unknowns and massive
Photos by Bob Greene changes to the athletic calendar in the state and our section. So, we approached the WCAL about adding our teams into the league schedules for all of our girls programs and thankfully they were very receptive and supportive to this,” he said. The WCAL includes 10 different schools from San Francisco to San Jose. The current champions for the 2019 to 2020 season in women’s sports, is Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory in volleyball;
Archbishop Mitty holds the title for both women’s basketball and women’s soccer. Lastly, in women’s tennis, Saint Francis rules the court. Schools that will be competing for the 2020-2021 season include Archbishop Mitty (boys), Archbishop Riordan High School (boy and girls), Bellarmine (boys), Junipero Serra (boys), Presentation (girls), Sacred Heart Cathedral (boys and girls), Sacred Heart Prep (boys and girls), Saint Francis (boys and girls), Saint Ignatius (boys and girls) and Valley Christian (boys and girls). Greene was also asked about his thoughts on the challenge that these new teams may have competing this season. “Certainly, playing in a league as competitive as the WCAL is a big challenge for any program and it will be for our girls’ programs. However, we believe our girls and our coaches are prepared and excited for that challenge and playing in the WCAL secures our schedule of games and contests in this very unique year.” Student athletes and faculty are excited to see the women’s sport teams have the opportunity to represent Riordan alongside their fellow male athletes.
Fall 2020
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Sports 19
Off-season workouts prepare student athletes for delayed seasons
By Christian Ramirez Cortes ’22 On Sept. 21, student-athletes at Archbishop Riordan High School were welcomed back onto campus for off-season workouts that provided a safe environment for exercise, preparing the athletes for their upcoming seasons. Led by Ryan Jones ’09, strength and conditioning coach, these workouts are taking all precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Jones said, “Every precaution that we can take, we’re taking in terms of the cohorts and spreading kids out. We’re also limiting sharing of equipment, which is a huge one. The other precaution we’re taking is social distancing.” Along with COVID-19 came the cancellation of sports. Workouts, practices, and seasons were either cancelled or delayed, including Riordan sports, which were moved to January. In efforts to bring back sports, many programs and schools have been working on plans that will allow for the safe return of athletes and athletics in general. One session was cancelled due to bad air quality, and a pod was shut down for a week because of a possible case of COVID-19. All precautions were taken, issues were sorted out, and everything back to normal.
Photo by Clara Liu ’23 Athletes have been attending strictly monitored workouts on Mayer Family Field in anticipation of the return of athletics to schools. The precautions being taken are important to the overall safety of the athletes attending the workouts. In addition, the roles of athletic trainers and coaches have changed in various ways as they have had to adapt to the new changes. Erin Stovall, head athletic trainer at Riordan, explained, “The very nature of an athletic trainer’s job requires us to often be within that 6 foot bubble,
providing hands-on care. We have obviously had to adapt and change our skills to allow for a more socially distant atmosphere. I have begun doing remote Zoom consultations for injuries that are not urgent or severe. I am limiting my hands on involvement with athletes to those that only truly need it; for example serious or urgent injuries.” Not only are the precautions and guidelines protecting the
coaches and trainers, they also form a safe environment for the athletes where they can work out. Stovall stated, “Each day an athlete is on campus for workouts they must pre-screen prior to arrival, and a temperature check is given at the door when they enter for workouts. Within their cohorts, athletes are further divided into pods of no more than 14 athletes. They are required to wear masks at all times, and socially distance by cones placed on the field. Pre-filled water bottles are kept at their cones to prevent congregating during water breaks. If at any point equipment is used, it is properly cleaned before and after each use and there is no sharing at any point between different pods.” With these off-season workouts, athletes are given the opportunity to prepare for their sports seasons, which are expected to return in the near future. They provide a safe environment for exercise as everyone eagerly awaits the day structured athletics come back to campus. Leonardo Jimenez ’22 said, “The workouts have helped me reconnect with my friends while doing something productive and staying safe.”
CIF releases revised schedule for fall, winter, spring sports By Cameron Bevan-Abel ’22
The CIF announced that all California schools will not be allowed to start football practices before Dec. 14 and games no sooner than Jan. 8. Girls volleyball will start Dec. 14-19 and cross country by Dec. 26. Athletic Director Bob Greene said, “It throws you off in your timing. There’s a natural progression of fall, winter, spring. It makes sense, it’s part of our history, our culture, now a lot of that is thrown out of the window.” “The most significant change we will see will be more in the guidelines and protocols we will have to follow. Pre-screening before workouts, practices, games, etc., will become more of the norm,” stated Athletic Director Jay’Sen Morris ’07. “Although we have projected dates for competitions, many other things need to get answered or addressed before actually playing a game. When the competition starts, there may be restrictions on transportation, spectators, support staff, etc. Playing games will be the easy part. Everything we will need to do or have before a game will be the challenging part,” he added.
Due to the pandemic and safety concerns, the CIF pushed all school sports seasons and practices back by several months. “Guys and gals are going to have to make decisions on what sports to play because, let’s just take the sports of wrestling and baseball. Historically, we’ve had a decent number of baseball players who wrestle. Well, that’s worked out good because one’s a winter sport and one’s a spring sport. And there’s a little overlap but nothing too major, right? But now, both sports start on the
same day, March 15th, so now their seasons are running at the exact same time,” Bob Greene noted. Greene added, “There is no rule that says that you can’t play two sports for your high school at the same time, but [with] the realities of limitations of things you can do, it’s hard to envision you’re going to play on a team and miss part of the time to play on
Riordanhs.org
another team.” There are no certainties on how the winter sports season is going to shape out, but what is known is that all of the Crusaders, freshmen to seniors, girls and boys, will play their very best and will try to get as much work in before and during the season to help their teams have a successful 2021 campaign.
20 Food Reviews
Fall 2020
The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School
Students savor Roxie’s famous sandwiches By Nathan Loeffler Malatesta ’23
Roxie’s, a convenience store, located on 1901 San Jose Avenue, and famous for its deli sandwiches throughout San Francisco, is changing ownership after 45 years in the business. The Tannous brothers, Peter, Simon, and Tony, all icons of the restaurant business in San Francisco, have been active, supportive community members ever since they came to San Francisco in 1975. Roxie’s variety of sandwiches is astounding; they have the classics, including but not limited to, the BLT, the Turkey Club, and the Pastrami Sub, yet also have community specials like the Tony Tri-Tip, the Simon Special, and the Roxie’s Special.
I decided to get one of their oldest and most classic subs, the BLT, which consists of bacon, lettuce, and tomato, along with the usual toppings of onions, hot peppers, and pickles. The BLT, which I had on a soft roll, was beyond outstanding. It is undoubtedly the best sandwich I’ve ever had, as the sandwich was packed with delicious bacon, crisp, thinly cut iceberg lettuce, and creamy avocado, which was complimented perfectly with the fresh savory toppings. With Roxie’s changing ownership, customers will remember that Tannous family name is marked with respect, hard work, and everlasting love from the community and that their legacy will continue to live on with the next generation of owners.
Photo by Kaetlyn Loeffler Malatesta
McDonald’s scores partnership with Travis Scott celebrity meal By Noah David ’22
After months of speculation from fans, McDonald’s finally added the much anticipated Travis Scott Meal to their menu on Sept. 8, making this their first celebrity collaboration since the McJordan with Michael Jordan back in 1992. Paying homage to rapper Travis Scott’s McDonald’s meal since youth, this deal comes with a Bacon Quarter Pounder Cheeseburger, medium fries, a medium Sprite, and BBQ sauce. Along with the collaboration meal, the pop culture icon also released clothing with crazy colors, designs, and both companies’ logos, and a commercial, as well. Consisting of an action-figure Travis Scott speaking about his meal, this advertisement sparked video parodies and memes after Scott told customers to say, “Cactus Jack sent you” while ordering. I personally went to get this meal on the first day it was offered, and was met with a long line at the McDonald’s drivethru. Despite many others also being curious about the meal, it was not very hard to get and I had
Photo by Noah David ’22 the famous brown bag with golden arches in no time. Upon the first few bites of the burger and fries, and sips of Sprite, the meal tasted like any other trip to McDonald’s, with an exception of the smoky bacon added to the Quarter Pounder and the sweetness that complimented the fries when dipped in the BBQ sauce. Nonetheless, I finished my meal, searching to see what the
hype was all about, but found nothing. Although I enjoyed the tender beef patty, crispy bacon, and bold flavors from the condiments, the burger did not leave me speechless. The same thing can be said with the piping hot fries covered in tangy BBQ sauce and ice cold Sprite. Despite these two elements being essentials for my McDonald’s meal as well, these
flavors were no different than the past. All in all, despite being a fan of the Houston rapper, I would only recommend this meal to anyone looking for a new twist on McDonald’s classics or a quick bite to eat. Students had mixed emotions about this meal, too. Kenneth Arteaga ’23 stated, “I thought it was good, nothing special though. It was just a cool experience nevertheless.” Dan Baradi ’22 said, “The meal was overhyped and average,” and said he would not even recommend this meal to others. Baradi added, “I just happened to be at McDonald’s, so I decided to try it,” while Arteaga answered, “I did go on the first day it came out for the hype, and he’s my favorite artist as well.” Finally, Mason Liu ’23 shared his reasoning: “I got the meal because of Travis Scott. He’s one of my top five favorite artists.” All in all, Liu’s thoughts on the meal summed it up best, “The meal was alright. It was just a Quarter Pounder with bacon. Nothing special.”
Step into the ’50s at Rock’n Rob’s in Pacifica By Nathan Loeffler Malatesta ’23
The ’50s themed beachside restaurant Rock’n Rob’s on 450 Dondee Way has been in business for more than 30 years and features American classics like burgers, hot dogs, fries, milkshakes, and onion rings, but also has other delicacies like fish and chips or their wide range of vegetarian options. I chose to get the most popular dish of the classic burger, fries, and a shake. The burger was great as the patty was cooked perfectly, and it contained delicious highquality produce. Their fries were crispy and delicious, and their shake was magnificent; one of the best shakes I have ever had as it was thick, creamy, and all-around delicious. Their interior is also outstanding. As soon as I walked in the door, it was like I went back in time. As I looked down, I saw the iconic checkered floor, and to the left, there are black and white pictures of ’50s stars like
Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe, which is where the restaurant got its name, and to the right, there were traditional ’50s booths. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, the interior theme can no longer be enjoyed until lockdown is over; but don’t let that discourage you from coming, as the outdoor dining tables were magnificent—the tables have an excellent view of the vast, beautiful ocean. Secondly, the hospitality of the servers was perfect, as they were all friendly, considerate people. Another significant aspect of this restaurant is that the food only took 35 minutes from our online order to our table, which was surprising, considering they had to meet demands for an ongoing wedding. Overall, the comforting food and the hospitality of the workers made Rock’n Rob’s a beautiful experience. Out of five stars, Rock’n Rob’s receives a total of 5. A burger, fries, and a shake cost $18.
Photo by Nathan Loeffler Malatesta ’23