The Crusader Fall 2021

Campus News, Pages 4 - 5

FREE

Arts & Entertainment, Pages 12 - 13

VOLUME 72 ISSUE 1

Health, Page 9

ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN HIGH SCHOOL

SERVING RIORDAN SINCE 1949

Sports, Pages 21 - 23

Fall 2021 THE NEWSPAPER OF CRUSADER COUNTRY

Schools open doors to full on-campus learning

By Angelo Coletti ’24

During the year 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit with a deadly force, with the virus affecting people worldwide, young and old.

As this virus spread, more lives were affected in regards to health, employment, school, sports, and entertainment. Some students had to finish their high school years through online school, as many jobs went online as well.

The hopes of those wanting to graduate in person seemed to disintegrate. Many students Photo by Grayson Salomon ’22 didn’t get a chance to perform Students return to campus on the first day of the 2021-2022 school year. their talents in front of college fall of 2020. students on campus. coaches.

Riordan had transformed into So far, according to students, As the year might go down as one of the worst in history, the a coed school in 2020, and this Archbishop Riordan seems to be new year came, and along with helped bring energetic waves, handling the change well.

Gabriela Ramirez ’24 said, “You it, came the hope, later joy, that making the school one of the most would never feel like Riordan was schools, jobs, and restaurants talked about in the Bay. As Riordan entered the new an all boys school by the way they were reopening.

Although Archbishop Riordan school year, students and parents welcomed and greeted their new was one of the first to close in questioned how the year was female classmates on campus.”

She also stated, “Riordan made March 2020, it was one of only a going to progress, and how they few in San Francisco to open its planned on teaching during a me feel very at home and I’m proud to call and treat Riordan doors to hybrid learning in the pandemic with nearly 1,000

like a second home.”

Jared Laxamana ’24, said, “I was so happy to start school again that the first day I made at least 20 new friends.” He also stated, “I feel very safe at school even if everyone’s not vaccinated because they all wear their masks above their nose.”

For many sophomores, this is their first year of school at Riordan because not many attended class on campus in 2020-21.

Mark Modeste, coach of the football team and supervisor for the COVID protocol stated, “This is by far the most students Riordan has had in attendance for a while.”

He added, “I think we are adapting well to the changes here at Riordan. I also believe we are following the COVID restrictions and guidelines well.”

As students, faculty and staff are consistently wearing masks every day, many agree Riordan has made this new environment a safe one.

Students resume in-person classes with coed adjustments

By Christian Ramirez Cortes ’22 Classrooms at Archbishop Riordan High School are now occupied by both young men and women. As a result of Riordan welcoming young women onto their campus, classes have now become coed environments, which is new to many.

The new coed environment has taken longer to adjust to, as the first coed year was mostly on Zoom. Everyone at Riordan has had to get used to having a coed student body, including the teachers, who seemed to have a positive outlook on it.

Debra Jensen, Spanish instructor, has noticed a smooth transition, stating, “There was a dynamic, where they seem to be very content. I’ve noticed a lot of integration, so it seems to be working out and I was pleased to see that.”

Teachers have also been changing up their lesson plans and adjusting to the new members in the classroom.

Diana Assereto, English instructor, said, “The literature we are reading this year has complicated female characters. I chose the books based on student feedback from last year when we became a coed school. I’m looking forward to our class discussions about Daisy Buchanan, Jordan Baker, and Myrtle Wilson, from The Great Gatsby now that the classes are mixed. One focus will be women’s rights, and the changing attitudes and social norms of the time period compared to present day.”

Riordan, once San Francisco’s oldest all-boys school, was established in 1949 and became a co-educational institution in the fall of 2020.

For the first coed year, most classes were held via Zoom so the students never got the full “coed experience.”

However, with the improved conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, all students were welcomed onto

Photo by Noah David ’22

Students watch a presentation in Christopher Fern’s history class. campus full-time this year.

They are experiencing the coed environment in their classes and getting used to a new Riordan.

Jamm Magaling ’22 stated, “I was really excited to have coed classes, seeing new faces and meeting new people. It’s been about a month, and classes have been very enjoyable as the new women add so much to the class and its overall atmosphere.”

The young women also seem to be getting used to this new environment.

Marcella Fabre ’23 said,

“Coming from Mercy SF, I was used to being in a cassroom full of girls, yet the single sex enviornment was never a deal breaker for me. I loved Mercy for the confidence that it showed me, and the environment prepared me to work in any classroom setting, regardless of gender.”

She added, “I knew that coed classes would be different than what I was used to, but I believe the transition was smooth, especially at Riordan, where like Mercy, community is strong and welcoming.”

2 Opinion

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Fall 2021

State school vaccine mandate on point

By Addison Hwang ’24

At last, after remaining in our rooms for a whole year, we get full time, in-person learning! That is definitely how most of us felt when we heard the undoubtedly positive news, right?

Sure, we get to finally appreciate the campus, hang out with new friends, see our teachers, and ultimately experience what high school is intended to be.

But what about the source which put us in these unforeseen circumstances first? What about COVID and how are the schools handling the control of disease?

After being in quarantine for a little over a year now, Riordan, just like numerous other schools, has switched from distance to in-person learning.

Being one of a thousand students here at Riordan, I know firsthand how this transition to make an attempt to get back to “normal” has come across. But, how do we really get back to what was once normal in a pandemic?

Five days a week, six hours every day, students like me are surrounded by hundreds of other students, trying to take the best

precautions we can. However, wiping down desks have stopped, directional walking lanes are gone, and social distancing is almost exempt.

With a multitude of these factors being gone, risk plays the main role of viable contraction and spread of COVID. Alternatively, one way which ensures all of our safety is by getting a vaccine.

Webster’s dictionary says a vaccine is “a preparation that is administered (as by injection) to stimulate the body’s immune response against a specific infectious agent or disease.”

Today, we have four different vaccines mass produced, open to the public, free of charge distributed by both states and local communities to prevent COVID-19. At this time, we are still living in a pandemic, which clearly can put many into danger.

To add on, we are now going to inperson school. As a result, being vaccinated is one of the safest bets for the safety of all students and faculty to more likely exterminate the spread of COVID. Why do they need to be mandatory in schools? Why

should a state enforce anything on anyone? To show one perspective, multiple restaurants and public spaces in San Francisco such as the Westfield Mall food court and Il Castro Pizzeria & Mozzarella Bar require verification of a vaccine in order to enter.

Likewise, schools have been requiring proof regarding receiving vaccines for polio, DTaP, Td/Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis), MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella), Hib (Haemophilus influenzae Type B), Hepatitis B, and Varicella (Chicken Pox) for decades. So, if other administrations have been proficient in keeping business going while getting rid of the possibility of COVID infection and schools already require the vaccination against countless other diseases, then why would the COVID vaccine be any different?

I have come to realize that some people just do not feel safe or feel that there has not been enough research on the COVID vaccines, thinking they could pose future dangers to people’s health.

Understandably, my family was

definitely skeptical at first hearing about these vaccines. We were unsure of the negative impacts the vaccines could have; however, after researching these vaccines, we found multiple health officials saying they are effective and safe.

Nonetheless, there are still some parents who do not trust the vaccines, so although I think the COVID vaccines should be mandated in schools, there must be some sort of leeway for those who choose to not get the vaccine.

Some possible options are getting tested every other day, constantly checking for any symptoms, and maybe even doing school from home through Zoom.

Schools should mandate the COVID vaccine for all students going to in person school for the obvious protection of everyone’s beneficial safety and health. The ultimate reality of the truth is either being at more risk for catching COVID and possibly dying like the 716,000 other Americans, or being vaccinated and having 11 times less of a chance of getting COVID than those who remain unvaccinated.

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.

Arts & Entertainment Editor Santino Woo ’22 Environment Editor Delaney Mulqueen ’22 Religion Editor Edward Ramos ’23 175 Frida Kahlo Way San Francisco, CA 94112 RCrusaderNews.com RCrusaderNews@riordanhs.org Editor-in-Chief Grayson Salomon ’22 Managing Editor John McQuaid ’22 Opinion Editor Addison Hwang ’24 News Editors Christian Ramirez Cortes ’22 William Lenoyr Ortiz ’22 Joseph Zuloaga ’23 Boys Sports Editor Cameron Bevan-Abel ’22

Health Editor Elijah Calip ’22 Science Editor Sean DiNicola ’22 Technology Editor Andrei Lynch ’22 Features Editor Angelina Ning ’23 Food Review Editor Nathan Loeffler Malatesta ’23 Exchange Editor Arianna Turner ’23 Copy Editor Arianna Jaboneta ’23

Girls Sports Editor Sophia Carrasquilla ’22

Photo Editors Noah David ’22 Edward Macdonald ’23

Sports Features Editor Andrea Abraham ’24

Graphic Artist Rizlin Jew ’22

Staff Reporters Jesus Aguilar ’22 Cole Anderson ’22 Jake Beeman ’24 Ryder Bouck ’22 Sophie Bucker ’24 Talia Bumanglag ’24 Juan Carlos Campos ’22 Giovanni Ruiz-Chable ’23 Charles Chu ’24 Angelo Coletti ’24 Jameson Datoc ’23 Logan Estrada ’22 Areeshah Farroq ’23 Zailea Mae Flores ’22 Jazmin Gamez ’24 Joseph Grysiewicz ’22 Kevin Guinasso ’22 Marisa Hamilton ’22 Finnbarr Harrington ’24 Mahkai Hunt ’23

Staff Reporters Claire Ibalio ’22 Jonathan Kruger ’24 Adeline McGoldrick ’24 Christopher Murray ’22 Anderson Ortiz ’22 William Parker ’24 Mario Perez de Leon ’24 Shridavi Raghavan ’25 Joziah Rizzo ’23 Brandon Saavedra ’24 Noah Tango ’22 Julien Untalan ’24 Ethan Vargas ’23 Evan Wallis ’22 Bo Wyatt ’24 Christine Zhu ’22 Adviser Susan Sutton, CJE

Letters to the Editor 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.

Fall 2021

Opinion

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

3

Students struggling to adapt to new normal Riordan Roundtable

By Grayson Salomon ’22

Being back at school, let me tell you, is one of the best feelings I’ve felt in the last year and a half.

Although I returned to school for a month in May last school year, it didn’t have that same feeling as it did before, but being back now has relit that spark that has been dormant for the entire pandemic.

Being back in the physical classroom, seeing my friends in person, attending dances, rallies, games and just seeing the whole student body is so nice and refreshing after 15 months of looking at tiny Zoom boxes on a computer screen.

Even though it’s exciting to see everyone again and get back into somewhat of a “new normal,” it hasn’t been all fun and games. Since we were forced into distance learning for about a year, adjusting back into in-person school was and still is a bit of a hassle. I was so used to waking up five to 10 minutes before my Zoom class that I forgot how to wake up on time. Waking up and having to actually get up and get dressed in uniform rather than sitting up in bed and turning off a laptop was, and still kind of is, difficult.

Even though more people are starting to return to clubs and extracurriculars, some aren’t. We actually have to be present during meetings, and not just turn off our cameras and walk away. Not saying I always did this, but I know a lot of us did and in a way, still do. What I mean is a lot of people forgot about clubs during the pandemic, and even though we’ve had Club Rush, people still forget about them.

Spartan Spear

By Leah Martinez ’22

This is due to the new schedule that Riordan has implemented to accommodate the increased class sizes. This year, we have two lunches split by upper and lower classes, meaning the whole student body is divided during lunch. This means clubs cannot meet during lunch because not all members would be present, so they have to be at different times that conflict with other activities such as sports or work.

Also, trying to balance extracurricular activities and school work is a bit hectic since now we actually meet in person rather than on Zoom. During the pandemic, deadlines were pretty much whenever so I could focus more on other activities.

Like I mentioned, we actually have to be present and in person during meetings. This takes time out of our day, which puts more emphasis on extracurricular activities, which keeps me at school longer and leaves me tired and unmotivated to finish any class and homework I have.

It’s October, and even though my grades visually look good, I know my work could be better and I can be better with my deadlines and turning my work in on time.

Trying to find that balance we had prior to COVID between friends, clubs and school work is tough and I’m still trying to figure it all out. But, it’s getting better and better as the year progresses.

My advice for anyone trying to find this balance again: stay motivated and give yourself a break. We are all getting adjusted to coming back in person fully, so it’s ok to be tired and fatigued at times, just don’t let it take over. Give yourself breaks from everything, turn off your phone and get off the PlayStation. Trust me, it’ll boost your motivation to do important stuff like college applications or late work. We’ve been through so much and we have so much more to do, and if we’ve made it this far, we can get through so much more. Hang in there, we got this.

There is no doubt that the pandemic and online schooling have taken a significant toll on students’ well-being. Back in March of 2020, students’ academic and social lives were put on an abrupt pause and students had to adapt to the new reality of virtually attending classes, scarce social interactions, sharing a workspace with relatives, and protecting themselves from the COVID-19 virus.

Now in 2021, schools have returned to in-person learning, and school has transformed into a different environment than it once was. Virtual learning has taught us that students’ mental health should have been a priority long before the pandemic.

It’s important for students to take care of themselves so they can have the energy and motivation to keep going. This responsibility should largely fall into the hands of schools to teach students to create a work-life balance.

During virtual learning, the expected academic pressures students typically experienced were slightly lowered and mental health became the main concern of parents and schools. Since students didn’t have jam-packed schedules, there was more time to explore new hobbies.

So of course, getting back into the groove of waking up early, commuting to school, sitting through classes, and completing copious amounts of homework again would cause a shock to students’ mental and physical health. To help students ease

back into in-person learning, schools should be conscious about how much work is assigned and bring back mental health days for students to recharge.

Schools should allow students to have a space to express their opinions about in-person learning and actually take into consideration what students say so adjustments can be made.

Personally, communicating with friends about feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or frustrated can be comforting because I know that I am not alone in feeling a certain way. Fortunately, the great majority of students respect and abide by the physical adjustments in school.

While having to wear a mask for long periods of time can get uncomfortable and muffle your voice, there is a common understanding that such precautions are there to protect everyone’s health. Although being back on campus can be tough and chaotic at times, moments like laughing with friends, talking with your favorite teacher, stopping by your favorite breakfast spot before class, being back on the field, and participating in club activities, creates that muchneeded balance between enjoying your time at school and fulfilling your responsibilities.

The pandemic has drastically changed and disrupted our lives, and therefore the routines that worked for us before may not work for us now, and that is ok. To regain this balance, students can find a new system that will aid them in rediscovering stability between their responsibilities.

This could be creating new habits like going to sleep an hour earlier, prioritizing your time, limiting phone usage, or dedicating time for self-care.

But there is only so much students can do, and schools also have to do their part to make this transition from online learning to in-person schooling as smooth as possible.

the losing house by a technicality.

Scrambling to find the answer, we searched the student body list in an attempt to find which house the student was in. We found out the claim was invalid and so the winning house retained its win.

The claims of cheating are non-stop and they always seem to be more creative time and time again. While some houses may find loopholes in the rules, the games are not rigged, nor is cheating involved as many students claim.

As the heads of the house

system, it hurts to see students claim the competitions are not played in fair spirit, especially since student government put lots of time and energy into creating games that all will enjoy. This negative attitude hurts the house system in its entirety.

While the claims of cheating do remain repetitive, it shows that the student body cares about the results of competitions; however, promoting the proper school spirit would bring about a new and lasting effect on the students.

Religious Studies teacher Joshua Keeney said, “We have to be willing to accept the results whether they are in our favor or not. The competitions are meant to build our family spirit, not to solely win.”

The real question is why the student body chooses to show their spirit through claiming rigged games or cheating after a loss. The negativity caused by calling games “rigged” should be channeled into a positive, lasting outcome that brings about a new sense of school spirit and pride.

House games not ‘rigged,’ despite complaints

By Cole Anderson ’22 and Christine Zhu ’22

There are many consistencies in the house system, but one house winning every competition is not one of them.

Due to this, one consistency that has been present since the house system began is the claim of cheating from the losing house, no matter the competition.

During one of the recent competitions, the losing team claimed the winner of the dodgeball game was from a different house, which would result in a victory for

4 Campus News

Fall 2021

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Dozen new teachers added to accommodate increased enrollment

By Charles Chu ’24 Riordan hired a total of 12 new teachers for the 2021-2022 school year, ranging from core subjects to the RSP department.

These new hirings come as previous teachers and staff retire, while the school expands in population.

Fresh faces at Riordan are a pleasant addition. Students often notice the energy and enthusiasm that new staff members bring. One student at Riordan felt a clear difference with his new teachers.

“New teachers are often more understanding and accommodating,” said Zaheer Young ’24.

The new teachers have had a good initial experience at Riordan. Overall, the welcome has been warm from students and staff alike. Staff have offered help, and students have checked in.

Danielle Jow, a new religion teacher at Riordan, said, “I’ve had a very warm welcome, the staff is very supportive and genuine. Many teachers have asked how things are going and offered to help.”

Jackie Grealish, a social science teacher at Riordan, echoed this sentiment. “I’ve been welcomed with a lot of support, the community is very welcoming.”

Many new teachers also notice the strong family spirit of Riordan. The community of students, staff, and alumni is

very powerful.

Mike McGarry, a new math teacher, said, “The family spirit of Riordan is outstanding, from the teachers and staff to the students themselves.”

He also noted, “The alumni presence at Riordan is also quite impressive, especially all of the alumni who return to work at Riordan.”

New teachers at Riordan are also enjoying getting to know students outside of the classroom.

There is a common sentiment that Riordan brings about a more personal connection between the students and educators.

Jow said, “My favorite part so far has been getting to know students, and expressing who I am as a teacher.”

Grealish echoed this message, “My favorite part about Riordan so far has been getting to know people, seeing students and teachers outside of the classroom, and the hybrid job I have.”

Lastly, the new teachers at Riordan have been impressed with the development of character among students. Not only does Riordan educate in the sense of course material, Riordan develops students into full outstanding members of society, and creates good citizens.

McGarry concluded, “Riordan succeeds in the mission of educating the whole person, which I am impressed with.”

Michael Deneui

Joseph Frias

Jackie Grealish

Danielle Jow

Stuart Kaler

Ynez Manalo

Karina Mathisen

Mike McGarry

Kurt Osmer

Carol Pineda

Seilala Zumbado

Andrew Belmont

Generous alumnus donates major gift to Riordan

By Anderson Ortiz ’22

In late July, Riordan was notified of a sizable estate gift that was given to the school from the trust of an alumnus, a seven figure estate gift that is likely the largest single gift from an individual donor that the school has ever received.

Guido Salaomone was a Riordan graduate from the Class of 1957 and a long time supporter of Riordan for 28 years.

Salaomone never married, didn’t have any other extended family, and his brother had passed away before him, so being the only one left from his family he decided to put Riordan in his trust as well as two other parishes here in San Francisco.

The gift was unrestricted, meaning it can be used for anything the school’s staff deems necessary, which is a highly unusual case, especially for such a large gift. With this freedom, Simon Chiu, as the Director of Development at Riordan, has looked into seeing where the

money should go as the school receives it over the next 18 months.

The money will be distributed into four different buckets: first, programs that impact student learning and teaching, second is the capital reserve fund (for future maintenance needs like roof replacement), third would be current renovation projects (classroom and bathroom remodels), and finally school endowment.

According to Chiu, the bucket that will take priority is the one that will improve the school immediately, which is to say the first one that will impact student learning and teaching.

Riordan had been working with Salaomone for a while, so a gift like this didn’t come out of nowhere. What did come out of nowhere though, was the surprise of such a large gift being left for Riordan in his will without a notice from Guido Salomone, as

Photo by The Crusader New Apple Mac desktop computers for the journalism program were some of the items purchased with the donation of alumnus Guido Salaomone ’57, who left his alma mater a generous gift in his will. it is customary to let the recipient know that they have been put into a will.

Upon being told the news Logan Scudmore ’22 said, “It’s crazy that Salaomone would give such a large sum to Riordan.

Even though he had no family, it’s still crazy that he would offer it to Riordan. Though I suppose that’s just a sign of how much of an impact Riordan has on its students’ lives!”

Fall 2021

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Campus News

5

Christine & Cole voted in as presidents in first traditional coed election

By Grayson Salomon ’22 We R finally back—back in person at Riordan, ready for a whole new year of events, opportunities and endless memories to make. A year full of dances, rallies, assemblies, games to be played and plenty of R-Time. But who coordinates these events and is a voice for the student body? The Student Parliament, led by a new set of leaders from the Class of 2022.

On Sept. 10, the election process for the new faces of Student Parliament began.

During R Time, the student body gathered in the gym and in the Lindland Theatre. Inside, presidential candidates Cole Anderson ’22, Oisin McClorrey ’22, Christine Zhu ’22, and Sophia Carrasquilla ’22 addressed the crowd and gave their speeches on why they deserve to be elected Student Body President.

After the candidates gave their speeches, the newly appointed Spirit Chairs, Noah David ’22 and Delaney Mulqueen ’22, introduced themselves and hyped up the crowd for the Homecoming Game and Dance that occurred on Sept. 11.

Following them, the newly appointed Event Coordinators, Andrew Rustrian ’22 and Areeshah Farooq ’23 gave details about the events planned for the 2021-2022 school year.

Although both hold different positions, David and Rustrian want to bring back the hype that Riordan’s events and dances held to their name.

“Finally being back from COVID, I feel like the school has lost its energy for school events.

I want to bring that back and try

Photo by Grayson Salomon ’22 The 2021-2022 Student Parliament Leaders are: Cole Anderson ’22, Christine Zhu ’22, Noah David ’22, Delaney Mulqueen ’22, Andrew Rustrian ’22 and Areeshah Farooq ’23. to remind everyone how much fun our school life is,” stated David.

As for the presidential election, Student Activities/House Director Jené Morris addressed the crowd and announced that voting for the new presidents would take place the following week on Tuesday, Sept. 14.

During the Telecast on that day, Student Activities/ House Director Benny Willers ’08 officially opened the polls via a QR Code link. The QR Code led students to a Google poll where users could cast their votes.

The next morning, Anderson and Zhu were declared Co-Student Body Presidents on Crusader Nation. Zhu is the first elected female president and the first international student to hold the position. She is the second female president of Riordan, with last year’s being Gigi DiGiulio ’21.

Zhu has always been into being a leader and leadership since elementary school and had been aiming for the role of president since the beginning of the school year in August and started preparing for the election

prior to even knowing there was an election.

“I just put my real feelings and thoughts as an international student and my hope to serve for the school and hope to make the community more diverse and respectful,” stated Zhu. She even went on to memorizing her speech in hopes to show the student body her raw thoughts and her true self.

As for Anderson, he had been wanting to run since he was in 8th grade and actually wanted to run for president as a freshman but realized he couldn’t. He started drafting a speech and consulted with many Crusader figures, past and present to get more insight on Riordan’s community in order to add to his motivation to make Riordan a better place.

“I started drafting a speech and just thought of things I could do to make our student body better and our school better.

I talked to Benny (Willers), Joey Klobas and many of the past presidents to see things I could do to make the school a better place,” stated Anderson.

Both presidents have similar wants and expectations to bring good changes to Riordan this year as presidents. Both want to bring more diversity to the school and make sure the students have a voice and are proud to be Crusaders.

“One thing is that we should develop different cultural appropriations and appreciations and you know Riordan is a diverse community, we have lots of students from different countries, different races and different families and I hope that everyone can contribute and give some ideas on how to make the school year more colorful. I really want every Riordan student to be proud to be a part of the Riordan family,” affirmed Zhu. Willers expects much from the new student body leaders and will be there to aid them on their journey this year by always being available and by supporting them and standing up for them.

“I expect them to be consistent and dependable, be ready for the challenge, but also ready to be vulnerable because there will be many times they will have to address the entire school.

I want them to have a voice, but I also know that they can’t do it alone,” said Willers.

Finally, Willers had some words for the 2021-2022 presidents.

He said, “Cole has been working for this since freshman year. I think he’s ready and well prepared. Christine is our first ever female [international] student body president. But not only has she made history, she had one of the best speeches I’ve ever heard during my time here at Riordan.”

Governor declares vaccine mandate for 2022-23 school year

By Adeline McGoldrick ’24 and Delaney Mulqueen ’22 According to a press release published on Oct. 1, Governor Gavin Newsom will begin enforcing a vaccine mandate for all in-person middle and high schoolers across California.

The mandate pertains to students 12 and older, and will go into effect anytime from January 1 to July 1, 2022. Any information concerning when students 11 and under will require vaccination is currently unknown, since it’s yet to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Exceptions include those who cannot get the vaccine for either medical, religious or personal beliefs. Students who simply refuse without proper reasoning will be asked to attend distance learning from home.

“Right now we will only offer online schooling if you do have a COVID situation and if a student or teacher refuses the vaccine I think we have to take it on a case by case basis,” said COVID Coordinator Mark Modeste.

California is the first and only state so far to initiate a vaccine mandate and has since fueled the ongoing debate surrounding COVID-19 protocols throughout the country.

The San Francisco Chronicle also featured an article claiming the Bay Area earned the title for lowest case ratings in the country, which is what the mandate hopes to maintain.

At Riordan, students have varied opinions.

Quinton Bundage ’24 said, “There are families that have sick family members and they have

to be safe and they don’t want to bring it back to their households.”

There is a common belief that receiving the COVID vaccine is no different than one for the flu or smallpox.

“We already need our vaccines for school so it’s not much difference already and it’s going to keep more people safe and alive so I don’t understand why people don’t want it,” said Victoria Martinez ’24.

But, many concerns remain. Principal and interim President Tim Reardon noted, “The Archbishop is not in favor of mandates for kids, and I agree with him. However, if there is a state mandate, ARHS will comply with all guidelines set by the Department of Public Health.”

Despite the vaccine, the pandemic remains a serious topic, as 70,000 lives have been lost to COVID.

gov.ca.gov This map depicts the number of school closures due to COVID cases. According to the California Governor’s website, “California’s schools have been open for nearly a month longer than most other states, but have experienced school closures at a far lower rate.

California educates approximately 12 percent of students in the nation, but California schools account for approximately 0.5 percent of school closures. And those closures have been localized to regions with lower vaccination rates.”

6 Local News

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Fall 2021

SF District Attorney faces recall election

By Jake Beeman ’24

Over the past months, those who live and work in San Francisco have heard murmurings of the city’s District Attorney Chesa Boudin in the same sentences as “recall.”

Having just beaten one recall attempt, which according to ballotpedia.org fell less than 2,000 short of its goal, he must gear up to fight the next, with the results being tallied on Oct. 25.

When discussing the controversy over the DA, it is impossible to not discuss his backstory. While most controversy over a political figure’s earlier days may spring from their actions in young adulthood at the earliest, Boudin’s odd story and unique controversies stem from a far earlier part of his life.

When Boudin was just a child, his parents were involved in a bank robbery that resulted in the murder of two police officers and a bank security guard. While on its own, that fact would certainly cause great controversy, this bank robbery was additionally committed on behalf of a domestic terrorist organization known as

Weather Underground, which had previously perpetrated bombings and orchestrated a violent riot in Chicago.

Upon his parents’ arrest, he was placed under the care of Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn, leaders of the group who had allegedly planned and organized the previously mentioned actions.

While this upbringing has certainly sparked controversy among some, his parents’ actions were theirs, not his.

Deacon Joseph LeBlanc ’78, who teaches an ethics class at Riordan, said, “Many people in San Fransisco feel that certain types of crimes are on the rise due to the DA feeling that they aren’t as much of a priority, decreasing the rates of the serious crimes the justice system focuses on, but causing petty crimes that aren’t given as much attention, such as break ins, to rise.”

This discontentment and general fear of the crime levels is a running theme with almost anybody in the city about the crime levels. The DA, due partially to

SanFranciscoDistrictAttorney.org District Attorney Chesa Boudin is up against a recall election. his own action in some cases, and partially due to public perception of him, has become the defacto figurehead of what many see to be an apathetic justice system, detached from what’s really happening to common people.

“The DA, even in such a polarized city, has managed to anger everybody,” said Sophie

Bücker ’24.

The feeling that the DA does not properly punish criminals as harshly as deserved is the basis of the current recall effort’s rhetoric, with the effort citing his alleged negligence in handling multiple sexual assault cases, and an alleged failure to prosecute repeat offenders of serious crimes.

Slow Streets slowly roll out across San Francisco

By Sean DiNicola ’22 and Grayson Salomon ’22 San Francisco residents, as well as those who work and go to school in the city, have seen streets that are mostly closed to traffic, but allow pedestrians access to walk, run, or bike.

These are called Slow Streets and were set up by the San Francisco Municipal Transport Agency.

The SFMTA says on their website that the Slow Streets program is “designed to limit through traffic on certain residential streets and allow them to be used as a shared space for people traveling by foot and bicycle.”

The overall goal of Slow Streets is to “provide more space for socially distant essential travel and exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic” according to the SFMTA website.

Varsity Cross Country Runner Collin Murtagh ’22 runs throughout the Sunset district and Golden Gate Park and shared his experience with Slow Streets.

“Due to social distancing in the beginning of the pandemic, people are able to spread out more in the street,” he said. “Also, there’s less commotion with the large amount of bikers and runners that actively exercise in the park. And finally, I just like

running in the street and not having to deal with cars or vehicles.”

Although Murtagh enjoys not having to deal with vehicles on the streets, he feels that some closed streets are unnecessary and could be frustrating to other pedestrians who are not exercising.

“I do feel some of the streets are a bit unnecessary like the ones in the Sunset and on Lake Street by the Presidio. As a runner, I’ll take it, but if I was an adult trying to get home or go to work relying on the streets that are closed, I’d be pretty upset,” he said.

Cross Country Coach Julia Stricker-Balistreri also recognized the fact that Slow Streets have made exercising during the pandemic much more safe and comfortable for runners. Like Murtagh, Stricker-Balistreri utilizes all the Slow Streets within Golden Gate Park.

“I loved the ability to not have to worry about planning my routes around traffic/stop lights etc. I knew I could park nearby and immediately start running without having to stop or slow down for cars,” she said.

Slow Streets cover almost every district and neighborhood in San Francisco, totaling 47 miles. The most recent Slow Streets, other than Hearst Avenue, include 12th Avenue, Lyon Street, and SoMa

Hearst Avenue is one of several streets in San Francisco designated a “Slow Street.” streets. While Slow Streets started off as a response to the pandemic, the SFMTA Board of Directors voted in September 2021 to authorize Sanchez Street, Shotwell Street, Golden Gate Avenue and Lake Street Slow Streets to remain in place postpandemic.

Photo by Sean DiNicola ’22 For more information on SF’s “Slow Streets,” scan this code.

Fall 2021

Local News

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

7

Doggy doo disposal bins dispersed on Ocean

By Logan Estrada ’22 Ocean Avenue, the cross street of Riordan’s address, hosts a multitude of local businesses and homes.

In addition, this roadway boasts a few historic buildings. This includes Beep’s Burgers, which has been running since 1962 and serves up burgers, shakes, and more, as well as the Él Rey Theatre, former theater and then a Pentecostal church.

Efforts by the city to keep the streets clean and keep these historical buildings shining has brought forth the implementation of doggy bag dispensers along Ocean Avenue, whose idea was introduced by the Ocean Paws Pet Store.

These dispensers can be spotted by their dark green coloration and found posted on the poles near the crosswalks.

The dispensers also come with a sign to

remind owners to clean up after their pets as well as a garbage bin below to dispose of the used bags. There are six dispensers, with two new ones coming soon.

Dog owner Drew Parenti ’22 likes the idea. “People aren’t going to have an excuse for not picking up after their dogs because the bags will be right in front of them.”

English teacher and dog owner Michael Vezzali-Pascual ’88 said, “I think dog bag dispensers with biodegradable bags in strategic places on Ocean Avenue would be very helpful for encouraging dog owners to pick up after their pets.”

He added, “But no matter what solutions are offered, the problem with dog poop is not the dogs. The problem with dog poop is dog owners.”

Photo by Logan Estrada ’22 The reporter’s dog Sweetie poses in front of one of the new doggy bag dispensers for pet waste.

New condos to premier at vacant El Rey Theater

By Finnbarr Harrington ’24 Even though it is not Hollywood, San Francisco has a rich history of cinema. Going back to the early 20th Century, many neighborhoods had their own movie theaters.

One of these neighborhood theaters was Ocean Avenue’s El Rey Theater. The El Rey, located at 1970 Ocean Ave., was a 1,800 seat theater designed by architect Timothy Pflueger, a prominent San Francisco architect, and opened in 1931.

The first film ever shown at the El Rey was “The Smiling Lieutenant” which was shown on Nov. 14, 1931.

With El Rey’s ignominious ending and closure, there is hope as it appears that the El Rey may be renovated and brought back to its former glory.

According to SocketSite.com, “As envisioned, the existing facade of the theater and its commercial spaces would be restored along with the theater space itself and lobby, using a recovered set of Timothy Pflueger’s original construction documents for direction. And upon the theater’s parking lot parcels, which flank the rear of the building, and atop its two commercial wings, a total of 42 condos would be built. . .”

The Crusader learned that former employee Moira Casey is still living in the Bay Area and is somewhat of a historian on her old place of employment.

Casey said, “The Naify family owned the SF theater chain known as ‘United Artists.’

Employees could see movies at any of the other Naify owned theaters, such as the Alexandria, Coronet, Balboa, Stonestown United Artists and the Granada,

SiteSocket.com The vacant El Rey Theater on Ocean Avenue, which once served as a Pentacostal Church, may be revised as condos in the near future. to name a few…”

The El Rey was but one of Pfleuger’s many beautiful designs in San Francisco, which included other theaters and even a few San Francisco schools. The building itself was regarded as one of San Francisco’s most beautiful neighborhood theaters.

Casey added, “The El Rey was so beautiful, with its Streamlined Moderne style...One evening, the assistant manager, an artsy guy, noticed that many of the Art Deco-style sconces did

not have all of the light bulbs installed. So we replaced the burnt-out bulbs and empty sockets with new bulbs. I must say, it was a sight to behold!”

Norm Babin ’84, used to attend movies at the El Rey when he was he was a young child growing up in San Francisco.

Babin said of the El Rey “...I was too young... Just remembered it was a big place, fancy with a balcony. The lobby was huge.”

One can only imagine all of the great films and special events

that were shown and experienced at the famous El Rey. The El Rey had an anticlimactic end when in April of 1977 it showed its last films.

The El Rey then became a Pentecostal Church named The Voice of the Pentecost. In 2018, the church was foreclosed on and the theater has remained vacant ever since.

The building still stands today in its shuttered existence, unfitting of one of San Francisco’s historical film landmarks

8 Local News

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Fall 2021

Teen surf program shreds waves on Bay Area waters

By Edward Ramos ’23

The City Surf Project is a local 501 (c) non profit group in the Bay Area that brings inner San Francisco kids to a community where they can see if they like surfing, be taught about the environment, and learn to better themselves and their bodies.

City Surf Project is using surfing at places such as Pacifica and Ocean Beach as an outlet for personal growth and to be the best version of oneself.

Everything is free. The board, the wetsuit, food, and in many cases, even rides there and back from whatever schools the youth are attending are all provided.

The only necessity attendees should worry about is bringing a good attitude.

Donations from fellow or previous surfers who believe in the foundation and trust that City Surf Project will be a place where young people can move forward and grow contribute to allowing the group to provide these services. Not only does City Surf Project introduce people to surfing and provide opportunities in the surf world, but depending on one’s involvement, opportunities outside of surfing are possible.

Carolina Irizzary, 18, who is now on the Board of Directors, is a prime example of that. She stated, “They are trying to push boundaries in what organizations like them could do. It’s not just about the surfing, it’s about how much you can grow in every aspect.”

Certainly this is true as Irizzary started as a student, then became an intern, then with the help of City Surf Project travelled across the country to Delaware as a professional surf instructor for the summer, and now is working a job at GoPro. The origins of the project show true passion as it involves Johnny Irwin, a teacher at leadership, bringing his class out to Ocean Beach to surf on a day where teachers teach students a new skill. The students loved it so much, he decided to quit his job and pursue the start of this group with his best friend Hunter Chiles.

The passion from day one has not halted, traveling from generation to generation as Irizzary said, “It feels like a family, it is a family.”

An inspiration for Irizzary

By Jonathan Kruger ’24

months,” said Sam Blber Even in the city, dangers lurk around every corner. “I had seven chickens but some raccoons broke in and killed three of them,” said Blber.

Because of the threat of wildlife killing the chickens, people have to keep them in pens. These pens have a place for them to sleep, eat, and many different nests to make sure that they lay eggs.

An interesting fact is that to convince the chicken to lay eggs the owner typically puts a fake stone egg in the nest. This makes the chicken more comfortable with laying a constant amount of eggs.

Blber said, “I would recommend having chickens in your backyard.

They are quite a lot of fun and the fact that they lay really good eggs is a huge plus to me.”

Photo by City Surf Project The City Surf Project is a non profit program that brings inner city young people to local beaches to learn how to surf the waves for free. joining City Surf Project was a conversation where a member told her, “I was brought in by the right people and I stopped doing drugs, and I stopped hanging out with the bad people I was hanging out with... Surfing changed the course of what I was doing. I was brought out from darkness and now I get to teach other kids how

to surf.”

City Surf Project has shown that surfing is not just a sport.

It is now being used as a tool to bring people to their best selves, to provide a light inside of darkness, and to unlock the full potential of those willing to take the challenge and say “yes” not just to surfing, but to true growth.

Pandemic hatches chicken farming hobby

Since the beginning of quarantine, chicken sales have taken flight as cooped up city people turned to raising chickens for their eggs.

People such as Sam Blber have been building chicken coops in their backyards. He said, “I got these chickens mainly as a backyard activity, but the eggs are a plus.”

The surge in chicken coops around the city is largely attributed to the boredom that quarantine brings and the free eggs that they provide.

Eggs purchased in the grocery store can cost anywhere from $2.50 to $5 a dozen, depending on the variety, brand, and where they are purchased.

“The eggs are quite good and I feel that they are healthier than store-bought ones,” said Sam Blber. Fresh eggs are in fact healthier than store-bought eggs, as they have more protein and nutrients.

Sam Philips ’24, who has owned chickens for five years, said, “Owning chickens is not that hard. All that you need to do to take care of them is leave out food and water.”

“I feed my chickens these pellets that I buy by the bucket. It has a hole in the bottom and the chickens just peck at it and food comes out. It is really easy. I have to replace it like once every few

Photos by Jonathan Kruger ’24 The pandemic brought about many new hobbies for people looking for something to do.

Some city dwellers began to raise chickens for their eggs.

Raising chickens is said to be good for one’s physical and mental health as the eggs are full of nutrients and taking care of the birds can create a calming effect on caregivers.

Fall 2021

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Health

9

FDA fully approves Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine

By Joseph Zuloaga ’23

The FDA fully approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on August 23, eight months after being authorized for emergency use. This is the first vaccine approved for full use in the United States and comes in the midst of the rise of cases in all 50 states as the Delta variant continues to ravage the country.

Because of the official complete approval, the brand name Comirnaty was given to the vaccine. Pfizer is now able to market and advertise the vaccine, something not authorized while it was under emergency approval.

“Since some people who have been vaccine-hesitant claimed they were waiting for full FDA approval, hopefully it will mean they will now feel more confident getting the shot,” asserted Biology teacher Colleen O’Rourke. “However, it is also clear that many people who have been avoiding the vaccine are casting around for excuses to support their previous beliefs, rather than basing decisions on objective, scientific information.

For these people, renaming the vaccine probably won’t be enough, as they will likely find some new excuse to avoid getting it.”

She concluded, “In the end, total vaccination numbers are the only thing that matters in reaching community-wide herd immunity

and we will just have to watch them to gauge how people are responding.”

Comirnaty is a mashup of the words “COVID-19,” “mRNA,” and “immunity,” meaning to evoke the word “community.” This puzzling name has been the recent tonguetwister for news reporters and has been poked fun at by latenight show hosts.

Regardless of roasts from comedians, this approval is extremely significant. This now gives validity to the claims of the Biden administration that the vaccines are “safe and effective” and shows that the vaccine has gone under additional review and further trials.

Of these trials, Chemistry teacher Lauren Upadhyaya explained, “Two months of data on a vaccine are required for a vaccine to receive an emergency use authorization, while six months of data are needed for full approval. The Pfizer vaccine, along with the other COVID-19 shots, underwent three phases of study before it received its emergency use authorization last December.”

She continued, “The first and second phases of study investigated the kind of immune response the vaccines triggered and any harmful effects of the shots. The third phase of study looked into the efficacy of

Photo by Christian Emmer The Food and Drug Administration approved the Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine on Aug. 23, being the first approved for the COVID-19 virus. the vaccines by administering real and placebo doses to study participants. The review for full FDA approval looked at a larger sample of vaccine and placebo recipients over a longer period of time than the emergency approval review included.”

Things are looking up. New data reports that more Americans are getting vaccinated following the full FDA approval to protect themselves from the Delta variant.

Mason McKee ’23 stated, “Get the vaccine to protect your

mom and dad, your grandma and grandpa, your neighbors, and your friends. We have the opportunity to help others, especially those who physically can’t take the vaccine, and during this pandemic, we are all in it together, and now isn’t a time to be selfish.”

Only time will tell when the United States will finally return to the normality everyone desires.

With the approval of this vaccine however, the Riordan community can be assured of its saftey for its faculty and students.

New program introduces students to biomedical science

By Elijah Calip ’22

In a time when a pandemic has ravaged every community on the planet, the need for biomedical science has never been more important.

The field of biomedical science bridges the fields of biology and medicine in order to discover or deepen knowledge about the human body or to discover new technologies to improve the current systems in place within the medical field.

Especially in the 21st century, humanity has ventured this far in time in part to the help of the developments made within this field of science.

Archbishop Riordan High School has recognized the importance of such a field stating that “A myriad of medical mysteries face today’s scientific community, and now more than ever the world needs innovative and proactive thinkers to create a better tomorrow.”

Beginning in the fall of 2021, Riordan now includes the Biomedical Science Program alongside the Engineering Program. This new addition hopes to allow prospective students to

Photo by Noah David ’22

Brayden Mulqueen ’25 works on the biotech unit, where students learn to micropipette and do gel electrophoresis to run DNA and compare banding patterns for the BioMed class. engage in the disciplines that Science, Project Lead the Way biomedical scientists use to stated, “By immersing students discover new ways to tackle the in activities like practicing biological and medical issues suturing and constructing body that humans face to this day. structures from clay, PLTW Students interested in the Biomedical Science empowers Biomedical Science Program students to build knowledge will follow a curriculum based and skills in biomedical on Project Lead the Way. science, as well as in-demand, The company is dedicated to transportable skills like problem enhancing classroom experiences solving, critical and creative through engaging students in thinking, communication, and certain fields and disciplines. collaboration.”

In the field of Biomedical The curriculum will be focused

on four disciplines ranging from Principles of Biomedical Science, Human Body Systems, Medical Interventions, and Biomedical Innovation.

Isabella (Ella) Torrea ’25 said, “I wanted to discover more career paths that I want to maybe do because I am interested in being a pharmacist right now.”

Instructor Carol Pineda said, “I’m excited Riordan is offering a class where students can step into the role of forensic investigator, medical surgeon, nurse, microbiologist, geneticist, biomedical engineer and more!

It’s the application of science integrated into a project based learning course.”

Riordan plans to engage students in these disciplines through the following courses: Biology Honors, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics, Principles of Biomedical Science, Human Body Systems, Innovations in BioMed, and a Senior Year Capstone Project, which will combine all the knowledge the students have gained.

The Biomedical Sciences Program will be open to students applying for the 2022 to 2023 school year.

10 State News

Fall 2021

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Art commemorates African American history

By Shridavi Raghavan ’25 On June 18, Dana King unveiled Monumental Reckoning in Golden Gate Park.

This art installation—open to the public until June 20, 2023—honors the history of African Americans, notably, the initial 350 that were dragged from their homes and forced into a treacherous crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. This ended in death for many or a brutal life of slavery.

Mahkai Hunt ’23, member of Black Student Union, said, “I feel like if people actually took the time to learn about how other people’s lives were back in history—what certain ethnicities had to go through to get where they are today—it would lead to more equality.”

He added, “I believe this because once you truly learn about how or what someone had to do to get where they are today, you become more sympathetic.

Also, you become more aware of what you can do to not make that individual go through that again.”

Hunt said, “I hope this piece educates the younger Black community. As being a member of the younger generation of

Black students, I feel like we should really learn more about our history, and how so much had to happen just for us to do basic things like attend school and go to certain places like movies and diners.”

Correspondingly, Mayor London Breed stated on the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Website, “This powerful public art installation in Golden Gate Park will help us not only commemorate Juneteenth, but also serve as a precedent of how we can honor our past, no matter how painful, and reflect on the challenges that are still with us today.”

Hunt added, “I would also like to share how I feel like it’s really bad how this happened a while ago, and I’m just now knowing of it. I feel like this also has to do with the lack of spreading news or information in the Black community when it’s positive.”

The ambience of the location speaks to the seriousness of its representation. The 350 sculptures representing the spirits of the 350 Africans who were kidnapped and forced into slavery is depicted using hard black metal tubing shaped into a conical figure with a discus head

Ethnic Studies course now required for CA schools

By Giovanni Ruiz-Chable ’23 Riordan High School offers a variety of learning opportunities for each of its students. From sports, mathematics, literature, science, art to social science.

Each academic department brings numerous fundamental factors to the Riordan community.

For instance, Social Science, or as many individuals know it as history class, has more to offer than documents, essays, and lectures. Students also learn about empathy, change, and connections to the past.

The teachers hope to open up students’ minds, souls, and perspectives to value history as more than a memory, but as sources of knowledge, wisdom, and guidance to create positive changes.

Social Science Department Chair Cory Nelson said, “In life, we need to learn from our mistakes to make the world a better place, not forget them. We should know everyone’s history, all groups of people, all perspectives, to make an impact on students to create a better world for the future, having students leaving my class more empathic of everyone’s lives.”

This reflects the objective behind adding the Global and

Photo by Edward Macdonald ’23 Terry Delaney-Parish ’24 and Rachel Kavanagh ’24 read A Different Mirror for Global and Ethnic Studies class at Riordan.

Ethnic Studies course six years ago, before the state of California mandated it for all schools.

Social Science teacher Mike Kennedy said, “Conjunction with other understandings of the world, whether that be math or logic, or scientific base, it’s a powerful tool in thinking and making arguments about the world around you by backing those arguments with evidence from diverse sources.”

He continued, “It’s also like a Library of human thought is what history is. It’s by taking all those different thoughts and making them useful.”

MonumentalReckoning.org and thickly braided locks of hair hanging from it.

The sculptures’ placement was formed to encompass the statue of Francis Scott Key, in Golden Gate Park—leaving a thick concrete path for passage.

The purpose of surrounding the statue was to bring awareness to his owning of slaves and his composition of “The Star Spangled Banner”— including a stanza resisting the abolition of slavery.

The opening day of the sculptures involved an impactful ceremony where the words “Lift Every Voice” were displayed to symbolize the voices of the Africans who were killed and brutalized.

As one stands in the middle of these 350 African souls, the immeasurable moments whereupon they were mistreated wash over one’s mind, and this powerful message comes from them, “Lift Every Voice.”

Wildfires continue to burn through state

By Mahkai Hunt ’23 Over the past few months, wildfires have continued to devastate lives and the environment.

From wildlife being destroyed and people having to leave their homes, to outdoor events getting canceled because of the bad air quality caused by smoke, the wildfires have touched many in California.

Some of the major wildfires were Monument fire located in Del Loma CA, which burned from July 30 and was last updated on Oct. 7 to still be burning. Another impactful wildfire was the KNP Complex in Sequoia National Park. This fire was reported on Sept. 10 and was updated on Oct. 14.

Wildfires are large, destructive fires that spread quickly over woodland or brush. What some people may not know is that wildfires are historically good for the environment if they go through the natural cycle called ecological succession. It’s the

AirNow.gov system that the Earth cycles through to allow new growth and give rise to new primary succession and a healthier ecosystem.

AP Environmental Science teacher Michael O’Brien said, “The reason that the fires have not gotten better is because of the continuation of climate change that humans have a large part in.”

O’Brien said students can help this situation by tracking their carbon footprint, which means catching the bus or walking, and not always using a car.

Fall 2021

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

National News 11

20-year war in Afghanistan comes to end

By Rizlin Jew ’22

The story of Afghanistan has gone back since the mid 1700s, but the United States’ relationship with the country has been described as the longest battle recorded in American history.

On Aug. 30, that battle ended with the evacuation of the U.S. military, and left the “Graveyard of Empires” still living up to its name today. With Taliban control quickly sweeping over the capital, Kabul remains disoriented and distressed as to what the future holds for many Afghans.

Women, especially now, are reacting to the changes implemented in the country’s new norm. In a BBC News report one month after the shift in power, a local woman had spoken out in an interview saying, “I don’t feel safe at all. Whenever I leave my home and I see a Talib, I start to shiver...Right now I feel hopeless, but I am trying to be optimistic for the future.”

In another interview, Haji Hekmat, a leading Taliban figure responded to claims that the Islamic organization was getting rid of the cultural lifestyle by saying, “No, we have developed the culture. Islamic culture does

Taliban regains control after U.S. troops withdraw not allow mixed gatherings. So we are bringing this culture back to life.”

After being questioned why the culture must be corrected, Hekmat replied with, “Western influence has been here for the past 20 years. For the past 40 years, control of this country has passed from one foreign hand to another. So obviously we have lost our own traditions and values.”

This transition of authority has brought up other ideas regarding the concern of the country’s new position and the Taliban’s approaches.

Javier Sanchez ’22 stated, “In terms of the U.S., I think people, at least for a little while, will start defending their own opinions and seeing the true side of things. And I’m specifically referring to the attack that killed innocent kids because their car was suspected of transporting enemies when that wasn’t the case.”

Justin Kenneth Samaniego ’22 expressed his view by saying, “...it’s important to acknowledge the new established government.”

Reports say there’s “a big change since the Taliban ruled in the 1990’s” through the

Map by Wikimedia Commons

The presence of the Taliban was greatly reduced with the American invasion of Afghanistan. However, 20 years later, the Taliban have regained control after the U.S. withdrawl and for Afghans it is all back to square one.

“adjustments” made to suit current times, but many are seeing the return of older practices such as the separation of genders at private universities along with mandatory dress codes for women.

These reforms are just two of many changes that are being seen in daily life, but the question still remains if the Taliban will take more drastic measures to ensure the reversion of older traditions.

Social Science teacher Mike Kennedy briefly reviewed

past events and expressed the uncertainty in the near future: “I think it’s important to see the wars in Afghanistan in context: there has been over 40 years of conflict in that country. First a nationalist uprising against the Soviets, then civil war between rival factions after the Soviets left, and then 20 years of American sponsored warfare. It’s hard to say what might come next. Will this be a break from chaos, or another chapter of brutality for the people of Afghanistan?”

States enact laws focused on transgender youth California among the ‘friendly’ states in terms of guidances

By Sophie Bucker ’24

In the past legislative session alone, at least 117 laws aimed to limit the rights of the transgender community have been introduced in state legislatures.

These range from banning transgender youth from participating in sports that align with their gender identities to making it a felony to provide gender-affirming healthcare services to transgender minors.

According to the Human Rights Campaign, as of May 7, 17 of those laws have been enacted in states ranging from Montana to Tennessee. Proponents of these laws, especially the ones aimed at transitioning as a minor, argue that minors are not equipped to make life-altering decisions such as the choice to transition.

They point to people like Charlie Evans, a young transgender man who detransitioned in 2018, and started a network called the Detransition Advocacy Network that seeks to reform access to

gender-affirming healthcare services.

A transgender Bay Area sophomore said he “was tired of experiences that vary from person to person being reduced to horror stories and being thrown back in the faces of transgender youth to keep them from being happy.”

He points to a NBC report which states that the actual rate of detransitioning among transgender people was around 8 percent, and out of that 8 percent, 62 percent had been temporary detransitions, with the most common reason for detransitioning being pressure from a parent.

Instead of focusing on statistics like the detransition rate, the sophomore interviewed wants to focus on the transgender suicide rate, which is almost 10 times the rate of the general population.

He said, “The benefits of giving trans people genderaffirmative healthcare they need vastly outweigh any risks.”

By being given access to

Map by GLSEN Across the country, numerous states have passed laws targeting the rights of tansgender youth, for example, in the area of athletics.

gender-affirmative healthcare, he argues that his mental health has greatly improved, and the data backs him up, with transgender people who have received one or more gender-affirming surgical procedures having a 42 percent reduction in the odds of experiencing past-month psychological distress, and a 44

reduction in the odds of past-year suicidal ideation.

He and those who support him believe these laws are not based upon science, but on a politicized agenda backed by religious/political groups using the issue of transgender rights as a method to garner political influence and polarize America.

12 Arts & Entertainment

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Fall 2021

Spider-Man trailer catches audience in its web

By Santino Woo ’22

The trailer for the up and coming Marvel Studios’ movie, “SpiderMan: No-Way Home” passed its predecessors “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame” as the most viewed trailer ever on YouTube, with a whopping 355.5 million views.

The trailer begins after the events of “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” in which Mysterio reveals Spider-Man’s identity to the world: Peter Parker.

Facing the horrors of this reality, Peter goes to fellow Avenger, Dr. Strange, to help create a spell in which the world forgets about his alter-ego.

Strange conducts a spell that accidentally opens the multiverse, leading to chaos.

The trailer ends with a peek at Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus, who first appeared in Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man

Sony Pictures The “Spider-Man: No Way Home” movie trailer has fans spinning. trilogy back in 2002.

The multiverse is going to play a massive role in this movie and is going to be further

explored since its introduction in the summer-hit series, Loki.

Additionally, the following movie is going to be Dr. Strange in the

Multiverse of Madness, so it should be interesting to see what drastic events happen in this upcoming blockbuster.

Brendan Passanissi ’23 loves the idea of a multiverse because “it’s unlimited potential to bring in characters and other references to make fans happy... it just adds a layer of fun and creativity that’s good for everyone.”

The idea of a multiverse has brought up one question among fans: Will Tobey Maguire’s and Andrew Garfield’s versions of SpiderMan appear in the film? Only time will tell.

The Spider-Man trailer brought so much excitement for what Marvel has in store for its fans next. Fans can catch Spider-Man: No Way Home in theaters on Dec. 17.

Van Gogh exhibit transports visitors to Starry Night

By Joziah Rizzo ’23 and Andrei Lynch ’23

If you’re a fan of Vincent Van Gogh, then you must go to the extraordinary exhibit in the Fillmore district.

The Immersive Van Gogh, opened on March 18, and is a 360 degree digital art exhibition in nearly 40 U.S cities, with one being in San Francisco. The experience allows visitors to step into the universe of the famous artist, Vincent Van Gough.

It is a collection of 3,000 moving images of the artist’s masterpieces.

Vincent Van Gogh lived in the 19th century and is known for his post-impressionist work. Some of his best works include painting landscapes, self-portraits, and still life.

Two of his most famous paintings are Starry Night and Café Terrace at Night.

Archbishop Riordan’s art teacher, Irmin Arcibal, has not seen the exhibit yet but expressed his love for Van Gough by saying, “My favorite Van Gogh painting is a starry night that is not as well known as the one everyone thinks of. I saw it in Paris, and it is more of a city landscape with a bridge and sky. It is not as swirly as the Starry Night. It is much darker with more black, and it’s different from what people normally think of.”

Van Gough’s popularity sharply increased after his death, specifically around the 20th century. People who appreciated his paintings and drawings were amazed by the beauty of his artwork and how it told a story about his difficult life; one of those people being Massimiliano

Photos by Joziah Rizzo ’23 The Van Gogh immersive exhibit puts the visitors inside the artist’s most masterful paintings.

Siccardi, the creator of the immersive exhibit. The exhibit is put together “with the help of 60,600 frames of video, 90,000,000 pixels, and 500,000+ cubic feet of projections, this captivating digital art exhibit merges stateof-the-art technology, theatrical storytelling, and world-class animation,” according to vangoghnyc.com.

Raquel Olivia-Gomez, Archbishop Riordan’s Dean of Students, went to the exhibit and was amazed with what she saw. She exclaimed, “I loved it!

I thought my favorite piece was going to be Starry Night since I love that painting and even did a paint night with that theme, but my favorite immersive experience was when they did the Irises with Cello 1 in G Major, BWV 1007, No. 1 Prelude.” This exhibit was created to show off Vincent Van

Gogh’s journey through his life of paintings and to allow the visitors to step into his world and see art through his perspective.

Tickets are available online, but there is very limited time left to go view the exhibit as it closes on Nov. 7.

Fall 2021

Arts & Entertainment 13

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Drummer Charlie Watts, heartbeat of The Rolling Stones, dies at 80

By Sean DiNicola ’22

The Rolling Stones, one of the most popular rock bands in the world, have always had a unique and distinguished tone that set them apart from other bands. The lead singer and guitarists were well-recognized, but one of the more underappreciated members of the band was the drummer.

One of the reasons The Rolling Stones was so iconic and different from everyone else was because of their excellent drummer, Charles Watts. The influential drummer died in London in August at age 80 due to throat cancer.

Starting out as a jazz bandleader and drummer, he worked his way up to playing for The Rolling Stones and has easily become one of the most prominent figures in rock and roll/jazz history.

Watts took an interest in jazz at an early age and started his drumming career at 14.

Having no formal training in music theory, Watts set out to become a jazz drummer, relying on his passion and a record player.

In an interview on rollingstones.com, he talked about how he developed his signature drumming style.

“My whole life has been copying,” he said. “I learned by watching the great drummers in

London – Phil Seamen, people like that.” He added, “When you’re young, to play jazz is very hard.

You have to learn volumes, really.

It’s one of the hard things playing with great intensity, very quietly.

It’s very hard. But it’s one of the things you have to do to play the music called jazz.”

Before joining The Rolling Stones, Watts studied graphic design and while working as a designer, played in a band called Blues Incorporated. It was at a rhythm and blues club in London where he met his fellow members of The Rolling Stones: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Brian Jones. He left Blues Incorporated in 1963 to join The Stones.

Watts credits Keith Richards with helping him develop a love for rock music while they shared an apartment with Mick Jagger. Since they were unemployed at the time, they listened to records all day, every day.

“Keith Richards taught me rock n’ roll,” Watts said. “I learned to love Muddy Waters and people like that through an intensive three-year crash course, you might say.”

The band played their first show in 1963 at the Ealing Jazz Club, where they debuted “Satisfaction,” which ended up being a number one hit in the

RollingStones.com Charlie Watts, drummer of the world-reknown band The Rolling Stones, died in August at the age of 80 after battling cancer.

U.S. by 1965. The rest, one might say, is history.

Charlie Watts has left a big legacy on the art of drumming and is an inspiration to many young musicians today including one of Archbishop Riordan’s own seniors, Javier Sanchez ’22.

As a member of the talented concert band, Sanchez explains why Watts’ style of playing is influential to him the most by stating, “When I listen to Charlie, I pay attention to how he elevates his songs through playing. I noticed that he has really clean sounds when he plays aggressively, so whenever I try

playing aggressively or forcefully I also try to keep the sound as crisp as possible so that it doesn’t turn out as a clunky mess of sound.”

Watts was definitely one of the most unique drummers in Rock ‘n’ Roll history. One of his biggest fans at Riordan, Spanish teacher Armando Castillo, regards him as an outstanding drummer and explained, “Charlie Watts is one of the greatest drummers of all time.

How could he not be? He’s been playing since the ’60s and no one’s played longer than he has with as much skill.”

‘Fresh Prince’ returns to Bel Air in dramatic reboot

By Gabriella Tapia ’25

“The Fresh Prince of BelAir” was a show that allowed viewers to see into the life of a young man named Will who is from the streets of Philadelphia and is sent to live in the rich neighborhood of Bel-Air, located in Southern California.

Will moves in with his Uncle Phil and Aunt Viv and their children: Hilary, Carlton, and Ashley, after his mother begins to worry about him getting involved with “the wrong crowd.”

The show starred Will Smith as Will, Alfonso Riberio as Carlton, Tatyana Ali as Hilary, James Avery as Uncle Phil, and Karyn Parsons and Jane Hubert as Aunt Viv. The show impacted a whole generation of people who are still fans to this day, including our Dean of Academics, Nate Simon ’99.

Simon cited how it gave city kids a new perspective on life by saying, “As kids, it was fun to talk about it, and it gave a group of people a different perspective on a collision of the rich and inner-city life.”

PeacockTV.com The popular sitcom from the 1990s, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” will return in a reboot that focuses on the dramatic side of the story.

As of September of 2020, the reboot was announced. The official synopsis, according to Peacock TV, is, “Set in modernday America, ‘Bel-Air’ is described as a serialized one-hour dramatic analogue of the sitcom version that leans into the original

premise: Will’s complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air.” Rather than having the original actors in the reboot, Peacock decided on a new cast: Jabari Banks as Will, Adrian

Holmes as Uncle Phil, Cassandra Freeman as Aunt Viv, Coco Jones as Hilary, Olly Sholotan as Carlton, and Akira Akbar as Ashley.

Will Smith, Chris Collins, and Morgan Cooper will be executive producers. Additionally, Collins and Cooper will be co-writers, with Cooper being the director, too.

Simon commented on if he thought the reboot would live up to the original show and confidently said, “No, nothing can be as good as it.”

“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” was and is a time capsule of the aesthetic of the 90s and it was so prevalent that it still has an impact on the generation that grew up with the show.

It was so prevalent, that even Simon knows the show’s signature dance move, The Carlton Dance.

More importantly, does he know how to do it? He responded, “Yes, I do, but I won’t do it right here!”

14 Religion

Fall 2021

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Riordan welcomes new chaplain, Fr. Quinn ’70

By Kevin Guinasso ’22

After 50 years, Father Mike Quinn returned to Riordan as the new chaplain. He graduated in the Class of 1970.

Father Quinn thinks of Riordan as a special place where he cherishes the memories he made with his classmates when he was a student here.

He likes the way Riordan has grown and developed over the past 50 years. The upgrade of the facilities, the addition of technology in the classrooms, and the integration of international boarding students and coed classmates makes Riordan a more current and exciting campus.

Prior to rejoining Riordan, Father Quinn worked at St. Mary’s Star of the Sea in Sausalito and is now at St. Brendan’s in San Francisco.

After Father Cameron Faller left last year, the position for Riordan’s chaplain was open.

The Archdiocese asked Father

Quinn if he wanted to work at Riordan and he accepted.

“Coming to Riordan was the best decision of my life, and I didn’t even make the decision,” said Father Quinn.

When asked about his new colleague, Deacon Joseph Leblanc ’78 said, “He’s a great guy. He is a pastoral and respectable man, and always tries to go out of his way to help other people.”

Father Quinn plans to help and work for a better future at Riordan. When asked about the goals he has for his first year at he said, “Embrace the Marianist tradition and assist the community, faculty and staff in that spirituality.”

Riordan’s staff, students, and alumni are excited and honored to have Father Quinn here, and look forward to him bringing his knowledge and experience from the past to the present and leading the school into the future.

Marianists call attention to creation with new CME

By Marisa Hamilton ’22

There are a number of religious events and announcements occurring at Archbishop Riordan, the first in person coed school Mass of 2021 being one of them.

Another announcement this year is that there is a new addition to the Characteristics of Marianist Education.

The phrase “integrity of creation” was added to the third Characteristic, “Educating for Service, Justice and Peace.” In basic terms, having integrity for creation means protecting the Earth’s ecosystems, plants and animals, along with people.

Joe Frias, Riordan’s World Religions teacher, said that people are God’s stewards for creation, and that “creation is not something to exploit just for our own benefit.” He followed up with, “A big part of it is the wise use of our resources and the impact that it’s causing if we overuse them.”

When the resources are exploited for profit, the burning of fossil fuels adds to air, land, and water pollution, while also contributing to climate change.

Campus Ministry member Zailea Mae Flores ’22 believes integrity for creation encourages students to take action, and calls us to “go further than ourselves by engaging in collaborations and opportunities provided by our schools and communities to enact a greater change that benefits

Photo by Noah David ’22 Fr. Mike Quinn ’70, Riordan’s new chaplain, celebrates the Mass of Our Lady of the Pillar this month in the gym.

Seniors attend school’s first coed, in-person Kairos retreat

MARIANIST.COM

Inspired by the teachings of Blessed Chaminade, Marianist education seeks to:

PROVIDE AN INTEGRAL, QUALITY EDUCATION

EDUCATE FOR FORMATION IN FAITH

EDUCATE IN FAMILY SPIRIT

EDUCATE FOR SERVICE, JUSTICE, PEACE AND THE INTEGRITY OF CREATION

EDUCATE FOR ADAPTATION AND CHANGE

By Zailea Mae Flores ’22

future generations.”

For example, Riordan Crusaders show integrity for creation by hosting beach cleanups, offering environmental science classes, having Wellness Ambassadors, and beginning the Crusaders for Life club.

Religious Studies teacher Joshua Keeney thinks “the Marianist emphasis is coming from the leadership of Pope Francis.” When looking towards role models for integrity for creation, “Looking at the lives of the saints I think is always a good place to start and hopefully as well for the students looking at teachers and vice versa…”

Director of Riordan’s Campus Ministry Alex Datoc ’87 said, “Each of the characteristics hope to obtain that our students kind of experience this, learn this, are able to articulate it when they graduate from Riordan, so it’s a real driving force at this school.”

A spiritual retreat is a time to withdraw from everyday life. It encourages people to reach a level of self-awareness when reflecting on one’s life and their relationship with the divine. The ultimate goal is the growth in closeness to our peers and with God. In contrast to last year’s virtual circumstances, Riordan’s Campus Ministry held their first coed inperson Fall Senior Kairos this month. An astounding number of 31 seniors participated in this year’s retreat.

As for the new in-person conditions, Leo Magnaye ’05, Campus Ministry Assistant, said, “The spirit of Kairos was still felt during virtual retreats.

However, the in-person aspects accompanied by the surrounding natural environment allow the essence of God to be felt in the retreat. Being at Redwood Glen and their outdoor theater, campfire, and talk room highlighted the need that we had to be with people especially after being in quarantine for so long.”

What exactly happens on

Senior Kairos is a closely guarded secret. Thus, begs the question as to what drew the seniors to attend the retreat.

Cole Anderson ’22 explained how he was heavily influenced by the teachers and past seniors that continuously conveyed Kairos to be an amazing experience. While they couldn’t tell him anything about Kairos itself, he trusted their judgment.

He looked forward to taking a step back from school and his devices in order to take the time to be fully present in life. In the end, he felt as though it definitely paid off.

With all the emotions and feelings accompanied by reflection and group sharing, the students gained valuable experiences during the Fall Senior Kairos.

Matthew Mendoza ’22 commented, saying, “I would describe the effect that Kairos had on me as enlightening. I feel like I have a better understanding of myself as a person and my relationships with God and the people around me as a result of Kairos.”

Fall 2021

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Technology

15

IT looking to improve connectivity despite costs

By Bo Wyatt ’24

Athough students are finally relieved of the struggles and tolls of online school, inperson attendance at Riordan has posed numerous challenges.

Particularly, the ongoing Wi-Fi issue, exacerbated by the integration of girls and attendance of the full student body, has recently intensified.

Frankie Maule ’24 remarked, “It’s frustrating when my iPad malfunctions at school.”

Whether it’s a lesson, presentation, or assignment not loading, students and teachers alike know the frustration and annoyance inflicted by slow wifi during the school day.

Jordan Tan ’24 said, “It has disrupted several class demonstrations.”

However, it’s important to understand the contributing factors to this issue, and the approach that’s being implemented to fix it.

During COVID, with only half capacity, the Wi-Fi, despite being slightly problematic, was a much less prevalent concern.

Yet, with the addition of nearly 300 students, and expansion of the school population, there can be up to 2,000 devices present

on campus.

Additionally, Riordan is built of cement and has a significant amount of metal piping, meaning the Wi-Fi is constantly being interfered with.

According to John Wu, Director of Technology, fixing these infrastructural conditions would require considerable labor, build-out, and construction.

Wu stated, “Compared to Riordan’s Wi-Fi system setup in 2012 versus now, the cost has more than quadrupled.”

Nevertheless, efforts to remedy the predicament, including building shielded cable Photo by Andrei Lynch ’22 pathways to each classroom, creating quicker runs, and With so many people using the WiFi, the connections can be slow. looking to purchase new Wi-Fi access points, are being made by the Riordan Technology team.

Though these advancements may take time, and will be gradual to avoid greatly impacting boarding students, Riordan’s Wi-Fi connection will eventually increase to support upwards of 3,000 devices.

For now, students and teachers are asked to remain patient with the computers and iPads as they take time to load, and recognize the changes accompanying this transitory phase.

Changing times introduce new clocks, PA system

Apple releases newest iPhone

Photo by The Crusader

iPhone 13 features advanced camera system and five new colors

By Angelina Ning ’23

On Sept. 14, Apple introduced the newest version of their smartphone, the iPhone 13, during their virtual event held from their headquarters.

The iPhone 13 will arrive in four different models and three different sizes: iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 (standard version), iPhone 13 pro, and iPhone 13 pro max.

Apple unveiled the range of colors offered for the new phone, plus new additions such as sierra blue for the pro and pro max, and pink for the standard and mini version.

“I am indifferent about it. To me it’s not a significant change,” John Wu, the director of technology at Riordan, said.

“I will not be purchasing it,” said Johnnie Pena-Muir ’23.

The new iPhone focused on one of the main selling points of their last phone, which was the

apple.com camera.

Pena-Muir said, “I don’t think it will sell me on getting the new one. In a phone, I’m not looking for a super great quality picture.”

He continued, “What I take pictures of on my phone, they’re just everyday stuff, so I don’t need to do professional photography.”

Antonio Maffei ’20,

hardware and software specialist, has similar opinions. “It was mainly a year for internals and focusing more on perfecting what they already had with the 12 series.”

He added, “I will not be purchasing the new iPhone, mainly because I already have an iPhone 12 pro max, but that sierra blue color really tempted me.”

According to the Apple Newsroom, “iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini introduces major innovations in technology, including the most advanced dualcamera system ever on iPhone, a powerhouse chip, and an impressive leap in battery life.”

Wu chuckled in response and said, “I’d be willing to switch if my wife paid for it.”

16 Science

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Fall 2021

Scientists announce new ocean on horizon

By Claire Ibalio ’22

Everyone has been taught the four oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic. Now, there is a fifth one that scientists are officially announcing.

On June 8, the American Board of National Geographic officially recognized the ocean that scientists have kept under wraps for years: the Southern Ocean.

The Southern Ocean in all actuality is a newly named part of the Arctic Ocean. It is the southernmost waters extending from the coast of Antarctica to the line of latitude at 60 degrees South.

According to National Geographic, the color of the glaciers deepen into an aquamarine blue, the wind and the waters have a cold crisp sensation, and the landscape of the mountains creates an eerie phenomenon when admiring the sight.

Scientists have always recognized this area as the Southern Ocean, but because it is in international waters, there was never a full agreement on the boundaries. For years, scientists and geographers compare and contrast the characteristics in order to decide if one is qualified for its own name.

Riordan’s Biology teacher Colleen O’Rourke commented on the benefits of having a new ocean area. “Currents help divide and define the oceans just like mountain ranges divide

NationalGeographic.com The American Board of National Geographic officially recognized the Southern Ocean as the world’s fifth ocean.

‘Southern Ocean’ as its own unique area represents a more nuanced understanding of the ecology of the oceans.”

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current, or ACC, has been flowing from east to west in Antarctica, which now separates the northern and southern boundary on the 60 degree line of latitude. The water, according to scientists, is colder and is less salty than the rest of the oceans’ water.

Scientists have been studying this particular current for many years, for it holds a “conveyor belt” position for the rest of the ocean. This current specifically pulls the waters from the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans and transfers heat around the world.

By the cold water of the Arctic

sinking to the ocean floor, it is able to trap carbon, which is a crucial part to the on-going climate change.

Recently, scientists have conducted studies showing that the water from the ACC current is getting warmer from the rapid human driven climate change.

The water from the ACC that is closest to land has been melting the ice caps, but scientists are uncertain on how this is going to impact the future of Antarctica.

O’Rourke emphasized that paying close attention to this new ocean is crucial. “The Southern Ocean specifically appears to have major effects on regulating the climate of the entire planet, so paying more attention to its patterns and changes will be very

important in predicting the effects of climate change in the future.”

With climate change being a timely and global issue, O’Rourke stressed that “Supporting governmental policies and making personal choices, which reduce the emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gasses, is probably the most important action.”

The most important action humans can do right now for climate change is to learn more about improving our lifestyle.

Though our lifestyle has been molded through toxic and immortal plastic with a touch of pollution, more Earth friendly options are becoming more available for everyone.

Riordan’s AP Environmental Science teacher Michael O’Brien plans to teach his students about how they can conserve and protect the Southern Ocean and how it will affect the rest of the planet’s ocean ecosystem if it is ignored.

He emphasized that organizations of ocean conservation need to agree on the new ocean in order for them to properly protect it.

The Southern Ocean may shed light on the calamity of climate change. The currents that it holds are so powerful to the ecosystem of the Arctic that it will cause catastrophic damage if not attended to. There is no Planet B.

Gulf Stream collapse could cause catastrophic consequences

By Mario Perez de Leon ’24

Perhaps one of the most devastating events ever is coming right our way, possibly within the next century, or even the next decade.

As greenhouse gas emissions rise, many have started to speculate that the Gulf Stream will collapse. Clearly, this would lead to mass drought that would stretch from South America to West Africa. This could cause mass famine over these regions, affecting several people across them.

Additionally, The Guardian states that citizens would begin to see complete destabilization of the most beloved natural environments such as the Amazon Rainforest and the Antarctic Ice Sheets. Thus, South America would suffer even more.

Edgar Franco ’25 commented on climate change and how it can affect people locally. “Even though climate change is a constantly reinforced issue in our school system, I think many fail to see that this will affect us too and not just people from some faraway place like most other issues.”

Signs of destabilization in the Gulf Stream have been chronic, but they stem from the AMOC system, which is a network of ocean currents that drive warm waters to northern parts of the ocean, creating evaporation as the waters begin to cool, which in turn, produces salt.

The combination of salt and the newly introduced cold waters become dense waters that get pushed deep in the ocean, resurfacing only after spreading south in a process called up swelling. Upswelling also causes the waters to warm up.

Recently, this system of currents has been disrupted in a major way due to greenhouse gas emissions. Since the global temperature continues to increase, the ocean retains its heat, which makes the process of upswelling have a much stronger effect. It’s worth mentioning that the AMOC system has been threatened for several years now, as warm waters do not sink nearly as much as they did 20 years ago.

Yet, this fact alone does not give leeway to be ignorant of the issue, as Michael O’Brien, AP

Scijinks.gov With increased greenhouse gas emissions, the Gulf Stream is in danger of collapsing unless humans do their part to conserve.

Environmental Science instructor at Archbishop Riordan pointed out, “It’s not something we can ignore at all. Doing nothing is much worse than trying to slow down the process.”

Now, people must be more cautious with their carbon footprint, as with every level of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, the more likely it is that the Gulf Stream will collapse sooner, and in turn the endangerment of continents’

climate and food supply.

Though, Franco has doubts.

“It’s not really an issue that most people pay attention to. Despite there being such a stigma against it, littering is still an issue for whatever reason,” he said.

O’Brien added, “I think leading by example in the sense of reducing our personal and ecological footprint is the big thing. If one person acts in a certain way it might affect 10 different people.”

Fall 2021

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Environment 17

Cities dump costly recycling programs

By Delaney Mulqueen ’22

California residents have been consistently taught to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. But as of the past year, a fifth of all recycling centers across the state have suddenly shut down. The cost of upkeeping California’s recycling industry is soaring, forcing hundreds of cities to make a difficult decision and abandon the practice altogether.

Science teacher Colleen O’Rourke argued the required minimum of $25,000 each month necessary to maintain the systems was worth the alternative.

“Everything has a cost.

Frequently, by choosing to save money, humans think we’re reducing costs, but in reality, we are defraying the costs onto other things such as environmental damage and health risks,” she said.

“So yes, hearing that a proper recycling program costs money to maintain makes sense to me and I would be happy to pay for it.”

How does this situation affect consumers, surrounding ecosystems, and cultures?

Photo by Edward Macdonald ’23 Originally, in 1986, the “Bottle Bill,” permitted citizens of California to return aluminum cans for a five-ten cent profit was passed and well-practiced; now, the amount of citizens partaking has dropped 58 percent.

Instead of being collected or transported to proper landfills, these excess aluminum, plastic, and other recyclables have polluted China, India, and Thailand’s oceans, destroying the land’s aesthetic and marine life.

Unfortunately, there’s a mere fifty-fifty chance communities

Garbage and recyling bins wait to be picked up in San Francisco. will ethically distribute this waste.

In the hopes of countering this harm, “America’s Plastic Makers” have devised an upcoming Plastic Tax in 2022, which would decrease single-use plastics.

In terms of our own community, O’Rourke also added tips to develop a sense of awareness considering the waste people produce and how to offset it: when ordering take out, opt-out of receiving plastic utensils, cease purchasing plastic bottle items

including single-use water, try switching to glass containers or wax paper to preserve food, don’t buy individually wrapped foods, and when throwing parties, spend more on compostable disposable cutlery and/or paper plate cup options instead.

AP Environmental Science teacher Michael O’Brien agreed with this method, remembering his middle and high school career repurposing milk jugs, hoping to resort to using glass once again.

Presidio proceeds to reintroduce quails

By Arianna Turner ’23 Many times we’ve been told that humans are better off not existing because we take too much from the planet.

During the pandemic, people were not allowed to go outside in large groups for months at a time, and in turn, could not damage anything. Without the presence of humans, some animals and wildlife flourished.

But, some have not, especially in areas where humans outnumber the wildlife, and this is certainly true for California’s quail.

The California quail is known for its signature “chi-cago” bird call, and it’s aesthetically pleasing figure and looks. The grey bird is also known as the California state bird as of 1931.

They mostly thrive in San Francisco’s Presidio, but recently this is not the case.

Over the years, quails have slowly diminished, and fewer and fewer have been seen by local California residents.

“Growing up, I often saw them scurrying across the roads and pecking through the brush in my homelands of the East Bay,” Biology teacher Colleen O’Rourke said. “But I have noticed visibly how their numbers have been going down over the past few decades.”

One of the many reasons

for this extinction is the recent increase in human activity in the Presidio. Quail require open space and basic resources for themselves and their young.

Humans taking up space with buildings can directly affect the quails in a serious way.

“Obviously, building buildings on top of open space has reduced the habitat available for quail. Additionally, humans changed the biology of the Presidio by planting invasive non-native plants like eucalyptus trees, ivy, and ice plants, which reduced biodiversity and the food that quail would normally depend on,” O’Rourke said. “Humans tend to bring in other animals like feral cats, which prey on quail far more than native predators would, and

Photo by California Quail GNP Conservancy California’s state bird may be making a comeback in the Presidio. dogs, which chase quail and damage chicks and eggs,” O’Rourke says.

Another thing that the Presidio Park Rangers could do is open space for the quails.

Experts and O’Rourke con cluded that the only way to reintroduce quails into the Presidio is with human help and willingness to do so. “Restoring native plant habitat, putting in protected areas where feral cats are removed and dogs aren’t allowed, and removing invasive species like turkeys and ice plants,” is a good start, O’Rourke explained.

A recently published news

article from the San Francisco Examiner seems to agree with this point as well.

Robyn Purchia, an environmental attorney, wrote, “This is why it’s critical to make species, such as the California quail, familiar and important to future generations before they are forgotten. The bird’s longterm survival depends, in part, on San Franciscans’ willingness to welcome it back.”

Another concern people have is that the quail will go extinct like the California grizzly bear, and although the circumstances are different, it is a genuine concern.

18 Features

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Fall 2021

Mystery of DB Cooper endures half century later

By Edward Macdonald ’23

One of America’s greatest legends is that of D. B. Cooper (actual pseudonym: Dan Cooper), a man who boarded a Boeing 727 in Portland headed to Seattle and threatened to blow up the plane unless he was given $200,000 in ransom (equivalent to $1.3 million today).

But what separates D. B. Cooper from other airplane jackers is that he got away with it.

Nov. 24, 2021 will be the 50th anniversary of the hijacking and Cooper has still remained anonymous.

Despite his anonymity, there are clues as to his identity and origin, which have been curated by an avid fan base.

There are two big clues as to his identity. First is that he is likely to be Canadian. During the time of the hijacking, there was a popular Canadian comic book called Les Aventures de Dan Cooper, which featured Dan Cooper, a test pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Additionally, one of the covers featured Dan Cooper parachuting, which may have inspired the hijacking.

Furthermore, when Cooper demanded the ransom, he specified that it must be U.S. dollars, leading many to believe

Sketches by FBI.gov

These composite sketches depict highjacker D.B. Cooper.

that he was not American.

The second is that Cooper was involved in the production of planes. Examinations of a clip on tie that he left on the plane show exotic metal particles, implying that he was some sort of engineer who worked on airplanes.

Additionally, he would have needed to know the kind of plane he was boarding, and that it had a staircase in the back of the

plane that could be lowered during the flight, something that a civilian was unlikely to know. “The key takeaway is that it hasn’t happened since, and that’s why there’s so much lore surrounding it, because it’s not a common occurrence,” said Jeff Isola ’98, history teacher. The D.B. Cooper hijacking marked the end of security free plane trips in

the United States.

The Sky Marshal Program was implemented one year earlier.

However, after the Cooper incident and multiple unsuccessful copycat hijackings, new regulations were put into place by the Federal Aviation Administration to prevent such occurrences.

First, the FAA mandated that all Boeing 727s have a device called a Cooper Vane, which prevented the stairs in the back of the plane from being lowered during the flight. Additionally, peepholes were mandated on the cockpit doors of all commercial aircrafts.

This allowed pilots to view the passengers without opening the door. Finally, in 1973 the FAA required airlines to search the bags of all passengers.

In November 1976, a Portland grand jury indicted John Doe/Dan Cooper/D.B. Cooper in absentia (a trial in which the defendant is not present or even known) on charges of air piracy and violation of the Hobbs Act. If Cooper is ever found or turns himself in, he will be prosecuted.

The FBI officially closed the investigation after 45 years in 2016. However, amateur sleuths still search for Cooper in the hopes of uncovering the truth.

Nike swoops in on upcycling trend for shoes

By Noah David ’22

Back in early April, Nike announced a new program intended to benefit consumers, Nike’s sales, and most importantly, the environment.

Named Nike Refurbished, this program takes customerreturned, slightly-defective, or flawed sneakers, or as Nike states, “Like New, Gently Worn, or Cosmetically Flawed,” and gives them new life.

After going through an inspection and cleaning processes led by Nike’s quality control representatives, these sneakers are shipped to exclusive Nike Outlets for customer consumption.

Furthermore, footwear that goes through this program is priced extremely low, sometimes up to 65 percent off the original retail price, thus benefiting athletes and casual consumers alike.

From a consumer standpoint, Cross-Country and Track and Field Coach Benny Willers ’08 added his thoughts on the program, saying, “My go to sneaker brand is definitely Nike, so I would possibly buy shoes from the program. I’m not a huge sneaker fan, but if I like a pair of

shoes I have to have them. Plus if they’re not noticeably damaged I’d for sure buy them for the cheaper price.”

Sneakerhead Kenneth Arteaga ’21 added, “I actually prefer to buy a worn sneaker over a new one because you can save a ton of money doing this. I usually visit the outlets whenever I get an update that there’s a certain shoe there.”

Led by Nike’s newest slogan, “Move to Zero,” this program revolves around the concept of reducing carbon emissions from factory production and reducing the amount of wearable sneakers becoming waste.

While benefiting the environment, Nike also benefits themselves by making profits from capable shoes they would have previously considered trash.

As Willers stated, “I definitely think it’s a good business move. But more than that, I think it’s the right thing to do. Many of these shoes get tossed or thrown out after someone simply scuffs them up a bit.”

Photo by Noah David ’22

The Nike outlet store in Gilroy offers refurbished shoes.

At the Nike Outlet in Gilroy, it is obvious that a company with universal influence is taking into consideration the future of the world. From both a consumer and sneakerhead’s standpoint, the sizes and selections are impressive, and even more surprising is the prices.

From the everyday sneakers to the most recent

basketball kicks coupled with unbeatable prices, the purchases are nothing less than tempting.

However, the only critique is these products are limited to a small number of stores, thus limiting the chance for cheap sneakers. Other than that, Nike Refurbished is a step in the right direction and offers quality pairs for quality prices.

Fall 2021

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Features

19

New SF Font honors City’s historic street signs

By John McQuaid ’22 Amateur typographer Ben Zotto has created a new font— called Fog City Gothic—styled after the all-caps style of San Francisco street signs that were replaced in 2009.

Those older signs were once embossed in metal then painted over, creating a look that Zotto described as “Bold and blockish, but soft around the edges” in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle. The more recent, but still fully capitalized signs, were replaced with mixed case signs on more reflective backgrounds in an attempt to improve their legibility.

One member of the Riordan community who grew up with the old street signs is English teacher Michael VezzaliPascual ’88, who also read up on the font upon hearing about it. He was very happy with the

classic San Francisco look of the font, and noted that Zotto nailed the resemblance to the unique original signs.

Meanwhile, Jeff Isola ’98, history teacher, was slightly less impressed, saying only that “I think anybody who is used to the old street signs would recognize it, so sure.”

He believes that it is fairly close to the original, but doesn’t know if it is quite exact.

Even so, Vezzali-Pascual is happy with the font, claiming that “it has that classic San Francisco look. No one else in the world has street signs like us.”

Vezzali-Pascual even said that he would happily use the font, if only because he liked it.

The font is available for download on Zotto’s site, and seems to be the only font he is planning to create.

FogCityGothic.com Fog City Gothic is a new font, honoring San Francisco’s past.

BART introduces short stories for passengers

By Ryder Bouck ’22

Photo by Joseph Zuloaga ’23 These new short story dispensers at various BART stations, like Balboa Park Station, offer readers a wonderful distraction from the commotion of traveling.

When it comes to innovation in the Bay Area most people wouldn’t think of BART, but the transit agency has launched a new, innovative partnership with a company called Short Edition.

Through this company, BART commuters have access to free stories that can be read by commuters during their ride. These one, three, and five minute stories are a great way for commuters to pass time and read flash fiction by various local authors.

Murillo Oliveira ’22, a regular BART commuter said,“I think these stories are very creative and are a good way to pass time, waiting for my train.”

Not everyone is one 100 percent sold on the short story idea. Brian Kosewic ’16, an English teacher and a flash fiction skeptic said, “I do think Flash Fiction is an important medium for people with limited time and chaotic lives. Also, the people who design the software we interact with every day on our phones and wearable devices are profiting handsomely off of shortening our attention spans and whittling

away our minds’ abilities to focus.”

Kosewic followed up his statement by claiming, “Presenting short fiction in an easily consumable and portable format could be an interesting intervention in this process. The stories being printed at BART are easy to read, but they could function as a literary gateway ‘drug’ to make people more inclined to pick up a short story collection or an actual novel.”

For those who are COVID concerned, the short story dispensers are touchless.

Once the company is more established, BART will create opportunities for local writers to be featured as well as expanding the number of kiosks to more stations.

San Francisco is once again the launchpad for this new genre of storytelling. Perhaps even skeptics will be won over by the flash fiction trend.

Kosewic continued saying, “I am fascinated by the idea of these stories, and will be actively seeking out one of these mysterious machines the next time I ride BART.”

20 Features

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Fall 2021

Alumni savor memory of legendary French Burger

By Jameson Datoc ’23

Packaged salad, pizza, chicken tenders, spaghetti, vegan items, burritos, donuts, and pancakes are some of the featured food items Epicurean serves in the cafeteria today. However, the alumni of the 1980s had very different items on the menu.

Students today look forward to lunch and may think that they have the best lunches in Riordan’s history, but students from the ’80s argue that nothing can ever compare to the iconic and legendary French burger.

The story goes that the French burger was cooked on a greasy old stove, which was cleaned once on every full blood moon, deep fryers that looked like they survived a house fire, and cooking oil that had not been changed for two years.

How could something cooked in such questionable conditions be called a culinary delight beyond imagination? Nevertheless, this extraordinary, mouth-watering dish was the top lunchtime item in Riordan’s history, those who enjoyed one say.

Craving for answers, The Crusader interviewed alumni teachers to see what was behind the French burger’s success.

Social science and Spanish

Photo by Jameson Datoc ’23 The reporter for this story recreated the famous French burger. teacher Ed Beteta ’85, Audio Visual Art teacher Viggen Rassam ’87, Campus Ministry Director Alex Datoc ’87, and English teacher Michael VezzaliPascual ’88 all described it as a large sourdough roll or French roll with two juicy beef patties, creamy melted American cheese, and condiments of their choosing.

Along with the delicious French burger, it came with deepfried French fries, and according to Beteta, the French burger was priced around $1.75 to $2.00.

The dish evolved over the years.

Beteta said that the French

burger buns were a choice of either a sourdough roll or French roll about the size of a Safeway French roll, approximately six inches long, while everything else was the same.

Rassam stated that the French burger came with the choice of lettuce and tomatoes. Datoc mentioned the French burger came with a buttery French roll and grimy-flavored grease on the beef patties. (He thinks they were beef patties… He hopes they were beef patties).

Vezzali-Pascual said the burger came with only sourdough rolls.

and a choice of cheese or no cheese Justin Brierton, cafeteria manager of Epicurean, said, “I have indeed heard the whispers of the French Burger when chatting with Riordan alumni.

From what I’ve been told, it was a greasy delight enjoyed by all the students.”

Could the French burger make a comeback? Brierton said, “We would attempt to recreate it perhaps during a special occasion such as Homecoming week that celebrates Riordan’s unique past. I’m told my predecessor attempted to resurrect the burger for an eager alum but failed to capture the magic that was the Riordan French Burger.”

Brierton estimates it would cost at least $9.50. “This is still a pretty good deal considering Beep’s would be around $17 for a full meal and most fast-food joints like McDonald’s would be over $10,” he said.

Some 30 plus years later, would these alumni eat the French burger again? Without any hesitation, every single one of them said yes.

What about Brierton? “Are you kidding!? You just interviewed me about burgers, of course I want one now!”

Sunnyside historian unveils new twist to story of famous curly fries

By Brandon Saavedra ’24

Curly fries are the goldenorange brother of the famous French fries, with mouthwatering seasoning blends and garlic powders.

Bruno’s Creamery in Sunnyside, which was well-loved and well-patronized, at the corner of Monterey Boulevard and Foerster Street, owes its fame to the kind-hearted owner, Bruno Cappa. The place was also famous for serving curly fries, 40 years before it was put on the menus of fast food restaurants, according to Sunnyside historian Amy O’Hair.

“While researching local history, I often talk to people who used to live in the neighborhood of Sunnyside when they were kids, and they tell me about the things they especially remember,” O’Hair said.

“I heard about the little restaurant on Monterey serving curly fries in the 1950s and 1960s from several people, so I knew there must be a real story there, not just one person’s recollection.”

She continued, “Everyone said they were available there long before they became famous by being on the menu of a wellknown national fast-food chain.

All that meant it sounded like a special local story.”

According to those who visited there, “the restaurant was a pretty mediocre place, a narrow space with a counter on the right,

Photo by Grayson Salomon ’22 Once found at only few locations, curly fries are a now popular side dish at many restaurants. and a pinball machine in the back.

As the years passed, it acquired appliances such as grills, and a donut fryer.”

There was also a machine to make his famous curly fries.

According O’Hair, who wrote the article on the Sunnyside History Project website, “Bruno’s Creamery: Sunnyside’s Legendary Midcentury Corner Soda Fountain” “I liked learning that the way Bruno made his curly fries was by using a simple metal machine that clamped onto the counter-top and was handcranked. You put the potato in, turned the crank, and out came

the spirals, then you fried them like regular French fries. He didn’t need anything fancier. In addition to the famous curly fries, Bruno served the usual fountain drinks, ice cream, banana splits, milkshakes, hamburgers, and donuts.

In 1973, Bruno was in his early sixties, and it was time to retire.

He sold the business to Richard Ballesteros, and it was called Rick’s creamery for another five years.

Decades later, Bruno’s customers are still savoring the memory of those curly fries.

Justin Brierton, cafeteria manager of Epicurean, said, “Food harnesses three of our major senses, taste, smell and vision and as such is able to form a deep imprint on our memories.”

He continued, “A certain smell or taste can take us to those exact moments we experienced the food. If a dish looks different from what we have seen in the past, we may treat it as suspect. Food is both personal and communal.

Ingesting food is an intimate experience in which we trust and take in each bite into our bodies.”

So, what is it about curly fries?

“They have a better contrast and texture compared to regular fries.

They are a lot more seasoned also,” said Will Parker ’22.

According to O’Hair, “People I talked to often said they knew of

no other place in the City during the 1950s and 1960s where you could get curly fries. Although many felt strongly about this, as a historian I had to temper their memories as a source of information because many were children or teens then, and may not have been in a position to really know such a fact.”

In addition, “I could not find a definitive source for establishing as factual the idea that Bruno’s Creamery on Monterey Boulevard was the first place on the West Coast to serve curly fries, so I could not state that as a historical fact.”

Brierton said, “Curly fries are unique in not only shape, but texture and taste. The shape helps create a unique texture that is both crispy and softer than normal fries. It allows the fries to layer itself and when you take a bite you get multiple layers of both the crispy outside and creamy inside.”

Would Epicurean ever add curly fries to the menu? “We would love to serve curly fries at Riordan, but unfortunately the quantity would affect the quality of the end result,” Brierton said.

Whether or not curly fries made their West Coast debut a few blocks from Riordan, O’Hair said, “In the end I felt that people’s heartfelt stories and memories were more important.”

Fall 2021

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Sports Features 21

Giants defy odds with playoff appearance

By Joseph Grysiewicz ’22

If you were to ask any major league baseball fan who would be the top team in the beginning of the season, I bet that none of them would have predicted that the San Francisco Giants would be the best team in baseball.

According to ESPN.com, the Giants had 1.2 percent odds to make the playoffs, while division rival Los Angeles Dodgers had a 99.3 percent odds and the San Diego Padres had a 66.7 percent chance of making the playoffs.

The Giants have been the most arguable surprise this 2021 regular season.

The reason the San Francisco Giants have played so well is not because of the up and coming prospects or big free agent signings, but because of all the veterans and everyone performing extremely well and exceeding expectations.

On the offensive side, players like Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt, and Evan Longoria have all revamped their careers and are playing as if they were playing in their prime.

Other players who have come along this year have also had a big impact on the hitting core such as breakout star, outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr. who was acquired back in February from the Minnesota

sfgiants.com Members of the San Francisco Giants celebrate after clinching the division and advancing to the NLDS against their long-time rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Twins and the 2016 National League MVP and star utility player, Kris Bryant from the Chicago Cubs during the trade deadline on July 31.

They have a combined 241 home runs as a team. The most home runs hit by any National League team and by any Giants team of all time, breaking their old record of 235 held back in 2001 during the Steroid Era. To win as many games as the

Giants had, they couldn’t do it all with just offense, but the pitching as well. The pitching has been phenomenal, led by starting pitchers Kevin Gausman, Logan Webb, and Anthony DeSclafani.

Even if the starting pitching can get shaky, their bullpen can save them at any time as the Giants have one of the best bullpens in baseball, full of arms that can get out of any jam, such as Camilo Doval, Tyler Rogers,

and closer Jake McGee. On Oct. 3, the Giants clinched the National West title by one game over the Dodgers and finished the season off at 107-55.

The Giants had the most wins in franchise history, beating out their 1904 record of 106 wins.

On Oct. 14, the Dodgers defeated the Giants at Oracle Park, 3 games to 2, advancing to the NLCS against the Atlanta Braves.

Cleveland pitches changeup: From Indians to Guardians

By Ethan Vargas ’23

For more than a century, Cleveland’s Major League Baseball team has always been known as the Indians.

Effective the end of the 2021 season, their name will change and they will be known as the Cleveland Guardians.

Following the same scenario as the Washington Football team name change, it was inevitable that the Indians would change their name as well.

Steven Rissotto ’20, Giants beat writer for SFBay.CA, stated, “I saw this change coming. I figured with the Washington Football team making their adjustment, it was only a matter of time before the Indians made the switch.”

The Indians’ fan base may have had mixed reactions when they heard about the change.

Rissotto stated, “It doesn’t make it easy, especially when fans have spent countless amounts of money on merchandise with the name ‘Indians’ on it.”

He continued, “There’s going to be criticism any time you try and change the name of something major, and it all stems back to tradition.”

Nevertheless, Rissotto thinks

cleveland.com the Guardians name suits them.

“It goes with the theme of the bridge right near the ballpark, so it was convenient.”

The history of the Indians’ name dates back to 1915, when club owner Charles Somers

decided to rename the Cleveland Naps to the Cleveland Indians.

The name has been criticized by Native Americans for decades.

After the Chief Wahoo logo was removed in 2019, it was a matter of time until the team name would

be replaced as well.

So how did they land on the Guardians as the new name? The name was inspired by the eight Guardians of Traffic statues on the Hope Memorial Bridge, near Progressive Field.

22 Sports

Fall 2021

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Football season kicks off with early success equally bad and at the end of the day we want everybody on the field healthy because the feeling of sitting out is terrible.”

As much as the Crusaders have faced hardship, they can still make the playoffs if they perform well over the rest of the season.

Leo Jimenez ’22 stated, “We just need to keep a positive mindset and fight our way out of our end goal which is to win a championship.”

The Crusaders are not done yet and they still can do damage going forward into the season, pushing forward with the next man-up philosophy, and continuing to fight hard for a playoff spot with a record of 5 and 3, after having defeated Sacred Heart Cathedral for the Stanfel Cup on Oct. 23 48-21.

By Noah Tango ’22

The start of the 20212022 fall WCAL football season has been a bit shaky so far as the Crusaders have faced many formidable obstacles. Struggling with injuries, the Crusaders have not been able to keep their best guys out on the field. The expectation in the locker room and on the field has remained the same since the beginning of the season for the Crusaders.

Emilio Cruz ’22 preached the “next man up” motto. He stated, “We all prepare the same way; yes, we always want our best guys out there, but at the same time we prepare for everybody to know what to do just in case their number gets called.”

One of the players who has missed some time with injuries over this season is Andrei Angeles ’22. He said, “It’s a terrible feeling [...] there’s always the thought in the back of my mind that I could be making a difference out there knowing it’s my senior year [...] The feeling is

Photos by Sophia Carrasquilla ’22

At top, the Crusader defensive line prepares to break through Tamalpais’ offensive line.

Below it, Riordan’s King-Njhsanni Wilhite ’23 runs downfield in a game against Mitty.

Cross country makes a run for state finals

By Areeshah Farooq ’23

This year, cross country had a great start as Riordan’s teams have been putting in a lot of dedication and effort into the past few races.

“It’s going well. Our Boys Varsity is in a good position to qualify for CCS and our younger divisions are getting better every week,” Benny Willers, head coach of cross country said regarding the season.

A few members, so far, have made it into the top 10 rankings.

One of whom is Colin Murtagh ’22, having recently broken the Lowell Invitational school record. Running 2.83 miles with a time of 15:10.2, he beat EJ Odocayen’s ’20 time from the 2019 season.

As a reflection on the race, Murtagh said, “I felt pretty satisfied about the run. To run that time and place that high early on in the season made me excited for the rest of the season.”

During the Lowell Invitation on Sept. 7, the Junior Varsity team ranked 5th out of 30 teams. Although the freshmen and varsity teams

Photos by Brian Kosewic ’16 Collin Murtagh ’22 leads the pack at a recent meet.

Chris Dilag ’25 and Oliver Huerta ’25 keep a steady pace.

didn’t get high rankings, everyone finished the race. They hope to persist into the season and give it their all.

Daphne Batmale ’25 also ranked in the top 10, being the first girl at Riordan to win a medal at the Rams Invitational at Westmoor High School on Sept.

28.

Along with their new goals, they’ve also got team spirit.

“It’s really fun running with the other girls at cross country,” said Batmale.

The atmosphere during the meets gives off an encouraging vibe that seems to get the team’s adrenaline going.

As the season progresses, she added, “I want to get faster.”

With ambition to achieve more, Murtagh added, “​​ I think our team can improve on working together in races. In cross country, you’re stronger together than you are individually.”

Finishing off the season, the team strives to qualify for the State meet, and place top three as a team at WCAL Championships.

Fall 2021

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Sports 23

Volleyball serves up first indoor season

By William Ortiz ’22

This season marks the second year for Riordan’s first ever girls volleyball team. As of Sept. 23, the team is at a 5-7 score this season so far.

Last season, the team only got to play against two other schools — Washington High School once and Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep twice — due to COVID regulations, and their overall score was 0-3.

Both games were played outside on Mayer Family Field.

Elci Cortes ’22 commented, “Last season we weren’t able to connect to the newer players and with each other as much as we would’ve liked, and also couldn’t perform to our fullest extent. Playing on turf is a huge difference, and it was fun even having the opportunity to have some sort of season.”

Compared to last season, the team seems to be doing well so far. This season the team was introduced to their new coach, Sabrina Andreatta.

Andreatta has been coaching volleyball for elementary and middle school girls for about five years. She also helped to

BuffaloBills.com The Buffalo Bills returned to the playoffs after a long absence.

Carol Manu ’25 tips the ball over a block during the Senior Night game against Summit Shasta. start the volleyball program at Riordan last year during the pandemic.

Before coming to Riordan, Andreatta was an intern at an non-profit organization called CUESA — The Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture — as a Foodwise Kids Intern. She also has coached CYO volleyball for Our Lady of Mercy Catholic School and Legarza Volleyball Camp.

“Last year was my first year coaching high school volleyball, but I am so excited to get to have a real season with amazing players, and a supportive fan base, which includes parents and the larger Riordan community,” said Andreatta.

Practices for the players are an hour and half to two hours long in the gym, where the players work on skills like passing, hitting, setting, and

serve receiving.

“The coaches try to challenge the players to constantly improve their techniques while also focusing on controlling the ball and playing aggressively,” said Andreatta.

“Workouts consist of strength training with a prime focus on strengthening their core and leg muscles, which are all key areas of power for volleyball.”

The team still has a couple schools to play against before the season is over. The team’s main goal this season is to develop a strong and supportive community of student-athletes while striving to improve their volleyball skills through hard work and working together as a team.

Andreatta said, “Our team planned and will continue to work together and support each other throughout this season. All of our athletes are part of the larger volleyball program, not separated by the level of team they are on.

We strive to exemplify Pride, Purpose, and Performance, our school’s values during practice, at matches, and off the court.”

Girls golf tees off for inaugural season

By Addison Hwang ’24

Starting off fall sports, Riordan has a brand new girls golf team for the first time in history.

This achievement is one of Riordan’s many ways of showing their co-educational enthusiasm as the seven young women on the team are “part of the foundation of a new era at ARHS” said David Elu, social studies instructor and girls golf team coach.

Elu said, “We started last year (2020) with five freshmen and a sophomore as a development year, which is why we had no matches, but this fall season our team is having a total of eight games! More than half of which will be held at our home course located at Fleming Golf Course at Harding Park on Lake Merced.”

Being able to compete this year is not the only development that excites Coach Elu. “The ladies are performing extremely well as their skills have improved enormously over the past weeks. Our program is new, however I am most looking forward to the team’s desire to

Tennis program doubles with addition of girls

By Arianna Jaboneta ’23

get better every day and their desire to give their best effort every time they play or practice.”

He added, “I think that as long as we keep and develop the players that are currently on the team and are able to attract new students to join to develop their skills either by joining the team or the Golf Club, I see a bright future for Riordan’s Girls’ Golf team!”

Drea Escamilla ’24 said, “We are really excited to be with our team and with Coach Elu’s help, we remember to always keep our heads up because there will always be a next time.”

Overall, it seems like the girls team is both passionate and ready to begin the fall season.

After the shortened spring season last year, the future looks bright for Archbishop Riordan’s girls’ tennis team.

Coach Raymond Wong is optimistic for the 2021-2022 season, saying, “15 possible returning players is an excellent start.” For the abbreviated 2021 spring season, the team only had five players.

Last season, Archbishop Riordan welcomed Coach Wong as the girls’ tennis coach. Wong got his start at coaching after attending practices and matches for his son at Sacred Heart Cathedral.

“I didn’t choose tennis, tennis chose me,” Wong said.

Former tennis coach at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Brother Anthony, asked Wong to step in for him while he tutored after school. After two years of coaching JV Tennis at SHC, Wong became head coach of Varsity Tennis.

Coach Wong spent 18 years coaching at SHC, then two years at Mercy San Francisco prior to its closing. He is spending his 20th anniversary of coaching

at Riordan High School.

Senior Ashley Coleman began her tennis career during the shortened spring season last year. “My mom played tennis in college and inspired me to try out at Riordan,” Coleman said. “I am really looking forward to the season and I have high hopes for the team.”

Coleman made great friendships while playing tennis and will continue to make great memories during the fall season.

“We all joke around on van rides and during practice,” Ashley said about her teammates.

The varsity team practices at Balboa Park Monday-Friday.

Their current record is 1-9 with three matches left to play.

The varsity team has faced Sacred Heart Cathedral, St. Ignatius, Lincoln HS, Lowell HS, Urban, Hillsdale HS, Pinewood, and Mercy Burlingame. The Bay School, St. Ignatius, and Sacred Heart Cathedral are the final opponents of the season.

On Oct. 15, Riordan faced Presentation High School in San Jose and won their first match 6-2.

24 Food Reviews

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Fall 2021

Food trucks offer filling, fast, flavorful food Review and photo by Edward Macdonald ’23

Chave Tacos, A taco truck located only five minutes away from Riordan on 4384 Mission between Theresa and Cotter streets, is a great place to get authentic Mexican street food.

Chave Tacos is a small, green food truck with lots of covered outdoor seating. The menu features, as you would expect, mainly tacos. I was extremely eager to sample these tacos, so I headed over and picked up three tacos, which were fairly priced at $3 each.

The first taco I ordered was a chipotle chicken taco; this was by far the spiciest. The chicken was just right as it was not too

Review and photo by Grayson Salomon ’22

Man vs Fries is a popup food truck/digital restaurant chain located in several major cities across the USA such as San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, Denver, NYC and many more.

The chain is also available in several Canadian cities in different provinces and even in Dubai. In the City, the food truck

NorCal Asada Fries, containing French fries with cheese, sour cream, guac, and a secret sauce.

Review and photo by Noah David ’22 Rolling around the Bay Area since 2010, Señor Sisig has been an influential flavor within the local community through its vending of Filipino-fusion dishes, an encapsulation of San Francisco and Oakland cultures.

With their unique Filipino dishes infused into burritos and tacos, the chain caught the attention of thousands, as seen with their features on Fox News and Guy Fieri’s Food Network Show “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.” Now, it was our turn to give our honest opinion on this household name.

I ordered the truck chain’s signature, The “Señor” Sisig Burrito, a plethora of adobo garlic rice, soft pinto beans, crispy

dry, and the chipotle pepper was used to great effect by giving the tacos a nice kick. The onions were ripe and almost sweet, giving the slightest crunch while not interfering with the flavor of the chicken. Tying all this together was the delicious salsa verde, which was slightly spicy along with a fresh tangy taste.

The next taco I got was carne asada, which was the best.

The meat was extremely tender yet had no grease, which meant that it almost melted in my mouth. This taco had the same onions as the first taco, but this time the salsa verde was not spicy but instead had a salty zest that interacted with the lime to create an exquisite combination that

Chave Tacos pulled the whole meal together.

The last taco I got was the cabeza de res. It was good, but slightly too moist, and the corn tortilla broke.

I added the radishes The chipotle chicken taco, the carne asada that were on the side, taco, and the cabeza de res taco. and they gave the taco a perfect kick to pull If you have time after this one back. Overall, this was my school and are looking for a great least favorite of the three.

While Chave makes tacos with meal or a little snack, I highly fewer ingredients than a classic recommend trying Chave Tacos. fast food joint, the ingredients are Chave Tacos receives a total of used to great effect, combining 5 out of 5 stars. The chipotle, to create a fantastic taste and a chicken and carne asada taco combine for a total cost of $12.33. home-cooked feel.

Man Vs Fries can be found at Spark Social SF in Mission Bay near the Chase Center.

Their menu consists of a variety of Mexican cuisine but with a Cali twist. So if you’re looking for something on the traditional side, this is not the place to be. But if you’re looking for something tasty and extremely unhealthy, this is the place to be.

Ranging from NorCal Asada Fries to SoCal Burritos, deep fried cheesecake and oreos to something called the “Helladilla,” you can expect to be doing several hours of cardio to burn it all off.

Oh yeah, and did I mention that you can add Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and Doritos to anything?

I’ve personally tried their SoCal Burrito before with Flamin Hot Cheetos, and I loved it. But for this review, I decided to go with what they’re named after, French fries. I went with the NorCal Asada Fries which are “hella crisp, delicious French

fries, drizzled with cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and secret sauce” with a side of queso, hold the hot chips.

The meal came in a takeout box, inside of a sealed brown paper bag with Man vs Fries branding.

Opening the box, I was greeted by a guacamole, sour cream and secret sauce dressing over carne asada, cheese and of course, a ton of fries. It smelled amazing, with that smokey, barbequed smell from the carne asada.

I mixed the dish up a bit, so I could get a bite with everything in it. Taking my first forkful, the first taste was the sour cream and guacamole, which I wasn’t a huge fan of. However, then came the secret sauce, cheese, carne and fries, a real explosion of flavors.

The secret sauce, reminiscent of a mix of Raising Cane’s Cane’s Sauce and In N’ Out’s secret spread, really complimented the carne asada. The carne asada was well cooked tender, had a smokey

hint, and was a bit spicy.

The fries were crispy and had a coat of seasoning that added a savory sensation. However, many were buried underneath the rest of the food and were soggy.

The side of queso served as a nice dipping sauce and added a kick to each bite.

Although this behemoth of a meal was delicious and ohso-great for MyFitnessPal, the dish was a little overwhelming. I couldn’t even finish the plate on an empty stomach!

Overall, I think Man vs Fries perfectly embodies the Calfornian stereotype of turning traditional Mexican food into a caloric, tasty monstrosity. I give the NorCal Asada Fries 4 out of 5 stars because it is really good, but I wish there was a bit more meat, spread a bit more evenly, and it is pretty pricey. You can get yourself an order of Asada Fries for $16.95, excluding additional toppings that cost extra.

Señor Sisig lettuce, and bold pico de gallo complementing your choice of seasoned meat, bundled in a warm flour tortilla. I went with their tender chicken option with no spiciness added.

After freeing the burrito from its shimmering foil and taking a hefty bite, I was immediately mesmerized by the army of flavors that coordinated with one another so well. From the fluffy seasoned rice to the bold, zesty chicken, this burrito was done in a blink of an eye.

In addition to their signature dish, I also got my personal favorite, the Tocilog Burrito. Closely resembling its predecessor, this bundle contained tender, sweet pork and all the colorful ingredients in the

previous endeavor. From the first to the last bite, the rollercoaster of tastes got better with every passing second, and I was met with lonely, silver foil scraps in no time.

Although I am no stranger to the chain, Señor Sisig never fails to blow me away with its unique takes on Filipino food, and more importantly with their easyto-eat, delicious meals, which is why it is one of my favorite places to eat.

Paired with their food trucks and restaurants being scattered all over the Bay, I have nothing but praise for this humble establishment. In closing, my only advice is this: go try this phenomenal experience for yourself if you haven’t already.

The chain’s signature, The “Señor” Sisig Burrito, contains garlic rice, beans, lettuce and pico de gallo.