The Crusader May 2023

End of an era

Mercy Sisterhood

By Joseph Zuloaga ’23

When the Class of 2023 walks across the graduation stage on Mayer Family Field on May 20, the last memories of the Riordan Brotherhood will depart, as the seniors are the final class to experience the all boys era at Riordan before the co-ed change.

“It’ll feel accomplishing in a way,” said Alex Robinson ’23. “Being a part of the last class to have known what an all boys Riordan was like means I’m part of an aspect of history. We’re the last to carry that with us and I’m just very thankful I landed where I did.”

Aside from this, arguably the biggest impact on the seniors was the pandemic. During the second semester of freshman year, a “three day weekend” turned into the lockdown that forced their first year at Riordan to end online.

Oscar Hernandez ’23 reminisced, “It made me more appreciative of the friends I made, who I consider brothers. We experienced a lot of change and I believe it has made us all more resilient young men.”

Please see “Riordan Brotherhood” on page 7

By Hoorain Farooq ’25

In 2019, with Mercy High School in San Francisco, an all girls school, shutting down, Archbishop Riordan High School, an all boys school, opened its doors for female students.

Welcoming the female transfers, primarily from the soon to be closed Mercy High School, Riordan faced a transition into coeducation.

This year, the graduating Class of 2023 includes members of the last class of Mercy girls who transferred to Riordan and experienced the progression as it adjusted to a co-education.

As it comes time for these girls to bid farewell, they reminisced back on their journey

as transfers and throughout their years at Riordan.

Odalis Alvarez ’23 shared how it still feels unreal to be at Riordan. “I always imagined I would stay at Mercy and continue my special programs. She included, “I was super excited to be the first coed sophomore class in the school’s history.”

Leslie Nunez ’23 stated, “It was comforting being able to transfer with the majority of the Mercy class because we all knew each other and it wasn’t like we were doing it all alone, we had each other as support.”

Please see “Mercy Sisterhood” on page 7

The Crusader announces first female editor-in-chief

By Normay Arriola ’24

On April 28, history was made as Naomi Lin ’24 was announced as the new and first female Editor-in-Chief of The Crusader newspaper, along with Talia Bumanglag ’24, the new managing editor, and Addison Hwang ’24 as the new Editor in Chief of The Shield magazine for the 2023-2024 school year.

This marks the first time in the history of The Crusader in which all the top leadership positions will be filled by girls. They will take over from Joseph Zuloaga ’23, the current Editorin-Chief of The Crusader, and Angelina Ning ’23, the current Editor in Chief of The Shield.

Since Riordan first opened its doors in 1949 and through its transition to a coed school, all the editors in chief of The Crusader have been male. However, with the first wave of female students entering the school in 2021, it has opened up new opportunities for female students at Riordan, including leadership positions on The Crusader.

Zuloaga stated, “The newspaper is entering a new era. The first wave of girls that entered the new co-ed Riordan freshman year will become seniors next year, opening up leadership positions for them in clubs, like the newspaper.”

Riordan Brotherhood

Photo by Jameson Datoc ’23 The final class of Mercy students.

Photo by Sean Reyes ’25

The final class of boys who experienced the Riordan Brotherhood.

Photo by Jameson Datoc ’23

The Crusader Editor-in-Chief Naomi Lin ’24, Managing Editor Talia Bumanglag ’24, and Addison Hwang ’24, Editor-in-Chief of The Shield.

Please see “EICs” on page 4

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Honest journalism is the cornerstone of democracy

The Crusader Staff Editorial

Phil Graham, the husband of Katherine Graham–publisher of The Washington Post during the Pentagon Papers and Watergate scandals–once said, “[News is] a first rough draft of history.”

Fast forward to today, when the press is becoming more polarized, with left-and-right wing news channels funneling and crystallizing divisions between factions of Americans that seem to be increasingly entrenched.

When the last week of April commenced, two almost backto-back firings by CNN and Fox News of Don Lemon and Tucker Carlson led to a major media shakeup that could be etched in history as Graham described it.

First, Tucker Carlson–host of Tucker Carlson Tonight and Fox News’ highest-rated host–was surprisingly ousted on the morning of April 24. In a brief statement Fox News thanked him for his service “to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor.” There was no direct reason for the ousting, with the statement adding that his last show was the prior Friday, April

21. Rotating hosts will fill the hour of the re-branded Fox News Tonight.

Networks cite Fox News’ massive $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems prior to a trial as the probable reason why Carlson was fired due to him being a central figure in the spreading of voter fraud misinformation regarding Dominion voting machines in the 2020 election.

Only a few hours later, CNN announced that they had parted ways with host Don Lemon after 17 years. The CNN This Morning host soon expressed outrage with the network when the news broke, lamenting that no one from CNN management had “the decency” to contact him about the ouster. CNN’s statement in part read, “Don will forever be a part of the CNN family … we wish him well and will be cheering him on in his future endeavors” and rejected Lemon’s accounting of the events. Lemon was recently under fire for stating that GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley wasn’t “in her prime” when she announced

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.

Sports Features Editor

Hoorain Farooq ’25

Arts & Entertainment Editor

Talia Bumanglag ’24

Environment Editor

Mario Perez de Leon ’24

Religion Editor Alex Robinson ’23

her 2024 bid for the White House. He has also been accused of misogyny in the workplace against his colleagues.

These incidents show how broadcast journalism is rapidly changing. Gone are the days of investigative journalism, the likes of which were portrayed in The Post movie, released over five years ago. The parallels to a press that kept the president in check is gone.

Now, right-wing networks criticize the party in control of the White House for the smallest details without having a plan, whilst the left wing networks fawn over the party in charge

and do not hold them accountable. It’s a war of words and false inflammatory theatrics between factions that don’t have a clear plan, harming the American people in the crossfire.

This is why we need a free press. At the White House Correspondents Dinner, President Biden called the press “the pillar of free society, not the enemy.” He then emphasized, “journalism is not a crime.”

The First Amendment idea of a free press is also being attacked overseas, with Evan Gershkovich of the Wall Street Journal being arrested in Russia on unfounded suspicions of spying. Biden reiterated his support for Gershkovich, stating the administration was working every day to secure his release. If journalism is deemed essential to democracies, then why is it being tarnished at home and abroad?

The Crusader will always advocate for a free press, for honest, reputable journalism that seeks to inform the public as an unbiased source of truth amidst the lies in the world.

175 Frida Kahlo Way San Francisco, CA 94112

RCrusaderNews.com

RCrusaderNews@riordanhs.org

Editor-in-Chief

Joseph Zuloaga ’23

Opinion Editor

Naomi Lin ’24

Campus News Editors

Eddie Ramos ’23

Julien Untalan ’24

Local & State News Editor

Sophie Bucker ’24

National & World News Editor

Angela Jia ’25

Boys Sports Editor

Don Tsang ’23

Girls Sports Editor

Addison Hwang ’24

Health Editor

Katelyn Leong ’25

Science Editor

Normay Arriola ’24

Technology Editor

Julian Johnson ’25

Features Editors

Areeshah Farooq ’23

Angelina Ning ’23

Food Review Editor

Nathan Loeffler Malatesta ’23

Copy Editor Ryan Lee ’24

Photo Editor Jameson Datoc ’23

Graphic Artists

Vee Chen ’25

Kai Murguz ’25

Reporters and Photographers

Jake Beeman ’24

Cash Bolos ’23

India Bowles ’23

Jaecee Cantiller ’24

Gianluca Carboni ’24

Anthony Chan ’24

Jessica Cheung ’26

Griffin Doeff ’25

Caitlin Dowd ’25

Emma Gruzman ’25

Ishaan Gupta ’26

Catherine Hansen ’25

Sandra Halverson ’23

Miranda Hernandez ’24

Rachel Kavanagh ’24

Jonathan Kruger ’24

Daniella Lainez ’26

Mason Lum ’25

Ethan Ly ’26

Exchange Editors

Melissa Chiao ’25

Makayla Fong ’25

Taylor Tran ’25

Reporters and Photographers

Matteo Matteucci ’24

Ceejae Minell de Lumen ’24

Hazel Nagata-Rampata ’26

Nico Navarro ’24

Nick Nye ’25

Aiden Pavon ’25

Sean Reyes ’25

Nicolo Ricci ’24

Joeliyn Rizzo ’25

Xianna Romprey ’23

Michael Schulz ’23

Julian Serrano ’24

Aliana Urdaneta-Rodas ’25

Ethan Vargas ’23

Marina Viray ’24

Zion Wells ’23

Marvin Wong ’25

Bo Wyatt ’24

Julia Yamsuan ’25

Adviser

Susan Sutton, MJE

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.

Graphic by Joseph Zuloaga ’23

Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon were recently released from Fox and CNN.

Should we go all in on Artificial Intelligence?

By Edward Ramos ’23

Until recently, the creation of high level artificial intelligence—also known as AI—wasn’t believed to have been possible and wasn’t a tangible or viable option for many. A model of intelligence that assists humans at a high speed, with the widest array of information, available to a vast amount of people, seemed fantasy.

This changed when Ilya Sutskever, the chief scientist at OpenAI broke barriers with his discovery of “AlexNet,” a model that laid the foundation for deep learning, a type of learning which served to teach computers, through various inputs, to process given information in a similar way that humans would. This model was the pioneering discovery for all major AI creations being used today.

In essence, this model of data evolved into what we know today as GPT (a generative pretrained transformer). The motivation behind GPT was to teach a computer to critically think and answer questions just as the human brain does, creating new ideas and improving old ones.

Ultimately, the end goal of OpenAi’s model is to create artificial general intelligence (or AGI), a more advanced version of AI which is autonomous, reaching beyond the capabilities of humans, and raising the standard of learning, living, and teaching, to a level that is quite literally, beyond human comprehension.

Nevertheless, the positives and negatives of artificial intelligence have been thrown around like a dart on a board, and the bullseye and innermost truth

of artificial intelligence (or AI) can be pinpointed in the middle of its benefits for the human race.

AI is revolutionizing the way we live, work, and interact, from self-driving cars to personalized medicine.

Its ability to process large amounts of data quickly and accurately has led to breakthroughs in fields such as healthcare, where AI can analyze medical records and diagnose diseases.

Similarly, since the release of the renowned ChatGPT, it is harder to find businesses that don’t use the tool.

The clear benefit of AI is its ability to augment human capabilities. Rather than replacing humans, AI can work alongside us to enhance our abilities and make us more productive. For example, AI-powered tools can help teachers personalize their lessons.

While there are valid concerns about the impact of AI on jobs and privacy, it’s important to remember that AI is a tool that can be used for good or bad. In the end, it’s up to us to ensure that AI is developed and implemented in a responsible and ethical way because the potential benefits of AI are simply too great to ignore.

Letter from the Editor-in-Chief

By Joseph Zuloaga ’23

Dear reader,

Thank you so much for reading Issue 5 of The Crusader.

As a senior and the outgoing Editor-in-Chief, I have been a part of the newspaper for four years. During this time, I contributed to 17 wonderful issues, numerous articles, headlines, deadlines and much more. I have grown to love the field of journalism and decided to pursue it as a career.

I am proud of all our accomplishments: a variety of stories, creative layout, new equipment, and countless awards. Amidst all of those achievements we also shared many laughs and puns, whether that be in Room 207, or out on field trips, like the journalism convention.

Now, for some heartfelt thank yous.

First off, thank you to the previous Editors in Chief: Steven Rissotto ’20, Jordan Maralit ’21, and Grayson Salomon ’22 for teaching me how to effectively lead the newspaper staff.

Next to all of the editors and staff. Thank you for being reliable and hardworking people. You all went above and beyond.

Last but not least, thank you Ms. Sutton for the mentorship and guidance. I will cherish all the advice you shared with me.

I wish incoming Editorin-Chief Naomi Lin ’24–the first female Editor-in-Chief–her editors, and the rest of the staff all the best next year.

Here’s to continued success for The Crusader!

Sincerely, Joseph

Zuloaga ’23 2022-2023 Editor-in-Chief

By Angela Jia ’25

Although AI has been around for a while now, ChatGPT took the world by storm when it was released on Nov. 30, 2022 by OpenAI because it forced us to reckon with how far we’re really letting AI go.

There’s a myriad of issues with AI that can’t be covered in a short article. A little known consequence, however, is how AI worsens misogyny in social media and the workplace.

Social media companies use AI to determine what to suppress and amplify in algorithms. A Guardian investigation found that AI tools objectify female bodies by rating pictures of women as more “sexually suggestive” than men in everyday situations, especially when pregnant bellies and exercise are involved.

These tools are meant to limit inappropriate content, but the problem arises when the mere existence of women is flagged as “racy.”

Leon Derczynski, a professor at the IT University of Copenhagen, says, “Objectification of women seems deeply embedded in the system.” This results in the suppression of female presence in public forums, exacerbating current day sexism.

This may be due to the fact that most AI algorithms are developed by males. Margaret Mitchell, chief ethics scientist at AI firm Hugging Face thinks it is because photos used to train the algorithms were labeled by men who perceive fellow men working out as “fitness” but women working out as “sexual.”

Artificial intelligence is only as good as the data it’s trained on, and the data it’s trained on is pretty sexist.

It’s not just social media, though. The inherent sexism in AI tools will also be detrimental to female applicants who are applying to jobs. A few years ago, Amazon used an AI recruiting and hiring tool meant to filter in top talent.

However, that system rated men more highly than women. That’s because the system was trained to observe patterns in hired resumes over a 10 year period, most of which were male.

The AI essentially learned that male applicants were preferable and even downgraded candidates from all-female colleges and penalized resumes including the word “women’s.” Eventually, Amazon scrapped the system, but it carries concerning implications for women in the workforce as companies around the world become more reliant on AI to do jobs.

Proponents of AI say it’s a mark of progress and innovation for humanity, but clearly women are being left behind. It seems that when people say AI leads to progress, they only mean progress for men.

Tensions heat up over gas stoves

By Julien Untalan ’24

We, the people, are under attack from our very own government with their draconian mandate of the future ban of gas appliances.

They mask their ulterior motives by proclaiming that their withdrawal of our property is for our health. They spread the idea that gas stoves pollute our air and poison our children and therefore must be removed; however, do not be fooled by such deception!

While there may be some evidence that gas stoves release some pollutants and cause asthma in children, the government still has no reason to take away our stoves for our health. If they were so concerned for our health, then they would tackle the bigger producers of pollution and hold them accountable for destroying the environment.

We, the common people, do not dump chemical waste into our water. We do not spill millions of gallons of oil into our oceans, nor do we manufacture tons of plastics that continue to litter our Earth.

We simply live our lives in a constant attempt to be happy, a right recognized in the Declaration of Independence. So why must we be punished for the sins of corporations?

It is my American right to be able to roast bell peppers on a gas stove.

It is our duty as Americans to protect our values from all invaders. When the day comes when our gas stoves are ordered to leave our homes, we must resist and demand our rights as Americans do!

Let freedom ring and let our gas stoves cook!

New Bolts, Cana Provincials announced

By Nick Nye ’25

A surprise announcement was made during R-Time on May 2. A boxing match between Cana and Bolts Provincials – Chris Fern versus Leo Magnaye ’05 – would put an end to the six-year rivalry between the two with a boxing match to determine “whoever loses must resign as provincial.”

Before the match on the morning of May 3, Fern clarified, “I’m not going to lose… Cana can’t lose. It was fun beating you all these years Leo [Magnaye], looking forward to doing it one last time.”

Johnny Berdichevsky ’25 believed the opposite would happen, expressing, “The fight needed to happen. I think Mr. M is going to bodyslam Mr. Fern.”

The boxing match commenced with real gloves, then using inflatable gloves, for about 15

seconds until the lights cut out and a series of loud hits were heard before the lights returned. The lights revealed both Fern

and Magnaye on the floor, with the Pilar and Russi Provincials, Melissa Nagar and Van Whipple, in the center of the stage holding

crutches. The referee, Benny Willers ’08, declared that both Fern and Magnaye had lost and therefore both would be stepping down from their roles.

The contestants and provincials gathered in the center of the stage and announced the new provincials for Cana and Bolts house. Riordan English instructor, Michael Vezzali-Pascual ’88, now is the Provincial of Bolts House. The House of Cana will have STEM coordinator Colleen O’Rourke as their provincial.

Vezzali conveyed his excitement. “I think the previous provincials and those involved in the house system have done a great job building up all of this in six years... it all comes down to the students, the work that they put into these events and the spirit they show is what makes this all so special.”

The Crusader wins 8 national awards on home turf

By Joseph Zuloaga ’23

At this year’s National High School Journalism Convention in San Francisco from April 20-22, The Crusader newspaper, The Shield magazine, and The Grail literary magazine left their mark on a national level amongst a total of 3,350 students from 31 states.

“I was excited to showcase two items that are close to my heart: journalism and San Francisco, and share that with my student journalists and others from across the country,” The Crusader adviser Susan Sutton stated.

“The love for journalism rises from inside one’s heart and is projected through the writer’s voice, which hopefully the convention helped to foster amongst students and advisers,” she added, referring to the convention motto: Leave Your Heart Find Your Voice.

The Crusader won a record eight individual awards–with honorable mentions going to Bryan Santana ’23 for video package editing, Vee Chen ’25 for literary magazine: illustration, Normay Arriola ’24 for newswriting, Angelina Ning ’23 for feature writing, and Sophie Bucker ’24 for editorial writing; excellent awards going to Angela Jia ’25 for press law and ethics, and Ethan Vargas ’23 for sports

“EICs” continued from page 1

Now, Lin has made history as the first female Editor-in-Chief in the history of The Crusader.

Upon finding out that she had won the position, she expressed her disbelief, stating, “It felt so surreal in the moment, and I am still so incredibly honored to hold the title of Editorin-Chief of such an esteemed newspaper.”

She added, “This is especially meaningful to me as the first female EIC at this school and

writing, and a superior award going to Joseph Zuloaga ’23 for news editing/headline/current events.

“I wasn’t expecting to win, [but] I am proud of my accomplishment, which has motivated me to feel more confident in my writing and myself,” Arriola stated.

The Quiz Bowl team of Vargas, Bucker, Zuloaga, and Talia Bumanglag ’24, achieved third place, tying the result from the quiz bowl team at the 2019 Anaheim convention–The Crusader’s best placing ever–and Bumanglag and Bucker made history as the first girls ever on the newspaper quiz bowl team.

“Breaking history as the first girl to be on Riordan’s quiz bowl team is honestly so insane to me. I’ve been involved in a lot of ‘firsts’ at Riordan but I’m super happy and proud to be on the quiz bowl team and even though we ended in 3rd, it’s still a win in my book,” Bumanglag recalled.

Furthermore, The Grail literary magazine won 10th place nationally in the Best of Show competition. Michael VezzaliPascual ’88 spearheaded the revitalization of the lit mag.

The convention–at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square hotel–featured a plethora of

publication to hold this position.”

Zuloaga added, “Naomi has been one of the most reliable editors during her time on staff, being tenacious and dedicated. Ms. Sutton and I are confident that she will be a successful Editor-in-Chief.”

Alongside Lin, Talia Bumanglag earned the role of Managing Editor, where she will assist Lin in ensuring that The Crusader maintains its high standards. She also hopes to produce more issues and strives

workshops oriented toward many aspects of journalism such as print, broadcast, and photography.

Aiden Pavon ’25 met Joe Shasky III, sports host on 95.7 The Game, and said, “It was cool to meet other journalists [like Shasky] who reached their goals while I am still working toward reaching mine.”

“I like how the convention brings people who are completely invested in journalism together,” Naomi Lin ’24 stated.

Looking back at his four years in journalism, Ethan Vargas ’23 stated, “From helping out with

to “create the best and most authentic work we can.”

She stated, “The more organized and overall evolved we become, the more we can write, promote, and create real impactful change.” Additionally, Addison Hwang will succeed Ning as EIC of The Shield. Ning played a vital role in bringing her idea of a school magazine to life during her senior year and was the first EIC. Now, Hwang will be taking the lead as the second EIC of The Shield. She stated, “I hope that I

selling newspaper ads down Ocean Ave. to winning an award at the journalism convention, being part of The Crusader will always be something I’ll remember.”

Sutton looks forward to next year’s convention, in Kansas City, hoping for continued success for Riordan’s student publications.

She concluded, “Going into every convention, I always say that I will be over the moon if we win just one award. Having won eight far exceeded my hopes, but then again, these student journalists do that every day.”

can improve the recognition of the magazine and encourage more people to become involved.”

Ning concluded, “I hope The Shield grows, flourishes, and wins an award in the future. I want to see how new minds take it and how far we can take it.”

As the 2023-2024 school year begins, Lin, Bumanglag, and Hwang will step into their new roles, representing a new generation of Riordan leaders who will continue to break barriers and shape the future of the school.

Photo by Joseph Zuloaga ’23

Chris Fern, Colleen O’Rourke, Michael Vezzali-Pascual, and Leo Magnaye.

Photo by Leo Magnaye ’05 Members of The Crusader celebrated at the convention awards ceremony.

Cana captures third Chaminade Cup at Crusader Games

By Makayla Fong ’25 and Aliana Urdaneta-Rodas ’25

The Crusader House Games are the Riordan community’s way of working together in teams to engage in school spirit. There are four houses. The House of Bolts, House of Pilar, House of Russi, and House of Cana. Each house has a provincial to lead their house.

The House Games happen four times a year and occur when all houses come together to earn points for their house. The house games originated from the House Leadership Team looking for days to allow for the Houses to compete in more competitions.

At the end of the 2023 Crusader Games, Bolts house came in first as the Crusader Games winner, followed by the Pilar House winning the Senior Gauntlet. The last award went to Cana as they

won this year’s grand Chaminade Cup once again, making them back to back champions.

This year the Crusader Games have seen various changes with new house provincials, new games, and themes.

Director of Student Activities

Benny Willers believes that the main goal is to build community within the Houses and compete in friendly competition.

He said, “I would like to find our staple games that work really well, but also find a way to spice the games up and have some more creative, engaging games.”

According to newly elected student body president Santino Martinez ’23, “An obstacle that the games has faced is the misunderstanding of how the games are played.”

He said the rules of the games could be unclear to the students, which could affect the

participation or interest from the students.

Hana Wadlow ’25, who was recently elected co-student body president for the 2023 - 2024

school year, said, “As president going forward I’d like to see more interactions from the audience in general, and for the student body to voice their own opinions.”

New student body presidents elected for 2023-2024

By Edward Ramos ’23

Santino Martinez and Hana Wadlow have been elected as the new co-presidents of Riordan.

Martinez was running against Will Parker ’24, while Wadlow ’25 was running against three others, but a tie forced a runoff against Fiona Mulderigg ’25. It was a very close race.

Martinez was inspired to run for school president because he wanted to give back to the school that has provided so much for him, and Wadlow wanted to see change at Riordan and create events that everyone can enjoy.

In Martinez’s election speech, he promised to have three dances, implement his SUSO plan, and to bring back Riordan Rugby. Martinez explained that his plan encourages the students to “Show Up and Show Out” to the planned events.

He affirmed his plan by mapping out his ambitions, saying, “Being able to make this happen would be through planning prior to the

start of the school year so that we have set out dates to put on the calendar… this also means having themes and music already planned and ready to go.”

Along with this, he acknowledged that communication with the school administration will be key

to making his ideas a reality and bringing his visions to fruition.

Wadlow’s campaign promise was to make sure that every Crusader enjoys coming to school each day. She plans to do this by creating events that everyone can enjoy and hopes to organize a

drive-in movie.

In regards to challenges she anticipates facing, Wadlow said that although she’s worried about, “The struggle of balancing everything,” she won’t let her “personal life get in the way of making Riordan a better place for all the students.”

The co-presidents share a common goal of making Riordan a place where students want to show up. Wadlow said, “I would tell the future students to not be afraid to step out of their comfort zones.”

With Martinez’s SUSO plan, he believes that “just as long as we are diligent about pushing out info about events and pushing for more spirit and incentives to attend said events, students will definitely come to support other Crusaders.”

Martinez advises future candidates to follow into his intended steps, and to “Practice what you preach” and to “embody what you’re campaigning.”

eSports Team takes it to another level

By Emma Gruzman ’25

The Riordan eSports Team is a collection of teams that play different video games. They are called the eCrusaders. Two teams compete in League of Legends, one team in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and one in Super Smash Bros Ultimate. All four teams made it to the playoffs.

Moderator Cory Nelson started the eSports Team, which now competes against other schools in multiple video games.

Many colleges have esports programs and award scholarships.

“I think the future of esports is big,” said Nelson. “Really big. I think a lot of people want to play esports, compete and want to win

scholarship money.”

Nelson, the team’s coach, said that to join eCrusaders a student needs a Switch or gaming computer to play on and a passion for video games. The team meets Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. They also compete every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

In their first season the League of Legends teams ended 17th and 11th in California, the Super Smash Bros team got 60th in California, and the Mario Kart team ended 15th in the Pacific Northwest region.

Julien Untalan ’24 is the captain of the Mario Kart team. Before joining the eSports Team

he won two school competitions and held a world record online. After getting injured in football he couldn’t play sports anymore and ended up joining esports.

“It enables people like me or people who aren’t really interested in physical sports to go and see what it’s like to participate in an athletic program.”

Hana Wadlow ’25 and Santino Martinez ’24 are co-student body presidents.

Photo by Joseph Zuloaga ’23

Photo by Nick Nye ’25

Photo by Jameson Datoc ’23 Students on the eSports Team play Mario Kart after school on Activities Day.

The House Provincials celebrate at the Crusader Games Closing Ceremony.

Patricia is the proud mother of Luca Hrvatin, Junior, Jr. Varsity Soccer Player, St. Francis Scholar

*At De Fonte Law PC, we believe that estate planning is a social justice issue and is important for all families. Thank you for reading this ad, and we hope you will also take a look at Von Rock Law's ad in this publication. Deidre and Patricia are friends, colleagues, and are happy to share the additional bond of being proud Riordan parents.

First female department chairs of religious studies, social sciences named

By Joeliyn Rizzo ’25

For the 2023 to 2024 school year, Archbishop Riordan’s Department chairs will be occupied by a majority of women teachers with two taking the lead for their department for the first time in school history.

The first women to be the Department Chairs of Religious Studies and Social Science are Danielle Jow and Nicole Morello, respectively.

Morello teaches Global Ethnic Studies and APUSH and is also the Head JV Girls Soccer Coach, and Head JV Track and Field Coach. Jow is the CoDirector of Liturgies, and Spirit Club Moderator.

The Department Chairs are on a three-year rotation. Once a teacher has served the term, any teacher is able to apply for the position. The application process consists of answering around eight to nine questions.

The questionnaire asks about plans and visions for the

department, specific skills, and contributions the candidate can offer to set them apart from other teachers that would make them qualified for this leadership role. The applications are then reviewed by the deans of academics and the selected leader is then a member of the Curriculum Council.

Jow started working at Riordan three years ago and has many ideas and changes for the upcoming school year. She would like to implement new curriculum and course offerings to the Religion department. She will be adding “Introduction to Catholicism,” a course for freshmen that will begin in the fall. Over her next three years in the department, she would like to add more electives for the seniors.

As one of the new women in the department, Jow is excited to see more women take on leadership roles at Riordan.

She expressed, “As our school continues to grow and thrive in our new co-ed

environment, I feel that the female voice is important. I also think it is important for our young women at Riordan to see us in leadership roles and know their potential to be future leaders.”

Similarly, Morello teaches in a way that allows students to feel comfortable to address issues or problems going on in class.

Gabriela Ramirez said, “I think Ms. Morello is a great role model and represents a woman in power for her students to look up to.”

The two new additions to the Curriculum Council will represent their departments, their students, and women at Riordan.

Library renovation includes two new classrooms

By Jameson Datoc ’23

Archbishop Riordan High School, one of the fastest growing high schools in San Francisco, is focusing on renovations that will enhance student life and learning.

From plans for new and improved urban resting areas and updated restrooms, to newly furnished classrooms and a new coat of paint on the cafeteria, the Riordan administration is in full throttle to push for an improvement of student life, and with that comes the renovation of the school library.

“The growth of the student body and the desperate need for more classroom space came with heavy decisions for the school,” said Simon Chiu, Vice President of Advancement at Riordan. “This includes the need to remodel and modernize the current library to

Continued from “Riordan Brotherhood” on page 1

“Not seeing my friends during Covid was the most difficult part. The connections I built during freshman year were cut off,” commented Marko Kesler ’23.

Despite the hurdles, the seniors were present during an eventful era at Riordan, with the field opening, the weight room being renovated, and sports clinching WCAL and CCS titles.

Cross country runner Mason McKee ’23 recalled, “Seeing other teams succeed really fired us up. When we got to state for the first time, I felt like it was huge not only for the team but also for the school as well. [Being at school] after the race was amazing. It felt like everyone knew and was excited about it.”

use the space more efficiently.”

Half of the space in the current library will turn into two more classrooms: one for the growing digital arts program and the other as an extra classroom. Furthermore, the library will transform to a study space/library hybrid that includes movable and comfortable furniture, charging stations, and a section for library books with a special portion of the library being filled with Riordan and Mercy High School history and memorabilia.

“It sounds like it would create a very comfortable atmosphere for us students,” said Nicolas Gawle ’24. “I am really excited and looking forward to this next year.”

At press time, the library is now closed and the contractors are beginning the renovation.

Countless plays, sports games, rallies, dances, Band events, Masses, retreats, and laughs in the halls, and more throughout these past four years proved that the motto “Strength in Brotherhood” was still vividly alive at Riordan, even if it was no longer an all-boys school.

“The connections we made prior to the transition allowed us to bond a lot easier. My closest friends are the ones who were there with me right from the start,” Chris Enriquez ’23 stated.

As the young men of the Class of 2023 depart, it symbolizes the end of a historic 70 plus year era, but ushers in a new era of Crusaders–staring with the Class of 2024–who will continue to foster the pride, purpose, and performance synonymous with Riordan.

Shelves are being emptied, books donated or stored for next year, and the era of the current library that was used by generations of students has come to an end.

Jeffrey Ramirez,

Assistant

Continued from “Mercy Sisterhood” on page 1

She added, “It’s a bittersweet feeling being part of the last class of Mercy. It’s crazy to think that there’s no more Mercy classes after us.”

Jaylene Villar ’23 feels surreal graduating. She said, “Honestly, it hasn’t hit me yet that I’m a part of the last class of Mercy girls graduating Riordan. Time has gone by so fast and it feels like just yesterday when I had my freshmen orientation.”

Areeshah Farooq ’23 said, “When Mercy first announced their doors would be closing, I remember the strong sisterhood we grew to be a part of. We all knew each other and that tight knit community we had built allowed us to seek closure and move on.”

Carly Breitbarth ’23 thinks back

Director of Facilities, said, “Riordan is constantly upgrading and always trying to improve the high school year after year. I guess it’s our drive for constant never ending improvement.”

to a special moment, “Being with friends on the day of acceptance emails to Riordan was memorable. We were all together, freaking out if we’d get in.”

Aliyah Diaz ’23 described her contributions to Riordan as a part of the Mercy legacy. She said, “I left a legacy that no one can replace. It’s also been an honor to score the first two points in Riordan’s women’s basketball history. I am proud because not only me, but the rest of the Mercy class left a mark at Riordan. With it now time for these girls to graduate, they leave behind a legacy and the start of something incredible for the future of Riordan. Though Riordan will continue to change and grow, this last class of Mercy transfers, the Class of 2023, will always hold a crucial part in Riordan’s growth.

Photo by Jameson Datoc ’23 Several boxes have already been packed up, ready for the library renovation.

Photo by Joseph Zuloaga ’23 Danielle Jow and Nicole Morello are new department chairs for next year.

Holy Names University to close after 154 years

By Taylor Tran ’25

Holy Names University, a private Roman Catholic college in Oakland, is soon to close. This 2023 spring semester is set to be the last in the 154 years it has been open.

The university, founded in 1868, announced the closing of the school last December. They stated on their website that they’d “struggled financially as it faced rising operational costs, declining enrollment, and an increased need for institutional aid.”

HNU had been struggling for years before they announced their closing. In 2018, they established a plan to overcome “financial and environmental” hardships. And while there were aspects that helped make money, the plan overall did not change the fate of the university.

According to the HNU website, Steven Borg, board chairperson, explained, “There is not only $49 million in debt on HNU’s property, but as a 65-year old campus the costs of deferred maintenance and compliance upgrades could be over $200 million. That is a large undertaking for any college or university.”

While they attempted to look for partnerships, loans, or funding from other schools and sources over the past year in order to stay open, they were not successful in finding a viable option. Though the university is closing, they plan to keep the nursing program alive.

As for the current students’

Pope Francis extends voting rights to women at meeting of bishops

By Angela Jia ’25

On April 26 Pope Francis allowed women and lay members the right to vote at an upcoming meeting of bishops, one that he says is a central deliberative body that can shape the future of the church.

Following years of requests from women to have the right to vote, he has approved the changes governing the Synod of Bishops, which allows women more decision making capabilities within the Catholic Church, something that has long been exclusive to clerics, bishops, and cardinals, all of whom are male.

Under this new change, five religious sisters will join five priests as representatives for various religious orders. Pope Francis has also decided to appoint 70 non-bishop members of the synod and has requested half of them be women.

Although it’s a significant step for women rights in the Church, women will still only comprise 10 percent of all voters in the upcoming October meeting.

Catholic women’s groups, who for years have criticized the Vatican for its lack of representation of women in the higher ranks, immediately praised the decision.

“This is a significant crack in the stained glass ceiling, and the result of sustained advocacy,

activism and…witness,” said Kate McElwee from the Women’s Ordination Conference, referring to a campaign of Catholic women’s groups demanding the right to vote.

Talisha Flores ’24, who goes to St. Charles Borromeo Parish Church, is supportive of the decision.

“I believe it’s a step in the right direction as the world takes notice of the capabilities of women, even taking place in the religious faith,” she said. “Hopefully we see more advancements towards women’s involvement in the faith.”

“It’s an important change,” Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, a top organizer of the meeting of bishops, said. “But not a revolution.”

Furthermore, while some see the move as a sign that the Pope may be open to female priests in the future, the Pope has not indicated this is a possibility.

Joshua Keeney, religion teacher, echoed that sentiment.

“Some may believe that Pope Francis has opened the door or has begun to pave the way for women priests; this, however, is not so,” Keeney said.

He added, “Pope Francis always keeps in mind the history and context of the Church and the teaching and precedence set down by previous popes, namely Pope St. John Paul II.”

futures, students able to complete their degree requirements or are currently involved in the HNU nursing program will be able to graduate this spring.

All those who haven’t reached their requirements are welcomed to Dominican University of California, where they can seamlessly transition

into the San Rafael campus. Dominican University of California plans to have staff from Holy Names on their staff.

Other programs, including the Kodály music program and Raskob Learning Institute and Day School, are looking to plan a partnership with another institution or function by themselves.

With another Catholic institution shutting down, many students and staff alike are incredibly disappointed. “I’m very sad to hear of a prominent Catholic college closing. It shows the decreasing desire for Catholic higher education,” Alexandre Fonseca ’25 said.

Joshua Keeney, Religion instructor, stated, “I am disheartened to see so many Catholic schools close in the Bay Area because they have been beacons of elevated education and bastions of the Catholic faith since their inauguration in the 19th Century.”

The last HNU commencement is scheduled for May 13 for both graduate and undergraduate students, with the ceremony ending the school’s concluding year.

Photo by Wikimedia Commons Holy Names University will close after over a century of providing education.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure dives into Disneyland as Splash Mountain waves goodbye

By Marina Viray ’24

In a move towards greater inclusivity and representation, Disney has announced plans to re-theme its popular Splash Mountain ride by the end of May at both Disneyland and Disney World, transforming it into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

The decision was made in response to criticism over the ride’s association with the 1946 film Song of the South, which has long been criticized for its racial insensitivity. The new theme will instead feature the beloved character Tiana from the 2009 film The Princess and the Frog.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will take guests on a musical journey through the Louisiana bayou, with animatronic figures of characters from the film such as Tiana, Louis the Alligator, and Ray the Firefly. The ride will culminate in a Mardi Gras celebration, complete with a performance by Tiana herself.

The decision to re-theme Splash Mountain was met with overwhelming support from fans and critics alike, who saw it as a long overdue step towards greater diversity in Disney’s parks. The change is part of a larger effort by the company to promote diversity and inclusivity.

James Peakes ’24 stated, “I haven’t seen Song of the South, but what I think is cool is the main voice actor was one of the first Black actors to win an Oscar, so it’s disappointing that that movie is going to fall into irrelevance because his legacy might be falling into irrelevance as well.”

He added, “I love the Princess and the Frog movie. The art in the movie, the songs in the movie, and the storyline is really cool. I think it deserves to have more recognition in Disneyland.”

On the contrary, Sophia Trapsi ’24 said, “I’m very excited about the whole re-theme. I think it will be a good and exciting change and I really love the movie so I’m very excited for it to come to life.”

While some fans were initially resistant to the idea, Disney has been quick to reassure that the ride’s classic log flume format will remain intact, with only the theme and storyline updated. This ensures that fans can still enjoy the thrilling ride experience while also supporting a more inclusive park environment.

By featuring a beloved character from a more recent and diverse film, the company hopes this shows a

commitment to reflecting the diverse world and ensuring

that everyone feels welcome and valued at their parks.

Feinstein announces retirement date for Nov. 2024

By Melissa Chiao ’25

After 31 years in the Senate and 63 years in public office, Senator Dianne Feinstein announced that she will not be running for reelection in 2024, but will complete her term with just under two years remaining.

Dianne Feinstein is a native of San Francisco, born in the Presidio Terrace neighborhood on June 22, 1933. She attended Stanford University initially as a student in pre-med, but later switched to a political science and history major, launching her political career.

Some of her key initiatives have included firearm control, LGBTIQA+ rights, and the renovation of San Francisco’s cable car system.

Georgia Haynes ’25 expressed, “I think Dianne Feinstein was deeply influential to today’s society as she was a key contributor in the acceptance of the LGBTIQA+ community within our society. Not only was she a fighter for our community, she became a trailblazer as one of the first women elected senator.”

Beginning in 1960, Feinstein served in local public offices. In 1969, she won her seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. She served on the Board for nine years, and was later elected President of the Board of Supervisors in 1978. This put her in the line of succession for the mayoral position.

After Mayor George Moscone and City Supervisor Harvey Milk were assassinated in 1978, she became acting mayor

for the remaining 13 months of Moscone’s term.

When his term was complete, Feinstein officially ran for mayor in 1979, won the election, and served as the Mayor of San Francisco until 1988.

In 1992, she was elected as California State Senator after Pete Wilson vacated his position to become governor. As of today, she remains active as a United States Senator, with her career spanning five presidential administrations.

Senator Feinstein has had many firsts throughout her career. To begin with, she was the San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ first female president. Subsequently, she became the first female mayor of San Francisco.

Feinstein was the first woman elected as a California senator, and the first woman to serve as chair of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, as well as the first woman to chair the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Also, she became the first female member of the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2017.

Diana Assereto, Dean of Academics and English Teacher at Archbishop Riordan, passionately voiced her opinion on Feinstein, saying, “Regardless of Feinstein’s politics, I can relate to her because she had to be strong and assertive in an environment dominated by men. When I started at Riordan 25 years ago, I was one of very few women on staff and the student body was all male. I had to work hard to be respected and had to think about the way I used my

“Not only was she a fighter for our community, she became a trailblazer as one of the first women elected senator.”

-Georgia Haynes ’25

voice so that I could be heard without slipping into common stereotypes about women in the workplace.”

Although Feinstein had her supporters, she also had critics.

Jeff Isola, AP Government teacher at Archbishop Riordan, had a different perspective, stating, “I just feel that overall, Senator Feinstein is emblematic of a much larger problem that allows members of Congress to become complacent, staying in

office for decades and pushing the average age well beyond that of the average American they’re supposed to represent.”

Indeed, many have expressed their concerns for the senior senator’s health issues despite Feinstein’s claims she is confident that she can effectively complete the remainder of her term.

Assereto said, “Given the state that our City is in now, a new leader like her would be a breath of fresh air.”

Photo by feinstein.senate.gov

Dianne Feinstein has been a U.S. Senator from California since 1992.

Art by Vee Chen ’25

Photo by Melissa Chiao ’25

Splash Mountain will transform into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

Manhattan grand jury indicts Trump on 34 felony counts

By Joseph Zuloaga

Donald Trump has become the first president in history to be indicted–criminally charged–with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records by a grand jury in New York.

“One issue with grand juries is that they can indict a ham sandwich,” stated AP Government instructor Jeff Isola ’98. “It should be more substantive because it’s simply just evidence for there to be a trial so not surprising.”

The case centers around Trump’s alleged affair with adult film actress Stormy Daniels and how news of it affected the home stretch of the 2016 presidential campaign.

Trump’s former attorney and fixer turned critic Michael Cohen allegedly paid Daniels $130,000 in hush money so the scandal wouldn’t affect Trump in the final weeks of the campaign.

As president, Trump is accused of reimbursing Cohen

and the Trump Organization, listing it as “legal expenses”– to which the prosecution says that no such legal expenses existed.

“I don’t think that voters knowing about the affair would change anything because Trump has always made outrageous claims but still had the support from his followers,” Oscar Hernandez ’23 stated.

Trump’s indictment was announced on March 30. He

stayed the night at Trump Tower before his arraignment at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse on April 4, surrendering to authorities and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. He was booked and fingerprinted and pleaded not guilty to the 34 felony counts in the indictment.

Trump then flew back to Mar-a-Lago to give a speech to his supporters, where he stated he

String of Bay Area banks collapse Child

By Ishaan Gupta ’26

In March, the United States saw its second biggest bank failure with the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). The bank was a banker toward 50 percent of all venture capital-funded technology and life sciences companies in the US. Ultimately, a series of events led to the bank’s downfall.

The Federal Reserve started to raise interest rates in order to fight inflation. Silicon Valley Bank’s clients started to withdraw money to meet their liquidity needs.

This was because the highinterest rates caused the market for public offerings to shut down many startups and increased the price of private fundraising. Because of the many withdrawals, SVB looked for a way to fund them.

To fund these large withdrawals, SVB decided to sell $21 billion investments, which resulted in a loss of $1.8 billion for the bank.

Once SVB publicly announced its $1.8 billion loss, the stock for SVB’s holding company called SVB Financial Group crashed at the market opening.

Many other major banks saw a drop in their stocks and more SVB customers withdrew their money, totaling $42 billion.

On March 10, trading was stopped for the SVB Financial Group Stock. Federal regulators decided that they would take over the bank to find a buyer. Customers were allowed to recover all their funds, including those without insurance after federal regulators announced emergency measures for the SVB failure.

After a few days, SVB Financial Group filed for bankruptcy. SVB was bought by First Citizens Bank.

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank was the largest bank collapse since 2008 when Washington Mutual imploded.

Two months later the San Francisco based regional bank First Republic closed and was acquired by JPMorgan Chase.

AP Economics teacher Vance Whipple said, “People lose confidence in the banks, they start pulling their money out, and their lack of confidence causes the bank to fail. Both SVB and First Republic had nothing wrong with their basics or financials; it was caused by interest rates going higher.”

Regulators seized control after First Republic’s assets took a hit by the increasing interest rates, making depositors and investors nervous.

Now the 84 First Republic branches will reopen as part of JPMorgan, and the iconic logo of the swooping eagle frequently found around San Francisco will be phased out.

was being politically persecuted. Democrats approved of the accountability, whereas Republicans deemed it as election interference.

Trump critic GOP Senator Mitt Romney cited the legal limbo of Bragg elevating Trump’s charges to felonies instead misdemeanors.

At this, the DA stated that through the payment, Trump purposely hid damaging information from the public and violated laws in the process, meriting the escalation of the charges.

At the arraignment, the judge set the next court appearance date for Trump for Dec. 4.

Any conviction would not disqualify Trump from continuing his 2024 presidential campaign.

If public opinion polls amongst voters materialize, America will have a Biden Trump rematch for the next presidential election.

labor increasingly prevalent across states

By Sophie Bucker ’24 and Naomi Lin ’24

Driven by the economic desperation stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and the shut down of systems designed to protect children, migrant children primarily from Central America entering the United States without their parents are being exploited and financially coerced into working in factories.

According to Social Science Department Chair Cory Nelson, the origins of child labor date back to the first and second waves of immigration to America.

“[They came] from Europe [where] there was a lot of industrialization and companies would hire children to work the dangerous jobs because they could fit into tight places, typically garment work and mining.”

“Families who immigrated were poor and needed all their family to work to survive.”

Despite laws and efforts to curtail child labor, such as the creation of compulsory laws that required children to attend school, underground child labor is perpetually ongoing.

In fact, USA Today revealed that on Feb. 17, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that over 100 children as young as 13 years old were cleaning meat processing equipment using hazardous sanitation materials for a sanitation company.

This is not surprising to some.

Jake Beeman ’24, an AP U.S. History student, commented, “Most production chains involve child labor, and most corporations won’t get rid of it because they profit off of it.”

Furthermore, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed the Youth Hiring Act of 2023, certifing that children under the age of 16 are not required to obtain an employment certificate or verify their age.

As child labor is becoming increasingly tolerated in companies and prevalent nationwide, the public is seeking answers and accountability.

In terms of raising awareness, “child labor has always been started by grassroots movements,” said Nelson.

“I think now posting on social media and protesting is a great way, but contacting your local representatives is where change can be made.”

One step that the government could take to solve the crisis of child labor is to provide resources to children and their families.

As Beeman noted, “Children who have endured forced labor should have access to therapy and financial assistance from the government, especially since child labor stems from a greater issue of poverty.”

’23

Photo by Joseph Zuloaga ’23

Graphic by Joseph Zuloaga ’23

Donald Trump was indicted on federal charges under DA Alvin Bragg.

First Republic was seized April 29.

Graphic by Angela Jia ’25

Debt with regret: student loans devastate millions

By Aliana Urdaneta-Rodas ’25

Student loan debt: A daunting statement that panics most Americans of all ages. Many believe that no matter how much money they make they will never be able to buy a home or retire because they are drowning in the debt they owe.

A big question in American households is, “Is it worth it?” Many argue yes, given the fact 88 percent of billionaires received a bachelors and 52 percent earned a Ph.D. or Doctorate.

A majority of careers require a college degree or credential to even be considered for a job position, and various economic-circles can’t even afford to receive an education.

Senior Angie Levano ’23, who will be attending Mount St. Mary’s University, has not taken out loans at the moment.

She did state, however, “If something were to happen in the future and I need student loans then I am afraid of the debt.”

In the beginning of President Joe Biden’s candidacy he promised Americans student loan debt forgiveness.

Biden made that plan a reality by forgiving up to $20,000 of individual debt, totalling up to nearly $20 billion forgiven. The White House stated that 40 million Americans are eligible

for the Biden relief plan, 26 million had already applied, and 16 million had been approved until the Federal Appeals Court blocked the program’s plan.

Although student loan debt forgiveness sounds relieving, many can make a compelling argument that it would not be a permanent solution.

It could possibly be unfair causing student loan relief temporarily but then having a future generation pay for it later, which would double the amount paid in student loans and taxes.

Band teacher Lance Ohmneiss first attended junior college before later attending San Francisco State and then eventually finishing at Mosiah University, majoring in education and instrumental conducting.

When asked if he still owed student loans he answered, “Oh absolutely, I’ll owe student loans probably until the rest of my life.”

The process of debt repayment that most people deem unfair is not the obligation of paying off the expensive student loans, but how graduates don’t only pay what they borrowed but an added interest payment as well.

Each check that goes into the plan is taken to pay the interest rate, not the loan. The

California is the state with the highest student loan debt, as of 2022.

interest increases the amount owed over time, causing most to never escape their debt.

“I do believe if we were to do some sort of reform as a nation, it shouldn’t be that we should go ahead to expunge student loans, but pay loans interest free and pay off only what you borrowed,” said Ohmneiss. College counselor

Jackie Grealish recommends taking the community college route as an alternative for students who want to save money. She also seems to be a big fan of trade school, by saying “Trade school is awesome because you start getting experience right away and generally make so much money.”

Crisis at southern border: 39 migrants killed in fire at immigration facility

By Angela Jia ’25

Migrants set mattresses on fire in protest, in a Ciudad Juárez immigration detention facility near the United States border that left 39 dead and 29 injured on March 28.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said the fire started because the migrants feared deportation, but the Los Angeles Times cites an anonymous Mexican federal official who said the protest started because 68 migrants were crowded in a cell meant for 50 and they had no drinking water.

Five suspects were arrested by Mexican officials for their role in the fire.

Thirty-one of the dead were from Central America and eight were from South America.

The facility was across El Paso, Texas, which is a major crossing point for migrants who are hoping for opportunities in the U.S. or those who are seeking asylum in the U.S. and are waiting out the process for approval.

“I think it’s awful what happened,” said Spanish teacher Avishan Peer.

“I think that there needs to be a lot more accountability on the part of the Mexican government and the immigration facilities in protecting the human rights of

the people who are detained in their facilities.”

Tensions had been running high between the authorities and migrants for weeks before the fire. In an open letter released on March 9, migrant shelters and advocacy organizations complained of the criminalization of migrants and asylum seekers in the city.

Overcrowding in facilities has been increasing in recent years, as Mexican officials try to stem the amount of migrants to the U.S. under pressure from the American government.

“I think there are mulitiple solutions that need to be implemented but it would take

collaboration between the Mexican government, the American government, nonprofit groups, the immigration facility and our lawmakers,” Peer commented.

“I think it’s a collaborative effort that needs to happen in order to protect immigrants from all the dangers that can happen.”

Some activists see the tragedy as the result of poor immigration policy.

They cite former president Trump’s “Return to Mexico” policy which made immigrants wait for months and years in border cities for their court dates.

The policies of the Biden administration were criticized too, with their promise to enact

another asylum ban exacerbating the problem.

The Hope Border Institute, a Catholic advocacy group that works with immigrants in El Paso and Juárez, said, “The Biden administration’s increasingly aggressive posture on migration enforcement and deterrence first strategies at the border have pressured Mexican authorities to stem migration in an already overcrowded and under-resourced system resulting in fatal tragedies such as the one we witnessed...”

“U.S. Customs and Border protection said they were “... prepared to receive and process those who were injured in the fire and are being transported via ambulance from Mexican to U.S. facilities for treatment.”

Immigration along the U.S.-Mexico border will go through another drastic event with Title 42 ending on May 11.

Title 42 is an immigration law that was created during the pandemic under Trump as a fast way for authorities to expel thousands of migrants to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

However, this does not mean open borders. Immigration laws will still be enforced, and the Biden administration says it plans to increase deportations once Title 42 has ended.

Graphic by Naomi Lin ’24

Photo by Wikimedia Commons

Activists say the U.S. immigration policy led to the deaths of 39 migrants.

Swifties secure tickets for Eras tour

By Talia Bumanglag ’24 and Katelyn Leong ’25

Are you ready for it?

Taylor Swift kicked off her highly anticipated Eras Tour, culminating songs from almost every album she has put out, into a three hour-long concert. With two openers, 44 songs, and additional surprises, Swift puts on a performance that brings you through decades of nostalgia, with a hint of karma. Her setlist is a whopping three hours long, ranging from two to six songs from each album. The showcasing of Swift’s previous stages with this tour not only celebrates her re-recordings, but also unveils the live versions of songs from the albums she released in quarantine: Folklore and Evermore.

Throughout her career, Swift has undergone many transformations when releasing albums. From her early selftitled debut to her most recent release of Midnights, Swift’s style, production, aesthetic, and sound have changed and arguably improved. Since her early country days, her swift rise to fame has yet to halt and she has weaved her invisible string through genres of country, pop, alternative, indie, and even folk.

“Taylor Swift is an artist who diversifies her music through multiple genres. As a fan, you can really see the growth of her writing and styles from the release of her first album to Midnights,” commented Haley Hang ’25. These albums not only impact listeners’ lives, but they bring people together. Audiences from all walks of life come together to enjoy Taylor Swift’s music, and have given money and time just to witness a glimpse of Miss Americana herself.

Fiona Mulderig ’25 said, “Taylor Swift has changed the music industry by being one of the first, and most influential, artists to ever switch from country to pop. I’m glad that she hasn’t forgotten her old music even with her newer albums doing so well.”

While the Eras Tour has yielded wide success, the preparations were nothing short of rocky. Tickets were first available to purchase through Ticketmaster on Nov. 15, 2022 but only for 1.5 million lucky fans who received Verified Fan codes.

As many were disappointed at not receiving pre-sale access, chaos occurred when fans who had codes started reporting technical glitches including site crashes

and extremely long waits; millions of fans were locked out.

Ticketmaster subsequently canceled the general sale planned for Nov. 18. A tweet from the office Ticketmaster account read, “Due to extraordinarily high demands on ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet that demand, tomorrow’s public on-sale for Taylor Swift | The Era’s Tour has been canceled.”

Swift spoke out about the fiasco, posting on her Instagram story, “I’m not going to make excuses for anyone because we asked them, multiple times, if they could handle this kind of demand and we were assured they could. It’s truly amazing that 2.4 million people got tickets, but it really pisses me off that a lot of them felt like they had to go through several bear attacks to get them.”

With all the pandemonium surrounding Ticketmaster, Swift’s Eras Tour has been and continues to be a huge success for the record books. Along with the multitude of awards and many records Swift has gathered, her tour also kicked off by beating the record for the most attended female concert in

U.S. history, previously held by Madonna. The final ticket count revealed that Swift’s opening night held an audience of over 69,000 in a stadium with a 72,200 people capacity.

A trailblazer in a multitude of ways, Swift has undoubtedly crowned herself the title of one of the greatest artists of all time with her fearlessness to call out a past love, sexism within the music industry, and other social movements that call for change. She is constantly setting a precedent for future artists, so much so that fans wonder what else does the star have in store.

Late night shows face uncertain future in new era

By Joseph Zuloaga ’23

The classic Americana tradition of watching late night shows is rapidly changing along with our culture.

Gone are the days of adults–and children too–huddling to watch Johnny Carson or David Letterman on the TV. Now in today’s digital age and with the rise of streaming, segments from shows can be easily found on YouTube, with monologues by hosts racking up thousands of views daily.

But as some hosts succeed, others are taking a step aside.

A duo of Saturday Night Live alums–Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers–don the halls of NBC’s late night programming with “The Tonight Show” and “Late Night,” respectively.

Both have cemented their status at NBC, due to celebrate their 10th year of hosting in 2024, with Fallon’s array of creative games with his guests and Meyers’ “A Closer Look” segment–characterized as a “good 15 minute rant on the day’s events”–being comedy gold for their shows.

Recently celebrating his 20th year hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live, Jimmy Kimmel has been ABC’s mainstay key to success in the market, with the network only opting for one late night show.

However for CBS, while Stephen Colbert controls their

Late night shows are facing an uncertain future as viewers are changing the way they watch comedy, with YouTube granting instant access to shows.

11:30 p.m. slot with “The Late Show” and was the most watched late night show per the New York Times in 2022, James Corden left The Late Late Show in April 2023.

Segments like “Carpool Karaoke” helped Corden rise to fame, but Corden cited that “[it is] a good time to move on and see what else might be out there,” adding he will return to England for family reasons. There will be no new host after Corden due to CBS officially canceling “The Late Late Show” series.

Comedy Central is also facing the same fate after “The Daily Show” host Trevor Noah also

stepped down in December 2022. Noah being from South Africa brought a unique perspective to U.S. current events, delighting his audience. He told them that he has “another part of my life that [he] want[s] to carry on exploring.”

Currently, weekly guest hosts are filling in until a new host is found.

Society changing affects the status quo of late night programming, as well as with the rise of social media pulling attention away from TV. The end of the Trump presidency was instrumental in the initial

wave of change, due to an end of a four year walk in the park with endless punchlines about the former president.

Now, in a time of new awareness of societal issues, late night segments have diversified into shedding light on these concerns through a nontraditional, comedic lens, and despite TV executives noting sinking ratings and viewing producing shows as no longer viable, Meyers, Fallon, and Colbert have all extended their contracts with their networks into the mid-2020s.

But new challenges arise daily, one of these being the Writers Guild of America going on strike at the start of May, with writers–the geniuses behind the many jokes on late night–asking the studios for compensation from streaming services, higher pay for services, and job protection from AI.

All of the late night shows have stopped until further notice and hosts have expressed their loyal support to their writers.

So as time moves on past the strike, late night shows hope adapt to changes, and with a deeper understanding of pressing issues affecting Americans, seek to both be a journalistic beacon of information, while continuing to provide iconic funny jokes and punchlines delighting viewers.

Art by Kai Marguz ’25

Photo by Joseph Zuloaga ’23

Taylor Swift walks fans through decades of nostalgia and karma.

‘Fiddler on the Roof’ packs the house

By Julien Untalan ’24

On the afternoon of March 23, crowds appeared in the front breezeway of the school eager to enter. Once they were let in, the plentiful seats of the theater began to quickly fill and the excited prattle of the crowd died down. The premiere of Riordan’s esteemed musical was about to begin and it was spectacular.

Once more, the Lindland Theatre sprang alive with the wonderful performances of the spring musical “Fiddler on the Roof” headed by Riordan’s newest Theatre Director: Greg Callaghan.

House manager, Paul Stevens ’08, commented, “As the guests were leaving, they were blown away by the performance . . . I do not think there was one person who walked away from the performances unhappy.”

“Fiddler on the Roof”

— set in the Jewish village of Anatevka of pre-revolutionary Russia — is about the life of Tevye the milkman and his family. More specifically, the musical focused on the inner toil of Tevye as he comes to be forced to choose whether or not to adhere to his traditional religious and cultural values as

he came to face many hardships and issues as a poor man. Accompanying witty, yet meaningful dialogue, award winning musical numbers sounded throughout the theater, including the famous song “If I Were a Rich Man.” Not only did the musical provide much laughter

and enjoyment to the audience as a comedy, but the sheer beauty of the songs and the depth of the lyrics and words resonated well with the audience to ensnare their hearts and minds in emotion and reflection. It was a true work of art.

The three-hour-long production was the result of the tireless effort and dedication of not only the cast of the production, but of the tech crew and pit orchestra as well.

Lance Givant ’23, who played the lead role of Tevye the milkman, remarked, “As with everything, there were moments where I felt exhausted and frustrated, but the final product we created as a team and company made all those moments worth it.”

To put it siimply, the musical was a resounding success and was certainly one for the ages.

Del Rey lets the light in with new album

By Naomi Lin ’24 and Sophie Bucker ’24

Emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, alternative pop artist Lana Del Rey released her highly-anticipated ninth album, “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd,” on March 24, 2023, containing 16 tracks.

Lana Del Rey is known for her poignant lyrics that infuse themes of rebelliousness, romance, and isolation, as well as her edgy yet glamorous musical style.

Her appeal to fans lies in the way that “she furthers the idea that human beings are multifaceted and at the same time have universal experiences. For women in particular, I believe her image conveys the message that it’s cool and beautiful to be different and original,” said English Instructor Mary Dalton.

With verbose song names like “Grandfather Please Stand

on the Shoulders of My Father While He’s Deep Sea Fishing” and “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd,” Del Rey continues to implement her iconic, dreamy, and melancholic music style while navigating her identity amidst current events through audacious lyricism.

In songs like “Peppers,” Del Rey makes commentary how COVID-19 and the Internet have impacted the interpersonal relationships in the modern age, yet retains her sultry musical style.

However, the marked shift in musical direction in her new album has left some fans reminiscing over her older work.

Dalton remarked, “The album still has the same distinct and haunting sound, but it doesn’t grip me like her previous work does. While this new album has a pleasing sound, the melodies are not as catchy or memorable to me as they are in her previous work.”

Despite this, other fans continue to relish her hypnotic vocal style, which flawlessly complements the atmospheric instrumentation.

Nayeli Casique ’24 expressed her love for a particular song on the album. “Margaret is a beautiful song with beautiful instrumentals. I usually don’t listen to songs that are this slow

“Lana’s voice mixed with the instrumentals makes the song completely mesmerizing from the start.”

-Nayeli Casique ’24

anymore, but Lana’s voice mixed with the instrumentals makes the song completely mesmerizing from the start,” said Casique.

“Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd” is an overall beautiful and authentic album that captures her progression as an artist and person while maintaining her iconic music style.

Super Mario Bros. movie powers up audience

By Juien Untalan ’24

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” has broken the curse of video game movie mediocrity and proved to be an excellent film, highly recommended for all to watch and enjoy.

In complete contrast to the abject failure known as the movie called “Super Mario Bros.” (1993), “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” was not only a movie that would not cause immense nausea to watch, it proved that video game movies could be successful by impressively setting numerous records: Highest-Grossing Film of 2023, Highest-Grossing Film Based on a Video Game, and

Highest-Grossing Opening Weekend for an Animated Film. Furthermore, it proved to the industry that good video game movies are possible, you just need to do them right.

It’s undeniable that the movie was dedicated to pander towards children with its simple and somewhat bland plotline, but it more than made up for it with both its amazing soundtrack and cinematography made specifically to cater to all Nintendo fans.

First off, the soundtrack was a heavenly medley composed of many beautiful renditions of songs from the music of various other games released by Nintendo. Listening to the soundtrack as a

Nintendo fan was a dream-like trip down “Nostalgia Lane” and was the perfect accompaniment to the cinematography of the movie itself. The many moments where I could recognize the origin of the musical motif were delightful and it was unlike any other movie experience I’ve ever had before.

Second, the movie’s cinematography and animation were spectacular, highly uncharacteristic of other films made by Illumination, the animation studio behind the film. Countless references are found in the film, sure to appease the diehard fans.

Each shot and sound was pure art and will be sure to

up the standards of video game movies. Essentially, the movie was phenomenal. Go watch it!

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Art by Kai Marguz ’25

Photo by Jameson Datoc ’23

Siobhan LaRocca ’23 and Lance Givant ’23 starred as Golde and Tevye.

Image by Illumination

California to manufacture state insulin brand

By Miranda Hernandez ’24

On March 18, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that CalRx has secured a contract with a manufacturer to make $30 insulin available to everyone who needs it.

Newsom signed an executive order to bring down the cost of prescription drugs for Californians on his first day in office. His promise to decrease the price and increase accountability and transparency in health care are now becoming reality.

He stated, “People should not be forced to go into debt to get life saving prescriptions. Through CalRx, Californians will have access to some of the most inexpensive insulin available, helping them save thousands each year.”

This act is a life changer for all who need it because many people who needed it couldn’t afford it. Many people lost their lives due to this issue and others have been struggling to figure out how they will be able to obtain insulin.

Michelle Chavero ’24 stated, “With the price of insulin

dropping there is more chance of low income people to get the medical care they need. A good amount of diabetic deaths due to lack of insulin are low income people.”

“This will foment a change in how insulin is priced, produced, and how insurance companies can pay for the medication.”

-Simon Rosenberg, medicinal chemist

She added, “With people getting the help they need, they will live healthy sustainable lives instead of living with diabetes which is a horrible disease.”

According to The Hill, the process of making insulin is more complex than other medications, which has resulted in little competition and rising consumer prices.

Insulin companies are concerned with the prices going down by about 90 percent because this change will likely slow the development of competitors in the insulin markets.

Simon Rosenberg, a medicinal

chemist, stated, “The price cap will undoubtedly create issues for insulin manufacturers that need to maintain a financial benefit to be able to produce the medication.”

He added, “This will foment a change in how insulin is priced,

produced, and how insurance companies can pay for the medication.”

Governor Newsom took a crucial step in cutting down the cost of insulin and has opened the door to bring down the price of other prescription drugs.

FDA approves nasal Narcan without prescription

By Catherine Hansen ’25

On March 29, the United States Food and Drug Administration announced their approval of Narcan, a naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray, to be sold without prescription in order to combat the sweeping epidemic of opioid overdose in America.

Opioids are a class of drugs regularly prescribed by doctors to treat pain. Some common prescription opioids are oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, and methadone. Other types consist of heroin and synthetic opioid fentanyl.

Narcan is the standard medication for opioid overdose. The transition to it being sold off the shelf in places like convenience stores, grocery stores, and drug stores, is a big step in a battle to save lives.

This call to action is due to the harrowing effects of these dangerous drugs whose potency, according to the CDC, is responsible for 187 deaths every day in the United States.

According to Shannon Gordhamer, social worker for the Office of The Federal Public Defender for the Northern District of California, “There were 625 fatal overdoses, as well as

thousands of non-fatal overdoses, in 2021 alone – right here in San Francisco.”

She added, “The use of naloxone, generic for Narcan, is a key component in the city’s efforts to combat the epidemic of overdoses that have made San Francisco County the leader in

overdose deaths in California.”

Naloxone is an opioid receptor antagonist which, when administered in time, can offset the effects of an overdose. An overdose occurs when the drugs bind to the opioid receptors in the brain, causing respiratory depression and stopping the lungs

from supplying enough oxygen to the blood. Naloxone restores breathing by knocking the opioid out of the receptor and creating a stronger bond to reverse the effects.

Additionally, Narcan can be administered nasally with no prior training. If it is given to someone who is not experiencing an overdose, it will not cause harm.

Science instructor Colleen O’Rourke stated, “I think it’s very important because it itself does not work as a drug, but it works as an antidote to overdoses of the drug. Literally all it does is save lives.”

With that said, Narcan has recently become more accessible and many California school districts are implementing policies, allowing students to carry Narcan and offering overdose prevention courses.

Caitlin Dowd ’25 shared her concerns: “It’s a really scary thing that we have to prepare for, but it’s also a very real issue more people need to be talking about.”

She added, “I would consider carrying Narcan because, living in such an urban environment, it is important to be ready in the case of an emergency.”

California’s Governor Newsom recently announced a contract between CalRx and a manufacturer to make insulin accessible to the public at lower costs.

The USDA has approved the nasal spray, Narcan, to be sold over-the-counter in efforts to battle the epidemic of opioid overdoses spreading across America.

Photo by Jameson Datoc ’23

Photo by Jameson Datoc ’23

Supporters hope this move will save lives as the opioid epidemic continues to devastate communities

After decades of damage, ozone layer to heal by 2066

By Griffin Doeff ’25

The ozone layer is healing.

In January 2023, the United Nations Environment Programme reported that the ozone layer is currently on track to recovery and is predicted to globally heal by 2066 – something attributed to intensive global initiatives intended to prohibit the emission of harmful chemicals such as CFCs.

Biology teacher Jack Reardon commented, “This is a really great development,” noting that the ozone protects from environmental damage and skin cancer risk.

Interestingly, some students ostensibly seem unaware of this newfound information.

A small poll of 25 students held in May across two frosh-soph biology classes found that only 25 percent of students believed the ozone layer was in a healthy state, with the majority believing it to be in a “bad” or “very bad” state.

AP Environmental Science teacher Michael O’Brien attributes this to two causes: 1. residual concerns from the initial campaign to save the ozone in the

70s and 80s, and 2. the Information Age allows for wider access to viscerally worrying statistics and data. But he clarified this wasn’t the result of hysteria – rather, it was the result of aggressive awareness campaigns from when

New process converts carbon into baking soda

By Hazel Nagata-Rampata ’26

the ozone was in danger –campaigns needed to spur meaningful action. As for what

ozone-damaging compounds once common in products like aerosols – the ozone will naturally repair itself.

Second was “very quick acting, intelligent policy, [and] consultation with scientists, economists, and market specialists.”

He further emphasized the importance of creating a viable, sustainable long-term solution that doesn’t seriously impact the day-to-day life of regular people.

For this very reason, O’Brien stressed that global warming will be far more difficult to combat, designating it “a much different animal to wrestle,” largely because of the complex economic and societal implications of cutting back on fossil fuels. For policy to gain unanimous support, he said, leaders must “at least give people the illusion that they are not being inconvenienced.”

While the “climate change success story” of the ozone layer can be replicated, it will not be an easy task. Seemingly

Ice is melting quickly, with claws digging into it for one last hope at gripping onto life.

This is not the perspective of humans, but rather animals like polar bears who are facing the life-changing effects of climate change. However, due to a new study, there may be a way to help this problem.

Baking soda, a widelyused chemical in industries like pharmaceuticals, food, and cleaning products, can be created out of captured CO2. One method of turning carbon into baking soda is by mixing it with sodium hydroxide.

This process results in baking soda, which can be used as a more renewable way of selling this

product. If it is unable to be sold, then it will most likely be stored in seawater, as it has no known ecological damage to the environment. A new process would extract carbon dioxide before it has entered the atmosphere, more specifically from places like the areas at steel and coal plants.

Direct Air Capture is another way of capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. However, this would take more energy due to carbon being more sparse in the atmosphere.

This discovery is one that could be life changing for many, but only if companies were to mass produce this process. Could this be a small solution for climate change?

Image by NOAA

The United Nations Environment Programme recently reported the that ailing ozone layer is now predicted to fully heal by 2066 thanks to emission controls.

Photo by Jameson Datoc ’23

Biden approves controversial Willow Project

By Caitlin Dowd ’25

As most of the world is working towards reversing the effects of climate change, some believe the Biden administration is taking three steps back by approving the Willow Project.

Citizens are worried about the environmental effects this will have and are protesting against the decision.

The Willow Project is an oil drilling project facilitated by ConocoPhillips. It will take place on a plain in the North Slope of Alaska in the National Petroleum Reserve. This decision on March 13 has become the center of debate over climate change and control in America.

Over the last decade, climate activists have made a push for reducing fossil-fuel consumption. That is because fossil fuels release large amounts of carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) into the atmosphere. These gasses cause global warming.

Ava Bowles ’25, a student in the Biomed Program, said “The Willow Project will have detrimental effects on the whole planet in the years to come. It is horrible that the people making these decisions are only thinking for themselves instead of the future generation.”

The ConocoPhillips administration has estimated that the Willow Project will emit 9.2 metric tons of carbon pollution, greenhouse gasses, into the atmosphere per year. Put in other terms, this amount of carbon pollution is equivalent to adding 2 million gas-powered cars onto the

road for the next 30 years. Not only has Biden approved the Willow Project, he also auctioned off 73 million acres of water in the Gulf of Mexico to offshore oil and gas drilling.

This will double the amount of greenhouse gasses put into the atmosphere if it is to happen

along with the Willow Project. The Willow Project will provide more domestic energy for America and open up job opportunities for native Alaskans. However, the lasting effects it will have on the entire world may overpower these temporary victories.

California aims for zero carbon emissions by 2045

By Julian Serrano ’24

California is a massive state in terms of economy and population. With almost 40 million inhabitants and a $3.5 trillion GDP, it would be the 35th most populated country and almost the fourth biggest economy.

With a state so enormous and dense, the carbon output is also enormous and dense, being 10 percent of the entire nation’s emissions.

So, when Governor Gavin Newsom released his plan for NetZero carbon emissions on Nov. 16, 2022, it was hard not to notice.

“It’s the most ambitious set of climate goals of any jurisdiction in the world,” said Gavin Newsom in a news conference.

The revised climate plan is set to expend at least $54 billion towards this goal. It also plans for the state’s electrical grid to be 100 percent clean energy by 2045.

The question is thus brought to how the state proposes to achieve the ambitious task. Well, the first step is to look into what causes the state’s pollution in the first place. Some 38 percent of the whole state’s output is produced by transportation

(mainly cars); 23 percent is produced by industrial usage; 16 percent on electricity; 10 percent on commercial and residential; 9 percent Agricultural and Forestry; and 8 percent on miscellaneous usage. With the largest amount of emissions coming from vehicles, it is no surprise that more than half of all the funds goes towards tackling this emitter. With this,

$28.3 billion are being put towards better means of transport, with many raising complaints over its mass spending on electric vehicles.

Many say that electric vehicles are just as bad as regular vehicles, and many others say that cars as a whole are the issue, not just the fuel.

Well, $13.8 billion of this fund would go towards public

transit. An additional $6.6 billion will be spent towards carbonless electricity.

“If buses were better regulated, then I’d honestly use them more,” said Zeke Pfeffer ’24.

Many billions more are going to be spent towards farmers, science, wildfire extermination/ prevention, wildlife restoration, cleaner air, and drought prevention. Even if these aren’t the strongest of goals they are significantly more than most large and economically important world regions.

The state government website proudly touts that it’s the “World’s first plan to achieve netzero Carbon pollution.” Plus, the old plan set carbon neutrality for 2050, while the new plan is 2045. California is a state dealing with severe climate disasters, such as sun-reddening wildfires, maddening droughts, and crazed rainstorms. It is a signal of hope that the state government is listening and trying to prevent further catastrophes.

Pfeffer said, “If the technology works, then you have to use it.”

Photo by Jameson Datoc ’23

Electric vehicles are one way California hopes to reach zero emissions by 2045.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

The Willow Project is a controversial oil drilling project facilitated by ConocoPhillips in the North Slope of Alaska.

Iconic It’s-It celebrates its 95th birthday

By Nathan Malatesta ’23

A San Francisco Bay Area dessert original, the It’s-It, dates back to 1928. George Whitney was looking for a new dessert to serve his customers. He came up with the idea of combining vanilla ice cream with two oatmeal cookies, then dipping the whole thing in chocolate. He called it the “It’s-It,” and it quickly became a hit.

The It’s-It was available only at Whitney’s shops for nearly 45 years. During World War II, the brand grew in San Francisco due to the increase of stationed US soldiers on the West Coast.

After Whitney started selling the It’s-It to servicemen, it became a beloved treat among all San Franciscans.

Throughout the 1970s, ownership of the “It’s-It” name and concept was sold to various businessmen. First to George Mavros, but after deciding he couldn’t keep up with demand, he

sold the brand to Charles Shamieh, who would then open the “It’s-It” factory in Burlingame.

The It’s-It has become a cultural icon in the Bay Area and is enjoyed by people of all ages.

San Francisco native and

Riordan teacher Tom Harlan stated, “Growing up in the Bay Area, It’s-It was more than a dessert; they were a way of life. They were common at many memorable family and school events, so they have a special place in my heart.”

In a sweet compliment, Max Pierron, a graduating senior, said, “It’s-It has always been special as they have shown up on a lot of special occasions. I have had them at birthdays and graduations, among other events, and the unique treat puts a smile on my face every time I have it.”

Today, the It’s-It is still made in the same factory in Burlingame, California, using the same recipe that has been delighting customers for nearly a century. In addition to the original vanilla and chocolate flavors, there are now several other varieties, including mint, strawberry, and pumpkin.

Mitchell’s scoops up seven decades of serving SF

By Xianna Romprey ’23

Mitchell’s Ice Cream, a wellknown ice cream shop in San Francisco, is one of the most popular, classic, ice cream parlors in the Bay Area. The family-owned business was first opened on June 6, 1953 with only 19 flavors. Today, Mitchell’s has over 40 flavors.

Achilles Woodson ’23 said, “Mitchell’s is one of my top favorite ice cream spots to go to because it has a lot of different flavors for me to choose from.”

Mitchell’s also offers dairyfree and vegan products, making their menu options accessible to all.

All the dedication and hard work the family has put into Mitchell’s is what has made it so popular, 70 years later.

“Mitchell’s has become one of my go to places for ice cream ever since the first time I tried it. My favorite flavor definitely has to be their mango. I like their milkshakes too,” said Mele Vaihola ’23.

“As the population of San Francisco became more diverse, our customers also became more diverse.”

-Linda

What makes Mitchell’s so different from other ice cream parlors is the unique flavors, and the way the ice cream is made. They have distinctive flavors such as mango, grasshopper pie, ube, and more. Of course they also have the classic flavors such as vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, etc.

Their ice cream is made with 16 percent butterfat, while normal ice cream is 10 percent butterfat by dairy law. On top of that, their ice cream is made fresh every day.

Scott Chiesa, a staff member at Archbishop Riordan, said, “I was intrigued by the Mexican chocolate flavor, and it definitely brought out a kick I never had before in ice cream.”

Though you’ll probably always see a line coming out of the store, it tends to move pretty quickly. Their friendly and fast staff along with their delicious ice cream is something you can’t beat.

Manager Marlon Payumo said, “We are special in a lot of different ways. We serve freshly made ice cream, using super premium ingredients.”

“Also, the way we make the ice cream is still old fashioned, just like the way we made it back in 1953.”

In addition, “Some customers say we are special because we have an extensive selection of flavors.”

Owner Linda Mitchell, daughter and niece of the

original owners, agrees.

“When my father Larry and my Uncle Jack opened the doors of Mitchell’s Ice Cream on June 6, 1953, they made 12 flavors of ice cream—all traditional American flavors.”

“As time went by, more and more San Franciscans found our shop and loved our ice cream. We are now a very busy shop and we have 40 flavors available for our customers daily.”

She continued, “In the early 1960s, Larry and Jack began importing mango fruit from the Philippines. This was one of the biggest evolutions for our company.”

The most popular flavors are mango and grasshopper pie.

“This change also caused an evolution in our customer base,” Mitchell said. “As the population of San Francisco became more diverse, our customers also became more diverse because of our tropical flavors.”

“To this day, many people buy our ice cream because our rich, creamy tropical flavors remind them of home.”

Payumo said, “The culture and the community defined Mitchell’s Ice Cream. The diversity in the Bay Area helped small businesses like us. Since we are offering different flavors and using imported ingredients from different countries, this invites in customers of different cultures and different nationalities.”

Mitchell, owner

Photo by Jameson Datoc ’23

Mitchell’s Ice Cream on San Jose Avenue has been serving San Francisco since June 6, 1953. Their top two flavors are mango and grasshopper pie.

Photo by Jameson Datoc ’23 It’s-It comes in many flavors, including vanilla, strawberry, mint, cappuccino, chocolate, and (not pictured) pumpkin and green tea.

The Crown

Hsu wins SF Miss Teen Chinatown

By Naomi Lin ’24

The stage was beautifully arranged, and the lights shone brightly, almost as radiant as the smiles of the young women who competed for the title of Miss Teen Chinatown. Despite the tough competition, the judges were particularly captivated by one smile that shone brighter than the rest. It belonged to none other than Elizabeth Hsu ’24, who was crowned the 2023 Miss Teen Chinatown queen.

On April 8, Hsu participated in the 2023 Miss Teen Chinatown Scholarship and Charity Gala, hosted by the San Francisco Chinatown Lions Club, and won the official title of Miss Teen Chinatown San Francisco, earning a total of $3,000. Out of this amount, $1,000 will be donated to Riordan by the San Francisco Chinatown Lions Club.

According to San Francisco Chinatown, contestants are judged by a number of criteria: poise, personality, intelligence, talent, extracurricular activities, community service, and leadership.

Participants also have assigned duties such as raising funds, by selling raffle tickets, which will then be donated to various charitable organizations.

In addition to fundraising, Hsu dedicated approximately 10 hours to rehearsing for the

pageant talent show–in which she danced in a hip-hop style to Diva by Beyoncé–and writing and memorizing a speech regarding her interpretation of the past, present, and future.

Initially, Hsu believed that she “actually never imagined that I would compete in a pageant until one of my parent’s friends informed us of the pageant and suggested that I participate.”

“But what really motivated me to compete was building new friendships and gaining new experiences. I wanted to challenge myself to be more comfortable when on stage, to practice public speaking.”

Her motivation for developing new friendships evolved gradually into a memorable highlight. “This year, there were 15 girls, and I had a lot of fun meeting and getting closer with them,” said Hsu.

With the title of Miss Teen Chinatown San Francisco comes the responsibility of upholding the values of generosity and kindness, which Hsu deems most important, and she plans to demonstrate these values by volunteering at charity events, donating to non-profit organizations, and presenting new topics regarding Asian culture at Asian Students Association meetings as she takes on the role of its president for the 2023-2024 school year.

Mandarin Instructor and Asian Students Association moderator Yinshan Yang congratulated Hsu. “It’s wonderful to see people who are not only talented but also have a heart for their community,” said Yang. She added, “Her success can serve as a motivation for other students to participate in

community events and showcase their talents as well. It’s important to have role models like Elizabeth who can inspire others to make a difference in their community.”

Hsu concluded by lending future contestants her own advice: “Overall I’d say just have fun. The event goes by so fast, and before you know it, it’s already over.”

Custodians embody proud work ethic

By Mario Perez de Leon ’24

After hours, when classes let out and people start rushing to their clubs, sports, or other commitments, the custodians start their work. Raul Cruz sweeps on the second floor, and Manuel Gonzalez the first.

An under appreciated duo at Riordan, the custodians clean the messes left from the school day, all while maintaining a righteous sense of respect and work ethic.

Their work is just that to them, work. Work that’s important to them, that they put their best towards, and they won’t turn away from.

Gonzalez, the first floor custodian, respectfully declined an interview in order to not be dissuaded from his work. While doing so, he offered respect, and with his hand atop shoulder, sincerely apologized.

Gonzalez helped Cruz find his job at Trinity, the company that employs the two.

“I met him in the apartments I live in. I knew how he worked,

what company… When they laid us off he was the one who gave us the number to the company we now work at. He recommended me too,” said Cruz.

It’s been eight years since Cruz started working at Riordan. Since

then, he has been stationed in different places throughout the school. He has also maintained a connection and mutual respect with students, saying, “What’s amazing is that I find kids that help me with English, and

obviously I’ll help them with Spanish... I’ll get a text message I don’t understand, and a student will help me. That’s amazing.”

This connection extends to faculty, with Cruz asserting that, “The teachers, coaches, new teachers who’ve just arrived, they’re good people... I don’t have a favorite, because they’re all my favorites.”

Cruz heavily values respect. He practices it with everybody. As such, he nurtures it within others.

“By giving them my initial respect they give it back, but not out of obligation,” he said.

Respect, he argues, is owed to everybody, and should never be exclusive to just adults, but youth as well.

Some unexpected and sincere vulnerable moments came from the conversations with Gonzalez and Cruz for this interview. Although not included in this article, the anecdotes only further cemented the two as nothing but hardworking and resilient.

Photo by Mario Perez de Leon ’24 Raul Cruz and Manuel Gonzalez are vital members of the Riordan community.

Elizabeth Hsu ’24 won San Francisco’s Miss Teen Chinatown on April 8.

Photo by the Hsu Family

Student scores spot on El Salvador U-18 soccer team

By Areeshah Farooq ’23

Sophomore Alyssa

Jurado’s soccer skills are clear cut as she was immediately accepted into El Salvador’s U-18 team upon referral. She was then invited to tryout for the U-20 team and elected to play with them in Honduras for a tournament.

Jurado’s interest in sports piqued at an early age, as her parents signed her up for as many sports as possible to find one that she not only excelled in, but was also devoted to.

“My dad signed me up for a few days long soccer camp, and from then I was hooked. Ever since then soccer has never been just a hobby; it’s my life,” she recalled.

Her passion for the sport began at a young age and hasn’t ceased since, which is evident in her dedication to the girls varsity soccer team at Riordan High School as a center defender.

She said that she cannot see herself doing anything other than what she loves: Soccer.

Not only is Jurado a dedicated player, but she is also highly valued by her coaches and teammates.

The girls varsity soccer coach, Coach Erin Stovall, said, “Alyssa is tenacious. She has a strong competitive drive that fuels her both on the field and in the classroom. She is a student-

athlete in every aspect of the word. She is a very technical and skillful player that I could rely on in tough situations to play any position on the field.”

Jurado’s teammate, Josie Espinoza-Schleicher ’25, added, “She brings so much to the team through her hard work on the field and her fun personality, hyping

us up and motivating us to do the best we can. She’s definitely a huge part of our team and we’re very lucky to have her.”

Both on and off the field her attitude and resilience are prevalent.

Jurado’s inspiration for soccer stems from her late grandfather who was once on El Salvador’s national team.

“Being able to wear my country’s jersey for the first time was a feeling like no other and I knew I made my grandfather proud,” she said.

With so much to look forward to as a member of El Salvador’s soccer team, Jurado stated, “I want to make it to the high levels and keep improving.”

The next step in her journey to nationals is training and preparing for her upcoming tournament in Belize as she will continue to attend most tournaments from the U-18 and U-20 selections.

Oakland loses third team as A’s plan move to Vegas

By Ethan Vargas ’23

After 55 years in the Oakland Coliseum, the Athletics may soon be known as the Las Vegas Athletics. Announced on April 19, the A’s sent out a statement that they’ve agreed to buy a plot of land near the Las Vegas Strip with the intent to build a brand new ballpark. The A’s plan to start building the stadium next year, with the hope of beginning to play there by 2027.

Although there were plans to initially build a waterfront ballpark in Oakland last year, the deal never went through. Oakland is now looking for other possibilities for that piece of land.

In a statement by Oakland’s mayor, Sheng Thao, she said, “Given these realities,

we are ceasing negotiations and moving forward on alternatives for the redevelopment of Howard Terminal.”

The Oakland Coliseum has seen a large decline of fans in recent years, and the A’s current payroll, $58 million, is the lowest in the league. They have also started off the 2023 season with a 6-24 record, the worst in the MLB.

A move to Vegas and a new stadium will hopefully help rejuvenate the A’s winning ways.

Being the last remaining professional sports team in Oakland following the departure of the Raiders and the Warriors, Oakland sports fans may feel sad or angry.

Lifetime A’s fan Nathan Loeffler Malatesta ’23 said, “Although it’s disappointing to see

the A’s leave Oakland, I think the team can benefit a lot from moving to Vegas.”

Although the A’s are departing the Bay Area, there are still other professional franchises

Mason Lui ’23, a lifelong Giants fan, said, “I think most Bay Area sports fans will miss the A’s, but we still have teams like the Giants, Warriors, and 49ers.”

Climate change cranks up home run counter

By Aiden Pavon ’25

Climate change affects many aspects on Earth—changes in temperature, rising oceans, and now, baseball.

Studies have shown that climate change may result in higher home run totals in Major League Baseball.

The Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society claims that as many as an extra 500 home runs were hit from 2010-2019 due to climate change, stating that “several hundred additional home runs per season are projected due to future warming.”

The basic premise of this idea is that warmer temperatures lead to less density in the air, allowing for batted balls to carry farther, thus allowing for more

home runs.

“It was relatively straightforward. In some ways it was confirming that basic physical understanding that we already had,” Dartmouth student Christopher Callahan told NPR.

Researchers have claimed that by 2050, there will be upwards of an extra 190 home runs hit per year. Climate change, though, is not the biggest factor in terms of home runs. New analytical approaches and swinging for the fences have become key to scoring runs in today’s game of baseball.

Ever since the Moneyball tactic became widespread across the league — taking players in on cheap contracts because their analytics show that they have a very specific skill set — teams and front offices have looked to

platooning their players for better match-ups.

Platooning is putting a batter in to face an oppositehanded pitcher for a better analytical chance of getting a hit. This creates optimal opportunities for batters to face the type of pitchers they’re good at hitting off of.

Another factor in home runs in the MLB is velocity. Every year it seems pitchers throw harder and harder, with flamethrowers like Camilo Doval, Hunter Greene and Jacob deGrom becoming standard in the MLB.

The increased velocity in pitches allows for more power off the bat and makes the ball go a whole lot farther than it ever has before. Since 2012 the average pitch velocity from MLB starters

went up by 2 MPH and has been trending upward ever since. And one more factor is a little more obvious, hitters are just getting better. With new technologies like WinReality, hitters can see things players have never seen before — virtual pitching.

This technology allows them to see their swing path and adjust it to be optimal for them, thus making them better hitters in the process.

Places like Driveline use motion sensors to make a complete 3D render of a batter’s swing so they can see the flaws and what to improve on.

This brings baseball to a whole new level of analytics and technology that will be used for years to come.

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Photo By Hoorain Farooq ’25

16 year old Alyssa Jurado ’25 proudly dons El Salvador U-18’s uniform.

Photo by Jameson Datoc ’23

With the team moving to Las Vegas, fans may be wearing hats with new logos. worth supporting.

Riordan’s co-ed track team sprints to CCS Finals

By India Bowles ’23

The build up to race day, stepping onto the track and hearing the click of spikes as you walk towards the starting line, then leaping forward as the whistle blows for GO.

This is what track athletes at Archbishop Riordan, like Hannah Bitonio ’23 and Mason McKee ’23, live for.

Bitonio is a sprinter on Riordan’s track team who was excited to take part in the WCAL trials starting April 29. She shared that the atmosphere at meets is “intense but fun.”

Bitonio provided insight into her relationship with her coaches and team, saying, “They believe in me when I sometimes don’t believe in myself” and they “make Riordan track feel like a family.”

As a graduating senior,

Bitonio reflected, “Riordan track has blessed me with great memories and will always have a piece of my heart.”

McKee has had an exceptional season thus far. Most recently, McKee broke his own school record for the 1600 meter with a 4:23:87 time, which he originally broke in the 2022 season.

As a leader on the team, he is proud that Riordan’s track team exhibits “one of the highest average GPAs for a school team, and has a strong culture of success through hard work.”

He said, “It’s a culture we have kept around for years, and it helps us become more dedicated to staying on top of training and racing.”

McKee echoed Bitonio’s statements that Riordan’s coaches have made a significant impact on

While

him as an athlete and individual. “They helped me become the man I am today, and put countless hours into helping me and my teammates improve and succeed.”

’24 leaps over the hurdle with perfection and ease. track has taught him and hopes to translate these into “being the most successful college version” of himself he can be.

As a graduating senior, McKee is thankful for the lessons

WCAL trials were April 29, with finals on May 5. CCS trials were May 13, with finals May 20.

Field competitors powerfully propel to success with personal records

By Nico Navarro ’24

Shot put and discus competitors for the 2023 track and field season saw records set, standout winning performances, and numerous personal bests.

Coach Edgar Flores, with the program for 23 years, said, “My team has performed beautifully and it shows from week to week. Each week the team competes for 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place in each event and level and my throwers have placed in each of those areas every week.”

The team had many standout performers this season, including Brandon Chongco ’24, who ranks top three in varsity boys WCAL Discus, and Kona Dacoscos ’25, girls school record holder, who

in her first year throwing is ranked top three in varsity girls WCAL shot put.

Dacoscos stated, “Going into this season, the expectations I had for my team and myself was to improve as a player and work hard to get far into the competition.”

Success hasn’t come easy, however. Months of dedication and hard work are needed to develop the strength, and technique required to compete at the highest level.

“Both the shot and discus are very technical and involve a lot of practice to achieve,” explained Coach Flores.

“My goals were ultimately to build and develop skills with my

throwers, and also to teach them what the sport is all about; technique, balance, and explosion.”

The throwers possess a genuinely supportive culture and push one another to be their best. For them, seeing each other improve and find success stimulates pride in one another and fuels their team spirit.

“It makes me proud because you know, we have new people and they’re placing high at meets we go to,” Chongco stated.

He concluded, “We want to make sure we’re all hitting PRs (personal records). We want to make sure we’re all on each other about our technique, and make sure we’re ready to go!”

Crusader swimmers eagerly dive into growing, successful program

By Anthony Chan ’24

“What I’m most thrilled for is the possibility of transforming this club into a team next year,” were the words uttered by former swim captain, Julian Moll ’21, a member of the Archbishop Riordan swimming team in 2020.

Three years later, the swimming team has gone on to wage a fullblown competition across the West Coast.

As the swimming season closes, the Riordan team has pulled through with determination, competing in four different regions, CA (California), CCS (Central Coast Section), CCS-CC (Central Conference), and the WCAL (West Catholic Athletic League), while also in four different competitions: freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly.

The Riordan Swimming team has been competing against SI and SHC with a membership of

17 male and 15 female swimmers, led by their coach, Gwen Dornan.

The team has been ranked fourth for the CCS and WCAL as of the 2022-2023 season, alongside an estimated statistical average of 30.48 seconds, for a 50-meter freestyle swim, for the male team and an average of 33.84 seconds for the female team.

The intermediate time of a 50-meter swim from the age gap of 14-18 is 56.8 seconds.

As one of the team swimmers, Thomas Slattery ’24, stated, “We did a lot better than last year,” humorously adding, “We beat Sacred Heart!”

However, the team still wants some improvements for the

team, as Francesca DelgadoSchaumberg ’24 stated, “We need more support,” further adding, “We need real swimsuits as well.”

The Riordan swimming team also wishes to expand its team and its operations to advance in the future and perhaps draw in some new swimmers to the competition line. “We need to build a pool on the third floor and a wall,” Colm Slatterly ’24 jokingly stated.

Either way, the team has dramatically advanced since its inception, from its days of two members, and continues to promote swimming for students at Riordan, and abroad.

As swimming fan Kyle Huang ’24 commented, “Swimming is a sport that once you get into, you don’t want to leave.” Furthermore adding, “I think the Riordan team reflects that fun well.”

Photo by Makayla Fong ’25

competing for the Riordan track team in the hurdling event, Mare Jablan

Photo by Nico Navarro ’25 Brandon Chongco ’24 throws the shot put during a field competition against Saint Ignatius College Preparatory last month.

Photo by Anthony Chan ’25 Peter Brown ’25 dives into the water at a meet against SHC last month.

Baseball team springs into action with passion

By Rachel Kavanagh ’24 Springtime.

The season of flowers blooming and new beginnings, but best of all, it’s the season of baseball.

Speaking of new beginnings, this year the baseball team has hired a new coach, Brian Ceinar to build a new foundation for the team.

“I’m hoping I can take what [Coach Ramsey] has built here and help it grow and gain more respect,” said Ceinar.

With the 2023 season coming to an end, the team has shown steady improvement as the weeks have progressed. They held good matches in their most recent games against other schools in the area compared to the beginning of the season.

Although they’ve struggled with wins in WCAL league games they’ve won almost every nonleague game, and had the most success on the field against teams outside of their division.

“You’re alright, get the next one” is the motto of the season, said Brady Nemes ’24.

Known to be a tight-knit group with good morale available to lift each other up, the team has worked on supporting and holding each other accountable, including a Kangaroo Court every two to three weeks held by the captains. With that, the coach commented on how he had felt surprisingly

welcomed by the community since their first meeting. Not knowing what to expect being the new coach, he was thankful to be embraced by the team.

Looking at stats, Sebastian Elsner ’23 has an ERA of 0.59 and 37 strikeouts so far, but the overall team record is 11-17.

Looking to the future, the team and coach eagerly look ahead for continued improvement.

Weather and injuries have been their biggest struggle, but “We look at the small wins and build off of them,” said coach Ceinar.

Thankfully, the spirit of the team has remained through the challenging season.

“We might not have the best record but, in all honesty, we’ve come together better as a family,” said Luis Gomez ’24.

According to multiple players, Ceinar is a great source of inspiration for the team this season, creating a “forgiving environment which helps us gain confidence,” said Nemes.

Impacting the program on not only the Varsity level, but the JV and Freshman teams as well, players said he brings a new energy to the field.

He plans on focusing more on aspects of communal involvement throughout the program and as the years progress because as Coach Ceinar said, “Their success is what tomorrow brings.”

Lacrosse team blazes trails with ambition

By Mason Lum ’25

With hundreds of years of history behind it starting with the Native Americans, the rapid popularity growth of lacrosse brought itself to Riordan. Although the school’s lacrosse team isn’t the most popular sport, it’s only getting bigger.

The team had a rough season after starting off strong, going on a 10 game losing streak after 2 wins against Hillsdale High School, leading to a 2-10 record. “It comes down to skill and how we practice and develop,” said attackman Arman Mander ’25. “If we can improve that we will have a better season.”

wins to finish the season against Lick-Wilmerding, Sacred Heart Cathedral, and Latino College Preparatory.

In addition, lacrosse is rising in interest within the student body, garnering nearly enough players to bring a junior varsity team to Riordan.

The team’s struggles may not have inspired the most confidence, but the team continued to fight on, and from there, they snapped their slide with three dominant

“I definitely think that if we have enough students that are interested in the sport, we can have a junior varsity team in the future,” said midfielder Jonathan Jeffers ’25. “I personally recommend that we include a junior varsity program for lacrosse because it will give new players more exposure to the game.”

Players seem to believe the team’s needs stem from development and improvement of the individual players, and

“It comes down to skill and how we practice and develop.”

another team could influence future results, giving more playing time for newer players to develop and learn from.

“The underclassmen are in a rough position. Some are still learning and trying the sport, being their first year in,” said Mander.

“Our team needs more development. Players play a part in that, but we need more support from the school.”

Photo by Ethan Ly ’26 Mason Lui ’23 gathers his strength, and throws the ball with unrivaled velocity and precision during a home game against Sacred Heart Cathedral.

Alton Thoroughgood IV ’25 skillfully swings the ball using his stick with speed and accuracy during a lacrosse game last month.

Photo by Chloe Leotta ’24

Photo by Chloe Leotta ’24

-Arman Mander ’25

Rising stars journey toward triumph with team unity

By Jaecee Cantiller ’24

As the 2022-2023 Varsity boys tennis team’s season came to an end, the team finished in a better position than they were before, having their strong bond close the year with a smile.

With both new and returning players this season, the team had much improvement on their teamwork. Although it had a slow start for players to blend together, the team has bonded both on and off the court.

“We are in a tough league and no matter what we are able to push through and always hold our heads up high,” said Coach Paul Stevens ’08.

Their strength of uplifting emotions allow them to persevere whether that be through a loss or a win.

Through the consistent push this team has persisted through, and they still faced many challenges.

Team member Khang Nguyen ’23 stated, “Despite the weather conditions that impacted the

team’s performance, every season, the team was still able to beat the odds and work together to improve and achieve successes.”

Being present, focused, and passionate helped the improvement of the team’s performance.

This season will further impact the future of the Varsity boys tennis team, as every player has personally improved through the work they went through.

They secured first place in the Freedom High School Tennis Tournament, and won a couple games in the WCAL.

This season was a build up towards the strong spirit and there is a bright future waiting for the team.

“As a senior, I’m pleased that our team is getting better than ever and somehow all the members have dedication and ambition in all the games. Every member on the team contributes to what we are today and I believe there’s a bright future in the team,” said

Don Tsang ’23.

Although the seniors are leaving, the players and coaches hope to strive for the best outcome in the future, building on the

seniors’ positive mentality, as they are hungry for victories.

Stevens said, “We have a lot of skill throughout the team and it will only get better!”

Golfers link dedication with skill to master sport

within the group becoming a big part of their improvement process.

“I feel like this year we made it our job to make sure we are close as a team because if we are not we can’t work together,” Banuelos added.

Many of the underclassmen feel improvement working with their older team members and their coach, including Alden Thai ’25, saying, “Seniors have helped me in almost all parts of the game. I feel really lucky to be a part of this team.“

next year[...]”

Regardless of grade, the players are equally matched. According to Isola, a difference of one and a half strokes sets apart their number one player and their number six player. He added, “This year’s team is probably the most consistent team I’ve ever coached.”

Alden

By Taylor Tran ’25

The complete silence on the bright yet windy TPC Harding Park course is a harsh juxtaposition to what goes on in the minds of the Riordan boys golf team when teeing off.

Their eyes are on the ball, hands steady and firm, holding their club with determination.

“Firstly, I’m checking the conditions, like how strong the wind is blowing, how hard the fairways are, and how fast the greens are. Then, I’m thinking about the best way to play each hole - like how far away the flag is, where the bunkers are, and what kind of shot I should hit,” Jaden Chin ’25 said, listing necessary observations he needs to make when playing.

The team is constantly hard at work, practicing four days a

week after school from Monday to Thursday and playing other schools weekly. They’ve won 5 matches so far this year, and recently won their match against Sequoia for the second time this season, 219-234.

Boys golf has grown in the past year, their abilities improving immensely from the previous 2122 season.

Senior member of the team Hector Banuelos ’23 stated,“Our team is doing amazing compared to last year. We are working better as a team to help one another improve day by day.”

Ever since golf had quickly started up again at Riordan, being the first sport back on campus after COVID, the eight boys on varsity just as quickly bonded with each other, with mentorship

Even if the younger players’ mentors are soon-to-be graduates, Coach Jeff Isola ’98 said, “Will and Hector’s graduation will be a big loss for the team next year, but we also have an excellent group of young golfers returning

The group is on the course to becoming even better and developing their skills to the best of their abilities for years to come and for the rest of this year, their season not being over yet.

Chin reiterated, “We try to focus on playing our best and letting the results take care of themselves. That being said, we’re always striving to improve and compete the best we can.”

Photo by Taylor Tran ’25

Thai ’25 tees off during the game at Lake Merced’s Harding Park.

Photo by Paul Stevens ’08 Don Tsang ’23 extends his arms, and with a masterful serve, sends the ball soaring through the air, over the net to an awaiting opponent at Balboa Park.

Photo by Taylor Tran ’25

Tyler Minioza ’24 focuses on the ball before putting it down the green.

24 Food Reviews

Mediterranean meals make mighty impressions

Red Eye Grill is a Turkish restaurant located in the San Francisco suburb of Pacifica, and is around five minutes away from Manor and Muscle Beach. The restaurant offers Mediterranean dishes including but not limited to Fattoush Salad, Chicken Shawarma Plate and Moussaka, a dish of layered eggplant baked in a ground beef sauce and smothered in béchamel sauce.

I decided to go for one of their largest dishes, the lamb and beef shawarma wrap. This Middle Eastern delicacy is an amazing blend of spices, tender meats, fresh vegetables, and flavorful sauces wrapped in warm, fluffy pita bread.

Upon taking my first bite,

Red Eye Grill

I was struck by the tenderness and juiciness of the lamb and beef. The meat was in a blend of herbs and spices that had a deep, complex flavor that was both savory and slightly sweet. The pita bread was warm and fluffy, with just the right amount of chewiness to hold everything together without being too dense.

The fresh vegetables added a wonderful crunch and a burst of freshness that contrasted nicely with the rich, meaty flavors. There were crisp lettuce leaves, juicy slices of tomato, and thin strips of red onion, all of which added their own unique textures and flavors to the wrap.

In addition there was a creamy garlic sauce that was rich

and tangy and a spicy chili sauce that added a nice kick of heat.

Overall, I would highly recommend the lamb and beef shawarma wrap to anyone looking for a satisfying and flavorful meal. The lamb and beef Shawarma wrap costs a total of $19.00.

Red Eye Grill’s lamb and beef shawarma wrap, a combination of savory and spicy flavors, full of meats and fresh vegetables with fries on the side.

NOVY is a Greek restaurant nestled in San Francisco’s Noe Valley. It was a calm setting, ideal for enjoying a tasty dish.

I decided to order a grilled salmon with mango salsa and horta. I have eaten salmon many times in many restaurants, but I wanted to see if NOVY had something outside of the box.

Once I had my first bite, the steaminess of the salmon immediately engulfed my palate. The crunchy outside immediately gave way to a soft and creamy inside.

When I moved to the sides, the silkiness of the horta transported me to the calm waters of the Mediterranean Sea, and

Marza

If you are craving imaginative food with no borders, food that is created with love, and food rooted with tradition, you will find all three in a bustling family business in San Bruno called Mazra.

When entering Mazra it gives off a comfy family atmosphere with flower arrangements hanging from the roof and art displayed on the walls. But what’s more impressive is their menu. From traditional wood fired kebabs to the endless choices of shawarmas they have anything and everything a person craving for Mediterranean food would ask for.

Famished from the aroma of spices and the sight of the colorful Mezzas, I decided to order a Shawarma plate, which consisted of slow roasted steak shawarma, Mediterranean rice, tzatziki, house pickles and of course pita bread.

When it arrived it screamed with different pigments

of colors and as I took the first bite I felt as if I was transported to the Mediterranean Sea. The house pickles pierced my tongue like a javelin with its picante flavors but the velvety cooling tzatziki with pita bread held the line against the fierce pickles. The silk touch of the rice danced in my mouth as the steak was like a Trojan horse surprising me with a succulent texture with a lush ambrosian flavors.

As I finished my plate I was transported back to the reality of an empty dish and a full stomach. I give my full acknowledgment to the chiefs and definitely recommend anyone craving Mediterranean food to come and take it easy Habibi, because food made from Mazra, is made with love.

NOVY

the combination of the silkiness of the horta and the tangy mango salsa was a delightful surprise. The flavors of the dish were expertly balanced, with the sweetness of the mango salsa perfectly complementing the savory taste of the grilled salmon. The drizzled lemon added a refreshing citrus note that brought the dish to a satisfying close.

All in all, NOVY’s grilled salmon is a dish that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a delicious and unique twist on a classic seafood dish. While it wasn’t quite perfect, earning a 4 out of 5 stars, it is definitely worth a try for any seafood lover.

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Review and photo by Jameson Datoc ’23

Review and photo by Joseph Zuloaga ’23

NOVY in Noe Valley serves grilled salmon with mango salsa and horta, which is a delicious and unique twist on a classic seafood dish.

Review and photo by Nathan Malatesta ’23

Marza’s Shawarma plate consists of roasted steak shawarma, Mediterranean rice, tzatziki, and house pickles with pita bread.