The Crusader Winter 2020 - 2021

Campus News, Pages 4 - 9

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VOLUME LXXI ISSUE ii

SERVING RIORDAN SINCE 1949

Arts & Entertainment, Pages 12 - 13

National News, Page 14

ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN HIGH SCHOOL

Sports, Pages 20 - 23

Winter 2020 - 2021 THE NEWSPAPER OF CRUSADER COUNTRY

On campus learning resumes in tandem with distance learning

By Joseph Grysiewicz ’22

As the age of Coronavirus continues to impact school, students and teachers must adapt and do what they can to educate and learn to the best of their abilities.

As in person learning came and went for almost a month from Nov. 9 to Dec. 3, the students had the opportunity to be in a classroom for the first time since March, and to see their teachers and friends.

“It was awkward but still cool to see people physically, and talk to them,” said Mark Del Mundo ’21.

Spanish teacher Armando Castillo also enjoyed seeing students for the first time since March. He said, “I felt happier. I mean, who wouldn’t? When you’re in the classroom, you feel more of a real connection than you would on Zoom.”

Working with students online, working with them in person, and then doing half and half every

Photo illustration by Jordan Maralit ’21 Jordan Maralit ’21 attends Kenn Swan’s class via distance learning while Alex Key ’21 participates in the class on campus.

other day can be challenging and in some sense, different and new.

History teacher Cory Nelson said, “Working online has been a challenge to learn the technology and find a groove that is consistent for my students to be successful but when I work with students in person, it’s always something special because I teach for the students, so I really miss being in the classroom laughing and teaching with students.”

He added, “Hybrid is a very different way of teaching that provides a very big challenge to teachers. You have to keep track of the technology, keep the in-class students learning and on task while at the same time talking to students at home.”

When it comes to at-home learning and teaching, both students and teachers have to think of ways to work with Zoom and technology.

Please see “Learning”

on page 7

Campus reopens following CDC recommended safety guidelines

By Tony Kent ’21 and Cooper Nelson ’21

Life for Riordan students drastically changed on March 7, 2020 with the news of a student’s family member testing positive for COVID-19. Since then, the Riordan administrators, faculty and staff have been working tirelessly to make the campus safe for in-person learning.

According to Brandon Ramsey, Director of Facilities, Riordan “established one way traffic, social distancing in every classroom, multiple ways to practice safe hand cleaning, along with other safety measures to increase ventilation across the building.”

He added that Riordan “followed all the recommendations from the health department and CDC.” While the campus was being prepared for the students to return, the teachers continued to receive training on teaching online classes. According to Dr. Andrew Currier, President of Riordan, “Riordan teachers have

truly risen to the occasion and have participated in important training for delivering online classes. I commend our teachers’ pursuit of excellence in continuing to deliver the very best possible academic experience for each Riordan student.”

In November, Riordan students returned to in-person learning for a short time. Riordan came up with a plan to screen each student before they were allowed on campus. This plan was designed to get the students in the building quickly and safely.

In addition, the school has a team dedicated to protecting the community against COVID-19, as well as a liaison.

Ramsey said the liaison “deals directly with the SFDPH (San Francisco Department of Health). He has put together a system of contact tracing, attendance records and manges our safety throughout the day.” Ramsey feels they have a safe and thorough system.

Mark Modeste, Riordan’s head

Photo by The Crusader Staff Guidelines and directions to ensure safety cover the hallways. football coach and liaison, elaborated on the protocol, saying, “We have paid very close attention to the SFDPH guidelines and updates.

In addition, in times when COVID was presented on campus either

through a positive case or a close contact, we have always taken the most conservative route.”

He added, “We have created a relationship with the SFDPH

Please see “Health guidelines” on page 17

2 Opinion Editorial

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Winter 2020 - 2021

America needs to do better

On Jan. 6, a group of Trump

supporters gathered near the Capitol to hear President Trump speak. The outgoing President used the rally to whip the group into a riotous state before letting them loose on the U.S. Capitol to attempt to stop the counting of electoral votes. Many of the President’s loyalists suggested the same, like Rudy Giuliani said, “Let’s have a trial by combat.” Trump supporters then pushed their way into the halls of Congress where the Senate and House of Representatives were meeting.

As they stormed past the police defence and gallivanted through some of the most important buildings in the United States of America, these rioters showed complete lack of respect for the people they were threatening.

We have all seen the images of podiums and mail being stolen, with the latter being a federal offense, yet few (compared to the number in attendance) of the “protestors” were arrested on the spot, and even fewer were halted by force during the first several minutes of the assault on our

symbol of democracy.

This past summer, when Black Lives Matter protestors marched on Washington, D.C., the National Guard and local police forces were prepared. In stark contrast, the Stop the Steal protest escalated quickly after the rally, and when they ascended the Capitol stairs, they kept going, eventually forcing their way inside, past the overwhelmed security forces.

This is a poor showing of our country. Unable to accept that the people have made a choice other than him, Donald Trump has incited his most loyal voters to stage a coup in his name. Looking past the cowardice it takes to make someone else commit treason for you, it shows just how little Trump actually cares about the government he has been leading for the past four years.

Following this assault on Democracy, we must all consider how we intend to proceed. Trump’s cabinet can potentially invoke the 25th Amendment and attempt to remove the president from office.

Another attempt at impeachment is also an option. Finally, we could simply wait until the President-

elect Joe Biden is sworn in, but in that time, Trump could do even more to try and interfere with the transfer of power and incite more violence.

Of all these options, the best one is probably invoking the 25th, as it is the quickest and most effective method.

Unfortunately, it would require half of the president’s cabinet and the vice president, who seem fiercely loyal to Trump.

If we are forced to wait until Biden can be sworn into office, it is important that we never forget what Trump has done, and how we need to fix our country.

Every 18-year-old has the ability and the responsibility to make the USA the best it can be, a responsibility we can fulfill by voting in every election we can and voicing our support for the reforms we dearly need and peacefully protesting against the systemic problems currently plaguing our home.

Arts & Entertainment Editor Sean DiNicola ’22

Staff Reporters Andrea Abraham ’24 Jesus Aguilar ’22 Felix Alfaro ’21 Isaac Arguello ’21 Juan Carlos Campos ’22 Jackie De Leon ’21 Sebastian Elsner ’23 Logan Estrada ’22 Luke Grogan ’23 Joseph Grysiewicz ’22 Kevin Guinasso ’22 Matthew Hernandez ’21 Mahkai Hunt ’23 Arianna Jaboneta ’23 Clark Kelly ’21 Tony Kent ’21 Annie Le ’21 Edward Macdonald ’23

Environment Editor Delaney Mulqueen ’22 Religion Editor Marisa Hamilton ’22 Health Editor Elijah Calip ’22 175 Frida Kahlo Way San Francisco, CA 94112 RCrusaderNews.com RCrusaderNews@riordanhs.org Editors-in-Chief Jordan Tyler Maralit ’21 Grayson Salomon ’22 Opinion Editor John McQuaid ’22 News Editors Christian Ramirez Cortes ’22 William Lenoyr Ortiz ’22 Boys Sports Editor Cameron Bevan-Abel ’22 Girls Sports Editor

Science Editor Jonathan Godoy ’21 Technology Editor Andrei Lynch ’22 Exchange Editor Cole Anderson ’22 Copy Editors CJ Cabanero ’21 Joseph Zuloaga ’23 Photo Editors Noah David ’22 Clara Liu ’23 Brandon Tam ’23 Graphic Artist Rizlin Jew ’22

Art by Rizlin Jew ’22 The Staff of The Crusader wants everyone who was involved in this attack to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. We also want to keep the people who died and were injured in our prayers, and their families too. This blatant disregard for our country’s morals can not be allowed in America under any circumstance. WE have to do better, and WE must try to come together no matter what side we are on, and make peace with one another, because that is what America is all about.

Editors’ note: This editorial was originally published on Jan. 7 on rcrusadernews.com.

Staff Reporters Nathan Loeffler Malatesta ’23 Maxwell Meadows ’21 Sarai Melendez ’22 Christopher Murray ’22 Cooper Nelson ’21 Antonio Nuñez ’22 Chase Parker ’21 Michael Ortega-Portillo ’21 Aysaiah Radoc Manrique ’21 Joziah Rizzo ’23 T Sall ’21 Noah Tango ’22 Julien Untalan ’24 Ethan Vargas ’23 Jolie Versoza ’22 Anthony-Domingo Wierzba ’23 Zion Wells ’23 Santino Woo ’22 Adviser Susan Sutton, CJE

Letters to the Editor Letters to the editors will be accepted with the same deadlines as ads. These letters may come from students, staff, parents, board members, or other members of the community. The Crusader reserves the right to edit the letter for grammatical and spelling errors, as well as length, but not content unless it includes foul language, plagiarized material, or libelous content. If the claims or assertions are incorrect, The Crusader reserves the right to refuse publication of the letter.

Winter 2020 - 2021

Block

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Opinion

3

Which schedule do you prefer?

4x4

By Rizlin Jew ’22

By Grayson Salomon ’22 There’ve been many changes this year at Riordan, such as the transition to coed and the new facilities. One major change was the change from a block schedule to the 4x4 schedule. As a student who has experienced both, I prefer the block schedule.

There are many pros to the block schedule. Since you would have a certain set of classes one day, you wouldn’t have those classes until the day after the next. This gives you a whole day to complete homework rather than one night.

Another pro is for students who have seven classes. In most cases, you would have a late start day and an early start day. This gives you a day to sleep in, and let me tell you, nothing is better than a late start day on a Friday.

Another pro for the block schedule is for teachers. With the block schedule, teachers had a whole year to teach their course.

Now, with the 4x4 schedule, teachers are forced to cram a whole year’s worth of lessons into only one semester. This not only puts stress on students trying to keep up with work, but on teachers as well.

While both schedules have their pros and cons, I hope when we make a full return to campus eventually, we return to the original block schedule.

Archbishop Riordan High School formulated a plan set to ensure its students have a successful school year.

With the 4x4 schedule, students have three to four classes a day, four days a week.

Riordan’s Digital Arts Instructor, Viggen Rassam ’87 stated, “I have always enjoyed teaching in the 4x4 block system. Teaching an elective course allows students to get the daily repetition of learning new software that is essential in digital arts.”

Speaking as a junior with a full schedule, the 4x4 system allows me to be more time-oriented and pay diligent attention to work inside and outside of school.

Some may not agree with this statement, but there are students who have expressed their liking to the new schedule as well.

“As I am a new student at Riordan, the 4x4 schedule has made my transition into this school much easier as there is less work that I have to balance across the four subjects that I am taking this semester,” said Brandon Leung ’23.

He added, “Although this teaching initiative is new to me compared to the traditional British teaching ways that I am used to at my old school, this has allowed me to better focus on each subject and ensure that the work that I do in and out of class is the best it can be.”

Pope Francis to journalists at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic: “During the current crisis, we need good, free journalism that serves all people, especially those who do not have a voice: journalism that is dedicated to the search for truth and which opens paths toward communion and peace.”

Time to vote out outdated Electoral College

By Arianna Jaboneta ’23 The Electoral College is a “But ultimately, I think that very important part of American politics and government, but many people don’t know much about it. Without the Electoral College, the list of presidents would have been much different.

With that, comes the major controversy of the Electoral College. Would the US be better off with or without the electoral college? Why or why not?

To get further insight I asked Riordan’s Social Science department chair, Christopher Fern what he thinks about the Electoral College.

“To answer your question directly, I am not personally in favor of the Electoral College and my primary reason for this is that it makes people’s votes worth differently depending on which state they are in.”

every single person in America’s vote should have the same weight when it comes to determining the president since that is the one office that actually represents all of us,” he added.

“As it stands, there are current swing states which have a much greater impact on the election because they are much more evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans and the outcome of those states is less clear and so have a larger amount of political advertisement and campaign dollars going toward getting as many votes as they can in those states.”

He is definitely right. Different states do differentiate when it comes to the power of their vote.

According to WalletHub, the top three states with the most

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.

powerful votes are Alaska, Iowa and Ohio. Leaving us (California) at number 51! Why is that?

Well, Alaska, Iowa and Ohio are considered swing states, meaning they don’t typically vote for a specific party like for instance, California usually votes blue and Alabama votes red.

For swing states, there has been a mix of which parties they have voted for in the past. For example, Bush won Ohio in 2004, but Obama won Ohio in 2012. In contrast, California hasn’t voted red since 1988, for George H.W Bush. Since swing states don’t have a long history of voting red or blue, their votes are considered more important in presidential elections.

Professor Rebecca Eissler from San Francisco State University discussed how she feels about

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the current state of the Electoral College.

“My thoughts are that there was a certain wisdom to the Electoral College when the country was founded. Most folks had little to no formal education or knowledge to the world outside their immediate community, so the wise selection of a national leader was impractical.”

Eissler said that the Electoral College was created so people with more knowledge of the country could have a more powerful vote.

I don’t support the Electoral College. I do understand why swing state votes are considered more important. However, I think the consensus of the people should be how the president is elected, not who the Electoral College chooses.

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4 Campus News

Winter 2020 - 2021

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Fresh new look for locker rooms locked in

By Christian Ramirez Cortes ’22

The locker rooms and weight room at Archbishop Riordan High School have now been completely refurbished and are ready to be used. With construction being completed in September, the installation phase came next for the weight room and new locker rooms. This phase was completed around October, but new equipment continues to be added into the weight room as it arrives.

Ryan Jones ’09, Strength and Conditioning Coach, said, “Yes, right now the weight room is up and running but a lot of stuff is being ordered as we speak. All new dumbbells, kettlebells, some new bumper plates, new slam balls.

Pretty much all the accessory type stuff is going to be new, so it’s a big, big, big purchase.”

The locker rooms are also complete and ready to be used.

The lockers arrived on campus on Oct. 14 and were installed

by Jones, Jay’Sen Morris ’07, President Dr. Andrew Currier, Director of Facilities Brandon Ramsey, and Matt Craig ’12, all working together.

Ramsey said, “As a way to save a lot of money, we ended up doing the install ourselves. Jeff (Garcia) and I were the main people doing the install but, we had lots of help

getting the lockers from the front of the school, back into the locker rooms. It was awesome seeing everyone come together to help make this work!”

The truck delivering the lockers could not fit through the back gate so in order to not pay an additional fee, some of the Riordan staff ended up doing the installation themselves. They were dropped off at the front of the school and once they were unloaded off the truck, they had to roll them all the way back through the school.

Jones, who helped install the lockers, stated, “It was kind of fun. Being a part of the process of building the locker room. This is the school I went to, I take a lot of pride in this place. I’ll basically do anything I’m asked, especially if it’s for the name of the school. It was great to help out.”

The locker rooms are now brand new and have been upgraded in many ways.

Bob Greene, Co-Athletic Director, stated, “The most notable changes in the locker rooms are the improved facilities across the board, new lockers, improved sinks/bathrooms, upgraded flooring, more secure areas with doors/locks.”

Photo Christopher Murray ’22 The months-long renovation of the locker rooms is complete and includes several new features including new benches, flooring, restrooms and showers, and of course, brand new lockers.

The locker rooms are complete and students are looking forward to using these upgraded facilities.

Matthew Mendoza ’22 said, “I think that the new locker rooms were much needed and will definitely improve the athlete’s experience. I’m excited to return to the campus and participate in sports again.”

Coral Shafer ’21 added, “I’m really excited that this new upgrade is being added to our school. Riordan is really putting in quality effort to accommodate

us girls entering the school, and the construction of the new locker rooms is a great example of that.”

Student-athletes and coaches anxiously await the day that the weight room will open.

Jones stated, “I’m excited to be back in school. It’s great to see everyone. As soon as we can, we’re going to be back to playing sports, lifting, and running just like usual. We just have to wait until everything clears up and make sure we do everything as safe as possible.”

College counselors crusade for seniors

By Noah David ’22

At the start of the 20202021 school year, Mike Williams joined Riordan’s staff as a college counselor. Alongside Melissa Nagar, the two counselors work to ensure that all upper class students are ready to attend and succeed in college.

With each counselor working with half of the senior class, Nagar and Williams are working around the clock, especially during these interesting times.

As Nagar stated, “We do our best to split the class equally in half. This year’s senior class is 178 students.”

In terms of their preparation process for college, both counselors assist students by helping them write college essays, complete long applications for their desired schools, and expose students to opportunities they never had before.

Additionally, they keep parents involved by including them in important newsletters and giving them the ability to schedule meetings with the counselors.

However, because of COVID-19, this process has shifted to a more online approach instead of inperson, as meetings are now over Zoom and with the introduction of online resources to help with the application process.

College counselors Melissa Nagar and Mike Williams JT Torrea ’21 shared his experience, stating, “I personally worked with Mrs. Nagar a lot and she helped clarify a lot of details about the application process that I was really unfamiliar with. I feel like the counselors prepared us well because they sent slides that went through a step by step process of each application.”

He added, “My only problem was that our class didn’t get as much help on essay writing as past years did, simply because we weren’t able to physically meet in the college room with the counselors. I really had to take advantage of Mrs. Nagar’s office hours that she set up on Google Calendar.”

Williams responded, “I help students in the process primarily by helping them make sure to check all the boxes. In other words, helping them take all the steps they need to complete an application that presents their best self. Some of these things include writing a good essay, requesting a letter of recommendation from teachers, filling out various applications, or being aware of all the opportunities that are available to them.”

Similarly, Nagar added, “We help students in a variety of ways during the college process including helping students with their college lists, complete and review applications etc. We

normally do this in-person via appointments and workshops but we’ve shifted to doing things over Zoom. We’ve created resources to help students complete the applications on their own time such as recording the workshops, creating Google slide guides, and recording video tutorials.”

Nagar and Williams also mentally support students in making decisions that will make them into the best version of themselves.

As all students get closer to graduating and taking the next step, both advise to work hard in academics and to never sell yourself short in anything you do.

“Focus on your academics and challenge yourself whenever possible. Above all, your grades are the most important part of your college application. Colleges also want to see that you’re doing something other than schoolwork.

It can be a personal hobby or formal school activity. It’s never too early to research colleges that you might be interested in and their requirements,” informed Nagar.

Finally, Williams added, “I would advise students to work as hard as they can in school, because then they learn how to learn while creating more opportunities for themselves and their future.”

Winter 2020 - 2021

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Campus News

5

Valverde sums up 40 years and counting

By Grayson Salomon ’22

The 2020-2021 school year marks the 40th year of math teacher Ottilie Valverde being a part of the Riordan community.

Valverde was one of the first women teachers here, and also shares 40 years of being a Crusader with Coach Liam Watters.

Before Valverde joined the Crusader family, she had many teaching experiences in the Bay Area and even outside the country.

Valverde taught intermediately at an Army Education Center in Stuttgart, Germany. She taught there for three years, until she moved to San Francisco with her husband, where they started and raised their family. During that time, she did some substitute teaching for the SFUSD for a couple of years, and later started teaching in Richmond, across the bay.

Valverde said, “Before coming to teach at ARHS, I was living in San Francisco and teaching in Richmond. Public schools in San Francisco were not hiring and I began to investigate Catholic schools. I had gone to Catholic school for my whole life, including college, so I contacted the Archdiocese of San Francisco, inquiring about openings for math teachers. There were three.

I applied to all and each made an offer. I chose Riordan.”

She talked about what it was like during the interview process and how she made the decision to teach here. She heard a rumor that Riordan was not hiring women teachers. In the interview, she was told that there had been

teachers that had not stayed, mostly because of discipline issues with students.

“With my experience both in the Army and in public school, I did not believe that discipline would be an issue for me. There were two women teachers my first year; the other woman was a former nun, who taught Theology and was a very successful teacher,” said Valverde.

Valverde discussed how she felt being one of the first women teachers at Riordan. “It is, and has been, an honor to be one of the first female teachers at Riordan.

Participating in Riordan’s first Kairos Retreat was really where I found the heart and true spirit of Riordan and in my life as a Riordan teacher. I have never forgotten that experience,” reminisced Valverde.

Math teacher Mary Ann Datoc, who has worked with Valverde for 16 years at Riordan, told The Crusader Valverde has been an inspiration to her, and her role model for teaching math.

Datoc said, “Every year with Mrs. Valverde is inspirational.

She is my role model for being an effective math teacher, motivational, and spiritual leader. I learned creative math activities as well as how to ‘be’ and live in the present with God as my guide.”

Valverde has taught math for 40 years. This year, she teaches Geometry, Geometry Honors and SAT Math prep. She also is the comoderator of the National Honor Society with math teacher Keith Harrington. But that is not all she has done at the R. Valverde

listed her Riordan experiences, and at one point was moderator for The Crusader.

“For the last several years, I have been part of the Campus Ministry Program (Crusader Brothers, then Crusader Mentors, Freshman Retreat coordinator and follow-up).

Other work at ARHS that I have done in the past includes being the moderator of the school newspaper for five years, Director of Campus Ministry for eight years, Math Department Chair for several years; sponsor of the Math Club for four years; accompanied interested students to the Math Circle at S.F. State for four years, CSF moderator for six years, then NHS Moderator for several years; I also was the WASC coordinator twice. I was on Riordan’s first Kairos Retreat and have been the coordinator or a team member on many Kairos Retreats since. I was on the L.I.F.E Retreat twice as a team member. I was on the TAM (Teaching as Ministry) Program and was a presenter twice,” said Valverde.

Former Geometry student Jack Burros ’22 touched upon what makes Valverde’s class a fun experience.

“I just liked how we were allowed to do group work and she was a chill teacher and had good ways of teaching with objects and helped students in ways that suited them,” he recalled.

Burros also mentioned how at the beginning of the pandemic, she was one of the teachers who actively and frequently used Zoom. She offered several class

Mrs. Ottilie Valverde is celebrating 40 years of teaching at Riordan. times, which was a big help in such a challenging time.

Former Geometry and SAT Math Prep student, Jamm Magaling ’22, talked about how her class was efficient even during distance learning.

He said, “Although it can be very difficult to learn through distance learning, especially a subject like math, Mrs. Valverde was still successful in reaching her students. With just one quarter of classes, the majority of students’ SAT math scores greatly increased, all thanks to Mrs. Valverde. She taught us great test taking shortcuts, she broke down very difficult problems and made it easier for students to understand.”

Although much of the future is cloudy right now because of the pandemic, this is clear: Valverde plans on returning to Riordan next school year.

Editors’ Note: The Crusader will feature a story on Coach Liam Watters in a future issue.

Dancers lace up shoes for new program

By Marisa Hamilton ’22

Archbishop Riordan continues to make history in 2020, with the formation of a dance program.

The school is now offering a dance class, club, and in the future, a more advanced squad.

Although the first classes could not start in-person, the 22 students have given positive feedback about the activities during distance learning, some of which include watching classic shows like The Nutcracker and Swan Lake, and researching the history of ballet.

Stefania Pierucci, Riordan’s new drama and dance director, is looking forward to returning to the idea stage, where the students can physically dance together.

After the first quarter, Pierucci said there was “more conditioning, stretching, warmups, and then barwork.”

The final had the students choreograph a group piece of 32

bars, which “can help them think outside of the box, and get creative,” she said.

In collaboration with Pierucci, is president and choreographer of dance club, Jocelyn LeonGuererro ’21.

They plan to teach a blend of requested dance styles via Zoom on Tuesdays and Fridays.

While the school community adjusts to hybrid clubs, and on campus extracurriculars, the dancers will work together to create a showcase by the end of the school year.

Leon-Guererro concluded, “Our passion and dedication will definitely show when you see us dance.”

Photo by Stefania Pierucci Deanie Cooper ’24, Kianna and Addison Hwang ’24, Gabriela Ramirez ’24, Ceejae deLumen ’24, Miranda Hernandez ’24, Mirella Brattesani ’24, and Nora Maguire ’24 practice bar work in the dance class.

6 Campus News

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Winter 2020 - 2021

Freshmen flex their Olympic skills in annual event

By Noah David ’22

As part of the freshmen orientation program, the Frosh Olympics officially began in 1974, and was used to scout for incoming freshmen athletes.

Organized and moderated by Ronald Isola ’61 and the coaching staff, the very first Olympics had competitions involving all common sports and games such as chess, checkers, relay races, tugo-war, and even boxing. Although it has changed over the decades, Riordan has kept this tradition for the freshmen alive.

“As a former athletic director, I always felt that this event was Photo by Noah David ’22 one of the best athletic events of Despite the restrictions required to ensure the health and safety of all, the year,” stated former athletic Frosh Olympics took place, continuing the decades-long tradition. director Ron Isola. “Seniors to this day might not be able to tell you who won the WCAL football exclusive event and house Parliament Co-President stated, championship, but I’m sure they competition, but not without new “I wish we could have done can tell you who won their Frosh limitations. Unlike past years, the tug of war this year. It’s one Olympics.” competition was only held outside of the most memorable Frosh Additionally, Gigi Digiulio and socially distanced. For this Olympics traditions for me and ’21, Student Parliament Co- reason, traditional games, such I was a little disappointed we President, responded, “Through as capture the flag and tug of couldn’t have done it because of experiencing my first Frosh war, were unable to be a part of restrictions.”

Olympics, I’ve found that this is an this year’s events. Furthermore, Similarly, Digiulio ’21 added, amazing event for the freshmen. instead of having it just on one “We tried our best to provide It allows the new students to get day, the games were held over the students with fun games, to know their fellow peers, while a span of five days, where small all while adhering to the health having fun and participating in groups of freshmen would come to guidelines. Hopefully, next year the friendly competitions.” play on the Mayer Family Field this event can take place the From Oct. 21 to 30, Riordan each day. traditional way.” held the annual freshmen- JT Torrea ’21, the Student Despite the noted limitations,

freshmen participants, Student Parliament, and staff seemed to be content with the event and work they did. The olympic games included archery, cup pong, cup stacking, knocking down cones, wiffle ball, soccer, cornhole, and dodgeball.

In terms of the house competition, Russi rocked the games for the second year in a row with 149 points. Bolts came in close second with 144, while Cana and Pilar placed third and fourth place, respectively.

Freshman participant Riley Manlulu ’24 responded, “I really enjoyed the Frosh Olympics! It was a lot of fun, and I got to meet a lot of people in my class. My favorite game was archery because it was the most challenging game. I’m in the House of Pilar. We tried our best, but we’ll come back in the next competitions.”

Finally, House Director Benny Willers ’08 remarked, “I thought the Frosh Olympics went great! I didn’t know what to expect being the current circumstances we had to operate under. My main goal was to create an experience that the freshmen would never forget and I think we did that! There was nothing better than seeing some new faces and putting some smiles on them.”

Alumni tee up for hole-in-one donations

By Sean DiNicola ’22

Riordan kicked off its annual golf tournament Oct. 19 and raised an impressive $25,000, which will be put towards upgrades to the athletic facilities. The event, held at the Lake Merced Golf Club, brought together Riordan’s golf team, alumni, students and friends.

According to Paul Cronin ’93, Alumni Director and coordinator of the event, even with current circumstances, the event was successful. “We sold out and had 125 golfers attend,” he said. “I actually had an additional 40 people that I had to put on the waiting list! It really shows how badly alumni and friends of the community want to get out, breathe some fresh air and be together.”

Unlike previous years, golfers had to comply with COVID-19 safety protocols, including social distancing and wearing masks while in the golf cart. The only other difference was not being able to serve dinner in the building. Lunch was distributed to golfers during the tournament and they enjoyed a happy hour in the afternoon.

Another change was that Riordan’s golf team participated in the all-day event. According to

Photo by Luci Valentine Admissions Director Danny Curtin ’08 partcipated in the annual Alumni Golf Tournament that included 125 golfers and raised $25,000 for future upgrades to the athletic facilities.

Cronin, it was a huge hit.

“The boys got to meet alumni and friends, hit drives for them, and they raised some good money for Riordan,” he said.

Attendees commented that they enjoyed the event and liked

that the venue was switched from Harding Park to Lake Merced Golf Club.

“Everyone was just really happy to be together and having a great time,” said Cronin. “Golf may be the only way we can get

future.”

Golfers may not need to wait until a year from now. Because of the huge response, Cronin said Riordan may host another golf day in the coming months.

Winter 2020 - 2021

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Campus News 7

AP courses’ advanced plan for testing

By Sarai Melendez ’22

Last year, because of COVID-19, AP exams were administered online and shortened to 45 minutes, rather than multiple hours. For the school year 2020-2021, the College Board, for now, has decided that the exams will cover the course’s full content, and will support inschool testing, while also having an online option, if students feel unsafe taking the test in person.

With the unpredictability of this school year, and students who still are unsure whether or not to take the exam, the College Board has decided that this year there will be no fee if a student decides to cancel or not take the exam in May. It is recommended, however, that students keep their options open, as there will still be a $40 fee for late orders.

With certainty, like every year, AP exams will take place in May. A quick Google search or email to a counselor or AP teacher can help students determine the date of their exam(s).

This year, Riordan established a 4x4 block schedule, where students take four classes each semester and a yearly course is reduced to a semester. Students

who have decided to take AP classes are either taking them in the first semester or the second.

Ashley Vega ’23, who is taking AP Spanish this first semester, stated, “I feel like taking the exam in May won’t affect me, but it might affect other students who are not as fluent as me and might forget Spanish.”

It is statistically shown that if a student does not practice a language for a long period, he or she is bound to forget some words and grammar.

Riordan’s solution to students who are taking AP classes in the first semester is during the second semester, teachers will reserve days to go over what the students learned in the first semester and also further prepare them for the exam in May. Maya Torres ’22, who is taking APUSH in the second semester, stated, “I don’t know if I will be fully prepared for the exam.”

There is no doubt that teachers will be trying to push through all the material to prepare the students for the exam.

Cory Nelson, APUSH teacher of the second semester stated, “Because this year we are

“Learning,” continued from page 1

Religious studies teacher Joshua Keeney said he’s been using Flipgrid, an app for students and teachers to create grids for video discussions. Students can post a video response to a lesson and get graded on the response.

As some students were able to do what they’ve been hoping for, it was a pretty long process behind the scenes to make it happen.

Nate Simon ’99, Dean of Academics, said, “We surveyed parents and teachers. We took direction from the CDC and county to ensure our building was actually safe. Schools had to score an 80 or higher in their walk through to be able to open, we scored a 92.”

He continued, “Then we had to make sure we could fit our students in cohorts into the classrooms and that we had enough faculty and staff to supervise them. After all of that, we decided to open our doors.”

Students and teachers benefited from trying hybrid learning, but some thought differently about the idea.

Castillo said, “The pro is that the students in class get to feel the real school tradition of learning in person and having that classroom unity. One con is that you have to manage two audiences at once as a teacher and have to go back and forth between your audience on Zoom and the audience in front of you.”

“I think it would be a lot easier

to pay attention at home because you’re more comfortable and you have everything you need right there,” said Aidan Quirarte ’22.

On Dec. 6, the school administration announced they would shift back to full distance learning the next day due to the concern of students and families traveling for Thanksgiving.

The date to return to in person learning was Jan. 27, the third day of the second semester.

“We are looking at possibly being able to create some outdoor classrooms when the weather is better. We are also going to try to find ways to combine small classes that don’t have their teachers on campus, so that we don’t have to have as many students attend classes in the gym,” said Simon.

In regards to how well the plan worked, Simon said, “On-campus learning shut down because we felt students and teachers might not be safe, not because we were forced to shut down. Many of the reasons that occured, such as travel for Thanksgiving, will not be a problem in semester two, and so I think we can be successful with a similar plan.”

Simon concluded, “Students were safe while they were here, which is evident by the lack of spread of the virus. Things ran smoothly during the day despite so many changes to the normal schedule. Otherwise, we thought the first sessions of hybrid were very successful.”

Photo by Noah David ’22 AP courses are preparing for another year under COVID guidelines. teaching in semesters and starting spring semester later than normal, APUSH is starting early. I will have to start on period 3 instead of 1 because of all the time we will miss.”

Teachers who teach A.P classes in the during the second

semester may begin their classes earlier, as classes in the second semester officially began on Jan. 25, and the exam is in May. Whether a student takes the test online or in-person, with the help of teachers, they can be prepared for the exam in May.

SAT, ACT become optional as colleges change their admission requirements

By John McQuaid ’22

Due to the current difficulty in taking the ACT and SAT, most colleges across the country have decided to allow applicants to not send in test scores with their application. In fact, the UC system has promised that no matter what, they will not look at the test scores while considering which students to admit.

This is very helpful for many of this year’s seniors, including Coral Shafer ’21, who scheduled several tests and had each one canceled one after another.

Shafer mentioned that she tried to schedule for tests farther from the Bay Area, but found that anywhere she tried to go, the test would be canceled.

As such, when it was made clear that she would not need a test score for her applications, it relieved much of the anxiety from the process. As Melissa Nagar, Riordan’s head of college counseling, put it, “Colleges are

being very accommodating because of the pandemic.”

In fact, standardized testing may be permanently eliminated or made optional. Both Nagar and Nate Simon, the Dean of Academics, believe that it is a major possibility, and that it would benefit many students who do not perform as well on tests like the ACT or SAT. “I think there’s a decent chance that they’ll stay optional.

My hope is that this kind of forces the industry, the testing industry, to come up with some alternative and more effective way of measuring student achievement,” said Simon.

Both also pointed out that while many schools were already beginning to move away from requiring the SAT or ACT, some colleges have contracts with the College Board that prevent them from completely removing the test scores from their application process for now.

8 Local News

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Historic San Francisco Coca-Cola sign fizzles out

By Zion Wells ’23

San Francisco’s 83-year-old iconic Coca-Cola billboard was recently taken down due to high rent costs.

According to SFGate.com, “Soaring rental costs reportedly prompted the beverage giant to take down the sign.”

Mark Haney, who is on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors told The Chronicle, “It’s hard to imagine a better advertisement for Coca-Cola.”

Seeing this process was a little hard to take in because people have so many memories of traveling to the Bay Bridge and seeing the billboard, especially the entertaining lights.

Mele Vaihola ’23 said, “I believe that the city could’ve done a better job of helping the owners of the sign to keep it up because it is truly a part of San Francisco.” Vaihola also stated that she had memories of passing by the sign every time her brother had a basketball game across the bridge.

Principal Tim Reardon stated, “I think it stinks. I’m 52, and I can’t remember a time in my life during which that sign wasn’t there. Although Coke is enjoyed all over the world, it’s an American company, and to me, that sign

Photo by Zion Wells ’23 The iconic Coca-Cola sign was removed after 83 years of greeting travelers on their way to the Bay Bridge. represented a better time in this country when people loved America and were proud to be Americans. You don’t see that as much anymore.”

Reardon, a native San Franciscan, added, “It’s like the Doggy Diner and Playland at the Beach and Lefty O’Douls—they are now all symbols of a city that

New law bans racially biased 911 calls in SF

no longer exists. I’m not saying that SF isn’t a great place—I’m a fifth generation San Franciscan— but no one can argue that it has the same character that it had 30 or 40 years ago. These 7x7 square miles have been transformed into something very different.”

According to the San Jose Mercury News, the billboard was made in 1937 and will not be replaced.

“When the news broke last week that the red-and-white, double-sided lighted Coca-Cola sign that had greeted traffic heading toward the Bay Bridge for 83 years was being removed, many lamented the loss, wondering why the soda company would take down a billboard that had been a part of the city’s skyline for so long,” according to the Mercury News.

School Librarian Danny Appel said he is shocked about it being taken down.

“This hits somewhat close to home because my dad used to work for Coca-Cola when I was a kid,” he stated. “He worked half days on Saturdays, and sometimes I got to go in with him. The CocaCola sign has been a part of my life ever since I could remember.

I hate to see it disappear, it’s like losing a part of my childhood.”

Reardon said, “I believe in capitalism and the free market.

The owner has to do what he has to do to turn a profit. But that doesn’t mean I like it.”

Wheel in the Sky

By Jackie Deleon ’21

San Francisco’s latest proposed law, the “CAREN Act,” makes it illegal to make racially biased 911 calls.

According to ABC7 News, the Caution Against Racial and Exploitative Non-Emergencies bill, “nicknamed for the slang term given to people who make the baseless calls, means violators would be liable in court to general damages of at least $1,000 plus costs and attorney’s fees, and punitive damages.”

The act was proposed after an incident in May, when an African American man was wrongfully accused of accosting a woman in New York’s Central Park, and it was later determined the woman who called 911 lied about being threatened, and in fact, she was the one breaking the law by walking her dog unleashed.

According to the Associated Press, the woman was charged with filing a false police report.

Christopher Murray ’22 said, “Being a Black student, it is definitely hard in this society.

I feel that being Black, I have a target in my back every day I go outside. I have been falsely accused and, before COVID, any time I shop at places, I would

sometimes be followed or stared at.”

Ayanna Anderson, Head of Diversity at Highwire, touched base on Emmett Till’s story, a 14-year-old boy who was falsely accused of whistling at a white woman in 1955. There are similarities between Emmett Till’s story and the “Karens” today, where people falsely accuse people of color.

Anderson said, “This instinct just to make a phone call because you are in a place of power and privilege, without realizing the harm is not okay.”

A quick dial to 911 on a false accusation can change someone’s life forever. On Oct. 27, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously passed the CAREN Act, and went into effect 30 days later.

Supervisor Shamann Walton, who introduced the bill in July, said in a statement, “Rather than calling the police or law enforcement on your neighbor, or someone who you think doesn’t look like they should be your neighbor, try talking to them and getting to know them.

Let’s build relationships in our communities.”

Photo by Brandon Tam ’23

By Sebastian Elsner ’23

The Golden Gate Park 150th anniversary celebration was delayed for the past couple months because of COVID-19.

The 150 foot SkyStar Wheel, the centerpiece of the celebration, wasn’t finished until Oct. 9 and was finally opened to visitors on Oct. 29, but because San Francisco is now in the purple tier for COVID-19, the Ferris Wheel is closed again.

Located next to the De Young Museum, Academy of Science, and the Music Conservatory, the ride during COVID-19 is by reservation only. General admissions costs $18, and for seniors (65 and older) and children (under 12) will cost $12. Each ride will last about 12 minutes, with views of San Francisco.

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Local News

9

SFUSD considers renaming schools named after historical figures

By Jordan Maralit ’21 From tearing down statues of controversial and historical figures, some San Francisco public schools expressed the possibility of changing their names. The San Francisco Unified School District is moving toward renaming some schools in the city amid a moment of national reckoning on race and history.

In June, the Berkeley Unified School District decided to move forward in renaming elementary schools that commemorate the memory of the first and third presidents of the United States, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. An elementary school named after Francis Scott Key, the man who wrote the StarSpangled Banner, is also on the list.

Junipero Serra School, named after an 18th century Franciscan friar who served as an architect of the California Mission system through the era of the Spanish colonization, is another school that is seriously considering changing its name.

John Muir Elementary is also on the list of schools that could be renamed for author and poet Maya Angelou, who spent some time in San Francisco as the city’s first female cable car conductor.

Alvarado Elementary School, named after the Alta Californian governor, Juan Bautista Alvarado, is changing its name.

Sheera Sadja, principal of Alvarado Elementary School, said via announcement post, “From everything that I am hearing, the name change is happening whether you like it or not. The best we can hope for is

an extension of the timeline, but since we already have solicited names from the students, I am not sure we need that.”

Sadja also announced that they will do a survey for students and parents to see which name works best in the future. She included Alvarado in the survey, with a couple of other names as well.

SFUSD spokesperson Laura Dudnick has identified two more schools that are possible for renaming, Balboa High and Commodore Sloat Elementary.

Commodore Sloat, which was named after Commodore John Sloat, was a colonizer who “claimed/stole California” from Mexico. Balboa, also named after a colonizer named Vasco Núñez de Balboa, who was a Spanish Conquistador travelling to the “New World,” and became the first European to lead an expedition that had reached the Pacific.

History teacher Jeff Isola ’98 said, “Historically, AfricanAmericans’ voices aren’t heard through the system. It brings awareness to the issue of police brutality. George Floyd’s death was prominent. No matter what side you are on, there is no good reason to sit on his neck for 8 minutes.”

Isola spoke on the issue of cancel culture, saying, “The message that it is sending is preaching tolerance while being intolerant of things we don’t like.

Not that I am defending these historical figures on what they are as human beings, but they are also important figures in American History.”

BSU Student leader Na’im Pierce ’21 said, “I think it’s a

Photo by Brandon Tam ’23 San Francisco’s Lincoln High School is one of dozens of schools the SFUSD is considering changing the name of because of the namesake’s questionable treatment of people of color. good thing schools are changing their names, especially if they were named after figures who indulged in racist practices.

I don’t believe schools should change their names to rebrand themselves in hopes to cover up past incidents. It’s also important that schools practice and express the values of equality and justice for all, and not simply change their name and think it is enough.”

Pierce added, “The message the schools are sending is a strong one. I think by making these changes, it shows the minority students that the school supports them, values them, and does not tolerate discrimination or racism.

I feel schools often are named after historical or impactful figures, so it means the schools understand the importance of the Black Lives Matter Movement and value Black lives.”

Mayor London Breed blasted the idea instead of focusing on opening the schools during the pandemic. She said, in a statement, “The fact that our kids aren’t in school is what’s driving inequity in our city, not the name of a school.”

Breed added, “In the midst of this once in a century challenge, to hear that the district is focusing energy and resources on renaming schools that they haven’t even opened is offensive. It’s offensive to our kids who are staring at screens day after day instead of learning and growing with their classmates and friends.”

According to the district officials, the advisory committee is set to make recommendations to the board this year, beginning with the proposals to change the name, and then the board can possibly vote on any changes.

Lowell High School opts for lottery student admission

By Antonio Nuñez ’22

On Oct. 21, Lowell High School, one of the top public schools in San Francisco, changed their admissions criteria from standardized tests to a lottery system.

Lowell is known for its success with student academics and many rewards for being one of California’s top public schools. At first glance, this decision may seem a little abnormal to come by and raises a few questions like: How is the system going to work? Or, is the lottery system based on chance, or are there other factors that come into play? One thing to remember is that the pandemic has changed nearly everything, and this is yet another one.

Lowell alumnus and Riordan’s college counselor, Melissa Nagar, voiced her opinion on the Board of Education’s decision. “As a high school college counselor, I understand Photo by Brandon Tam ’23 why the Board of Education made this decision. Due to the pandemic, Lowell High School revised its admissions policy this year from access to standardized tests like the requiring a test to a lottery system in consideration of COVID-19.

ACT/SAT is limited and many colleges shifted to test-optional policies. For Lowell, their admissions decisions are partly based on academic history and performance on standardized testing. The schools would not be able to administer tests and therefore the current admissions process would not work.”

There are many factors as to why the Board of Education made this decision. Like Nagar said, the pandemic plays a role because students have to stay inside and that makes it hard to take tests for high school and college, which would make it difficult for schools like Lowell to decide who is eligible for their school.

According to The San Francisco Chronicle, School Board member Stevon Cook said in October, “This was in response to the pandemic and it’s become a discussion about race and diversity as well as the culture at Lowell and the negative experiences that Black students have experienced.”

10 State News

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Gov. Newsom sends first Latino, Padilla, to Senate

By Joziah Rizzo ’23

After more than a month of suggestions, predictions, and debates, Gov. Gavin Newsom chose Alex Padilla to replace Sen. Kamala Harris, who was sworn in as Vice President last week.

As the days drew closer to the start of the presidential term of Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, a replacement for Harris became more urgent, and local leaders and voters were urging Newsom to select someone to fill her seat.

There was a lot of talk about whom people believed Newsom would appoint. The list included: California’s Attorney General, Xavier Becerra; Secretary of State Alex Padilla; Rep. Karen Bass (37th district-Los Angeles); Rep. Barbara Lee (13th districtOakland); and the Mayor of Long Beach, Robert Garcia.

Alex Padilla, 47, California’s Secretary of State, had come up as a candidate to succeed Harris. He is a favorite of Latino lawmakers, advocacy groups and a number of labor officials. He was an intern for Senator Dianne Feinstein and became the youngest president of the Los Angeles City Council at the age of 26. He served as state

senator for two terms, earned a degree in mechanical engineering, leading a climate research institution, and helped organize a ballot measure in 2015 to ban plastic bags to curb pollution and climate change. As he is close to Newsom personally, he will be a motivated ally and partner for Newsom’s vision to push bold climate policies.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, 62, has served 12 terms in Congress representing downtown Los Angeles. His office has won 60 suits, with many still pending. He was one of the top candidates for the Senate seat, until President Joe Biden selected him as his nominee for secretary of Secretary of Health and Human Services. If confirned, he will be the first Latino to run the department as it fights the coronavirus pandemic.

Barbara Lee, 74, has served in Congress since 1988.

She is vice-chair and founding member of the LGBT Caucus. She came to fame as the only member of Congress to vote against the Iraq War and is a leader in antiwar legislation. She introduced the Women and Climate Change

sos.ca.gov Alex Padilla is California’s first Latino senator, replacing Kamala Harris, who is now vice president.

Act, which aims to create an agency working group on women and climate change. Like Becerra, she is also being considered for the Biden administration post.

Robert Garcia, 42, Mayor of Long Beach, is Peruvian American

and is the first openly gay mayor.

He has a doctorate in education from California State University at Long Beach. His intentions are to make Long Beach a national climate leader.

He has created workshops for different communities to discuss climate hazards and possible solutions, programs for Cal State, encouraged Long Beach students to engage communities vulnerable to sea rise and coastal flooding, lecture series and more. He would have been the first openly gay senator as well as its first Latino.

Karen Bass, 67, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, is starting her sixth term in the House of Representatives. She has been fighting for social and environmental justice since she was a community organizer in Los Angeles back in 1980.

She issued a petition to reduce carbon emissions and the use of clean energy. She is leader on police reform measures and she lists climate change as one of her major issues. Biden is considering her for several positions in his incoming administration.

Alex Padilla was sworn in on Jan. 20 by Harris, after she took the oath of office for vice president.

Local elections, despite importance, often overshadowed by national voting

By Antonio Nuñez ’22

Although the presidential election is important for the future of the country, local and state elections are just as important for the future of the community.

Local elections include electing a new mayor, voting for propositions, a new city council, District or City Attorney, school board, and many others. State elections can include propositions that affect taxes or policies.

Local elections are a big part of life because they determine how the school system, city government, and county and districts are run. In local elections, the person who is running for whichever spot is greatly reliant on votes and because many of these elections don’t have a great turnout, every vote counts even more, and gives voters a bigger and louder voice to voice their opinion.

The importance of electing new officials, especially a mayor and a new city council is that, “The Mayor is the elected Executive, responsible for the city’s daily operations. They appoint and dismiss key department heads, usually including the Chief of Police. Mayors are usually responsible for presenting a yearly budget to the City Council for approval, although the Council may amend it. Either the Mayor or the City Council may introduce new laws, depending on each

city’s charter,” as stated by Campus Elect.

The importance of electing new officials is that they decide on the use of land, how the budget is spent, how the police departments are run, and most importantly, laws that can affect daily lives. These officials also cooperate with the Federal Government on issues like immigration and illegal drug use. Some more important officials are county executive and county commissioner, District/ City attorney, and the School Board.

These officials (in order) set rules for county-wide programs, enforce laws or investigate and bring issues to trial, and decide how and what students learn via setting policies, curriculums, and budgets for the school district.

Without the local elections, citizens would have a lot less power than they have now and run the risk of a corrupt government. Another reason that voting for new officials is important is because these people affect change in everyone’s lives, both good and bad. For example, electing a new School Board will affect certain school districts and communities because the school board determines the vision, goals, and policy of the district, and also what their community needs from them.

To businesses both big and

Photo by Sean DiNicola ’22 San Francisco City Hall, the seat of the city and county government. small, local elections matter just as much, because they determine how the businesses get their money and go about their business. Local elections can determine this by both the mayor and the city council deciding and making new laws that can affect businesses economically.

Another way that businesses can be affected is by the different propositions. For example, big businesses like Lyft are affected

by Prop. 22, which says that app based companies don’t need to pay employee benefits because the “employees” are seen as independent contractors. A

proposition that can affect small businesses is Prop. 15, which cuts taxes for small businesses.

Local elections are a big part of life because they determine how the school system, city government, and county and districts are run.

According to Mellisa Wyatt of Rock the Vote, local elections “are responsible for local school quality, deciding sanctuary jurisdiction status, policing and public safety, rent costs and affordable housing, public transit, alcohol and marijuana ordinances, city colleges and job training programs.”

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National News 11

Biden beats Trump in presidential election

By Joseph Zuloaga ’23

Joe Biden has been elected as the 46th president of the United States with Kamala Harris becoming the first female vice president.

Harris’s husband Douglas Emhoff is set to become the first Second Gentleman of the United States.

After a long campaign against Donald Trump, Biden won the majority of the Electoral College with 306 electoral votes against Trump’s 232.

As Election Day ended, nine states, including battleground states, were yet to be called, with Biden having a slight lead in the Electoral College. With votes still being counted, both candidates addressed their supporters: Biden from Delaware did not declare victory, while Trump from the White House, did.

On Nov. 4, it was announced that Biden won Wisconsin and Michigan, reclaiming two crucial states for his victory that Hillary Clinton lost in 2016. The next day, the Trump campaign filed lawsuits in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Georgia, claiming voter fraud.

To this, Collin Murtagh ’22 said, “The last thing you want to see is either a Democratic or Republican candidate get robbed by alleged voter irregularities.”

That same evening, Biden once again addressed the country, along with Harris, and talked about COVID-19, the economy, and again didn’t declare victory.

Trump also addressed the

BuildBackBetter.gov President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris celebrate at the Democratic National Convention, which was held virtually. nation and stated that he was being cheated out of victory.

Early on Nov. 7, it was projected that Biden had won the presidency after winning Pennsylvania. He was later declared the winner in Nevada, Arizona, and Georgia, with Trump later winning Alaska and North Carolina. Biden flipped both Georgia and Arizona from red to blue for the first time since 1992 and 1996, respectively.

Although Biden won Georgia, he won by about 14,000 votes, being within the 0.5 percent margin required for a recount.

Due to this, Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger

announced that per state law, there would be a hand recount of the nearly 5 million votes cast statewide, though officials didn’t expect the outcome to change.

On Nov. 20, Raffensperger certified Biden’s win in Georgia, with his original lead shrinking to about 12,300 votes due to four counties discovering more than 5,000 votes that initially went unreported due to human error.

With Biden only leading by 0.26 percent, the Trump campaign requested another recount in Georgia on Nov. 21.

This second recount would be by machine and would not address

the president’s concerns about matching signatures with ballots mail. In addition to Georgia, Wisconsin and Michigan went to a recount, but the original outcome remained.

Hayden Peregrino ’21 said, “Biden winning was great, and the beginning of the change for America from the terror of Trump.”

Exuberant people all across the country took to the streets to celebrate. He will become the first Catholic president since John F. Kennedy, the oldest president at the time of inauguration, as well as the first president from Delaware. He also broke records by receiving more than 80 million votes, the most received by any candidate in American history.

AP World History teacher Mike Kennedy stated, “[80] million is a lot of votes, and it appears that more and more people are engaged in the importance of voting; however, the relatively large voter turnout could also signify increased partisanship and polarization among American voters, which might not be a positive trend.”

Murtagh summarized, “Trump did govern conservatively, but his kryptonite was his ego and rhetoric.”

Peregrino added, “Trump’s presidency was tough because he ruined us while supposedly making us ‘great’.”

Biden and Harris were inaugurated as the new president and vice-president on Jan. 20.

Mob of protesters breach Capitol building to protest election results

By Joseph Zuloaga ’23

On Jan. 6, an insurrection hundreds of Trump supporters occurred at the United States Capitol.

That morning, thousands of President Trump supporters gathered for a rally outside the White House, where Trump rallied his supporters to continue to protest the election results.

Brandan Lee ’21 stated, “Trump’s speech basically said their votes were getting scammed and that they were being silenced.”

History teacher Cory Nelson stated, “We have our right to assemble and to our speech, and I believe that Trump supporters have their right to do that peacefully. But, storming the Capitol while lawmakers are working is terrible and inexcusable.”

When the rally ended, the crowd marched towards the Capitol, where a joint session of Congress was preparing to certify the votes that gave Joe Biden and Kamala Harris their victory.

Around 1:00 p.m. EST,

fought with Capitol police officers and breached security barriers.

When the joint session began, Republicans stated an objection to certification of the electoral votes of Arizona. Both chambers then split for two hours of debate.

About halfway through their debate, the House and the Senate were informed that the crowd of protesters had entered the Capitol on foot, while others used ropes and ladders, and some broke windows to get in.

Yahir Rodriguez ’21 said, “It’s honestly pretty ridiculous to me how the supporters’ fury drove their control and lashed out by breaking into the Capitol just because they’re still melancholic about their president leaving.”

Mayhem soon broke out as lawmakers were evacuated and the Capitol was in lockdown.

Staff members removed boxes of sealed electoral vote certificates to prevent them from being damaged. The mob then took control of the Senate, whereas

in the House, there was an armed standoff at the front door as the mob attempted to break in.

Officers drew their guns from inside and pointed them towards the door, which was barricaded with furniture. According to news reports, still photos and video, rioters carried plastic handcuffs, Confederate flags, and Nazi emblems.

It took more than three hours for police to retake control of the Capitol and oust the mob.

Although DC Mayor Muriel Bowser had ordered a 6:00 p.m. curfew, it was ignored as hundreds of protesters remained in the vicinity.

Several hours later, Congress ultimately reconvened after the Capitol was cleared and at 3:41 a.m., Biden and Harris’ victory was confirmed by Vice President Mike Pence.

Nelson said, “Congress did the right thing to reconvene after the violence because they had an important job and that was to certify the election for President Biden. This shows unity from

both political parties, strength to not be deterred by domestic terrorists, and urgency to uphold the job of the constitution.”

On Jan. 7, a non-scalable fence was built around the Capitol, as a precautionary measure before Inauguration Day. Five people died as a result of the insurrection, including a Capitol police officer.

Lee said, “The protesters should have used speech instead of violence.”

Protesters took pictures of themselves in lawmakers’ offices, leading to the arrest of more than 100 rioters so far.

On Jan. 13, Trump was impeached for incitement of insurrection, with 10 Republicans siding with the Democrats. He is the first U.S. President to be impeached twice.

Nelson stated, “I do think that the incitement of violence is an impeachable offense, but I don’t think convicting him in the Senate and removing him from office would be a good idea, as it would set a bad precedent.”

12 Arts & Entertainment

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Winter 2020 - 2021

Murder mystery takes over video game community

By Andrei Lynch ’22

Among Us, a free online survival mystery game created

by InnerSloth, which originally came out in 2018, has become popular again. The game has gained players due to video creators and streamers making content surrounding the game on as YouTube and Twitch.

The game can be played with four to 10 people and starts with a player starting out as an imposter or a crewmate. None of the crewmates know who the imposter is and need to find that out throughout the round.

The game works by having a crewmate, you complete tasks, like emptying garbage or swiping an admin card, in order to win the game and as an impostor, your objective is to kill all the crewmates.

If an imposter kills a crewmate,

store.steampowered.com Among Us is a survival mystery game that is gaining popularity. a person can report the body and the whole lobby of people need to decide who killed that person.

If they get the impostor, the game ends. If they do not find an Impostor, they have to continue to

play until all the tasks are completed.

Emily Ekhaus ’23 said she plays “Just because it’s fun, it sparks some fun conversations, and my friends live mostly on the

East Coast so it’s a good way for us to do something together.”

The game is especially popular now because everyone is stuck at home.

Leo Magnaye ’05, comoderator of the RCade Club, said, “I kept seeing these little colorful astronaut memes and I just ignored them. It wasn’t until I played it with my cousins and sister that I finally understood.”

Religious Studies teacher Josh Keeney said, “Although I no longer play, I would focus on one map at a time. Learn the ins and outs of that map and you’ll understand how to maneuver through them more easily.”

He added, “Pay attention to the tendencies of other players when they discuss possible Impostors and notice the techniques people use when they lie (these are also good life lessons).”

Social media platforms encourage, enable users to vote

By Jolie Verzosa ’22

As Election Day approached, U.S citizens were given the right to choose government officials, state propositions, and the president of the United States through a vote, giving citizens a say in how the country is run.

The more people who are registered and vote, the more people are able to participate in the democratic process. With social media platforms now being a big part of our everyday lives, it is now a vehicle to both promote voting and register voters.

Dean of Students Raquel Oliva Gómez said, “Voting is a privilege and an opportunity to have your voice heard and bring about change in local and national elections. Also, it is important to represent the folks in our communities who cannot vote, and those not brought into this world yet, because not everyone is eligible to participate in an election.”

Over the years, social media has become more powerful and impactful. In fact, it has so much

Photo by The Crusader Staff

them, but every single vote counts. In order for things to change.”

Usually done through announcements, a cool website banner, fun stickers, and informative links, social media platforms are able to spread awareness about the importance of participating in elections by voting. For example, Instagram had constant reminders about registering to vote and a story specifically dedicated to it.

Facebook hosted a VoteA-Thon, where celebrities

Several social media platforms encouraged people to vote, showed them how, and provided updates during the election season. influence on today’s society that give educational PSAs about by promoting voting registration registration. Twitter had a on platforms such as Twitter, #YourVoiceYourVote campaign, Snapchat, and others, citizens in which celebrities posted with are more likely to register. the hashtag and a link to vote.

Claire Ibalio ’22 stated, “It is org. important to spread awareness There was even a National about registering to vote because Voter Registration Day on Sept. most people don’t vote thinking 4 that paid special attention to that other people will vote for social media outreach about voter

registration. Through social media, about 3 million people registered to vote.

“I one hundred percent believe that social media platforms advocating for people, especially the youth, to vote and register to vote are effective. I believe our generation is one of the strongest when it comes to understanding current events…” Jocelyn LeonGuerrero ’21 said.

Promoting registration through social media is not only for those who can vote now, but also the people who will be deciding the elections in the future such as the current generation.

It spreads awareness to younger generations, who are starting to formulate their own political views, about how registering to vote is important.

Social media can also help educate and provide resources for those in the dark about voter registration.

Through social media, the importance of voting is amplified, hoping that every citizen uses this privilege to make change.

Entertainment world mourns loss of TV legend Trebek

By Mahkai Hunt ’23

The famous Alex Trebek will always be remembered as the host of the game show, Jeopardy! for 37 seasons, and one of the most beloved game show hosts, having hosted over 8,200 episodes.

Trebek died from pancreatic cancer in early November.

Alex Trebek was not always the host of Jeopardy! At first, he was a Canadian sports announcer on the CBC Network. Additionally, he hosted many other game shows such as, Double Dare, High Rollers, Battlestars, and

The Wizard of Odds.

Trebek holds the World Record for hosting the most episodes of a game show. After taking a break to mourn Trebek’s passing, the game show resumed at the end of November with several guest hosts until the show will settle on a replacement. His last episode aired on Jan. 8.

Donovan McClain ’23 said, “I remember watching Jeopardy! with my mom and grandma when I was younger. Watching the show was always fun for us to do and

I was sad to hear that the host passed away.”

Additionally, Patrick ZamoraSalazar ’23 said although he did not watch Jeopardy!, he heard many good things about it. He said, “I remember hearing the catchy theme song of the game show.”

The theme song is perhaps as popular as the show itself, as students start humming it in classrooms whenever someone is taking too long to answer a question.

Wikimedia Commons

Winter 2020 - 2021

Arts & Entertainment 13

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Residents of ‘Our Town’ Zoom into audience’s homes

By Clark Kelly ’21 “Our Town” — The Riordan Fall Play, done virtually over Zoom and produced by student JT Torrea ’21 — was a great success.

This virtual format also took place for the previous musical in the spring —“The 25th Annual Putnam Town Spelling Bee”— so this is not exactly new territory to audience members or actors.

The play peaked over around 150 live viewers on YouTube that evening. Many viewers typed their reactions or compliments to the actors in the chat box such as “What a dashing young man.”

Vice-President of Drama Club, Daniel-Chan Artiga ’21, said “I think it’s always been difficult to stay organized with everyone in theatre, but one of the major challenges would have to be getting everyone to show up; it’s not always extracurricular conflicts, it’s personal responsibility… there’s family, there’s internet issues, someone would cut out in the middle of rehearsal, and they can’t come back.”

COVID-19 has definitely caused a lot of problems not only in the classroom setting, but especially for group-based extracurriculars that rely on being with the other members in

Photo by The Crusader Staff The “Our Town” cast: Emily Ekhaus ’23, Clothilde Borgognoni ’21, Marisa Hamilton ’22, Marina Viray ’24, Marynna Mangibuyat ’23, JT Torrea ’21, Danielle Datar ’21, Aidan Quirarte ’22, Alex Douglas ’21, Jeremy Sherron ’21, Bella Mason ’21, Jack Barnes ’21, Daniel Chan-Artiga ’21, Alex Wavro ’21, Daniel Barrett ’24, Angelina Denefeld ’23, Isabella Rivera-Gonzalez ’21 (ICA), Isaiah Clark ’21, Santiago Maldonado ’24. person such as theater.

President of the Drama Club, Jeremy Sherron ’21 said, “We are the only school in San Francisco to not cancel the fall play this year; so I’d say just being able to do the play in general instead of not being able to at all is a huge plus.”

Most of the fall plays, scholastic and professional, in

San Francisco have been cancelled due to restrictions pertaining to COVID-19. Fortunately for Riordan’s Drama Department, they were able to push past these restraints and manage to hold the play virtually.

“Family members from far away were able to see the play due to it being virtual when usually they’d have to fly out to San

Francisco to see it,” said Jeremy Sherron.

Daniel-Chan Artiga ’21 said, “There was a lot of work that was done outside, a lot of inspiration and direction we had to take from Ms. Pierucci; there’s only so much you can do through a screen, but it’s the job of the actor to take the notes and do what you can and apply it to your character.”

Drama Club spotlights multiple alumni guests

By Edward Macdonald ’23

Drama Club moderator Valerie O’Riordan invited celebrity Riordan alumni as guests for the weekly Zoom meeting.

Each guest gave an inspirational talk about their experiences after graduation from Riordan and becoming an actor. They also spoke about the entertainment industry in general.

The reasoning behind it was simple, O’Riordan said, “With COVID and distance learning, we have no other option, but to meet via Zoom. The best part is that these alumni would probably not have the means or time to drive or fly to San Francisco.”

“The alumni really helped me learn about what the industry was like,” said Julien Untalan ’24.

The alumni talked about their creative process and the recent films they have written and acted in. At the end of each speech, there is time for Q&A. The guests have included Jimmie Fails ’12, known for The Last Black Man In San Francisco, Joe Spano ’63 known for “Hill Street Blues” and “NCIS,” and Dominic Nolfi ’96, who starred on Broadway in the lead for “Jersey

Photo provided by Valerie O’Riordan Members of the Riordan Drama Club welcomed Jimmie Fails ’12 to their afternoon Zoom meeting.

Boys” and is currently in The Doo Wop Project.

“I like having alumni because it helps show what Drama Club

was like and gives us a connection that a lot of people are missing Right now,” said Andrei Lynch ’22.

During one of the meetings,

Fails said, “The most important thing is to keep writing, that’s the only way to get better.”

The Drama Club meets on Thursdays via Zoom.

14 Religion

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Winter 2020 - 2021

Students partake in online retreats, Kairos

By Ethan Vargas ’23

Retreats are a time to meditate and reflect on one’s life and to share with others in a group setting to discuss God’s role in our lives. As with many activities this school year, the Riordan retreats have gone virtual, including the Fall Senior Kairos retreat.

Yet, that hasn’t stopped students from signing up. In fact, according to Alex Datoc ’87, Director of Campus Ministry, 19 seniors attended the Fall Kairos retreat.

Naturally, an in-person experience is not the same as a virtual experience. Datoc said, “The spiritual component in a virtual retreat is very different.

We cannot have a Mass and receive the Eucharist and we cannot have the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We have to think of activities, reflections that make them aware of God’s presence through communion and confession but our activities and reflections do not take the

Photo by Leo Magnaye ’05 Campus Ministry retreats, including the junior one, are taking place virtually this year as well as Kairos and MLCs. place of a Sacrament.”

Nevertheless, students still gained valuable experience in this Kairos retreat. Datoc said, “The virtual retreat was very impactful for the seniors who attended, so much that the retreat leaders, parents and outsiders were amazed that the

retreat turned out so well.”

Jonathan Torrea ’21 commented, “Because we were simply behind our computer screens again, it felt like another day of school. But by the end of it, I felt like I got just as much of a Kairos experience as past years.”

So far, Campus Ministry has hosted five retreats this year: The Faculty and Staff Retreat, the local Marianist LIFE retreat, the first Sophomore and Junior retreats of the year, and the Fall Senior Kairos Retreat. Each of them have proven to be very successful, so students do have a lot to look forward to in upcoming retreats.

According to JP Cayabyab ’21, “Even though most of the physical aspects of Kairos were lost to the circumstances of the current world, the intangible emotions and feelings that came with it were still communicated to the participants. Kairos this year did not fail to deliver its emotions and sensations.”

While it’s uncertain when Riordan will transition back to inperson retreats, Datoc feels that “It doesn’t look like we are going to have in-person retreats anytime soon, but it is good to know that ARHS is leading the way in providing a very good virtual retreat for the community.”

Pope offers opinion on civil unions in documentary

By Delaney Mulqueen ’22

In a recently publicized documentary, Pope Francis’ comments required clarification on statements regarding same-sex marriage.

In the film, he referred to those who identify as homosexual, as “children of God” and proposed, “What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered.” But, where the confusion began is, the Pope claimed there were unpublished segments and improper contextualization.

As the New York Times clarified, “The Vatican has confirmed the Pope’s remarks on gay couples deserving civil protections as it sent an explanatory note to bishops underlining that Francis’s comments did not mark a change in church doctrine.” For members of the LGBTQ+ community, this was disappointing.

A direct quote from a document written in 2003 by Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith explains why the Church disapproves: “Legal recognition of homosexual unions or placing them on the same level as marriage would mean not only the approval of deviant behavior, with the consequence of making it a model in present-day society, but would also obscure basic values which belong to the common inheritance of humanity.”

Although same-sex marriage has been legalized by the government, the Church isn’t expected to show the same level of support.

“Same-sex marriage became

legal in the eyes of the law of the United States in 2013, but it did not become law in the eyes of God nor in the eyes of the Church,” agreed Religious Studies teacher Joshua Keeney.

To help understand this situation, a quote from Saint Augustine, “Love the sinner hate the sin,” is often used.

It encourages Christians to extend mercy and compassion for others and hate towards the sin instead.

“Pope Francis made the comment, ‘Children of God,’ because of the lengthy history of unsupportive parents and they ‘have a right to a family’ is what he means. They should not be excluded or kicked out as we sometimes hear parents do to their children,” said Keeney.

After settling the misinterpretation, the Pope wanted to make clear his distinction between assuring everyone is welcomed within the Church community and the act of actually legalizing civil unions.

According to the Catholic San Francisco newspaper, San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone said, “The Holy Father clearly differentiated between a civil arrangement which accords mutual benefits to two people and marriage.

The former, he said, can in no way be equated to marriage, which remains unique.”

Archbishop Cordileone added, “a civil union of this type (one which is not equated to marriage) should be as inclusive as possible, and not be restricted to two people of the same sex in a presumed sexual relationship.”

Wikimedia Commons In a film about Pope Francis, his comments on civil unions had to be clarified after being misinterpreted.

Winter 2020 - 2021

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Features

15

The legend of Riordan’s lost pool

By Jordan Maralit ’21

At the time when Riordan was in its humble beginnings, many future students had high expectations of what the finalized product of the school would look like. There were plans detailing how the school would be built, including the school buildings that Riordan currently has now: the administrative offices, auditorium, chapel, theatre, gym, and the cafeteria.

The enrollment that Riordan had back then justified the construction of a South Classroom wing that can be added, just adjacent to the gym.

What most Riordan students, past and present, still talk about is the abandoned project, which morphed into The Legend of Riordan’s Lost Swimming Pool.

According to the Young Men Dream Dreams book, the pool would’ve been located where the wrestling room is now, near the weight and locker rooms. Why didn’t these aquatic dreams become a reality?

When it was announced that the plans for Riordan’s campus included a swimming pool, students who were among the first to attend felt the excitement at what the finished product would look like.

Robert Woodcock ’53, shared his student memories from the day he became a freshman. He chose Riordan because “We were promised a swimming pool,”

according to the book Young Men Dream Dreams, by Bro. William Bolts ’53.

The book, written to commemorate the school’s 50th anniversary, recounts the early days of Riordan. This book shows the preliminary designs of what the architectural plans for Riordan were, as well as early memories of the school itself.

Bishop James Thomas O’ Dowd, former Archbishop in the Archdiocese of San Francisco in the late 40s to the early 50s had a role in the “legend” of the lost pool. Ron Isola ’61, who graduated a decade after the Photo by Christopher Murray ’22 school was completed, said, “The Bishop’s goal was to make the The power supply for the pool still exists, even though the pool does not.

Riordan campus a premier site of the archdiocese, including a Brian Kelly, Director of Chiu, who formerly worked at superb gymnasium and a first Activities, looked at the possibility and graduated from St. Ignatius class auditorium.” of having a pool at Riordan. He College Prep (which has a pool), He added, “Unfortunately, said, “I think if we had a pool, it said, “A pool seems to be better the reason why the pool wasn’t would have affected how the rest than it looks. The costs of running completed was because Bishop of the campus was structured, how the pool, in many ways, outweigh O’ Dowd passed away before the the entire campus operates, and the benefits it may have for the completion of the project. The probably we would have to hire a school. We don’t have the size of new archbishop, Archbishop John couple positions to run the pool... the student body and the interest Joseph Mitty decided to finish so it would be quite different.” in swimming/aquatic sports to the project without completing Kelly stated that Riordan benefit from the costs of running the pool. It is considered to be the already has a coed swimming a pool.” ‘legend of the pool.’” program. “We actually have a Chiu added, “We do not have Isola said, “If the pool had coed swim program now, coached plans for a pool in any of our been completed, I’m sure by Gwendolyn Dornan.

Our current thinking for the school. that Riordan would have a practices will be held at Balboa I think there are lots of other competitive swimming program Pool, and our events are held at projects we would do first, such to go along with the other sports the various WCAL campuses with as renovating the classrooms, that are offered. The school has pools. So having a pool would painting the hallways, renovating just completed an outstanding make everything a bit easier.” both of our courtyards, looking at renovation of the gymnasium, the Development Director Simon how to expand the bandroom, and locker rooms and field complex.” renovating the cafeteria.”

Slain SF native memorialized with community library

By William Ortiz ’22

On Nov. 1, the Sean Monterrosa Knowledge Up Library had its grand opening in front of Junipero Serra Elementary School with little libraries posted up around the school. These libraries were established in memory of Monterrosa, who was shot and killed near Vallejo while he was kneeling on the ground, with his hands up. Police and news reports state that a hammer was mistaken for a firearm.

On June 2, at the age of 22, Monterrosa was fatally shot and killed by Vallejo Police Officer Jarrett Tonn, according to reports on the investigation.

The shooting of Monterrosa happened outside in front of a Walgreens in Vallejo. When police arrived at the scene, reports said Monterrosa cooperatively kneeled to the ground and put his hands up, according to witnesses.

The officer reportedly noticed something on him that appeared to them to be a firearm.

Officer Tonn fired five shots towards Monterrosa, one of them hitting and killing him. The police then noticed that it wasn’t a firearm, but a hammer. Body camera video of the incident has

Photo by William Ortiz ’22 The Sean Monterrosa Knowledge Up Library honors the slain man. since been released. To date, he has not been fired or charged.

Monterrosa’s family, friends, and supporters mourned his death, but their pain and desire for justice has only motivated them to have their voices heard.

Sean’s sisters, Michelle and Ashley Monterrosa, have made it clear that justice is far from being served. Oakland attorney John Burris has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of Vallejo and Officer Tonn on behalf of the Monterrosa family.

Friends say Sean Monterrosa was an intelligent person.

Many describe him as being incredibly hard working and a very humble person. “He was quiet with a powerful presence,” said Nancy Abdul-Shakur, one of Monterrosa’s mentors from a program he attended called Horizon Unlimited SF. Abdul-Shakur said she met Monterrosa back in 2014 when he was around age 16 to 17. He spent two years in the program where she got to know him, and

they created a bond.

“Sean had a contagious laugh,” she said. “No one had a straight face when he laughed in a room.

He was also very quiet. This could be confused with being detached, but Sean was rarely not connected to what was going on around him.”

“I had the privilege of teaching Sean hard/soft skills in workforce development. Early on I knew Sean was special…. He cared about the issues plaguing his community. Social Justice issues were important to him,” said Abdul-Shakur.

Since Monterrosa’s death, a GoFundMe has been set up for a Memorial Library in his honor.

The sisters and their longtime neighbor Lisa Bishop, a teacher librarian for more than 30 years, and librarian at Aptos Middle School, came up with the idea of a memorial library in Sean’s honor that is known as the Knowledge Up Library at Junipero Serra Elementary School.

“I believe that Sean’s legacy is one of seeking knowledge of self,” said Abdul-Shakur. “He was always learning. And once you have knowledge of self, you find love for yourself, and therefore your people.”

16 Health

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Winter 2020 - 2021

Study shows Type O blood may prove resistant to COVID-19

By CJ Cabanero ’21

COVID-19, the infection that took that world by storm, has devastated millions. Even with the stay-at-home orders and quarantining, there is still a chance almost anyone can catch COVID-19. However, depending on a person’s blood type, some may have a higher (or lower) chance than others.

Recent studies reported that people with blood type O, or RH negative blood, may be less likely to be infected with COVID-19 than people with blood types A, B, or AB. According to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, blood type O allows for a little more cushion and protection against this horrific infection.

Different researchers around

Getty Images At least one study suggests people with Type O blood may be less susceptible to contracting COVID-19 and its many consequences. the world have found that among the people they tested, fewer people tested COVID-19 positive

with blood type O than people with the other three blood types.

On top of this major discovery,

folks with type O blood—the universal donor—also have the reduced likelihood of critical effects if they do end up testing positive for COVID-19. According to another retrospective study, the COVID-19 severity is worse on patients with other than type O and B blood.

This suggests that A and AB are the most susceptible to this disease and will have the greatest severity of it, having the increased risk of organ failure or paralysis.

Although considering the range of countries and ethnic groups, the type of blood one may have still aligns with what researchers have discovered. However, medical professionals and scientists advise that people not take this lightly as everyone is still vulnerable COVID-19.

E. coli resurgence reminds consumers of proper food prepartion

By Elijah Calip ’22

Just as the COVID-19 outbreak wreaks havoc on everyone throughout the world, a new outbreak has just emerged.

On Nov. 10, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported an alarming outbreak of E. coli bacteria throughout the United States; specifically, the E. coli 0157:H7 strain.

Six states such as California, Virginia, and Illinois have a total of 12 infections, including five hospitalizations. No deaths have been reported so far.

The CDC and the Food & Drug Administration have been investigating possible causes such as the consumption of Romaine lettuce from Tanimura & Antle.

The Romaine lettuce was tested for the E.coli strain at the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The Romaine lettuce was then

recalled on Nov. 6, 2020. More testing is needed since it takes roughly two to eight days for individuals to get infected with the bacteria.

The Shiga-toxin producing E.coli strain has several symptoms including vomiting, fever, and Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure.

To prevent the spread of e.coli, Stephanie Lee, a Riordan Biology teacher recommends to “Wash/clean your produce (vegetables and fruit) before consuming them — most of the E.coli is spread because of water contamination of produce...

Cooking meat thoroughly and not cross contaminating. It’s highly recommended to reserve one cutting board for meat and use a different one for bread, fruit, vegetables, etc…”

To practice this, Josh Kao ’22 said, “I would stay sanitary in terms of my living conditions and

ecolab.com While everyone was focusing on COVID-19, E.coli made a comeback. food sources. Specifically in terms of washing my hands, washing all my clothing before I go out, having a clean environment to live in. And then for consumption, buying food from reliable sources, and making sure nothing expires or that there is no contamination that goes into my fridge.”

Thus, countries should do more to prevent such outbreaks of contagions. Lee further stated, “Connor Shanahan, a Supervising Biologist from the Santa Barbara

County Office of Agriculture. . . really emphasized it’s all about the water. If countries wanted to be more proactive/reduce spread, he said consistent checks of water for contamination used with the produce is going to be important.”

With everything happened in 2020, communities need to be more prudent and enforce better and more effective protocols to prevent the spread and start of such outbreaks, especially the coronavirus.

Night Owl Syndrome may be genetic. Whooo knew?

By Julien Untalan ’24

A recent study on a peculiar sleep disorder, Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome, has revealed potential treatments for this rare condition. It is nicknamed “Night Owl Syndrome” for its distinctive effect of forcing people to stay up later than usual.

The new findings were published on Oct. 26, in the scientific journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The authors concurred that people with this sleep disorder cannot sleep until late at night and so wake up later, affecting their daily lives.

Back in 2017, scientists discovered the cause behind this was a genetic mutation of a protein called a cryptochrome.

This unusual genetic mutation

Illustration by Luciano Lozano via Getty Images Night Owls constantly battle the sands of time avoiding sleep. changes an important part of the system that controls the human body’s daily rhythms.

This disorder affects up to 15 percent of teenagers and adults, but people naturally have different sleep habits and it’s actually normal for teenagers to

exhibit signs of DSPD. Wellness Counselor Eizabeth Heuser said, “Teenagers naturally develop a circadian rhythm that is later, both for going to bed and waking up. Later than they had as kids and later than most adults have. This is natural and most

teenagers have to fight it to conform to our society’s early-start days. It is a built-in struggle.”

The causes aren’t completely understood, but genetics, puberty, other disorders such as insomnia, and poor sleeping habits are often associated with Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome.

DSPS may cause difficulty falling asleep and waking up, for the internal clock of the human body will force the person to stay awake, and wake up later. DSPS may also cause drowsiness and mental health issues.

In addition, DSPS may prevent someone from getting enough deep sleep, which is essential to health, and can interfere with daily life, cause unhealthy dependencies, and wreak havoc on mental health.

Winter 2020 - 2021

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Health 17

Teens volunteer to test COVID vaccine before distribution

By John McQuaid ’22 Throughout most of 2020, the international scientific community had been working towards a vaccine for COVID-19, and now that January has rolled around, two are now being administered in the USA. Here in the United States, there are two vaccines approved for use, but other countries have approved some vaccines for early or limited use. We are still putting vaccines like Pfizer’s or Moderna’s through more testing, including asking teenagers 16 and older to volunteer for testing.

Julia Balistreri, a Riordan chemistry teacher, has been following Pfizer’s vaccine closely.

When asked about the testing on teenagers, she said, “The idea of testing on young people and teenagers is outrageous to me, ’cause that’s usually just straight up not allowed… As a person, it makes me really wary, as a scientist I get it.”

She made it clear that understanding the way that the

vaccine affects a younger person’s body is very important, despite the fact that testing on teenagers seems “horrifying.”

Nevertheless, Alexander Douglass ’21 was actually somewhat onboard with the idea, saying, “I just might because I don’t know how many people would volunteer. It is a risk, [it’s] gonna be, no matter what, but I think I would, personally.”

Both Douglass and impressed by how quickly the vaccine has been put into the final stages of production, echoing that they were told to expect development to take much longer than it did.

Unfortunately, even with the UK and Canada approving vaccines like Pfizer’s for early use, the US is moving slowly. Balistreri made a point of mentioning that the rollout will be difficult here in the states. We are getting very

Photo by Christian Emmer via Tumblr Some parents gave their teens permission to test the COVID-19 vaccine. The two approved vaccines (Moderna and Pfizer) were developed only for those 16 and older. small batches of vaccines that are going to have to be sent to those at greatest risk.

This means that we cannot expect the vaccine to be available to most members of the Riordan community any time soon. Those under 16 will not be allowed to get

the vaccine anyway, considering it is untested in that age group. For now, health officials and medical professionals caution that if we want to get this pandemic over with, the vaccine is not our silver bullet, masks and social distancing are.

Solution to outbreak causes breakouts

By Anthony Domingo Wierzba ’23

With the Coronavirus spreading, which requires people to wear masks, an unwanted side effect has arisen: maskne, acne caused by regularly wearing a face mask.

“The ability to gain maskne is related to science due to acne in general. There is a bacteria that can cause maskne. What happens is, the bacteria gets trapped inside your mask, and that paired with the humidity, makes it an excellent environment for bacteria to grow and cause acne,” Biology and Earth and Science teacher Stephanie Lee explained.

Maskne can usually be found along the cheeks or jaw line because this where the mask usually touches on the skin. It’s easy to get maskne because of the

Healio.com Wearing masks that cover the mouth and nose protect the wearer and those he or she comes into contact with from COVID-19, but masks can also cause acne, commonly known as “maskne.” To avoid blemishes caused by masks, minimize wearing makeup under masks, cleanse the face and masks frequently, and use a moisturizer.

“Health guidelines,” continued from page 1

that allows us to act and notify people who need information in real time and in many cases faster than the SFDPH could handle based on the volume they are facing.”

People may ask why go through all of this for in-person learning; why not just continue distance learning until the vaccine is available?

According to Dr. Currier, “The risks of in-person learning are low based upon Riordan’s strict implementation and adherence to the guidelines for reopening schools as dictated and enforced by the San Francisco Department of Public Health.”

He also believes that “our students truly appreciate being

back on campus, for the most part. Yes, it is different, lessinteractive and social, but for many, being at school feels good and beats staying home. Seeing and being with the teacher is healthy for our students. I hear from the teachers, too, that seeing and being with the students is a wonderful thing.”

No one expected to be doing distance learning this long but the Riordan community has continued to work hard to improve distance learning and offer programs outside of the school day, too.

Athletic Trainer Erin Stovall said, “I do expect that there will still be apprehension from both students and parents to come back, which is understandable.

We likely won’t have this pandemic completely under control until the vaccine is mass distributed. However, I feel very confident about the protocols that have been established at Riordan and believe that Riordan is a safe environment for our students and staff to attend school. We do everything possible to create the best safety protocols.”

Stovall has also been testing teachers and staff at Riordan for COVID-19 to ensure the safety of everyone. Stovall said, “We have performed roughly 250 plus tests since we began hybrid learning in November.”

In addition to academics, Stovall discussed the psychological aspects, saying, “I think there is something very

environment and with humidity, as it can get warm, causing sweat.

Although most people are wearing masks regularly when going outside, there are some alternatives and different ways to prevent maskne.“I wash my mask every day when I get home or use a different mask that’s washed,” explained Carly Guevarra ’23.

There are now brands that create anti-acne materials such as Silvon. Silvon is a brand that creates anti-acne masks, but they also have pillowcases, sheets, and towels that help with clearer skin results.

Although students are not happy having to deal with maskne, Joseph Tiongco ’23 said, “We have to stay consistent with what we’re doing and we will benefit from it later on.” important to be said about the mental health of our students during this pandemic. Improving their outlook involves getting our students back on campus and in an engaged environment.”

Another concern is whether the sports program will get started this school year. Modeste said, “I have always believed we will be able to play at some point when it is safe.”

He added, “We all need to be vigilant in following guidelines, not traveling, not mixing households. If we all do those things I believe the windows to play will open for most sports.”

Dr. Currier said, “We ‘R’ a community, a family — therefore, we stay together, especially when things are difficult.”

18 Science & Tech

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Winter 2020 - 2021

Apple introduces costly iPhone 12, with focus on cameras

By Joseph Zuloaga ’23

On Oct. 13, Apple hosted a product announcement event titled Hello Speed where they introduced their newest iPhone, the iPhone 12.

Riordan alumnus Antonio Maffei ’20 stated that the iPhone 12 lineup includes “the most advanced iPhones we have ever created from the 5G technology to the breakthrough camera system.”

These new phones boast a new design with 5G cellular connectivity, night mode on all cameras, and cameras that allow people to shoot professional movies with Dolby Vision HDR, one of the primary formats for high dynamic range content.

This allows videos recorded on the new iPhones a broader palette of colors to work with and greater ranges of light and dark. DV Art instructor Viggen Rassam ’87 said, “As a person who uses the phone for photos and videos, it is nice that those parts get enhanced.”

The Mini and 12 models have an advanced dual-camera system with the Pro and Pro Max models having the Pro camera system and the LiDAR scanner, which “maps”an area surrounding it by

measuring distances of objects via reflecting light rays. This helps take Night Mode portraits and allows for photos to be edited using augmented reality.

The Pro and Pro Max models are compatible with new magnetically-attached wireless chargers named MagSafe.

Director of IT John Wu said, “I don’t think the iPhone 12 is a significant change to their previous lineups besides the design, 5G, and MagSafe.”

Marko Kesler ’23 agrees and stated, “I don’t personally think that there are many changes that are game-changing.”

Rassam added, “The 5G technology seems to be crisper and the feel of the flat edges has a nicer feel in the hand.”

Apple announced that when users purchase the new iPhone, it will no longer include a power charger or earbuds in the box, it will just include a USB-C to Lightning cable. The main reason for this change was environmental reasons with Apple saying that doing this will be able to save 2 million metric tons of carbon annually.

Apple is also removing the accessories from its existing iPhone models going forward.

Apple.com Apple introduced its latest model of the iPhone in October.

“It was also the general consensus that most users already have earbuds and a charger therefore the need to include one would be repetitive,” stated Maffei.

Overall, Wu said, “The advancements are expected and matches with other phone brands that are out now. It’s really how Apple pairs their hardware with their software to stand out and differentiate from other phones.

So I expect future software tweaks will refine these hardware changes in the coming months.”

Kesler said, “ I think that the iPhone 12 is just another iPhone that Apple releases. I do think it’s interesting how they went back to the shape of the [iPhone] 5 with the sharp edges.”

On Nov. 10, Apple hosted another product announcement event titled One More Thing that focused on Mac transitioning from Intel processors to the M1 Apple Silicon chip.

According to Maffei, this change “will allow Apple to open up the Mac to endless new possibilities.”

Water found on bright side of the Moon

By William Ortiz ’22 As of Oct. 26, 2020, water has been confirmed to be on the sunlit surface of the Moon, according to NASA’s Astronomy Team. This is an amazing lunar discovery due to the fact that water is critical for deep space exploration because it can be used for astronauts to drink, turned into oxygen for them to breathe, and could be a fuel supply.

Water molecules have been discovered in one of the largest craters on the Moon, the Clavius Crater. The amount of water that was found is approximately about 12 ounces, about one glass and a half of water.

Water was discovered on a sunlit surface of the Moon for the first time when scientists used NASA’s telescope on an airplane, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA).

However, NASA scientists were not expecting to discover water.

Some past examinations of the Moon’s surface detected some form of hydrogen, though they were unable to differentiate between water (H2O) and its chemical relative, hydroxyl (OH).

“The top surface of the moon is drier than the Sahara Desert, it’s

Illustration by David A. Kring for NASA not like they dug down a couple of feet and all of a sudden there was a big spring of water… they didn’t dig deep down at all, they realized the gas signature of the water,” said Tony Dunn ’82.

Therefore, expensive to launch from the surface of the Earth. It is not yet known whether the water detected on the sunlit surface of

the Moon is accessible for use as a resource.

Dunn said, “It is not a lot, it is there and if we can extract it that’s stuff we don’t have to carry from the Earth.”

This new lunar discovery is intriguing and important because it may be crucial to space exploration for astronauts

landing on the Moon. Water is necessary not only to sustain life, but also for purposes such as generating rocket fuel. If space explorers can use the Moon’s resources, it means they need to carry less water from Earth.

Although it has not yet been confirmed if the water is usable, many have hopes that it will be.

Winter 2020 - 2021

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Environment

19

Lego’s got it in the bag — phasing out plastic to make way for paper

By Sean DiNicola ’22

Anyone with experience building a Lego set will tell you that step one of the process is always organizing those little plastic see-through bags of bricks before diving into building the set. Things are about to change, according to a recent announcement by the Danish toy maker.

Starting in 2021, recyclable paper bags will replace plastic bags as part of a new green initiative. According to the company, this change was inspired by millions of kids who wanted the company to think of alternatives to plastic packaging. According to Murillo Olivera ’22, he thinks that the change from plastic to paper bags is a good thing.

“The paper bag change is a little weird to me since I grew up with opening plastic bags, but I can see how it will help the environment,” he said. “It is good that Lego is doing this.”

It is common knowledge that waste has a negative impact on the environment and contributes to Global Warming. According to the EPA, an estimated 14.5 million tons of plastic containers and packaging were generated

toy companies in the United States, and 50 years later that hasn’t changed. While it seems that Lego is responding to consumer pressure to create more sustainable packaging, the impact of this change will be massive.

Nick Mibach ’22 thinks that Lego should have changed their packaging years ago.

“People have been talking about the negative effects of plastic bags for several decades,” he said. “It’s common knowledge that making plastic BrickFanatics.com bags uses a lot of Lego has ditched plastic bags and opted for oil, the bags are not the environmentally friendly paper instead. biodegradable, and they are one of the in 2018 and 10.2 million tons leading pollutants in rivers and ended up as landfill. oceans.”

This impacts the environment Just to illustrate, the amount because plastic can take up to 500 of Lego bricks sold in just one years to decompose and may leak year could wrap around the into the soil and water. Plastics world 18 times, according to in landfill also contribute to Brickfans.com, and that amounts greenhouse gasses and climate to approximately 400 billion Lego change. bricks. If 400 billion Lego bricks Since the 1970s, Lego has are being made each year, which been one of the most popular Lego says its goal is, the change to

paper teaches kids about recycling and saving the planet.

With over 200 million Lego sets sold worldwide each year, this move to paper packaging should help show kids the importance of using biodegradable products.

Would making the change allow kids to think about recycling?

According to Michael O’Brien, AP Environmental Science teacher, he doesn’t think so.

“Typically it’s not the kids who are buying the Lego kit, it’s the parents who are buying the Lego kits for the kids. If that becomes more attractive to the consumers, then it could make a difference.”

Simply changing the packaging will likely not get kids to think about why Lego is making this green change. It will take a lot of reinforcement from parents, teachers, or any other adults in the child’s life.

The recent decision to change from plastic packaging to recycled paper was a welcome change for generations of people who played with Legos through the decades. While one might think it took them a really long time to do this, it will have a positive impact on the environment moving forward.

Companies find solution to fast fashion’s harmful effects on environment

By T Sall ’21

Cheaply made clothes are filling up landfills but thrifting has become more popular. Can people change a small part of their lifestyles to combat the effects of fast fashion?

Science Department Chair at Riordan High School, Colleen O’Rourke said, “I think of ‘fast fashion’ as like junk-food fashion.

It’s flashy, alluring, and cheap, but it’s often low-quality, and has a lot of hidden costs.”

Even if consumers use clothes with only natural fibers, they still risk the cost of wasting other resources to make them.

She suggested people use what is already out there, and thrift.

Jocelyn Leon-Guerrero ’21 said, “Many upscale designers sell items made of materials similar to fast fashion, but for a much higher price, making their products seem better than they

are. Consumers are also just paying for the brand name.”

Thrifting has become very popular recently. Not only does it reduce the amount of waste going to landfills, reduce air pollution from destroyed, unsold products, and help reduce the amount of employees in poor working conditions, but also looks just as fashionable and saves money.

Let’s go to the root, even before the factories. Fashion design student, Mila Sall, at School of the Art Institute in Chicago, said students there are starting to progress more toward sustainability in their materials and art. Generally, the students tend to know more, but teachers are slowly getting on board.

Lisa Etherington, Vice President for Inventory management at Gap Inc., said

Photo by The Crusader Staff ThredUp is one of many companies that encourages a more environmentally friendly approach to buying and selling.

Old Navy is really trying to do their part by using cotton that doesn’t waste as much water to make and donate unsold inventory rather than destroying it like many other companies do.

Where should people start to become better environmental consumers of fashion? Depop and ThredUp are a great way to start online. There are many thrift shops around San Francisco like Buffalo Exchange, Community

Thrift, and Mission Thrift.

For those who like to save, embroidering a bright little flower over a hole in a pair of torn jeans is a great way to mend something.

Citizens of the world are consuming 80 billion pieces of clothing per year, 400 percent more than 10 years ago. Environmentalists agree this needs to change to a more sustainable range in order to reduce pollution and waste.

20 Girls Sports

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Winter 2020 - 2021

Female athletes build foundation by earning training bricks

By Sophia Carrasquilla ’22 Throughout the seasons and off season workouts, athletes work toward personal and team goals that sometimes results in tangible awards.

Ryan Jones ’09, Riordan’s Strength and Conditioning Coach, started an award system of bricks in 2019. Coach Jones explained these awards as a metaphor, as bricks are seen as building foundations.

Nicholas Lundquist ’20, Charles Morales ’21, JeLani Clark ’20 and Gabe Martin ’20

Sophia Carrasquilla ’22, Aliyah Holmes ’23, Abby Donovan ’22, Delaney Mulqueen ’22, Riley Manlulu ’23, Hailey Westall ’23 and Carly Guevarra ’23, make up the rest of the group of female athletes who have made their mark on the Crusader Athletics foundation.

As this is a one of many firsts for Riordan High School athletics, the coaches are holding the girls to higher expectations.

Among the first female athletes to earn bricks are Sterling Damonte ’22, Jada Harris ’21, Riley Manlulu ’23, Hailey Westall ’23, Aliyah Holmes ’23, Abby Donovan ’22, and Sophia Carrasquilla ’22. were the first four male athletes to receive the award.

This award system has become a drive for many athletes, as well as something special for Coach Jones.

“It’s something I do personally,” Jones said. “I go and spray paint them and write the names — that’s all me.”

Over the summer, during off season workouts, Elizabeth Watters, Riordan’s women’s

varsity volleyball coach, became involved, and the athletes in the volleyball and basketball programs received recognition for outstanding sportsmanship and ability.

Coach Watters expressed that when evaluating the athletes, main qualities looked for were “The student-athlete who hustled in every drill, responded and adapted to coaches’ feedback, and encouraged others to work

hard around them.”

Coach Jones also made clear that no gender was singled out when deciding. “The award had to be earned—it could’ve been four girls, four boys or two and three.”

For the 2020-2021 school year, female athletes have already started showing their hard work, discipline and coachability.

Jada Harris ’21 and Sterling Damonte ’22 were the first of the nine ladies who received bricks.

Coach Jones said, “I do have high expectations of the girls who earned a brick because they have proven they have the three main qualities—to be on a higher level team, to be a leader and an athlete who stands out.”

This tradition has awarded 108 bricks to student athletes so far. Even though the seasons have been delayed, Jones and Watters intend to keep giving opportunities for an award.

First girls’ teams train to compete under Crusader banner

By Santino Woo ’22

This year is completely different, not just because of the pandemic and online learning, but because Archbishop Riordan High School has gone coed, meaning that there will be girls’ sports teams, which include volleyball and basketball.

Riordan has had a great load of talent in the past and present with the boys’ basketball program, and is hoping to develop even more young stars with the girls’ basketball and volleyball programs.

It’s no secret that Riordan basketball is one of the most respected programs in California.

This year, the Riordan Boys’ Varsity basketball team looks to finish where they left off last year, and the new Girls’ Basketball team is just as eager.

A new student who transferred this year from a WCAL opponent, St. Francis High School, Mia Vaihola ’23, said, “I look forward to playing with a new team and being able to show people that

Riordan girls are going to bring it this season. My goals are to get stronger and build a strong start for us girls since it is the first year of girls being at Riordan.”

The Riordan Girls’ basketball team has a lot of hard workers and fans are looking forward to watching next season.

The addition of girls to the Riordan community has introduced volleyball, a new and exciting sport that students can now look forward to playing or watching.

One transfer student from Photo by Sophia Carrasquilla ’22 Mercy High School San Francisco, Jessica West ’22, is “really Beatriz Dimayuga ’24 spikes the ball as Michelle Anzueto ’24 looks on. excited” for the season to begin this season and is extremely She continued by saying, “We and hopes that we can all get back excited to build a strong family. expect our student-athletes to live to school soon. She is “mostly She said, “The ARHS volleyball out the Riordan mantra of Pride, looking forward to meeting new program aims to develop a strong Purpose, and Performance. We people, becoming a family with and passionate community where want them to take great pride in my team, and training with Coach student-athletes will grow in being a member of our program Watters and the other coaches at their volleyball skills and work to and our team community.”

Riordan.” develop leadership skills through The volleyball team looks to The head coach of the Riordan teamwork, communication, and embrace Riordan’s culture and volleyball team, Elizabeth the adaptive pursuit of achieving prove themselves among the Watters, has high expectations WCAL. individual and team goals.”

Winter 2020 - 2021

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Boys Sports 21

Trio of standouts ready to tackle 2021 football season

By Noah Tango ’22

The WCAL football league, which was set to begin in early January, will be quite exciting for the Crusaders as they look to bounce back from a rough season last year going a mere 3-7 during the regular season.

The long offseason gave players more time to improve their game and practice as much as possible, and the players are eager to get back on the field and prove the doubters wrong.

The players are coming out of the off season hungry and one thing that they all have in common is that they want to win.

With the season starting up, these three players have been working hard and training over the long off season.

The first standout player coming out into this season is senior quarterback Azaan Ledbetter or better known as “AZ.” Ledbetter started playing football at 5 years old and he fell in love with the game while watching the 49ers play. Watching the 49ers made him want to get on the field and perform, so when he got the chance to play for the first time, he never looked back.

Going into this season, Ledbetter’s goal is to win. His expectations for himself and the team are: “Just to win honestly, all of the personal awards are cool and all but I want to win.”

Ledbetter hasn’t played on a winning Crusader team in his high school career yet, and all he wants to do is win. The pandemic did not stop him from training as he has been putting all the hours in. He knows that this is his last season, so he has been working very hard to become better than ever.

“Since quarantine first started, I put in work at least two to three

Photos by Chris Constantine Running back Fazon Ruth ’21, quarterback Azaan “AZ” Ledbetter ’21, and tight end Leo Maranghi ’21 are three senior standouts on the Crusader football team. Although all high school athletic events have been postponed, the trio and their teammates are hopeful that they will have a season. times a week,” he stated.

It will be an interesting year for Ledbetter as he is ready to start the season and get back on the field.

The next player looking to come out from an impressive season last year is senior tight end Leo Maranghi. He has been playing football since third grade, but his main focus was basketball until the start of high school. In 8th grade, he fell in love with the game when he played with his friends and future teammates on the SF Warriors.

Maranghi stated, “My expectations for our team this year is a CCS championship, and beating both our city opponents for the trophies.”

This goal won’t come easy but with the amount of hard work Maranghi has put in during the off season might be a key factor to achieving this goal.

“I think quarantine helped my

training because I had a lot more time to train, and also had less distractions so I was able to be extremely focused on what I wanted for myself,” he said.

The amount of time that Maranghi has put in will show on the field and it will be another interesting story moving throughout the season.

The next player, also in his final year, is running back Fazon Ruth.

He started playing football at the age of 5 years old but he said that he fell in love with the game when he scored his first touchdown.

Ruth didn’t score that touchdown until 8 or 9 years old and for him “there isn’t any feeling like it.” That first touchdown forever connected him to the game of football and the fact it took so long was what made him want to score more and love football.

For this upcoming season, Ruth stated that his expectations

include his continued evolution in his game and a championship run. For Ruth, he spent over a year improving his route running and footwork.

“Speed is evolution because I already have a versatile package when it comes to the ground game. Expanding that I will be an all purpose (running back),” he said.

Ruth looks to achieve amazing things this year, saying he wants “1,000 (yards) under my belt,” but the most important thing to Ruth is “coming home with a championship is the main expectation always...there is no i and team. I’ve gotten this far with that mindset and refuse to be selfish.”

Ruth worked hard through quarantine and he is ready to prove to be an all purpose running back for the Crusaders this upcoming season.

Football, cross country workouts continue despite uncertain season

By Cameron Bevan-Abel ’22

The Cross Country team was expected to have their first WCAL meet on Jan. 30. The football team was expected to have their first game of the year on Jan. 9 against Terra Nova, and their first regular season game on Feb. 5 against Bellarmine.

“I expected both programs to be competitive. The football team made some strides last season and were plays away from being 5-5 and making the playoffs.

Although some key contributors graduated, we are returning a lot of players,” said Athletic Director Jay’Sen Morris ’07.

“The cross country team had a great year last year,” Morris said.

“They lost some strong runners due to graduation, but there is a lot of talent in the program. Coach Willers does a great job of getting the most out of the runners, which will not be any different this year.

It will be an exciting year with the addition of girls competing this year...Regardless of the sport, the WCAL is a tough league from top to bottom; however, we will be right in the mix this year.”

In the first year under Coach Mark Modeste, the Archbishop Riordan Football Team went 3-7(1-6), but the record does not reflect their achievements.

The team fought through a lot of adversity and were a play or two away from winning in three of their close losses and starting 5-1(2-1). These fourth quarter heartbreaks led to a downfall trend in their last three games before capping off the season on a huge and era-defining blowout versus rival SHC 447. That Senior Day spectacular performance helped the Class of 2020 leave on a high note, as well as show optimism for the future of Riordan football on a new field.

and lead their team to huge successes.

“I think, if anything, this situation with the pandemic and all of the unknowns and changes of schedules they have dealt with has shown me that the student-athletes and the coaches have a great ability to adapt and be flexible depending on the

Photo by Anthony Rissotto ’17 Chris Murray ’22 at workouts. situation, which are always valuable skills, but necessary Another reason for optimism in our current world more than this season is all the experienced ever…” said Athletic Director players in the second year of Bob Greene. the system. Quarterback Azaan “The potential of the football Ledbetter ’21 and Running Back and cross country teams, Fazon Ruth ’21 both began their especially at the varsity level, is first full season as starters last high,” Greene added. “What will season at the varsity level and that mean in terms of wins or these seniors should now look to losses, is unknown, but we expect improve even more from their to be able to meet the challenges impressive numbers last season, of our schedule.”

22 Sports Features

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Winter 2020 - 2021

2020-21 NBA draft report card: pass, fail, slam dunk

By Cameron Bevan-Abel ’22 A- Minnesota Timberwolves: Shooting Guard Anthony Edwards, Georgia Anthony Edwards sure looks to be an instant star alongside D’Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns, but he will only live up to the expectations of a number overall pick if he increases his dedication for the game.

A+ Golden State Warriors: Center James Wiseman, Memphis The Warriors have been looking for a star center for a long while and James Wiseman will be that guy. Wiseman places the Warriors back as instant-contenders.

C+ Charlotte Hornets: Point Guard LaMelo Ball, Australia Scouts have been raving about LaMelo’s playmaking ability and how he has the highest ceiling amongst any prospect this year, but without consistent scoring ability and defense, it looks like yet another Ball brother might not fit the mold and live up to the hype of a Top 3 pick.

A Cleveland Cavaliers: Small Forward Isaac Okoro, Auburn After beefing up their backcourt in the last two drafts (PG Collin Sexton 8th overall and SG Darius Garland 5th overall), the Cavs finally help their defense out with an aggressive small forward.

The two top draft picks for the NBA were Anthony Edwards (top) and James Wiseman (right).

C Chicago Bulls: Small Forward Patrick Williams, Florida State This was an odd pick for the Chicago Bulls picking a player at number 4, who was projected by most not to even go in the top 10. Although Williams has a huge upside with his big frame and athleticism at 6 foot 8 inches, it’s a little risky to take a freshman off of the bench in the Top 5.

B+ Detroit Pistons: Point Guard Killian Hayes, Ratiopharm, Ulm, Germany Killian Hayes is a do-it-all point guard and always looks comfortable with the ball in his hands. He has great ball handling and a step-back jumper.

NBA.com

B Atlanta Hawks: Center Onyeka Okongwu, USC The Hawks help their struggling defense with a big man who should play fairly well alongside John Collins and Clint Capela and compete with them early in his career to get solid minutes.

A+ New York Knicks: Power Forward Obi Toppin, Dayton I LOVE THIS PICK. In my opinion, Obi Toppin is probably the best player in this draft. Not only that, but this player will establish the frontcourt of the squad and will force the team to no longer try to improve their big men and now focus solely on their backcourt after the Knicks signed four power forwards from free agency last year.

GoldenStateOfMind.com B+ Washington Wizards: Small Forward Deni Avdija, Maccabi, Tel-Aviv Avdija is an extremely tall and athletic small forward who plays like a center on defense with extremely active hands for blocks and steals and is great at dunking in transition. I would not be surprised if he was the next great international big man.

A- Phoenix Suns: Center Jalen Smith, Maryland Jalen Smith was a reach at 10, but I’m in love with his constant energy on both sides of the ball that I think he will be a great player in the league and contributor to a rising Suns’ team.

MLB’s Marlins hire first female general manager

By Andrea Abraham ’24

After about 117 years of major league baseball and 93 years of having managers, a woman has finally ascended to the role of a full-time general manager of the professional baseball team, the Miami Marlins.

This woman is the 51-yearold, long-time baseball supporter, Kim Ng. Ng first applied for general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers when there was an opening in 2005. After 15 years of working in the MLB, she breaks barriers as the first female and first Asian general manager of a baseball team.

“It is a step in the right direction for the sport that is mostly directed by men, you finally see women in positions you’ve typically only see men in,” said Elci Cortes ’22, a softball player. “Baseball is a family sport in my house, and so as a girl who loves the sport and learned the sport, it is nice to

see women joining the sport, representing not only what women can bring to the sport, but what they can do for the sport, and what they want to see in the sport.”

Ng was born on Sept. 17, 1968.

As a child, she played stickball and golf, and she loved learning about sports from her father.

At the young age of 21, Ng had an internship with the Chicago White Sox. Nine years later, she was the youngest assistant general manager for the New York Yankees. In 2011, she became the senior vice president of baseball operations.

Cortes added, “I’ve only ever seen a woman hitting coach, which is also recent, so seeing women in positions that you grow up thinking are only for men makes me happy that there is representation. Also, for girls who are interested in baseball or softball and want to be in these positions, now they know that they can do it.”

MLB’s Twitter Kim Ng is the MLB’s first female general manager.

Winter 2020 - 2021

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Sports Features 23

NFL sleeper teams slip back into playoffs

By Chase Parker ’21

The NFL has been broken up into two conferences since its merger in the late 70s, between the NFC and AFC. Both are well known for their sheer amount of competitors, but during this season the NFC has been on the rise, especially for some teams who were destined to be great.

The NFC West is arguably the best division in football, with multiple teams finishing over .500 and having some of the most recognizable and best players in the division. During the offseason, the Arizona Cardinals got one of the best wide receivers in football, Deandre Hopkins.

Arizona’s 2019 #1 draft pick Kyler Murray is poised to break out and with Hopkins, this is the duo you’ll be hearing about for a while. Now the Hopkins and Ramsey matchup will be even more exciting with the Cardinals and L.A. Rams having many young, talented players.

The L.A. Rams have got one of the best defenses in the NFL. They showed that against their opponents throughout the year being the number 1 pass, run and scoring defense. They traded midseason last year for All-Pro Jalen Ramsey who is notorious for trash talking, but when you play like him I think you can talk like that. Also, in the trenches they have All-Pro, Pro Bowler, and one of the best players in the NFL, Aaron Donald. This defense is scary and they will be giving the opposing offenses nightmares.

With the Cardinals acquiring one of the best receivers, Seattle went out to get one of the best

BuffaloBills.com The Buffalo Bills returned to the playoffs after a long absence. safeties, being All-Pro Jamal Watson led the league in passing Adams. Seattle has always been yards for the season with 4,823, a great offensive threat, but the averaged 301.4 yards a game lack of defense they’ve had shows and had 33 touchdowns on the and is still a major concern for season. An addition like that for them. Seattle won the division the 49ers in Kyle Shannahan’s title and lost in an upset to the offense would easily put them as Los Angeles Rams on Wild Card a Super Bowl favorite next year Weekend. If Jamal comes back and maybe even a MVP front to the Hawks next year, it’s only runner for Watson.

The NFC North is led by Aaron a matter of time to see what Rodgers and the Green Bay Adams can bring to the table.

The 49ers and Cardinals both Packers. The Packers went ahead missed the playoffs, but with in the first round of the NFL 2019 the #13 pick in the draft, fans Draft and selected Utah State’s are interested if the front office Jordan Love … a quarterback. will go with a quarterback or People believed it to be Aaron another defensive superstar. A Rodgers’ last legs with the Pack, quarterback could mean an end just like how he replaced Hall of for the Jimmy G era, but the team Fame legend Brett Favre.

Aaron Rodgers showed could be front runners for the everyone that he’s still got some Super Bowl next year.

If they do happen to get a fire left at 37 and is the all time quarterback, a lot of speculation passer rating leader and the has them not getting a fastest quarterback ever to throw quarterback with their #13 pick, for 400 touchdowns. Rodgers but instead trading it away for looks to be our consensus 2020 Houston Texan Deshaun Watson. NFL MVP and look for a Super

Bowl capping off an amazing season by the generational talent.

The NFC South has been dominated by Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints for many years. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been on the rise with a solid all around defense including Pro Bowler Shaquil Barret, All-Pro Lavonte David, and upcoming sophomore Devin White. They acquired a future Hall of Famer, and some call him the greatest to play, Tom Brady, in the offseason. They made their offense much scarier with another addition in Leonard Fournette and Antonio Brown. This team has high expectations in a stellar offense that has them as Super Bowl contenders.

This is not to take away from the Saints, who signed former Bronco and 49er Emmanuel Sanders, and Super Bowl Champion Malcom Jenkins. The Saints swept the Buccaneers in the regular season, and suffered a loss to Tom Brady and his commanding team in the divisional round of the playoffs.

The Saints still have some great players like superstar running back Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas who set the regular season record for receptions with 149 a year prior. Drew Brees likely is retiring after a devastating loss, but the Saints are in good hands.

Brady is leading this superb Buccaneers offense and if he is still playing in a couple of years, don’t be surprised to see him hold up the Lombardi for a seventh time. People may think Tom is getting older so he is on a decline, but long time football fans know Brady gets better with age.

COVID-19 sidelines much of college football season

By Cameron Bevan-Abel ’22

This college football season has been anything but normal.

There have been teams playing in 13 games, while others playing in only four. There were four conferences that postponed their seasons until the spring way back in the summer, but all of them surprisingly canceled their postponements and started only a few months after the rest of the conferences.

There were countless surprises sprinkled throughout the season, especially for the best of programs.

The top conference, the SEC, had a shootout for a championship game in an Alabama victory over Florida, 52-46. The game featured four of the top five Heisman finalists (best player in college football) in QBs Mac Jones and Kyle Trask, RB Najee Harris and WR Devonta Smith. Both of the quarterbacks threw for over 400 yards and RB Najee Harris, 5th in Heisman voting, accounted for 245 total yards and 5 touchdowns.

Another good conference

championship game was between the big 20.5 point underdog Northwestern and Ohio State.

The spotlight for this game was on both of the highly touted defenses as Northwestern was winning 10-6 at the half (Ohio State averaged 42 points per game for the season). The Buckeyes offense finally got going in the second half as transfer running back Trey Sermon ran for 331 yards on the day breaking the OSU single game rushing record set by Eddie George as they prevailed 22-10.

What might have been the weirdest events of the season happened out west. For the PAC-12 Championship game, a 5-0 USC team was set to play a 3-1 Washington squad. Due to COVID cancellation policy, a 3-2 Oregon program replaced the Huskies in the championship because Washington had neither the minimum scholarship players required to suit up nor the players per position, due to a COVID-19 outbreak. In a shock, the Ducks beat the Trojans 31- 24 after

losing back to back games and going four weeks without a win prior to the matchup.

As entertaining as the power 5 conference championships appeared, the group of five were filled with possibly even more surprises. In the Mountain West Conference, San Jose State won their first championship in the conference beating out powerhouse of the previous decade, Boise State, 34-20. The Spartans went from 2-6 in the previous season to 6-0 in league play this year.

In the American Athletic Conference, powerhouses of the league in the previous decade Memphis and UCF shockingly missed the championship game as Tulsa and Cincinnati fared off.

UCF missed the championship last season because of losing to Tulsa after being 17 point favorites, and missed it again this season due to losing to Tulsa despite being 20.5 point favorites.

Tulsa went from worst to first in the western division after going

from 2-6 to 6-0 in league play.

The biggest surprise in the group may have been the season that Coastal Carolina had. The team went undefeated in league play, winning the conference in just their fourth season as a program. They beat a very good BYU team led by projected 1st round quarterback Zach Wilson, forcing him into his worst showing of the season.The team may have lost in their first bowl game in a devastating fashion (blocked fg in OT), but the program has a lot of optimism for the future.

The college football season had shocks and surprises throughout the year, stemming from even having a season in the first place, demonstrating that they were lucky to have the opportunity to play during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Crusader kicker Jack McNulty ’22 said, “What really surprised me was Ohio State pulling off a win during the Clemson game. It was an amazing rematch!”

24 Food Reviews

Winter 2020 - 2021

The Crusader Archbishop Riordan High School

Soup warms hearts and bellies during winter months Review and photo by Delaney Mulqueen ’22

Any San Franciscan knows Japantown Peace Plaza is the go-to destination to explore Japanese culture.

The authenticity, wide-price ranges, and atmosphere make the experience desirable. The area has amazing restaurants, some even specializing in udon. If you’re new to the area or in need of recommendations, visit Udon Mugizo.

Inside the Plaza, on 1581 Webster Street, you’ll find the best place for comfort food. Recently, before the Department of Health shut down restaurants, I decided to eat there for dinner with a friend.

Despite COVID-19 regulations, I was still able to safely dine inside.

Clam Chowder

Udon

The exterior of the restaurant is adorable. It captures the appearance of a traditional Japanese building.

We were seated right away and my food was delivered in under five minutes.

Can’t say I was surprised, how good my meal was, considering the restaurant particularly sells different variations of udon.

I ordered the Hot Beef Sukiyaki Nabeyaki Udon, which includes: a poached egg, thin beef slides, enoki mushrooms, onions, fish cake, napa cabbage, and green onions, all in a clay pot. As a first-time customer, I was beyond satisfied; the broth was perfect and the meat wasn’t too fatty. I definitely recommend making the trip.

Review and photo

by Grayson Salomon ’22

When it comes to the famous clam chowder in a sourdough bowl at Fisherman’s Wharf, people think of Boudin Bakery, known for their sourdough bread. But, the original sourdough clam chowder bowl is at Chowder’s, located near the entrance of Pier 39.

At Chowder’s, you can choose between either white (Boston) or red (Manhattan) clam chowder for the price of $10. I got the original white clam chowder in the bread bowl.

The chowder comes with “loads of clams, fresh celery and onions, potatoes and crispy bacon.”

First, I tasted the lid of the sourdough bread bowl, and it wasn’t that sour; it tasted more like French bread, which I was fine with, but some might not be. When first tasting the soup, it was hot and I immediately tasted the “loads of clams.”

Review and photo

by Noah David ’22

Located on 723 California Drive in Burlingame is a casual restaurant named Hanabi, which serves Japanese plates such as ramen and curry. With Japanese food being my favorite cuisine, I was ecstatic to see what this restaurant had to offer.

I went to Hanabi on a weekday night right before the dinner rush. Although the pandemic is still around, Hanabi does their part to keep everybody safe by offering takeout.

Upon entering the small but cozy establishment, I was welcomed with a mask-wearing waitress who politely guided me to a table and served me a glass of water. She then gave me a colorful menu, which presented me with their wide range of appetizers, ramen, and curry dishes.

The dish I enjoyed was the Shoyu Ramen priced at $12.50. This traditional Japanese dish from Habani included a soy sauce-based soup with thin noodles, complemented by Chashu, braised pork

Pho

I was very happy since most of the clam chowders I’ve had have lacked clams.

Then came the amazing flavor of the soup, which was not too thick or not too watery, a very good happy medium. A couple of sips in, I noticed the extremely crunchy celery and the soft potatoes, but didn’t taste any onions and only a hint of bacon. Also, I noticed that there wasn’t much chowder in the bowl, and was almost empty after about 10 spoonfuls. Towards the end however, the soggy bread inside the bowl added a creamy texture to the meal and it was very good.

My final thoughts are that they make a really good clam chowder and paired with the sights of the bay, make for a very good experience.

However, they need to step up their bacon and onion game and add more chowder to the bowl. I give it a solid 4 out of 5 stars.

belly, crunchy fried onions, grilled corn, baby spinach, green onions, and dried seaweed.

As soon as this steamy bowl was served, I was ambushed by smoky aromas and neutral tones of brown and green. Upon first bite, the gentle noodles and the subtle saltiness of the ramen soup greeted me, and I could not wait to try more. The next bite was better than before, which consisted of tender pork, sweet corn, and the crunchy fried onions. This dish offered me so many different combinations with each bite, with some being led by the rich soup, soft noodles, or tender pork.

All in all, Hanabi is a wonderful Japanese restaurant that I would recommend to anyone who truly enjoys genuine Japanese dishes. This establishment has food for all, as they serve simple dishes and unique plates. Although the food can get pricey, I do believe that the price is a reflection of the quality of Hanabi’s service and food. Be sure to try Hanabi for yourself when you are in the Burlingame area or in the mood for savory Japanese cuisine.

Review and photo

by Nathan Loeffler Malatesta ’23

Oasis Vietiamez Cuisine, on 549 Oceana Blvd., Pacifica, has been in business since only 2017 and features Vietnamese foods like Pho, Rau Muong, and Crepe yet also have other delicacies like shredded pork and duck stir fry, and a wide range of vegetarian options.

I chose to get the most popular dish, the beef pho. However, this dish was not outstanding, compared to other pho’s I’ve had previously, even though it was still good. The broth, a golden brown hue and the best part, was delicious.

It had a fantastic comforting aroma and felt silky as I sipped it. Though green, the vegetables tasted old and were too chewy; adding on, the beef tasted good, yet there was too little and was too thinly cut to properly

Ramen

match the given amount of broth and deliver the pho extra flavor. Lastly, the noodles were made correctly and did their job, yet their flavor and texture were not extraordinary.

Additionally, their interior was not impressive.

It was bland and felt sad. Luckily, due to COVID-19, the interior won’t be available as the restaurant is now only serving to go. Secondly, the hospitality of the servers was professional as they were all friendly people.

Another significant aspect of this restaurant is that the food only took 15 minutes from our online order to our hand, which was surprising, considering they were quite busy that day. Overall, the decent food and timeliness of the workers made Oasis Vietnamese Cuisine a positive experience.

Out of five stars, Oasis Vietnamese receives a total of 3.5. A large Beef Pho costs $8.