TheShieldDec2024

THE SHIELD Multimedia Magazine

@rcrusadernews rcrusadernews.com rcrusadernews@riordanhs.org

Aliana Urdaneta-Rodas ‘25 Editor-in-Chief

Nicholas Nye ‘25 Managing Editor

Helena Kai Murguz ‘25 Layout Editor

Haley Hang ‘25 Story Editor

Vee Chen ‘25 Art Director

Taylor Tran ‘25 Story Editor

Ella Torrea ’25 Photo Editor

Paul Ha ‘25 Multimedia Video Editor

Susan Sutton, MJE Adviser

Archbishop Riordan High School 175 Frida Kahlo Way San Francisco, CA 94112

~Staff Page~

EDITORS

Staff Reporters

Rose Baik ’26 Aiden Pavon ’25

Helena Kai Murguz ’25 Taylor Tran ’25

Nicholas Nye ’25 Aliana Urdaneta-Rodas ’25

Vee Chen ’25

Helena Kai Murguz ’25

Ella Torrea ’25

Ella Torrea ’25

Julia Yamsuan ’25

Graphic Artists Photographers Sean Reyes ’25

Henry O'Connell ’27 Ashley Villing ’25

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Traditions Transcend Time Archbishop Riordan High School celebrates 75 years

By Aiden Pavon ’25 On Frida Kahlo Way sits a school– Archbishop Riordan High School, to be exact. For the past 75 years, Crusaders have been calling the school their home. Every one of those Crusaders has had a different student experience, but how has that experience changed over time?

In 1949 Riordan High School officially opened with its small graduating class of only 30. Those students didn’t exactly have it easy. They had to deal with construction going on in the interior of the school, and student orientation was even held in an incomplete library. In addition, there were little to no athletic teams. The school didn’t even have a football team until Sept. 18, 1951, when the Crusaders hosted their first ever home football game.

Before MUNI, students in the '50s would have to take streetcars to get to Phelan Avenue, which today is known as Frida Kahlo Way.

Sergio Nibbi '54 recalled, “It was a streetcar that ran all along Ocean Avenue and [we] just get off there to get to Phelan.”

Life was very different in the early years of Riordan, to say the least. The school colors were almost black and gold, until Brother Aloysius Doyle pushed for the royal and majestic nature of purple, which swayed the students’ vote.

The '70s were the decade of champions for the Crusaders, winning 13 championships across six varsity sports.

Strength and conditioning coach Ryan Jones ’09 said, “I know a little bit about our history with all the banners [...] historically, we’ve been really good.”

A big change of the 2010s was the implementation of the house system.

When coming to Riordan, all students are sorted into one of the four houses: Bolts, Cana, Pilar, and Russi. These houses give students an opportunity to participate in friendly competition.

Student activities director Benny Willers ’08 said, “It breaks up the monotony of divisions… It creates an opportunity for the seniors to be sort of like a mentor to the freshmen…It’s impacted our school culture in terms of engagement and a lot of our campus and external events.”

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The last years of the brotherhood were cut short due to the Covid year of 2020.

Students met asynchronously via Zoom classes.

This was challenging for students, especially the graduating seniors, but it also helped prepare them for the future.

Former EIC of The Crusader Steven Risotto ’20 said, “It was tough, especially as a senior. I really wanted to finish out the year in-person and it’s a major regret that I was never able to. But you move on, and I guess a learning experience for me was to be prepared for life’s curve balls.”

“I thought the teachers also handled it really well. It’s never easy to be pushed into remote learning, but everything was super smooth — like they’ve done it before,” Risotto said.

For the teachers, asynchronous teaching was difficult because it eliminated the personal aspect of teaching. But through the work and thoughts students would give over the ZOOM year, teachers were able to discover the passions and personality traits that they had.

Directory of Safety & Logistics and Digital Media Instructor Viggen Rassam ’87 said “There’s no way to get to know students over video, especially people you never met… you never really got to know them. But through their work, by the time I got to meet them, it was like I already knew them. We would hit the ground running.”

Now, Riordan has become more than a brotherhood. With the addition of girls, Riordan’s culture has changed significantly. Besides doubling the attendance of Riordan, the girls allowed for change.

Operations manager Cara Garcia said, “[With the addition of girls] there is more conversation and more things happening on campus.”

These changes are seen all over the school, but none more than athletics. With four co-ed teams and six girls sports, the athletic department has evolved significantly, including the girls flag football team who in their inaugural season, won the WBAL championship.

First solo-female student body president Caroline O’Connell ’25 said, “Girls sports has brought new entertainment, spirit, and success to the school.” She continued, “This year was the first ever year of flag football. We went into the season super nervous, but having an athletic program with great support, and girls with great talent, led us to win the league, the 49ers sponsored Jamboree, and a 20 game win streak.”

As Archbishop Riordan evolves every year, Crusaders look to tomorrow with hope for the future. As the cycle of freshman arriving and seniors riding into the sunset continues, students look back to reflect and close the cover of the yearbook.

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Class of 1955

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Class of 2025

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Behind the Businesses Meet the minds motivating Riordan's student businesses

By Taylor Tran '25 With Riordan’s diverse population of students from all over the Bay Area, and the world, there are students who excel in many things: art, writing, athletics– but there are also an exceptional number of student innovators. Students who established businesses with their creativity, grit, and enthusiasm are everywhere on Riordan’s campus, such as 941 Streetwear, Avenue Car Detailing, and BC Bakes.

Establishing a business in just his sophomore year, Noel Marquez ’25 has had two years of experience in pioneering his clothing brand: 941 Streetwear. With over $5,000 worth of sales, we wanted to know the story behind his business. He thought of the idea while interning with The DJ Project and experimenting with graphic design, coming up with his most popular logos. But before printing them onto clothes, he found confidence in confiding with his friends about his business.

“Before I even made my first shirt, I asked my friends, ‘Would you guys wear this?’ Just having their support was just a really big confidence booster in my brand.”

The name and the logo for his brand took about two months to create–“I didn’t want to make anything that was overdone… for the logo, I knew I wanted to incorporate the bridge somehow, to represent the Bay Area.”

“I think San Francisco is known for its fog, so I wanted to include a cloud in there… and add my brand name, 941.”

His brand name, influenced by the first three digits of the San Francisco ZIP code, is one of the most well known of student-owned-businesses at Riordan.

“I chose a ZIP code because that’s where you live…I figured, if I relate to everyone in that way, it’ll make the name more meaningful.”

“I chose a ZIP code because that’s where you live... I figured, if I relate everyone in that way, it’ll make the name more meaning ful.”

-Noel Marquez ’25 Marquez hopes to expand his business further by continuously working on new pieces. While he currently sells shirts, hoodies, and shorts, he plans to include customer-requested items: beanies and crewnecks. Be sure to keep an eye out for new drops at his website, 941streetwear. com, or his Instagram, 941.streetwear.

Scan the QR code to watch an exclusive interview with Noel!

Video by Paul Ha ’25

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Next, we looked for newer businesses that were created this year. We found Myles Yan ’25 and Joshua Usi ’25’s Avenue Car Detailing. Its name is inspired by where the two founders reside: the Sunset District in San Francisco.

“We started from an idea, at the end of junior year, from our homeroom class, and we planned it over the summer, and began operation after school began,” explained Yan. Inspired by the lack of car detailers in the area, the two set out to fulfill a position that the community wanted to see.

“We came up with the idea after doing research around our area, and found out that there were successful mobile car detailers around, however they had to closed down. Nobody was getting back into it, so we decided to give it a try…We really wanted to focus on something that someone wouldn’t have, and provide a service that is limited around here. That’s really our niche.”

Because of the support from their teachers, they’ve been able to prosper, specifically making waves in Palo Alto.

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They travel to places around the Bay Area to provide accessibility for their customers. When asked for the specifics of what car detailing is, Yan expressed the importance and the work that goes into their craft.

“We like to think of it as restoring. We try to bring it back to its former glory– every little crevice that you can think of, we try to pay attention to it. We want a fresh car inside and out…It’s not just a car wash, it’s not just a car freshener, it’s a deep cleaning.”

They rake in around $5,000 a month, with further aspirations of working with cities and personnel vehicles. Customers can support them on Instagram, Yelp, and Google Reviews at Avenue Car Detailing.

Finally, we wanted to cover a business that utilizes creativity in a different way: baking. Seniors Breanna Wong and Channery Wong recently created their business BC Bakes, where they make and sell their baked goods.

The name, created by adding the first letter of each of their names, not only encapsulates the essence of their business, but is very easy to remember.

Breanna shared that her passion for baking stemmed from baking with her mom at an early age, “I started baking with my mom at a young age, helping when she made a treat/ dessert for family events.

And I found it was something I enjoyed and kept doing.”

Similarly, Channery also was inspired by her family. “As a child my aunt loved to bake different things and I would always help her out. It made me realize how fun it was to make delicious treats.”

Also inspired by other small businesses, especially ones at Riordan, they decided to start their own in order to gain new skills of marketing and outreach, and make money by doing what they enjoy in their free time. And as a bonus, the two are able to spend more time together baking, “something we can do together before we go off to college.” They’ve already made many sales since they opened in August this year, and aspire to keep doing it, saying that their dream for the brand is to share what they enjoy.

There are countless, blooming businesses at Riordan, and it shows how much Crusaders can create.

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From Duds To Drip

Fashion and lingo have changed over time, from "cool duds!" in the '50s, to "you got drip" today!

By Aliana Urdaneta-Rodas '25

It is not unknown that fashion has developed its own identity within the time periods of society. However, it is important to not only note the evolution of trends and clothing, but also the evolution of humans and how fashion was used to either promote a type of statement or for comfort or change in ideas.

Archbishop Riordan High School first opened its doors in 1949. This year was affected by the results of World War II, which led to the inclusion of nylon, cotton, leather, and satin being used to make military materials. This is where the movement of “workforce clothing” really began to erupt in society. With the feminist movement beginning to take its course, women’s comfort became the new normal as skirts grew tighter and shorter, and two piece swimsuits were starting to become socially acceptable along with high waisted pants.

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Men’s clothing consisted of voluminous amounts of materials like zoot suits, which included oversized pants and jackets and ties, which were especially popular in black and brown communities.

Hair was well-kept for both men and women, and often seen placed back in curled updos for women and slicked back hairdos for men.

This time period also introduced '50s fashion, which introduced exaggerated feminine styles that embraced the female body figure. The mainstream popularization of movies and music allowed for inspiration to be drawn from celebrities like Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, James Dean, Elvis Presley, and Marilyn Monroe. Color began to be much popular in men’s clothing. This time period of fashion was intertwined with the popularization of the American teenage experience, therefore clothing was more fun and practical for a drive-in movie or lunch at a ’50s diner.

The ’60s were a time known for the combination of elegance and excitement.

Women were starting to show more skin through skirts and dresses. High-waisted

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pants were starting to become the new normal for women. Unique bright colors are becoming more popular in men’s clothing along with the well known unique patterns. Hair and makeup was a key part of ’60s fashion. Makeup was much darker and bolder and hair was often teased or bigger and longer, as seen with well known celebrities like Priscilla Presley, Natalie Wood, and The Supremes. Trends like pill-box hats and colored tights can often be seen on even politically associated figures like Jackie Kennedy. Men’s hair was beginning to be more freeing with the rise of The Beatles, Jimi Hendricks, and The Temptations that made hairstyles like the mop-top and short Afros popular with men.

The ’70s was a key time in fashion because similar to the ’40s, we see how war can affect society into using clothing to represent a movement. The hippie movement was a direct pushback against the Vietnam War, and gradually became a part of history that history remembers as a time when people were breaking away

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from societal norms. Disco, soul, R&B, and Pop/Rock was the key influence of fashion with artists like ABBA, Stevie Nicks, David Bowie, Donna Summers, and Cher. The freedom in hair was especially represented with African Americans as they were now truly being accepted for natural, free hair, which included larger Afros seen in both men and women. Seen are clothing items like fringe suit jackets, bell bottom pants, retro patterns, pants suits and blazers, and graphic tees, which can all be found on both men and women. Men often wore corduroy jeans, Cuban heels, and hair grew significantly longer. Voluminous hair like Farrah Fawcett and John Travolta with the feathered layers look taking over significantly.

Denim, leather jackets, athletic wear, and bright colors were heavily influenced by the uprising of pop music. Hair grew bigger and big curly hair was not an exception. Teen movies like The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and Pretty in Pink, allowed for actors like Molly Ringwald to truly influence the teenage aesthetic of fashion. One of the biggest fashion icons of this time was Madonna, as she was at the center of fashion with her heavy colorful makeup, various grand hairstyles, and bold eye catching jewelry.

trends to become mainstream. Teen shows Michael Vezzali-Pascual ’88 and movies like One Tree Hill, The OC, reminisced on ’80s fashion by recollecting Step Up, represented what teenagers were that, “It was all about rock-and-roll. The really wearing. Men's fashion was more laid guys that looked like me were all under rock-and-roll at the time and that was our back, which did not exclude hair trends and accessories. identity.” He continued by saying, “We In the 2010s social media truly began all had that feathered hair, we all carried to influence fashion trends with apps brushes in our back pocket.” like Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook The ’90s shifted fashion to a more being used to express artistry, statements, mature style, and although fashion was photography and of course fashion trends. still influenced by teenage culture, colors Leggings, stiletto heels, skinny jeans, weren't as bright as they were in the ’80s.

With Hip-Hop becoming more mainstream, bomber jackets, and ankle boots were found baggy denim, gold jewelry, sneaker culture, with social media influencers like Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, and Selena bucket hats, and flannels were largely inspired by black and brown communities. Gomez.

Male fashion remained laid back with Chicano culture was beginning to become T-shirts, skinny jeans, and casual wear bemore represented, especially in our own city of San Francisco, where places like The coming even more popular with men. Artists Mission, Potrero Hill, and The Bayview were like Justin Bieber, Drake, and One Direction became a representation of what teenage welcoming artists and culture. ’90s fashion was kept more simple in males were wearing.

Today fashion cycling is at an all time mainstream Hollywood with women like Jennifer Aniston, Kate Moss, Julia Roberts, high, as the early 2020s consist of people taking inspiration from past decades and and Naomi Campbell popularizing trends like mini dresses, plaid skirts, slip dresses, adding a modern twist. Everything “old” is big leather jackets, and well-kept updos or new again. Because of apps like Pinterest and TikTok, trends are moving at a much straight hair. faster pace as fashion is no longer defined in For men, celebrities like Leonardo decades but in years.

DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Keanu Reeves, and 2024 fashion consists of suede and Will Smith made trends like large coats dark large leather jackets, perfect for the and sweatshirts, baggy pants, and sneakers significantly popular in male fashion. Hair fall and winter. Large pants and sweaters was often paired with a hat or in a laid back are coming back this year along with the elegant, sophisticated aesthetic taking its hairstyle. course. Shoes like samba sneakers, Adidas, Women’s fashion in the early 2000s heel boots, and chunky shoes have taken became much more feminine once again, over 2024 shoe culture. Trends like the with low-rise jeans, crop tops, and denim “clean girl,” “cool city girl” and “coquette” mini skirts, and velour tracksuits. The color pink became incredibly popular once aesthetics have influenced the simple fashion style for this year. again with celebrities like Britney Spears, Fashion has become more “gender Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan, and Christina neutral,” as men and women are found Aguilera expressing their styles through sharing clothing items with artists like Harry their pop music videos. Celebrity culture Styles, Asap Rocky, and Tyler the Creator was beginning to make a huge turn with taking over the male fashion scene. paparazzi culture and the beginning of Elegance and sophistication is social media. predicted to take over for in 2025 and teen Men’s clothing got even baggier fashion continues to be influenced by past and casual with artists like Usher and trends with makeup, hair, and clothing. 17 Pharrell Williams pushing for hip hop

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Crusaders Coordinate Cultural Clubs

By Henry O'Connell '27

Clubs play an important role in the Riordan community. They unite people in subjects outside the academic curriculum that they would have never met or would have been able to connect with. Within this broader array of clubs, there are also several cultural clubs.

“It benefits the school because it benefits diversity and embraces who they are and represents what the real world is and what they will end up doing with it,” Maryann Datoc said.

This school year marks a high point in the number of cultural clubs at Riordan.

Within this flurry of clubs are Latinos Unidos, Irish Heritage Club, Jewish Heritage Club, Pasifika (Polynesian Club), Philippine American Coalition (PAC), Mediterranean Heritage Club, and Asian Student Alliance (ASA).

In general, these arrangements of cultural clubs unite the school's different cultures and identities into an organized collective for the benefit of them and others around them. Just because these clubs are separate from each other does not limit their participation with each other within the Riordan community.

Riordan Cultural clubs have been around for decades. Ever since the early years, these clubs have expanded to encompass more and more of the student body. One of the key roles of those clubs' messages to the school community is to spread awareness of their heritage through activities and food.

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Kingston Thouchalanh ’27 stated, “Activities such as this [the potluck] allow us to express our culture through fun activities, today we are experiencing it through different types of food.” Spanish teacher and club adviser Armando Castillo also supports the significance of these activities by stating, “It’s important to enrich the student body by these activities.”

Recently, several clubs hosted an afterschool potluck for each club to bring their respective foods together for the Riordan community. During the potluck, several games and activities were played before food was offered. The atmosphere reflected the abundance of different heritage foods that were all present at the potluck.

The future of Riordan's cultural clubs is a flurry of activity and expansion. Castillo, a moderator for the Jewish and Latino Heritage clubs, said, “For the future, I hope they expand and clubs are created for kids that don't fit into any of those categories.”

Paul Ha ’25, member of the ASA club, said, “It is a good way for different people to connect.”

All in all, cultural clubs act as the backbone of the diverse population at Riordan to be able to express themselves through activities, games, and foods that enlighten the student body about the world around them and will reflect the world that they will grow up in.

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Dots

By Rose Baik ’26

Milk tea has a rich history that dates back centuries, originating in Taiwan in the 1900s. Currently, in a city blooming with milk tea stores, standing out is no easy feat in San Francisco. Recently, I visited the milk tea store, Dots. It is located on Ocean Avenue, and I wanted to see if their store was worth the hype it had recently gained.

Walking in the store, I was welcomed into a warm and ambient atmosphere. This clean shop was filled with many places to sit, with multiple kiosks to order from.

Dots does not only sell an array of milk tea, but also offers a vast selection of shakes, slushies, green tea, and cold brews. Their food menu ranges from snacks to meals, including egg waffles, wheel pies, and rice bowls.

I ordered a Hokkaido milk tea with mango lychee jelly, accompanied by Taiwanese crispy chicken. The drink cost $7.50, while the total order including the chicken was $20. I think the prices were a bit overpriced, but the food was very appetizing.

Scan the QR code to check out our sweet video!

Video by Paul Ha ’25

Overall, I would give the milk tea a 9/10. I would definitely recommend getting this drink. It had a creamy texture and had a deep, velvety taste with just the right amount of subtle sweetness from the caramel.

The chewy, mango lychee jelly was a perfect addition to the drink due to its tropical flavor and floral essence. The Taiwanese crispy chicken complemented the drink very well. It had a strong taste of garlic and salt and was very savory. It also came with a ketchup-mayonnaise blended sauce that enhanced the taste of the chicken.

Whether you are a milk tea enthusiast or a person craving a sweet, refreshing beverage, a visit to Dots is worth your while.

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The Fate Tea House

By Taylor Tran ’25

Just across from McDonalds on Ocean Avenue is a relatively new boba tea shop: Fate Tea. Stepping into the establishment is an experience in itself, with the beautiful ambient lighting and floral plant theme that brightens up the whole atmosphere. I was in awe of the boba shop’s physical appearance, and eager to try boba that would hopefully give me the same reaction.

Similar to many modern restaurants and take-out places, there was an accessible selfcheckout stand at the entrance. The drinks and foods were marked at a decently typical price– around $6.99–for a boba place in San Francisco.

After looking at an abundance of green teas, milk teas, and juices, I decided to try one of the most popular drinks, the Creme Brûlée Milk Tea with boba. I also ordered a side of the original Egg Puffs.

I waited around 6 minutes for my drink, which was relatively quick for one as complex as one inspired by Creme Brûlée. I had to wait around 15 minutes longer for my snack, though, but seeing as though there were maybe 10 other people in the shop, I cut them some slack.

The Creme Brûlée drink was incredibly sweet–with the large amount of hot, fresh boba combined with the already sugary drink, it was a little overwhelming. But in spite of that, it was pretty good: really creamy and reminiscent of real creme brûlée. The boba was a good texture, not too firm and not too soft, and it was a good helping. I’d recommend, if you’re getting this drink, to get it 25 percent-50 percent sweet.

However, the Egg Puffs were a little bit disappointing. They were an okay texture–a little soft, and not very crispy. They also were not as sweet as I’d hope they would be, but combined with the boba, it was okay.

Lovejoy’s Tea Room

By Nick Nye ’25

The recent surge of Boba Tea has led San Franciscans to forget another tea pastime: the fancy Victorian rooms. Reflecting on Riordan’s 75th birthday, I decided to turn back the clock and visit Lovejoy’s Tea Room.

On a damp and drizzly afternoon, I walked into Lovejoy's with Crusader reporters Sean Reyes ’25 and Ashley Villing ’25. We immediately noticed the stark contrast between the gloomy street and the colorful interior. As we took our seats, the smell of rain vanished, and we placed our orders.

I ordered a High Tea combination: two sets of sandwiches, pastries, salad, and–of course–tea.

Our setting was complete with colorful padded seating, densely packed wall decor, polished pottery, and towered plates to host our orders.

The presentation was intricate.

My tea order tasted fantastic. I chose the “Royal Blend” black tea, cucumber and cream cheese sandwich bites, and cheddar and tomato sandwich bites. It was smooth with a light bitter twang and a sweet aftertaste. Ashley ordered vanilla lavender tea, which was moderately sweet, then as it settled, the lavender flavor got stronger and it left a refreshing feeling.

The sandwiches complimented the tea exceptionally well, especially the cucumber and cream cheese. They were delicious and I had trouble not eating all of them before my first sip of tea. The pastries were scrumptious and together this created a filling meal.

Complete with an ambient cozy atmosphere, lovely service, a couple of friends, great presentation, and even better food, I give Lovejoy’s Tea Room a 5-star review in every category–even their bathroom was stylish!

If you want to bring some friends, you should come with at least $30 per person because it can be a long receipt. Despite the cost, I’d highly recommend making a reservation at Lovejoy’s!

Overall, I would recommend coming here for the proximity and to enjoy the ambiance with some good boba. If you find yourself thirsty after school, try Fate Tea.

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