The Shield March 2024

EDITORS

Staff Reporters

Graphic Artists

Photographers

Nick Nye ’25 Julia Yamsuan

Addison Hwang ’24

Alana Radoc Manrique ’24

Aliana Urdaneta-Rodas ’25

Nathan Ta ’24

Natalie Yang ’24 Xochitl Churchill ’24 Aiden Pavon ’25

Ashley Villing ’24

Reese Lu ‘24 Layout Editor

Alana Radoc Manrique ‘24 Design Manager

Haley Hang ‘25 Story Editor

Naomi Lin ‘24 Story Editor

Julia Yamsuan ‘25 Photo Editor

Addison Hwang ‘24 Editor-in-Chief

Paul Ha ‘25 Multimedia Video Editor

Helena Kai Murguz ‘25 Art Director

Vee Chen ‘25 Art Director

Talisha Flores ‘24 Art Director

Kianna Hwang ‘24 Layout Director & Story Editor

Susan Sutton, MJE Adviser

Kianna Hwang ’24 Reese Lu ’24

Kai Murguz ’25

Vee Chen ’25

Talisha Flores ’24

’25

Soda soars to Satisfy

Alameda Soda takes a healthy spin

Drawing by Vee Chen ’25

By Ashley Villing ’25

Enclosed in an aluminum can and recognized for its dominating presence in our childhoods, soda remains an unparalleled staple in American culture.

Oftentimes, it is common for people to associate happiness with this sweet treat. The carbonation sparkles in your mouth and as you swallow, a sugary flavor envelopes your tongue— leaving a lasting impression and feelings of delight.

Setting aside the taste, soda embodies the concept of livelihood. For the average citizen, the drink is the tangible feeling of a job well done. On the other hand, after a demanding day, it serves as a reward for your efforts.

Juliana Murguz ’25 expressed, “As a kid, getting a soda would be what I looked forward to after playing in the summer heat for hours on end.”

Soda has the power of bringing forth many different emotions and memories. For some, soda is accompanied by the reminisce of cotton candy and peanuts from their first baseball game when excitement filled the air and intense anticipation awaited the ambiguous score.

These variance of moments weave together to support the ultimate goal of Alameda Soda. They strive to reinstate the evanescence of what soda is—a bridge to all the unique events that shape our lives.

Photos by Nick Nye ’25

Co-founder and CEO of Alameda Soda company Sky Pace explained, “Our soda is like a time machine in a can. Each sip brings back moments—hopefully shared with friends or family, in memorable places, doing unforgettable things. It’s similar to how a song can transport you back in time, tying flavors to memories.”

To achieve this feat, the crafting process has to be very intrinsic. It takes about six months of tedious making, tasting and naming to conjure a physical form for each flavor and experience.

Pace continued about the inspiration and creation process by commenting, “Hangar 25 is where we are located in Alameda. It’s an old naval air base in an aircraft hangar that once was designated building 25. We created the flavor in that building. Oaktown old fashioned Root Beer was conceived when I was in Old Town Oakland. Each flavor has a similar story.”

Not only was there careful consideration of what story they wanted to invoke in their customers, they also were sure to remove any harmful ingredients that are generally used in many of their big brand competitors.

Another part of what makes Alameda Soda so special is that the main focus of the company is the replacement of high fructose corn syrup. They stress their use of an alternative: cane sugar.

Although one may assume that the taste is unnatural since it is not something we are familiar with, many who tasted it noted that the difference is hardly noticeable; in fact, it may as well be the same.

Student Novia Cyr ’25 stated, “I really liked the soda. It tasted just like Coca-Cola. It was refreshing and delicious!”

This small but large change in ingredients has a considerable impact on our bodies despite not being able to taste it.

Science teacher Julia StrickerBalistreri stated, “If your liver can’t process the fructose fast enough, it gets overloaded and creates fat, which consequently slows down your body.”

These statistics show the innate consequences that bigger companies tend to neglect. Though, this information is not to imply that cane sugar does not come with its own problems. It’s meant to be taken in moderation.

Although Alameda Soda is consciously making a healthier choice for consumers, the company has made it clear that they are not selling a healthy drink. It is still soda at the end of the day.

Their main message is that they are making soda as clean as possible with natural ingredients. They bring back soda’s simplicity and it helps that the long term effects attract customers.

Student Alexandria Neil ’25 stated, “I was never aware of the prolonged symptoms of soda before. It’s reassuring to know that a company is preaching honesty and actually researching how to improve. I look forward to their future.”

Photos by Nick Nye ’25

Sainthood Trail ascends

Six African Americans pave their way to Sainthood

Drawing by Reese Lu ’24

By Aiden Pavon ’25

Currently, there are six African Americans on the road to sainthood. Those six being Venerable Pierre Toussaint, Mother Mary Lange, Venerable Henriette Delille, Julia Greely, Agustus Tolton, and Sister Thea Bowman. Otherwise known as, the Saintly Six.

Every single one of these Black Catholics made indelible impacts on their church and local community. Every single one of them were pioneers in different aspects of the Catholic church. And every single one of them paved the way for future Black American Catholics to be leaders in their church.

Despite the racism, prejudice, bigotry, and discrimination each one of these Catholics faced, they were all still able to continue on in their faith and carry it out to others.

House of Bolts Provincial and Riordan English Teacher, Michael Vezzali-Pascual ’88 shared, “What’s remarkable of course, is that they faced racism and white supremacy in their Church.” He continued, “and yet they continued to persist and had faith, faith in God, and faith in themselves.”

Vezzali was impressed with their abilities to continue their faith and calling from God despite being

turned away from their own church.

Two of these soon-to-be saints founded their own programs in order to spread the church’s teachings. Mother Mary Lange founded the Oblate Sisters of Providence, and Venerable Henriette

Delille founded the Sisters of the Holy Family.

Both of these programs have lasted for more than 150 years, with the Oblate Sisters of Providence still going today.

Mother Mary Lange was also credited for the first Black Catholic school, known as Frances Academy in 1828.

Today, African Americans only make up around three percent of the Catholic church, which is why it is extremely important for them to be represented by these six possible saints.

“We have these people who have done such amazing things for humanity, so I think it would benefit adding more dimension[to the church],” said Riordan counselor Pia Crosby. It would greatly benefit the church for these Black Americans to become saints. It could help others who may want people who are similar to look up to find their role models in how to carry out their faith and help the church.

It was likely that even some of the Saintly Six found themselves inspired by Black saints that had come before them.

“If you go back and look at the earliest days of the church, there’s a ton of Black and African saints already, [...] these saints are so important and probably inspired these saintly six to do what they did,” said Vezzali.

One of these saints, Julia Greely, had rheumatoid arthritis and even lost sight in one eye from being whipped by her master when she was

a slave. Despite this, she continued to carry out her faith. Every month she would visit the fire department to teach them about the sacred heart, teach them prayers, and to give them all rosaries.

“She had so much love and faith inside of her.” Vezzali said. Greely died as she had lived, in church, practicing her faith. And perhaps one of the most inspiring and impressive of these six, is Augustus Tolton who became the first ever Black priest in America. This was no small feat due to having to deal with issues like racism and prejudice his entire life.

Tolton was also a talented musician and spoke multiple languages like English, German, Italian, Greek, Latin, and different African dialects.

Tolton provided for people who couldn’t provide for themselves, like the poor, and the sick, and also helped those in need by feeding the hungry.

Sister Thea Bowman was known for her ability to give captivating speeches surrounding racial issues in the church. She also found ways to incorporate her African American culture into the church. On top of this, she was an incredibly talented gospel

singer.

Despite having cancer, Sister Thea Bowman persevered in order to serve her church and improve it in any way she could. She promoted racial equality and harmony, incorporating African American culture, and was an educator in her church.

Despite being born a slave, Venerable Pierre Toussaint provided help to those who needed it most when he was freed, and he is now known for his philanthropic work in the Church.

All in all, each one of these six individuals shaped and improved their respective churches in many different ways.

Whether it was helping those in need, forming religious groups, incorporating culture into their church, or being involved in charitable acts, the Saintly Six paved the way for future Black American Catholics to live and flourish.

“These saints are so important and probably inspired these saintly six to do what they did.”

- Michael Vezzali-Pascual

Purrfect Pawgress:

Previously fatal pet diseases are now curable

Drawing by Talisha Flores ’24

By Natalie Yang ’24

immediately, and the symptoms take about a week to worsen.

Years ago, Tim Weiss’ kitten KK died from complications caused by FIP.

He said, “It was sad considering he was just a baby so we spent his last days making him comfortable and singing to him.”

He added, “I was in shock. This hit me hard because he was so young. It left me wondering how can something like this disease be happening with no cure and to such a young life? It didn’t seem fair.”

Dogs and cats are beloved companions, showing loyalty and comfort to their owners. However, parvovirus and feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) can significantly affect this bond, causing stress to their owners. This disease threatens the well-being of their animals and also the connection the owners have with them.

Margaret Bass ’24, whose dog had parvo, said, “My life was stressful during this time. I would take days off school to process everything because we hadn’t had him for a week.”

The world of canine and feline health includes the fear of the deadly virus parvovirus in dogs and feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) in cats, two different yet dangerous and, until recently, fatal diseases.

Parvovirus is a highly contagious infection that affects dogs between six weeks and six months old, with some dogs at greater risk than others. This virus usually affects younger dogs since they are unvaccinated. Dogs with a greater risk of contracting this include Rottweilers, Doberman pinschers, bull terriers, German shepherds, and English springer spaniels. It attacks their whiteblood cells and gastrointestinal tract; also, in younger dogs, it can damage their heart muscles.

Feline infectious peritonitis, also known as FIP, is the leading cause of death in young cats.

The virus that causes it, feline coronavirus, affects the gastrointestinal tract and immune system. Cats don’t show signs

Most dogs get infected at the park by directly contacting infected animals with the virus, contracting stool (feces), and contaminated areas.

Cats who come in oral contact with infected feces become infected with FIP. The virus can stay in the area due to the heat, cold, and humidity; it can remain there for long periods.

Both dogs and cats can be born with the virus if a parent is not being vaccinated, or by contracting the virus from a breeder. House of Russi provincial Van Whipple, said, “My grandparents used to breed dogs, and they lost an entire litter from parvo. We had to bleach down the entire house because they bred other dogs at the same time, and then all the dogs had to be disinfected and moved off the property. It was an utter nightmare.”

Once the animal has one of these diseases, the symptoms include decreased appetite, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration. Bass added, “When I first thought he had parvo, my dog wasn’t

Gus, who had Parvo, recovered.

moving and wasn’t eating.”

Dogs with the parvo vaccine cannot get or pass the virus to other dogs. On the other hand, the FIP vaccine is not recommended for kittens because it is commonly given at 16 weeks, although some kittens get infected with FIP before. Most of these animals won’t survive without treatment, depending on their size, age, and how far the virus has spread. Antibiotics and medications are given to prevent other infections and alleviate the nausea and pain. Avoiding the virus includes vaccinations, disinfecting the surface after another animal, and avoiding areas of high risk, such as the dog park, if the animal hasn’t had the vaccine.

Whipple, who has a service dog, Winston, said, “I did get Winston the parvo vaccine. I am a big believer that dogs should be given all vaccines. They can’t take care of themselves, so it’s our job to take care of them.”

Elanco Animal Health created the first parvovirus monoclonal antibody approved to treat canine parvovirus. The clinical trials show that the intravenous dose targets and treats the deadly disease, starting at eight weeks or older.

Elanco Animal Health said, “We’re hearing words like ‘game changer’ being used by our veterinary partners. Clinical efficacy studies demonstrate that Elanco’s Canine Parvovirus Monoclonal Antibody, the only USDA conditionally approved treatment for parvo, delivers targeted efficacy in stopping parvo by blocking its entry into host cells in a puppy’s body through a single, intravenous dose. In these clinical efficacy studies, zero parvo-infected dogs treated with Elanco’s Canine Parvovirus Monoclonal Antibody died, and the Canine Parvovirus Monoclonal treatment helped shorten the course of parvo, helping these puppies feel better faster.”

Recently, Professor Niels C. Pedersen at UC Davis created a protease inhibitor, GC-376, that saved particular cats living with FIP, then discovered a new treatment, GS-441524, that was more effective. This treatment first showed up on the black market, but is now more widely available. Even though it is expensive, cat owners dedicated to saving their cats are willing to spend the $1,000 - $3,000 cost.

A kitten, Grayson, was found abandoned at a Sacramento park with FIP and later was brought to an animal shelter in Old Sacramento. He was part of the trial in January of 2023. After 16 weeks of getting treatment, he was free of FIP.

Photo provided by Margaret Bass ’24

Seams of Success:

Tailored!

Joey Montoya ’12

creates Native American fashion brand, Native Era

Drawing by Helena Kai Murguz ’25

Drawing by Reese Lu ’24

By Aliana Urdaneta-Rodas ’25

San Francisco flourishes with creativity and countless artists, who share their stories through their craft. The city is fortunate to call Joey Montoya ’12 one of its own innovative entrepreneurs, designing a Native American owned fashion brand called Urban Native Era.

Montoya is Lipan Apache, a native territory of Texas, but was born and raised in San Francisco, California. During his time at Archbishop Riordan High School, he recalls being a captivated art student, taught by Irman Arcibal. Arcibal commented, “I think Montoya uses his brand Urban Native Era as a way to bridge the visual, ethnic and cultural, environmental, and fashion worlds. Part of the genesis of the brand was to help bring awareness to tribal land and water issues and

the conflicts that arise with land use and development…I do see some connections between what he made as a student and some of the images and pieces he still produces today.”

After graduating Riordan, Montoya continued his education at San Jose State University, where he found his inspiration from the Indigenous issue in Canada. In 2012, a number of bills endangered the environmental rights of the native people, affecting their indigenous sovereignty and protection. To raise awareness and combat this issue, multiple indigenous groups began the “Idle No More” movement.

“It was November 2012, and I started to go to the rallies that were happening in support of the indigenous people from Canada, and I brought my camera, and took photos and videos and posted them online and that was my way of showing solidarity and to spread the message,” said Montoya.

His solicitude for the Indigenous people in Canada prompted his creative decision to design clothes where the message would draw in awareness and support.

Photo by Alana Manrique ’24

“I think fashion just plays a different role, and a different way for folks to spread a message or represent themselves compared to our traditional media, so I just wanted to really use clothing and fashion to spread to that different audience and those people that wanted to spread the message in a different way,” explained Montoya.

With the indigenous communities in mind, Joey Montoya founded Urban Native Era with hopes of reaching people in a more connected way.

Urban Native Era showcases comfortable and contemporary clothing, designed to represent his culture and integrate it into the broader community. The brand is a vessel for indigenous people to vocalize their needs in an often exclusive society.

Montoya stated, “Fashion to me can be very fluid. I think it’s something that a lot of fashion today hasn’t really touched on, as far as creating this deeper connection of who we are as people and who we are culturally, so fashion for me is bringing in those

Scan the QR code to watch Aliana interview

Joey Montoya!

elements, and also in a way of bringing those spiritual elements.” One of the brand’s most notable statements is “You’re on Native Land,” which is highlighted on many designs, along with a hummingbird.

“‘You’re on Native Land’ to me is statement that can be worn by everyone, and for me being a kid growing up in San Francisco and not seeing too many indigenous visibility, seeing someone wearing that around, you kind of feel that connection, you feel more like people understand about your culture and what you think,” voiced Montoya.

Urban Native Era has also been featured in the Hulu series “Reservation Dogs,” a teen drama comedy focused around Native American teenagers. Items from Urban Native Era can be seen on the character “Willie Jack’’ portrayed by actress Paulina Alexis.

Drawing provided by Joey Montoya

Drawing provided by Joey Montoya

Urban Native Era has recently been welcomed by REI, a retail store that caters to functional outdoor clothing and equipment; they are available on REI’s website and in person stores. The brand can also be found on its own website–UrbanNativeEra.com–with a wide selection of clothing and accessories.

Urban Native Era will also be represented in a San Francisco Fashion show at the Academy of Sciences April 4, 2024, with more information on tickets on

their website.

With all of the success that has been brought to Urban Native Era, Montoya sees his brand with a gleaming future ahead. He hopes it will become a more established brand with more opportunities to bring the community together. Montoya hopes to “create more pieces in the higher fashion realm, giving us a chance to wear something that’s a little bit more elevated for an event, red carpet look or fashion show.”

“Montoya uses his brand Urban Native Era as a way to bridge the visual, ethnic and cultural, environmental, and fashion worlds.”

- Irman Arcibal

Photos by Alana Manrique ’24

Tree-mendous Growth: Forestored Future

Drawing by Xochitl Churchill ’24

By Xochitl Churchill ’24

With approximately 1.5 billion acres needing to be replanted in the wake of recent wildfires, the United States Forest Service Region 5, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and the American Forests organization, have banded together to form the Reforestation Pipeline Partnership.

The goal of this partnership is to rebuild California’s damaged forest ecosystems through cooperation and combining of workforces. Over the past few years, the state’s forests have been destroyed by wildfire after wildfire.

These fires have not only hurt California’s natural resources, but its people as well. Amongst the countless families forced to evacuate or relocate because of wildfires is Riordan student Julian Serrano ’24.

“It was I think a Tuesday,” he said, “when we first heard about the fire… firefighter agencies from all around the state were tryna take down the fire before it burned down Redding… but when the night ended it was even less contained.” That was when he and his family decided to evacuate.

While getting supplies for the evacuation from the store, Serrano looked up to see an apocalyptic view of what was once a bright blue sky.

“There was ash falling from the sky, it was pretty wicked, and we could barely see anything from the smoke; it was so bad they were giving out masks at

city hall,” said Serrano.“I think that they [the forest service] did the best they could given the scenario with the climate….it’s just going to get worse and worse.”

According to CAL FIRE statistics, throughout the past five years, over 400 wildfires have burned through the state, destroying entire forests, and leaving others severely damaged.

The destruction has ranged from Mount Shasta, to Yosemite, to Big Sur, all old growth forests that cannot be replaced in a human lifetime.

In the light of such disasters, the pressure has fallen on the California Department of Forestry to not only contain and minimize the damage, but lead the way in rebuilding.

So far, the first initiative of this collaboration has been to address the deficit in workforce numbers and promote more cooperation across forest boundaries.

Photos by Nick Nye ’25

Photos by Nick Nye ’25

This has been done with the creation of two programs: the Reforestation Pipeline Cooperative, which has increased cooperation for stakeholders to strategize the reforestation pipeline, and California Cone Corps., which has been formed as a new workforce program to do the hard work of sprouting and planting new trees into our forests.

The program is focused on planting mostly conifer trees, as they are quick to grow. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in a news release, “The objective of the yearly Cone Crop Survey is to identify potential conifer cone crops in California that can produce viable seeds for reforestation projects such as post-fire restoration and other reforestation demands throughout California…This year, it is estimated that the Seed Bank would need to collect 76,304 bushels for the entire state to meet reforestation needs.”

Michael O’Brien, AP Environmental Science Teacher, said, “I think we need to be cautious about replanting or trying to reestablish something that was there in the past, because the natural order of things has ecosystems and biomes changing after catastrophic events.”

He recalled driving along the Clearlake area, which had been ravaged by wildfires a few years ago, and noticing something exciting.

“Seeing those ecosystems and driving up there quite a bit, I’m seeing a lot of what they call secondary succession… It’s healthy and it’s good. There are trees that have been burned that have new foliage, and there are ecosystems and habitats coming back.”

The term Secondary Succession is defined as the evolution and regrowth of a biological community, after a disturbance, such as a forest fire, sets it back to just the soil and surviving nutrients. It has been noticed across the wild areas of California, up to a few months after a wildfire, where grasses and small shrubs are starting to grow again.

Organizations like American Forests are working to assist nature in this succession, by dropping more varieties of seeds where population bottlenecks have been observed and aiding the naturally occurring evolution; rather than trying to control it.

As climate change worsens, the need to save trees will only become more urgent. Partnerships such as the Reforestation Pipeline are essential to this cause, and Californians remain hopeful that through supporting them, they can take the necessary actions to save the planet.

Simple One

By Nathan Ta ’24

I went to a boba shop near the South City area called Simple One.

Walking into the store, the ambiance felt modern, the different types of tiles all around the walls complementing the black seats and furnished tables.

The menu was set up through papers, and multiple TVs are located throughout the store for entertainment.

There were claw machines filled with different stuffed animals and a big machine that made different kinds of cotton candy.

Although all the drinks were interesting, the one that caught my eye was the Butterfly Pea Milk Tea with honey boba. The boba was so warm and sweet, and the cool milk tea made this a perfect combination on a sunny day. One of the many great additions to this store I enjoyed was the variety of

drinks and toppings they offer.

You can choose from an assortment of slushies, smoothies, milk teas, and refreshing teas.

For toppings, you may get the famous homemade boba, lychee jelly, mango stars, taro balls, etc. You can add as much as your heart desires.

With the inclusion of these many drinks, there was an assortment of food that looked mouth watering as they prepared it right in front of you.

For this drink alone, I would give it a rating of 3 out of 5. The reason for it not being a 5 star rating is because it may have sounded very intriguing, however, this tasted the same as a regular black milk tea with boba.

Next time you are in South City, or anywhere near Daly City, make sure to visit Simple One for a refreshing drink you and your family can enjoy!

Spillin’ the

Scan the QR code to watch our Boba Vlog!

Yi Fang Boba

By Alana Radoc Manrique ’24

With the spring season coming soon, I decided to get boba at Yi Fang since they have many fruit drinks. Although I’ve been there many times, I wanted to try something new off their large menu. I walked into the small and cozy building and was amazed with the aesthetic design.

the Tea

I looked over at the nicely organized menu with a wide variety of seasonal drinks that were mostly cold and fruity, fit for the spring season.

However, the drink that caught my eye was their mango pomelo sago. It showed the sago at the bottom, a small layer of pomelo pieces, and a mango smoothie filling the rest of the cup. I decided to order that with boba and their recommendation of 50 percent sweetness with the help of their very kind staff.

My drink quickly came out, being shaken to mix all the ingredients. In the pale yellow color, I could see the sago and boba throughout the cup. The cup was chilly to the touch and the perfect size for a nice after school treat.

As I took my first sip, the mango flavor was very refreshing and tasted like a regular mango milkshake. It was cool to feel the different sizes of the sago and boba.

The drink itself was not sour from the pomelo, but there were pieces of pulp that gave a nice balance to the drink once bitten into. It was a very flavorful cup of sweet and sour along with the sago and boba pearls.

I would definitely recommend this drink for those who enjoy fruit teas, but I would customize the sweetness to 75 percent rather than their recommended 50 to make the drink a little more sweet. I would visit Yi Fang more often to try more of the fruit teas they offer.

Tpumps

By Addison Hwang ’24

Walking into the Outer Sunset location on 21st and Irving, it feels as if you have stepped into a scene of artistry. As you wait, the nearby wall is engulfed in brightly painted drawings and signatures with a variety of sentimental to frivolous quotes.

On the other hand, the wall across lists the variety of flavors they offer year-round along with their specialty customer-favorite drinks.

Drawings by Kianna Hwang ’24

As I ordered my $5 drink, with a short wait, I asked for pineapple and mango

flavored green tea with whole milk, normal sweetness, and boba. Waiting for my drink, I took note of the sweet rich scent of the brewing boba.

After just a few minutes of waiting, I received my lightly tinted orange milk tea colored drink, appealing upon its appearance.

Upon first taste, the prominence of the sugary chewy and soft boba taste took over. Its texture was perfect and complimented the drink nicely. After tasting the actual tea, I took a few notes. The mango flavor was strong, tropical, and sweet, which made the drink taste good. However, it was hard to taste the pineapple flavor with how strong the mango was.

Overall, it tasted more like a mango drink rather than a pineapple drink. As for the green tea, it was masked over the sweetness of the drink, so I would recommend changing the sweetness level to 75 percent or lower depending on how much you enjoy the taste of earthy herbal teas.

Nonetheless, for the cost, especially for boba in San Francisco, how short of a wait, and the quality of the boba, I rate this drink a 8/10.

I might not order this drink again, but I would for sure go back for a different flavor!