The Squire
VOLUME 5 ISSUE 1
Summer 2022
ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN HIGH SCHOOL
Riordan reaches new heights with roof renovation By Kyle Escalante
Grade 7, Our Lady of Mercy School Archbishop Riordan High School is renovating 80 percent of the roof this summer due to problems with leaks that were causing the concrete to deteriorate, and to fulfill safety requirements. The last time the roof was remodeled was more than 30 years ago, according to Brandon Ramsey, Director of Facilities. Ramsey estimates that the roof job will take five to six months during the summer break, and will probably cost $1.8 million. The plan is to break the roof up into sections of priority. The workers will start with the halls, classrooms, dorms, and then the front office area. RSP Director Stephanie Lundin said, “Even though I had to move my summer RSP program to the Library to avoid the noise, it’s worth all the ruckus to have a safe environment for our students and teachers.” A building assessment on the Riordan roof revealed it to be a priority in terms of what needs to be fixed around campus, and a donation from the Guido J. Salomone ’57 grant helped the school pay for the necessary work.
Photo by Aaron Abraham ’22 Work to replace the roof began in June and continues through the summer in order to complete most of the job before school resumes. The sounds were loud and echoey, as workers drilled into the roof and vacuum out debris. Dust particles were drifting into the classrooms through open windows and the halls were a little dusty with the remnants of the remodeling. AJ Datoc, an eighth grader at
Mission Dolores Academy who is here for Camp Crusader, said, “It sounds like a bunch of water bottles falling on a wooden floor.” Recent graduate and Camp Crusader aide Aaron Abraham ’22 said, “The sounds were exciting as they promised a new roof.”
“It’s worth all the ruckus to have a safe environment for our students and teachers.” -Stephanie Lundin, RSP Director
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Staff
Summer 2022 The Squire Archbishop Riordan High School
Scan this code to read this issue of The Squire online, as well as previous issues.
The Squire Staff Reporters Elizabeth Alvarado Richard Anderson Sienna Bogorad Abigael Bostrom Angeli Bughao Mia Cabatic Marquiel Castillo Nathan Cheng Alexander Datoc Jr. Kyle Escalante Lucy Galvin Sylas Garcia Lola Guandique Reegan Jones Bianca Kennedy Avery Lau
Everett Lundin-Mizel Isabella Maestas Liam Magoolaghan Elena Navarro Frank Ouyang Cooper Simon Jack Schwarz Solomon Zumbado Editorial Assistants Aaron Abraham ’22 Thomas Galvin ’24 Nicolo Ricci ’24 Joseph Zuloaga ’23 Adviser Susan Sutton, MJE
Note: The name of the Camp Crusader newspaper was changed from The Crusader Junior to The Squire in 2018. A squire is “an attendant to a knight before becoming a knight.”
Staff
Summer 2022 The Squire Archbishop Riordan High School
Staff members of The Squire consisted of fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students as reporters, and Riordan students as photographers and editorial assistants. This summer, there were three two-week sessions of Journalism Camp.
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Opinion
Summer 2022 The Squire Archbishop Riordan High School
A birthday with cake, candles, and fireworks! Student shares his experience of having a birthday on a holiday By Richard Anderson Grade 6, St. Finn Barr School
Having a birthday on a holiday has its ups and downs. My birthday is on the Fourth of July, and one negative thing is that nothing is open, so it’s really hard to find something like a bowling alley to gather at. Parks are very popular on that day, so all the tables are claimed pretty early in the day. But, I still have a lot of fun because it feels like the whole entire USA is wishing me a happy birthday! Plus, at night, there are fireworks so it feels like those are for me. This past Independence Day, my family and I watched fireworks, which was really fun. Having a birthday on a holiday has many positives. For example, my grandpa has a birthday right after Christmas, which is cool because on Christmas he gets gifts, and then the day after, he gets more gifts! As for a Fourth of July birthday, it’s fun because the fireworks are celebrating the birth of our country, but it’s my birthday too, and my name is not America, it’s Richard.
Illustration by The Squire staff The writer shares a birthday with the United States of America, and he’s fine with that because it means birthday fireworks.
“Having a birthday on a holiday has its ups and downs.” -Richard Anderson, Reporter for The Squire
Summer 2022
Campus News The Squire Archbishop Riordan High School
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School-wide restroom remodeling project commences By Frank Ouyang
Grade 7, West Portal Lutheran School Construction workers are working to remodel several restrooms at Riordan during the summer because of many issues. The restrooms have never been renovated before and are in need of an upgrade. The workers are adding new flooring, sinks, toilets, urinals, partitions, paint, and doors. A big problem is the drainage issues and clogging. There was also some vandalism that happened during the school year. Director of Facilities Brandon Ramsey said, “Basically everyone at Riordan – students, administrators, and the school board – wanted the restrooms to be fixed.” The project will cost around $1.2 million for four main restrooms and three smaller, solo restrooms. It will take place from June to the start of the school year in August. “A challenge with the bathrooms being fixed is having to walk all the way around the campus. It’s pretty inconvenient,” said Nicolo Ricci ’24, a Camp Crusader aide. Although remodeling may cause a few temporary difficulties, including a lot of commotion from removing old material and restroom facilities, it will help the school in the long run. Math instructor Brian Davis said, “We are very fortunate to have the bathrooms fixed.” New restrooms will increase accessibility and will allow the
Photos by Aaron Abraham ’22 The Squire reporters interview Director of Facilities Brandon Ramsey about the restroom remodeling project. students to use the restroom during class without missing too much class time. Last school year, students had to walk across campus when the restrooms were out of service.
Ramsey added, “I’m very excited about doing the bathrooms. We did the classrooms, the gym, and the hallways before. Fixing the bathrooms kind of completes the interior of the school.” The summer restroom project includes all of the facilities in the main building on campus, and requires hallways to be blocked off for safety and efficiency.
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Campus News
Summer 2022
The Squire Archbishop Riordan High School
Sophomores shape up for summer geometry class By Sienna Bogorad Grade 8, St. Monica School
Over the summer, incoming sophomores have the opportunity to take geometry at Riordan so that in the fall they can take trigonometry. Students in the class complete a year’s worth of geometry in six weeks, and after those six weeks, they qualify to take more advanced math courses this coming school year and in the future. “We go through one chapter a week (two to three lessons) for six weeks,” said Angela Jia ’25. “It goes by really fast.” There are three summer geometry classes taught by Karina Mathisen, Mary Ann Datoc, and Carol Pineda. To enter one of the classes students have to have an A in Algebra 1, and pay a fee of $1,500. Datoc said, “More than 30 students requested an Accelerated Geometry class. Because of the high demand for the class, we offered the class to rising sophomores only from Riordan and we were able to have two classes of Accelerated Geometry.” “We spend three and a half hours a day in school learning new topics and when we get home, we have homework and studying to do,” said Shri Raghavan ’25. “I’m taking the class because it’s important to me that I get ahead.” Datoc wanted to give students the opportunity to do just that. “I wanted to teach the class
Photo by The Squire staff Rising sophomores had the opportunity get ahead in math this summer by taking an accelerated geometry class for six weeks. because our students want it, and having hard working students who want to advance in math is awesome.” She continued, “Also, I was team teaching the Geometry class with Ms. Mathisen as well as working side by side with Ms. Pineda. We are a great team.” Throughout the summer, the students have several projects and activities they have to complete, as well as at least one test per week. The class has a lot of work that has to be done, so students enrolled in the class are only allowed to miss two days of school
or else they will be dropped from the class. Despite the work, the class was also fun. Datoc said she did not have to entertain the students, because “they are entertained by each other trying to solve a problem together as a team. I love listening to debates about who is correct in solving problems.” “In Geometry, as well as other math classes, there are multiple ways of solving the same problem. And that blew their minds!” Finally, Datoc added, “I hope this will encourage other rising sophomores in the future years to take the class in the summer.”
Summer 2022
Campus News The Squire Archbishop Riordan High School
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Camp Crusader mixes sports, academics for perfect balance By AJ Datoc
Grade 8, Mission Dolores Academy Camp Crusader started in 1975. That’s more than 45 years of providing summer fun for kids of all ages on the Riordan campus! Lizzy Reardon, a counselor at Camp Crusader, started working here four years ago. She watched camp slowly transition into many individual camps. She is now in college, but was at Crusader Camp back in 2011 when she was in the 5th grade, when it was all sports. Camp Crusader changed from a sports-oriented camp to one with more variety including academic classes and arts. Reardon believes that there are benefits to these changes because it reaches a wider group of kids with varied interests. The changes also come with a change in leadership. Jay’Sen Morris ’07 and Joe Kopp took over the reins last year. Reardon recommends Camp Crusader for kids because it’s a “welcoming environment for different backgrounds.” Kopp, also an Admissions and a Resident Advisor at Riordan, began working here during the onset of COVID. Although Kopp didn’t attend Camp Crusader, he noticed that one of the biggest changes is splitting up the camp into Summer Programs. Camp Crusader used to be K-8 grades
Photo by The Squire staff English Teacher Brian Kosewic ’16 advises a student in the Star Wars Writing class, one of the academic courses offered at camp. and is now only K-4 grades. Camp Crusader is still a traditional style summer camp, like it has been for years, with games, activities, sports, competition, learning, fun, and friendship. However, students in grades 5-8 now have a different opportunity with Summer Programs. Students get to take academic courses across a range of disciplines and participate in various sports clinics as well. Kopp thinks the best part of Camp Crusader is the memories that students create over the years. He said, “We often see the same families come back every year and get to create friendships that last for a long time.” Dean of Students Juan
Zumbado ’98 said, “The best thing is that it is a safe and fun environment for young kids. They can participate and learn and be around different kids.” He added, “I send my own sons and they look forward to it.” Nico Navarro ’24, one of the counselors at Crusader Camp, started working as a staff member a year ago. Navarro wanted to work at Camp Crusader so he can be involved in the school community and help give campers a great summer experience at Riordan. Although he wasn’t in Camp Crusader when he was younger, he recommends it to kids so they can have a fun summer camp experience at Riordan, playing games and making new friends. Elayana Haldezos, a camper who attends St. John School, said she first attended because her cousin goes to Riordan, but continues to attend for the fun and friendships. Teacher and coach Ed Beteta ’85 started working at Riordan in the fall of 2020, and the following year taught at Camp Crusader. Beteta went to Camp Crusader in the summer of 1979, and his time was always occupied with sports and movies. He said that the changes are beneficial. Beteta said, “I definitely recommend Camp Crusader because you’re always outdoors and always active with fresh air and sunshine.”
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Local News
Summer 2022
The Squire Archbishop Riordan High School
Pediatric Emergency Rooms focus on keeping child, parents calm By Lucy Galvin
Grade 7, Hilldale School There are many ways a child can get hurt, which means Emergency Room visits are not uncommon. The ER can be a place with many dangerous tools, but is also a place for healing. It is also a place where there’s a lot of foot traffic, with children, parents, doctors, and nurses coming and going at all hours of the day. Emergency Physician Doctor Ingrid Lim said, “Most of the time what I see is kids who run and fall and get a laceration (a cut) and I would have to give them stitches.” Doctor Lim also mentioned common injuries to a child’s arm, including a fracture or a dislocation in a child’s elbow, which is called a nursemaid’s elbow. When a child gets hurt, the ER focuses on trying to explain to the child what they are doing or what happens when they go in for an x-ray or a C.T. scan. Doctor Lim commented, “At some hospitals there is a child life specialist who focuses on comforting the kids and keeping them distracted with games or they could play a YouTube show.” There is a difference between a pediatric hospital, which is a hospital especially for children, versus a hospital for adults. Doctor Lim also mentioned that when she is treating a child, she
Photo by The Squire staff Students in the Sports Medicine class learn how to apply ice packs. is also treating the parent because of how nervous the parent is about their child being hurt. Camp Crusader Sports Medicine teacher Anthony Rissotto ’17 commented on what to do if an injury occurs. He said, “Rest, ice, and consult a specialist or your primary care physician if you don’t notice improvements.” Elliott Ng, a 7th grader at West Portal Lutheran, commented on what happened when he got hurt this summer, requiring him to
use crutches to get around. “I tripped over a soccer ball at soccer camp and fractured my shin.” The best advice from medical professionals, parents, and children is for those who get hurt during the summer, not to rush the recovery even if it means missing out on fun summer activities like swimming, especially when wearing a cast that has to remain dry. Just focus on the process of getting better.
“At some hospitals there is a child life specialist who focuses on comforting the kids and keeping them distracted.” -Emergency Physician Doctor Ingrid Lim
Summer 2022
Local News The Squire Archbishop Riordan High School
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Great America’s 46-year-ride approaches final turn By Isabella Maestas Grade 8, St. Finn Barr School
On June 27, Cedar Fair, owners of Great America, announced that the park has been sold for $310 million to real estate developer Prologis and with that, the amusement park will be closing down in the next two to 11 years. Great America has been open for 46 years, but hit a rough patch when the pandemic struck. The park received fewer people coming back when they reopened, due to the still ongoing scare of Covid. With that, the theme park lost a lot of money. As one can imagine, when offered this much money for the park, the owners accepted the offer. According to an article on AlmanacNews.com, “Cedar Fair intends to use proceeds from the land sale transaction to accelerate progress on its strategic priorities of reducing debt to achieve its $2 billion target,” a spokesperson for the company said. Coach Jay’Sen Morris ’07 said, “Personally, I didn’t attend Great America frequently. I would maybe go a couple of times a year, and one of those times was usually a school-sponsored event. The last time I visited Great America was in high school, and I believe it was my sophomore or junior year.”
Wikimedia Commons Great America will close in two to 11 years.
record for the biggest double deck carousel at 100 feet! The park has not announced what will happen to the carousel, or its other rides, but preservationists and fans hope they find a way to save it and relocate it. With an uncertain, but roller coaster existence, the future use of the area has not been detailed to
“I will miss the park very deeply, and I intend to visit it more before the eventual closing.” -Bianca Kennedy, Grade 7, St. Stephen School He added, “I don’t think I will miss it, especially since I haven’t been in about 15 years. However, I will say that it’s disappointing that it is being torn down.” Though, a student had different opinions. Bianca Kennedy said, “The park’s closing is very disappointing. It was a closer amusement park than going all the way to Disneyland.” Bianca also said, “I will miss the park very deeply, and I intend to visit it more before the eventual closing.” One interesting fact about the park is that it holds the world
the public yet. But with 112 acres of land, one can only speculate that it will include housing. In a statement provided to KTVU, the new land owners said, “Prologis is excited to make this investment in Santa Clara. As an experienced real estate company headquartered in the Bay Area, we know the community and local businesses well. We look forward to working with local government on the long-term plan for the land, which will be done through collaborative discussions with the city and local community.”
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World News
Summer 2022
The Squire Archbishop Riordan High School
Heatwaves, wildfires ravage European continent By Elizabeth Alvarado
Grade 8, St. Thomas More School A change in climate, making temperatures soar to over 100 degrees in some European countries, is in part to blame for the July 12 fires spreading across the United Kingdom, France, and Spain, and resulting in the evacuation of thousands of people. There have been a total of 237 deaths attributed to the rise of heat temperature during July 10-14 and 135 injured, according to news reports. In France, 14,900 were forced to flee and authorities had to escort 31,000 more to evacuate because of the spreading fires. The rising temperatures have affected the European continent with increased temperatures, creating wildfires that have spread from Portugal to the Balkans. Heat waves are starting to become more powerful, constant, and longer due to the climate changing. The European continent has been experiencing not only fires, but extensive droughts due to climate change. Some areas including Italy, Greece, and Iceland have all been affected due to climate change. According to Michael O’Brien, AP Environmental Sciences teacher at Archbishop Riordan
Graphic via Flickr The number of forest fires worldwide has increased exponentially over the last 50 years, due in part to climate change and forest management.
High School, “As climate changes due to increased greenhouse gas emission, drier seasons in areas that are normally wetter have received higher independence of fires.” The rise in temperatures and resulting fires can cause health problems for many, such as heat stroke and asthma. To ease the situation of the
wildfires, government officials are trying to take action by sending firefighters, aerial firefighters, and 200 reinforcements. In terms of fighting forest fires, European countries could learn from California forest fire fighting, O’Brien said, by practicing “better forest management than California had practiced in the past.”
“The rising temperatures have affected the European continent with increased temperatures, creating wildfires that have spread from Portugal to the Balkans.”
Environment
Summer 2022
The Squire Archbishop Riordan High School
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Concerns about global warming increase as temperatures rise By Nathan Cheng
Grade 8, West Portal Lutheran School Global warming is nothing new, as it started in the last Ice Age. However, today, people are more concerned about what species, including humans, will die off because of it. Others are concerned about the environment around them, as the temperatures increase, ice caps melt, and the sea level rises. Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, are trapped under the ozone layer, creating a “blanket” of gases that prevent radiant heat from escaping the atmosphere into space. At a natural rate, way before the Industrial Revolution, this is good, as it increases biodiversity in the planet and enables it to be livable for all creatures. However, the rate of greenhouse gases increased at an unsustainable rate. This leads to over warming, climate change, and destruction of the planet. Experts are trying inventions of their own to stop the increase in greenhouse gases, but scientists know they cannot stop global warming. They can only slow down the process. Governments from around the world are encouraging people to save energy, use public transportation, and walk or bike instead of using their cars. “One harmful effect of global warming is that millions of species die at a rate greater than normal background extinction due to habitat destruction and radical climate shifts,” said Michael O’Brien, AP Environmental Science teacher at Archbishop Riordan High School. There have been treaties that help lower the risk of climate change. One famous one was established in 2005, the Kyoto Protocol, which lowered the percentage of greenhouse gases by Illustration by The Squire staff 5 percent. Climate change and global warming are different terms. According to the Washington Post, “President As the world continues to struggle with climate Biden was considering whether to declare a national climate emergency in the coming weeks, change, humans can help by saving energy, turning off as he seeks to salvage his stalled environmental the lights when not in use, using public transportation, and installing solar panels. agenda ...” but stopped short of doing so.
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Features
Summer 2022 The Squire Archbishop Riordan High School
San Francisco offers scenic sights, historic sites By Bianca Kennedy
Grade 7, St. Stephen School With all of San Francisco’s fog and bleak weather, somehow this prominent city has charisma that compels tourists to flock here in big crowds. San Francisco has many famous attractions, each with an incredible history that attracts tourists such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Ghirardelli Square, the Palace of Fine Arts and many more. The Golden Gate Bridge was inspired after the Gold Rush and was meant to make accessibility to San Francisco more convenient so the city could continue its state of lucrativity. Even though construction truly began decades later on Jan. 5, 1933 and was finished on May 27, 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge became a San Francisco monument for its incredible views and picturesque location. Alcatraz was originally a prison for the most brutal of criminals, but ended up closing in 1969 due to cultural disagreements and costs. However in 1973, Alcatraz became a museum to educate visitors about the complex dynamics of Alcatraz. Ghirardelli Chocolate was founded in San Francisco during the Gold Rush when entrepreneurs seized their chance at striking it rich through business. Now, there is an entire “square” dedicated to this prominent and historical chocolate company with other small shops embellishing the
Photo by Katelyn Leong ’25 The Golden Gate Bridge, one of San Francisco’s most iconic symbols, is also one of its most popular tourist attractions.
“San Francisco has many famous attractions, each with an incredible history.” location. Lastly, the Palace of Fine Arts was planned and created during a time of abject despair. San Francisco was still recovering from, yet rising from the ashes of, the 1906 earthquake and Europe was facing many economic troubles that would lead to World War I. So, the civic leaders of San Francisco devised a plan to unite the world and teach each other the world’s potential through trade and culture with the
Panama–Pacific International Exposition in 1915. Initially, the Palace of Fine Arts was meant to be a temporary landmark, but held too much meaning with locals and tourists to be obliterated and neglected. So, it was rebuilt and stands today as a picturesque and prominent landmark. These landmarks are only a portion of the incredible sites and history in San Francisco that makes this city one to remember.
Features
Summer 2022 The Squire Archbishop Riordan High School
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Corgi Con conquers SF’s Ocean Beach By Everett Lundin-Mizel
Grade 5, Lakeshore Elementary School It’s been about three years since the last Corgi Con, and now the corgis are back. It was a sunny day and the dogs looked like they were having fun on June 18, as the corgis and their owners returned to San Francisco’s Ocean Beach. They had races, obstacles, a dress up competition, and much more. The event sounds ridiculous and funny, but worth it to those who attended. According to Yahoo! News, Corgi Con was founded in 2014 by Cynthia Lee, who posted a general invitation to corgi owners on Instagram to meet at the beach. About 40 corgis and their owners showed up. Now, the event draws hundreds of the little dogs with pointy ears. The event changed over the years with the addition of special events and costumes. There are many reasons to get a corgi such as they are usually very quiet, so if there is no emergency, they won’t bark, and they never disturb the residents’ lives. Susan Sutton, adviser of The Squire, attended Corgi Con for the first time this year. She said the attraction to the event is because, “Corgis look so different from other dogs, and they’re cute. Most people, even if they don’t
Photos by The Squire staff Hundreds of corgis, their owners, and admirers arrived at San Francisco’s Ocean Beach on June 18 for the annual Corgi Con. have a pet, like to look at them and play with them.” She added, “I would consider getting one if I had more time and they got along with cats.” RSP Director Stephanie Lundin also attended. She said she likes corgis because, “They are so cute, fluffy, and cuddly.” She suggested an event for future Corgi Cons: a long distance jumping contest. According to owners, the corgi is better than other small dogs, and because of their size, the corgi is suitable for keeping in urban areas, even apartments. Also, corgis are friendly, especially for children. In addition, the corgi IQ ranks 11 on the list of dogs, which shows that they are
very smart. Corgis are easy to feed, as they are not picky at all. But, owners need to be careful not to overfeed, because this will easily lead to becoming overweight, malnourished, or result in serious hair loss and imperfect skeletal development. Besides the possibility of overfeeding them, those who want a corgi should know that they are likely to have skin issues and shedding as well as a hip disorder. But, for those who love the corgis, it’s all worth it. Corgi Con is held every July and October, so those who missed this one can look forward to one in the fall.
“The corgi IQ ranks 11 on the list of dogs . . .”
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Arts & Entertainment
Summer 2022
The Squire Archbishop Riordan High School
Maverick soars to top of box office By Reegan Jones
Grade 7, St. Brendan School The 1986 film Top Gun, directed by Tony Scott, focuses on Tom Cruise as “Maverick,” as he is sent to Top Gun, a naval school for fighter planes. But, he is not there just to be at the top of his class, he also has his sights on his flight instructor, Charlotte Blackwood played by Kelly McGillis. In the May 2022 movie, “Top Gun: Maverick,” directed by Joseph Kosinski, the film centers on not just Maverick, but his students. The six main characters, Bob, Phoenix, Hangman, Fanboy, Payback, and Rooster, are all training for a difficult task that only four of them can go on. Top Gun decides to take Maverick in to train the best of the best to prepare them for the mission. Rooster is not only a student, but also the son of his old flight partner, Goose. In the 1986 movie, Goose died after hitting his head on the F-14 canopy while trying to eject from the plane, and Maverick was able to escape. The death of his former partner weighed on him so much that he pulled Rooster Four years back from the program because he wanted to make sure the incident with Rooster’s father didn’t repeat itself. The two will have to put their problems aside if they’re both going to survive. I thought this movie was action
Maverick, the long-awaited Top Gun sequel, landed in theaters in May. packed with a lot of humor. It was engaging and had a great ending. I would love to watch it again just so I could relive the journey. St. Brendan student Marina
Sandoval said, “I thought it was a good movie but not better than the first. Well, Actually, scratch that. The quality was definitely better. And I loved the story.”
Summer 2022
Arts & Entertainment The Squire Archbishop Riordan High School
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Minions moviegoers make mischief By Leelah Jaboneta and Daniela Mount Grade 7, St. Philip School
The new Minions movie has caused a lot of chaos at theaters across the nation because of a trend on social media. The trend on Tik Tok is directed towards kids the ages of 12 and older, and focuses, some say encourages, young people to see the movie and act in an immature and disrespectful way. Some examples are screaming and shouting, and throwing candy at the screen. Some even throw parties and blast songs during the movie. Some groups come to the movie in formal attire. Because of all this ruckus, many more teens than anticipated have bought tickets. In just three days, Universal and Illumination’s Minions: The Rise of Gru made more than $107 million in ticket sales. The groundbreaking movie is set in the 1970s and the main character is young Gru attempting to take over a group of villains called The Vicious 6. His minions help him on his journey of taking an ancient necklace that he had stolen from the evil group. One of the minions, “Otto,” had the treasure at one point and traded it for a pet rock with a group of young children at a birthday party. The rest of the movie focuses on Gru and his minions fighting to get the ancient
The minions are not the only mischief makers in the theaters. necklace back. When we watched the movie in the theater, there were kids shouting and being a little obnoxious, but personally it didn’t affect us. The movie is for little kids, so
we think it would be very disruptive if a quiet family just came to watch it with their kids. Overall, in our opinion the movie is very exciting, has a lot of jokes, and the minions are still so very funny.
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Arts & Entertainment
Summer 2022
The Squire Archbishop Riordan High School
Muslim teen hero morphs into MCU Phase 4 By Angeli Bughao and Marquiel Castillo
Grade 8, Our Lady of Mercy School “Ms. Marvel,” a coming of age story released on June 8, and directed by Sharmeen ObaidChinoy, shows the unique backstory of aspiring superhero, Kamala Khan. Kamala Khan, played by Iman Vellani, is a 16-year-old PakistaniAmerican who is an Avengers superfan that would much rather daydream about Captain Marvel than focus on her studies. However, Kamala’s superhero fantasy comes to life when a mysterious bracelet seemingly tied to her ancestors makes its way into her life, and grants Kamala with superhuman powers. “Ms. Marvel” showcases a combination of drama, action, and humor as we follow Kamala through her efforts of figuring out her future, fitting in at school, and patching up fights with her parents. The show catches viewers’ eyes as it takes on a comic-book feel with its combination of cartoon and action, as well as creative cinematography and tonality. “Ms. Marvel” is very popular, as it’s rated 98 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. “The show’s exploration of mother-daughter dynamics, particularly through the eyes of Khan and her mom Muneeba (Zenobia Shroff), is somewhat revolutionary for the MCU, too, given that this type of relationship
Ms. Marvel introduces Marvel fans to a new hero. has rarely been scrutinized,” said Tom Power on TechRadar. “The idea of playing Ms. Marvel was just so natural because of the parallels between my life and Kamala’s in the story,” said Pakistani-Canadian actor Iman Vellani on Telangana Today. Both reviewers really enjoy “Ms. Marvel,” as it’s entertaining and
relatable. The hero is a good role model, especially for the younger audience. The show itself is also great representation of Muslim culture, as Kamala and her family are Pakistani. “Ms. Marvel” is a unique and relatable addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it is definitely worth watching.
Summer 2022
Arts & Entertainment 17
The Squire Archbishop Riordan High School
‘Stranger Things 4’ keeps viewers running back for more By Mia Cabatic
Grade 8, Our Lady of Mercy School The second volume of the 4th season of “Stranger Things” has officially come out to Netflix, with two new episodes recently released. From heart-to-heart moments both the newly introduced and old characters share, to Eleven’s self discovery of her abilities, — many fans were not disappointed. Both final episodes continue to maintain that intriguing, yet chilling atmosphere of the first seven that have led the audience this far. I personally think that overall, volume two was amazing. The acting of the cast was phenomenal, and the general storyline was well written. It all makes the season finale really come to life. In these two episodes, we see Dustin, Steve, and Robin’s group as they continue their journey in the Upside Down to defeat Vecna, whose identity we previously learned was Henry Creel. We see Joyce and Murray continue their mission to rescue Hopper in Russia, and Eleven learning more about her abilities and her past. We also see Mike, Jonathan, Will, and Argyle attempting to rescue Eleven from the military. The plot is great, however the show struggles to give each storyline equal screen time. While some, specifically Dustin’s group, got a lot of screen time to show,
The complete nine-episode edition (in two volumes) of “Stranger Things 4” is now available on Netflix. there were others that just didn’t follow the same path, mainly Mike, Will, Jonathan, and Argyle in California. They had little to contribute to the main plot until the very end. There were also some scenes of Murray, Hopper, and Joyce’s adventure in Russia that felt like they dragged on for too long. While there were some memorable moments, there were other scenes that maybe could have been shortened. Another issue is the length of
the episodes, specifically the last one as a 140 minute season finale, around the length of a cinematic movie. I think that a 2.5 hour episode is a bit too long, and that some scenes could have been cut down for time. For the most part, the second volume of “Stranger Things 4” certainly did not let fans down, and it’s no wonder why this season is currently one of the most viewed shows on Netflix. I completely recommend watching, as it will not leave you disappointed.
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Arts & Entertainment
Summer 2022
The Squire Archbishop Riordan High School
Thor: Love and Thunder shocks viewers By Sylas Garcia
Grade 7, St. Cecilia School Thor: Love and Thunder, the fourth movie in the franchise, is an excellent movie about the main character, Thor the God of Thunder. In this movie, Thor must fight in wars, face new enemies, and all while a past relationship comes up, but there is something wrong with his mortal love that Thor doesn’t know about. The movie crossed the $500 million mark within two weeks. After the second week came a rough patch, as the movie only made $47 million, 68 percent less than it earned in its opening weekend. Thor has a 3.4 in audience ratings according to Google and 80 percent of viewers that searched for the movie enjoyed it, but some did not. “Boring. This movie is really disappointing. Filled with silly jokes and nothing to take seriously,” stated one disappointed viewer. Isabella Maestas, a student from Riordan’s journalism camp, said, “I thought the movie was amazing and I loved the parts where Thor was together with his ex-girlfriend.” The movie has a 68 percent Rotten Tomatoes score, which is considered “fresh,” or a good score, according to the official Rotten Tomatoes website. I saw this movie with my very close friends, and after the movie we were all in agreement that the film was amazing! Thor is an excellent movie to see, and I recommend you see it, too!
The newest Thor movie hit theaters earlier this month.
“Thor must fight in wars, face new enemies, and all while a past relationship comes up.”
Summer 2022
Sports Feature
The Squire Archbishop Riordan High School
19
‘Fake Klay’ fools fans, security at Chase Center By Cooper Simon
Grade 5, Commodore Sloat Elementary School
On June 5, Warriors star Klay Thompson entered the Chase Center and hit the floor for warmups. Except, it wasn’t actually Klay Thompson. Dawson Gurley (a.k.a. “Fake Klay”) entered the Warriors’ home impersonating Klay Thompson (for the second time) and was ultimately banned for life. Gurley, a YouTube prankster who looks like Thompson, used his resemblance to get past at least five Chase Center employees, most of which were security, get onto the court, and shoot around. After about 10 minutes, he air balled a lay-up and then decided to leave, but as he was leaving, security caught up with him. On his YouTube video, one member of security is seen asking, “Do you have any NBA credentials, anything?” When he could not produce the credentials, they took him out of the stadium, where he met up with a security official and received an official ban letter. After reading the letter, Gurley said, “Honestly, I deserve to be banned after I broke into the stadium twice.” According to an article on SFGate, Klay Thompson told Bay Area News Group Warriors beat writer Madeline Kenney, “Oh
BigDawsTv via YouTube Dawson Gurley, known as “Fake Klay,” as seen in his YouTube video. man, poor guy. Just trying to get some good content.” The real Thompson then added, “You play stupid games you get rewarded stupid prizes.” Steven Rissotto ’20, former editor-in-chief of The Crusader, said, ‘’He looks a bit like Klay Thompson, but I don’t see the resemblance as much as other people do, but I don’t think it’s a long shot that he got in.” Others, however, thought he was actually Klay, and received autographs and took photos with him! Some fans believe the security should also be punished. Rissotto, now majoring in journalism at San Francisco State University and writing for
SFBay, said, “To work there, the staff should be completely aware of which players are who so the check-in can work smoother and free of mistakes.” Maybe it’ll be the new trend, impersonating famous people to get into famous places, but this case has put security at all pro sports arenas on high alert. Rissotto added, “Chase Center has to have great security, especially during the NBA Finals. They may have had zero issues all season long, but all of that is wiped away when a lapse like this occurs because it really brings down the reputation.” He added, “They should brace for anyone attempting to pull this off in the future.”
20
Sports
Summer 2022 The Squire Archbishop Riordan High School
Warriors post up unfourgettable championship season By Soloman Zumbado Grade 7 St. Finn Barr School
On June 16, the buzzer sounded. The Warriors were now NBA Champions. In recent years, the Warriors have been to the NBA Finals six times and have won four of them. Steph Curry has been with the Warriors for his whole career, yet never won a Finals MVP – until now. This Finals proved to everyone that Curry is an MVP. Counselor David Lin ’99 said, “I’m so happy for Steph. He’s always been integral and is finally getting the recognition he deserves. I feel like besides his talent, his vibe and energy help build the championship culture of that team.” Coach Ed Beteta ’85 said, “We all knew Steph Curry was one of the greats, but now this Finals MVP vindicates him as one of the greatest players ever.” The Warriors regular season record was 53-29. Many people doubted the Warriors this season, saying they would not make the playoffs or win the NBA Finals. One example of this was when a Celtics fan got a tattoo on his arm saying “Boston Celtics: 2022 NBA Champions” before the series was even over. Ultimately, the Warriors won the series four games to two, sealing their victory.
Photo by The Squire staff The Warriors’ Steph Curry celebrated with his family and teammates after the team’s fourth championship in eight years.
“We all knew Steph Curry was one of the greats, but now this Finals MVP vindicates him as one of the greatest players ever.” -Coach Ed Beteta ’85 This Finals proved that the Warriors do not need multiple superstar players to win the NBA Championship. Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, Kevin Looney, Damion Lee and the rest of the Warriors organization all contributed to build this Championship. Or maybe Klay
Thompson was the final piece of the puzzle. Coach Beteta said, “You know, it doesn’t just take one person, it takes a whole team to win the NBA Championship.” He finished off by saying, “This win brings pride to the Bay Area and pride for where we live.”
Summer 2022 The Squire Archbishop Riordan High School
Sports
21
Harrison rises up through baseball ranks By Jack Schwarz Grade 8, James Lick Middle School
De La Salle High School alumnus Kyle Harrison has gone from a third round draft pick to MLB.com’s top left-handed pitching prospect in the game. In 15 games this year in the minors (A+/AA) he has posted a remarkable 2.52 ERA (Earned Run Average.) What is more impressive is his strikeout numbers. In 71.1 IP (Innings Pitched) he has 119 strikeouts, and he’s only 20 years old. To give some context, Buster Posey was 22 when he was drafted. Steven Rissotto ’20, host of RizzoCast, declared Harrison before his breakout year as, “relatively unknown to most Giants fans, but not to the organization as a whole.” He also said Harrison may be the “best pitching prospect the Giants have had since Madison Bumgarner.” Harrison was elected to the MLB Futures Game (MLB’s minor league all star game). He struggled in his performance, giving up two home runs and four runs (one earned.)
milb.com Kyle Harrison is one of the Giants’ most promising pitching prospects. Rissotto commented on his performance, saying, “I don’t think the Futures Game performance has any effect on his prospect standing.” Another possible cause for concern is Harrison’s very low and deceptive release point. In regards to that, Rissotto commented on whether he thought it would have
any affect on his arm health in the long run. Risotto didn’t feel that his delivery would increase or decrease his injury chances. Harrison has only had one bad regular season start this season (two with the Futures Game). It makes one wonder if he’s on the fast track to the big club.
“Best pitching prospect the Giants have had since Madison Bumgarner.” -Steven Rissotto ’20, host of RizzoCast
Summer 2022
Food Review 22
The Squire Archbishop Riordan High School
Tuesday’s tasty, tangy chicken challenges taste buds By Avery Lau
Grade 7, St. Gabriel School and
Lola Guandique
Grade 8, St. Finn Barr School Riordan Summer camp serves many different types of foods, some receiving more attention than others. After speaking with multiple campers it was decided that the most popular meal was Friday’s hot dog meal, which includes a bag of chips, and a chocolate chip cookie. After more discussion with the campers, it seemed that the chicken, rice, and beans meal served on Tuesday received the most mixed reviews among all the other food options. Tristan Guandique said, “It looks okay, but it’s really moist.” Leelah Jaboneta said, “It was very fresh and tasty. The chicken was very moist and juicy. The rice was a bit hard, but tasted good. The beans were dry.” However, some people we interviewed said that the meal was not very good. After hearing others’ opinions we decided to try this meal for ourselves. We started off with the
Photo by Avery Lau The chicken, rice, and beans meal served on a Tuesday received mixed reviews, but The Squire reviewers enjoyed it. chicken, which was very moist and juicy with a wet texture. The sauce served on the chicken was a deep shade of orange that tasted a bit tangy with a little hint of tomatoes. Next was the Mexican rice, served next to the chicken which gave off a reddish hue. The rice had a dry and hard texture with a dry tomato taste but in reality tasted really good. The pinto beans served next to
the rice gave off a light brown color. It was a mushy texture that tasted a bit nutty. By the time we had received the meal the rice was cold and compacted together yet still savory despite its harsh reviews. For the most part, the meal was truly tasty to the both of us. Overall, we’d give this meal a 4 out of 5. We don’t think it deserves the negative reviews others offered.
“The sauce served on the chicken was a deep shade of orange that tasted a bit tangy with a little hint of tomatoes.”