Mercy SF to Close in June After 68 Years
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Campus News, Pages 4-7 Features, Pages 10-11 Arts & Entertainment, Page 13 Sports, Pages 16-19 FREE VOLUME LXX ISSUE iii ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN February 2020 HIGH SCHOOL SERVING RIORDAN SINCE 1949 THE NEWSPAPER OF CRUSADER COUNTRY Coed Crusaders According to the official results, By Steven Rissotto ’20 758 alumni took the survey, and and Antonio Maffei ’20 57.9 percent of them were in favor After weeks of discussions and of Riordan making the change for meetings, on Jan. 29, President the next school year. About 74.9 Dr. Andrew Currier announced percent of former Crusaders were Archbishop Riordan High School in favor of a five-year strategic would become a co-educational plan to accept girls. institution starting in the fall of Joe Shasky, current sports 2020. radio host for 95.7 The Game and Riordan is San Francisco’s former Crusader, sent out a tweet oldest all-boys school and was in support of the change. established in 1949. After one “I’m happy for Riordan. It’s final meeting with the faculty and about the greater good evolving staff, then the Board of Trustees and fostering community,” the on the evening of Jan. 28, the tweet read. “The core values can decision was nearly final with Photo by Steven Rissotto ’20 can still be intact. I will embrace two final approvals still needed: On Feb. 20 and 24, Riordan students welcomed girls to campus who the change and look forward to the Moderator of the Curia, Fr. are considering Riordan as an option for the 2020-2021 school year. a new chapter to the long, proud Piderit, SJ, and Archbishop of San Crusader legacy. Francisco Salvatore Cordileone. and 20 minutes later by Currier. decision, students, teachers, Meanwhile, Keith Leveroni The final approval from At 5:00 p.m, the applications alumni, and parents were all ’92 said, “I truly feel such a big Archbishop Cordileone was opened up on the Riordan website asked for feedback in the form of received at 2:10 p.m. The to accept young women. online surveys used to assist in Please see “Coed,” announcement was made an hour In the weeks leading up to the the decision to accept girls. continued on page 4 Mercy SF to close in June after 68 years By Grayson Salomon ’22 After 68 years of educating the young women of San Francisco, Mercy High School will close its doors at the end of the academic school year on June 1, 2020. “The trustees and administration have worked tirelessly to preserve the important mission to which we have been devoted for the past 68 years and are incredibly disappointed that we are unable to keep Mercy’s doors open,” said Head of School Sister Carolyn Krohn ’65. Mercy is one of the last all-girls high schools in San Francisco next to Convent of the Sacred Heart and ICA Cristo Rey Academy. The main reason for the closure was being unable to reach financial needs and stability. There are multiple reasons why reaching financial stability was impossible, such as a decrease in enrollment over the past two decades, financial aid promised to the students always falls short $5,000 of actual costs, and operating costs, including salaries, and the need to meet the needs of faculty and staff, according to Mercy Communications. “The lack of stable financial support has hurt the school’s ability to meet the financial needs of families seeking a Catholic high school education at Mercy,” according to Mercy Communications. There have been multiple attempts and ideas explored, Photo by Sophia Carrasquilla ’22, Mercy SF but no solution could properly get the school to financial stability. Please see “Mercy,” Mercy High School on 19th Avenue in San Francisco announced in continued on page 4 January that it will close its doors in June, after nearly seven decades. 2 Opinion The Crusader February 2020 Archbishop Riordan High School School spirit soars as sports teams triumph The Crusader Staff Editorial For the last several years, large crowd like this has become happening. attendance at Riordan sporting more typical. The school needs to capitalize is increasingly likely that student events has been low. Really This change can be attributed on its recent surge in attendance support for the athletic events low. So low that our principal in large part to our state-ranked in order to preserve school spirit will be a mainstay of our school. held an assembly to address the basketball team. Quite simply, for the years to come. If a more Freshmen brought into a spirited issue, students openly mocked people are more invested when organized system is established culture will be more likely to the attendance at games, and they’re winning. And since, game at the present time that sets adopt and continue that spirit, parents outnumbered students after game, Riordan’s basketball standards for our cheering thereby increasing its longevity. at virtually every event. Finally, team continues to triumph with a section, props for the crowd, The school has a chance to things have begun to change. stylish flair, it makes sense that creative cheers, and more, then it turn its culture of apathy into a At the Riordan-SI basketball the size of the crowd is increasing. will be more likely to be carried long lasting culture of spirit and game on Jan. 31, so many students But what happens when our into the future. energy. Organizing the energy of came out to watch the event that basketball program takes a dip in Most of the responsibility for the student body now will keep there wasn’t enough room to seat quality years down the line? Such this promulgation of school spirit the gym packed for years to come. them all, and many had to be an event is inevitable. And, when rests on the shoulders of the The Spirit Club can start working moved to the court. Flags, swords, it happens, Riordan is left in the newly established Spirit Club, on new traditions, new cheers, shields, and even stuffed rabbits, same position it was two or three an organization created with and consistent advertising to were waved by the rancorous years ago, with a general apathy the intent to support Riordan’s make that happen. crowd of cheering students in a towards sporting events. athletic events. Right now, Riordan is in a position of show of school pride reminiscent It is the position of this students are more willing to be strength. We, the staff of The of days gone by, when a packed newspaper that programs be put spirited. If that spirit is shaped Crusader, want to keep it that gym was the norm. Suddenly, a in place now to prevent that from and directed by the Spirit Club, it way. Pope Francis to journalists on World Communications Day: “I would like, then, to invite everyone to promote a journalism of peace . a journalism that is truthful and opposed to falsehoods, rhetorical slogans, and sensational headlines. A journalism created by people for people, one that is at the service of all, especially those – and they are the majority in our world – who have no voice.” Social Media, Online Editor Antonio Maffei ’20 Editor’s Note In commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the newspaper, Exchange Editor Art Director Miles Poon ’20 recreated some of the designs Cole Anderson ’22 from previous decades, as well as created new ones. This is the third different masthead this school year. We will post Copy Editor a poll on our social media platforms so readers can vote Brandon Vargas ’20 for their favorite, which will become the new masthead. Photo Editors Michael Ortega-Portillo ’21 Mission Statement for the JJ Trujeque ’21 Archbishop Riordan High School Newspaper 175 Frida Kahlo Way San Francisco, CA 94112 The mission of The Crusader is to inform, educate and Art Director RCrusaderNews.com entertain the readers—students, teachers, parents, [email protected] Miles Poon ’20 members of the community—about issues that affect the students as well as citizens of San Francisco and the nation. Editor-in-Chief Staff Reporters We hope to instill a sense of understanding, responsibility, Steven Rissotto ’20 Henry Bensurto ’20 and curiosity in our readers that results in an eagerness to CJ Cabanero ’21 learn more about their peers and the world around them. Opinion Editor Elijah Calip ’22 Michael Gray ’20 Christian Ramirez Cortes ’22 Michael Curran ’20 News Editors Noah David ’22 Jamar Kittling ’20 Corrections and Clarifications Sean DiNicola ’22 Zachary Phillips ’20 The Crusader strives to maintain journalistic Sebastian Elsner ’23 standards of accuracy and integrity at all times. Steven Elsner ’20 Features Editor Please help us maintain this level of excellence Logan Estrada ’22 Alexander Ruivivar ’20 by reporting anything inaccurate or unclear. Jonathan Godoy ’21 Sports News Editor Mauricio Granera ’23 Cameron Bevan-Abel ’22 Massimo Hoffman ’20 Andrei Lynch ’22 Sports Features Editor Nathan Loeffler Malatesta ’23 Aidan Murtagh ’20 Jordan Tyler Maralit ’21 Letters to the Editor Lizandro Munoz ’22 Letters to the editors will be accepted with the same deadlines Arts & Entertainment Editor Christopher Murray ’22 as ads. These letters may come from students, staff, parents, Ian Martin ’20 Jordan Noeuku ’21 board members, or other members of the community. The Levis Rodriguez ’20 Crusader reserves the right to edit the letter for grammatical Environment & Tech Editor Grayson Salomon ’22 and spelling errors, as well as length, but not content. If the David Dorantes ’21 Anthony Wierzba ’23 facts are absolutely incorrect, The Crusader reserves the Religion Editor Nicholas Yee ’20 right to refuse publication of the letter.