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The Shield

McQuaid Jesuit's biweekly content heap.

The Shield

The Shield

2023: A Year of Film in Review

Charles Sutton, Unresolved Optimist | January 17, 2024

Movie theatres have been a significant part of American culture for decades. A gathering place for everyone. Occasionally, huge movies became cultural events. Everyone saw them at the theatre; they were universal experiences that became part of pop culture and regular conversations everywhere. In 2023, there were some such movies. We will be talking about the shock wave of the Bomb in Oppenheimer and...

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<em>The Babadook</em>

Thomas LaFay, Belated Horror | November 16, 2023

[Content Warning: If you're unaware, this is a horror film. Some pretty dark stuff follows.] A rumbling sound then three sharp knocks: BA BA DOOK DOOK DOOK. That’s when you’ll know that he’s around. In The Babadook, directed by Jennifer Kent, a single mother, depressed because of the death of her husband, starts being stalked by a monster, whose presence frightens her son and causes her to...

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The NFL Keeps Trying to Head Off Concussions

Evan Tomcik, Certified Roger Goodell Hater | September 25, 2024

Concussions always have been, and always will be, an unfortunate byproduct of contact sports, especially American football. Despite significant changes and improvements made to helmets and tackling rules across the past century, concussions remain a common problem throughout the NFL season. In 2023, across pre- and in-season games and practices, the NFL reported a total of 219 concussions, which was...

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The Cape Cod Baseball League

John Morris, Harwich Mariners #1 Fan | September 25, 2024

Aaron Judge; Paul Skenes; Pete Alonso; Adley Rutschman; Kyle Schwarber. What do all these players have in common? Besides being All-Stars, they have all played in the Cape Cod Baseball League. Many baseball fans (including myself) have never even heard of the league. I was only informed of its existence two months ago by my uncle when I was visiting Cape Cod. The CCBL is a summer league consisting...

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Helldivers II

James Hay, Galactic Cartographer | May 1, 2024

Do you perchance like any of the following concepts: liberty, democracy, or Earth? Have you ever wanted to fight bugs that were harvested for their resources on government plants that broke o—I mean bugs that have no elections and must be liberated of their resources, robot sla—I mean protesting unionized automaton workers, or an alien race that at this time is not recognized by the government?...

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Honkai Star Rail: Are we Creepin’?

Marcel Coney, Debtor | October 30, 2023

Honkai Star Rail is an immersive turn-based open-world RPG game released in late April 2023, the fourth in the Honkai series. As the player, you tag along with the Astral Express crew to explore and help save planets across the universe from seeds of disaster known as "stellarons." There are many aspects to the game that can be seen in other Hoyoverse titles, but one of the most unique aspects is...

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Be Less Normal

Mario Morales-Bermúdez, Sorbet-ing at the Moon | September 25, 2024

Like everyone else, sometimes I feel a powerful need to grab a pint of Häagen-Dazs dulce de leche and dig out shavings of soft, cold, sweet caramel until my brain decides that I am no longer at optimal body temperature. Before I get on my actual soapbox, let's be clear: this is the mature, adult, restrained version of this urge. When I was in college, I happily dug my way through entire pints of...

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Food Be the Food of Love, Actually

Mario G. Morales-Bermúdez, Chef d'Affection | February 13, 2024

The last time I showed up around these parts to talk about food, because I have a gift for staking out popular positions that will be shared by absolutely everyone in time, I chose to talk about how cooking during lockdown taught me the value of not wasting anything in your kitchen. I stand by that, to be clear, especially as every grocery store chain openly gouges us, gives us some sorry excuse we...

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Summer “Vacation”

Liam Clark, Recovering Reprobate | September 29, 2022

As I roam and traverse this empty hall, I start wondering if it's the same at all As the raucous building that I used to hear Throughout all the days of yesteryear. Here I am, though I should really be free; This is basically an educational tyranny. Learning my lessons all over again? If this is for real, I might go insane. I'm at the room now, though I'd rather hide From the ultimate...

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A Poem

Bobby McCann, Swift in his Death-Dealing | February 11, 2021

I left you, mother, at such a young age, and turned to sadness and sorrow and rage. The Danes had family and friendship alike, and they tasted better than sheep and the like.   They would fruitlessly run right away, whenever I opened the hall to light from the day. Then I began coming at night, leaving them with quite a blight.   Never would I be normal like them, they...

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The Top Ten Smoothest Songs

Laszlo Jurasinski, Just Like the Ocean, Under the Moon | May 29, 2024

There are many styles of song within the vast range of "classic rock." My personal favorite of these styles is the smooth approach: sometimes called soft rock or yacht rock. There's many a smooth tune to be found in this genre. Now, what exactly makes a song smooth? I will tell you. In order for something to be smooth, it has to be soft and relaxing. There may be an individual who thinks that...

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The Ballad of Billy Joel: Part II

Thomas Steele, A Moderately Annoyed Old Boy | May 29, 2024

At the end of Part I, Billy Joel had just released the album Streetlife Serenade in Los Angeles, but it failed to capture public attention or critical acclaim. After some side projects with other artists, Joel moved from Los Angeles to New York. This decision was partly because of the disappointing outcome of his last album, and partly because Joel simply no longer liked the City of Angels. However,...

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The Whys of Ties

Dylan Phannao, Triple Windsor Believer | May 29, 2024

The necktie, a staple of formal wear, is facing an existential crisis. As we move towards a more relaxed society, should we still be wearing neckties? McQuaid Jesuit’s dress code states that its students should wear neckties, which is why I feel like this is a super important topic for me. The necktie has been a symbol of formality and professionalism for decades. However, its popularity has...

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College Board: The Higher Education Monopoly Game

Ronan Turkovich, Tester of the Standardized | March 20, 2024

What is a monopoly? Dictionary.com defines the term as “a market structure characterized by a single seller, selling a unique product in the market.” Now let’s ask the question: Is the College Board a monopoly? The College Entrance Examination Board (referred to as the College Board) was founded at Columbia University in 1899 by twelve colleges and three high school preparatory schools, with...

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Locking In 101

Dylan Phannao, Locus of Focus | September 25, 2024

I need to get this assignment done. I’ve been procrastinating for weeks, and it’s due in six hours! Lock in. What is locking in? It is the concept of having absolute focus on the task at hand and exerting maximum effort into the task until completion. Many people say “lock in” over the simplest things, such as FPS video games. This primarily occurs in high-stakes situations, where...

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Brain Rot and its Consquences

Dylan Phannao, Skibidi writer | January 17, 2024

You wanna know how i got this drip? My father, was a sigma, from ohio. And one night, he goes off sussier than the imposter at 3 am. Mommy gets the baby gronk rizzing up livvy dunn to defend herself. He doesn't like that. Not. One. Bit. So, me watching, he takes the OG fortnite rizzler to ohio, laughing the ocky way while he does it. He turns to me and says, "What the dog doing?" He griddys at me with...

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McQuaid Jesuit's biweekly content heap.