As I'm sure all my loyal readers have noticed, I haven't written an article for the Shield in quite a while. Unfortunately, schoolwork and hobbies have left me with limited free time, meaning I've had very little opportunity for movie-watching. However, in my busy schedule, I've still (for some reason) managed to make time for one film: 1999's The Mummy. Unlike many young people, I didn't watch The...

The Leader, or 领风者, is a Chinese animated series, which more or less the whole cosmos has acknowledged as propaganda. The web series was started with the express purpose of showing teenagers how awesome Marxism is. It was shown weekly on Bilibili in 2019 and caught the eye of many pro- and anti-Marxist figures. The show is comprised of seven enthralling episodes, each displaying important moments...

What is anti-doping? Anti-doping constitutes a large range of activities with the specific motive of eradicating doping (the use of PEDs) in sports. PEDs, or performance-enhancing drugs, are considered to be an unfair aid when rising to the top of almost any sport. Some processes or PEDs banned in the Olympics include: blood doping (the process of extracting and storing one's own blood and then injecting...

With the season over three-quarters of the way done, its time to start looking into the future, and decide who takes home the Lombardi Trophy. American Football Conference AFC East Champions: New England Patriots Great. And just when we all thought that the dynasty was over, the evil empire is already back. New England is once again one of the NFL's elite clubs, led by a dynamic rushing attack,...

https://youtu.be/4L59IJCYre4 Have you ever played an RPG game? How about a rhythm game? Well, why not both at once? Everhood is a game where music and a great story combine to create a rhythmic RPG masterpiece. Chris Nordgren and Jordi Roca (aka the Foreign Gnomes) are the two geniuses behind this game. DISCLAIMER: I played this game on expert, and it was the first rhythm game I played. Gameplay Everhood...

Genshin Impact is a open world role-playing game that took a good portion of the gaming community by storm just over a year ago. I had high hopes for this first anniversary, as someone who has played nearly since the original release. To understand my expectations, here are some brief pieces of information that should probably be covered before I dive into the article. Genshin Impact is mainly known...

The following statements are proofs meant to convince the reader that quesadillas are in fact the greatest food, ever. These proofs are in the style of Saint Thomas InstituteonDeweyAvenue's proofs of the existence of God. This is not, in any way, a direct comparison of quesadillas to God. It is merely a sign of reverence and respect to the "lord" of all foods: quesadillas. Surface Area The tortilla...

In the course of American childhood, one may come across a certain odd tradition called "trick or treating." If you're not familiar, it goes like this: on the last night of every October, kids approach their neighbor's houses and ask for candy. Most of the time, their neighbors comply. They stock up on candy a few days before, eat said candy, and sometimes, go back to the store for more candy on the...

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...

Greetings, fellow sinners of McQuaid Jesuit! I’m Gabe Knapp, resident biblical beastmaster and heresiarch, and I’ve come bearing horrible truths and unimaginable fears. This is the first (vocation willing) in my series of biblical "survival guides," starting with Seraphs.  As students of McQuaid Jesuit, we find ourselves close to religion on the daily, particularly Catholicism and other denominations...

Kanye West. Where to even begin? He’s arguably the most renowned rapper of the 21st century rap. Everyone knows who Kanye is, especially since his fame reaches far beyond his music. He’s been involved in multiple controversies, designed one of the biggest shoe lines in the world, and until recently was married to Kim Kardashian. While many associate Ye with fame and riches, he wasn’t always...

Introduction The newfound influence of the New York drill game is rapidly growing as more and more rappers from Brooklyn to Tribeca attempt to encroach upon the mainstream. The drill scene originally emerged in Chicago, but died out due to a lack of popularity before returning in recent years in the UK, from where it butterflied its way over to New York. Popular UK drillers such as SL, Dave, and Russ...

According to a report published by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in 2016, an average of 20 veterans die from suicide every day. That is a serious issue and it does not appear to be going away. Data from the VA shows that 30 percent of active duty and reserve personnel deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan have a mental health problem requiring treatment. Of these 30% only half of...

“Socialism, the Snake with Blue Eyes” is a speech written by 2020 McQuaid Jesuit senior Aiden Nasca. It was uploaded to YouTube and won third place in the 2020 Senior Speech Competition. Clearly, the speech is about a complex and controversial issue. This video prompted us to create a response, to analyze some of the points made, and add a level of nuance to a very misunderstood topic. These...

The purpose of this article is to give an account of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, and then show, through Baudrillard’s ideas of simulation and hyperreality, that it is unusable. The first part can serve as a general introduction to Plato’s concept of Forms, while the second part can also serve as an introduction to Baudrillard’s Simulacra and Simulation.  I: The Allegory In Plato’s Republic,...

“Socialism, the Snake with Blue Eyes” is a speech written by 2020 McQuaid Jesuit senior Aiden Nasca. It was uploaded to YouTube and won third place in the 2020 Senior Speech Competition. Clearly, the speech is about a complex and controversial issue. This video prompted us to create a response, to analyze some of the points made, and add a level of nuance to a very misunderstood topic. These...