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...

Since I wrote an article about some disappointing NFL rookies, some of these players started to show promise. I wanted to update my list accordingly.  Trevor Lawrence (QB, Jacksonville Jaguars) Lawrence has shown promise these last few weeks, mostly due to his success limiting turnovers. He has only thrown two interceptions since week 3, which has made the Jags offense look a lot less bleak. Sure,...

The last Grand Slam event of 2021 was nothing short of history-making for the sport of women’s tennis. The US Open took place in New York City, and on August 25, upcoming star Emma Raducanu played in the qualifiers. Battling opponent after opponent, she did not drop a single set and landed herself in the finals. This feat was incredible for many reasons. First of all, before this summer, Raducanu...

If there's one thing that all this uncertainty has taken from most people's lives, it's structure. Mass quarantine has thrust people inside their homes for what feels like forever. Without consistent social interaction and the comforting structure that normal life provides us, many were left feeling aimless, bored, and disillusioned. And in the midst of all of this, Nintendo released their new game:...

“Everyone points to famous and historic ancestors in their family tree. It’s their way of being thankful that they themselves weren’t there when history was being made.” –Arkol, Argivian Scholar, The Shattered Alliance “May you live in interesting times.” –English expression based on a nonexistent Chinese curse -🛡️- Hey, it’s me, Ben Buyer. Someone remembers me,...

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...

(or, and over Mr. [and the] Morales' most strenuous objections, "The Path of Yeast Persistence") If necessity is the mother of invention, then boredom must at least be the babysitter. Think of what an uncomplicated house Wallace and Gromit would live in if their inventions were driven solely by necessity. Certainly nobody would have invented game shows without boredom, that most monotonous muse,...

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...