All posts by Aidan Bajadek

Clubs & Activities, Fall Sports, Sports

The casual and competitive benefits of cycling

With spring slowly approaching, many opportunities open up for outdoor activities. One of these activities is bike riding, also known as cycling. Now the casual Mount Saint Joe student, not already invested in bike riding, might overlook this activity, especially when presented with sports like football and basketball. But bike riding can be a casual activity that helps improve your health, and an outlet for competitive sport.

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Let us start by looking at cycling from a casual perspective. Cycling is both easily accessible and an easy-to-master exercise tool to keep in shape. And it shows, as around 51.4 percent of the United States population take up cycling, showing off its popularity.

Cycling is an aerobic activity, designed to work out your lungs, heart, and blood vessels. As a result, cycling is recommended to reduce health problems.

Cycling can also be beneficial to your mental health. Studies show that people who cycle regularly have a lower risk of depression and anxiety. This is because cycling releases endorphins, chemicals released during activities like exercise, that are shown to reduce stress levels and improve well-being. 

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But the act of cycling isn’t confined to just casual enjoyment. Cycling has the potential to be a highly competitive form of sport. In fact, cycling is one of the events featured in the Olympic games.

One competitive cycling sport is BMX racing. BMX racing, also known as Bicycle Motocross, involves multiple riders competing against each other for first place on a dirt track designed with lots of jumps, turns, and rollers. It definitely is a sport that requires a lot of experience.

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So how can an MSJ student get involved? For those with a competitive spirit, MSJ has a mountain biking team, where you can compete against other schools in the MIAA. So next time the Fall comes around, give the mountain biking team a chance if you are interested.

But for those who are looking for a more casual experience, there are solutions. With the spring, comes the perfect weather for bike riding. If you can, try to take your bike out on a nearby trail and take in the scenery as you build up your health.

Aidan Bajadak is a junior member of the Multimedia Journalism class.

Art & Music, Features, Uncategorized

Why A.I. generated art won’t replace human artistry

The art world was forever changed when programs like Dalle-2 and Midjourney came to the public’s attention. These programs use A.I. generation to create images based on text prompts that you input. This allows anyone to make almost anything they can think of with only a sentence or two. While this is incredible in its own right, it has also caused some concern in the art world. That is, whether or not A.I. image generation will advance to the point where it could replace human artwork.

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Some of you might not know what A.I. image generation is or how it works, so allow me to explain it. A.I. Image generators are programs that use algorithms based on pre-existing images to create whole new images from scratch. This could assist with sketching out artistic works, mass production of marketing applications, and helping artists develop new ideas for artwork.

However, despite the impressive technology displayed, there are a few aspects of A.I. image generation that make it unlikely that A.I. artwork will replace human artwork anytime soon.

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One fact is how the images are created. An A.I. uses existing images to develop the generated images’ look, layout, and style. So the end results are only based on the already existing images, giving the user less control of the end results of the generation. Art created by humans has the benefit of designing. Artists can draw the picture how they want, where everything is placed, and use their own personal style.

Another reason A.I. art will most likely not overtake human art is that A.I. generators use existing images, and the images used could potentially contain copyrighted material. This causes images and artwork created by A.I. programs to be unsettled regarding copyright laws. Making it difficult for these types of images to find mainstream success.

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Such as the case of what is happening with Getty Images. Getty images chose to put a ban on all A.I.-generated art and pictures. The reason for this ban stems from the uncertain copyright laws and complications that seem to plague A.I.-generated art.

A final reason A.I.-generated art won’t replace human art is that artists aren’t receptive to A.I. generation as an art form. An example was when a person used A.I. generation to create an image that won an art contest. Art community members were quick to criticize this, saying the man didn’t technically make an art piece.

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So what is the future of A.I.-generated art? If it won’t replace human art now, will it later? Well, it is safe to say that the issues that revolve around A.I. generated art are slowly being fixed up. As time passes, copyright issues will be cleared up, and more control will be accessible over how the image is laid out. In the future, A.I. generation programs might serve as tools to assist more artists in the creative process. But when it comes to the actual creation of art, humans succeed in some areas that machines simply can’t.

Aidan Bajadek is a Junior member of the MultiMedia Journalism class.

Fall Sports, Sports

Talking about practice at Mount St. Joe

Cross-country member Charlie Butler running in the McQuaid Invitational.

The Mount Saint Joe community takes pride in the athletic teams. Massive investments are made to ensure that athletes are the best they can be, giving them a higher chance of winning tournaments and games. But while MSJ loves to give attention and plenty of details to the matches and competitions, practices are only mentioned as a footnote.

You really don’t know what practices for some of these sports are like unless you are on that respective sports team. So what should a new student, or someone who wants to be involved in athletics, expect from some of these practices?

To get insight into what some of these practices are like, I attempted to contact some of the coaches for these sports teams. I contacted Mr. Jack Peach of the cross country team and Mr. Sam Bianco of the volleyball team. Some questions I asked included how long practices last, what exercises take place, and where these practices are held.

Cross country competing in a match from last year.

The first person I reached out to was Mr. Peach, the coach of the cross country team. The majority of the athletes’ workouts include a whole lot of running. Mr. Peach said, “The athlete’s workouts vary between running hills, doing track workouts, or just running long runs.” Practices usually last for around 2-3 hours, and usually take place on Campus. However, Sometimes the team runs at Patapsco or Centennial Park.

The cross country team is usually expected to run 5-7 miles per practice. However, Mr. Peach says, “Newer runners may only run about 4-5 miles.” The expectation for the athletes is to run every day; however, rest days are worked into the schedule.

Volleyball team preparing for a match

The second person I interviewed was Mr. Bianco, the volleyball team’s coach. Most workouts include plyometrics, a type of exercise that uses speed and force to build muscle power. Mr. Bianco says, “Practices usually focus on explosive movements. I like to combine skill work with conditioning.”

Practices take place in the Smith Center and occur 6 days a week. The time that practices last depends on whether it is pre-season or not. During pre-season, practices last for 3 hours, while during the season, practices last for only 2 hours.

According to Mr. Bianco, practices consist of a warm-up, 2 three man drills, serving and passing drills, and 3-6 additional drills. Mr. Bianco states, “There are around 8-10 exercises per practice.” However, he added that breaks are worked into the schedule.

The volleyball team competing in a big match

Hopefully, this article will shed light on a typical practice for MSJ sports. Though they seem very different, the structure is similar. This information may encourage someone new to this school to try some of the athletic programs, and to know what to expect when they show up for workouts.

Aidan Bajadek is a junior member of the multimedia journalism class.

Clubs & Activities, News

The Weightlifting Club is here to help you achieve your strength goals

What is weightlifting

At this point in our lives, many young men, like us, are striving to achieve their peak physical strength and appearance. While we know that we cannot achieve pure perfection, there is a club at MSJ that could help us reach these goals. The Weightlifting Club provides a way of exercising that helps build up physical and mental performance.

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Weight training is all about putting stress on the muscles to build strength, which can be beneficial in gaining muscle mass and reducing body fat. The Weightlifting Club provides that opportunity and encourages its members to go above and beyond to improve their physical form.

The Benefits of Weightlifting

Lifting weights provides many benefits, particularly to those who play sports. Mr. Matt Schmidt, the Weightlifting Club faculty advisor, points out, “The major adaptation that weightlifting provides is injury prevention.” Along with reducing the chances of injury, weightlifting can improve cardiovascular endurance, agility, and energy levels. So, the Weightlifting Club might interest you if you play sports like football, basketball, or hockey.

According to Mr. Schmidt, weightlifting provides several benefits besides improving muscular form and appearance. He describes how weightlifting supports various body systems, including the skeletal system, the immune system, the circulatory system, and the nervous system. Mr. Schmidt also describes how consistently working out and doing physical activities, like weightlifting, can help maintain your body throughout your life.

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While weightlifting helps your body physically, it can also help your body mentally. Studies show that weightlifting helps improve the mood of people suffering from depression and anxiety. In addition to helping with mental wellness, Mr. Schmidt claims that individuals who reach physical fitness milestones are often filled with a sense of accomplishment. Studies have concluded that weightlifting helps keep the mind mentally engaged and stimulated.

Why you should participate in the club

The Weightlifting Club at MSJ provides an experience you will not find by working out alone. The club offers weightlifting resources to students who either cannot afford it or find it too intimidating to participate in a social environment. But the most unique thing is the club provides a sense of community. While the community is described as loose, it is a community that encourages its members to go above and beyond and reach milestones they find intimidating in order to reach their full potential.

Aidan Bajadek is a Junior member of the Multimedia Journalism class.