Damar Hamlin is a safety for the Buffalo Bills who went into cardiac arrest after a big hit during a game on January 2nd
By now, you have either seen or heard about Damar Hamlin. Damar Hamlin is a 2-year veteran of the National Football League, currently playing for the Buffalo Bills out of New York. On January 2nd, 2023, Hamlin was playing against the Cincinnati Bengals in a big game that would determine the playoffs for the NFL season. During the game, Hamlin was making what was considered a routine tackle against Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins during the 1st quarter of the critical game.
During the tackle, Higgins had lowered his shoulder a little bit, aiming at Hamlin’s chest. Hamlin made the routine tackle, not appearing to be in any pain or an unstable state. Soon after Hamlin stood up, he then collapsed onto his back. The Bills’ medical staff then ran out onto the field and began CPR, to which Hamlin was loaded into an ambulance on the field and rushed to a local level 1 trauma center.
After staying up for a while after the game had been suspended, I listened to what the commentators and ESPN reporters had to say, and I took away that this rarely happens in football games to the point where they have to pull an ambulance on the field.
I personally do not play football, and I don’t know what it feels like to take a hit wearing the pads that football players wear. As someone who follows football, I know that players’ equipment is designed to be light and to put player safety first. My theory about how this might change football on all levels, peewee to the NFL, is simple.
I believe that the companies that are responsible for designing and manufacturing football pads are going to either be required, or out of the safety and compassion for their customers, will find a way to add a new layer of padding, either foam or some sort of shock absorbing material similar to what the players already wear inside their helmets. The companies will put that type of padding in the same area where Hamlin took his hit. Hopefully, adding these pads will prevent injuries at all levels of football, like the one that Damar Hamlin suffered during the game.
Quinn Wells is a junior member of the Multimedia Journalism class.
InstaGaelNews, IGN Sports, Tik Tok, Instagram, and more. How has MSJ Student Media evolved over the years?
Currently standing at just over 5,000 followers, MSJ’s Gaels official Instagram flies high with a strong admissions team behind it. But what about the student-operated social media accounts? Last year, the MSJ community was presented with a brand new Instagram account, @instagaelnews. But what exactly is the point of this new social media account?
Students from the Multimedia Journalism class broadcasting a Varsity Basketball game
Whether we like it or not, social media is a new way to receive news, photos, videos, and other content. This social media page gives students a way to receive information from around campus, including events, game themes, exclusive interviews, and other amazing content; for students, run by students. This opportunity also allows students to show off their editing and creative skills to present to the Mount community.
@instagaelnews is the official Instagram of MSJ’s Multimedia Journalism class and student newspaper. Created last year by graduate Ethan Webber, IGN started as a small Instagram page posting interviews with students, coaches, teachers, and players about events on campus, post-game interviews, and other content. IGN has evolved to something way bigger. This social media page is home to player interviews, game recaps, live streams, Quill articles, and other student-produced content.
Something brand new to Instagaelnews is IGN Sports, a student-produced live stream and sports content for the MSJ community. This new IGN brand will bring you the 2022-2023 MSJ Gaels Varsity basketball season, exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes content, and much more.
The Multimedia Journalism class bought new cameras and live streaming equipment to give viewers the most professional stream possible. This will produce live stats, scores, and commentary. Unlike the NFHS stream, the new live stream will be free and available to anybody around the world. Instagaelnews is constantly pumping out fresh content for viewers who currently attend or work at MSJ and graduates worldwide.
The evolution across MSJ’s social media game has been remarkable. There are countless ways for students to keep up with events happening at their school and a method for graduates and other outside personnel to get a peek at what is happening inside and outside of MSJ.
Quinn Wells is a junior member of the Multimedia Journalism class
Nick Paxton is a senior member of the Multimedia Journalism class
It’s official! The Multimedia Journalism class and InstaGaelNews are teaming up for an inaugural live stream collaboration. Introducing IGN Sports! The varsity basketball games will be live-streamed for the first time, featuring live commentary, multi-cam views, and other stats starting this season.
Fans can now subscribe, for free, to the team’s brand new page on the app called GameChanger. (Please note: only certain games will be live-streamed through GameChanger. Away game streams will depend on the opposing team’s ability to do so.) Here is how you can sign up to follow the team.
How to sign up for GameChanger
To get notified when games are being live-streamed, and to see scores and videos, follow the instructions listed below to get started for free (Note: these instructions do not work for a laptop or desktop. You must sign up on your mobile phone or tablet with the GameChanger app).
Create an account if you are new to GameChanger. If you are an existing user, sign in to your GameChanger account.
Select “Find Your Team” and search “Mount Saint Joseph Gaels.”
Click on the profile with the “Gael” logo and click “Join Team.”
Click “Join Team” and select “I’m a fan.”
Enjoy the IGN Sports live stream at select games!
If you are following the team, you are notified when IGN Sports goes live on game day. For outside family members, friends, and other viewers, the link to the GameChanger stream will also be shared on the day of the game via IGN’s Instagram. You can view the live stream on any computer, phone, or tablet on the day of the game without having to create an account!
The IGN Sports team is excited to share this brand-new opportunity with the Mount community. Make sure to tune into the Gael’s first home game, and IGN Sports debut live stream on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, at 6PM when MSJ takes on the St. James School of Hagerstown in their first home matchup.
On November 5th, 2021, rapper and artist Travis Scott held his 3rd annual Astroworld Festival featuring some of the biggest names in music, such as SZA, Tame Impala, Earth Wind and Fire, Bad Bunny, and many more. In addition to being the festival organizer, Travis Scott was also the main headliner of the festival, who would be performing last to close out the 2-day festival held at NRG Park in Houston, Texas.
As soon as the rapper hit the stage, festival officials say there was a massive push towards the front barricade, causing a giant crushing event. People started to pass out due to the lack of room in the area, which caused patrons to fall over. Patrons kept pushing forward, leaving the victims on the ground to be trampled. Ten innocent concert attendees lost their lives that night due to the incident and other problems during the festival.
Violent fans breaking gates to gain entry into the festival contributed to the crushing incident.
Obviously, there had to be a significant change in how venues and festivals operate to ensure patron safety when attending a show or festival. Coming from someone who works in this environment, I think there was a huge change in both the venues and the artists.
I recently attended a concert at Baltimore Soundstage in Baltimore City, and the artist, Steve Lacy, took matters into his own hands. Off the bat, when I walked into the venue, I immediately noticed that the temperature was very cold in the room. I believe it was set up this way to keep everybody cool and ensure nobody would overheat.
Photo by: Quinn Wells
Another initiative Lacy took to ensure the safety and well-being of his fans was a dedicated segment in the show to pass out cases of water to all of the fans. The tour had planted cases of water throughout the venue that workers would pass out about midway through the show to make sure everyone was staying hydrated throughout his set. Steve Lacy and the tour did a very good job ensuring everyone was safe and well cared for.
The bottom line is that there needed to be a significant change in concert safety and security from the minute people walk into the venue until the moment people exit the property. Venues worldwide and artists stopping at these venues have taken action to fight more events like the one seen at Astroworld.
Quinn Wells is a Junior member of the Multimedia Journalism class.
After a solid 2021-2022 school year of school-wide masses, football games, and other events, the Mount Saint Joseph Band Program will see some changes this year.
The Mount Saint Joseph Music Program is currently renovating as we are seeing some new faces pop up in the basement of the Knott Fine Arts Center. Mr. Nathan Royer has stepped in for Mr. Michael Alfieri, who has moved into the city to help teach band and other musical activities to younger kids.
Mr. Nathan Royer ’98
Returning to the Mount this year as a graduate of the class of 1998 is Mr. Nathan Royer. Mr. Royer is no stranger to the Knott Fine Arts Center as he has returned to his alma mater to fulfill the job of MSJ’s new Music Teacher and Band Director. Not expecting to come back to the Mount, Mr. Royer says, “I happened to come across the listing for the job on accident as I moved back down the street.” His goal is to return to the school to help new and existing musicians work on their craft and teach what he has learned to everyone who steps into the band room. Mr. Royer also tells me that the adjustment back to a school setting has been pretty easy except for some long days, but nothing he can’t overcome.
Mr. Royer has been on the road for the past 12 years as a freelance musician. In addition to being on the road, Mr. Royer is a private music teacher who gives lessons in the studio right in his home. In addition to teaching from his home, Mr. Royer does have past teaching experience as he was a teacher at a smaller private school just after finishing grad school. To say the least, Mr. Royer is looking forward to the new music played at sporting events, school masses, and other school-wide events.
Mr. Slattery sings during his time as a student at St. Joe. Photo Credit: The Tower.
In addition to welcoming Mr. Royer to The Mount, Mr. Ryan Slattery of the MSJ Spanish Department has stepped in to replace Mrs. Susan Esserwein as the Choir Band director. Mr. Slattery has extensive experience in the music department. As a 2015 graduate of MSJ, Mr. Slattery has participated in multiple school-wide events and other musical events as an experienced vocalist and musician. Mr. Slattery tells me that he is excited about the new opportunities coming his way and believes that he will bring a new kind of energy and expertise to the program that the band hasn’t seen before.
“I feel that Mr. Slattery has brought his ‘Slattery’ energy to the existing Choir band and has kept the foundation that was built by Mr. Alfieri and Mrs. Esserwein together to bring it to the next level.”
– Mr. Michael Stromberg
In addition to directing the choir band and teaching Spanish, Mr. Slattery has prior experience teaching musicians and vocalists as he teaches at a theatre organization called Cockpin in Court, which has been run out of CCBC in Essex, Maryland, in the summer for the past 3 years. A graduate of the Catholic University of America, Mr. Slattery studied Music Performance during his time there. I asked Mr. Slattery if it has been an easy adjustment taking over, and he told me, “it’s funny how you have an idea of things on the outside, but once you’re in it, the true colors sort of come to light. In some aspects, it has been easy, but the actual implication and practice time is definitely very difficult.” Mr. Slattery looks forward to planning more of the music that we could be hearing during the Campus Ministry events throughout the remainder of the year, and has enjoyed taking over the Choir Band so far this year.
Photo Credit: Mount Saint Joseph
Speaking as an instrumentalist in the Choir Band, the addition of Mr. Slattery has been very good. He definitely had an idea of what he wanted to do with the music and the changes he wanted to make to the setlist for the events that we have here. Campus Ministry also plays a significant role in how the band plans for the masses, and with new faces comes different feels to how the music is played during the masses. I took the time to ask the Campus Ministry department for their thoughts.
Mr. Michael Stromberg is one of the Campus Ministers at the Mount. As I said earlier, with new faces comes different feels to the music we hear. Mr. Stromberg told me, “I feel that Mr. Slattery has brought his ‘Slattery’ energy to the existing Choir band and has kept the foundation that was built by Mr. Alfieri and Mrs. Esserwein together to bring it to the next level.” Mr. Stromburg tells me he’s looking forward to seeing what Mr. Slattery brings to the Campus Ministry events throughout the year and can’t wait for what’s to come with the program.
Photo Credit: Mount Saint Joseph
For all returning students and staff, the next time you attend a Campus Ministry event, see if you notice a change in the feel of the music compared to previous years. For all you new students and staff, do you like what the band is doing during the mass? Make sure to check out the band during upcoming events, and make sure to greet Mr. Royer in the basement of Knott Fine Arts Center soon.
Quinn Wells is a Junior member of the Multimedia Journalism Class.
Abel Tesfaye, better known as The Weeknd, had to abruptly stop the second night of his two sold-out shows at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles due to the performer losing his voice. On September 2nd, 2022, during the first song of his set, Tesfaye sang out the opening song which in the original recorded version goes, “In Vegas, I feel so alone.” Throughout the tour, Abel changes it to the city he is playing in, but fans knew something was very wrong when he sang out, “In Los Angeles, I feel so alone,” as his voice cracked terribly while singing the lyrics.
Tesfaye eventually walked off stage in the middle of his hit song, Can’t Feel My Face. Fans were left in confusion as all the lights came on and the music stopped. Tesfaye eventually walked back on stage to fill fans in on his condition. The Toronto native expressed his frustration to fans by explaining that he could not give them “the show he wanted to give them.” In addition to rescheduling the second show, fans would receive their money back from the canceled show.
The Weeknd coming back out to talk to the crowd after having to cancel the show.
The Weeknd and his crew set out on the 20-show journey in mid-July, beginning in Philadelphia and ending in what they thought would be LA. That would change due to communication problems in Toronto where the tour was originally supposed to embark, forcing Tesfaye and his crew to move the Toronto show to a later date. In addition to making up the Toronto show, The Weeknd told fans in his message on stage that he will make up the second night of the LA show, “real soon.” After expressing his grief to the crowd, the superstar walked off stage and left fans in disbelief.
As of now, there is no scheduled make-up date for the second night of the show. The tour is expected to finish with two more shows, one in Toronto, Canada, and the last one in Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium. Fans have received their money back from the show and look forward to seeing the superstar for one final show on the After Hours til Dawn tour.
Quinn Wells is a Junior member of the Multimedia Journalism Class.
The Student Newspaper of Mount Saint Joseph High School
The Quill 