Sporting Event Between Two Carmelite Secondary Schools
Mount Carmel Chicago Students Broadcast School’s Football Team Nationally
Education in the various tools of communications has been a major part of the curriculum in secondary schools in the United States. Most schools have a regular newspaper which was in some cases replaced by livestreamed announcements. Students produce and publish Yearbooks, a physical record of the year’s events and pictures of the school community. Many schools produce poetry or book of the students’ writings. Perhaps the most recent developments have been made in television production.
But a new level was reached when two Carmelite secondary schools, Mount Carmel in Chicago, Illinois and Joliet Catholic Academy in Joliet, Illinois, faced off in a game of American football. Already a long established rivalry, this year’s meeting was a memorable experience for both schools—on and off the playing field.
On October 11, the student-run Mount Carmel media team streamed their football contest against their brother school from nearby Joliet on national television. According to reports in local newspapers, senior student Matthew Malloy, the play-by-play announcer, and the “color commentator” (the analyst who fills in background when play is not in progress), senior Christos Dimas, were key players in making the production a great success. They were backed up by their behind-the-scenes team, under the guidance of Mt. Carmel’s media moderator Ellie Menke.
Months of preparation, including rehearsals, paid off the night of the game. For a number of years, the students streamed the games and commentary on YouTube. There were some challenges going national, however. Dimas was the leader on a school retreat and absent from school the week before the broadcast. A few technical problems showed up during the game.
During the halftime period of the game, a very special segment for both schools played out before the nation. Mount Carmel honored a popular former teacher, Kevin Hansen, who died in 2015. Hansen was also the class valedictorian and Man of the Year of the Class of 1999 at Joliet Catholic. Since his death, the student body at Mount Carmel annually chooses a teacher that embraces the values and virtues of Hansen. The recipient is awarded a green jacket. A video, produced by the students, with interviews of former recipients of the award speaking was shown.
The game’s winning team is awarded the Carmelite Classic trophy. The game between the two powerhouses was once an annual event. However, 2024 is the first time in 17 years that the game was played. The trophy always goes home with the winning team, to sit in a place of honor until the next game between the two Carmelite schools. Mount Carmel took home the trophy this year, winning the game 35-21.
(Pictures were provided by the school and are not from the October 11, 2024, event)