The Villanovan | Volume 115, Issue 13: September 20, 2023

WEDNESDAY

SEPTEMBER 20, 2023

www.villanovan.com

@thevillanovan

VOLUME 115 | ISSUE 13

National Suicide Prevention Month

Avery Chalk Staff Writer

September is Suicide

Prevention and Awareness

Month, a time when health professionals, mental health advocates and other allies acknowledge lives affected by suicide and promote various resources for those in need.

According to the CDC, more than 41,000 people die by suicide each year, and it is one of the leading causes of death on college campuses. Within the past year, 28% of college students reported intentionally hurting themselves, 6% had planned suicide and 2% had attempted suicide (2023 Health Minds Survey).

These rates have increased significantly since the 2021 survey, and far more students have experienced depression or self-deprecating thoughts than in years past.

With a new environment, grade anxiety and competitive relationship culture, it’s no secret that college is a hard adjustment, which can promote depressing thoughts. Universities must be diligent and proactive about supporting its students’ mental health. But does Villanova adequately check in on the well-being of its students?

Villanova offers several resources to help students both emotionally and academically. The University provides Counseling Center services to all students, available in both in-person and telehealth formats. Housed on the second floor of Falvey Library are Learning Support Services (LSS), the Writing and Math Centers and academic tutoring, which are dedicated to guiding students through various time management and study tips to reduce stress.

Students have utilized the tutoring services and can

Continued on p. 10

Alum Faces Rare Complications After Saving a Life p. 3

Student Spotlight: Elizabeth Weiss, aka “Skinniraini” p. 11

family members and finding enough activities to keep them entertained is a huge undertaking.

Whether you are a freshman who is new to the area or a senior who has run out of things to do on the Main Line with your parents, The Villanovan has you covered.

To kick off the events,

Bursar and Office of Finan cial Assistance will be holding drop-in hours throughout working hours on Friday for any questions.

Tired of showing your parents the same sights on Villanova’s campus? Opt in for the campus tree tour on Friday at 4 p.m. at the Corr Hall arch. Led by campus horticulturist Hugh Weldon,

Art Gallery Open House, the NROTC fall parade, OFSL open house, inclusion week festival, food trucks, the Junior Ring blessing and a Wade in the Water film screening hosted by Villanova University Black Alumni, among other events. For the full list visit https://www1.villanova. edu/content/university/ student-life/family/events/

is the chance for every Vil lanova student and family to pretend like this is a large SEC school.

Following the tailgate is the Villanova football game against University of Rhode Island at 2 p.m. If the day’s activities were not enough, Villanova is hosting a night at the Philadelphia Zoo from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Continued on p. 11

University Hosts Annual 1842 Day

Lauren Armstrong Staff Writer

September 19th, 2023, is every on-campus organization’s favorite day at Villanova - 1842 Day. 1842 Day celebrates the year Villanova was found ed by allowing on-campus organizations to gain additional funding by participating in different activities, such as “Cat Cabs,” tabling, and “Power Hour.”

This year, more than

University Welcomes New Chief Sustainability Officer p. 3

Villanova’s Gluten-Free Club p. 14

Falvey Library Expands Book Collection p. 6

Football Prepares for Rhode Island p. 15

Electric Scooter Ban Makes Campus Safer p. 7

Women’s Soccer Remains Unbeaten p. 17

the club and sport we love so much,” said sophomore Nadia Balduf.

The 2023 1842 Day marks the seventh 1842 Day on Villanova’s campus.

Continued on p. 2

University Wage Increase is a Win For All p. 9

“1842 Day was started in 2017, and we are very happy to say that we never took a break from 1842 Day during the pandemic” shared Marci Paton, the Executive Director of Annual Giving. “1842 Day has grown so much both on and off campus through students, THE BACKPAGE:

Volleyball Sweeps Northeastern Tourney p. 15

Crossword by Peter Reilly p. 19

Natalie Zickel / Villanovan Photography

Lauren Armstrong Staff Writer

staff, professors, parents, and alumni. Each year, we see donor numbers and amounts increasing significantly.”

The festivities started nice and early on Tuesday, with Cat Cabs running from 10 a.m-4 p.m. Cat Cabs are the most popular fundraising form among students.

“1842 Day is for the students, we love seeing how students are eager to line up all day for Cat Cabs and donate to their organizations on cam pus,” Paton said.

With a maximum donation of $250, students can get a ride around campus or to class, and answer Villa nova trivia as they go, gaining money for their organization with each ques tion they get correct.

Questions range from how many Holy Grounds locations are on campus, to what dorm Bradley Coo per lived in during his freshman year. (for all our main campus freshmen, the correct answer is Fedigan Hall).

One or two students at a time can ride in a Cab and work individ ually or together in order to raise money for the organization of their choice.

“It was so fun riding in the Cat Cab to raise money for my club,” said sophomore Kara McGoldrick.

Between 7:30 pm and 8:30 pm the University celebrated Power Hour.

During this hour, each orga nization is provided an additional link and QR code, and based on a tier of involvement scale, top organizations in each tier based on the amount of donors, will receive an additional 500 dollars towards their organizations budget.

“Last year was the first year of Power Hour, with around 30 orga nizations collecting 921 gifts in that hour,” Paton said. “This year, with 71 organizations partaking, we expect the gifts to explode and multiply.”

Organizations held a tabling event at the Oreo, where the band, dance, and cheer teams performed, as well as a variety of on campus acapel la and dance groups. Organizations provided snacks and activities, as well as information on how to become

PUBLIC SAFETY BLOTTER

Liquor Underage/ Public Drunkenness

September 17, O’DWYER HALL

A female resident student, under the age of 21, evaluated by VEMS for alcohol intoxication and released to a sober party.

Liquor Underage/ Public Drunkenness

September 17, MAIN CAMPUS GROUNDS

A male resident student, under the age of 21, was evaluated for alcohol intoxication.

Carrying Fake ID/ Liquor Underage/ Public Drunkenness

September 16, MAIN CAMPUS

A female resident student, under the age of 21, was evaluated for alcohol intoxication and transported to the

CORRECTIONS

hospital for treatment. The student was in possession of a counterfeit identification card at the time of the evaluation.

Paraphernalia/ Possession-Marijuana

September 16, CANON HALL

Two male resident students were in possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Liquor Underage

September 15-16, STANFORD HALL

A female resident student, under the age of 21, was evaluated for alcohol intoxication.

Liquor Underage/ Public Drukenness

September 15, GOOD COUNSEL HALL

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

A male resident student, under the age of 21, appeared in public and was evaluated for alcohol intoxication.

Liquor Underage/ Public Drunkenness

September 15, STANFORD HALL

A male resident student, under the age of 21, appeared in public and was evaluated for alcohol intoxication.

Theft by Unlawful Taking

September 15, MAIN CAMPUS GROUNDS

A male resident student reported the theft of his Airpods. The amount of the loss is $250.00.

Factual errors are corrected as soon as they are brought to The Villanovan’s attention. Please send an e-mail to villanovan.eic@gmail.com to report errors.

Students contributing to the 1842 Day art outside of Connelly Center. Natalie Zickel/ Villanovan Photography

Alum Faces Rare Complications After Saving a Life

Arden West Co-News Editor

“No good deed goes unpunished, right?” Kevin Kiernan said, laughing in disbelief as he shook his head and began to recount his story.

This saying perfectly encapsulates what happened when Villanova Alumnus Kevin Kiernan (‘88) donated his kidney to the mother of his close family friend, whom he met while at Villanova. After, Kiernan began experiencing major health issues that set his family on a rare and unexpected journey lined with challenges and setbacks. By saving her life, he nearly lost his.

Kiernan is a Villanova Basketball front-row fan, a former member of the Villanova football team and a Special Olympics volunteer. He is also a universal donor. His O-negative blood type allowed him to work with NYU Langone in secret for months to prepare for his donation surgery that took place on Jan. 9, 2023.

“She needed something I had and no one else matched,” Kiernan said, “I felt responsible for her at that moment. God knew I could save her.”

While the family friend instantly began improving post-surgery, Kiernan noticed abdominal pain not long after regaining consciousness from surgery. He was discharged two days later from NYU Langone, but he knew that something had gone wrong.

“No one expected this,” Kiernan said, “We went into this thinking that it would be a few days in the hospital and then a few weeks at home.”

However, two weeks later, when he returned to the NYU Langone Transplant Center after a follow-up call, he was sent to undergo a four-hour surgery for a hernia. Hernias after kidney removal are extremely rare, but Kiernan received treatment, and the surgeon implanted a mesh lining to keep the repair in place.

He recovered from the hernia surgery for a week at NYU before being discharged again, but only seven days after leaving, he felt pain again. His third surgery in less than a month, Kiernan was back on an NYU Langone operating table because he had developed a hematoma.

“It feels like everything that could possibly go wrong has gone wrong,” Kiernan said. “It’s so rare, it’s seriously insane.”

He is right. The National Library of Medicine found in a study that fewer than three percent of living kidney donors experience serious complications post-surgery, and only about 10 to 20 percent face minor complications. The overwhelming majority of donors go back to their pre-surgery lives, returning only with a sense of altruism.

After the hematoma surgery, the complications still did not subside. Kiernan vomited and experienced pain every day, so he went to the

NYU emergency department. By April, he had received five procedures to attempt to heal the various post-surgical issues that were persisting.

That same month, though, the biggest problem revealed itself: funding. The surgeries up to that point were being financed by NYU Langone, but in response to an email from Kiernan begging his doctor for answers about why he was still suffering after countless surgeries, his doctor informed him that it was her last day working at NYU and that her email was going to be deactivated.

In an even more shocking email four hours later, she told him that NYU would no longer be covering his medical expenses. His former doctor explained that “based on the workup he [did] at NYU, it does not appear that these symptoms are related to organ donation.”

“Any testing needed, or medications prescribed will need to be covered by [your] insurance, therefore [you] will be responsible for all copays,” she told Kiernan.

This news meant every one of Kiernan’s future medical bills would have to come out of his own pocket, or by his insurance, which his doctors knew he does not have, because he has not been able to work since before the surgery at the beginning of the year.

“What a way to escape,” Kiernan said of his doctor leaving the

team at NYU.

He has three kids who he must provide for, and he now has an incredible financial burden on top of the persistent infections and ceaseless discomfort.

“I did what I thought was right,” Kiernan said, “But my medical problems have consumed my whole life.”

Kiernan still sees the good. His son, Zachary Kiernan, set up a GoFundMe page that has raised nearly $16,000 in a month, and he is tremendously thankful and humbled by the way that his communities have rallied around him.

When asked to reflect on his decision, Kiernan, despite everything—changed relationships, financial struggles, health complications— has still not lost his compassion.

Without hesitation, he responded, saying, “I’d do it all again.”

University Welcomes New Chief Sustainability Officer

Nicole Liddicoat Staff Writer

Father John Abubakar has recently been named Villanova’s Chief Sustainability Officer. This role is presented by the Sustainability Leadership Council (SLC), whose intent is to achieve a 10year actionable plan supporting comprehensive efforts to aid the planet and its inhabitants.

Fr. John, born in Nigeria, emphasizes the necessity of a global perspective as a part of the Roman Catholic parish run by the Order of St. Augustine. He has worked and studied in Nigeria, Rome, the UK and the U.S., making his scope of opinion an intricate piece of the University’s sustainability objective.

Working as the leader on a project with such a large impact, his goal is to “coordinate sustainability programs through Villanova,” while actively adding to the University’s 2020-2030 aspirations.

He explained that the plan is made up of roughly 18 goals. Of these, 17 come from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, detailing the urgency of unifying countries to defeat the prevalent environmental issues plaguing Earth.

By tackling things such as climate change and conservation, it is important to recognize the need for balancing the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social and economic. The interconnectedness of the three issues often troubles those in charge, as each pillar would otherwise be

competing for focus. This would not create a sustainable life for humans and ecosystems because sustainability is more than just the development of environmental policy.

Villanova has taken it upon itself, with the help of Fr. John, to add a goal intersecting sustainability and academics. Ecological education has become a greater focus of teaching and scholarship. In making this a priority, Villanova encourages sustainable integration for the common good.

“We often hear about zero waste, decarbonization, transition into renewable sources of energy,” Fr. John said. “I mean, they are correct, but that is not the whole story. We have that component as something we are concerned about at Villanova, but we also have the human dimension, taking a more holistic approach to sustainability.”

He hopes that this initiative will bring a perspective that is more global in nature; creating change that not only affects Villa nova, but surrounding neighbor hoods, cities and the world.

“I grew up in Nigeria, stayed a bit in Europe and then I’m now in North America,” Fr. John said. “Every part of the world has its particular strengths and weaknesses, so I am hoping to bring in a more global perspective to how sustainability is practiced in terms of policy and relations in Villanova. I often emphasize bringing in a more qualitative dimension. I looked at the plan, it is very heavy in terms of quantita tive data, so I hope that my team will be able to add some human

dimension.”

The uniqueness of his approach is inspirational, creating an emotionally motivated environmental action plan.

For a world that often holds a pessimistic view about the environmental future, Fr. John does not want us to shy away from creating substantial change and having a positive outlook on the upcoming years.

Fr. John is delighted with the conversations the University is having surrounding the production of viable sustainability goals that not only impact our environmental issues, but also influence social justice.

“It is quite exciting…the uniqueness of the plan,” Fr. John said. “Which is something that has not gone through the plans of many institutions of higher edu -

sustainability. Most plans are concerned with carving out projects, but we care about ethos [ethos coming from Greek and meaning ethics]. It is my value system and my way of thinking that affects my internal motivation.”

Fr. John will be promoting sustainability engagement through educational opportunities and guidance on operations. Creating real change is not an easy task, but one that this position will require him to take on.

He is confident that the approach we have is “transformative, innovative and impactful both locally and globally.”

As the University’s new Chief Sustainability Officer, Fr. Abubakar will oversee the University’s sustainability plans for the future. He looks forward to being a part of the University’s adminis -

Father John Abubakar serves as the University’s chief sustainability offier. Courtesy of John Shetron for Villanova University

Kiernan as a student at Villanova in the 80s. Courtesy of Kevin Kiernan

University Remembers 9/11 and Villanovans Lost

Loghan Hirkey Staff Writer

On the 22nd anniversary of Sept. 11, the Villanova community showed it will never forget. Two Masses were held in Corr Chapel to remember the 15 Villanovans who lost their lives on that tragic day. In addition, a memorial service was set up in Corr Chapel and Falvey throughout the week.

Br. Michael Duffy, who was present at both masses, said it is important to “never forget.” He explained that the meaning of “never forget” isn’t just associated with Sept. 11, but other tragic events in history. The stained-glass window in Corr that depicts St. Teresa Benedicta, for example, has the words “never forget” in French, along with the Star of David. This is to signify the tragedy St. Teresa Benedicta, and at that time, Edith Stein, endured in the concentration camps during the Nazi regime. In this instance, the words “never forget” refer to the millions of Jewish individuals that lost their lives.

“That is why we pray to remember the dead,” Duffy said. “We grieve with hope to see them again, these innocent people, our fellow Wildcats.”

During the two Masses, the list of the 15 Villanovans was read aloud, followed by a gong to recognize the importance of remembering these men and women.

In addition to the names being read, words were spoken about each person. There were candles lit, and in the center, there was a flag.

“The flag represents everything that a flag normally represents for the country,” Duffy said. “It signifies that our country was strong enough to overcome this tragedy, but we must never forget.”

Not only was Corr Chapel a place of remembrance for the

week, but it also has a yearlong memorial. One of the stainedglass windows encapsulates the tragedy that unfolded on that fateful day. This window was designed by Fr. Richard Cannuli, former Augustinian priest, artist and University professor. The panel seen at the top of the window has the roman numerals “9/11.” The panels below are the four flight numbers in roman numerals. In the larger panels are the four planes, the two

towers, the pentagon and the field where Flight 93 crashed. Beside the towers is the Virgin Mary holding the towers as they fall. Inscribed toward the bottom of the window are the 15 names of the Villanovans who lost their lives that day. Fourteen out of the 15 were working in the World Trade Center, and one was a flight attendant on one of the planes that crashed into the towers.

“The windows were installed and blessed around 2008,” Duffy said. “About seven years after Sept. 11.”

The Falvey Library also had a memorial at its entrance with two framed photos of the 15 Villanovans. There were also flowers and flags surrounding the photos.

Despite the time that has passed, the Villanova community will never forget the 2,977 people who lost their lives.

Villanova remembers W. David Bauer, Class of ’78; James P. Berger, Class of ’78; Dennis Michael Cook, Class of ’90; Jeannine Damiani-Jones, Class of ’94; Christopher M. Dincuff, Class of ’92; Jeffrey Mark Dingle, Class of ’90; Christopher M. Duffy, Class of ’00; William Fallon, Class of ’70; Peter Gelinas, Class of ’90; Michael Gould, Class of ’94; Amy Jarret, Class of ’94; Jennifer Lynn Kane, Class of ’97; Danielle Kousoulis, Class of ’93; Kaaria Mbaya, Class of ’86; and Matthew Vianna, Class of ’00.

English Department Celebrates 75 Years of the Major

Caitlyn Foley Staff Writer

This year marks the 75th year of the English major on Villanova’s campus, and both faculty and students in the department anticipate a school year filled with celebrations and well-curated events.

“We are having fun,” Dr. Heather Hicks, Chair of the English Department, said. “We are going to celebrate throughout the year and have lots of birthday cakes.”

An annual event that the department took extra care this year in curating is the Literary Festival that occurs each spring.

“We wanted to make it a special literary festival,” Hicks said.

The English Department faculty seem especially excited about the attendance of Tracy K. Smith.

Smith is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, as well as a poet, memoirist, editor, translator and opera librettist. At Harvard University, Smith is a professor of English and African American Studies. Her accomplishments and expertise are just some of the reasons why the English Department eagerly anticipates her attendance to this year’s Literary Festival.

“It is amazing that she is coming,” Dr. Mary Mullen, an Associate Professor of English at Villanova, said.

Mullen also expressed her excitement about the collage of the English major’s history that is currently in Falvey.

“That collage is based on research in the archives that Mike Malloy did, and so its different im-

ages and texts from 75 years in the English Department,” said Mullen. “It’s things like T.S. Elliot giving a talk in Bryn Mawr, which is so cool. There is a picture of Dr. Hicks from one of her earlier years working at Villanova. There is a picture of the English Department from 1991 and all the faculty are men. So, gender is something that is really apparent in the photos.”

Hicks began working at Villanova University in 1996 and has witnessed the changes in the way the English major is taught at this University.

“On the teaching side, when I first arrived here, there were still a fair number of faculty who just lectured,” Hicks recalled. “It was entirely lecture-based content. Now, we have faculty who have an amazing repertoire of different strategies for keeping students centered in conversation.”

Within the courses required for the English major, students learn to read, write and articulate their ideas and arguments clearly and intellectually. Hicks commented that the ways in which English majors can participate in the learning process in 2023 contrasts the lecture-based courses of the late 1990s.

Dr. Megan Quigley noted that, during her 15 years at Villanova University as an Associate Professor of English, she has noticed an increase in student focused activities that further allow students to be more central in their educational experience.

“I have noticed a difference,” Quigley said. “I think there are more student-focused activities. We did the

BIPOC writing group, which is very popular, but we’ve also had various writing activities including a Valentine’s Day Taylor Swift broken hearts writing group.”

In addition to this shift in the English major teaching style, the required content for the major has changed drastically as well.

“In terms of the content of the classes, there were very few courses that weren’t strictly about the very traditional periods,” Hicks said. “The writers that were being looked at largely in 1996 were still sort of European white male writers of the so-called canon.”

Quigley expressed her enthusiasm with how the English major has become intertwined with several other disciplines over her 15 years at Villanova.

“We didn’t just want to have a diversity attribute,” Quigley emphasized. “We want that in the idea of literature. One of those historical classes has to be by a non-white writer, so we know that it is not just the white canon that our students are learning”

Gender and Women’s studies, Africana studies, Irish studies, courses on literature and film of India and so many other global and diverse top ics of study have been introduced in tandem with the English major. There is no longer an isolated focus on the traditional canon of Chaucer and Shakespeare, but instead a shift to an interdisciplinary focus.

This increases the scope of education each English major re ceives. Students in this department will learn about a variety of voices, perspectives and stories that differ

from their own.

When confronted with the stigma that surrounds the English major, and the hesitancy of certain students to declare this major based on an uncertain future, these professors emphasize that the skills students acquire in this major are versatile and valuable.

“I have no concerns about the skills set students learn in this major,” Hicks said. “The evidence of how our alums are faring reinforces my confidence that the students should choose what they really want to do.”

In fact, to further reassure those pursuing the English major, the English Department will host a colloquial event with a focus on the future of English Literary Studies, on Oct. 23 at 6p.m. Hicks noted that two very prominent scholars will be directing this discussion of the study of English. Students who are English majors, or considering declaring an English major or minor, should sign up for the English Department email list, or attend one of the many events planned for this school year.

Several Villanovans were lost in the 9/11 tragedy. The University honors them annually. Ali Amarain/Villanovan Photography

The English Department celebrated 75 years. Brian Luppy/Villanovan Photography

September is Campus Safety Awareness Month

Katie Lewis Staff Writer

“Awareness” is a fundamental word for the Villanova Department of Public Safety.

Throughout the week of Sept. 25, Public Safety will host a series of special events on campus in recognition of National Campus Safety Awareness Month. The variety of events, ranging from safety training to guest speakers to food trucks, aim to inform students about emergency resources and allow them to meet Public Safety officers and staff.

“We’re trying to give more opportunities for community members to interact with our staff so that there is a feeling of trust,” Deputy Chief of Police and Associate Director of Public Safety Debra Patch said. “We want our community members to know us before we have to get to know them.”

The week will begin with CPR training sessions and a trivia and pizza night on Monday. On Tuesday, Public Safety will sponsor self-defense classes, which are open to all members of the Villanova community.

On September 27th, FBI Agent George Husk will visit Villanova for two community-wide active shooter response training sessions from 12–2 p.m. and 4–6 p.m.

“By doing self-defense classes, it’s being more proactive rather than waiting until something happens,” Patch said.

On Thursday, Public Safety officers and staff will be available throughout campus to answer questions and provide information about resources and services that students can use in the event of an emergency or other situation.

A primary campus safety resource that Public Safety will promote to students during next week’s events is the NovaSafe app. Through the app, students can call an emergency number, submit anonymous tips, track the campus shuttle, view a crime map and more at just the click of a button. Those who do not feel comfortable making a phone call in an emergency can also use NovaSafe to text live with the dispatcher.

Public Safety officers encourage the campus community to be proactive when it comes to preventing and reporting crimes.

“We’re here 24 hours a day and seven days a week, but we really count on our community members to be extra eyes and ears all over campus,” Patch said. “In the Wildcat Newswire, there will be some safety tips for things we would typically see on a college campus in the first couple weeks of school. Recently, we posted about social media scams.”

Other opportunities hosted by Public Safety will include “Coffee with a Cop,” as well as a food truck and ice cream event. Patch also assures that Public Safety’s community canine, Taffy, will attend most of the week’s events.

In conjunction with the

beginning of a new semester, Public Safety is working to confirm that all community members have access to the NovaAlert system after issuing a test alert on Sept. 14. Public Safety urges students and staff who did not receive the alert through email and text to adjust their alert settings in MyNova as soon as possible.

“We know that a lot of new students get this kind of information at orientation and from their RAs,

tunity for us to make sure that the community members know what resources are available to them while they’re here on campus.”

More information about upcoming Public Safety events and safety tips will be included in the community-wide Wildcat Newswire emails and on fliers around campus throughout the coming weeks.

University Celebrates Opening of Center for Dialogue

Emma Cote Staff Writer

On Tuesday, Sept. 12, University President Rev. Peter M. Donahue, O.S.A, Ph.D, professors, students, community members, alumni and donors gathered in Tolentine 206 to celebrate the opening of the new Center for Dialogue.

Attendants gathered together to hear from each contributor about the importance of the opening and what it means for the University.

Father Peter began the welcoming by stating, “This has been an idea that has been germinating for a while,” and that the Center has been founded upon “sharing ideas, but also listening to each other’s ideas.”

When first told about said idea, contributors joked about Father Peter bluntly stating, “Good, make it happen!”

The Center was funded by the Lorenzini Family, and alum Caden Lorenzini was present for the opening. Lorenzini shared many thanks to each contributor and shared that the Lorenzini Family Foundation strives to establish “healthy communities” and that she “doesn’t know anywhere that does that better than Villanova.”

When Professor Sheryl Bowen first embarked on teaching diversity designated courses at Villanova, on top of advising many students, she reported that the

teaching was “mostly volunteer.”

Upon a past visit to the University of Michigan, the idea of engaging students in diversity designated dialogue classes was first born. The one credit courses offered by Villanova attracted students from across each school in the University.

The classes spanned a va riety of topics, with five full-time faculty members. Educators re flected on the home-cooked com munity styled dinners the tightknit community of facilitators and students shared in exchange for their participation.

“Through understanding oneself and people we learn to combat justice and inequality,” Bowen said.

Additionally, the values of dialogue are displayed proudly upon entering the Center.

“We value an inclusive and honest community where mem bers actively engage one another, recognizing each person’s dignity and working together to make a more socially just world,” its state ment read.

Bowen explained the crucial and novel experiences the Center for Dialogue classes pro vide, as students would be, “en gaging through narrative within the context of systems and struc tures in our society.”

She went on to note the vi tality of sustained dialogue, which is “facilitated strategically,” and that one “can’t just do a one-stop workshop.”

The welcoming ceremony concluded, and attendants

mingled, sharing stories of past dialogue classes, either taken or taught, the long road for the opening itself or marveled at how spacious the new offices were.

In true grand-opening fashion, attendants filed outside the Center for a ribbon cutting

ceremony. The Center noted that it strives to create opportunities for establishing communities and meaningful interaction, and that there is a course for everyone, regardless of school or major. For more information, visit the Villanova University website.

Students at the Center for Dialogue opening event. Courtesy of Villanova University

The schedule of Villanova-sponsored events by the Department of Public Safety. Courtesy og Villanova Public Safety Department

Falvey Library Expands Book Collection

Srihi Surapaneni Staff Writer

Though the Falvey Library already boasts an impressive collection of reading materials, it is currently looking into options for creating a pilot program to offer students access to more popular reading, in addition to materials on well-being. To do so, it is turning to the student body to provide its opinions and input to inform its next steps.

Earlier this month, the Falvey Library sent out a survey to all students through the Wildcat Newswire in order to gauge the interests and preferences of the student body. The survey featured a preview of the wide range of books that could become a part of Falvey’s collection.

This preview included non-fiction books about critical current issues, such as The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander, popular fiction novels, like The It Girl by Ruth Ware, and personal development books, like How to Do Nothing by Jenny O’Dell. It also asked students for their reading preferences, such as print vs. online, simultaneous borrowing and being able to listen to materials. At the end, it asked for any input that students felt would be helpful to the development of this collection.

This effort to broaden the scope of reading materials available to students is being undertaken by the Collection Management Committee, which is responsible for

overseeing the management, development and the strategic administration of the many collections at Falvey.

The decision to explore launching this pilot program came out of the experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused increased levels of stress, anxiety, loneliness and depressive thoughts among college students across the nation. Millicent Gaskell, University Librarian and chair of the Collection Management Committee, has said that Falvey saw how “the pandemic took a toll on many people, including the Villanova community,” and as a result, is “exploring how to holistically support students in ways

that go beyond academics and scholarship.”

Another important member of the Collection Management Committee, John Banionis, Director of Resource Management and Description explained the ultimate goal of this project as creating a way “to help nourish a student’s personal growth, ensuring that we are addressing each community member’s whole self beyond academic resources.”

Working along with Millicent Gaskell and John Banionis is the rest of the Collection Management Committee, which is composed of Director of Distinctive Collections

Foight, Metrics and Assessment Librarian Danielle Dempsey Acquisitions and Librarian Lia Chaleva and a librarian from each of the three subject teams: Humanities, Social Sciences and STEM.

The Collection Management Committee’s emphasis on facilitating student growth, being a resource for students beyond their academic needs and taking into consideration the interests and needs of the student body is in accordance with its philosophy. As the Collection Development Philosophy Statement says, Falvey Library supports the entire University community through the work of “building healthy and robust library collections,” and by having “active conversations with campus communities and strong collaborations with internal and external partners.”

While this project is still in its early stages, the hardworking and dedicated team at the Falvey Library is excited about the possibilities and potential that it has to impact student life at the University.

“It’s too early to know exactly what form this pilot program will take, but we’re keen to see how students respond,” Gaskell said. “And we’re always excited to find new ways to engage students, including offering books to support their interests beyond their coursework.”

Essentially, the students have the power to shape this crucial service by taking the survey and letting their voices inform the direction that

Students Attend Real Estate Networking Event in DC

Amish Jindal Staff Writer

On Thursday, Sept. 14, a small group of Villanova students and faculty traveled to Washington D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland on a real estate TREK. The group left the University at 7 a.m. and did not return until around 8:30 p.m.

“These DiLella Center-sponsored TREKs give our students first-hand experience with the people and places in major commercial real estate markets,” Professor Charlie Davidson said. was Amazon’s brand-new HQ2 in Arlington, Virginia. Students and faculty heard from Amazon leaders involved with the planning and development of the office. The 2.5-billion-dollar headquarters is unique compared to most office buildings. The space contains places for dogs to rest, a banana truck

that gives out free bananas, a large terrace, a gourmet food court and a two-story large LED screen in the center of the office. Development Manager Vivian Ramirez shared many of the details incorporated to motivate employees to return to the office after years of working from home.

Following Amazon HQ2, students and faculty engaged in an alumni networking lunch at a local restaurant. Over Italian food, many prominent and successful real estate professions in Washington D.C. shared invaluable advice and

The group then traveled 45

Development project. The 27-acre mixed-use project has three million -

ously used for chromium chemical

since 1980. After extensive clean-up efforts, development began on the land in 2008.

At Harbor Point, students suited up in hard hats and safety vests as they toured the active construction site of the new 450-million-dollar T Rowe Price Headquarters. Students went in construction elevators to the top floors of the building. This unprecedented access allowed students to walk around and understand all that goes into commercial development.

Following Harbor Point, the bus made the short drive to the Mount Vernon Club where food, drinks and conversation flowed. Many Baltimore Real Estate industry professionals joined to chat with students.

While busy and long, students and faculty all had a wonderful time on the trip.

“As a senior majoring in Real Estate, I embrace the Real Es-

tate treks, as they afford me invaluable opportunities to delve deeper into the industry and expand my horizons beyond the confines of the classroom,” senior Elizabeth Curley said.

Trips like these are organized by the Daniel M. DiLella Center for Real Estate and sponsored by the Davis Fund for Student Experiences. They are open to all class years and schools.

“As a College of Liberal Arts and Sciences student who is unable to gain hands-on classroom experience in real estate, this trek was an amazing way to learn and network,” senior Ethan Brown said. “I highly recommend signing up for future trips to any student interested in pursuing a career in real estate.”

Two real estate TREKs occur per semester, with the next one being to Boston in October. In the spring, trips to the New York and Philadelphia markets are planned.

The Falvey Memorial Library expands their collection of reading materials. Brian Luppy/Villanovan Photography

The group poses on their trip to Washington DC. Courtesy of the DiLella Center For Real Estate

Students touring the active constructive site of T Rowe Price Headquarters. Courtesy of the DiLella Center For Real Estate

OPINION

Electric Scooter Ban Makes Campus Safer

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of a scooter whizzing past you on your trek to class, that tell-tale navy blue backpack taunting you for your NARP (non-athletic, regular person) status. It’s a feeling that many are familiar with, but, as of this summer, will never again have to experience.

An email sent to the Villanova community on July 14 addressed transportation devices on campus.

“Several Villanovans have suffered serious injuries from on-campus e-scooter accidents; in addition, the storage and recharging of lithium batteries has resulted in numerous, often difficult-to-extinguish fires around the U.S.,” the University Registrar said.

Due to these important issues, the University decided to ban electric scooters and similar devices entirely. The policy explicitly states that it includes electric scooters, skateboards and hoverboards but does not extend to motor-assisted bicycles.

Nearly being run over by a seemingly rogue scooter was essentially a rite of passage for Villa -

nova students, and it had become an expectation when walking across campus. While it certainly motivated students to look up from their phones to be sure they weren’t about to be flattened into the sidewalk, near-misses were unavoidable.

While some students did not directly see negative effects of scooters on campus and felt a complete ban was overkill, others understood the Department of Public Safety’s decision once they learned the rationale behind the new policy.

“The scooter ban was necessary for safety reasons and can easily be replaced by a safer substitute,” sophomore McKenzie Maggiano said.

You may ask, what could that safer substitute be? We certainly cannot ask our precious athletes to transport themselves via their own two feet. While walking does seem to be the clear solution, students upset about being stripped of their scooter rights do not need to fret. The policy says nothing about razor scooters, even though they are arguably more dangerous considering the harm they can cause to ankles.

However, athletes affected by the ban are not quite as indifferent. Joshua Oluremi, a

sophomore on the football player, disagreed with the new policy.

“We are young adults who should be allowed to handle the responsibilities and the safety concerns of having an electric scooter,” Oluremi said.

He stated that the devices made navigating a challenging schedule packed with tough workouts much easier.

While there are valid arguments to be made on both sides, Villanova was right to err on the side of caution and prioritize safety over convenience.

Students should also be aware of the lesser-known reason for the ban: lithium batteries. These batteries are used in various products, including cell phones, remote controls and electric toothbrushes. However, an electric scooter’s battery is about 50 times larger than that of a phone, making them much more dangerous.

One of the ways people misuse the devices is by leaving them to charge overnight. This can lead to the battery rapidly overheating, and in some cases, exploding. People also often buy the scooters online, with little knowledge of the integrity and quality control of the manufacturer. Improper charging usage combined with possible manufacturing

defects create a recipe for disaster.

An article published in August of 2023 by CNN stated, “The New York City Fire Department responded to more than 200 e-scooter and e-bike fires, which resulted in six fatalities.”

While lithium batteries are generally safe, the more prevalent they are, the more accidents there will be. Since most would agree that they are not integral to Villanova, removing them from campus was a wise decision.

With scooters banned, the Villanova campus is adjusting to a different rhythm. Non-athletic students no longer have to fear the speed demons on two wheels, and athletes have to adjust their schedules now that their commute to West Campus isn’t an enviable three minutes.

While the era of the Villanova scooter may have come to an end, this decision will lead to a safer, more serene campus environment for everyone.

In the meantime, students may want to invest in some comfortable walking shoes or perhaps take a little trip back to the olden days and try out a (non-electric) bicycle or scooter. Regardless, the end of scooters marks the beginning of a less speedy, but safer chapter at Villanova.

Club Culture? Or Competition Culture?

Grace Papas Staff Writer

One of Villanova’s key selling points is the large variety of clubs it has to offer to its student body. The Villanova admissions officer that visited my high school doubled-down on the exception al student life the University has grown. It doesn’t matter whether one is a theater kid, an athlete or someone with no particular niche. There is a club for them at Villa nova.

So here I am, about eight months later, putting what they said to the test.

To an extent, this idea is true. Villanova boasts more than 300 clubs, including 27 club sports teams. It is virtually impossible for a student to not find a single club that interests them. Even if one is not completely excited by the con cept of the club itself, the people and social aspect of these clubs is also an incentive to join.

So, when I was wandering around the Involvement Fair, completely overwhelmed by all the options and colorful tables, I truly felt like the world was my oyster. I left the Finneran Pavilion with a bag stuffed to the brim with informational pamphlets, flyers and little knick-knacks that I’ll probably never use (but wound up taking because I’m a true sucker for free stuff).

There was a catch, though, as getting involved at Villanova can be very hard, especially as a freshman.

When the time for actual tryouts and auditions rolled around, I was suddenly faced with the alarming reality of the competitiveness of select clubs. Most particularly, the club sports teams and performance groups were not nearly as open as they present themselves to be.

I attended three club sport tryouts, one was for a sport I have played my whole life, and four auditions for different performance groups (three a cappella groups and one dance team).

As for how many of these

groups I passed the tryout stage for, if you were to guess none, you would be correct. This is not me intending to say that competitiveness or selectivity is bad. I cannot ultimately fault them for trying to keep their numbers at a reasonable rate. Running a club can be time-consuming, not to mention expensive.

What I can fault them for, though, is not being transparent about the competitiveness of their organizations.

I had low expectations for the club sports. The competition

was insanely fierce and the talent that showed up to tryouts was truly on another level.

It was the performance groups that I was surprised by. Many of them advertise themselves as low pressure, beginner-friendly groups. The audition lists for these groups were extremely long and in the end, most groups only took on three or four new members.

In my opinion, the selectivity of these particular groups was a complete blindside. I had made a point to ask these leaders about how competitive the audition process was, and now that I’m looking back on it, a lot of them sidestepped the question.

“It depends on how your vibe goes with ours,” “We don’t have a set number of people we’re looking for” and “We’re just taking it one candidate at a time” were all among the answers I received when I asked about how many people they were looking to bring on.

None of these answers really provide a lot of clarity, and I probably should have taken that as a warning on its own.

Again, I don’t mean this as an attack on these groups at all. Many of them were extremely friendly and encouraging, but I do take issue with the lack of transparency about the slim success rates.

Since coming to Villanova, I have been told over and over to “get involved.” But no one ever told me how difficult that might be.

Anna Schoorlemmer Staff Writer

While there are many clubs to join at ‘Nova, competition to join some can be disheartening. Gabi Frank/Villanovan Photography

EDITORIAL BOARD LETTERS TO THE EDITORS

COLIN BEAZLEY

VIVI MELKONIAN

MATT RYAN

JACKIE THOMAS

BELLA IRWIN

Editor-in-Chief

Editor-in-Chief

Associate Editor-in-Chief

Opinion Editor

Opinion Editor

The Villanovan encourages all members of the Villanova community to voice their opinions. Letters to the editors may be submitted via e-mail to villanovan.eic@gmail.com. Letters must not exceed 500 words and must be signed. No anonymous letters will be published. All submissions become property of The Villanovan and are subject to editing for clarity and space.

POLICY

The unsigned editorial that appears is the opinion of The Villanovan as determined by the majority of the Editorial Board. Other columns, letters and artwork represent the opinions of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of The Villanovan.

Villanova Housing: Dorms vs. Apartments

Isabella Ledet Staff Writer

It is close enough to the beginning of the year that we are still ironing out our living situations. RAs are coming around to help set up living agreements, and final pieces of decor are hung up on the walls.

For some lucky students like myself, it is finally time to trade com munal bathrooms and old, peeling walls for the solitude of my very own toilet and hallways that I almost nev er need to actually set foot in.

I have paid my dues, so now it is my turn to reap the benefits of living in a beautiful apartment. However, while my West Campus apartment is spacious, clean and only used by a few people, there are some things I miss about my residence halls of the past.

Last year, I lived in Corr Hall, right at the center of every thing. While the water pressure was barely more than a trickle and one of my windows was frosted, I greatly miss the convenience of being able to essentially teleport myself to any location on main campus. I could leave my room five minutes before the start of my class in Mendel and I would get there early.

However, I will absolutely take a longer walk any day over sharing a bathroom with more than two to four other individuals. If I am brushing my teeth at 2 a.m., why is

me? That should not be. The only nice thing was that I did not have to clean that bathroom. However, I have found that it only takes me, at most, ten minutes to clean a bathroom. So, in actuality, I do not think much of my time was being saved considering I would have to scrub suspect purple liquid off of the shower walls before I got in,

students their opinions on apartment-living versus traditional, dormstyle living, most people laughed, asking me whether that was a contest at all.

Junior Hayden Karnes, who is now an apartment resident on West Campus, agreed that she likes living in an apartment far better than a regular dorm.

“Of course I like living in an apartment more,” Karnes said. “[Living in] two shoe boxes with a kitchen is a lot better than one shoe

Though I personally have no culinary prowess and do not buy groceries, my roommates and apartment-dwelling friends greatly enjoy having a kitchen. It is very nice to know that I have the option of cooking food as I please, though I do not often partake in such an activity

However, I do appreciate the luxury of a full-sized fridge, even though my stack of mini guacamole containers looks even smaller now. I have also never had the luxury of having a freezer on campus, so now when I buy a pint of ice cream from the convenience store, I no longer feel obligated to eat all of it in one

Even though returning to campus as a junior already feels like coming home, being in a spacious apartment makes it just that much better. Senior Margaux Snow, a resident of the Commons, agrees.

“Living in an apartment makes campus feel more like a home,” Snow said. “It’s like a little piece of Villanova is yours.”

My only hope is that I get to enjoy another year of on-campus apartment living next year. Regardless of the slightly less-convenient location, the freedom and overall hominess makes living in an on-campus apartment unparalleled.

‘Scabby, The Union Rat’ Should Be a Wake-Up Call

John Dean Snyder Staff Writer

“Scabby, The Union Rat” has been a campus staple for the last few weeks, with its appearance outside Jake Nevin almost every day. Scabby is designed to call very obvious attention to companies employing nonunion labor, something Villanova recently did with the roofing project atop Jake Nevin Field House.

A trade union is a collective of workers standing together to ensure standard wages and benefits. In lower middle-class areas of our country, unions have provided security and community to millions of people, serving as the backbone of the middle-class in America for decades.

Trade unions exemplify the spirit of “Unitas.” Unitas (unity) is one of Villanova’s three core tenets. Knowing this, one would be inclined to believe that promoting worker unity and collective bargaining would align with Villanova’s priorities. Unfortunately, this

doesn’t seem to be the case. The choice to hire a nonunion company appears to fly in the face of everything the University stands for.

Villanova released a statement explaining the rationale behind hiring a nonunion company.

“Villanova has a fiduciary responsibility to prudently manage our financial resources and make decisions that are in the best interest of the University and the people it serves,” the University said.

While limiting spending makes sense (the University is a business, after all), Villanova has made some major purchases recently, namely the acquisition of nearby Cabrini University.

This dichotomy is interesting: we are spending seemingly millions of dollars on land three miles away but not spending money to promote core values at home?

This seeming hypocrisy wouldn’t be so exasperating if the core values were simply a tagline nobody took seriously (for exam -

ple: “America Runs on Dunkin”). But everyone I have met at Villanova takes these three core values very seriously.

While going through freshman orientation this year, I heard “Veritas, Unitas, Caritas” more times than I could count, and I see them expressed every day. I have seen how students at this school support each other in so many different ways.

I have seen more green bandanas than I can count, and all my friends applied to Blue Key. We have the largest student-run Special Olympics event in the world, and I’ve seen a million flyers for NOVAdance, which raises essential funds for the families of children with cancer. We are an active, UNITED community. Unitas is alive and well with the student body of Villanova.

That makes it all the more frustrating when the administration makes decisions (seemingly) against their “beliefs” in the interest of saving money.

Unions have been declining in size and power for years,

leading to lower wages and a decreased labor share of income. Income inequality is also reduced in areas with a substantial union presence, according to whitehouse. gov.

Supporting labor unions not only goes along with the University’s belief in unity, but also helps to strengthen the surrounding community. Not supporting unions, in line with the administration’s current behavior, also implicates the University in increasing the wealth gap.

From all indications, Villanova University is an accepting, friendly and caring community. Anyone who has been to a basketball game in the Finn or simply walked through campus can feel how this community exemplifies our three core values.

That being said, Villanova must reflect its values in every aspect of its operation. Our values are not just for the 7,087 undergraduates who call Villanova home. They are for every dining hall worker, custodian, professor and, yes, roofer.

Step Aside, Girl Dinner; It’s Time for ‘Nova Dinner

Sofia Quaglia Staff Writer

Tacos and a plastic cup of ice cream. This is my meal. I call it “Girl Dinner.” No, wait. I call it “‘Nova Dinner.” The concept of “Girl Dinner” (an array of foods that can otherwise be described as a chaotic plate of various foods) originated on TikTok over the summer. However, Villanova has had its own form of “Girl Dinner” for years.

Most people would not argue that the food Villanova’s dining halls offer is not bad, but sometimes the combinations of food one gets is a little laughable. Students select from the prepared food based on what looks best to them, and, oftentimes, what they end up getting is a plate of food that people would never think of putting together.

Sometimes this results in a perfectly acceptable meal of pizza and a side salad, but it could also end up as a plate of lobster orzo, veggie fried rice and a piece of cake.

The dining halls offer a variety of food for each meal. Maybe it is the variety itself that causes the problem. If a student first sees baked ziti but notices that their friend got stir fry, they feel envious of the plate next to them.

This is how someone ends up with a plate of pasta covered in teriyaki sauce and mushrooms: a “‘Nova Dinner.”

For many students, being in college is the first time they are

responsible for feeding themselves 21 meals a week. As much as college students would like to say they are mature and responsible, at the end of the day, they are just overgrown children, grappling with their newfound sense of freedom. Students pile their plates with whatever shiny food catches their eye.

“It’s like if a five-year-old could pick what to have for dinner,” freshman Anastasia Orel said, after having a bowl of yogurt topped with M&Ms from the ice cream sundae bar.

She is not the only student who grouped one food with toppings meant for a completely different option. Freshman Sophia Park claimed that one of her favorite dining hall meals is fries topped with what are typically salad bar ingredients.

Sometimes, though, the best “Girl Dinners” are just ingredients or toppings. In the outside world, this ingredient dinner might manifest in carrots, cheese and cottage cheese, but at Villanova, it takes a different shape.

Student athlete Rachel Patrykus has to eat a lot of protein for lifting, so her ingredient dinners are occasionally a plate packed with plain chicken or tofu.

Her dinner takes a turn when it is time for dessert, and she makes the choice of a bowl of chocolate chips to combat the protein she just consumed. This is the epitome of an ingredient dinner.

The late-night options offered at St. Mary’s and The Court

at Donahue on South also makes for what can only be described as a fivestar “Girl Dinner.”

Late Night offers an assortment of comfort foods available for take-out for students’ convenience. Late Night dinner can be utilized by students who have commitments

Whether you call it “Girl Dinner” or “‘Nova Dinner,” one truth shines through: it is a comfort that many people are able to find in food. Villanova offers a variety of food that will satisfy just about any student. Eating a plate of food that might look weird to one person but nobody else’s opinion on it matters. I

University Wage Increase is a Win For All

Srihi Surapaneni Staff Writer

Last year’s minimum wage increase was a win for all Villanova students who now earn an equitable wage for their work.

In 2022, due to the push by the SGA, the University raised the standard minimum wage for all student employees from $7.25, in accordance with Pennsylvania state laws, to $10 an hour. But during this past summer, the student employee compensation system underwent additional changes.

While students were off enjoying their summer break in July, Villanova’s Human Resources Department announced an important update to the administration of student wages.

According to the new system, entry-level jobs will be paid at $10 per hour. Intermediate level jobs, or those that require “relevant experience that can be applied to the position” and “skills for intermediate tasks,” as well as equipment and software use, will now be compensated at a rate of $11.25 per hour.

Students working in advanced level positions, who must have “significant experience” or “licenses, certifications, advanced coursework, laboratory practices, advanced software and/or equipment technical knowledge” to carry out responsibilities which are “generally complex in nature” will be earning $13 per hour.

Student employees who are working as managers will be making $15 per hour. And, finally, undergraduate students working as research as-

sistants, on fellowships or other special projects will also be paid $15 per hour.

The implementation of these wage standards for student employees ensures that students will be paid in a way that is proportionate to the level and amount of work that they are doing.

With these standards and the minimum wage increase, any student who is working on campus will no longer be underpaid for the time and effort that they give.

The protection of fair wages for students is of critical importance because student employment is essential to the University experience.

While many students work during the year to offset their living costs, a large portion of student employees also work to be able to have extra spending money for more personal or fun expenses.

“[I] treated [my] earnings like a budget for fun activities [while working as a VSB tutor and a Davis Research Associate at VSB],” former Villanova undergraduate student and current Villanova graduate student Natalie DiDomenico said.

DiDomencio “wanted to leave the semester with as much personal spending money” as she began it with, though this was often harder to accomplish.

She was paid $10 an hour for both of these jobs, one of the highest pay rates on campus at the time, which is far less than she would be earning if she was currently working at either of these positions.

Senior Maggie Winston, an office assistant and dining hall cashier, also mentioned that she used her wages to “go out to eat once in a while” or to buy fun things like concert tickets.

In an area as expensive as ours, extra spending money from these student employment jobs truly makes a difference in the quality of students’ everyday lives.

However, student employment isn’t just important for the students who work on campus, but also for the University as a whole. Student employees help Villanova operate smoothly in a wide range of different aspects.

From pouring students’ drinks at Holy Grounds to assisting professors with their research to performing clerical duties in various department offices, student employees are essential to keeping the campus up and running.

The new equitable wages for all student employees will encourage more students to work here rather than venturing off campus to find higher paying jobs elsewhere.

And it’s not just the money, as working at Villanova can be a valuable and rewarding experience for many. DiDomenico said that she began working at VSB because she wanted to “gain experience in the business school” and “make a bit of a difference in VSB.”

Now that students have higher earning opportunities, more students won’t feel like they have to choose between making enough money and being able to take part in the opportunities here.

At its core, the standard set by the new student employment compensation system to ensure equitable pay for all is a win for both student employees, and the University as a whole.

Villanovans utilize dining halls to make random yet satisfying meals, similar to the trend “Girl Dinner.”

Bella Irwin/Villanovan Photography

The recent student employment pay increase ensures more equitable wages for student employees. Kate Mosca /Villanovan Photography

Taking Care During Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

Avery Chalk Staff Writer

Continued from pg. 1 attest that it was a helpful and positive experience. Whether or not it correlated to improvements in overall mental health remains to be seen, although these are intangible in measurement.

On another positive note, Villanova promotes these services better than many big, public schools. When comparing my experience with that of friends in attendance at other institutions, Villanova seems to have less of an encounter with mental health tragedies and more of a commitment to free-flowing conversation.

“I go to [North Carolina] State,” student Katy Liberman said. “We had seven suicides in the 2022-2023 school year alone.”

While Liberman attests that she loves her college and appreciates its efforts to diminish these numbers, this is still an extremely saddening statistic to think about.

“I do feel supported as a student, but obviously my experience has not been congruent to many other experiences of those my age,” Liberman said.

Several student organizations on Villanova’s campus are committed to ending the stigma surrounding mental health struggles.

One example of such is

The Student Life Mental Health and Well-Being Committee, which is composed of students, faculty and staff in commitment to addressing needs and providing support to the entirety of the Villanova community.

The committee works to rectify gaps in support systems, normalize difficult conversations and assess student needs to provide assistance on a school-wide basis.

There are also various student organizations whose purpose is to provide a sense of belonging, such as UNITAS groups and major-specific support groups.

The UNITAS program houses students of similar backgrounds together in hopes of sparking conversation and cultivating friendship, while support groups are a less-structured way of doing the same. These programs aim to remove feelings of isolation, thus bettering the social lives and overall experiences of their members.

While I appreciate Villanova’s commitment to improving the mental well-being of its student body, there remains a competitive and even toxic culture among students who share similar academic and professional goals.

Competition for internships, club membership rejection, comparison of test scores and athletic inter-team rivalry all contribute to an almost cutthroat campus environment.

Freshman Dana Singer agrees with this concept wholeheartedly.

“We’re all highly driven and competitive individuals, which is what got us here in the first place,” Singer said. “When you put all of us together, there’s bound to be clashing heads and high stress levels.”

While competition is inevitable, we as a student body must work to break the cycle of toxicity to promote collaborative success.

Rather than tearing them down, we must celebrate others’ achievements and check in on struggling peers.

While September is a month specifically designated for suicide prevention and awareness, students should not hesitate to connect with one of Villanova’s resources or outside support at any time in their college career.

The Villanova Emergency Hotline is (610) 519-4505 and the

Handshake is the Most Verbose Contact In My Phone

Riley Haubert Staff Writer

Have you ever found yourself in the middle of your day when you suddenly feel the desire for the con stant nagging of a clingy ex?

Or, maybe you are feeling a little homesick and miss an annoying little brother? Do you have a sponta neous yearning for never-ending re minders, exaggerated announcements endlessly repeated, all in an attempt to capture your attention?

Look no further than to opt for the digital equivalent: signing up for Handshake’s email registry, “the #1 way college students find jobs.” If you have done even the slightest of research about summer internships or job opportunities for post-college, you have most likely come across Handshake.

Handshake is a website that allows students to sign in through their schools in order to connect with and potentially be hired by the employers advertised on its main page. Many students have used this application, and the Villanova University Career Center even has specific career resources directly related to Handshake.

These include special invitations to meet-ups, panels, boards and fairs that revolve around prospective career events. Villanova encourages students to join Handshake in its many “Career Connections” emails.

Handshake also has a curated space that shows employers in the area who have hired from the University before, as well as other organized criteria to help users with their job

search.

The website’s layout is pleasing to the eye, well managed and put together, and advertises its relationship with big-name companies. This alone makes Handshake the attractive platform that it is to its high volume of users. It remains the top result when one is on the search for recruiting and hiring programs.

As every hero has to have his tragic flaw, every massive online platform harbors a significant shortcoming. Handshake is no exception, and it seems that there is one big aspect of its promotion that isn’t so perfect: its overwhelming number of emails.

If you have ever fallen victim to the relentless nudge of being on Handshake’s email registry, you will understand how frustrating it is. An email a day is pretty extreme, but often, a student will hear from Handshake far more than that in a 24-hour

period.

Villanova students, although appreciating the help, have things to say about this treatment online.

“I receive more emails from Handshake than anyone or any other platform,” junior Caroline Casey said, affirming the high volume of emails students receive. The emails seem to increase throughout the years in college, only becoming more and more frequent as students approach their senior year and the job market.

`

“I already have a job for postgrad and I still receive emails from Handshake trying to set me up with various employers,” senior Victoria Dattilo said.

It doesn’t end there. After a long hard day of dodging these emails, you may be relieved at an email notification from someone else, and it is even addressed from a human name.

You excitedly click on the email preview when you are suddenly blindsided by Handshake’s cunning technique: an alias. Handshake is able to catch you when your guard is down. The question is: are these emails effective in its search for new users, or do they deter its audience instead?

“Handshake treats me like a 60-year-old woman who doesn’t understand technology,” freshman Hannah Sullivan said.

The sheer number of emails Handshake sends causes many, like Sullivan, to be discouraged from actually reading the emails. Senior Kayla Verga felt similarly.

“I don’t usually look at emails from Handshake anymore, and as a senior, I am definitely its target audience,” Verga said. “If it wants students to respond, it should probably limit the number of notifications it sends us daily.”

However, forcing its name and idea, whether subconsciously or not, into the reader’s head may actually be the source of Handshake’s popularity.

It is obvious that Handshake’s many emails have caused some stir, which could then circulate its name and build enough curiosity that leads people to potentially sign up. Ultimately, this would render its approach effective.

In the end, even though Villanovans may find these emails annoying, Handshake may be playing the long game: the overabundance of emails may lead to people having discussions surrounding its service, or even, if it is lucky, an article written about it.

Students should remember to take care of themselves, especially during Suicide Prevention Month. Courtesy of @bandana.project.nova

Villanova students recieve many emails a day from the online platform Handshake. Courtesy of Handshake

CULTURE

Family Weekend Preview and Things to Do

Chloe Miller Co-Culture Editor

Contined from pg. 1

“I am very excited to go to the zoo this family weekend,” junior Jane Maleady said. “My dad has been looking forward to it for a while now because he loves animals.”

Family weekend concludes on Sunday at 11 a.m., with Mass held in the Finneran Pavilion. Mass, led by Father Peter provides a chance to reflect on the weekend, family and the magic of being on Villanova’s campus.

Aside from Villanova’s own Family Weekend activities, there are plenty of places to explore on the Main Line with your family. Stoneleigh, located behind West Campus, is a natural garden with scenic walking paths. Valley Forge National Park and Chanticleer Gardens are also known for picturesque trails.

“I went to Chanticleer with my dad a few years ago when he visited campus,” senior Maggie Winston said. “It is such a pretty garden and a great place to spend time with family when you exhaust some of the on-campus activities.”

Although a bit farther off campus, Family Weekend can also be a great opportunity to head to local shopping areas such as Suburban

Square and King of Prussia, two places that tend to be favorites of many Villanova students.

Need to take a break from all of the social activities? Take your family down to the Bryn Mawr Film Institute and catch a movie in the old-fashioned theatre.

“Family weekend can be tiring,” senior Zoe Kim said. “The Bryn Mawr Film Institute is a really cool theater and also a great break from socializing and being on your feet all weekend.”

Other activities in the area include local farmers markets like the Bryn Mawr Farmers Market on Saturday morning or the Berwyn Farmers Market on Sunday morning.

In Berwyn after visiting the farmers market? Head to the Berwyn Indoor Vintage Flea Market and grab some new and unique finds to spice up your dorm room.

While finding a reservation at this time may be a challenge, there is an abundance of great restaurants to visit while your family is in town. Located in Bryn Mawr and known for being BYOB, Otto By Polpo is a fantastic Italian restaurant in the heart of town. Veekoo, another BYOB option in Bryn Mawr, is a Chinese and Japanese restaurant that many Villanovans love.

Rosalie, The Goats Beard, White Dog, Autograph Brasserie, Estia

Taverna and DanDan, which are all located next door in Wayne, are popular restaurants around Villanova.

“Whenever my parents are in town we always head to Rosalie and The Goat’s Beard,” senior Carlie Pollice said. “Both are great options for

family dinners. The hummus at The Goat’s Beard is the absolute best.”

No matter what you do this family weekend, all that matters is spending some time with those you love. Along with the value of not having to pay for dinner.

Student Spotlight: Elizabeth Weiss, AKA “Skinniranni”

Kailey Fahy Staff Writer

Everyone has their own campus character. Maybe yours is a TikTok user named “skinniraini.”

Elizabeth Weiss is a senior Communication and English double major at Villanova. However, people may better know her as @ skinniraini on TikTok, where she has garnered almost 5,000 followers and five million likes across all of her videos.

Weiss downloaded TikTok at the end of her junior year of high school, keeping the account private for a while and then going public during quarantine. However, it wasn’t until her sophomore year at Villanova that she began posting as consistently as she does now.

In regards to her username, Weiss said that, in order to avoid using her real name and squander the potential for a digital footprint, she decided to make use of one of her favorite memes about Raini Rodriguez. The meme was entitled “Skinny Raini.” However when she tried to input the username with the traditional spelling of the word “skinny,” a message appeared indicating it had already been taken. Thus, she ended up as “skinni” with an “i.”

Weiss is best known for her TikToks that “teenage girls in their twenties” can relate to, a phrase she characterizes herself by. Topics that fall under this category include but are not limited to Taylor Swift, The Summer I Turned

Pretty and Olivia Rodrigo. However, her TikTok account cannot be defined by just these topics alone. In fact, much of her TikTok revolves around her experience at Villanova. She makes outfit of the day (OOTD) videos on her way to classes while also making TikToks around campus that many Villanova students can relate to. This is reflected in her following, as most of her followers are from Villanova or the wider Philadelphia area.

“[The demographic of my following] makes sense,” Weiss said. “Even the other non-Villanova content I create is catered for college-aged women, making girls at Villanova my target audience.”

However, Weiss’ time here cannot be solely characterized by her TikTok presence. She is also President of Alpha Phi at Villanova where, through her TikTok, she was able to create a hashtag for her sorority. The hashtag is #villanovaalphaaphi, and all Villanova Alpha Phi members on TikTik now use it when posting videos. She also is a member of Blue Key, where she has previously served as PR Chair, allowing to use her creativity and passion for TikTok in a way that directly gives back to the Villanova community.

Weiss’ TikTok has also allowed her to make connections with organizations and people that she would otherwise not have. One of her videos was posted on the well-known clothing brand Anthropologie’s page, and she is mutual friends with Eli Rallo (a TikToker with almost 800,000 followers).

She has also been able to

connect with local followers.

“At Admitted Students Day, when I was in the Spirit Line, a girl came up to me and said she knew me from TikTok,” Weiss said. “[Another] experience that was really crazy to me was, one time, I was out in Philly and

son who goes here. I like to think of my TikTok as a way to connect a bunch of different people who otherwise would never meet.”

As for her future with TikTok, Weiss says that, while she would love to make some money from it, she does not see that happening anytime soon. For now, her plans include moving to New York City for her post-grad job, and she plans to keep TikTok as more of a something that I would have never

Villanova student Elizabeth Weiss has amassed a following on social media app TikTok. Courtesy of Elizabeth Weiss

Villanovan families gather on campus this weekend for the football game and other events. Chloe Miller/Villanovan Photography

Club Spotlight: TEDXVillanovaU

Emma Cahill Co-Culture Editor

As a subsect of the TED Talk series, TEDxVillanovaU seeks to represent Villanova students, faculty, staff and alumni, encouraging them to spread their ideas. TEDxVillanovaU hosts events throughout the year, leading up to an annual conference. Each year, the conference takes on a new theme. Last year’s theme was “Paradigm Shift for Sustainability.” No matter what the theme is, speakers can take on a wide range of topics, as TEDxVillanova seeks to give a platform to all voices.

Co-President of TEDxVillanovaU is graduate student Erin Ahearn. She touched on the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion within this organization.

“TEDxVillanovaU is a University organization that provides a platform for Villanova students, faculty, staff and alumni to share their ideas worth spreading, spark necessary conversations and ignite positive change in the Villanova community and beyond,” Ahearn said. “TEDxVillanovaU strives to uplift diverse and inclusive perspectives, and we are actively interested in supporting voices that have been historically marginalized.”

TEDxVillanova has many different events coming up in anticipation of its year-long conference. Ahearn discussed the various

events that TEDx will hold, in addition to the date of the annual conference.

“In October, we will be having our TEDxWomen event, showcasing talks from speakers across the gender spectrum who are working towards a more equitable future,” Ahearn said. “Right before finals season, we will host a public speaking workshop to equip Villanovans with the skills and confidence needed to excel in their presentations and speeches. Finally, our conference will consist of talks and talent acts from members of the Villanova community. It will be on March 17, 2024, in the Topper Theatre of the Mullen Center.”

The TEDxWomen event is one of the newest events hosted by this organization. Ahearn discussed this new TEDxVillanovaU event and how it seeks to promote female voices.

“TEDxWomen will be a TEDxVillanovaU event that works toward our mission of diversity, equity and inclusion,” Ahearn said. “In line with the global initiative, we seek to uplift the voices and ideas of people across the gender spectrum.”

Junior Anna Hughes is the Vice President of Campus Relations for TEDxVillanovaU. Hughes connects TEDxVillanovaU with various organizations around campus in an attempt to increase outreach. Hughes spoke about her role in regards to the mission of the club.

“Our mission is to be an inclusive, diverse, progressive and innovative organization that empowers the valuable voices of those who may not normally be heard on campus, ” Hughes said.

Ahearn has cherished her time working with TEDx here at Villanova.

“Through TEDxVillanovaU, I’ve greatly expanded my connections within the Villanova community, and I couldn’t be more thankful for the privilege to get to know these amazing Villanovans,” Ahearn said. “The creativity, passion, wisdom, tenacity and kindness of everyone in our TEDxVillanovaU family inspires me daily.”

Ahearn encouraged anyone

who is interested in joining TEDxVillanovaU to get in touch with the organization. Whether it is being a speaker or a general body member, TEDxVillanovaU has something for everyone.

“For anyone looking to get involved in the organization or speak at one of our events, contact us at tedxvillanovau@villanova. edu,” Ahearn said. “It is never too late to get involved. We’ll be tabling at the Oreo throughout the year, so please don’t hesitate to stop by, chat and potentially pick up some free TEDxVillanovaU merch. Follow us on Instagram @ TEDxVillanovaU, so you’ll never miss any updates or opportunities.”

Horoscopes September 20th

Chloe Miller Co-Culture Editor

Mercury is finally out of retrograde and things are looking up... well for most of the signs at least. Curious what the stars have in store for you this week? Read ahead to find out.

Aries

You might be finding yourself overwhelmed and out of routine, Aries. You are far from a pro at setting boundaries, leaving yourself overworked. With the school year now in full swing, don’t forget to take time for yourself. It can be easy to fill your social schedule without thinking of the ramifications. An intense energy is coming to you this week, and it will require you to take some moments in your busy schedule for yourself.

Taurus

Slow it down, Taurus. Things are going exceptionally well for you right now, and you might begin to get ahead of yourself. All of your priorities are in order, and the future seems exceptionally exciting. Take a moment, relish it and, now, begin to shift your focus on the present. You may fail to acknowledge and enjoy the daily moments of joy in your life, so ground yourself to the present in the upcoming week. You may find that good things will become more abundant.

Gemini

There’s a bucket of gold at

the end of your rainbow, and you will find it soon. Gemini, you have a secret admirer, and chances are, you know who it is. Accept and claim the good thoughts and people that are coming your way. As a new season approaches, you find yourself entering a new period of your life. Romantic love is coming your way, and it is in your best interest to let it happen.

Cancer

Take in the stability while you can, Taurus. You are on top of your work, friendships and all other aspects of your life. You finally feel everything aligning after weeks of stress. Enjoy your upcoming time with friends and family. Now is the time to confide in those around you. Despite your feelings of stability, use this time to connect with your loved ones in a deeper, more meaningful way. Fill your cup, while also filling others’.

Leo

It is okay to have people in your life who fulfill only a single role. Leo, you are a natural social butterfly. Recently, you have been feeling guilty about not having deep connections with everyone in your life. Remember: not everyone has to be your best friend. Take it easy and enjoy the company of those around you. Don’t overthink your relationships this week, Leo. Your own worst enemy is yourself. Be gentle.

Virgo

Happy Virgo season. Your organization habits are in full force. Although it might not seem like there is time to complete

everything on your to-do list, you always make it work, Virgo. Keep doing what you are doing. However, there is something coming to you. It may not feel positive at first, but no one knows how to dodge difficult situations like you do. Take the leap of faith, and trust in your own abilities.

Libra

You’re feeling impulsive. Things seem to be taking a turn in your life, and you want to lean into this new “you.” Embrace this desire and make a change, Libra. You are uniquely yourself, but don’t be afraid to let go of what no longer suits you. You can change aspects of yourself while still knowing and staying true to your values. You know what is best for you.

Capricorn

You might be facing pressure and doubt from outside sources. When everyone seems to be turned against you, move forward with a brave face. There are people in your life who are not serving you and are bringing down your energy. While it is hard to ignore the opinions of others, you are determined and confident. You can make it through, Capricorn. Block it out.

Scorpio

This week, you might be feeling extra irritable and tired. Although it feels inevitable to snap at your friends and spend time to yourself, don’t lock yourself out, Scorpio. Remember to find stable ground within yourself. Your internal frustration does not need to be

released on those around you. You may find yourself facing serious troubles throughout this week, but take them lightly. Do not let these troubles bring you down. They will be sorted out soon.

Sagittarius

You may feel like your emotions are all out of whack this week, Sag. Let these emotions be used as a guiding force for your future decisions. Let yourself feel these emotions, but be strong enough to use your emotions practically. If you can do this, everything will fall right into place.

Aquarius

Know what you want, Aquarius. The energy you send out is what you will get back. Sorting out your priorities should be your top priority this week. If you continue along the unknown path you have started on, you will only make yourself more confused. Simple decisions will bring much relief to you.

Pisces

Hey, Pisces, if you feel like you are at the bottom of the barrel right now, the only way from here is up. You’ve been having troubles romantically and your immediate reaction is to lock yourself out from love. A new romantic interest is bound to walk into your life soon. Keep an open mind and do not be afraid to push yourself out of your comfort zone. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Tune in next week to The Villanovan’s horoscopes.

TEDXVillanovaU members at a previous event. Courtesy of TEDXVillanovaU

Kaelin Trombly Staff Writer

In the labyrinthine world of fashion, where conformity is the norm, one brand has dared to stand out, not by bending the rules, but by obliterating them. Palace Skateboards, hailing from the streets of London, is not just a brand. It’s a rebellion in clothing form. Fashion’s playbook be damned, because Palace has written its own script, and it’s nothing short of sensational. Sit tight, because we’re about to embark on a journey through the universe of Palace Skateboards, delving into its origin story, its iconic aesthetics and, most tantalizing, its trailblazing brand partnerships that have catapulted the streetwear brand as a leader in the collaborations arena.

The Palace Genesis: Picture this: a motley crew of London skaters taking refuge in a squat flat near the legendary Southbank skate park, humorously christened “The Palace Wayward Boys’ Choir.” Among them was

VillaVogue: Palace Skateboards

ing towards high-definition glory, Palace dared to rewind the clock. Its videos, steeped in the grainy nostalgia of the 90’s, were a masterstroke. Tanju’s reasoning? The raw, unfiltered essence of vintage footage, lost in the shiny embrace of modern tech. Palace’s videos allowed viewers to get lost in its “weekend escapades with the homies-esque” content, all captured on a wonky handycam to capture the raw essence of street skating.

The Well-Accomplished Mission: Palace isn’t just a brand. It’s a band of brothers and sisters. Lev Tanju’s vision was simple: create a haven where friends could skate, unhindered by life’s encumbrances. This developed a sense of community, seemingly untouched by the bustle and hustle of reality, and resulted in a team of pro and kindred spirit skateboarders alike, all of whom basked in the glory of being part of the UK’s hippest skate crew.

Palace’s mission, however, goes far beyond threads and logos and challenges the status quo. The

It all started with Palace’s connection with the venerated London Skate institution: Slam City Skates. Slam City was akin to striking gold in the streetwear mines, serving as the holy grail of endorsements for Palace as it added a layer of credibility that money could not buy.

After Slam City came brand partnerships with Umbro, Reebok, WWE and Crocs. From there, Palace x Gucci became the liaison of high fashion and streetwear, a lovechild of two seemingly contrasting worlds at the time. In an audacious move, Palace then ventured into the world of art, collaborating with the Tate Britain Gallery to create skate decks, blurring the lines between culture and counterculture. And, of course, we couldn’t award Palace the collaboration crown without its completion of the trifecta of Euro -

of time through every marketing effort. Don’t believe me? Take a look at Palace’s recent rendezvous with the fast-food giant, “PALACE MCDONALDS,” a whirlwind romance that spawned a collection spanning T-Shirts, hoodies and skateboard decks alike - with a side of fries, of course.

Fresh off a hearty McDonald’s collab, Palace came back running with Salomon’s XT-Wings 2 Sneaker on Sept. 1, 2023. As teased, the Palace x Solomon arrives in two classic black and white schemes and a colorful tongue bearing Palace’s name. And if this recent partnership wasn’t enough, the omni-present corporate colossus launched a clothing line with Carhartt just this past Friday, Sept. 15, which was honestly my initial inspiration for this piece, now that I think of it. You’re welcome.

Brendan King Staff Writer

A group of Villanova students is working hard to ensure that gluten-free dining is as stressfree as possible.

The Villanova Gluten-Free Club is an organization on campus for students with any type of gluten intolerance, offering a safe space for them to connect with one another.

The club was officially founded in the spring of 2022 by President Belle Wronko, a junior nursing student, and Vice President Nick Kennedy, a senior math and education double major. Wronko and Kennedy founded this club in order to combat the stress they felt when coming to campus for the first time and having to eat in communal dining halls.

“You’re already transitioning from your high school to college,” Wronko said. “You’re already trying to make friends [and] you’re trying to get into the swing of school. It’s definitely an added stress, and that was something that I really wanted to be able to change.”

Kennedy faced particularly difficult challenges during his first year at Villanova, as it was during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“When I was a freshman, it was our first full year back from COVID, and it was just a mess,”

Villanova’s Gluten Free Club

Kennedy said. “I didn’t know what I could eat. People with food allergies can actually go directly to a chef and ask them to make food specifically off the line, [but] that wasn’t told to me. I just didn’t even know that I could be my own advocate.”

Wronko and Kennedy want to make sure that no one experiences the same hardships they did. Their mission is to let students with gluten intolerances know that they can be their own advocates and provide them with the courage needed to raise their voices and demand meals that are safe and healthy for them.

“There are changes that need to be made,” Wronko said. “Before we started, [we would] all try to make our own personal advocacy. As a group, we could have a stronger voice together.”

“A lot of the people in the club are somewhat relatively recently diagnosed,” Kennedy said. “For them, it’s not just coming to college. It’s also coming to college and negotiating a whole new diet, so that’s another layer of importance [as to] why this club needs to be there for them.”

During Villanova Gluten-Free Club meetings, members get the chance to share any difficult experiences they have had while trying to find gluten-free meals, recommend gluten-free options on and off campus and take part in various activities. Some

activities organized by the club have included a movie night and a trip to Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia.

In addition, gluten-free food is provided for the club’s members at each meeting, one of Kennedy’s favorite aspects of the organization. Recently, the club has gotten food from Insomnia Cookies and Lovebird.

“We provide food, and you know that it’s all gluten-free,” Kennedy said. “There’s no need to even consider your allergies and have that awareness and that mental protection. When you walk into a dining hall, you have to be very much on your toes. It’s a very active and potentially stressful situation. When you walk into one of our meetings, all of that can just melt. It’s like you’re back home [and] in your gluten-free kitchen.”

Wronko, Kennedy and the rest of the club also frequently contact members of Villanova Dining Services to ensure the safety of meals if anyone with a gluten intolerance has an issue on campus.

“The people who work here really are very passionate about their jobs,” Wronko said. “I’ve always had really positive experiences with the chefs [and] with the employees, but a lot of improvements can be made, and that is something that we also want to achieve in this club.”

Gail Mitchell, Chef-Nu -

tritionist of Villanova Dining Services, wants to make sure that there are safe options available for all students who have certain dietary restrictions.

“We deeply value student feedback and are eager to consider any suggestions the club may have to enhance their dining experience on campus,” Mitchell said.

The club is open to all students who wish to spread awareness about gluten intolerance and don’t have to be intolerant themselves.

“There are a lot of people heavily affected by someone having celiac or a gluten intolerance” Wronko said. “They’re aware of it. They want to support their friend.”

To become a member of the club, students can follow @villanovagfclub on Instagram and fill out the interest form in the bio. The club also appeared at the involvement fair in August, which was one of Wronko’s favorite experiences as a member. She takes great pride in meeting students who are very excited to learn that there is a community on campus for students with gluten intolerance.

“I know where they’re coming from,” Wronko said. “I understand their joy. Just to be able to see that and be like ‘This has a purpose. We’re doing this for a reason.’ is just really encouraging.”

Villanova Campus Culture: Involved to the Brim

Kaylani Halsband Staff Writer

Whether one is a freshman or a senior, they have likely heard the infamous, enthusiastic urge to “Get involved!” a couple dozen, or hundred, times by now. While perhaps a bit too tossed around by fellow students and faculty, it’s true that Villanova’s campus culture is characterized by heavy commitment, community and even competitiveness. The array of opportunities offers something for everyone. Whether it is volunteer ing at a local animal farm or play ing Division I basketball, nearly every area of interest is covered by some organization or other here at Villanova.

There are more than 300 clubs, from student interest groups to academic organizations and beyond, so students often con tinue longstanding passions from high school or discover new ones throughout their four years here.

A new member of Model UN, CAT, the Pre-Law Society, LEVEL, the Food Recovery Network and more, freshman Angela Choi is eager to find her niche as a new college student.

“I think that there’s so many opportunities for different clubs here, which is why I’m able to explore different options and really be a part of the campus culture here,” Choi said.

The emphasis on service and community, too, often makes its way into the lives of Wildcats.

In addition to widespread

Olympics, many seek out Villanova’s upcoming Day of Service to help those in need in neighboring areas.

Falling on Sept. 30 this year, many freshmen take part in this community-bonding experience with their group from New Student Orientation—an event facilitated by Orientation Counselors, whose leadership positions aim to ease the potentially stressful transition to college.

“I love being an [Orientation Counselor] because of how it enables me to impact new students at a time in their college career when they need the most guidance: the very beginning,” soph -

on staff and those 20 students so incredibly well is an amazing way for me to get involved on campus and leave my mark on Villanova. I’m extremely grateful for every opportunity I have to work as part of the orientation program and cannot recommend it enough for those looking to get involved. There’s nothing more special than a trip to ‘orientation land’ before the fall semester begins.”

While most students belong to at least a few such organizations, there are other ways to be an active member of the University besides participating in clubs. Taking advantage of the countless resources and activities on

campus, from the stress-relieving pet therapy to Friday Food Truck events facilitated by CAT, is just as good a way to become absorbed into Villanova’s close-knit commu -

Moreover, student employment opportunities are widely available across campus. In addition to allowing students to earn a little pocket money, these jobs help students figure out how to balance a demanding workload and parttime job alongside a blossoming social life.

“It’s a great way to gain experience with customer service and prepare me to venture into a social world,” freshman Emily Walsh said, as she is newly employed as a hospitality associate at Donahue Market.

Whether one has already found their place within Villanova’s brimming campus culture or has yet to uncover their passion, the abundance of student involvement opportunities is no secret. Students should tag along with friends to club information sessions, check out CAT’s weekly activities, try things they typically wouldn’t and, while it may take some trial-and-error, it won’t be long before something sparks an interest and enriches their college experience.

Whether they’re in the classroom, on the basketball court or elsewhere, Wildcats’ hardworking and competitive nature shines brightly. There is no shortage of ways for students to make their marks at Villanova.

Villanova students love to get involved and join multiple organizations on campus. Olivia Gordon / Villanovan Photography

Football Prepares for Rhode Island

Dylan Johnson of rushing touchdowns to passing Villanova needs to lock defense had no answer for the air

Men’s Golf Ends Eighth At Ryan T. Lee Memorial

Lauren Armstrong Staff Writer

This past weekend, on Sept. 16 and 17, Villanova’s men’s golf team headed north to compete at the Ryan T. Lee Memorial in Kensington, Connecticut. After day one, the ‘Cats finished in a tie for 11th place out of 17. By day two, Villanova ended eighth at the tournament.

“We knew we were going to be facing a lot of hard teams,” head coach James Wilkes said. “Columbia and Long Island played very well in the previous tournaments they had, so we knew we were going to have to put a lot of hard work into the weekend.”

After the first day, Senior Peter Weaver shot a score of 70 (-1), putting himself in a tie 7th place

Alongside Weaver were sophomores Ryan Pamer and Joshua Lavely. Pamer tied for 63rd, finishing with a score of 78 (+7), while Lavely tied for 35th, and finished with a score of 74. PJ O’Rourke shot an 80, putting himself in a tie for 79th. Jonathan Elkins finished in a tie for 71st with a score of 79.

“We were disappointed on our first day scores, but after talking as a team we knew we had to step up on day two, which we did,” Wilkes said.

After finishing with higher scores than anticipated, the Wild-

day two scores and appearances. During the second day of the match, the Wildcats regained their composure, and were able to get their rank up from 11th place to 8th.

Weaver shot an impressive score of 67 (-4), placing himself in a tie for 3rd place overall.

“Weaver came into Villanova as a solid player in high school,” Wilkes said. “After breaking records last season, we were unsure of how much he had left to bring. We were wrong, and it is clear that he is on a mission to achieve all that he can.”

Pamer improved eight strokes from the prior day, shooting one under 70, and ending 42nd on the board. “We knew we needed to play better on Sunday, so we did,” Wilkes said.

Lavely ended overall in a tie for 45th after shooting a 75 on Sunday.

“It is so exciting seeing

WEEKLY SCOREBOARD

Sept. 13- Sept. 19

Wednesday, September 13

Volleyball @ Lehigh

1-3 L

Thursday, September 14

Women’s Soccer @ Penn

1-1 T

Friday, September 15

Field Hockey @ Georgetown

4-1 W

impact this early on in the season,” Wilkes said. “Pamer was Big East Freshman of the Year last season, and Lavely put a lot of work in over the summer. You can see the hard work and improvement from both of them.”

O’Rourke had an impressive climb of nine strokes, placing himself at an even 71 par and climbing the ranks to a tie for 53rd place tie. Elkins, after having an impressive day one, shot a two over 73, ending in a tie for 60th, and improving from day one by six strokes.

The Wildcats will now have a break in their preseason before heading to New York on Oct. 1 to partake in the Matthews Auto College tournament.

“Although we have not played at this course recently, we have a feeling this specific group will thrive at this course,” Wilkes said.

Field Hockey Wins Big East Opener

Aidan Shay Staff Writer

Over the weekend, Villanova’s field hockey team won two contests. It traveled to Towson, Maryland, to open Big East play for the season on Friday against Georgetown, winning, 4-1. Villanova then returned home to face St. Francis on Sunday, winning, 2-1. The ‘Cats now stand at 4-3 overall, 1-0 in Big East play.

Villanova entered Friday’s game as the clear favorite against a struggling Georgetown team. The Hoyas were still winless on the season entering what would be the first in-conference game for both teams.

“Georgetown-Villanova is a big rivalry,” head coach Joanie Milhous said. “Anytime we play Georgetown, they give us a competitive game, and we knew it would be a battle. We knew that since it was our first Big East game for both teams it was going to be a hard-fought game.”

Villanova’s offense remained steady and productive throughout the game, as senior back Sabine de Ruijter scored the first goal of the game right before the end of the first quarter. She was followed by senior forward Amanda Middleman who scored a minute into the third quarter, beating the keeper to the right side. Georgetown responded with its first and only goal of the game, but Villanova continued to press through the weak Hoya defense, resulting in two goals from senior

forward Meghan Mitchell and de Ruijter, both in the fourth quarter.

“[de Ruijter] is definitely a leader and captain on the team,” Milhous said. “We’ve made some changes for Sabine, she scores goals for us but usually from corners and strokes. We’ve changed her position a little bit and she’s gotten more opportunities to score goals in the open field. She’s a great addition to the talent we have on our forward line.”

Milhous emphasized the importance of the team playing well together after Friday’s win.

“I’m really excited about our overall performance with our forwards, midfielders and backs,” she said.

“I thought we had a really great team game.”

Sunday’s game against Saint Francis proved to be much closer. The Wildcats offense started out hot, with Mitchell scoring off a corner eight minutes into the game. Mitchell, the team’s leading scorer, now has six goals and 14 points on the season, and is currently leading the Big East in goals, game-winning goals and points. She is quickly proving to not only be one of the best players on Villanova’s offense, but one of the best players in the conference.

Villanova extended its lead halfway through the second quarter, with Middleman scoring

Women’s Tennis vs. Villanova Invite

No Team Scoring

Men’s Soccer vs Butler

1-2 L

Women’s XC @ Main Line Invitational

1st of 7

Volleyball vs Sacred Heart

3-0 W

Saturday, Septemeber 16

Men’s Golf @ Ryan T. Lee Memorial Collegiate

11th of 17 (Day 1)

Women’s Tennis vs. Villanova Invite No Team Scoring

Volleyball vs Sacred Heart vs Temple Temple wins 3-0

Football @ UCF

14-48 L

Volleyball vs Saint Francis

3-0 W

Sunday, September 17

Men’s Golf @ Ryan T. Lee Memorial Collegiate

8th of 17 (Final Day)

Women’s Tennis vs. Villanova Invite

No Team Scoring

Field Hockey vs Saint Francis

2-1 W

Women’s Soccer vs Cornell

1-1 T

Tuesday, September 19

Men’s Soccer vs Western Michigan

2-2 T

off yet another corner shot. Saint Francis was still very much in the game, and scored halfway through the fourth. But the effort proved to be too little too late, as Villanova would ultimately win, 2-1.

“St. Francis played a great game,” Milhous said. “I think we had some attacking opportunities we need to take advantage of and capitalize upon. We gave up way too many shots and corners against us. I’d like to see better production from our attacking 25s and defensive 25s.”

While Villanova’s offense started off hot, it was made evident that it needed to remain hot, efficient and make the most of every opportunity if the team is to elevate its game and make the Big East tournament.

The Wildcats aim to reach their offensive potential and improve upon their winning streak as they head into next week, with Big East play continuing as they travel to Quinnipiac on Sept. 22 followed by a non-conference game at Fairfield on Sept. 24.

Senior Sabine de Ruijter scored the first goal in Villanova’s win over Georgetown. Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

Men’s Golf will look head to compete in the Matthews Auto College Tournament next month. Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

Men’s Soccer Falls to Butler, 2-1

two out of its three shots on goal.

Finn Courtney Staff Writer

Despite owning a 12-3 edge in shots on goal, Villanova was unable to take advantage and pick up its first win, falling, 2-1, to Butler (1-3-1) in its Big East opener.

The Wildcats, now 0-3-2 on the season, came out strong and had momentum behind their offensive attack for most of the game. However, despite 21 shots on the day, Villanova struggled to find the net. Senior midfielder Jorge Garcia’s second half free kick was the only goal to cut But ler’s lead to one.

“Our effort was there,” head coach Tom Carlin said. “We had more than enough chances, but just couldn’t finish. I thought we were getting into good attack ing spots, our possessions were good, it’s just unfortunate.”

The Wildcats controlled the tempo early, having eight shots in the first 30 minutes of the game, with Butler redshirt senior goalkeeper Caleb Norris making several impressive saves. He had 11 on the day. While the chances were there for the ‘Cats, led by seven shots and five on goal from junior forward Vincent Petrera, the Wildcats just could not finish.

While Villanova’s defense did limit the Bulldogs to just a third of the shots the home team put up, Butler was able to score when it mattered most, sinking

Sophomore Palmer Ault, last year’s Big East Freshman of the Year, scored a pair of goals to lead the way for the Bulldogs, including a dazzling second-half shot off passes from Jack Streberger and Henry Kumwenda.

Picked to be the Big East Presea

son Offensive Player of the Year, Ault’s play so far, which includes four goals in five matches, is surely aiding his case.

“He’s so crafty in front of the goal and off the ball,” Carlin said. “Both goals weren’t off much, but we needed to do a better job and… they looked for him, too, so

they do a really good job at looking for him on his runs.”

Despite staring at a 2-0 deficit, the Wildcats continued to dominate time of possession and opened up multiple scoring chances, with Garcia’s goal cutting Butler’s lead in half. The intensity of both teams on the pitch was equaled by that of the crowd, as fans got rowdy as a result of the multiple yellow cards given to both

In the final minute of play, Villanova’s captain, graduate midfielder Gray Ricca, had a shot on goal but was unable to find nylon, keeping the Wildcats winless in the

In their last two games, the Wildcats outshot their opponents by a 51-13 margin and made goalkeepers work hard in the net with 25 shots on target, and yet, they’ve walked away winless and with just a single goal combined in both

Despite the streak of non-winning decisions and offensive frustration for the Wildcats, Carlin is not discouraged and praised the effort put forth by his team. The Wildcats played to another draw against Western Michigan on Tuesday, Sept. 19.

“We just gotta keep chipping away,” Carlin said. “I thought what we did, our gameplay and schemes were all in the right place, but we just got to get one of these Men’s soccer has yet to win a match this season.

Women’s Soccer Remains Unbeaten

match against Cornell.

“Thursday helped [the team] play better [on Sunday],” Azem said.

Villanova’s women’s soccer team played two matches against Ivy League teams this week, both of which ended in 1-1 ties.

Villanova women’s soccer started its weekend Thursday, Sept. 14, at Penn.

After a slow start, the first shot on goal of the match was by Penn senior forward Paige Kenton a little over 12 minutes into the first half. Villanova took its first scoring attempt nearly ten minutes later in the 21st minute with junior midfielder Maddie Fried taking a try. A second shot on goal came for the Wildcats only two minutes later with an unsuccessful attempt by graduate forward Jackie Richards. A quiet first half ended at 0-0.

After a slew of fouls followed by substitutions for both the Wildcats and the Quakers in the first two-and-a-half minutes, Villanova freshman forward Alex Little took the first shot on goal for the half followed by a corner kick. It wasn’t until after a corner kick in the 81st minute that the Wildcats found the back of the net for the game’s opening goal. Richards found the goal, assisted by junior forward Megan Donnelly.

The Quakers were not far behind with their first goal coming in from the foot of freshman forward Abbey Cook in the 82nd minute. Both teams fought hard down to the wire, with one last

shot on goal by junior forward Megan Lusher for Penn in the 87th minute, the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

not come away with a win, head coach Samar Azem said that the match carried forward to their

A rainy afternoon at Higgins Soccer Complex saw the Wildcats go head to head with Cornell. An early shot on goal by Richards fueled the energy for the Wildcats for the remainder of the game.

With a total of 13 shots on goal and four saves, the team’s chemistry and drive was evident.

“[I] thought [they] put [Cornell] on their back foot for the majority of the game,” Azem said. “[Cornell] had two chances that were a little bit concerning but besides that I felt like we were just really unlucky not to get two or three goals.”

Both teams walked away having each scored one goal. Senior forward Mia Gonzalez scored for the Big Red and freshman defender Ire Omotayo assisted graduate forward Makayla Stadler in Villanova’s lone goal.

After another game ending in a draw, with both goals scored in the first half, the Wildcats are planning for the start of their conference play beginning next week.

“[We] really use non-conference to build our identity,” Azem said. “Now every single team we see is going to be a significantly tough opponent for us to play.”

The Wildcats will kick off their Big East run hosting Seton Hall on Sunday, Sept. 24th at 4 p.m.

Katelyn Van Mater/Villanovan Photography

Ali Benjamin Staff Writer

Women’s soccer has yet to lose a match this season. Ryan Sarbello/Villanovan Photography

Women’s Tennis Competes at Villanova Invite

Amanda McKean Staff Writer

This past weekend, Villanova’s women’s tennis team hosted the Villanova Invite, where it competed against Delaware, NJIT and Temple. Although there was no team scoring for the event, head coach Steve Reiniger considered the weekend a success.

“Our whole team did really well at handling themselves and being very honest, and I appreciated that from the players,” Reininger said.

On Friday, Sept. 15, the Wildcats faced off against NJIT’s Highlanders to start the invite. In the singles competition, the team struggled and posted a 4-5 record. The winners of the day included graduate student Ami Grace Dougah, freshman Miram Gondorova, senior Bella Steffen and graduate student Amanda Rivera.

Although Gondorova’s match was over within two sets, she battled for a long time with a 7-5 score in the first set and a 6-4 score in the second. Rivera also played a close eight-game pro set, narrowly winning, 8-6. Stef fens had a much easier time with her match, going 6-0 in the first set and 6-4 in the second.

Doubles competition against the Highlanders had a similar out come to the singles, with the Wildcats falling, 2-3. Dougah and Gondorova paired together and stayed undefeated for the day, beating NJIT’s Wipfli and Cicero. Steffens also kept her clean re cord with her doubles win with junior Chloe Floyd.

“Out of the four teams we had the most players so I was just getting everybody to play and mixing up the doubles combinations,” Reininger said of the players’ performances.

“They did really well, particularly Friday, and NJIT is a strong team so I thought we had a really good showing. It was not a head-to-head match, I’m just getting a bunch of players in.”

On Saturday, the Wildcats took on Temple, which swept through them in both singles and doubles play. For doubles, each team played one six-game pro set with the Owls, going 3-0. Sophomores Emi Callahan and Maggie Gehrig came close to the Owls’ Samantha Nanere and Jessie Zheng, but lost the set, 7-5.

“I’m experimenting with doubles combinations so most of the time they were playing doubles with the person for the first time,” Reiniger said. “I’m just seeing what works and

what doesn’t. The wins and losses don’t matter, I’m just seeing if they have chemistry and complementary skill sets. It wasn’t horrible, I know the scores don’t reflect that. I’m not looking that much at the scores. I was fine with the way they played doubles.”

In singles play, the Wildcats finished the day with a record of 2-6.

Dougah continued her undefeated streak through the tournament by easily defeating Zheng in two sets with a score of 6-1, 6-4. The only other Wildcat that was able to come up with a win was freshman Lauren Monti, who fought hard in the two sets she won as both were determined by a tiebreaker.

On Sunday, Sept. 17, the Wildcats continued to struggle in doubles against Delaware, going 1-3 for the day. Dougah and Rivera were the only successful pair, defeating Blue Hens Alex Staiculescu and Eliza Askarova, 6-3, in a one set match.

A large factor in their struggles came from the fact that some players had to miss matches. Juniors Emma Brogan and Valieriia Kornieva were out of Sunday competition due to illness, and sophomores Savie Seebald and Emi Callahan both were confined to doubles due to injury.

“Seebald has a little knee issue so we are slowly bringing her back,” Reiniger said. “Emi Callahan is recuperating as well so we kept her at doubles. She was our best doubles player on the team last year. I didn’t want to push her too much over the weekend.”

For singles, the Wildcats had a similar showing, going 2-6. Gehrig won her match in three sets, sweeping Staiculescu, 6-2, in the first, but Staiculescu came back swinging and only conceded one game to Gehrig. The last set was determined by a tenpoint tiebreaker which Gehrig went on to win, 10-7.

The final winner for the Wildcats was Dougah, whose 7-5, 6-3 defeat over Slade Coetzee gave her an undefeated record at the Villanova Invite going 5-0 with both singles and doubles matches.

“Ami Grace Dougah really impressed me the whole weekend,” Reiniger said. “She didn’t lose a single or a doubles match. I mean I thought she was going to be good but I didn’t realize she was going to be that good. She just really represented the school well on the court. Sometimes tennis matches can get heated. In the matches we do, there are no officials, so everybody is calling their own lines.”

Women’s Cross Country First at Main Line Invitational

Aphrodite Dimopoulos Staff Writer

Last Friday, the women’s cross country team went down the road to compete in the Main Line Invitational at Haverford College. The team swept the first four spots and had seven of the top eleven fin ishes overall in the three-mile run event. While both men’s and wom en’s cross country tend to compete together, only the women wound up competing on Friday. The men had “unattached” freshmen that are redshirting and had unofficial results.

The Main Line Invitational holds a lot of significance for Vil lanova and the other schools in the area. Head coach Gina Procaccio, who has been in her position for 22 years, signified the specialty of this Invitational.

“While the season has start ed, it is a pretty good rustbuster,” Procaccio said. “It is pretty low key and it just gives [the athletes] a chance to open up close to home and be with a lot of family and friends. It really revs them up for when the season starts.”

Procaccio has one philosophy that has never wavered over her tenure with Villanova: to keep the kids happy, relaxed and excited about racing. This meet is one that truly embodies that philosophy. Finding synergy between Procaccio’s philosophy and the nature of the Main Line Invitational may have been the recipe for the success found on Friday.

The star of the show on Friday was junior Sadie Sigfstead. Sigsfstead placed first out of 74 competitors with a winning time of 16:00.5. Not only is this impressive in the stature of the event itself, but Sigfstead’s time set the record for the fastest time that any Villanovan has run on the Alumni Course at Haverford.

Procaccio spoke to Sigfstead before the match about her mindset going in.

“She told me right before

the race that she wanted to break the record,” Procaccio said. “We saw her fitness and it’s the best it’s ever been at, so it was great that she was able to go out there by herself and execute a phenomenal race. She has big goals for the year so this definitely gives her the confidence she can accomplish these goals.”

Year after year, competing against similar schools such as Penn, La Salle, Haverford and more at the invitational, runners

are able to compare their own times against runners from the past, or as Procaccio calls them, “greats that came before.”

The record that Sigfstead broke on Friday was previously set by Caroline Alcorta at the Main Line Invitational in 2018. That same season she went on to be the Big East individual champion and had a top three finish at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional.

While Sigfstead’s time stood out in the race, she was just one out of the four Villanova juniors that led in the field. Emma McGill placed second with a time of 16:14.0, Margaret Carroll placed third with a time of 17:11.5, and Emily Robinson placed fourth with a time of 17:19.7. McGill’s time falls in the same ranking as Sigfstead as being among the five fastest on Villanova’s performance list at the three-mile distance.

Other notable times at the meet include freshman Tilly O’Connor who placed eighth with a time of 17:25.2, sophomore Kinsey Pogue who placed tenth with a time of 17:34.8, senior Elizabeth Vaughn who placed eleventh with a time of 17.43.4, and sophomore Micah Trusty who came in 23rd with a time of 18:47.8.

Overall, Villanova finished far ahead in first in the team standings with 18 points, followed by Penn with 39 points and La Salle with 87. The team has their next meet on Sept. 29 when they travel to Franklin, Massachusetts to compete in Boston College’s “Battle in Beantown.”

Junior Sadie Sigfstead placed first in a field of 74 runners. Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

Women’s tennis’s next competiton is the Army Invite in West Point, N.Y. Courtesy of Villanova Athletics