The Villanovan | Volume 115, Issue 17: November 1, 2023

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 1, 2023 www.villanovan.com @thevillanovan VOLUME 115 | ISSUE 17

STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916

Field Hockey Makes BE Tourney

University Prepares for Annual Special Olympics 2023 Fall Fest

Ali Benjamin Staff Writer

On Friday, Villanova’s field hockey team secured a win at home against conference rival Providence.

This win prolonged its season, as it landed a spot in the semifinals of the Big East Tournament.

Coming off of a three-game losing streak, one more loss threatened to end the Wildcats’ season. However, a 4-3 win against the Friars clinched a spot in the Big East Tournament for the first time in five years.

In the win, an early goal for Providence, followed by a successful shot from senior back Sabine de Ruijter, put the pressure on within the first five minutes.

The first quarter ended tied, 1-1, but senior forward Amanda Middleman put the Wildcats ahead on an assist from de Ruijter just over a minute into the second period.

Following a blocked shot in the 20th minute, freshman back Gemma Lysaght scored her second career goal, giving Villanova a 3-1 lead going into the half.

“We knew that Providence was going to come out, be very difficult, and have a new game plan for [the] second half,” head coach Joanie Milhous said. “So that wasn’t a surprise, but we had great energy and we went into halftime saying we need to think of the score being us down, 1-0, because we knew they were going to come back strong.”

Coming out of the locker room, freshman Maddi Sears started in goal for the ‘Cats, where she remained for the rest of the game. In net, Sears was met with a successful shot from Providence only one minute into the third period.

Continued on p. 14

Lauren Armstrong Staff Writer

Villanova is full of clubs in which students take part, from arts and music to mental health awareness, yet it seems the weekend of Fall Fest is when most students come together to celebrate equality and the hard work of the athletes.

“Inclusion has become a part of my life,” Fall Fest Director of Special Events Marina Rouse said.

“It has not only created a safe haven for athletes, but all involved. It provides a sense of warmth and comfort where everyone is inspired to be the greatest version of

themselves. Personally, my most authentic self comes out when surrounded by the Special Olympics community. The joy and welcoming aroma of Fall Fest weekend has helped curate me into a person I am proud to be.”

Every year, Fall Fest is full of high energy and fun.

“I am so excited to be in the magical atmosphere that is Fall Fest,” sophomore Gabi Frank said. “I am also very excited to interact with the athletes.”

Villanova’s Special Olympics is full of multiple different athletic events, including bocce, long distance running and walking, powerlifting, roller skating, soccer and volleyball.

Student volunteers are excited for this year’s Fall Fest.

Gabi Frank / Villanovan Photography

“I really am excited to see all the events this weekend,” sophomore Kara McGoldrick said. “Now that I live on main campus, I am really excited to be more involved and get to talk and see the athletes and all the hard work that they have put into training.”

Students have been getting involved with the Special Olympics for a multitude of reasons. “[I] got involved in the Special Olympics because I am passionate about the message of inclusion,” junior Abby Jansen said. “Being able to be a part of a community that accepts everyone for exactly who they are is incredible.”

“Living in the quad makes me really excited for O-Town,” sophomore Nadia Balduf said. “I am so excited to be in the midst of all the excitement and love for the athletes and Special Olympics as a whole.”

“The Special Olympics Pennsylvania Fall Festival is hosted and organized by Villanova University students and is the largest annual student-run Special Olympics event in the world,” the Villanova Special Olympics website reads. “Special Olympics Pennsylvania (SOPA) provides year-round sports training and competition for more than 20,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities.”

Continued on p. 3

It’s Time for the Classroom Confidence Avery Chalk

Staff Writer

“I don’t know if this is right, but…” “I have a stupid question.” “I think this is the answer, but I’m not sure.”

These are standard sentence-starters in a Villanova classroom. Students tend to add modifiers to the beginning of their answers, exclusively paired with a tentatively raised-hand and high-pitched voice. I’ve even done it myself.

My question is: “Why?” Villanova students are smart. In theory, this confidence should be reflected in the tone in which they choose

to contribute to class discussion. Yet students can constantly be observed questioning their opinions and undermining their own intellect.

Chalk conducted an experiment to determine the extent of gender differences.

Brian Luppy / Villanovan Photography

To better understand these trends, an experiment was conducted over the course of a week. For five days, I collected data across gender, frequency and the types of classes in which students tended to express uncertainty. To deter bias, I also enlisted several friends across various majors and courses to contribute their findings.

My ultimate goal was to determine if there was an overall statistic to these seemingly arbitrary tendencies. I Continued on p. 6

University Celebrates Halloween p. 2

Villanova University Prepares to Host Opus Prize Award p. 4

Villanova Professors Receive Natural Science Grant p. 5

Joe Rogan’s COVID Cocktail is Extremely Problematic p. 6

Villanova and Unions: Rejection or Celebration? p. 7

Is It Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas? p. 9

Villanova Student Musical Theatre’s The Addams Family p. 11

What’s In The Stars For You? 1989 Villanovan Horoscopes p. 12

Football Prepares for New Hampshire p. 14

Men’s XC Second at Big East Championships, Women Third p. 15

2 | The Villanovan

News 1 Opinion 6 Culture 10 Sports 14

PUBLIC SAFETY BLOTTER

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COLIN BEAZLEY VIVI MELKONIAN MATT RYAN SARAH SWEENEY HAYDEN KARNES NATALIE ZICKEL LYDIA McFARLANE HANNAH SWEENEY ARDEN WEST JACKIE THOMAS BELLA IRWIN CHLOE MILLER EMMA CAHILL BROOKE ACKERMAN OWEN HEWITT MADELINE OKENQUIST GRAYDON PAUL MICHAEL BRADLEY CATHERINE COYLE CONTACT

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Editor-in-Chief Editor-in-Chief Associate Editor-in-Chief Senior Editor Digital Editor Digital Editor News Editor News Editor News Editor Opinion Editor Opinion Editor Culture Editor Culture Editor Sports Editor Sports Editor Copy Desk Chief Photography Editor Advisor Advisor villanovan.eic@gmail.com

Theft of Services October 30, I-2 SOUTH CAMPUS LOT Several mattresses, box springs, and metal bed rails were illegally dumped in the South Campus Lot behind St. Monica Hall.

Theft by Unlawful Taking or Disposition October 29, W-2 RESIDENT STUDENT LOT A male resident student reported the theft of a license plate from the rear of his truck.

Liquor Underage / Public Drunkenness October 29, MAIN CAMPUS A male resident student, under the age of 21, was found under the influence of alcohol in public and evaluat-

Liquor Underage / Public Drunkenness October 29, SHEEHAN HALL A female resident student, under the age of 21, was observed intoxicated in public, evaluated, and transported to the hospital by VEMS Ambulance Theft of Property October 28, SOUTH CAMPUS GROUNDS male resident student reported the theft of a misdelivered package. The amount of the loss is $22.00.

Liquor Underage / Public Drunkenness October 28, WEST CAMPUS GROUNDS

A male resident student, under the age of 21, was observed intoxicated in public and evaluated by VEMS Ambulance.

Liquor Underage / Public Drunkenness October 28, GOOD COUNSEL HALL A female resident student, under the age of 21, was observed intoxicated in public and evaluated by Public Safety.

Liquor Underage / Public Drunkenness October 28, SOUTH CAMPUS GROUNDS A female resident student, under the age of 21, was observed intoxicated in public, evaluated, and transported to the hospital by VEMS Ambulance.

CORRECTIONS 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.

Social Justice Documentaries makers interviewed a few members of the Nina School community, revealing their experiences. The school operates within an educational system that does not prioritize funding for schools Last week, two multi-awardfor students with disabilities, often winning films, “Her Time is Now” leaving teachers to work without pay and “NINA,” were presented in for up to months at a time. Despite Garey Hall’s Blackbox Theater. this, the teachers at the Nina School These films were directed, produced, are motivated to continue working at written, edited and marketed by Oak this school due to the success they witTree Films, a student-run production organization in last year’s internation- ness in their students and the unshakable sense of community that brings al social justice documentary course through the Communication Depart- the institution to life.

The screening was a powerment.

Both productions were filmed ful way to share not only these films, but to share the issues they address in Siaya, Kenya, where Oak Tree Films traveled to for two weeks in Oc- with the Villanova community. Many students at Villanova found the films tober of 2022. During this time, the interesting and were touched by the students experienced Kenyan society inspirational messages that they comwith the help of Dr. Irene Awino, a municated. postdoctoral fellow at Villanova from Junior Ava LaSasso was Siaya. The filmmakers immersed moved by the action that was promptthemselves in the realities of life in ed by the filmmakers through the Siaya, which included acquainting themselves with the kindhearted peo- documentaries.

“What struck me most about ple of the village, as well as noticing these films and the social justice the struggles that these individuals face on a daily basis. The team forged documentary class as a whole is that, rather than to just raise awareness, connections with members of the community, exploring their stories and the films are meant to inspire viewers to also become activists for social noting central themes that emerged change,” she said. LaSasso was furfrom their interviews as foundations ther impressed by the fact that “The for their two projects. students and professors continue the The first documentary, “Her Time is Now,” highlights the struggles relationships built with the people and women face in Siaya through the nar- organizations [in Kenya] in order to directly support [the people of Siaya] ration of two women. Specifically, as director Meg Martin explained during long after the class is over.”

Sophomore Camryn Browne the screening, the three main pillars was also moved by the continuing which underpin the challenges these relationships the students made with women experience were patriarchy, the community of Siaya. religion and capitalism. All three of “I thought it was really cool these concepts function to disempowhow the students noted how, through er Siayan women in interconnected their partnership with Villanova Enways.

For example, families that face gineering, the Villanova community was able to provide tangible support economic hardships encourage their for the Nina School by cementing the daughters to find a man with money floors of the dormitory,” she said. “I to provide them with many necesthink it was really important for the sities, including sanitary products. group to follow up with the people of Because of this relationship, levels of Siaya in that way.” teenage pregnancy are high in Siaya, The films can be purchased forcing the girls to drop out of school and take care of their children, often- on the production group’s website, OakTreeFilms.com. During purchase, times by themselves. the viewer can make a donation. DoThe second documentary, nating to Oak Tree Films will further “NINA,” features life at the Nina School for the Deaf, a boarding school support their social initiatives, which with 90 students and six teachers who revolve around providing long lasting solutions for the struggles faced by the use Kenyan Sign Language to compeople in Siaya. municate, teach and learn. The filmZoe Garrett Staff Writer

ed by Radnor EMS.

University Celebrates Halloween Jadyn Ramos Staff Writer As the end of October comes to a close, Halloween weekend came and brought with it beautiful weather and lots of fun and games. The festive weekend on campus kicked off on Thursday with a Halloween Quizzo game, which included spooky trivia questions and even spookier prizes.

Not only was the weekend filled with Halloween activities, but it was also Homecoming weekend on campus, and families and alumni joined the fun over the weekend. Friday night was jam-packed with food trucks at the Oreo and live music from the band Love Jones. All students, family and alumni were invited to enjoy good food and music.

On Saturday, there was plenty going on around campus to have some fun. There was beautiful, warm weather for the football game on Saturday afternoon, and it stayed warm throughout the day for students to enjoy going out for Halloween. On campus that night, there was a movie night at Connelly Center. The movie was The Nightmare Before Christmas to get in the holiday spirit. The showing offered some sweet treats as well, including candy and cupcakes for the viewers to enjoy. The movie-showing was a great way for students to relax and have some fun before any Halloween activities on Saturday night.

The weekend did not end there. On Sunday night, there was a campus and community-wide Trickor-Treat event. This event was the closing event of Halloween weekend on campus and was a great way to hang out around campus and invite the outside community to campus, as well as to enjoy some treats before the week of classes began. There was music, crafts and sweet treats, and all

attending were encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes to celebrate.

Halloween weekend is always a great time to be on campus at Villanova.

There are always great events and activities to participate in for students and the surrounding community.

Halloween weekend this year was a great time, and the weather was perfect for some fun and games around campus. The students had a great time and had a lot of different things to do over the course of the weekend to de-stress and relax before the upcoming week of classes.

Spiders adorn one campus building to celebrate Halloween.

Brian Luppy/Villanovan Photography

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

The Villanovan | 3

NEWS

2023 Villanova Special Olympics Preview

out this year and see how much of an impact we can have on these athletes’ Lauren Armstrong lives.”

Staff Writer This year’s Fall Fest is running from Nov. 3 to Nov. 5, and the UniContinued from p. 1 versity is expecting to host thousands of participants and their families. “[I am] really proud to be a Athletes will be traveling from student at the University that hosts the far and near, and those staying in local largest student run Special Olympics hotels will receive welcome letters in the world,” sophomore Zach Hetwritten by students volunteering here rick said. “I am really excited to help at Villanova.

Villanova counts down to Special Olympics’ Fall Festival.

Gabi Frank / Villanovan Photography

The community reflects on last year’s Fall Fest while gearing up for this year’s.

Gabi Frank/Villanovan Photography

Students are estatic to host so many excited participants and to spread the passion to their friends on campus. The joy of Fall Fest will be everywhere this weekend.

“All students and staff at Villanova should become involved in the Special Olympics in some way,” Jansen said. “There are endless possi-

bilities when it comes to volunteering.

Whether it be cheering on an athlete in their biggest competition of the year, serving food in the dining hall or lending a hand at a competition venue, you will have a lasting impact and develop new relationships that will carry so much meaning throughout your life.”

University Waste and Recycling Program Expands Initiatives Sarah Sweeney Senior Editor You order an iced coffee on your way to your morning class, print a study guide for your upcoming exam, grab lunch at Pit and pick up your Amazon package before heading back to your room for the day. What do all of these activities have in common?

Besides being a part of your daily routine, each of them produced waste, a portion of the University’s 12-to-15 million tons produced annually.

The University Waste and Recycling Program recently unveiled new initiatives aimed at better meeting diverse student needs and aligning with the University’s Zero Waste goals.

These include an expanded recycling program, a post-consumer waste composting program and electronic waste bins.

Al Motel, Manager of Waste and Recycling, explained the need for these expanded programs.

“The pandemic changed not just how the campus operates in general...but changed people’s consumption habits,” he said, referring to the increase in single-use materials in dining halls, a heavier reliance on e-commerce (along with the shipping and packaging waste it produces) and other changes.

“It’s caused us to have a slower ignition of change.”

However, Motel and his team remain motivated to align the University’s Waste and Recycling Programs with Zero Waste. Motel described Zero Waste as “diverting waste from landfill and incineration, minimizing pollution and maximizing the end of life of materials.” It’s about “how to live more sustainably and consume more sustain-

ably,” he said.

The University’s “state of the art optical sorting” technology has made new recylcling goals posible. This recycling facility, or Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), is the only one in Pennsylvania with these capabilities.

The updated recycling program is being launched concurrently with the introduction of a recycling search engine, which will be accessible via QR codes on bins across campus.

“People can scan the QR code, and it will take them to the search engine,” Motel said. “They can type in any material and learn how to dispose of it properly and sustainably on campus.”

This educational component is important, as having the infrastructure for sustainable recycling doesn’t always translate into action.

Ava Eberly is a Student Zero Waste Coordinator. Part of her role includes conducting waste audits.

“We have a big table where we open a bag with either trash or recycling in it and sort the contents into different bins for different categories (plastics, paper, cardboard, liquids, organics, to name a few),” she said. “This allows us to determine contamination rates (amount of trash in the recycling or amount of recyclable materials in the trash), as well as calculate our diversion rates (amount of material going somewhere else other than the landfill or incineration plant).

“Across the buildings we audited, the diversion rate was just 34.5% (so about two thirds of waste produced on campus is going to the waste incineration plant),” she said. “Our recycling contamination leaves room to be desired, too. Across the buildings, the single stream contamination rate is

about 52%, meaning over half of the materials put in the recycling was not recyclable. Ideally, contamination rates should be under 15%.”

“Recycling is much more difficult than it should be,” Motel said, explaining regional differences in what can be recycled. This makes it difficult for Villanova students – from across the United States and even the world – to know what is eligible for recycling. The search engine aims to close this knowledge gap.

The University Waste and Recycling Program is also launching the University’s first-ever program for post-consumer food waste. This includes food scrapings and other uneaten food that has been touched by consumers, which has historically been thrown in the trash. It is starting as an opt-in program, but Motel is hoping to expand it over time to provide access across campus.

The University has always had a pre-consumer food waste program, and the University switched to the use of Aerobic BioDigestor units in kitchens, which act as “a mechanical stomach that uses an enzyme similar to what we have in our stomach to digest and process the food, discharging it through gray water which is then recycled downstream.” This program, which is currently in Dougherty, Donohue, the Finneran Pavilion and the Law School, is looking to expand to all consumer kitchens on campus. It is significantly more efficient and cost effective than composting. “[With] pre-consumer food waste there are quality control measures in place. Kitchen staff are trained on what can and cannot go into the compost, so there is essentially zero contamination in the pre-consumer

compost,” Eberly said. “People might accidentally throw a plastic utensil or a food that is really oily into the compost, which contaminates it, and contamination in composting is extremely difficult to deal with. One plastic fork could ruin a whole batch of compost.”

This illustrates why post-consumer food waste has historically posed more of a challenge to the Waste and Recycling Program and illustrates the gain that the new program represents.

The Waste and Recycling Program has also introduced new bins for electronics waste, batteries and printer and toner cartridges. These new bins can be found and used in the Connelly Center, Donohue Hall, St. Mary’s and Mendel Hall.

Motel encourages students to think about their actions and responsibilities “beyond the bins.” He shared some quick tips for students looking to live more sustainably on campus.

First, he encourages students to think about their consumption habits.

Is there a reusable option for what you’re buying instead? One great example of this is buying a reusable water bottle.

Secondly, he encourages students to separate materials they recycle.

If you have a package from Amazon, remove the packing materials from the cardboard box. This ensures that the cardboard won’t be contaminated and can easily be used again.

Last, he reminds students that there’s always the option to get involved, whether it’s volunteering for waste audits, move out collections or outreach events. Interested students can contact recycling@villanova.edu or visit https://www1.villanova.edu/ villanova/fmo/recycling.html to learn more.

4 | The Villanovan

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

NEWS

Villanova University to Host Opus Prize Award Annabelle Deasy Staff Writer Displayed beautifully throughout campus, the word “OPUS” has become a talking point, but what is it? Created in 1994 by Gerald A. and Henrietta Rauenhorst, the Opus Prize is a faith-based humanitarian award to recognize those fighting for peace and change. Each year, a different Catholic university is given the privilege of hosting this award, and this year it will be held at Villanova.

The award is widely recognized, and the first prize is one million dollars given to the organization the winner represents.

Additionally, the other two finalists receive one hundred thousand dollars for their organizations. This year, Opus is recognizing Bishop Paride Taban for his leadership of the Holy Trinity Peace Village in South Sudan; Dr. Kristin Schroeder for founding and working with the International Cancer Care and Research Excellence Foundation, or iCCARE, and Jameka Walker for her work as the Executive director of the Catholic Partnership Schools in New Jersey.

University President Rev. Peter M. Donahue, O.S.A, Ph.D. remarked on Opus.

“As Villanovans, our University mission calls us to ignite change, and the Opus Prize Foun-

A display around the Oreo prepares students for the upcoming OPUS Award ceremony.

Annabelle Deasy/Villanovan Photography

dation embodies this mission by supporting organizations addressing the world’s most pressing social problems,” he said. “We look forward to infusing our Villanova values and traditions to this year’s event, and to helping identify the finalists deserving of this prestigious honor.”

Villanova’s community has

taken advantage of this wonderful opportunity to allow students and others to become involved with Opus and understand the work they are doing. The University has paired student ambassadors with the award recipients to work closely with them and involve more of the campus in this event. These student ambassadors were chosen

last spring and have worked closely with Villanova’s Special Assistant to the Vice President, Alicia Dunphy-Culp, and Associate Dean of Students, Nick Tumolo, to allow for the week to go smoothly.

This event will take place from Nov. 6 through Nov. 9, ending with the award ceremony, along with an open celebration in the Finn Pavilion at 6 p.m. on Nov. 6.

Villanova was chosen to host this award in February and since then, students, staff and the community have put in hard work to help identify nominees, select finalists, participate in due-diligence site visits and plan the week on campus.

Sophomore Ambassador Lauren McLaughlin discussed her role in the process of working with the Holy Trinity Peace Village and nominee Bishop Paide Taban.

“Their love and spirit was an incredibly powerful thing to experience,” McLaughlin said. “This opportunity took me by surprise, but it is easily the most rewarding and meaningful experience I have ever been a part of.”

This prize not only honors the hard work of these nominees, but has allowed Villanova to become further involved in social change and focus on the theme of “Awakening Restless Hearts.”

This award aims to honor the work of unsung heroes in Villanova’s society and this work mirrors the Villanovan mission to ignite change in our world.

Office of Education Abroad Hosts Study Abroad Fair Cate Torrey Staff Writer Villanova offers a wide array of study abroad programs for its students. Whether it’s a full semester or month-long program, there is a multitude of study abroad options for Villanova students to choose from. On Wednesday, Oct. 25, Bartley Hall hosted a Study Abroad Fair to allow students the opportunity to ask detailed questions regarding how to navigate the variety of programs and where they can get started.

On average, around 50% of students at Villanova participate in some facet of studying abroad. This is largely a result of the many options provided that allow students to choose the duration of being abroad, as well as which type of program they would like to participate in. The options of duration include semester, summer, intensive, embedded and partner-study abroad programs.

The different programs were assembled across tables so that students could walk around and see the possible options for going abroad. Representatives for each program stood behind the tables in order to answer any questions that students had and provide more information as there is much that goes into each individual program. Some of the tables that were in attendance included FiE Unrivaled Study Abroad Programs in the UK, Ireland, and Spain; Instep programs; Office of Education Abroad; SIT Study

Abroad and IES Abroad. Each program stood readily available to provide information and answer any questions students may have. Giving students a chance to ask questions is essential, because most of the time there are an abundance of them.

Often, students can get overwhelmed with the array of options and the experience of going abroad as a whole. There are many things that go into deciding on where to study, such as what program will satisfy major requirements, what scholarships are helpful and if there are places where safety is of concern. Getting the opportunity to ask about information is necessary for all students somewhat interested in going abroad, and is especially helpful for those in the works of the application process.

Giovanna Mayo is a sophomore student at Villanova who is looking to go abroad.

“The selection for a study abroad program is difficult because of the ample number of options available to us,” Mayo said.

“Having the opportunity to go to this fair and ask questions was extremely helpful. We got to ask each program questions to clarify any misconceptions and truly see how it all works which is crucial to making my decision for going abroad.”

One of the programs, IES Abroad (ranked in the #1 top study abroad organization) offers 34 different destinations to potentially explore. The representatives informed students of what

The Office of Education Abroad hosted its annual fair this past week.

Brian Luppy/Villanovan Photography

is offered through their programs and what steps students must take in order to undergo the process smoothly. Heath Thompson, one of the representatives, described how they are able to provide a variety of featured programs for majors that will make it convenient to decide what can work best for students.

There are some limiting factors that can concern students, like provision of financial aid.

“IES provides six million dollars in total for scholarships and aid,” Thompson said when asked about financial expenses.

“We do everything we can to help out students with the costs that inevitably come with traveling abroad.”

“We firmly believe that financial limitations should not prevent a qualified student from studying abroad,” the IES Abroad website reads.

Villanova ensures that they provide inclusive programs who work diligently to make sure all capable students can participate in the righteous experience of going abroad.

The abundance of programs is not to overwhelm students. Instead, the options are simply meant to strongly encourage Villanova students to seize the once in a lifetime opportunity of studying in a different country during their college years. For more information on education abroad, visit the Villanova website.

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

The Villanovan | 5

NEWS

Villanova Professors Receive National Science Grant Srihi Surapaneni Staff Writer The National Science Foundation, a government organization that aims to support new research and education in the non-medical sciences and engineering, has recently awarded a grant to a group of Villanova professors.

The grant, totaling $1.4 million over three years, will be given to professors of civil and environmental engineering Virginia Smith, PhD; Rob Traver, PhD, PE, D.WRE, F.EWRI, F.ASCE; Kelly Good, PhD, PE; Bridget Wadzuk, PhD and Kevin Waters, PhD, PE to advance hydrology research.

Specifically, this grant will be used by the professors to install and maintain a unidirectional sediment-feed tilting flume. This flume will allow further research and projects at Villanova in the field of hydrology. It will also be used by “national and international partners in academia, water utilities and engineering firms,” according to Villanova press.

Due to the flume’s ability to recreate a variety of realistic variables, the researchers will have the opportunity to study a wide range of environmental factors. This includes urban hydrology, which studies the water cycle specifically in urban settings; soil liquefaction, the phenomenon where soil strength and stiffness decreases after earthquakes; fluvial processes, which describe the

Engineering professors were awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation.

Brian Luppy/Villanovan Photography

interaction of flowing water and natural rivers and streams (which impact landforms); sediment deposits and sediment capping technologies.

The team behind the Villanova Center for Resilient Water Systems (VCRWS) will also have the chance to take advantage of this groundbreaking technology. This team invented Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) trays that will be inserted into the new flume to see how GSI holds up under different circumstances.

Once this is implemented, Villanova will have the only device with this capability. The flume is an essential

technological development because of its ability to show this kind of real world impact.

“To be able to research on a unique piece of equipment like this is very auspicious for us,” Smith said.

“Over the past 20 years, we have been able to gain great insight into how stormwater infrastructure works and how green stormwater solutions can be powerful. But the real world is messy and complicated. Being able to pair the existing dataset with laboratory experiments on the flume and isolate single variables will allow us to understand the drivers and causes of

why different types of infrastructure succeed or underperform under various conditions and will advance the science around stormwater engineering.”

The flume, will eventually be housed in a lab located in the engineering center’s basement. The main part of the device, the channel, will be made of glass and be 50-feet long and three-feet wide. There will also be a raised walkway, spacing between frame supports and glass on the bottom of the channel to allow observation and the use of cameras and lasers.

More than a dozen collaborators will have access to this technology for training, research and education.

These range from academic institutions to private engineering firms to the Philadelphia Water Department.

The team at Villanova is also looking to develop access programs for K-12 students to get involved in the field.

“Advancing our knowledge allows us to improve our designs and maintenance programs to deal with the challenges of urbanization and the change in climate,” Traver, the director of VCRWS, said.

“Collaboration with other universities and partners can accelerate these advances and provide a broader approach to the challenges we face.”

The new funding for this innovative research at Villanova has the power to be incredibly impactful by fostering a better understanding of natural processes and resources as the world continues to try to find solutions to our environmental crisis.

Communication Department Hosts Banned Book Event Emma Cote Staff Writer The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison and Junie B. Jones is Captain Field Day by Barbara Park all construct a seemingly miscellaneous list of book titles. These different authors, different perspectives and different messages were all brought to the stage on Monday, Oct. 30 by the students in Performance of Literature due to one pivotal similarity: each book has fallen victim to the book bans throughout the country.

Prior to the production of, “Who Bans Books in the U.S.— and What Are They So Afraid Of ?” communication professor, Dr. Heidi Rose, began her introduction by sharing the article the class read in preparation of their performance. The article on book bans in the United States was from 1948, yet the crisis continues to be prevalent within the country today.

She recognized that “librarians in this country since that time have been champions in preventing book banning,” whilst also noting the challenges these bans present if they reach the federal level.

Rose emphasized that these book bans are more personal to the audience than one would initially assume, noting that, “it’s very close to home, it’s not just Florida and Texas.”

During the performance, one student went on to note that, “the Pennsylvania state legislature

has voted to advance a bill that will give leeway for more parental control in education,” and that “it truly became personal.”

Many students echoed their frustration with the book bans, speaking of their dismay due to the lengthy list of titles that have raised concern. Another similarity bridged many of the books together: most were required reading for many of the students in high school. These titles included The Lord of the Flies, Of Mice and Men and The House on Mango Street, all of which have been brought to life by the students in COM 3241.

The first performance to take the stage was recited by student Julianna Rigoglioso, who shared with the audience that she, “was honestly shocked,” to see that the childhood classic, Junie B. Jones made the list, and that she was “here today to honor the book.”

Performers took on a variety of characters, ranging from the perceptive Holden Caulfield to the pig comrade Old Major, each taking a turn to note the messages behind every story that are being removed from the shelves.

Many actors noted the irony, as well as the danger, in book bans. Performer Kristian Williamson, acted out a speech from George Orwell’s Animal Farm.

“It’s funny, because the book was banned in the Soviet Union for being too anti-communist, but also was banned from Missouri for being too pro-communism,” Williamson said.

As each student began their act in explaining their value

towards each story, oftentimes, sharing a personal connection to said book, one question was heavily repeated: “What are these politicians so afraid of ?”

As book bans sweep several states, it is difficult to imagine a school curriculum without these classic titles.

“I could not imagine my younger self not having these sto-

ries,” one student said.

A total of seven books facing bans within a multitude of states were performed on Monday, and five more are scheduled to be acted out Wednesday, Nov. 1 in the speakers corner of Falvey Library.

The class encourages others to come be a part of the audience, and there will be allotted time for discussion afterwards.

The Communication Department hosted an event to bring awareness to book banning.

Courtesy of Villanova Communications Department

6 | The Villanovan

OPINION

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

OPINION

How will RFK Jr. Impact the 2024 Presidential Election?

Steven Makino Staff Writer With just a little over a year until the 2024 presidential election, all signs are pointing to a rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. With Biden having no serious threat to his re-nomination and Trump maintaining his dominance over the current GOP primary field, this matchup is one that a majority did not ask for, but will get in the next year.

However, recently declared independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. offers voters who are tired of these candidates an opportunity to voice their frustrations with both major parties. While he has garnered a sizable amount of support as of late, he has virtually no chance at winning the presidency. With that being said, considering current polls, it is almost certain that RFK Jr. will at least make his presence known on the ballot next year. The real question is whether it will be enough to act as a spoiler for one of the major parties, and who exactly that will benefit.

RFK Jr. first declared his campaign for the White House earlier this spring, with the intent of running in the Democratic primary. At one point, he had the support of about 19% of likely Democratic primary voters, according to a Fox News poll conducted in late April, a very surprising and impressive showing for a candidate running against an incumbent president. However, as the months went on, Kennedy’s political history and rise in popularity among conservatives saw his support some-

what decreasing among the democratic electorate. This shift is what likely led to RFK Jr. moving forward in his presidential bid as a third-party candidate.

But what does he hope to gain from running as an independent? In the campaign speech that officially announced his switch to an independent candidate for the upcoming election, he stated that he intends to “spoil it for both of them.”

Now, both the Biden and Trump campaigns are sounding the alarm on his candidacy. His famous last name as well as the majority of the electorate viewing the current major party contenders negatively sets RFK Jr. up to be the strongest independent challenger in decades, even rivaling Ross Perot’s independent run in 1992.

In a very recent USA Today/ Suffolk University Poll, a three-way race between Trump, Biden and Kennedy showed Trump and Biden tied at 37%, with RFK Jr. receiving 13% of the vote. This number is very unusual given the increasing political polarization that has taken place in the country. So, given that he will certainly be a factor in next year’s election, which political party will be most affected by his presidential bid?

There are many unknowns and plenty of time until Election Day, but I believe that RFK Jr. will spoil the election in favor of Trump. For one reason, in the Democratic primary, nearly one-fifth of voters are, at the very least, intrigued at a Kennedy presidency, as shown in Kennedy’s early polling numbers in the spring.

In addition, just this past August in

a USA Today-IPSOS poll, 56% of Democrat voters disapproved of Biden’s reelection effort. This is also during a time where voter enthusiasm among democrats is lower than that of republican voters, likely due to concerns about his age and mental fitness.

Biden has also faced near record-low approval ratings, as he now currently sits at 37%, rivaling that of his predecessor. Republicans and democrats alike have called into question how his administration has handled issues such as the economy and foreign policy. Biden is also currently having to deal with an impeachment inquiry into his alleged ties to his son Hunter Biden’s business dealings while he was vice president. All of these factors could play a significant role in shaping who the referendum is going to be on, and they could lead to some moderate democrats and independents swinging Kennedy’s way.

It is worth mentioning that there is also evidence to conclude that Kennedy’s presidential run could take away more Trump supporters. Kennedy’s presence amongst conservative outlets, as well as his positions on issues such as vaccination, free speech and gender transitioning, may make him an appealing option for those wary of a third Trump bid for the White House. Trump’s legal trouble could also have moderate republican and independent voters looking for an alternative choice.

His dropping out of the democratic primary process also highlights the waning support among his former party, with him now having a higher favorability rating among republicans.

Villanova University Politi-

cal Science Professor David Barret, whose main field of study is the U.S. presidency, echoed these thoughts about RFK Jr. being a spoiler in favor of Biden.

“If Kennedy should do well [in the general election], he’ll hurt Trump as much or more as Biden because of his political stances,” he said.

Barret went on to say that his prediction could differ if asked again six months from now, as recent elections as of late have proven to be unpredictable.

However, a new NBC News poll which came out last month measured enthusiasm for both Trump and Biden within their parties. The poll found that Trump supporters were far more enthusiastic about their candidate, as 56% of them said they are actively voting for Trump. This is compared to 58% of Democratic voters that said they were voting against Trump rather than for Biden. The stark contrast emphasizes Trump’s strength among his supporters, showing that a large part of Biden’s voting base is not too thrilled about his second bid for the presidency.

There is still more than a year until Election Day, and there could indeed be unpredictable factors like an economic downturn or a conviction in one of Trump’s cases that could shift the math in favor of one candidate.

That being said, RFK Jr. at this point should be a warning for Biden that despite his incumbent advantage, he should not take the independent competitor or his voting base lightly, as doing so will likely end up with Trump being the 47th President of the United States.

It’s Time for the Classroom Confidence Gap to Go Avery Chalk Staff Writer Continued from p. 1 overall statistic to these seemingly arbitrary tendencies. I was right. There was.

Women were four-times more likely to express uncertainty in tone as compared to men. This was mostly observed in seminar-style classroom environments, presumably because of the increased level of discussion and major-specific courses, as opposed to required ones.

“Honestly, I’m not exactly shocked by those numbers,” freshman Sophia Lutzker said. “I think women are reticent to share their opinions at risk of being wrong and potentially looked down upon, while men are less anxious about the consequences of being incorrect.”

This is a phenomenon known as the “confidence gap.” In other words, women are more likely to experience symptoms of imposter syndrome and performance anxiety than men. This presents itself in multiple spaces, but is most notably acknowledged in the workplace.

The confidence gap has been researched and analyzed by multiple institutions. Notably, Cornell University conducted a study demonstrating that women underestimate

It is important to recognize and take steps to address the confidence gap in classrooms.

Jackie Thomas/Villanovan Photography

their abilities, while men tend to overestimate them. It found that this imbalance rectifies itself as women gain experience, but it is incredibly difficult to make up for this lost time in the crucial career-building years of young adulthood. Confidence levels not only affect networking skills and salary negotiation, but the job-seeking process itself. According to a LinkedIn Gender Insights Report, women apply for 20% fewer jobs than men, despite being 16% more likely to get hired. By dismissing their qualification levels, women are inadvertently contributing to gender inconsistencies in the workplace such as employment rates and wage gaps.

The fact that this phenomenon occurs even before individuals

enter the professional world, within collegiate settings, is exceptionally alarming. Spaces of academia should be devoted to collaborative skill building and collective success. Women’s nervousness to voice opinions or ask questions will surely negatively impact their overall education experience, and their careers later on.

I was interested to see if this remained consistent across a same-sex campus. Smith College is a liberal arts institution with an all-women student body, serving as a perfect school to compare with a co-ed university.

Aislinn Lavery, a sophomore at Smith, said that she notices a significant amount of apologetic language on a day-to-day basis.

“I think women were raised to

preface their thoughts with apology, and that is contagious,” Lavery said.

“So at an HWC, hearing a number of people speak apologetically, it’s easy for that to spread to every speaker in the classroom.”

It’s difficult to break the systemic gender-conditioning that naturally develops within young girls. For safety, familiarity or any other reason, women tend to feel more comfortable around those who identify similarly to them. This differs from men, who often have no need to be intimidated by the opposite gender.

Lavery also notices these patterns when stepping outside of Smith’s immediate community.

“It’s noticeable that many people are emboldened to raise their hand a lot more [at Smith] than they would in a co-ed class,” Larvey said.

“I’ve been able to take some co-ed classes at UMass, and there’s a noticeable shift between Smith and UMass in how often women and non-binary students raise their hands when men are absent versus present.”

In a diverse and co-ed society, it’s important to instill self-assurance in women of all ages. From the classroom to the workplace, women must work to freely speak with the eloquence and intellect that their opinions deserve. Men certainly aren’t going anywhere, but the confidence gap sure can.

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

The Villanovan | 7

OPINION

EDITORIAL BOARD

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS

The Villanovan encourages all members of the Villanova community to voice their opinions. LetVIVI MELKONIAN Editor-in-Chief ters to the editors may be submitted via e-mail to villanovan.eic@gmail.com. Letters must not MATT RYAN Associate Editor-in-Chief exceed 500 words and must be signed. No anonymous letters will be published. All submissions beJACKIE THOMAS Opinion Editor come property of The Villanovan and are subject BELLA IRWIN Opinion Editor to editing for clarity and space.

COLIN BEAZLEY Editor-in-Chief

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 and Unions: Rejection or Celebration?

Taleen Postian Staff Writer Last Monday night, a packed crowd gathered to celebrate Chris Smalls, this year’s honoree for the Center for Peace and Justice’s Adela Dwyer – St. Thomas of Villanova Peace Award. Smalls has become an American household name due to his groundbreaking work as the founder and president of Amazon Labor Union, the first Amazon union in the United States.

At the ceremony, he gave an impassioned speech about his uphill battle in forming a union at a company known for its unfavorable working conditions and lack of employee-employer communication.

He encouraged Villanovans to find common ground in the one thing all of us are or will be: workers.

I attended the reception for this award, and despite the electric atmosphere created by Smalls’ speech and engagement from Villanova’s students and faculty, I was left feeling confused.

This confusion stemmed from Villanova’s recent decision not to hire union labor for a roofing project on Jake Nevin Field House.

The issue has been amplified by daily protests outside Villanova’s campus, featuring a large inflatable rat.

Villanova responded to these protests by citing its “competitive bidding process” as a reason why union work was not prioritized for this project.

The University’s decision to honor Smalls while electing not to

employ union workers seems hypocritical. Villanova has spent multiple months privately engaged in contracts with nonunion labor, while union workers protest day in and day out.

Now, Villanova is awarding a cash prize to one of the most famous labor organizers in the country.

Villanova is simultaneously rejecting and celebrating organized labor.

These actions do not communicate a united stance on labor unions and organized labor at the University.

I wondered what Smalls might think about this and what we should do as students at Villanova in light of Villanova’s recent rejection and then celebration of organized labor. So I asked him, and he shared some critical thoughts. “[Villanova] hiring non-unionized work is deliberate,” Smalls said. “They know the difference because they know the pay increase. They know that unionized workers make roughly $12,000 more than non-unionized workers. This University has upwards of a couple billion in the bank. They’re saving money. That’s the exploitation that needs to be exposed.”

Support for union work in light of Villanova’s position was echoed by Tim Horner, Teaching Professor at the Center for Peace and Justice Education in the Augustine and Culture Seminar Program. “[The University is] only thinking of the Board of Directors,” Horner said. “They are not thinking of students.”

Professor Horner expressed

support not only for hiring union labor on campuses, but also for union organizing among student workers. He also pushed the idea that students should have much more of a say in whether the University hires non-union labor or union labor for campus projects.

Emma Burns, president of the Global Social Justice Initiative on campus, agreed.

“I think the hypocrisy couldn’t be more obvious,” Burns said. “Villanova as a whole dismisses the student and employer voice (with the exception of a small population) while utilizing the same messages/ ideals to provide Villanova with an image of progress.”

She remarked on the seeming break between pro-union and anti-union messaging from Villanova.

“Essentially it’s like saying, ‘Yeah we know you guys want us to hire unions. Here, how about a talk instead? That’s plenty, right?’” Burns said.

In response to a request for comment, the University issued a statement: “The University has had regular participation from union partners in projects on campus. When selecting the best partners for our construction projects, Villanova uses a competitive bidding process—which includes and encourages participation from union contractors and sub-contractors.

Identifying the “best partner” means we seek to work with the most qualified contractors across a number of areas, including experience, training, safety record and capacity – in addition to financial considerations. Our decisions in this process reflect a commitment

to the Augustinian Catholic mission and values of Villanova University. We ensure that all workers on our projects receive a just wage and benefits package. Villanova also 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.”

While this statement reveals what motivates decisions like these that the University must make, it still disappoints regarding a commitment to union support, especially in light of the choice to recognize Smalls.

Moving past Villanova’s stance on union labor, Smalls expressed support for all current and future labor organizing efforts at Villanova.

“This organizing is taking place on every campus. I’ll tell you that right now,” Smalls said. “Whenever organizing is going to take place here you have brothers and sisters in the neighborhood, on other campuses, that will show up on picket lines.

If the word is out, if there is a call to action, I’ll even drive down. I live close enough.”

He affirmed the need for action at this moment.

“The time is now,” Smalls said. “Making sure that student voices are heard…Even if this is your last year, do it for the next person that’s going to be a freshman here so that they understand the issues before they even touch this campus and get involved early on.”

This conversation of unionizing at Villanova is a difficult one but as Smalls explained, “That’s why we’ve got to see these conversations being had.”

8 | The Villanovan

OPINION

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Mike Johnson (R) Elected New Speaker of the House Srihi Surapaneni Staff Writer

The chaos in Congress came to an end with this week’s election of Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House. House Republicans were unable to rally around three previous picks for Speaker after several votes. However, Johnson, a relatively unnoticed fourth term representative from Louisiana, was elected in just one.

Earlier this month, Republican Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy was removed from the Speakership in an unprecedented move.

Alongside all 208 Democrats, just eight Republicans voted against him, meaning “the vast majority of the conference did not want to replace him,” according to Villanova political science professor Erinn Lauterbach. Ultimately, this unusual ousting contributed to the chaotic nature of future elections.

“By breaking the norm and going against the party, it opened a can of worms which led to other factions within the Republican Party standing their ground and not following norms when, for example, they didn’t want Representatives Scalise, Jordan or Emmer to win,” Lauterbach said.

“Party loyalty has definitely been tested this year. Though it is worth mentioning that McCarthy knew

all of this was a possibility when he agreed to change the rules for the Motion to Vacate in order to become Speaker in January.”

When McCarthy was removed, Representative Patrick McHenry of North Carolina was the acting Speaker with limited power.

“Some of the chaos came out of this decision because it meant that the House was not working on funding bills that need to be passed by Nov. 17 to prevent a government shutdown or another short-term funding resolution,” Lauterbach said.

Villanova political science professor Matthew Kerbel also commented.

“It’s unusual for a majority party to have difficulty selecting leaders, but factional divisions within the Republican conference coupled with their small majority have made it a challenge for Republicans to select and hold on to a speaker,” he said.

Even back in January of this year, these divisions were showing when it took an unbelievable 15 votes to elect McCarthy, himself. In order to be elected in the first place, McCarthy agreed to a concession that would allow a single House member to initiate a vote against him.

However, these disagreements continued to deepen over the past months and “contributed to Republicans going through three failed nominees before

agreeing on the relatively unknown Mike Johnson on Wednesday,” according to Kerbel.

The implications of Johnson’s election on Congress as a whole are still unclear, as it depends on what kind of leader he will ultimately prove himself to be.

“In the modern Congress, the Speaker has been powerful, but when we look across the history of the institution, that power has waxed and waned at different points in time,” Lauterbach said. “Strong leadership has some advantages, especially because it can solve collective action problems around priorities and organization, but it requires a majority of the members (at least of the majority party) to agree on what to prioritize and how to organize.

Right now, I think we are seeing disagreement in the Republican Party in these areas and that, in part, leads to the chaos we have been seeing this month. One potential consequence of the events this month is that the House moves back into a time of less centralized power. Only time will tell.”

Furthermore, it’s still uncertain just how in agreement the Republican party is with Johnson.

He’s generally been on the extremist side of the party, with extremely conservative views on abortion and gay rights. This includes likening abortion to “a holocaust that has been repeated every day for 32 years, since 1973’s Roe v. Wade,”

and his work as a lawyer for the Alliance Defending Freedom, a group that has been designated an LGBTQ+ hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Johnson has also been called out for his support to overturn the presidential election results in 2020. As a constitutional lawyer who created many of the well-known arguments against certifying the election results, he backed the ridiculous idea that a voting software system was untrustworthy “because it came from Hugo Chávez’s Venezuela.”

Whether this kind of extreme conservatism will actually be reflected in Congress remains to be seen. It is still unknown “if Representative Johnson was truly the person that could get unanimous support, or whether some people caved to get the chamber back up,” Lauterbach said.

“Governing, and doing things like passing hotly contested funding bills during divided government, requires that a majority of people in the chamber continue to come together to compromise and pass legislation. What that will look like under this new leadership is something that we will have to watch unfold.”

While Johnson’s election may have seemingly put an end to the chaos, the new Congress under his leadership is facing extreme internal polarization and has the potential to be anything but normal.

Villanova Students Should Appreciate SEPTA More Riley Haubert Staff Writer Arguably one of the most complex yet overlooked systems in the daily lives of Villanovans is the SEPTA system. To a customer’s eye, the process seems so simple: hop on, pay and get off, a simple mode of transport from one point to another. Train systems are so much more than that, though, and provide life-lines to both SEPTA employees and customers alike.

With multiple stations on campus, Villanovans use the train for an abundance of reasons: to get to other colleges, to go into the city, to get to the airport and more.

When Villanova’s basketball team plays at Wells Fargo, the stations are packed with excited fans. I used the SEPTA just last week to get to the Philadelphia Art Museum for a class there. SEPTA provides an essential connection between the outer suburbs of Philly and the city itself, as well as all the stops along the way.

“My sister goes to Penn, so I have found it very accessible for going to see her,” freshman Caroline Blum said. “I just get on it right from campus and it is very quick. It is also accessible when traveling home.”

Freshman Hannah Sullivan says that SEPTA is “helpful for underclassmen without a car.”

SEPTA offers the opportunity to explore the city.

Villanova is lucky because,

Villanova students are fortunate enough to have two SEPTA stops on campus.

Bella Irwin/Villanovan Photography

unlike most other schools in suburban areas, we have the SEPTA as a simple way to get back and forth without having to pay for expensive Ubers or Lyfts.

However, according to NBC Philadelphia, there was talk of a strike from SEPTA workers starting Nov. 1, when their current contract with the transportation workers union will be renewed.

The issues largely stem from the fact that trains and buses are understaffed, leaving SEPTA workers

to endure long shifts.

Fox 29 reported on Friday, Oct. 27, that the union and SEPTA came to a tentative agreement on wage increases and employee benefits, but other issues still remain.

The main issue is the question of safety. Sullivan says that while she relies on the train for “getting in and out of Philly during the day,” her parents and others have warned against her using them at night.

Drivers, mechanics and other workers have felt this way since the pandemic, when crime rates began to rise. These issues have raised questions about how SEPTA contributes to Villanovans’ experiences, and what we can all do to help.

One idea is to make use of the SEPTA on weekends or during free time. Using this system and remaining respectful while doing so can make it so much easier for the workers. It also profits a system that is helping many get to and from work.

“I feel like people don’t take advantage of it enough, you can get into Philly or small towns in the area to do some work at a coffee shop off campus,” freshman Maggie Dirkes said.

As someone who is local, Dirkes is familiar with the system and finds it of great importance to college students as a means of access to nearby areas.

A few other positives to using SEPTA is that it is a public transport. Public transportation is better for the environment, so try using the train rather than ordering a ride. It is also a good life skill, and college is the perfect time to develop it.

With all the talk of SEPTA’s labor issues, it is important to continue to use the trains and buses and to support their cause in any way possible. Villanova is very lucky to have SEPTA running through our campus, and students should consider the possibility of using this service more often.

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

The Villanovan | 9

OPINION

The Divine Feminine: Dos and Dont’s Juliana Burke Staff Writer Red lipstick, stiletto high heels, apathy toward the opposing sex and a martini in hand. These are the common visuals we associate with the perceived concept of the “Divine Feminine.”

However, what if I were to tell you that there is an uptick in “Divine Femininity” in everyday life, beyond the high-rise penthouse rooftops of New York City and the latest James Bond movie?

Furthermore, what if I were to tell you that applying “Divine Feminine Magic” to all aspects of your life could enhance it?

The usage of “feminine magic” is one that is centered around the idea of using the key traits of womanhood to gain favor in various facets of life.

Often, femininity is associated with joyous and humble qualities–compassion, empathy and receptivity (to name a few).

However, the concept of Divine Femininity implores you to access the contrasting side: the femme fatale.

The femme fatale, in practical use, is a woman who knows her boundaries. You take two hours to text her back? She doubles it. You forget her birthday?

She forgets your name.

The femme fatale knows her self-worth and makes sure those around her know it too.

Even if she doesn’t truly know it, she makes you think she does.

That is what makes her a femme fatale.

Too often in our modern society, we see low-effort being widely accepted (and even lauded) in relationships. One partner begs for the bare minimum, while the other can barely supply the bare minimum.

It becomes a cycle of complacency: the low-effort partner is aware that their significant other will allow this behavior to continue, and thus it continues. This is where the Divine Feminine comes into play.

First, you must subscribe to rule #1 of divine feminine energy: you do not chase, but you attract.

By refusing to chase after another person, demand more effort from your partner or simply acknowledge the opposite sex, you are becoming a woman of scarcity.

A woman of scarcity is sought after, as we are biologically skewed to value what there is less of. Yes, the concept of supply and demand translates to the human experience, as well.

So, what does this look like when applied to the modern dating scene? Perhaps the most important mentality is non-attachment, that you are able to walk away easily from what is not serving you.

This can be very difficult in practice. We are vulnerable creatures, yearning to love and care

for other vulnerable (and flawed) creatures.

However, it is important that as a student of “Divine Femininity,” you command effort through your confidence and innate ability to walk away from things you cherish, even when it is painful.

Essentially, establishing boundaries that amplify the lighter side of the feminine nature and surrendering to them, regardless of circumstance, leads to the fulfillment of this key concept.

Accessing the contrasting aspects of your feminine nature will not solely assist you in your relationship dilemmas, but also in platonic relationships and your career.

Everyone has that friend who seemingly takes their kindness for granted and never reaches out first. By utilizing the key tools of femininity, you can use your “light

feminine energy” to evaluate why the friend is behaving in this manner, while simultaneously utilizing your “dark feminine energy” to obtain the reciprocity you deserve.

When applied to a career, using your feminine energy can be seen by using the connective and creative nature of the feminine genius to advance in the professional sphere.

Regardless of your view on whether or not such actions can be gendered, I hope everyone can take away one thing: we are a duality, not a singularity.

You can be gentle, yet strong. You can be vulnerable, yet protective of your best interests.

You can be understanding, yet boundary-setting. Simply put, by recognizing your ability to balance the extremes and identify the application of such energies, you will benefit and represent that of the “Divine Feminine.”

Villanova students should embrace qualities of the “Divine Feminine” and the “Femme Fatale.”

Graydon Paul/Villanovan Photography

Is It Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas?

Kailey Fahy Staff Writer With Halloween’s end, some look to the next holiday: Thanksgiving. They make their plans to go home for break and begin to dream about the feast they’ll soon have whilst standing in line at the dining hall. However, others jump ahead straight to Christmas. For some, Nov. 1 means Mariah Carey blasting in their airpods on the walk to class and decorating dorm rooms with lights and mini trees.

This way of life is not completely unfounded, as companies like Starbucks and Dunkin’ begin to roll out their Christmas beverages and treats on Nov. 3 and Nov. 1, respectively. Even in October, certain store shoppers were greeted with Michael Buble’s voice in “Holly Jolly Christmas,” with stores such as Kohls beginning to play holiday music before the leaves had even changed color.

I recently posted a TikTok about this idea of celebrating Christmas right after Halloween, indicating that the end of the spooky season signaled the commencement of the next holiday season.

Some in the comments agreed with me. UNC student Ava Campbell said that her “tree goes up in November” and Olivia Rogers, a student from Buffalo, commented that she “already started listening to Christmas music.” The popular ginger ale company Can-

“jumping the gun” so quickly for Christmas.

However, since this Thanksgiving fanfare doesn’t exist and they need something to get them through the mid-semester lull and the end of year slump, they resort to the joys of Christmas.

Truly, if you enjoy blaring Mariah Carey and Michael Buble on Nov. 1 and ordering your peppermint lattes the day they become available, do it. People are always big proponents about doing what makes you happy, until it comes to those who want to celebrate Christmas in November.

If Christmas lovers’ are Freshman Kailey Fahy argues that Christmas celebrations can begin before the Fall leaves change color. blasting music in Falvey, then the Maggie Logler/Villanovan Photography complaining is justified. However, if they’re listening to this music ada Dry even commented how it is their behavior.

This is also compounded through their headphones, drink“almost Christmas time.” by celebrities who profit off of ing their Christmas drink or wearHowever, not everyone Christmas through songs. Most ing a sweater with Santa Claus in the comments was as recepwidely known is Mariah Carey, on it, then there shouldn’t be any tive to the idea of a Christmas who at midnight on Halloween, complaints. commencement on Nov. 1. Some scoffed at the idea of even menposts an annual video saying “It’s The Christmas season goes tioning Christmas before Thanks- Time,” referencing the beginning by quickly in general, and with giving, saying that people who of the Christmas season. college students’ overall mood do so are disrespecting ThanksHowever, Thanksgiving being dampened by finals and giving celebrations. Some in the defenders say that she puts a end-of-semester stresses during comments simply commented disclaimer at the end of this video December, we should embrace the word “Thanksgiving,” as to saying we need to get through that those in the Christmas spirit. remind those of us who seemingly holiday first. However, this is likely If celebrating Christmas forgot about the existence of the to just appease her whole audithe minute the clock strikes midholiday. ence. night on Nov. 1 makes you happy, Those who want to celeThe main point surrounddo it. If it agitates you, ignore it. brate the Christmas season sooner ing Christmas lovers’ arguments As for me, if you spot me walkargue that, because Santa Claus is that there are no songs, movies ing to class on Wednesday with himself appears at the end of the and only sparse decorations for the airpods in, know that there’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, that the Thanksgiving holiday, and if there a good chance I’m listening to media, and all the corporations were more they would embrace Kelly Clarkson’s “Underneath the selling Christmas products, justify and listen to them rather than Tree.”

10 | The Villanovan

CULTURE

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

CULTURE

Local Spotlight: The Lancaster County Farmers Market Maggie Fitzgerald Staff Writer Looking for a new adventure?

Some delicious pastries? Fresh fruit, vegetables or flowers? The Lancaster County Farmers Market could be the perfect place.

The market is located at 389 Lancaster Ave, Wayne, PA, and is open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. year-round. It has a long history in Philadelphia, founded in 1933 by Norman and Florence Sweigart, who host many merchants from across Lancaster County in their Rosemont location. They relocated to Wayne in 1951 and once more in 1977 to their current indoor market, becoming a staple for patrons of Wayne and surrounding areas ever since.

The historic market is currently home to 25 diverse vendors and offers a wide selection of products. Whether you are craving homemade donuts and scones, smoked meats and cheeses, seasonal produce or a quick coffee and breakfast, Lancaster County Farmers Market has something for you. Drawn to the family-like environment and loyal customers, the vendors of Lancaster have been coming to the market for years on end.

Christopher Powel, the owner of Good Harvest Farms, located in Strasbourg, PA, sells his produce exclusively to the Lancaster County market. This will be his 27th year

here, and he won’t be leaving anytime soon.

“My favorite thing is the people,” Powel said. “Awesome people.

We have great customers, I feel like they like us and we love them. That’s the only reason I get up at three o’clock in the morning: the people.”

I can happily vouch for the satisfaction of Powel’s customers.

Somewhat of a regular myself, I try not to miss a week of their seasonal produce, from juicy peaches to crunchy honeycrisp apples. Purchasing fresh ingredients at the market has been a saving grace for me throughout my first semester at Villanova. Located about 3.5 miles from campus, the market is accessible to students. I love to run there on Saturday mornings but driving, walking, biking or taking the SEPTA are all ways in which students can easily reach the Wayne location. Supplementing Villanova meal plans with fresh produce goes a surprisingly long way in creating satisfying and nutritious meals.

If you are looking for more than freshly baked bread or produce, Market Fresh Flowers could be the perfect stand for you. Another one of my personal favorites, small flower arrangements are an easy way to brighten up a dorm room and really make the space one’s own. Bailey Zuzu manages the stand in Wayne every week, selling their locally grown flowers and personal arrangements.

Zuzu has worked at the market for 12 years and, in addition, to loving the people, she also reaps the benefits of

The Lancaster County Farmers Market in Wayne is a fun and convenient trip for Villanovans.

Maggie Fitzgerald/Villanovan Photography

the market herself.

“I love the stands that have food,” Zuzu said. “It’s nice that you can choose something different each time that you come here. Pretty much any craving you have, you can find it here.”

If you are anything like me, you desperately miss baked goods from home. Not to worry, this too can easily be accounted for with a quick trip to Sunnyside Pastries. Originally established in 1993 by the Lantz family at their farmhouse in Ephrata, PA, their treats are now available for market patrons. Additionally, they sell from Green Dragon Farmers Market and their East Earl, PA location Tuesday through Saturday. Sunnyside employee Lila Sesh has worked at the market for more than five years, never

growing tired of the fresh pastries.

“I’m pretty simple,” Sesh said. “I would recommend for Villanova students to try the glazed donut.”

Truly, one cannot go wrong at Sunnyside. Every Saturday you can count on a line of happy customers and a delicious smell wafting from their pastry case. With the holidays coming up their seasonal offerings like pumpkin donuts, breads, cakes and traditional whoopies pies are perfect for celebrating.

The Lancaster County Farmers Market is truly one of Wayne’s largest treasures. It’s guaranteed that vendors are committed to providing high quality goods and maintaining the special family-like atmosphere first curated so long ago in 1933.

Army ROTC Spotlight: Cadet Taylor Coombs Lexie Scibilia Staff Writer In the world of Villanova’s Army ROTC program, Taylor Coombs, a freshman cadet, proves that adaptability and determination are the name of the game. Coombs dove headfirst into the military fray, turning each obstacle into an opportunity for personal growth.

“I didn’t know what to expect going in because I wasn’t a part of the JROTC program in high school, and I had no military experience so I was going in blind,” Coombs said. However, her initial apprehension was swiftly replaced by a positive experience.

The most rewarding aspect for Coombs has been the camaraderie she discovered within the ROTC community.

“It’s a group of connections you have on campus and everybody’s been so friendly and helpful, especially as a freshman where you’re coming in very intimidated,” she said. The transition to the structured environment was the most challenging, with early morning wake-ups posing a significant adjustment.

In terms of personal growth, Coombs attests that ROTC has been instrumental. It has not only enhanced her physical fitness, but also provided a framework to maintain it.

“Coming in, I was not a runner. This past weekend, I did a sixmile ruck,” she proudly said. “Rucks” are a combination of running and walking with a hefty thirty-five-pound

rucksack on the cadet’s back.

The discipline and structure inherent in ROTC have allowed Coombs to thrive academically, as well.

The early morning wake-up calls, a staple of ROTC life, have become a source of empowerment for Coombs.

“I feel like I’ve lived a whole day before anybody else wakes up,” she said, painting a vivid picture of the discipline and structure ingrained in the program.

Coombs’ decision to join ROTC was influenced by her athletic background and a desire for personal development. The financial support offered by the program through scholarships also played a role.

“My personal values align with a lot of the army’s values,” she said. “I’m a very structured person, I’m athletic, I am always in search of more leadership opportunities.” The program’s emphasis on organization and discipline resonated deeply with her.

Balancing the demands of being an ROTC cadet with academic commitments has been a seamless transition for Coombs. She thrives in a busy schedule and appreciates the structure that both academics and ROTC provide.

The program has imbued Coombs with invaluable skills in teamwork, leadership and discipline.

The meticulous attention to detail, from uniform preparation to punctuality, has fostered a strong sense of discipline.

“ROTC’s big thing, at least at Villanova, is if you always show up in the right uniform with the right attitude, you will succeed,” Coombs said, emphasizing the importance of attention to detail.

She acknowledges that witnessing the upperclassmen take on significant responsibilities has been motivating and instructive.

Acknowledging the instrumental role played by upperclassmen, Coombs commends their approachability and willingness to guide underclassmen.

“I have been very impressed with the upperclassmen in ROTC,” she said, emphasizing the culture of mentorship within the program.

“They have been so friendly.”

Coombs views her future in ROTC and beyond with optimism.

She envisions a graduate program and is contemplating between active duty and reserves. The program has opened up a multitude of possibilities for her.

For high school seniors considering joining ROTC at Villanova, Coombs offers practical advice.

She encourages prospective cadets to reach out to current members for insights and guidance. She emphasizes the importance of keeping an open mind and dispelling preconceived notions about military service.

“People think that the military is automatically people fighting on the front lines,” Coombs said. “There are so many other opportunities. The army has a job for everybody.”

In the vibrant tapestry of ROTC traditions, Coombs high-

lights the communal aspect of shared meals, particularly the cherished post-training trips to Wawa. “[We’re] very food-driven in our traditions,” she said, underscoring the camaraderie that forms over shared meals. “Wawa after practice hits different.”

Coombs’ participation in the recent Ranger Challenge was a highlight of her ROTC journey thus far.

The Army ROTC Ranger Challenge is the ultimate test for ROTC cadets from different universities. They go head-to-head in a yearly competition that pushes them to their limits, both physically and mentally. This event is a big deal in the ROTC world, known for being tough and highly respected. The competitive environment and the opportunity to interact with like-minded individuals from different schools left a lasting impression.

Villanova’s ROTC team achieved a remarkable feat by clinching first place in the rigorous weapons assembly event this year, assembling about ten weapons in roughly a minute and thirty seconds. This victory showcases our ROTC’s exceptional teamwork, precision, and dedication.

“If we could do that, we could do anything,” she said.

In the dynamic landscape of Villanova’s Army ROTC program, Taylor Coombs’ story serves as a beacon of inspiration for those embarking on their own journeys. Her resilience, coupled with the invaluable lessons gleaned from the program, promises a bright and impactful future.

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Who Bans Books in the U.S. – And What Are They So Afraid Of ?: A Performance by COM 3241 Tallulah Laska Staff Writer Villanova’s Communication Department, alongside the Falvey Library, is putting on a performance the evenings of Monday, Oct. 30 and Wednesday, Nov. 1. The performance comes from the class COM 3241: Performance of Literature course, led by Dr. Heidi Rose.

Rose’s specific area of communication is performance studies.

Rose believes all written-word is meant to be spoken, and that words become more powerful and more understood once they are said and performed. The performance is centered around banned books and their placement, or lack thereof, in society. “[The course] draws a connection between English, theater, communication and performance,” Rose said. “I thought it would be interesting and important for my class to examine banned books and[…]to do a performance about them.”

The performance aims to question why society feels threatened by these books. Libraries often resist book banning and can be found pushing banned books to the front of book stacks. This is why the performance will be held in the Falvey Library, in the speaker’s corner.

Students were able to choose their own books. Rose noticed that students were confused and surprised after seeing books they had read in high school on the banned list, especially books they had been required to read.

Senior communication major Brendan King will be performing a passage from The Catcher in the Rye. King enjoyed taking a performance studies course during his sophomore year and wanted to continue these studies.

“I have always loved performing, and I thought that taking this course would deepen my understanding of what it means to perform and how I can adapt and interpret literature in unique and

creative ways,” King said. “I like learning about different components of performance and taking and applying my own voice and personality to an already-existing work of literature.”

Some students are performing different passages from the same book, which will be interesting to see how the interpretations of the books compare. King is one of four students performing from The Catcher in the Rye. Students also had the option to perform solo or in a pair.

Half of the class will be performing on Monday and the other half on Wednesday. The only requirement is that the students must use the words as written. How the words are performed is up to them. Background on the books and passages will be provided.

“If this is something [the audience] has not given much thought to, it’s around us,” Rose said. “We’re not in a time where the federal government is stepping in and trying to make these kinds of bans[…]but we are in a place where an entire state

is determining what can and cannot be taught, what should or shouldn’t be read, and that’s pretty scary.”

Just last week, a new bill was introduced in Pennsylvania which gives parents more control over what students read in school. This performance comes at a time where book bans are in high debate. Rose and her students hope the audience understands how important the performance is.

“All of the books that will be performed have either been banned or are currently banned in some way,” King said. “We are trying to emphasize the value of all of these works of literature. It is important that everyone has access to these books and can find their own meaning in them, no matter how controversial they may seem to some.”

The performance is open to anyone and is ACS-approved.

There will also be time for questions and discussions about the performance, banned and challenged books and how they play a role in our society.

Villanova Student Musical Theatre’s The Addams Family Zoe Manning Staff Writer From Oct. 25 to Oct. 29, Villanova Student Musical Theatre showed Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice’s The Addams Family in the Topper Theatre. The performers consisted of 26 talented undergraduate students, and the play was directed by Lily Panuto.

Though they may look frightening, the Addams family is just like any other ordinary family.

However, they display a satirical inversion of a typical family, since they have been embodying the values of darkness, pain, suffering and sadness for generations. Fortunately, they are content with these values, since they are what brings them joy and makes the family unique. However, the family has not yet experienced one of the scariest things to happen to them: 18-year-old Wednesday (Clare Murphy) is growing up. Gomez (Jacob Long) and Morticia (Chloe Han), the patriarch and matriarch

of the group, respectively, have trouble accepting this change in their children, and wish the family could continue to live the same way they have been for hundreds of years. All hell breaks loose when Wednesday meets a boy, Lucas Beineke (Cole Joyce), who comes from a typical Ohio family, which is the complete opposite of the Addams’. She confides in Gomez, begging him not to tell her mother about the new relationship, and he has trouble keeping this secret from his wife. Further worsening the situation for her parents, Wednesday invites the entire Beineke family to dinner at her home. Everything will change for the family after this dinner, and the Addams will be forced to accept that change within their family is inevitable.

While choosing to produce The Addams Family is not an unpopular choice in university theaters, Villanova’s production stands out because the cast is “truly a family first and family last, as the show says,” Abby Maroun, who plays

Stewardess Ancestor, said.

“We’ve spent the entire semester thus far working on this show, reinforcing the relationships between current members in our organization while welcoming new members into the mix,” Maroun said. “We all truly love each other and have fun both onstage and off.

I think this shines through in our production.”

Minh-Chau Scott, who plays Judge Ancestor, eagerly agreed.

“I doubt there is any production quite like ours,” Scott said. “Where else will the Sailor Ancestor and the Victorian Ancestor have a sordid, tragic past?

Where else will Uncle Fester clap a rhythm for the Ancestors to clap back to him?”

The changes in plot and character created by Villanova’s production team are bound to make this production stand out.

Though busy on stage, some cast members choose to take on other roles within the production team. Maroun also is one of

the dance captains for The Addams Family and has teamed up with choreographer Jules Vicario and co-dance captain, Matthew Sabol.

Maroun has the ability to “refine choreography, teach dances and run lift calls for every run of the show.

“This has been a great experience because I love to dance and have always looked for leadership opportunities within VSMT,” Maround said. “It was so rewarding seeing all our hard work pay off in terms of choreography, and we look great.”

For Scott, being back on stage and playing Judge Ancestor was a “fun, little full-circle moment.”

“My first VSMT production was Legally Blonde, and I played the Court Stenographer,” Scott said. “It’s fun to be back in the courtroom (even if this courtroom is posthumous).”

The Addams Family combines humor, family drama and catchy music, so it was a must-see Villanova production.

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12| The Villanovan

Intramural Spotlight: The Virtuous Women

us for our historic basketball season,” Snyder said. “We actually were the unofficial winners of the women’s dodgeball division (because we were the only team in the division), which Outfitted in hot pink t-shirts was definitely a major accomplishand a passion for sport, the Virtuous ment for the team.”

Women are a force to be reckoned This team’s iconic presence with at Villanova Intramural games. on this campus took flight following a Infamous for its ability to amuse the referees, intramural officials and even wardrobe change.

“The team really became its opponents, this team has become a serious when we decided to invest in legend on the Villanova sport courts.

The Virtuous Women’s roster team jerseys,” Ford said. “This was is stacked, made up of juniors Ryenn when we knew the Virtuous Women Engles, Kiely Fleming, Ava Gjertsen, [was] going to have a presence within the intramural world at Villanova. We Tara Ford, Izzy Jacowleff, Adrian all feel that these hot pink uniforms Williams, Meghan Sarlund, Emily truly encapsulate the energy that we Duncan, Annie Snyder, Ava Gallo, as a team contain. You just can’t miss Maddy Murray, Kerri Giambruno, us.”

Tessa Craig, Eva Ricciardi, Hannah Additionally, the Virtuous Sweeney and Emily Schoonover.

Women have accumulated a social Engles discussed how the media presence. Fleming described Virtuous Women were founded.

“Ava, Kiely and I decided that the origins of the Virtuous Women’s Instagram account. we wanted to start up an intramural “Our first basketball game team to form deeper connections was early on a cold February mornand make new memories with our ing,” Fleming said. “We were anxious friends,” Engles said. and tired, and the vibes were low. I reIn the process of forming member thinking at least we look cute this team, the creation of the name in our amazing neon pink t-shirts. I was a momentous event for the team members. Gjertsen explained how the started taking photos of us warming up and the idea clicked in my mind. name Virtuous Women came about.

Our shirts were so iconic, and I knew “We were dreading coming we needed a bigger platform to really up with a name because of the presconfirm this iconic status. Later that sure of knowing it had to be iconic day, I posted the results of our games and historic,” Gjertsen said. “Then, and soon we had our friends and famsomeone, and to this day we don’t ilies liking and commenting. It made remember who, said ‘What about all of us happy because it had people Virtuous Women?’ and we knew at connecting and cheering us on.” that moment we made history.”

The Virtuous Women use this The Virtuous Women have sense of empowerment to guide its participated in a variety of sports.

Snyder discussed many different intra- games. Gjersten discussed their perseverance during the Virtuous Women’s murals in which her team competes. first dodgeball game.

“We currently compete in “We got put in the co-ed intramural dodgeball, basketball and soccer, even though most people know league and we were playing against Emma Cahill Co-Culture Editor

a fraternity,” Gjertsen said. “We thought maybe they would take it easy on us, but they actually showed no mercy. We were all standing against the wall of the gym, frozen in fear, as dodgeballs were being pelted at us.

Some of us heroically made our way to the balls in the middle of the court and we were able to knock some of our opponents out. In hindsight, I’m glad they put their all into the game because the fear ultimately brought us closer and made us a better team.”

Not only do the Virtuous Women embrace hardship, but their ability to amuse the opponents is one of its most notable feats.

“We came up with a groundbreaking play called ‘The Princess Diana,’” Fleming said. “The point guard yells Princess Diana and Ryenn gets on the floor and does the worm.

It usually baffles the opponents and spectators, and it has worked a few times.”

Even in tough games, these women prevail. Jacowleff discussed a difficult match.

“Our hardest fought game was against AGD in basketball,” Jacowleff said. “It was our only win of

the season (or any season), and we did it with grace.”

Following this historic win, the Virtuous Women made it to the playoffs.

“Unfortunately, we had to be mercy ruled, as we lost, 58-8,” Engles said. “We are currently the only team at Villanova University to ever lose by the 50-point mercy rule. We had this rule used against us not once, but twice. Now, some people may find this embarrassing, but we are proud to have made history in this way because it shows that we, as a team, never give up and fight until the very last whistle no matter how badly we are losing.”

However many battles they lose, the Virtuous Women keep their spirits high on the court. Sarlund discussed the philosophy of her team.

“We don’t sign up to win every game, but rather to hang out with our friends and have some good laughs,” Sarlund said.

At the end of the day, anyone can be a “Virtuous Woman” by instilling confidence in oneself and embracing the positive. To keep up with the team, follow @virtuouswomenbball on Instagram for more.

The Virtuous Women are an iconic presence on the Villanova sport courts.

Courtesy of The Virtuous Women

What’s in the Stars for You: 1989 T.V. Horoscopes and create an aura of mystery in their day-to-day lives.

Alexandra Pultz Staff Writer This past weekend, Taylor Swift released 1989 Taylor’s Version.

In honor of this iconic re-release, tune into this article to find which song your star sign represents.

Aries: “Bad Blood” “Bad Blood” is about an unnamed celebrity who wronged Swift. If someone wrongs an Aries or someone close to them, they will do everything to make it right. Their motivation will drive them to success in any goal with their natural leadership.

Taurus: “Wildest Dreams” Tauruses are trustworthy, and “Wildest Dreams” is a known crowd pleaser. If asked to name a 1989 song, “Wildest Dreams” is a standard answer. Tauruses are known for their reliability and stability, as “Wildest Dreams” can always balance out the general vibe of a car ride or party aux.

Gemini: “Welcome to New York” “Welcome to New York” might not be everyone’s favorite song on the album, but as a Gemini, it could potentially be yours. Playful and outgoing, Geminis look for the more upbeat songs, and “Welcome to New York” offers just that. As Geminis’

Tune into this article to find which song from 1989 Taylor’s Version is your star sign’s anthem.

Natalie Zickel/ Villanovan Digital

attributes are sometimes misconstrued, this song gets more hate than it deserves.

Cancer: “Clean” “Clean,” as well as Cancers, is often overlooked on 1989. Although underrated, “Clean” is one of the deepest songs on the album, just like Cancers are with their emotional feelings. Being one of the most creative songs on the album, it resides with Cancers’ creative and moody tendencies.

Leo: “Blank Space” Leos love the drama, and “Blank Space” offers just that. Swift’s passion in this song correlates with Leos’ intensity in relationships. This may seem like a bad thing, but a Leo’s loyalty will never fail.

Virgo: “How You Get the Girl” Determined and goal-orient-

ed, Virgos know what they want and how to get it. “How You Get the Girl” portrays a step-by-step guide to get a girl to stay, in a fun and lively way. As perfectionists, Virgos will do whatever it takes to get what they want, and that includes the girl.

Libra: “You are in Love” “You Are In Love” tells the beautiful story of two people falling in love. The song is powerful and moving, describing a peaceful and charming love story. Libras are known for their charismatic personalities that translate into their everlasting relationships that are told as dazzling love stories.

Scorpio: “Style” Scorpios are brave, just like Swift is in this song when talking about her secretive romance with Harry Styles. Their enchanting personalities will “never go out of style”

Sagittarius: “New Romantics” Adventurous and energetic, Sagittariuses are always open to something new. “New Romantics” offers an insight into a blossoming playful relationship. Sagittariuses’ energetic moods can always light up a room, just as this song has the power to.

Capricorn: “Wonderland” “Wonderland” is creative, as it explores an imaginary world.

A Capricorn’s curiosity leads them down rabbit holes, as their ambition helps them explore new ideas, as they are always up to try something new.

Aquarius: “Shake it Off” Independent and carefree, Aquarians love to brush off what people think of them and beat to their own drum, as Swift does in “Shake it Off.” An Aquarian doesn’t let things get to their head or let others’ opinions bother them, as they know the “haters gonna hate.”

Pisces: “This Love” Compassionate and emotional like a Pisces, “This Love” is a sweet story of a healthy relationship after one of distress in the past. Pisces are loving towards others, just as this song highlights the value of a strong and caring relationship.

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TEDx Women Event Julia O’Keefe Staff Writer

“We are devoted towards embracing diversity of thought and curiosity,” Kim said. “We want our TEDxVU hosted its “TEDx- TED Talks to challenge the Villanova Women Event” Sunday, Oct. 22, community and spark change.” streaming TED Talks by women Kim believed the talks at the uplifting women to promote working TedxWomen event brought about towards a more equitable future that necessary conversations for awareness, celebrates the gender spectrum. education and eventually, change.

The event took place in the Women may face less obstacles in Driscoll Auditorium, and attendees their careers today than 50 years ago, were invited to watch 10 TED Talks but there are still gender barriers that encouraged the resilience of the that are inflicted upon women in the women speakers in their careers. workplace, specifically for women in “We wanted to bring awaremale-dominated fields. ness to the barriers that women inher“There are systemic barriently face because of their gender,” ers that we as a community need to TEDxVU Co-President of Campus address and deconstruct,” Kim said.

Affairs Zoe Kim said. “These talks The talks streamed were part and their speakers were all unique, but of a TED playlist titled “10 talks by they all strived towards gender equity women that everyone should watch,” and inclusivity in their fields.” including “Why we have too few TEDxVU is a student orgawomen leaders,” by Facebook COO nization that gives students, faculty, Sheryl Sandberg. Through consideralumni and staff the opportunity to ing why a smaller number of women share their ideas, engage in necesreach the highest rank in their prosary conversations and work towards fession than men, Sandberg shared enacting change in their communities. words of advice for women shooting According to their online interest for the “C-Suite;” “sit at the table… form, TEDxVU’s mission is “to be an make your partner a real partner… inclusive, diverse, progressive and in[and]don’t leave before you leave.” novative organization that empowers “My generation really, sadly, valuable voices of those who may not is not going to change the numbers at normally be heard on campus.” the top,” Sandberg said. “They’re just

not moving. In my generation, there will not be 50 percent of [women] at the top of any industry. But I’m hopeful that future generations can. I think a world where half of our countries and our companies were run by women, would be a better world.”

Sandberg’s talk embodies what Kim sees as the goal of TEDxVU: to challenge the Villanova community to ignite change. With 10 bold, passionate, accomplished women celebrating the gender spectrum in their talks, viewers were given an empowering and moving program that evoked self-reflection and a call to action.

Kim is excited to be planning the next TEDxVU event for December. The group will be working with the Center for Speaking and Public Presentation to put together a Public Speaking Workshop open to the entire student population.

“We would love for Villanova students to come and be a part of this workshop,” Kim said. “It should be a great opportunity for all undergraduate students, and we hope to see everyone there.”

For more information regarding TEDxVU’s upcoming events or how to get involved, visit @tedxvillanovau on Instagram.

TEDx Villanova U recently held an event called TEDxWomen, highlighting women’s empowerment.

Courtesy of TedX Villanova U

Musician Spotlight: Anna Shoemaker Cali Carss Staff Writer Last Tuesday, Aidan Bissett’s Supernova Tour came to Philadelphia, and with it his sensational opening act: Anna Shoemaker. They lit up the Theatre of Living Arts to the delight of a buzzing crowd of fans.

A Philly native, Shoemaker is a Brooklyn-based indie/pop artist who has been releasing music since 2018. She says her biggest inspiration is “just living life.”

“You know, experiencing life and letting things happen because that’s what I write about, things that happen,” she said.

“This philosophy definitely comes through in Shoemaker’s projects, with songs like “Not Coming Back,” her latest release, reflecting on specific moments or feelings from her

life.

“It’s a song about going rogue,” Shoemaker said, “I really wanted to get it out before tour because that’s really what tour is about.”

Her other songs are just as intriguing, all with a unique sound that makes you want to keep listening. She’s been dubbed “Brooklyn’s own Olivia Rodrigo,” and for good reason. Many of Shoemaker’s songs have a melancholy, sharp edge that any “Guts” enthusiast is sure to like.

Some highlights off her EP from this summer, “Hey Anna,” include “666” and “Holly,” both songs Shoemaker called the most fun to perform while on tour.

“They’re both high-energy songs,” Shoemaker explained. “I love that my band kind of makes the songs their own too. The songs off my EP are really important to me.”

Shoemaker constantly interacts with her band while onstage, creating a fun and carefree energy during her set. The songs she highlighted were just as fun for the crowd as they are for her. “Holly” was the last song of the set, a perfect conclusion to her part of the concert.

The nature of Tuesday’s show was especially important to Shoemaker. It was, of course, her hometown show and she was decked out in an “I Love Philly” shirt. But that wasn’t all; the crowd was full of her friends and family who were all visibly ecstatic to see her perform at TLA. One of the best parts of the night was seeing all of Shoemaker’s little cousins file up to the very front of the venue to have the best view. As for the actual set, Shoemaker was all smiles and giggles. It must have been a surreal experience considering she called performing at TLA a longtime

dream of hers.

“It’s not something you do if you’re just half in it,” Shoemaker said about her experience on tour.

“It’s a lot of driving, a lot of being with your band who at the end of the day are just a bunch of boys. But I’m so grateful to be doing this and performing and interacting with the fans.”

Shoemaker has a clear love for performing, that much was obvious from watching her on stage. She was also an incredibly sweet person to talk to, with so much enthusiasm for her music. If you want to hear more from Shoemaker, she recommends starting with “Holly.”

Shoemaker has one more very important connection to the Philly area: a cousin at Villanova.

“I’m going to shout him out,” she said. “If you’re reading this, go #19.”

Say “Cheese!”: Lapse Captures the Moment Ciara Dursee Staff Writer Say “Cheese!” Lapse is out now on any handheld device. It is an app designed to capture the moment and document pictures in the appeal of a disposable camera.

Brothers Dan and Ben Silvertown co-founded Lapse in 2021 but launched the latest version in June of 2023.

If you have ever owned a single-use disposable camera, Lapse is relatively the same thing; but this time, it is an app on your phone.

All you do is take a picture on your phone, wait until you receive a notification that it has “developed,” and then you have the ability to share it with your friends.

After the photos are developed, you can swipe left to archive or swipe right to “journal” your photo for you and your friends to see. The photos themselves have an added vintage look to them, trying to simulate an actual disposable photo.

“I know of the app Lapse through my friends who use it,” freshman Jack McHugh said.

He explained how he only heard of the app after getting friend requests over text.

Lapse uses an interesting, yet genius, marketing technique that recruits new members to the app.

Lapse is an invite-only social media platform, where users must invite five contacts and request at least eight new friends prior to using the app.

To some, like McHugh, this

steers users in the other direction.

“I think the company could increase the number of [users] if they come up with a better way to promote it,” he said.

However, for others, Lapse has overridden the annoyance of growth-hacking techniques through the app’s ability to capture and share a current moment. This is the case for a frequent user of Lapse, freshman Julia Zensius.

“I love it,” Zensius said.

“I think it’s a super cute idea and adorable to share your pictures with friends.”

Zensius uses the app often, saying it’s a perfect way to stay connected with friends from other schools and take a quick look at what they are up to.

Whether you’re near or far,

Lapse helps you stay connected with your friends. As a freshman myself, it can become a challenge to stay close with home friends since we’re all living such different lives at different colleges. However, this app allows us to keep in touch with what we’re up to on a daily basis.

This is exactly how the app has been growing in popularity over the past few months: young people crave a social media platform that shares moments with their friends.

“I like how this app is invite-only because it allows me to keep up with my close friends, as opposed to having my feed clogged with people I don’t know,” sophomore Ryenn Engles said.

Lapse is designed to archive memories to be shared with others with just one easy click-and-swipe.

SPORTS

14 | The Villanovan

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

SPORTS

Field Hockey Advances to Big East Tournament Ali Benjamin Staff Writer Continued from pg. 1 In the following seven minutes, the Friars had three more attempted shots and one goal scored, compared to Villanova’s zero scoring attempts in the remainder of the period. The third period ended at a 3-3 tie.

“Third quarter was definitely a downfall for us,” Milhous

said. “Providence came out really strong second half and they basically won the third quarter, so between third and fourth quarter we basically said ‘let’s put this quarter behind us, let’s keep moving forward, let’s keep doing what was making us successful’… and fourth quarter we just started attacking that much more and we went back to our first-half style of play.”

The final 15 minutes saw both yellow and green cards for both teams and a second goal

The Wildcats clinched a postseason berth for the first time since 2018.

Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

Field Hockey has a conference record of 4-3.

Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

from Lysaght off of a penalty corner from junior midfielder/forward Emma Schwarz with just five minutes remaining.

With the win, the Wildcats have secured themselves a No. 4 seed in their first tournament appearance since 2018. In their last Big East Tournament run, Villanova was ranked No. 4 but fell to then-No.1 seed UConn in the semifinals.

Villanova’s first opponent in the tournament is No. 1 Liberty, to which the Wildcats lost, 6-0,

just three weeks ago.

“Liberty is obviously a very strong team,” Milhous said.

“They’re technically sound, they are solid all across the field. [...]

When we played them the first time I told the team I’d love to have them again because I don’t think we showed them our best, so I am excited to see what our girls can do when we do show our best.”

The Wildcats will take on the Eagles at Temple’s Howarth Field on Friday, Nov. 3.

Football Looks Forward to New Hampshire Finn Courtney Staff Writer

Villanova’s last game was against now 0-8 Stony Brook, and it was over quickly. The ‘Cats’ offense led them to a blowout 48-13 win.

With its winning streak The game also marked graduate extended to three games, No. 17 Villanova is flying high coming into quarterback Connor Watkins’ best Saturday’s matchup at New Hamp- game of the season, as he threw for more than 350 yards and four shire. touchdown passes to earn CAA Villanova and UNH have clashed eight times since 2003, with Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors. the latter beating Villanova in six It also was a breakout game out of the eight engagements. New for graduate receiver Rayjuon Hampshire has won each of the last Pringle, who had just shy of 200 six matchups between the two teams yards receiving on just five catches, dating back to 2009. Villanova looks Graduate running back Jalen Jackson had 77 yards and a touchdown against Stony Brook. showing the big play ability of this to break that losing streak to make Brian Luppy/Villanovan Photography it four wins in a row. Just two games Villanova offense. Villanova had 556 Last week, UNH suffered a to success against UNH will be yards of total offense for the ‘Cats will remain in its season after the heartbreaking loss against Rhode slowing the big play ability of this (6-2).

‘Cats clash.

Island in overtime, 34-28, spoiling UNH offense. The other ‘Cats have what could be argued as its best averaged 38 points per game, a full offensive day of the year. Junior touchdown above Villanova’s points quarterback Max Brosmer had the average. Villanova will also be lookbest statistical day of his career, ing to take advantage of a weakness throwing for 430 yards and comof New Hampshire’s defense: stoppleting a career-high 41 passes. Top ping the rushing attack of opposing wideout Dylan Laube racked up a offenses. The ground game has been career-high 13 catches from Brosa pillar of Villanova’s offense all mer for 128 yards and a touchdown. season long.

New Hampshire had a New Hampshire will need to chance to escape with the win, but run the ball, which it has struggled senior kicker Charles Briscoe III’s to do. Villanova will need to adjust kick was blocked by the Rams to and prevent Brosmer from having as send the game to overtime. The loss much success as he’s had throughdropped the then-20th ranked UNH out the season. to 4-4 on the year and 2-3 record in The game is set for a 1 p.m.

CAA play. It will look to get back to kickoff at UNH’s Wildcat Stadium. .500 in conference play this coming The ‘Cats will then be back at home Saturday. the following weekend to take on Graduate quarterback Connor Watkins threw for four touchdowns against Stony Brook.

For Villanova, the keys Towson.

Brian Luppy/Villanovan Photography

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

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The Villanovan | 15

Rowing Medals at Head of the Schuylkill Regatta Lauren Armstrong Staff Writer This past weekend, the women’s rowing team competed in the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta in Philadelphia and medaled for the first time since 2017.

“Our top varsity four did an amazing job,” head coach Carissa Adams said. “Coming in second and bringing home a medal is truly amazing.”

The top varsity four is comprised of senior Madison Girard, sophomore Maggie Coyne, junior Kira Capaldi, sophomore Sarah Robillard and graduate Kara Dempsey. They finished in 14:57.645.

“Our novice four also did a really great job,” Adams said.

“With them all being new to the sport, it was truly impressive how they delivered.”

Freshman Lorelei Cadorette, freshman Natalia Brozyna, sophomore Emmi Stanton, freshman Mary Travy and sophomore Maeve Bonass completed in 16:38.117.

Villanova’s N4B team, composed of freshman Jessica Repetto, freshman Taylor Pansy, freshman Caitlyn Baker, freshman Jamison Dean and freshman Samantha Simpkins, came in 14th with a time of 18:20.997.

“We have done a great job so far this season,” Adams said.

“I am excited to see where we go from here.”

In addition to the second place finish by Girard, Coyne, Ca-

paldi, Robillard and Dempsey, the B-group of junior Gianna Zajac, senior Jadyn Ramos, senior Cecilia Jenkins, junior Isabella Thorne and senior Anna Flynn placed in the top 10 as well. They placed ninth, with a time of 15:19.041.

The Cats are gearing up for this weekend’s regatta, the NYRA Invitational and after this past weekend’s race, the team will be transforming into the new race format of 2000-meter races.

“We have only ever done a 2000-meter race in the fall once, and I think the team is excited to move into this format,” Adams said. “The team is really excited.

It is hard to say how we will do in this event, but it will be a nice way to end the fall and get excited for winter training.”

Villanova medaled for the first time since 2017 at the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta.

Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

MXC Second at BE Champs, WXC Third Dylan Johnson Staff Writer Both Villanova’s men’s and women’s cross country teams went on the road this weekend to Kenosha, Wisconsin for the Big East Championships. Both teams had strong performances, with the men finishing second, and the women finishing third.

The men took part on an 8k course. It was a cool and windy day. As head coach Marcus O’Sullivan planned, this was the second time the team saw the course this season.

“It was cool in the low 50s, but nothing unmanageable,” O’Sullivan said. “The course was really good. It’s a hilly course and it’s a long course. I think it’s about eight and a half [kilometers], which is unusual. Other than that, the conditions were great.”

Senior Liam Murphy, who excelled all season, continued his elite consistency. He crossed the finish line first with a time of 24:46.33. His time earned him the men’s Big East individual title.

The only person in his rearview was a ‘Cat, too, graduate Haftu Strintzos. Strintzos claimed second place at 24:57.94.

The men tallied 42 points, giving them a second place finish behind Butler’s 36. Murphy and Strintzos were the only two in the field to post times under than 25 minutes. One more Wildcat finished in the top 10: sophomore Marco Langon, who finished 10th

WEEKLY SCOREBOARD Oct. 25 - Oct. 31

Wednesday, October 25 Volleyball vs Georgetown 3-0 W Thursday, October 26 Women’s Soccer vs Providence 0-1 L Men’s XC @ Haverford Invitational No Team Scoring Friday, October 27 Field Hockey vs Providence 4-3 W Volleyball vs Creighton 0-3 L Saturday, October 28 Rowing @ Head of the Schuylkill Regatta No Team Scoring Women’s Swim @ Georgetown 156-44 W Men’s Swim @ Georgetown 92-206 L Men’s XC @ Big East Championships 2nd of 9 Women’s XC @ Big East Championships 3rd of 11 Football vs Stony Brook 48-13 W Men’s Soccer at DePaul 3-3 T Sunday, October 29 Monday, October 30 Men’s Soccer @ Illinois-Chicago 1-2 L Tuesday, October 31

20:25.67 time.

Alongside her was McGill, with a 20:30.89 time. Both of them earned All-Big East honors. Emily Robinson clocked a 21:22.34, which was good for an 18th-place finish. It also gave her All-Big East second-team honors.

In her first ever Big East Championships, freshman Tilly O’Connor placed 26th in 21:41.27. Junior Margaret Carroll was behind O’Connor in 27th with a time of 21:44.21. Head coach Gina Procaccio sees a promising future for O’Connor.

“I think O’Connor had her best race so far, she ran her best time over 6k by about 25 seconds,” Procaccio said. “I think she is coming along at the right time. I am excited to see what she can do at the regional meet.”

Preparation will continue for the women as they stare down Senior Liam Murphy placed first at the Big East Championships with a time of 24:46.33. regionals in two weeks.

Courtesy of Villanova Athletics “I think we’re right on track for that,” Procaccio said. “I will determine the automatic and with a 25:21.86 time. The trio of think it’s going to be like a battle at-large qualifiers for the NCAA runners took home All-Big East of about three or four teams to try Championships. first team honors for the second and grab that second spot to qualIn the women’s race, justraight year. ify for nationals, but I think we niors Sadie Sigfstead and Emma The final two runners, have just as good a shot as anyone McGill led the ‘Cats throughout senior Ryan Kredell (25:46.36) at accomplishing that.” and junior Xian Shively (25:47.80) the 6k course. They finished fourth The women and men ​​ and fifth, individually. Sigfstead crossed the finish line in 15th and will now prepare for the NCAA this season has earned a pleth17th place respectively, to earn Mid-Atlantic Regional at Lehigh ora of personal bests. She set a All-Big East second team honors.

University on Nov. 10. It will deschool record in the three-mile this The men ​​will now pretermine the automatic and at-large season. She broke her 6k personpare for the NCAA Mid-Atlantic qualifiers for the NCAA Champial best two weeks ago and came Regional on Nov. 10. The regiononships. close to setting a new one with a al meet takes place at Lehigh. It

The Villanovan | 16

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

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Women’s Soccer Ends Season with Loss to Providence Amanda McKean Staff Writer Last Thursday, Villanova’s women’s soccer team fell, 1-0, to Providence in its last regular season game. The Wildcats finished the 2022-23 season with a 4-7-7 overall record.

“I was so proud,” head coach Samar Azem said. “We knew we didn’t have a chance at playing in the postseason. Some teams would just go through the motions. Providence is a tough team. They’re a top-50 team in the country out of over 350 teams. We outplayed them. Statistically and subjectively we outplayed them. It’s the way you want to end the season.”

Throughout most of the game, the two teams were evenly paired. The Wildcats outshot the Friars, 13-11, with five of the shots being on target, compared to the Friars’ four shots on net.

However, during a lapse from the Wildcats in the 16th minute, Providence’s Kyla Gallagher was able to connect with Corinne Dente from nearly 20 yards out for the only goal of the game.

The Wildcats had the chance to tie the game later in the half with a penalty kick taken by graduate midfielder Jackie Richards, but Richards hit her shot to the left post.

In their last game as Wildcats, many of the seniors and

graduate students proved to have a substantial impact. Richards led the Wildcats with five shots, two of which were on goal, and graduate goalkeeper Payton Woodward saved three out of four of the Friars’ shots on goal. “[The seniors] have been absolutely outstanding,” Azem said. “They’ve been a huge part of the reason our program has grown so fast. Whether they’ve been here for five years or three months.

They’re all individuals who are so committed and so caring. They’re great people and great athletes and they’ve made an outstanding difference.”

In addition to senior contributions, many of the freshmen played a strong role as well. In their first attempt of the game in the ninth minute, freshman midfielder Gabby Koluch took a free kick that found the head of Richards, only to be saved by the Friar goalkeeper.

“We had some fantastic incomers that came in and gave us a lot of talent in areas we needed,” Azem said. “Overall, a lot of development happened over the last year. From a fitness standpoint, from a culture standpoint, from a technical standpoint, from a tactical standpoint.”

In the second half, the game remained close. The Wildcats’ closest chances came from a pair of free kicks that the Friar goalkeeper Katherine McElroy was forced to save. In between these chances, Woodward made a save in

the 56th minute after Friar Thaea Mouratidis shot a rocket from 25 yards out.

Despite this loss, this season was one of the most productive the Wildcats have seen in years.

Early on in the year, the team went undefeated for nine straight games, making it one of the most successful teams in program history.

“If the ball would have bounced differently in four of those goals, if we didn’t give up four of those goals in Big East play, we would be sitting in fifth place right now,” Azem said. “That’s how marginal it is.

“Last year we played Butler, Providence, Creighton [and] Marquette, and we were barely hanging on to just compete in those games,” Azem said. “And this year, we were

the better team in every single one of those games.”

Azem and the team now reflect back on the 2022-23 season, not focusing on losses, but proud of the success they did have.

“I want them to know now that they’ve seen how hard it was to get to 95%, how hard it is to get to 100%, and how much commitment and dedication it takes to be able to get there,” Azem said. “I think that’s a really good lesson to learn.

So I want them to be proud of that growth. I want us to rise back to the level that we left off at but I want us to find those margins next season so that we are not talking about ‘what if ’ and ‘should’ve, would’ve or could’ve,’ we are talking about ‘did.’ That’s what’s exciting to me.”

Villanova finished the 2023 season with a 4-7-7 overall record.

Victoria Margenat/Villanovan Photography

Volleyball Goes 1-1 on the Week Genna Cottingham Staff Writer This past week, the Villanova Wildcats played two Big East home games at Jake Nevin Field House. Going 1-1, the ‘Cats are now 9-4 overall and 6-6 in the Big East. They defeated Georgetown on Wednesday and lost to No. 17 Creighton University on Friday.

On Oct. 26, the ‘Cats defeated the Hoyas, 3-0, at Jake Nevin (25-20, 25-14, 25-18).

The starting lineup consisted of senior middle blocker Madeline Barber, senior middle blocker Kiera Booth, senior outside hitter Riley Homer, freshman outside hitter Abby Harrell, sophomore outside hitter Skylar Gerhardt, senior setter Andrea Campos and senior libero Taryn Whittingham.

In the last matchup against the Hoyas, Villanova beat them in four sets. This time around, during their annual Dig Pink Cancer Awareness Match, the ‘Cats had a clean sweep in a relatively quick game.

Campos led the way with 28 assists for the night and four aces.

Whittingham and Campos tied each other at 15 digs. Barber, along with Homer had a matched block count with a total of five across the three fast-paced sets. For the 14th game in a row, freshman Abby Harrell led the team in kill-count with 16.

“I think we played well,” head coach Josh Steinbach said, postgame. “I think we served and passed well and if we do those

The Wildcats are now .500 in the Big East.

Brian Luppy/Villanovan Photography

things in our gym, we’re tough to beat.”

On Oct. 29, the Wildcats suffered a tough loss against Creighton, losing in straight sets for the second time in two weeks against the Bluejays (15-25, 8-25, 15-25).

The past five years the Bluejays have been a tough team to beat, as the ‘Cats are 1-9 in the past 10 matchups. Villanova’s last win against Creighton was in November of 2019. The most recent matchup was a quick and hard defeat for the ‘Cats, only lasting 75 minutes on the court for the three sets.

Gerhardt briefly overpowered the Bluejays with eight kills and three aces. For the second game in a row, Campos led her team in assists with 21. Homer showed off her commanding skills with a season high of five kills.

Whittingham gave her team 12 digs as the team libero and defensive specialist. Booth closed out the night with a total of five blocks.

The Wildcats’ efforts weren’t enough to triumph over the nationally-ranked Bluejays.

“The great thing about team sports is that we have a whole bunch of players that don’t always play that are very valuable,” Steinbach said, when asked about utilizing players in different roles across the floor. “Even though our roles are different, the value of our team is the same.”

The team has a few days off before it travels to its next match.

The Wildcats will take on Butler in Indianapolis at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 3.

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

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Wildcats Fall to UIC in Season Finale Elijah McDow Staff Writer Following its midweek draw with Army, Villanova’s men’s soccer team left for Chicago on Friday night to take on DePaul and the University of Illinois-Chicago, and it tied the Blue Demons, 3-3, and fell to the Flames, 2-1.

With these two games behind them, the Wildcats did not qualify for the postseason, ending their 2023 season with a 1-8-7 record.

“I thought we battled to the end,” head coach Tom Carlin said to Villanova Athletics. “We kept persevering even when the results weren’t there.”

Against DePaul, junior defender O’Neil Dawes opened the scoring in the fourth minute off an assist from freshman forward Luke Martelli. Saturday marked Dawes fourth consecutive start, and the goal was the first of his collegiate career.

However, the lead lasted just 60 seconds. The Blue Demons came right back, tying the game, 1-1, where it would remain tied for 18 minutes.

In the 23rd minute, the Wildcats got themselves back on top via a goal from senior forward Branden Johns. The goal was assisted by freshman midfielder Belmar Joseph, and was the first of two assists from Joseph.

The Wildcats would hold

on to the lead for 13 minutes, but nine minutes before halftime, DePaul tied the game for the second time.

After halftime, it only took the Blue Demons four minutes to gain the lead for the first time in the game. However, it was short lived as just one minute later, Joseph recorded his second assist of the game when he passed the ball to junior forward Balthi Sanders.

This was Saunders’ second goal in two games, after his not having scored in almost a month.

Following the equalizer, the Wildcats were handed an invaluable advantage when DePaul was assessed a red card in the 70th minute. With 20 minutes to go, the Blue Demons were down to 10 players.

“When they went down a man, we really were able to apply some attacking pressure in the final third,” Carlin said. “We were right there but couldn’t get one across the line. In the end, it wouldn’t have mattered [in the race for the postseason], but we really worked to make it happen.”

Despite being up a player, the Wildcats failed to find a game winning goal.

“I loved this [Decision Day]” Carlin said. “It made it fun and very competitive with so much on the line on the final day of the Big East season.”

The Wildcats’ game against UIC on Monday, Oct. 30, also proved to be back and forth.

After going down in the seventh minute, the Wildcats tied the game off a finish from defender Marcus Brennes.

However, UIC ultimately scored the winning goal just 15 minutes before halftime.

Coming out of the break, the aim was to get an equalizer, but once again the Wildcats were unable to capitalize on their chances.

“It was a case again where we produced a number of chances and half-chances in the final third,

especially late in the game,” Carlin said. “We just couldn’t get the equalizer.”

Between the injuries to star players, and the difficult schedule, the Wildcats struggled to find the winning goal multiple times, ending with eight draws on the season.

“We’ll rest up for a bit and then we’ll start the work to prepare for next season,” Carlin said. “It will take a lot of hard work and preparation, but I think we have the right attitude going into it.”

Villanova only had one win in the 2023 campaign.

Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

Swim and Dive Takes on Georgetown Peyton Brau Staff Writer This past Saturday, Villanova’s women’s swimming and diving team defeated Georgetown, 156144, while men’s swimming and diving fell to the Hoyas, 206-92.

For the women, senior Audrey Pastorek took the spotlight once again, winning the 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke, and the 200 individual medley.

“Audrey is certainly conducting herself, as she was the Big East swimmer of the year last year,” head coach Rick Simpson said. “You put her in a clutch position, and she steps up and takes care of business, but she also does it with a lot of confidence.”

Along with the dominant performance from Pastorek, sophomore Lainey Quinones, sophomore Winnie Jalet and freshman Alyssa McHale also contributed to the win by taking second in the 200 medley relay.

Another standout performance came from freshman Martina Lonati, who won the 100 butterfly, tapping the wall at 52.59.

Lonati also won the 100 freestyle and picked up a second place win in the 200 freestyle. “[Lonati] probably has had the best meet she’s had all year,” Simpson said. “Even though we’ve only had two live meets, this was the best we’ve seen her all year.

She did a fantastic job.”

While the women’s swimmers took control, the diving

Men and women’s swimming and diving teams split against the Hoyas this past weekend.

Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

program also shined.

“I’m really excited with the way our divers performed, in particular, Alexa Fagely,” Simpson said. “She pulled out a win on the 1 meter, which was pretty huge… with Michelle Kasulka, a top diver

who was slated to win one or two events, injured in warm-ups last weekend, they did a fantastic job.”

Looking ahead, the women will look to keep up their momentum on Nov. 4, when they take on La Salle (2-1) at home.

As for the men’s team, it proved to have more difficulty against the Hoyas.

“As two time defending champions, [Georgetown is] certainly performing like it, so we knew we had a pretty tough day ahead of us,” Simpson said.

Senior Charlie Hinckley carried his weight as a season veteran, winning the 1000 freestyle and 500 freestyle.

“We’ve seen some of his best swimming in the past couple weeks,” Simpson said. “I think he’s probably setting himself up for the best year of his career.”

Another notable performance came from Gavin Jones, recording the fastest time of the competition in the 100 freestyle.

Junior Aubrey Bowles and freshman Josh Seidman also secured the top two spots in the 200 backstroke.

Now 0-1 on the season, the men are looking to pick up its first win with multiple meets ahead of them.

“We’ve got three pool meets in the matter of four days,” Simpson said. “We have to bring our A-game for four straight days.

From there we will focus on the West Virginia Invitational which is the second biggest date on our calendar.”

The men will face Rider (2-2) on Nov. 1, its home opener before traveling to Newark to take on NJIT (1-1) on Nov. 3. Following NJIT, the Wildcats will then head back home to face La Salle (0-3) on Nov. 4.

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

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