WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2022 www.villanovan.com @thevillanovan
STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916
VOLUME 117 | ISSUE 8
All SGA University Raises $492,385.19 in Ninth Elections Annual NOVADance Fundraiser Uncontested Lydia McFarlane Staff Writer
SGA elections for the 2022-2023 academic year are underway. However, all of the candidates are running for their positions uncontested, and many other positions have no one running. This is unusual, as election year can usually be characterized by students campaigning, with those who are not running checking election results to see who will represent the student body for the upcoming academic year. Although none of the races was contested, elections were still held from Tuesday Mar. 15 through Wednesday Mar. 16. All students whose names appeared on the ballots in turn became members of SGA for the positions they were running for, regardless of how the voting went. In an email from the SGA voting commission, the importance of the election process regardless of the uncontested races was emphasized. “Even though there are no contested races within SGA this Spring semester, which means all students on the ballot will be members of SGA, it is still important for students to be a part of and become familiar with the election process,” the SGA Elections Committee said. Although many SGA positions are still vacant, SGA is encouraging students to sign up for these positions through Wednesday, Mar. 23. Through the form, students can sign up for vacant executive board positions that SGA is hoping to fill before the start of the Fall 2022 semester. The positions that still need filling are Chief of Staff, Director of Finance, Director of Public Relations, Director of Programming, Director of Athletics, and Chief Justice. In addition to the executive board positions that need filling, there are Continued on p. 2
Sarah Wisniewski Co-News Editor
The University hosted its annual NOVAdance on Mar. 19 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. in the Jake Nevin Fieldhouse. This year marks the ninth year of the University’s participation in the dance marathon. NOVAdance raised $492,385.19 this past weekend, exceeding the $100,000 goal of the day. The money raised during the marathon will assist 492 families. The event supports year-long efforts to
NOVADance supports year-long efforts to fundraise for families of children battling childhood cancer. Courtesy of Maggie Mengel/Villanovan Photography
fundraise for families of children battling childhood cancer. The 12-hour dance marathon acts not only as an opportunity to raise more funds but also celebrates B+ Heroes, the children fighting against cancer. The dance event brings the community together and proves the immense support Villanova students have for the Heroes and their families. The theme for NOVAdance 2022 was “Celebrate Our Strength,” a reminder to the entire B+ and NOVAdance community that unity will only further the fight against
childhood cancer. The event kicked off in the morning with the “Wake Up, Shake Up.” This included introductions, cheers and of course, the signal to start dancing. As community members entered the Jake Nevin basketball court, the main stage for the dance marathon, everyone admired the posters hung around with words of encouragement and shout outs to B+ Heroes. One of the first dance events included Zumba with Mackenzie Wenzel of the Villanova Dance Team.
Following Zumba, members were invited to participate in line dancing. Other organizations were invited to showcase their dance moves as well. The Villanova Dance Company performed a routine, followed by Nova Noise, the University’s tap group. VU Superlative, a multicultural dance crew, also performed a routine and encouraged others to get moving too. Each group also fundraised through their social media channels and asked their respective followers to consider donating to the cause.
teams remaining in the hunt for a national championship, advancing to play in San Antonio. Villanova will play against No.11 Michigan on Thursday night, with tipoff scheduled for
7:29 PM Eastern Time. The matchup against Michigan is a rematch of the 2018 National Championship game, and is even in the same city. In 2018, the Wildcats
defeated the Wolverines, 7962, in the Alamodome, while Thursday’s matchup will be held in the AT&T Center. “We’re just happy to be moving on,” graduate guard Collin Gillespie said after Villanova’s win against Ohio State. “We’re taking it one day at a time. … There’s a lot of things we can do to get better this week and prepare for Michigan. We know how great of a team they are and the difficulties they present.” Villanova was led to Continued on p. 12
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‘Nova Men’s Basketball Advances to Sweet 16 Colin Beazley
Co-Editor in Chief 16.
And then there were
No.2 Villanova advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament over the weekend, cruising past No.15 Delaware, 80-60, before weathering a late storm from No.7 Ohio State to win, 71-61. By winning both games at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, the Wildcats clinched their place in the final 16
Villanova advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Courtesy of Olivia Pasquale/Villanovan Photography
University Receives Multiple Large Donations p. 3
University Professor Urges Students to Wear Masks p. 4
Matthew J Ryan Center Hosts “Future of American Conservatism” p. 5
Pro and Con: University Tuition Increase p. 6
Mind Your March Madness Bracket Etiquette p. 7
Supernovas Makes ICCA Semifinals p. 9
Augustinians of Villanova: Father Rob Hagan p. 10
Women’s Track and Field Starts Outdoor Campaign p. 12
Men’s Tennis Falls to Lehigh p. 13
Women’s Lacrosse Falls to No.10 Michigan p. 15