The Villanovan | Volume 112, Issue 8: Wednesday, March 24, 2021

WEDNESDAY MARCH 24, 2021 www.villanovan.com @thevillanovan

STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916

VOLUME 112 | ISSUE 8

SGA Rise in AAPI Hate Inspires Mural Elects New and Reflections on Atlanta Shooting President and VP Nicole Celis Staff Writer

This week, the University Student Government Association held its annual student body elections. Available positions ranged from senatorial openings to the President/Vice President ticket.

Senators represent their class year or their specified college in which they are enrolled. Fifteen Senators were announced in an email on Friday, March 19.

The email also contained the results for President/ Vice President, in which juniors Caroline Levine and Ivanica Skalko were victorious over sophomores Julia Lamarre and Philip Choi.

Lamarre and Choi campaigned on “putting the student back in student government” and were excited to start initiatives to improve mental health resources and creating a safer environment in terms of sexual assault. This would have included a collective increased understanding across campus of Title IX policies.

Levine and Skalko have prior experience in SGA, as Levine was this year’s Vice President and Skalko was the Chief of Staff. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Levine has been heavily involved in the Community First program, especially encouraging students to follow guidelines and working with administration. She also developed the campus wide-initiative “Let’s Vote Nova” in the fall. This encouraged civic engagement across campus during the 2020 election.

It helped increase voter registration and provided transportation to and from polling locations. As Chief Continued on p. 3

Alice Ke ‘23 VSB, Abbie Cho ’23 VSB, and Ascend Villanova created a mural spreading awareness about AAPI hate in Bartley Hall.

Courtesy of @villanovabusiness Instagram page

Lydia McFarlane Staff Writer

As of Wednesday, March 17, federal agents joined a team investigating a shooting rampage that killed eight people on the evening of Tuesday, March 16. There were three separate shootings, and all took place within an hour of each other at three different spas in the Atlanta, GA area. Six of the eight victims who lost their lives were Asian women. Authorities arrested suspect Robert Aaron Long, 21, of Woodstock, GA. The suspect admitted to the crimes, but he denied their being racially motivated.

He told investigators that

he suffers with a sex addiction and wanted to eliminate areas that he saw as a temptation to him, such as the spas. Long has been charged with eight counts of murder and one count of aggravated assault.

All eight victims have been identified: Soon Chung Park, 74; Hyun Jung Grant, 51; Suncha Kim, 69; Yong Ae Yue, 63; Delaina Ashley Yaun, 33; Paul Andre Michels, 54; Xiaojie Yan, 49; and Daoyou Feng, 44. One other victim, Elcias R. Hernández-Ortiz, was identified as being shot and injured by the shooter. In the face of such unprecedented violence, the families of the victims are grieving the

unexpected losses.

“Just pray for my family,” the mother of Yaun said. “Pray that we can get through this. This is the hardest thing I’ve ever, ever in my whole life, had to deal with.”

Her mother also told reporters that Yaun has left behind a 14-yearold son and an 18-monthold daughter.

At 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning, Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, along with the Atlanta Police Department, held a press conference to address the shootings.

Bottoms remarked during the conference that, “a crime against any community is a crime against us

all.” Although the gunman claimed while being taken into custody that the crimes were not racially motivated, officials have stated that it is still too early on in the investigation to officially rule out a hate crime. However, the Asian American community remains shaken.

This particular incident comes during difficult times for the Asian American community.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, due to racist rhetoric regarding the virus, Stop AAPI Hate has released a report saying there have been over 3,600 hate crimes against Asian Americans over the last Continued on p. 2

Villanova Advances to Sweet Sixteen Colin Beazley

Staff Writer

The first weekend of the NCAA Tournament is considered by many to be the greatest weekend of the sports year, a spectacle filled with heartbreak, jubilation and chaos, and this year’s tournament has lived up to high expectations. The Big Dance has produced incredible storylines, as Loyola

Chicago’s Sister Jean has reappeared to lead her school on another magical run to the Sweet 16, Oral Roberts has beaten all expectations to upset two seed Ohio State and seven seed Florida, and top seed Gonzaga has steamrolled two opponents, continuing its quest to be the first team to complete a perfect season since 1976.

And, to top it all off, Villanova has looked every part the typical Wildcats

team despite playing without star point guard Collin Gillespie, handling a previously 23-1 Winthrop squad before

a complete team performance overwhelmed North Texas in the Round of 32.

Continued on p. 13

Villanova will face Purdue in the Sweet Sixteen.

Courtesy of Darron Cummings, The Associated Press

“Let Her Speak” Lecture Series Returns p. 4

Who Runs the Aux in the Connelly Center? p. 5

Grammy Awards Face Backlash over Lack of Transparency p. 5

Quizzes During Working Breaks Defeat the Purpose p. 6

Villa-Vogue Fashion Feature: Grammys 2021 Fashion p. 8

Mental Health Initiative IfYoureReadingThis.org at VU p. 9

Villanova Theatre Performs You Can’t Take It With You p. 10

Women’s Basketball Ends Season in WNIT Quarterfinals p. 13

Volleyball Splits Matches With Seton Hall p. 14

Track and Cross Country at NCAA Championships p. 15

2 | The Villanovan

News Opinion Culture Sports

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PUBLIC SAFETY BLOTTER

VOL. 112 | ISS. 8 www.villanovan.com @thevillanovan

CATE McCUSKER JACK ROBERGE MADISON BURKE ARIANA MEGERIAN SARAH SWEENEY SARAH WISNIEWSKI TINA ARON VIVI MELKONIAN A.J. FEZZA ELENA ROUSE JULIA STANISCI COLIN BEAZLEY BILLY VINCI MOLLY BAKER

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

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Editor-in-Chief Editor-in-Chief Associate Editor-in-Chief Digital Editor News Editor News Editor Opinion Editor Opinion Editor Culture Editor Culture Editor Culture Editor Sports Editor Sports Editor Copy Desk Chief

MICHAEL BRADLEY Advisor DEENA SMITH Advisor CONTACT villanovan.eic@gmail.com

Liquor Underage March 17 South Campus Grounds 11 resident students, under the age of 21, were found in possession of alcoholic beverages.

Criminal Mischief March 18 South Campus Grounds Unaffiliated visitor reported damage to her vehicle caused by an unknown male subject on campus.

CASE STATUS UPDATE: Liquor Underage disposition changed to unfounded after discovering beverage was actually water.

Liquor Underage / Public Drunkenness March 19 Connelly Center A female resident student, under the age of 21, was transported by VEMS to the hospital for alcohol intoxication.

Fire Actual March 17 St. Monica’s Hall An air conditioning unit inside a residence hall ignited. Bryn Mawr Fire company responded to extinguish the fire.

Theft by Unlawful Taking of Disposition March 19 Main Campus Ground Several university items were reported stolen inside the Sheehan Hall West Ground Floor Men ‘s Bathroom. The value of the property is unknown.

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.

CAMPUS CALENDAR Understanding the Value of Self – Care March 25 3:00 p.m.

Virtual Netflix Film Launch with Eric Andre: “Bad Trip” March 25 7:10 p.m.

Virtual (Registration Required) Post Malone Virtual Concert March 25 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Cafe Nova Nova Quizzo March 25 9:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.

Campus Green

COVID-19 TRACKER CONFIRMED CUMULATIVE CASES AS OF 8:00 P.M. TUESDAY, MARCH 23

985 991,950 30,633,697 124,775,819 Villanova University

Pennsylvania

United States

Friday Jummah Prayers March 26 1:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

St. Rita of Cascia Community Room NCAA Tournament – Sweet 16 March 27 5:15 p.m.

Indianapolis, IN Mindfulness Mondays Meditation March 29 1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Virtual Semester Updates with Provost Maggitti March 30 5:30 p.m.

Virtual (Registration Required)

Football versus University of New Hampshire March 18 1:00 p.m.

Villanova, PA

Worldwide

Last Day for Authorized Withdrawl without Academic Penalty April 7 All Day 2021 Literary Festival: Robin Coste Lewis April 8 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Virtual

Courtesy of Villanova University

Number of Tests and Confirmed Positive Cases by Day at Villanova

Rise in AAPI Hate Inspires Mural in Bartley Hall and Reflections on Atlanta Shooting

Continued from p.1

year. Although the motives are still unclear, many prominent political figures have stood up in solidarity with the nation’s Asian community.

“We’re not yet clear about the motive, but I do want to say to our Asian-American community that we stand with you and understand how this has frightened and shocked and outraged all people,” Vice President Kamala Harris said on Wednesday.

“But knowing the increasing level of hate crime against our Asian American brothers and sisters, we also want to speak out in solidarity with them and acknowledge that none of us should ever be silent in the face of any form of hate.”

Recently elected Democratic senator Raphael Warnock remarked on Twitter, “My heart is broken tonight after the tragic violence in Atlanta that took eight lives. Once again we see that hate is deadly. Praying for the families of the victims and for peace for the community.”

In several other cities across the US, extra police presence has been ordered in communities of color, specifically communities with a high number of Asian residents. .

University students have joined the “Stop Asian Hate” movement and done their part to spread awareness. Alice Ke ’23 VSB (@ artbyake on Instagram), Abbie Cho ’23 VSB and Ascend Villanova, the Pan-Asian Business society at VSB, (@ascend.villanova on Instagram) are

responsible for a large mural on the Bartley Hall chalk wall. It says, “Stop Asian Hate,” “Stand up for Asians,” “#Hateisavirus,” and provides the resource Stopaapihate.org for people to go to if they are looking to help. For more about the mural, students can go to @villanovabusiness on Instagram.

“As an Asian American student at a PWI, visibility for my experience as a minoritized identity has certainly been a struggle for myself and my fellow Asian American students at Villanova. I’ve been honored to have been given the opportunity to shed light on this struggle and speak out against the atrocities against my community not only in this past year, but in the larger context of Asians in the United States with this mural,” says Ke.

However, Ke and the rest of Ascend wish the University would have taken action to spread awareness sooner.

She says, “The mural has been up since March 8th, and with Asian American and Pacific Islander hate having been an issue for far longer, we challenge Villanova to be proactive in addressing such serious issues rather than reactive by following in the lagging footsteps of mass media.”

Ke also shared some opportunities with The Villanovan for students who want to get involved.

Ascend will be organizing a sticker sale to raise funds to donate to several organizations that support the Asian

American community. Additionally, there will be a dialogue this upcoming Thursday to address systemic racism against Asian Americans and the ongoing violence against their community.

Several University students that are part of the AAPI community have also expressed concern regarding their safety in these times.

These students, similarly to Ke, urge people to be proactive in spreading awareness rather than taking to social media to spread awareness only after an event such as the one in Atlanta takes place.

Jenn Patron, CLAS ’24, comments, “When I go off campus, sometimes I feel scared that something is going to happen to me just for being Asian and I worry about who is going to be the next victim of a hate crime. It angers me that mainstream media has not been covering this issue as much as they should and it’s frustrating to know that it’s mostly our elders being targeted.”

Daniel Kwon, VSB ’24, shares, “It truly hurts me to hear my own family and friends ‘scared to leave their own house’ as if we’re living in some sort of war. I’ve actually had a close Korean friend of mine attacked in Philly a month ago. This has become worse due to COVID-19, but I’d like it to not take away from the already-existing Asian American hate that existed in many communities. Hate really is a disease, like many are saying, and the only cure for it

is love, and love is hard. But I urge people to reflect and better themselves and try to just be more loving and receptive before posting and ‘raising awareness’—and maybe before terrible tragedies like these unfold.”

On March 19, the University released a statement on behalf of the office of the president via email to students regarding the ongoing hate towards the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Community.

“We write today not just to mourn the deaths of the eight victims – six of whom have been identified as Asian American women – or to decry the acts of hostility often aimed at the most vulnerable in the Asian communities, but to say at Villanova we hold tenderly all members of the American Asian Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in our hearts and offer ourselves in kinship and support. It is in times like these, we need to hear the cries of all communities in pain and respond with meaningful care and empathy.”

The statement also touched on the University’s ongoing antiracism work of the Aequitas Task Force.

“The aspiration of becoming an antiracist campus means that we commit ourselves to work for justice and equity for everyone.” Ke responds to the University’s support, “I hope that this is just the beginning of the Villanova community’s efforts to recognize the Asian American experience and that we will continue to uplift the Asian community even after the mural is erased.”

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

SGA Hosts Elections Nicole Celis Staff Writer Continued from p.1

of Staff, Skalko prioritized transparency and efficiency throughout SGA.

The duo hopes to implement new initiatives that reflect the changing community of the University, especially improving mental health resources. In their campaign message, they mention a few options: expanding counseling center session limits, hiring more counselors of color and expanding long-term off-campus resources.

Levine and Skalko also want to find a way to integrate underrepresented voices of marginalized students into SGA. There were no specifics, but changes could be reflected at the student and institutional level.

Levine and Skalko are “hopeful that in the next year our community will continue to come together as we return to somewhat

The Villanovan | 3

NEWS

normal,” something that every student hopes for after a school year riddled with COVID-19 cases and restrictions. They emphasized the inclusivity that they hope to bring onto campus during their tenure.

“We promise to work our hardest to advocate and represent every student on Villanova’s campus [and] look forward to working to make Villanova a more inclusive and welcoming place for all,” Skalko said

With the incoming administration, Villanova students are excited to see what changes are made across campus. After a difficult year, prioritizing mental health resources is important for many students. On-campus counselors have stated that this is the busiest semester they have experienced at the Counseling Center, with record numbers of students signing up for appointments to talk to a counselor. Levine and Skalko want to remind people that “if you have ideas or need anything, [to reach out at] sga@villanova.edu.”

The incoming Student Body President and VP. Courtesy of Ivanica Skalko’s Instagram

Students Celebrate St. Pat’s Jack Matthews Staff Writer

The Campus Activities Team, along with the University Center for Irish Studies and the University Alumni Association, celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with a list of Irish themed events and activities.

The celebrations kicked off last weekend with a Senior Pub Series event Saturday at the Oreo, featuring food trucks, fire pits and beers for 21+ seniors. Those who attended were given a custom St. Patrick’s Day themed plastic beer stein. On Sunday, the Villanova club rugby team and Irish Cultural Society held a game watch for the 2021 Ireland vs. Scotland Rugby Match.

Celebrations on St. Patrick’s Day began in the morning with an “Irish Breakfast in Galway” over Zoom, led by Mary Madec, Director of the University Study Abroad Program at NUI, Galway. Madec and her family walked attendees through the cooking of a traditional Irish breakfast from her home in Kinvara, Galway.

The festivities continued with a “Lunchtime in Dublin City” with Irish actor Johnny Murphy. Murphy traditionally leads the Dublin St. Patrick’s Day parade as St. Patrick himself, but the event was cancelled this year due to COVID-19 concerns.

Instead, Murphy donned his St. Patrick outfit and travelled the streets of Dublin, asking Dubliners the quickest way to get to Villanova. The event was full of laughs

and insight into how the holiday evolved from a 17th Century religious feast day to a worldwide celebration of Irish culture. The Zoom event finished with the playing of popular traditional and contemporary Irish songs.

Continuing the focus on Irish music, the main event of the day was a streamed concert featuring the Irish musical groups We Banjo 3, The Friel Sisters and One for the Foxes. Freshman Mark Moore, who listened to the concert, said of the event, “it was a great way to sit around with friends and enjoy some music that I probably wouldn’t have been exposed to otherwise.”

POWER held a Sip and Paint event at the Driscoll Tent, complete with mocktails, painting and alcohol education trivia.

CAT held a St. Patrick’s Day cookie decorating around fire pits on the Campus Green, complete with themed decorating kits. The University Irish Dance Team performed on the Green for all those in attendance.

To finish off the night, the campus-favorite food trucks made an appearance on the Campus Green.. Fire pits were also available to be reserved. Donohue and Dougherty dining halls featured a special St. Patrick’s Day themed menu alongside the more traditional options, including ham, cabbage and Irish soda bread.

All of the events were focused on being as safe and COVID-conscious as possible and seemed to achieve that goal with flying colors, as there was no significant increase in cases during the week.

Students Reflect on the Second Working Break Jadyn Ramos Staff Writer

As the spring semester crosses the halfway mark, this would be the time when the University typically has spring break. Like many other things, COVID-19 has impacted the usual academic schedule, including spring break. This year, Villanova was unable to have a spring break, and instead, the administration implemented two “working breaks” for the students. These working breaks consisted of two days in the middle of the week where there could be no assignments due or assigned, and no tests or exams administered. Professors could choose whether or not to hold class or alter their class plan on those days.

There were two separate working breaks scheduled. The first was on Feb. 17-18 and the second was this past week on March 16-17.

With roughly seven weeks remaining in the spring semester, students had some varying feedback on the effectiveness and experience of the working breaks.

Many students agree with freshman Eugenio Nocera, who thought, “it would have been nice to have a [spring] break,” rather than just a couple days off of assignments and tests. There is a general consensus among students, faculty and staff, considering that some sort of break

is always needed around this time of year. Junior Maddie Burke expressed this sentiment well.

“It is hard not having a spring break this year.,” she said.

“The week-long break is always necessary and appreciated. However, my professors have been really understanding over both working breaks because I think it is just as difficult for the faculty and staff to go straight through the semester.”

Along with Burke, some students were very appreciative of the two-day working break, and their professors took full advantage of the break, as many classes were cancelled on that Tuesday and Wednesday.

“The break was really nice and a nice way to alleviate some pressure from school work by not having any homework,” freshman Carson Demarco said.

Demarco spent his two day break, “catching up on some sleep, reading and TV,” like many other students across campus.

Although it is known that the University put a lot of effort and thought into the idea of the working break, some people thought it didn’t really feel like a full break from the stress of school, especially after midterms the previous week. Olivia Krause, a sophomore on campus, shared her thoughts on the working break and the effectiveness of it for students.

“While I believe that the

University had good intentions with the working breaks for students, I do not believe that they were effective in giving students a break from schoolwork,” Krause said. “Spring break is always a full week where classes are not held and there is no work assigned. This allows the students to recharge after completing half of the semester and finishing midterm exams. With the working breaks however, the majority of professors still held class. While there was no work assigned for the two days of the ‘break,’ professors assigned things to be due the day before or the day after.”

Krause is not alone in her opinion that, “the working breaks

were completely ineffective in giving students a real break from schoolwork because they still had to focus on upcoming assignments due that week.”

The spring semester’s final weeks are nearly here, yet COVID-19 still makes this one of the most life altering and challenging years yet. University faculty and staff are putting in a lot of extra time and effort to try to make the year as normal as possible and attempting to keep our usual traditions, including a break during the spring semester.

This working break was the final of the semester. Students will have several days off during Holy Week.

Students took advantage of the warmer weather during the second working break of the semester.

Courtesy of Sarah Jones

4 | The Villanovan

NEWS

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

McNulty Institute Hosts “Let Her Speak” Lecture Series Katie Reed Staff Writer

On Thursday, Mar. 11, at 5 p.m., the Anne Welsh McNulty Institute for Women’s Leadership sponsored another rendition of the “Let Her Speak: Amplifying Voices and Fostering Conversation” series. The event was geared toward discussing the intersection between gender and mental health. This conversation was open to all students on campus via Zoom and lasted about an hour.

Students were put into a breakout room together that functioned as a listening circle, giving them a space to share the ways in which gender impacts their mental health and to connect with others around them.

The conversation was facilitated by Maddy Bishop and Mikayla Desaye, who are both members of the organization Peers Offering Wellness Education and Resources (POWER) at the University. It was supervised by Danielle Ross, the Assistant Director of the McNulty Institute. However, the event was the result of a project undertaken by Maddie Cerulli and Katherine Mayer, who are both Lorenzini Leadership Ambassadors at the McNulty Institute.

“It was so nice to have a designated space to discuss the intersection of mental health and gender as we see it on campus and in our daily lives,” Cerulli said. “I think a lot of women on campus feel the same way about the added exhaustion that comes from navigating gender stereotypes on top of all the other mental health struggles college students face.”

Cerulli’s sentiment is especially pertinent now, given the way that women at the University have been dealing with the sexual assaults happening on campus.

She also expressed that mental health needs to be inclusive for all students, not allowing stereotypes to diminish their value.

“One thing we talked about is how conversations about gender and mental health are usually focused on how in general, men are discouraged from sharing about their emotions due to notions about masculinity and not looking weak,” Cerulli said. “This conversation is so important, but it should happen alongside the conversation about women’s mental health, as sometimes for the same gendered biases, women’s health is dismissed as them being emotional or dramatic.”

Mayer echoed similar sentiments about the productive nature of the event.

“It brought to my attention other aspects about the connection between gender and mental health on campus that I had not previously thought about,” she said. “We talked a lot about body image and the ways in which that impacts routines on campus, which was something I hadn’t really thought about before. The overall themes discussed in the conversation were pretty universal, so everyone was able to connect on some level.”

For ways that issues about the intersection of gender and mental health can be addressed on campus, both Cerulli and Mayer advocated for more conversations, similar to this one, that can help give people spaces where they feel comfortable opening up about mental health. This could also involve holding the University accountable for allocating more resources to make mental health feel like it is a priority for all stu-

dents, making sure to be inclusive of all identities.

Getting more involved in organizations like POWER and the McNulty Institute at the University is also a great way to help keep these conversations about gender and mental health going.

“Apply to be a Lorenzini Leadership Ambassador,” said Mayer.

“The McNulty Institute will be sending out information in the coming weeks about applying, and it is a fantastic way to connect with other students on campus while making change.”

If interested in becoming a Lorenzini Leadership Ambassador, keep an eye out for the upcoming application. There will also be another Let Her Speak event on Thursday, March 25, from 7-8 p.m., about the Unsung Figures of Women’s History. This event will be run in partnership with Get Woke Nova and My Sister’s KeepHER.

The Anne Welsh McNulty Institute for Women’s Leadership sponsored a “Let Her Speak” Lecture.

Courtesy of Villanova University

Communications Offers Scholarship for First Gen Students Sophia Pedro Staff Writer

Maria Di Stefano was an Administrative Assistant in the University’s Communication Department for more than 25 years. In addition to being an exemplary and inspiring member of the Villanova faculty, she was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, friend and advocate for her students.

Di Stefano was born in Italy and came to the United States when she was a teenager. Immediately after high school, she began a secretarial career and did not attend college.

After going back to school, she began her career at Villanova in a secretarial position in the College of Professional Studies. Eventually, Di Stefano began her work in the Communication Department and developed lasting connections with faculty, staff and especially students.

While Di Stefano did not attend a four-year college, when the time came for her own children to apply to college, she was very proud, as they would be the first to attend and graduate college in her family, and at Villanova, nonetheless.

Thus, in recognition of Di Stefano’s “kindness, resilience, effort, commitment, loyalty and support” a scholarship for First Generation Communication majors has been founded in her name and honor. Di Stefano

went above and beyond for her students and truly wanted to see them succeed and thrive. A scholarship of this kind helps to promote the flourishing of Communication students, specifically first-generation college students who Di Stefano particularly wanted to help in any way possible.

Loretta Chiaverini, a fellow Administrative Assistant in the Communication Department and one of Di Stefano’s closest friends, shared that, “there was no one that cared more for the students than Maria.

You can get the job done and do what you have to do, but she really cared.”

Similarly, one of Di Stefano and Chiaverini’s work-study students, Anthony Grasso, shared that he had only known Maria for seven months.

“Even though it was such a short amount of time, it felt like so much longer, and the impact she had will certainly last forever,” he said.

Her kind-hearted, selfless and fun-loving spirit is not only how Di Stefano’s family members will remember her, but also those who only got to experience her presence for just a short time.

This year, the inaugural Maria Di Stefano scholarship is awarding $500 for future Villanova costs to a first-generation Communication student who exemplifies the above attributes that Di Stefano radiated on a daily basis: kindness, compassion, commitment and loyalty.

According to the Commu-

nication Department, to be eligible for the scholarship, one must be a non-senior Communication major, in good academic standing for the current semester and a first-generation college student.

Heidi Rose, Ph.D., who is the Chair and a Professor of performance studies in the University’s Communication Department, shared that “while we need to start small in this inaugural year, we

hope in the next few years to grow the scholarship substantially.”

Rose is perhaps alluding to an increase in the number of students receiving the Maria Di Stefano scholarship every year.

Applications for the scholarship are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, March 26. More information regarding the scholarship, qualifications and contact information can be found online.

Di Stefano pictured with her family.

Courtesy of the Di Stefano Family

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

OPINION

The Villanovan | 5

OPINION

Music Mystery: Who Runs the Aux in the Connelly Center?

Joe Adams Staff Writer

The Connelly Center is a staple of Villanova’s campus. We’ve all been there. We’ve all grown to love it. It may even be your favorite study spot.

I propose a question to anyone reading: have you ever been studying in the Connelly Center and thought, “man, this music is the best”?

Well, I know I have, and for months now, I’ve been trying to get my hands on the Connelly Center music playlist. Miraculously, this week, it finally happened. I found the source of its beloved music.

First, I asked around campus, hoping that someone would have a connection and know the secret of the Connelly Center playlist. Unfortunately, nobody knew, so I found the Connelly Center Director, John Purcell, and reached out to him with questions. I nervously awaited a response from him, wondering if he would be willing to share the secret and if I would finally get my hands on the best music on campus.

Then, a notification came on my phone. I was thrilled because Purcell said he was willing to answer my questions. We were able to cover a wide range of topics, from his job as Director to the significance of the Connelly Center on campus.

As Director, Purcell said he loves his job for two reasons: the stu-

The Connelly Center is known for always playing exceptional music.

Courtesy of Olivia Pasquale

dents and the Villanova community.

“First, it’s always a pleasure to help students fulfill their plans and events,” he said. “They are excited to have their events and we are happy to help make these events successes.

Second, [I love] the contact I have with so many different facets of the University. It is great to feel the spirit of the University family through so many faculty, departments, and staff members.”

Purcell told me about his background as Director of the Connelly Center and what he does at the job.

“I have been in the Connelly

Center since 1987,” he said. “It’s one big family. I get to interact with my student staff and student managers along with our full-time staff. My job is to coordinate all staff to help the University in any needs during this crazy year.”

Purcell explained that he is always willing to help to do what’s best for Villanova students.

“We have been helping other departments and doing tasks we never did before,” he said. ‘But if it’s for the betterment of the University, we are ready to go. One of our staff T-shirts has ‘We get it done’ on it. We mean it.”

I asked Purcell why he thought the music was such an important part of the Connelly Center.

“I think it may be the atmosphere,” he said. “The music is a key part of that. We like to make the Connelly Center a comfortable place you can always stop into and relax and meet up with friends.”

Purcell also talked about what he’d heard from the students and how his own experiences reminded him of his time at college.

“We get a lot of comments on the music, and 95% are positive,” he said. “I know when I was in college, I liked loud music always in the background. Although I can’t keep it that loud, I understand. We are here for students. We are here to make everyone’s experience a fun, relaxing and pleasant one when you enter our doors.”

So, where does the music in the Connelly Center come from? To my surprise, he told me there was no playlist.

“On regular days, we play the radio, tuned to 95.7 Ben FM,” he said. “They have such a crazy mix of music which we think appeals to so many tastes. Their motto of ‘we play anything we want’ is true.”

Of course, ever since I found out about this, I’ve been jamming out to 95.7 Ben FM via its online live stream. I hope this life-changing secret helps you out, whether it’s listening on the way to class, while you study or in your dorm.

The Flawed Voting System of the Grammy Awards

The other great controversy that sparked outrage involved The Weeknd receiving no nominations, despite “After Hours” being one of the biggest albums of the year.

Each year, the Grammys are This album consisted of songs like marred with controversy as upset “Blinding Lights,” which consistentfans cry out and accuse the show of rigging the awards when their favorite ly infested radios across America throughout the year. artist does not win. This year was no

How can this even happen? different, with Megan Thee Stallion No one really knows how artists are at the center of backlash, as she won nominated for these awards. Accordthree main category awards in her first year appearing in the show. While ing to The Weeknd himself, secret committees control this process. This these awards were deservedly earned leaves no checks for bias in the system, due to her massive success in 2020, as no one can hold the people responit does not take away from the weird sible for the selection process accountvoting system seen throughout the years that explains the consistent out- able for their weird nominations. The rage from fans towards the Grammys. voting process should be transparent to the public, or else the Grammys

This year’s award show did will continue to have this negative have its share of weird voting, but reputation.

Megan Thee Stallion does not fall This nomination process is victim to this. Whatever your opinion is on her music, she was definitely one why people see oddities in the Gramof the most influential artists over the mys each year. For example, a pastprime Nas won the coveted Best Rap past year, with popular songs such Album award with his most recent as “Savage” and “WAP” headlining social media for months. TikTok, one album because the nominations he of the most popular social media sites went up against were subpar. Artists such as Lil Uzi Vert, The Weeknd, of this year, promoted her music imDaBaby, 21 Savage and Pop Smoke mensely, with fans creating their own released critically acclaimed albums videos using these songs.

It is no surprise that “Savage” in 2020, but none were nominated for the award. However, they had artists won her the Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance awards, as this song who struggled to peak on the Billboards running against a rap legend greatly benefitted Megan Thee Stallion’s success over the last year. Given such as Nas.

Even if the nominations are that she is also relatively new on the music scene, it is also justified that she correct, the 2014 Best Rap Album won the Best New Artist award due to award shows that the voting is just off at certain times. The aptly named this prominence.

Derek Ramirez Jerez Staff Writer

Megan Thee Stallion won three Grammys.

Courtesy of Jay L Clendenin/LA Times/Shutterstock

“The Heist” album by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis won the award, beating rap titans like Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Kanye West and Drake, who all released albums that are now career staples. “The Heist” obviously won because of the song “Thrift Shop,” which took the world over in a similar manner to how Megan Thee Stallion’s songs did in 2020.

However, what the Grammys did right this year is that it separated the Best Rap Song and Best Rap Album awards, not giving “Suga,” Megan Thee Stallion’s album including “Savage,” the award or nomina-

tion. The other nominees in 2014 had more complete albums, but “The Heist” still wrongly won because of the popularity of one song.

No one knows this for sure about who makes these decisions that sparks so much frustration among fans at the Grammys. This then leaks onto what the show actually gets right, such as with Megan Thee Stallion this year, and fans start to discredit rightly earned awards. A simple fix is to increase transparency between fans and the Grammy voters, but this seems like something the organizers of the event are not interested in doing.

6 | The Villanovan

EDITORIAL BOARD

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS

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

CATE McCUSKER Editor-in-Chief JACK ROBERGE MADISON BURKE TINA ARON VIVI MELKONIAN

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

OPINION

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 auhtors and do not necessarily reflect the position of The Villanovan.

Lessons From Europe’s Vaccine Panic Andrew Ceonzo Staff Writer

We are always making decisions under conditions of uncertainty with imperfect information. In a pandemic, the information leaders have is even more uncertain given the rapid evolution of our understanding of the virus. These conditions require leaders to make difficult tradeoffs that have to maximize reward while managing risks. There is no ideal, only choices between competing second-best scenarios. Given these considerations, the decision of numerous European countries to suspend use of the AstraZeneca vaccine was a grievous error that will further inhibit Europe’s already anemic mass vaccination program.

Two weeks ago, countries across Europe began pausing AstraZeneca shots due to reports of blood clots in people who had recently received the vaccine. Scientists in Denmark reported cases of rare and dangerous blood clots which forced the European Medicines Agency (the European Union’s version of our FDA) to call an emergency meeting.

The EMA released its preliminary investigation into the available data a few days later, finding that “the vaccine is not associated with an increase

in the overall risk of blood clots... in those who receive it.” The EMA made the right call, and after losing around a week and a half of vaccinations, some countries are beginning to resume use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

However, this pause and emergency investigation should never have occurred, as there was not sufficient initial evidence to raise doubt over the safety of the vaccine. Before approval, the AstraZeneca jab underwent rigorous safety and efficacy testing. No statistically significant blood clotting problems were reported.

Around 20 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been administered worldwide. If blood clotting was a substantial risk factor, it is likely that this would have shown up in the data before now. This assessment has been confirmed by the EMA, who concluded its investigation this week and reported that the “Overall the number of [blood clotting] events reported after vaccination...was lower than that expected in the general population.”

Polling data before this snafu demonstrated concerning levels of vaccine hesitancy across Europe.

While regulators intended for the pause and investigation to reassure the public, the move could have the opposite effect and raise doubt in the minds of everyday people who

don’t have the time or desire to review the statistical and scientific evidence demonstrating there isn’t an increased risk of blood clotting. Instead, the initial headline will leave a lasting and fear inducing imprint: Vaccine suspended over blood clotting fears.

The countries claim they were acting precautionarily. In practice, this meant rejecting risk-benefit analysis in favor of absolute certainty. Instead of continuing with vaccinations until there was a scientifically demonstrated problem with the AstraZeneca shot, European bureaucrats paused the use of a life-saving vaccine in the absence of statistical evidence or scientifically demonstrated causality.

Notably, one country that didn’t nab the jab was Britain.

Throughout the entire episode, the Brits continued using the AstraZeneca vaccine, maintaining that the demonstrated benefits of the vaccine in preventing infection, severe illness and death from coronavirus outweighed the unproven risks of increased blood clotting. The UK has taken a similar approach to vaccination more broadly, understanding the necessity to balance reward and risk and to not allow the perfect to become the enemy of the good.

Soon after the first vaccines were approved, the British made a calculated decision with a high

reward-to-risk ratio and became the first country to adopt a first-doses-first approach to vaccination, despite the method being unconfirmed by scientific study. Instead of holding doses back to provide people with their second dose, Britain prioritized giving as many first doses as possible because it realized that one dose of all of the vaccines provides over 95 percent protection against death. Thus, instead of raising one person from 95 percent 99 percent protection from death with a two-dose course, they raise two people from 0 percent protection to over 95 percent protection from death with two first doses.

Consequently, EU countries have only vaccinated approximately 12.5 percent of their population, while the UK has given first doses to around 50 percent of its population.

Along with recent scientific studies confirming the superiority of the British approach, the first-doses-first program has been vindicated through the plummeting number of infections in England while the rest of the continent undergoes another round of lockdowns.

European countries’ decision to pause AstraZeneca shots without sufficient scientific evidence will cause unnecessary death and delay the return to normal life for their citizens, all without any scientific evidence.

Quizzes During ‘Working Breaks’ Defeat the Purpose Kendall Hayes Staff Writer

This past Tuesday and Wednesday, March 16-17, marked the second and last working break of the semester. Unfortunately, this concept of a working break is extremely difficult for some professors to understand; a working break is not a working break unless no work is given – it is as simple as that.

For many students, professors are more than accommodating during these two days marked as working breaks. Many classes were canceled as a result of the break, and assigned work surrounding that week was significantly decreased. However, some professors were still having trouble understanding what a working break meant.

The Vice Provost for Academics Craig M. Wheeland defined the working break in an email sent out to the students on December 15, 2020.

“We define a ‘working break’ to be a period of time during which no assignments, exams or papers are due,” Wheeland said.

In the email sent out to the

nova to support students during this time, and in the school’s mind, this support is demonstrated through the working break.

But is a working break even helping students if the administration is not holding professors accountable? Is this just a way for the University to cover its tracks, saying that a working break was given, even if it really was not?

Professors who blatantly choose to disrespect the rules of the working break need to be reprimanded.

Mental health is not a joke.

Throughout this past year, the rate of suicidal thoughts in college-age adults spiked. In new research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it was found that one in every four 18-24 year-olds contemplated suicide in June 2020. This is not just a statistic. This is a cry for help.

Professors may think that a quiz is just a quiz, but in reality, this is so much more than The second working break took place March 17 and 18. that. The University is not asking Courtesy of Sarah Jones professors to cancel classes. It is asking to give students a breath of student body, Wheelan explained the pressure at key points in the fresh air: a break. I beg you. Give how this working break was a semester,” Wheelan said. students the respect they deserve method approved by the provost

Mental health has always and do not give a quiz during the to support student’s mental health. been a serious issue throughout working breaks. It defeats the pur “Provost Maggitti approved colleges across the country, and a ‘working break’ approach in the pandemic only heightened this pose. After all, a quiz is just a quiz; it can wait a week.

Spring 2021 as one way to relieve concern. It is important for Villa-

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

The Villanovan | 7

OPINION

The Dark and Terrifying Truth About Armie Hammer Regan McEnroe Staff Writer

Considered a successful actor with Oscar nominations and critical acclaim for big time roles, Armie Hammer led a seemingly picturesque life. His career was flourishing, with a booming fanbase from success in movies like “Call Me by Your Name.”

However, recent claims were released about the actor regarding cannibalism, sex assault and erotic sexual behavior including BDSM.

While the actor chalks the accusations up to the insanity of quarantine, it seems this story dates back to a deeper and darker past in which Hammer indulged in suggestive, fanatical illusions revolving around rape and cannibalism, according to an in-depth exposé by Vanity Fair.

In one fell swoop, Hammer’s entire life crumbled before his eyes.

Upon finding himself trapped to quarantine in the Cayman Islands, Hammer’s marriage fell under significant scrutiny, ultimately ending in divorce. This began his fatal bender that resulted in the scandalous messages resurfacing between Hammer and various women, who revealed accounts of emotional abuse, manipulation and intense sexual fantasies.

As Hammer romanced a multitude of young lovers back in the U.S., his life fell into ruins as more vulgar messages continued to emerge.

The leaked texts sent to unsuspecting women included Hammer detailing fantasies of eating their bodies and raping them, in so few words. Though the texts are undoubtedly strange and distasteful as more information was revealed about this, I couldn’t help but think that his life was being destroyed because of a strange fetish being blown out of proportion.

The scandal initially seemed to be a complete over exaggeration of decidedly kinky texts that any other person with strong sexual desires and fantasies would send. In fact, I was on Hammer’s side initially, not fully understanding how mere messages proved to derail his life in such a significant way. While the texts were indeed raunchy and uncalled for, there were no accounts of Hammer ever performing such acts as seeing “your brain, your blood, your organs, every part of you. I would definitely bite it” or “you crying and screaming, me standing over you. I felt like a god,” as Vanity Fair reports. If the texts were simply just texts, then what is all the outrage for?

Though I initially did not think these weird, kinky tests warranted the ending of Hammer’s career, I couldn’t help but feel this narrative was incomplete. A few weeks after the scandal first broke, the first victim revealed herself to recount an incident back in 2017 in which Hammer

A Vanity Fair article recently exposed “Call Me by Your Name” star, Armie Hammer.

Courtesy of CNN

violently raped her for hours.

The victim, calling herself Effie, detailed her head being slammed against the wall leaving her with bruises on her face among other non-consensual acts of rage and violence. Effie recalled being frightened for her life and unable to escape Hammer, before he ultimately left her with no concerns for her well-being.

For all we know at this point, Effie could be the first of many women who have fallen victim to Hammer’s insane sexual tendencies. What once would have been seen as passion and charm in the height of his career has proven to be nothing more than vile and disgusting treatment of women.

At this moment, sexual assault is frighteningly rampant and has proven to be present even here on campus. Men think they have the

right to treat women in such demeaning and vulgar ways when they simply do not. Looking back on my initial thoughts of Hammer’s downfall, the messages should have been a sign that something deeper and darker was going on. No person would send such freakish messages without having an ulterior motive, and Hammer has proven this to be true.

The time when men think they can do as they please with no consequences for their actions needs to come to an end. I am sick of hearing story after story describing men taking advantage of women simply because they think they can. This behavior needs to be extinguished immediately, and women should be, and deserve to be, viewed as equals, not bodies men can abuse whenever they feel like it.

Opinion: “Pro-union” Biden Must Fight for the PRO Act Stephen Prager Staff Writer

Last month, Congress passed the Protecting the Right to Organize, or “PRO” Act, with support from all but one Democrat and five Republicans. The bill introduces sweeping changes to American labor laws and would expand collective bargaining rights more significantly than any law in recent memory.

If passed, the bill would be the most significant long-term economic reform of the Biden administration thus far. After President Joe Biden backed off of his previous support for $2,000 stimulus checks, a $15 minimum wage and the unilateral cancellation of $10,000 worth of federal student loan debt, this has the potential to buy back some goodwill from an increasingly restive progressive wing of the Democratic coalition.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, nearly half of all workers say they want a union in their workplace. However, only 12% are actually represented by one. This comes at the tail end of a 40-year trend of declining membership in unions, representing over 27% of workers in 1979. This trend has been hugely consequential for workers, who have lost an estimated $200 billion in total per year due to the decline. Meanwhile, non-union workers make just 81 cents for every dollar made by union workers.

While some of this unionization decline can be attributed to the outsourcing of manufacturing jobs and the increase in undocumented immigrant labor, a large amount can

also be attributed to the efforts of employers and their allies in government to weaken unions’ power. The PRO Act would make it easier for employers to unionize, making it harder for their employers to thwart their efforts and give them more tools to gain concessions once they’ve been organized.

The PRO Act’s most significant provision is the repeal of Section 14B of the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act, which dealt a massive blow to organized labor by allowing states to pass “right-to-work” laws, which are currently active in 27 states. These laws allow workers to be employed in unionized workplaces without paying dues to the unions representing them, which severely weakens their ability to bargain on behalf of all workers.

This has led to a depression of wages for workers in right-to-work states, who make anywhere from 1-6% less than those in states without right-towork laws, according to a study from UCLA.

The act would make it easier for gig-economy workers, such as those at Uber, Amazon and DoorDash, to form unions, which they cannot do under the National Labor Relations Act. The bill would allow these workers, currently classified as “independent contractors,” to become classified as employees under the National Labor Relations Act, entitling them not only to the right to organize, but also to receive healthcare, retirement and workers’ compensation benefits.

Some freelance workers and employers have expressed fears that this would lead formerly independent contractors to be fired, forced to unionize or lose their flexibility.

However, these fears misunderstand the purview of the bill. According

to labor lawyer Brandon Magner in the newsletter Labor Law Lite, the re-classification “would only affect the analysis of employee vs. independent contractors status for the purposes of the NLRA,” and would not affect it “for the purposes of state laws, such as those involving minimum wage, overtime, unemployment compensation, or various benefit schemes.”

This means that gig workers could gain the right to organize while maintaining the benefits that come with the status of an independent contractor at the state level.

In addition to these major changes, the PRO Act includes a host of provisions designed to provide unionizing workers with previously unavailable tools. For instance, the bill would allow workers who are not on strike to enact “secondary boycotts” on businesses whose workers are striking to add pressure on employers. It would also allow for the streamlining and shortening of the union election process, requiring employers to recognize unions that are formed with majority support through a petition or card-checking in place of a formal election process, which can be used by employers to prolong and undermine the unionization effort.

Other provisions would remove some of the most commonly used union-busting tactics. Employers would be prohibited from hiring permanent replacement workers to undermine strikes and holding mandatory meetings to present anti-union propaganda. Employers also often outright ignore the law, threatening and firing workers who attempt to unionize, knowing that the National Labor Relations Board will not inflict monetary penalties on them beyond restitution.

The PRO Act would allow the NLRB to enforce monetary penalties up to $50,000 on employers who violate the NLRA.

If passed, the PRO Act would be the biggest gain for the American labor movement since the Wagner Act first protected the right for private-sector workers to unionize all the way back in 1935. This is fitting, as President Biden has made comparisons between himself and former President Franklin Roosevelt, who made strengthening unions a key plank of his New Deal agenda to move American workers toward the light in a time of crisis.

But getting the PRO Act through Congress will not be easy. In fact, it will likely be the biggest gut check that the Biden administration will face in the early days. The bill is dead on arrival without reforms to the filibuster, which in its current form would require an impossible 60 votes to pass the Senate. After a long period of arguing that it should stay as it is, effectively killing his agenda outright, Biden seems to have come around on the need to, at the very least, reform the filibuster.

Rather than requiring a simple majority, Biden’s preferred tactic is to have Senate rules re-written to require the minority to stall the vote by dragging out debate verbally a la Robert Byrd or Strom Thurmond, which is vastly more taxing than the silent filibuster that is currently used.

But if Biden truly wants to emulate FDR and be “the most prounion president you’ve ever seen,” he has to put his money where his mouth is. The time for talk is over.

Biden must finally answer Pete Seeger’s immortal question: “Which side are you on?”

8 | The Villanovan

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

CULTURE

CULTURE

Villa-Vogue Fashion Feature: Grammys 2021 Fashion Kaelin Trombly Staff Writer

With award shows comes fashion, but no award show does fashion like the Grammys. From the mix of outré styles and attention grabbing outfits, every artist in attendance takes the opportunity to assert exactly who they are and their musical message. The Grammys necessitate bold expressions of personality, as it is one of the very few occasions in which a simple black dress or tux just won’t cut it.

The tone of the award show was set by Harry Styles during his hit performance of “Watermelon Sugar.”

The star was adorned in a head to toe black leather Gucci suit and a mint feathered boa. The boa acted as the cherry on top, as it added glam to his original rock look, displaying a fresh look to his sound and performance.

Styles wasn’t the only artist who made an appearance in all Gucci this year. Billie Eilish attended the event in a pink, black and gray patterned button down shirt with matching flared trousers. The 19-year-old singer accessorized with white sneakers, a mask and bucket hat featuring the same design.

It is safe to say that Eilish will never fail to bring her oversized punk signature

style.

Dua Lipa was a show stopper this year as she made a red carpet appearance in an Atelier Versace gown.

Her look gave off a vintage Cher moment with her embellished semi-sheer frock and thigh-high slit. However, the detailing on her gown was the best part, which consisted of a butterfly motif on the bodice. The subtle nod was on purpose, as she told E!’s Giuliana Rancic earlier in the night, “Butterflies have had like a lot of symbolism for me this year, and it’s actually got a lot of symbolism for Versace too.”

I’m not just saying this because it is my favorite color, but pay close attention to the color orange for the next upcoming fashion seasons.

Want to know why? Just take a look at Meghan Thee Stallion’s spectacular Dolce&Gabbana gown. The Best new Artist winner made a serious statement in her vibrant orange confection adorned with a dramatic bow detail down the back. She completed the look with studded orange heels and dazzling diamond pieces by Chopard.

Next up, the most underrated look of the event was Ingrid Andress’s suit. The Best New Artist nominee stunned in an ivory Armani Prive look that consisted of a sleek suit sans undershirt. Andress brilliantly swapped out a blazer undergarment for an array

of layered necklaces.

Last but not least, my favorite look of the bunch was Taylor Swift in Oscar de la Renta. Her dress screamed romanticism, as the flowers appeared to be straight from a garden rather than embroidered textile. If her garment looks familiar, it’s because it was modeled by Candice Swanepoel in Oscar de la Renta’s Fall 2021 lookbook.

The long-sleeved garment was paired

of tights your new best friend. It is important to have a good pair of tights to match your skin tone, which allows for wearing skirts and dresses without feeling as though your legs are too exposed. Similarly, patterned or solid-colored tights are great to have. A good place to buy quality tights is Calzedonia. They have all types of tights; sheer, colored and patterned. Next time you are at King of Prussia Mall, stop in the store to look for a pair that will match your skin tone perfectly.

The next tip is to pay attention to clothing material. The chunky wool sweater that you might have worn during the winter will be too hot to wear in the coming weeks. Instead, opt for cotton. Cotton sweaters are light and breathable so that one won’t feel

uncomfortably warm. Also, look into wearing sweater vests. This style has come into popularity recently and will definitely continue trending throughout the spring. Regardless of material, a sweater without sleeves will definitely keep one cool. When thrifting, try looking for light sweaters or sweater vests to add to a spring wardrobe.

Something I always like to incorporate into my spring wardrobe is pants other than jeans. Sometimes, wearing jeans every day can get boring. While it’s true that jeans are a great type of trouser that one can wear in many different ways, try to elevate your style by experimenting with other kinds of bottoms this spring. One style that works great in the springtime is dress pants. Dress pants usually feature

perfectly with pink Christian Louboutin heels, detailed with a bow.

If there was time to list every single notable look from this year’s Grammys, one could have waited through the Pit’s deli line five times over and still be reading this article. While there were some misses, most artists appeared in incredible ensembles that certainly set a bar for award shows to come.

Harry Styles performing at the 2021 Grammys.

Courtesy of Pagesix.com

Spring Fashion: Dressing for Unpredictable Weather Devin Toolen Staff Writer

The weather over the last few weeks has been anything but predictable. One week it’s 65 degrees and sunny while the next is 40 degrees with harsh winds. Spring weather can make styling outfits very difficult. Will you get too hot or too cold in your outfit? Can you wear a sundress if it’s nice enough outside? The following tips will help in deciding how to manage outfits with the fluctuating temperatures this spring.

The first tip goes without saying: always keep a jacket on you.

The afternoon sun may be strong enough to allow for just wearing a tee, but once it goes behind the clouds or sets, the temperatures will quickly drop. If you go to Villanova, it’s likely that you already own a jean jacket, so this is an easy fix to the problem. But this spring, why not try to incorporate more unique jacket styles into your wardrobe? Different styles of blazers can be great closet additions. Blazers are really easy to find at thrift stores.

Look for oversized blazers that can be styled with jeans and sneakers. The blazer and jeans combination creates a really simple outfit that is perfect for the constantly changing spring weather. Similarly, a leather jacket is a great alternative to the jean jacket, but be sure to only wear these on cooler days, as leather can get hot.

Another tip to keep in mind is the inclusion of tights in your wardrobe. When the days get warm, it’s tempting to put on a skirt or dress for going to class. However, when the sun isn’t out, the cold temperatures will make one shiver. Ever since I’ve incorporated tights into my wardrobe, I’ve given myself so many more outfit options. This spring, make a pair

Style a tank top and oversized blazer with jeans, New Balance sneakers, and a tote bag.

Courtesy of Devin Toolen

a softer, more flowy material to allow more breathing room. Some favorite places to look for dress pants include Glassons, ASOS, And Other Stories and Verge Girl. When shopping, look for these types of pants in colors such as solid black, tan, gray or maybe even a subtle blue and white pinstripe. Style these pants with a white cropped tee, an oversized dress shirt and sneakers.

Lastly, when creating an outfit, always make sure to style a tank top underneath. If you’ve ever had class in Tolentine, you understand how easy it is to break a sweat after hiking up the dreaded stairs and entering a stifling hot classroom. To avoid feeling uncomfortably warm, make sure to wear a tank top underneath whatever top you might wear. Some places to buy tank tops include Gap and American Eagle. Tanks with thicker straps look perfect under sweaters, button-up shirts or blazers.

All of these tips should help one master dressing for spring weather. However, there is one overarching tip that is essential to remember: layering is not just for the wintertime.

A lot of fashion influencers always talk about the importance of layering for the cold winter months, but being able to take off layers is just as important as being able to put more on. As mentioned, layering tanks under sweaters or even the addition of a cute jacket to an outfit will be a lifesaver this spring.

You can even try layering a tight long sleeve over a flowy tank top. When styling outfits, think of ways to incorporate multiple layers. This way, you can shed what you don’t need during the heat of the afternoon, and during the cold nights you can put back on more layers. With these tips, one should be able to conquer the unpredictable weather with your transitional wardrobe.

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

CULTURE

The Villanovan | 9

Mental Health Initiative IfYoureReadingThis.Org at VU Julia Stanisci Co-Culture Editor On Monday, March 22, the Villanova Chapter of IfYoureReadingThis. org went live with its first student-authored letter. IfYoureReadingThis. org functions to close the gap between students struggling with mental health and the people that care about them by having friends and peers come forward first and share the responsibility of being vulnerable. The website hosts open letters of support from students and faculty to empower students to build or tap into their support networks by identifying the people who understand and want to listen and by erasing the barrier of stigma. Letters are accompanied with a name and a photo so that readers know mental health is a topic we should not be ashamed to speak about and should be diligent in caring for, especially in the face of limited or inaccessible mental health services.

IfYoureReadingThis.org was created at the University of Virginia by founder Alexandra Pentel in the fall of 2016. Pentel noticed that social media campaigns, though well-intended, did not do much to end the stigma surrounding mental illness. Additionally, students often feel that professional counseling somehow lacks a deeper connection but fear reaching out to their friends, as they are afraid of feeling like a burden. Fearing judgment, this search for support can be discouraging and perpetuates the culture of

suffering in silence from mental illnesses. Pentel sought a solution to these problems and came up with IfYoureReadingThis.org, a place where the support comes forward first that meets mental illness with action. It is a place that brings people together beyond a hashtag. Through outreach efforts across the different communities of the university, IfYoureReadingThis aspires to develop the initiative into a sustainable, university-wide support network.

I founded the Villanova chapter of IfYoureReadingThis.org to advocate for student mental health and empower others to reach out in times of adversity. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the lack of mental health resources on college campuses, I felt that the Villanova community needed an easily accessible mental health resource that projects student voices. After struggling with mental health for many years myself and watching friends and family suffer in silence, I knew IfYoureReadingThis would make a positive impact on Villanova’s campus through erasing the stigma, empowering students to connect with each other and building a better, more open conversation about mental health.

The first letter is authored by sophomore Dayna Deakin. Deakin heard about IfYoureReadingThis through outreach within Villanova’s Blue Key Society and resonated with the organization’s mission.

“I really wanted to write a letter because it felt like an amazing op-

IfYoureReadingThis.Org comes to Villanova.

Courtesy of Julia Stanisci

portunity to let others know that they are loved and that it is okay to talk about and be open about struggling with mental health,” Deakin said.

“Breaking the stigma is so important and being able to help someone in that process is really important to me.”

Deakin’s letter opens with, “If you’re reading this, you are important,” and goes on to remind students that they are valued, worthy and loved, no matter what their mental illness may try to convince them to believe.

The hope is that by getting students, faculty and campus leaders

to write letters for the site, we address the issue of mental illness on college campuses while bringing the community closer together and showing that these people are people, just like you, and they struggle with the same issues you do.

To learn more, and for mental health resources, visit http://www. ifyourereadingthis.org/villanova.

To write a letter, visit http://www. ifyourereadingthis.org/submit. Contact ifyourereadingthisnova@gmail. com with any questions and follow @ ifyourereadingthisnova on Instagram to stay tuned!

Villanova Campus Ministry’s Plastic Free Lent Initiative Kara Dempsey Staff Writer

Villanova Sustainability and Campus Ministry partnered to invite students to participate in a Plastic Free Lent again this year. Starting on Ash Wednesday, February 17, students who signed up to participate committed to eliminating two to three plastic items from their daily lives while also being more intentional about consumer habits and what that means for the environment.

In addition to this commitment, participants have been meeting weekly for small group reflections with the aim of deepening their relationship to the Earth and others who share their environmental concerns.

According to the Plastic Free Lent promotion, “[Students] will have the opportunity to engage in supportive community building while meeting new people.” Students who accepted the invitation to participate are allowed to reflect on their daily actions while also engaging in meaningful dialogue about what it means to live intentionally.

Participating students also received a couple of plastic-free giveaways. This included a bamboo toothbrush and a bar of soap.

Sophomore Megan Fitzpatrick is participating in Plastic Free Lent as a facilitator.

“Plastic Free Lent is a program that brings together sustainability and faith,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s an opportunity to build a community with like-minded students who also care about living more sustainably and a chance to talk about how that relates to your spiritual life.”

As a facilitator, Fitzpatrick leads weekly, one-hour sessions of small group dialogue.

“I wanted to take a leadership role in it because I felt really strongly about connecting my passion for my faith with my passion for sustainability, and I wanted to share my enthusiasm and knowledge with others,” Fitzpatrick said. “I always love getting involved with campus ministry because it is such a supportive community.”

Another facilitator for small group discussion as part of Plastic Free Lent is junior Emily Jaenicke.

“Plastic Free Lent became a space for me freshman year to connect with people who value the intersection of faith and environmentalism,” Jaenicke said.

Hosting an event like Plastic Free Lent is important for Villanova as a Catholic institution.

“On Villanova’s campus, I think we are doing a good job of looking at how the church has historically overlooked sustainability, but now we are working to face the issue head on,” Jaenicke said.

Last year, Jaenicke worked with Campus Ministry to enhance the Plastic Free Lent initiative.

“I connected with Ed Sloan to work toward making Plastic Free Lent an open discussion and provide accountability for the plastic free covenant,” Jaenicke said.

Because of COVID-19, the Plastic Free Lent has changed, with group discussions now occurring over Zoom.

“This year, I am facilitating a small group to ensure that there is still a sense of community for anyone participating in it,” Jaenicke said.

Additionally, the Plastic Free Lent initiative is important because of how difficult COVID-19 has made it to focus on making environmentally friendly choices.

“I think it is especially important to talk about the environment

now because of how hard it is to live sustainably in COVID times,” Fitzpatrick said.

“It is important because environmental issues should be included in the social justice narrative that has been growing stronger recently.”

Campus Ministry pairs with Villanova Sustainability for the Plastic Free Lent.

Courtesy of Villanova University

10 | The Villanovan

CULTURE

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Villanova Theatre Performs You Can’t Take It With You Chelsea Le Staff Writer

The Villanova Student Theatre and its production of “You Can’t Take It With You” by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart was a humorous, heartfelt and inspiring play about loving the things that make life meaningful, despite unexpected circumstances.

Featuring an eccentric family with hobbies including collecting snakes, building fireworks in the basement and ballet, the show was brought to life in the Courtyard Theatre of The John and Joan Mullen Center for the Performing Arts. VST streamed the pre-recorded performance on YouTube from March 19 to March 21.

The performance was brought to fruition by the cast and crew, and the director Kylie Horan was delighted to have spearheaded the production.

“I was thrilled to hear that VST had selected this show and wanted to be a part of it in any capacity,” Horan said. “It was a wonderful experience to tease out the humor and love that just jumps out of this script, brought to life by such a malleable, hilarious cast.”

Horan is a prospective English major from Long Island, NY. Aside from directing, she is also a member of the VST board and was a scenic designer in the fall production of “Pride and Prejudice.”

As a junior Marketing and Business Analytics student from Malvern, PA, Gorman has participated in many theatrical productions throughout his years and is an active member of VST.

For Cassandra Thomas, a junior Psychology major from Lebanon, KY, this was her first show with VST. As props manager, Thomas was tasked with gathering all the materials required to supplement the performance, including snakes, an Eleanor Roosevelt mask and other eclectic pieces.

“This show had a lot of ups and downs, but overall it was such a fun experience I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Thomas said. “Doing live theater in the midst of a pandemic is not an easy task and without the fearless leadership of our director, Kylie, and our incredibly talented and flexible cast, we would have never pulled it off so wonderfully. I’ve met so many amazing people during this show and I’m so excited to sit back and watch what we all have worked so hard to create.”

Horan hopes the production brought joy to all who watched.

“I’m really thrilled for everyone to see this quirky, hilarious story come to life and for this resilient cast to get the praise that they deserve,” Horan said. “It’s always sad for such a special experience to end, but I am coming away from it feeling very grateful for all the lessons it has taught me, the bonds it has deepend, Students live streamed their production of Can’t Take It With You. and excited for the next thing VST Courtesy of @vstheatre will present.”

As a freshman, this was Horan’s first collegiate directing role.

In her note from the director, Horan conveyed the theme of the play: love.

“This is a show about love— moreover, it is a show about how love will always persevere,” Horan said. “In a time for the world so marked by stratification and isolation, remembering why we do what we do and who we do it for is integral. Now more than ever, it is integral to preserve the art, passion and laughter that make life worth living”

The process of bringing the play to the University’s stage was not easy, and COVID-19 was a looming threat to the success of the show. During the months prior to rehearsal, the cast and crew hit a myriad of unanticipated challenges including two snow days, a two-week University-wide shutdown and another two-week shutdown within the theatre due to a positive test among the production team.

“There were many challeng-

es in getting the right feeling across without letting actors touch, scenes where there normally would be a big, romantic kiss would be,” Horan said. “Coordinating a VST show with Villanova Theatre and the Mullen Center staff is complicated as is, especially with many people eager to use the new facilities, but accomplishing this task during covid-times made it much more difficult. Lots of email chains and alcohol wipes made this production possible!”

Daniel Gorman embodied the quirky Ed Carmichael in his performance, bringing to life the free-spirited man in his role within the Vanderhof-Sycamore-Carmichael clan.

“Despite all of the hurdles and setbacks, I could not be prouder of the final product,” Gorman said. “This cast and crew is the most incredibly resilient group imaginable — and we had the best time putting together this production. It’s a show about a tight-knit, crazy, loving family, and we certainly embraced and embodied that!”

How to Practice Sustainability During the Pandemic

again. If you forget your bags in the car, you can always refuse bags in the store, leave your groceries in the cart, and bag with your

Sustainability is broadly bags when you get to the car. If defined as “meeting the needs of you don’t feel comfortable using the present without compromising reusable bags or forget altogeththe ability of future generations to er, remember many retailers like meet their own needs” as provided Giant, Target and Walmart recycle by the UN Council in 1987. This plastic bags that aren’t accepted in can seem like a steep goal, espesingle-stream recycling programs. cially as a college student. Living

Consider using a reusable in dorms or apartments, with meal mask (make sure they have 2-3 plans that are out of your control, layers, inner filter pockets, and are sometimes it just seems easier to made of a tightly woven fabric). go with the flow. This post will Single-use masks are made of a share easy tips for how to stay susplastic material known as polytainable in college. Remember it’s propylene, which takes hundreds not about being perfect; it’s about of years to decompose. Although being mindful and doing as much the shutdown undoubtedly had as you can! positive effects on the climate,

In Your Dorm: Use what the pandemic has also created a you have. At the most basic level, surge in “COVID-19 waste” like this is what sustainability is about. gloves, masks and cleaning supply Don’t buy bamboo utensils if you containers. At the very least, pull don’t have to. Consider the unthe ear loops off disposable masks derlying shipping and production before throwing them away to encosts to the environment. Many sure wildlife don’t get tangled up college students already have a set in them. of metal utensils they can stick in

Support Local. Buying their backpacks and clean when There are multiple ways to protect the planet with simple practices. local products reduces your global they get home. If you have an artiCourtesy of The New York Botanical Garden impact, keeps your community cle of clothing you no longer wear, you need is a window and some landfills each year (via rts). There unique, creates jobs and investcut it up and make it into rags to seeds. Bonus points if you reuse are a lot of ways to combat this. If ment in the area as well as so wash surfaces. Reuse cans, consomething like an empty can as you’re eating at a dining hall, only much more. There is no end to tainers, water bottles in upcycling a potter. Also, this can save you ask for/take what you’re going what you can buy locally whether projects. Pinterest is a great remoney if you grow anything edito eat. If you grocery shop, meal it’s food (buy in season), clothes, source for getting upcycling ideas. ble. My roommates and I have an plan so that produce doesn’t go to beauty supplies, etc. Many comThis mindful use of products we AeroGarden where we grow basil, waste. Save veggie scraps in the munity farmer’s markets are open already own is not only cost-efparsley, dill, and rosemary. freezer for vegetable stock later. with COVID-19 guidelines, such fective for a university budget but

Stop wasting food. The

In the Community: Bring as the Lancaster County Farmers’ environmentally friendly.

United States is the leader in your reusable bags! Whole Foods, Market in Wayne. Everyone was

Start a garden. This is global food waste and contributes Giant and other grocers are allow- hit hard by the shutdown so buytotally doable in a dorm room. All nearly 40 million tons of food to ing you to use your reusable bags ing local will help local economies.

Anna Connelly Staff Writer

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

CULTURE

The Villanovan | 11

Hispanic Ministry Hosts Community Dinner Anthony Grasso Staff Writer

On Saturday, March 13, 2021, Hispanic Ministry hosted its monthly Cena de la Convivencia (Community Dinner) in the Driscoll Tent. La Cena is a time for students to come together and celebrate the rich and unique cultures of Latin America with traditional foods, games, activities, music and dancing. The dinners are typically held on one Saturday evening per month at 6:15 pm, following La Misa en Español (Spanish Mass) which occurs every Saturday at 5:30 P.M. in the Corr Chapel. Bringing together students in the spirit of Unitas, La Cena de Convivencia is a true embodiment of Villanova University’s Augustinian tradition.

The featured food at this month’s Cena was traditional Salvadoran pupusas, which are corn cakes stuffed with a variety of different food items, including cheese, peppers, meat, and beans.

Students were able to choose from an array of options and place orders to be individually wrapped and comprising up to three pupusas. In addition, students had the option to order their pupusas with sides of curtido and/or salsa roja.

Curtido is a type of relish that is found in the cuisines of various Central American nations and is typically made with cabbage, red onion, carrots and oregano.

Salvadoran Salsa Roja is a tomato-based sauce that is commonly served alongside pupusas.

The main activity at March’s Cena was the traditional Mexican game called Lotería.

The game is similar to Bingo, but as opposed to a letter followed by a number, boxes on the cards have in them drawings of different objects. The caller will state the name of the object, and players then place a chip in the appropriate box if that object is present on their card. Each card and corresponding box do have a number, but those are often not even utilized. To win a round, a player was required to fill all sixteen boxes on their card. The winners of each round were awarded with various goodies and souvenirs from Campus Ministry.

As always with the Cena, there was Latin music to provide an extra source of happiness and entertainment for all the students.

Students were able to safely celebrate being together with their friends as well as the completion of midterm week.

Students often attend the weekly 5:30 pm Spanish Mass

before making their way over to the Driscoll Tent for the Cenas; however, everyone is always welcome at the Cenas. The Cenas would not be possible without the admirable work and dedication of the Campus Ministry staff, most notably Ms. Irene Zarate Rivera, Villanova’s amazing Campus Minister for Hispanic/Latino/a Ministry and Outreach, and Mr. Victor José Jaimes-Ropaín of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps Philadelphia. There are also many undergraduate students without whom these special community dinners would not be possible, including

Ms. Vianney Luna, Ms. Jessica Sardina, Ms. Ana Valentina Wey, Mr. Marco Vázquez, and all those involved with both Hispanic Ministry and ¡Levántate! VU. At this month’s Cena, students were also joined for some time by Fr. Arthur Purcaro, O.S.A., and Fr. Aldo Potencio, O.S.A., both celebrants of Villanova’s Spanish masses. Overall, the Hispanic Ministry’s Cenas de la Convivencia provide such a wonderful opportunity to come together as a community and make new friends while enjoying delicious dishes and exciting activities from around Latin America.

The Hispanic Ministry hosts many events throughut the year.

Courtesy of Villanova University

Annual TEDxVillanovaU Solve For Why Conference Maddie Schieder Staff Writer

On Sunday, TEDxVillanovaU held its first virtual conference, “Solve for Why,” featuring 11 speakers live from the John and Joan Mullen Center for Performing Arts.

Hosting a TEDx conference in the midst of a pandemic has never run so smoothly. Attendees were mailed an audience experience box as well as a secure Zoom link for the official attendees. There were more than 100 official attendees and 380 livestream viewers for the event.

Experience boxes contained a T-shirt, reusable utensils, notepads and even cookies made from crickets. A “Solve For Why’’ conference pamphlet was also emailed to attendees to deliver the schedule and details on what TEDx is and the goal of Sunday’s conference.

“This year’s theme is:

‘Solve for Why,’” the pamphlet stated. “We chose this theme because as we attain a greater understanding of the why behind our actions and beliefs, our lives will hold more purpose. The goal of the conference is to ignite change by explaining or asking the ‘Why’ behind the ‘What’ and ‘How’ of many important and complicated topics.”

The event was broken into a combination of sessions and breaks, allowing for group discussion with the speakers and mindfulness exercises. Breaks also consisted of musical and dance performances from various artists.

Between three sessions, two breaks and closing remarks, the schedule had a nice flow in an organized manner.

Talks ranged from why you should eat insects, more specifically crickets, to social change within coffee houses; yet they all tie back to understanding the “why.” The fascinating topics and the collaborative, cultural environment the

event upheld made the all-day event extremely beneficial for attendees and viewers. Whether a member of the Villanova community, alumni or simply interested intellectuals, the conversations about the talks between speakers and viewers were an experience like no other.

Plenty of University alumni were able to speak at the event including Chris Cahill, Liesel Schwarz, Darryl Reynolds, Michael R. Coad, Tom Edwards and Briana Taylor. Professors and staff at Villanova also had the opportunity to present, including Virginia Smith and Teresa Nance. Current students also spoke their “Solve for Why,” including sophomore Allison Bajada, junior Adriana Gurreri and freshman Claire Humphrey.

The wide range of demographics among the speakers allowed for diversity within the talks as well as room for similarity, as issues at Villanova from past to present were addressed and discussed.

Co-Presidents Simon

Brooks and Alexis Norcross concluded in the closing remarks that the countless Zoom meetings and hours of planning this event for over a year had finally paid off.

“TEDxVillanovaU: Solve for Why was worth every Zoom meeting, late night, frustration and obstacle jump,” Norcross said. “It truly took a village to pull off, but Simon and I couldn’t be more grateful for the leadership and management skills we have learned along the way, the intelligent and passionate people we have had the opportunity to connect with, and the minds we will open as the talk get put up on TED.com and shared with the world. Simon and I hope we are able to smoothly pass the baton to the next generation of our organization and that the growth of the club only continues. I am experiencing a full range of emotions now that the conference is over - speechless, relieved, sad, happy, fulfilled, inspired, nostalgic and motivated.”

12 | The Villanovan

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

CULTURE

Zach Snyder’s Justice League: Justice to the League

Flash (Ezra Miller), Aquaman (Jason Mamoa) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) in their effort against the movie’s big bad, Steppenwolf. Where the film differs is first, and most notice In 2017, audiences bore ably, in its runtime, which clocks in witness to the first-ever adaptation at a whopping four hours and two of The Justice League to the silver minutes. With this extended runscreen, and fans did not get what time comes a plethora of never-bethey were hoping for, to say the fore-seen character-led moments, least. Plagued by reshoots, differing and spoiler-alert, new characters, directorial visions and the infamous including the deadly Darkseid (who digital removal of Henry Cavill’s isn’t particularly deadly here) and mustache, the film was a quippy, the meditative Martian Mahunter tonally indistinct CGI slugfest. The movie that was supposed to turn DC (who actually is fairly meditative).

Also different is the addition of into Marvel’s box office equal had Henry Cavill Superman’s black cosfailed, and in its wake stood many tume and alternate dialogue within disappointed fans. Since the beginning, Warner Brothers’ DC Extend- pre-existing scenes from the 2017 movie. ed Universe had been spearheaded

“Zach Snyder’s Justice

by Zach Snyder, who kicked things League” is called that for a reason, off with “Man of Steel” in 2013 and as all of the small changes from the followed by introducing Batman and theatrically released version add Wonder Woman to Superman in up to a sum that is distinctly Sny2016’s “Batman v. Superman: Dawn der’s vision.

As only Snyder can do, of Justice.” While neither film was Superman serves more as a Jesus a critical success, both movies, and allegory than as an actual characmore importantly their director, developed a major cult following. Sny- ter, and Batman is much less afraid der’s next step was to direct the 2017 to use guns and kill people than he should be. Everything from the ac“Justice League,” but he withdrew tion sequences to the soundtrack are from the project in its final stages very in-line with Snyder’s directorial due to a family tragedy, leaving Joss idiosyncrasies; the music is almost Whedon to step in and finish the always of the lyrical alternate/indie film. Four years later, Snyder’s fans have willed his cinematic vision into variety and almost never consistent existence with “Zach Snyder’s Justice with what is being shown on screen.

The action sequences are fast-paced League,” released as an HBO Max and play out like moving comic book exclusive this past Thursday. pages, which are emphasized by

The story of the film is primarily the same as its 2017 counter- brief slow-motion zoom-ins.

If there is one thing that part, in which Batman (Ben Affleck) Snyder is great at as a director, it and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) is making a movie feel like a comic hurry to recruit a team of superhebook.

The film utilizes a very untraroes to face off against an encroachditional 4:3 aspect ratio that gives ing alien threat from the hell-like every shot the aesthetic of a comic world, Apokolips. Also consistent are book panel.

Presumably, this skill for the roles of league members The Matthew Gaetano Staff Writer

Zach Snyder’s “Justuce League” only bode well for Snyder fans.

Courtesy of Warner Brothers

capturing the atmosphere of a comic book originates from Snyder’s practically panel-per-panel adaptation of “Watchmen” in 2009. Unfortunately, Snyder seems to have drawn more than just this from “Watchmen,” because he approaches every superhero film with the same melancholy that the 2009 movie necessitated.

The Justice League is not the Watchmen, as it does not thrive in a moody atmosphere. On the other hand, The Justice League doesn’t need to be light and fun like Joss Whedon’s “The Avengers.” Considering that both Whedon and Snyder had a hand in 2017’s “Justice League,” it’s no surprise that the movie was a stylistically erratic mess. Rather than bringing a much needed balance to these two styles, “Zach Snyder’s Justice League” piles on the weight in the moody atmosphere department.

Before Marvel dominated the arena of superhero blockbusters, The Justice League was as big, if not bigger, than The Avengers. With the first attempt, “Justice League’’ a failure but, much like Superman within Snyder’s narrative, the film was given an unprecedented second chance. That being said, whether or

not “Zach Snyder’s Justice League” is truly a success rests in the eyes of the beholder. Undisputedly, the film is at the very least, marginally better than DC’s first attempt, but Snyder’s vision doesn’t have the same universal appeal as Marvel’s tried and true moviemaking formula (although the four hour runtime practically prevented that from the start).

The movie being either a masterpiece or a total flop depends on the viewer’s liking or disliking of Snyder’s filmmaking style. To those who rallied for the film’s creation, “Zach Snyder’s Justice League” will be a dream come true, but for the casual watcher, not so much. Regardless of one’s thoughts on the film, the movie marks the start of an era in which fan culture holds more influence over cinema than ever before. Though DC and Warner Brothers have been adamant that there will be no followup to “Zach Snyder’s Justice League,” the inclusion of a newly shot twenty-minute epilogue suggests otherwise. Any number of years ago, this epilogue would be an unsatisfying cliffhanger, but in this new age, if fans want more, all they have to do is ask.

The Social Dilemma and The Truth About Technology Sara Hecht Staff Writer

Released a year ago, the documentary “The Social Dilemma” is unlike any anti-device lecture your mother has ever hounded you with.

The docudrama gives the ethicists, tech experts and so-called “computer philosophers” of Silicon Valley a platform to shed light on the perils of social media and the very technologies they created.

The film delves into how technology has the ability to sway elections, foster conspiracies and even spark mass civil unrest. In a way, the documentary predicted this event by depicting a fictionalized teenager being radicalized by the “extreme middle,” the film’s way of avoiding a political stance, through online sites and social media platforms. Meanwhile, the Capital riot was planned by far-right sites such as Parler, Gab, TheDonald and MeWe.

The documentary also asks viewers to be introspective. Tristan Harris, a former Google Design ethicist, shares how e-mail is his Achilles heel. To combat the tendency to constantly update one’s inbox or refresh Instagram, Harris recommends turning off all notifications from social media apps in order to create some separation from our screens. Excessive screen time is

something all parents worry about, but now that Gen Z is getting older, it is something they reflect on as well.

“The amount of time we’re on a computer or our phone is overwhelming because our lives revolve around a screen even more now” sophomore Mary Sweeney said.

However, others are left wondering if social media and screen time are really bad. The film argues yes and leaves audiences vowing to detox from these “time sucking” apps to engage in so-called “real” human interaction. However, in the midst of a global pandemic, social media has been all generations’ saving grace when it comes to maintaining relationships with friends and family.

Not only do older generations fear the “addiction” they believe younger generations have to social media, but also the apparent associations between excessive screen time and the increase of mental illnesses teenagers and young adults face today.

However, in a recent discussion with the University’s Patrick Markey Ph.D., he shared that most of his time is spent convincing parents that technology and social media use is not as harmful as they are made to believe. Markey explained that research linking social media to mental health issues such as depression are often based on

The documetnary “The Social Dilemma” premiered this past fall.

Courtesy of Netflix

faulty research and data collection.

“One percent of our depression and well-being has to do with social media relations,” Markey said.

He also emphasized that the use of “addiction” when discussing technology usage does not equate to the addiction one can develop with drugs or alcohol. Like anything else, while a person can overdo their time on their phone or computer, there are no official psychological criteria in existence for a so-called “social media addiction.”

In recent months, the positives of social media and technology have been demonstrated, as students are able to safely continue their education using Zoom and other sites.

“People don’t have to come to school if they don’t feel comfortable because everything is so easily accessible online,” sophomore Molly McKenna said.

Additionally, people have

increasingly been using social media as a creative outlet. Seen especially during lock-down, apps such as TikTok have been used to break through social isolation, meet new people and enjoy a COVID-safe way of socializing during the pandemic. There are still questions surrounding the reality of these connections.

“Social media makes you feel as though you are connected to others but the connection often isn’t genuine and you end up suffering from that,” sophomore Hannah Murphy said.

The debate over whether the benefits of technology and social media outweigh their detriments continues on. More research is required for both arguments, however, due to the continuous development of technology and social media, a definitive verdict will likely never be reached on the matter.

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

The Villanovan | 13

SPORTS

SPORTS

NCAA Tournament Recap: Chaos While ‘Cats Advance Colin Beazley Co-Sports Editor Continued from p. 1

So where to start on recapping a magical weekend?

Villanova entered the tournament as a five seed, facing off against twelve seed Winthrop. The Eagles were a trendy upset pick, as the Big South Champions had a sparkling record, while the Wildcats were reeling with three losses in their past four games, the final two without Gillespie.

Yet despite the score being close for much of the second half, Villanova grabbed a lead just before halftime and never relinquished it en route to a 73-63 victory.

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl was the star on offense, putting up a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Bryan Antoine hit two threes within 53 seconds coming out of halftime to seize control of the game for the Wildcats, finishing with eight points off the bench. Stellar Villanova defense held senior Chandler Vaudrin, Winthrop’s best player, to just nine points on 2-10 shooting.

The second game was less of a contest, as the Wildcats routed 13 seed North Texas. The game was close early, but the Wildcats rode a 34-6 run into halftime to take a twenty point lead, cruising the rest of the way to a 84-61 win.

Although Robinson-Earl was the leading scorer again with 18

points, the story of the game was the complete Villanova offensive performance, as the Wildcats shot 55% from the field and 50% from three.

The Wildcats tied an NCAA Tournament record, as eight different players hit a three during the game, finishing with 15 threes on the night. Chris Arcidiacono had his first two field goals of the season with two triples, the second sparking the run that won the game for the Wildcats. A matchup with top-seeded Baylor looms in the Sweet 16, but if the Wildcats can summon another offensive performance like Sunday night’s, an upset can be on the cards.

Baylor has similarly cruised to its place in the Sweet 16, comfortably beating 16 seed Hartford and ninth seeded Wisconsin. Both games were over early for the Bears, up double digits at half in both games, as Baylor’s aggressive defense led them into their matchup with Villanova.

The other side of the South region is headlined by this tournament’s Cinderella, as fifteen seed Oral Roberts stunned two seed Ohio State and upset ten seed Florida to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1974. Oral Roberts was a 16-point underdog going into its matchup with the Buckeyes, yet busted brackets with a 75-72 victory behind 29 points from the nation’s leading scorer Max Abmas. The Golden Eagles now face three seed Arkansas, who survived a late scare against Texas Tech.

The Midwest region has been

the most chaotic of all the regions, as top seeded Illinois became the only one seed to not reach this tournament’s Sweet 16 after an upset loss to an in-state mid major, Loyola Chicago. The Ramblers were the better team throughout their 71-58 victory, never trailing.

The Ramblers will face another upset specialist with a spot in the Regional Championship on the line, as twelve seed Oregon State knocked off Tennessee and Oklahoma State to reach this stage. The Beavers have won eight of nine, knocking off the Cowboys behind 26 points from Ethan Thompson.

Syracuse has gone on a similar run on the other side of the bracket, but its success has been a family affair. Buddy Boeheim, son of head coach Jim Boeheim, scored 30 points to lead the Orange over San Diego State. Syracuse faces Houston, who overcame a late deficit to survive an upset bid from Rutgers.

The East region was headlined by one major upset, as fourteen seed Abilene Christian stunned three seed Texas. The Wildcats won 53-52 on two free throws from Joe Pleasant, but Abilene Christian’s run was over after a 67-47 loss to 11 seed UCLA.

The rest of the region had no major upsets, as top seed Michigan defeated LSU, four seed Florida State similarly handled Colorado, and Alabama crushed Maryland. Michigan will face Florida State in the next round, while UCLA will look to

continue its run against the Crimson Tide.

Finally, the West wasn’t wild, as the top seed won every first round game except for thirteen seed Ohio’s victory over Virginia. The Bobcats capitalized as Virginia struggled to get a rhythm, but fifth seed Creighton had no similar issues with the Bobcats, keeping a large lead for most of the game.

For their 72-58 victory, the Bluejays were rewarded with the toughest task in the tourney: a date with top overall seed Gonzaga. Gonzaga cruised in the first round against Norfolk State, similarly encountering no issues in the second round against Oklahoma. Gonzaga stands at 28-0 after its last victory, and it’s likely that the only team who can stop the Bulldogs is themselves.

The opposite side of the West featured two top Pac-12 teams knocking out strong Midwestern opposition, as both USC and Oregon shot the lights out en route to upsets over Kansas and Iowa, respectively. Oregon knocked off Luka Garza and the Hawkeyes, 95-80, while the Trojans beat Kansas 85-51, handing the Jayhawks their largest loss in tournament history. Oregon and USC face off in the next round, ensuring at least one Pac-12 team advances to the Elite 8.

This year’s March Madness has already lived up to the billing, and we’ve still got fifteen games to go until a champion is crowned. Buckle up everyone, the wild ride is just beginning.

Women’s Basketball Ends Season In WNIT Quarterfinals Meghann Morhardt Staff Writer

After back to back dominant performances in the first two rounds of the WNIT, the Villanova women’s basketball team’s season came to an end on Monday night with a tough loss to Delaware. The ‘Cats fell to the Blue Hens 77-70.

In a game full of runs and 14 lead changes, the ‘Cats were unable to respond in the final quarter when they needed it most.

Delaware came out strong, leading the whole first quarter with many opportunities to pull away early, but Villanova hung around, ending the quarter down by one.

The ‘Cats fought back hard in the second quarter to flip the advantage and take a one-point lead heading into halftime.

The Blue Hens pulled away in the fourth quarter, leading by as many as ten points. Villanova was building momentum to make a run in response when star player sophomore Maddy Siegrist committed her fifth foul and had to take a seat with 3:32 left in gameplay.

Siegrist had begun to heat up in the third quarter, scoring 8 points, but was unable to carry this into the final quarter and the ‘Cats were left without their leading scorer and best playmaker in crunchtime.

The Blue Hens led by 7 when Siegrist exited the game, and the ‘Cats were able to cut the lead to

five with 0:35 remaining, but were unable to string together enough stops to catch Delaware.

Villanova had five players in double-digits, led by senior Brianna Herlihy and Siegrist who each finished with 15 points. Siegrist added seven rebounds, two assists and one block, while Herlihy tallied seven rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Siegrist and Herlihy led the ‘Cats all season as the team’s first and second leading scorers averaging 23.2 and 13.7 points respectively.

With impressive performances in the first three rounds of the tournament, Siegrist averaging 24.3 points per game, both Herlihy and Siegrist were named to the Charlotte Region’s All-Tournament Team.

Senior Sarah Mortensen recorded 12 points, two assists, and a steal on the night. This marked Mortensen’s 14th double-figure scoring game of the season. After sitting out last season due to transfer restrictions, Mortensen averaged 11 points and six rebounds per game in her first season as a Wildcat.

Also in their first seasons in ‘Cats uniforms, freshmen Lior Garzon and Bella Runyan finished the game with 10 and 12 points respectively. Garzon added seven rebounds, and two assists.

Garzon has been crucial off the bench all season, averaging 8.7 points per game, and finishing the season with 37 made three pointers,

behind only Siegrist, who finished with 42 made threes.

The Blue Hens had three players with more than 15 points on the night, led by freshman Tyi Skinner and junior Jasmine Dickey who finished with 22 points each.

Redshirt junior, Ty Battle recorded a double-double with 17 points, and a game-high 14 rebounds.

Villanova was plagued by turnovers in the loss, finishing with 14, while Delaware only tallied eight.

Villanova had been shooting the lights out in the first two rounds, but struggled tonight, shooting just 21.7 percent from beyond the arc, making just five threes. This struggle was highlighted in the fourth quarter when the ‘Cats scored just three

field goals, on 21.4 percent shooting from the field. Delaware took advantage of this, scoring seven field goals on 50% shooting.

The ‘Cats also faced tremendous foul trouble with five players finishing with three or more personal fouls. This created unusual offensive lineups and put pressure on the players coming off the bench to make plays and, with the exception of Garzon, they were unable to effectively adjust.

The Wildcats finished the season with a record of 17-7, the best record since the 2017 team finished 23-9. Coach Dillon and the ‘Cats look to improve in the offseason and come back even stronger next season to continue to build the program.

The women’s baskeball team ended their season with a loss to Delaware.

Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

SPORTS

14 | The Villanovan

Volleyball Splits Matches With Seton Hall Zac Tipton Staff Writer

Villanova entered a back-toback series against Seton Hall with a 3-2 record and left 4-3. The Cats won the first match in a five-set thriller on Friday, before losing in another fiveset match on Saturday. In Friday’s match, Villanova won the first, third and fifth sets and lost only the second and fourth. The scores of the sets were 25-18, 24-26, 25-14, 28-30 and 16-14. In the second match on Saturday, Villanova was unable to win the fifth set, but won the first and third.

The scores of those sets were 25-13, 19-25, 25-17, 23-25 and 8-15.

In Friday’s matchup, Villanova was able to get started fast.

Redshirt junior Sophia Howling led Villanova with 19 kills and a .452 hit percentage. Clare Delaplane had a career high 21 digs and tied Howling with 19 kills. Riley Homer added 16

kills and 11 digs. Belle Morgan led the team with 50 assists, and Averi Salvador led with 26 digs and six aces.

The excitement started early, as the first point went over the net fourteen times before Seton Hall won on a Villanova error. But Villanova was able to come back and win the set, 25-18. The second set was interesting as well, as Seton Hall battled to erase an early 6-2 deficit, which it did and eventually won the set, 2624. Both teams had over a .400 hit percentage in the second set, but the Pirates barely edged Villanova in a defensive-heavy set. The Cats took care of business in the third set thanks to six kills from Howling. The fourth set was one of the most exciting Villanova has had in years. The Cats started down 7-1, and eventually were losing 20-12, but the team was able to fight back and eventually tie at 27. Villanova would take its first lead at 28-27, but Seton Hall won the next three points to win, 30-28. The last set was

The Wildcats had 75 kills in Friday’s win over Seton Hall.

Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

also constantly moving back and forth before Villanova won off an attacking error by Seton Hall.

Saturday’s matchup wasn’t as close and exciting as the first. The closest set was the fourth, but it did go to five sets, which was expected after the previous night. Riley Homer led the team in kills with 16, and Howling added 14 to that, as well as three blocks. Andrea Campos and Morgan combined for 50 assists. Deleplane struggled offensively but led the team in digs with 16.

In the first set, Villanova took an early lead and was able to close out the set, with help from 10 assists by Morgan. In the second set, Campos had eight assists to go with Homer’s five kills, but Seton Hall pulled away early and never looked back, winning 25-19. In the third set, Villanova had an impressive .469 hitting percentage and took a 7-1 run to the end of the set to go up 2-1. The fourth set was a back-and-forth affair. Villanova got off to a fast 12-3 lead and looked prime to win the match, but Seton Hall won 10 straight points to take the lead, 1513. Unfortunately, the Cats couldn’t come back and fell 25-23 in the set. In the final set, it was all Seton Hall from the beginning, and it would end up winning big to take the match.

The 4-3 Wildcats will face St. John’s next. Villanova had two games with St. John’s postponed earlier in the season and just beat them two weeks ago, 3-1. St John’s is leading the East division in the Big East, going 5-2 in conference. Villanova is second in the East, going 3-2 in conference, so this is a big matchup that could have major implications later in the season.

Tennis Drops 6-1 Decision to Lehigh Noah Swan Staff Writer

The Villanova men’s tennis team picked up its fourth loss of the season against Lehigh, 6-1. Freshman Anthony Prokurat secured the Wildcats’ only point in the match, dominating Jordan Paul in the number six singles match in straight sets.

Prokurat’s success marked his first-ever win as a Wildcat. Junior Matthew Jones and freshman Josh Robinson picked up their fourth win of the season as a doubles partnership. The duo is emerging as a reliable option for coach Brad Adams at the number three doubles spot. However, Lehigh won the other two doubles matches to clinch the doubles point.

The final score in the match sells short the Villanova performance against the Mountain Hawks. Two singles matches went to a third set tiebreak, and the slim margins of the two doubles losses tell a different story than the 6-1 score.

Freshman Ryan Nguyen faced tough competition in his career debut against senior Mountain Hawk Jacob Edelchik. Nguyen took the first set 7-5, one break the only difference in a tight opener. After losing the second set 3-6, Nguyen fell to Edelchik 10-8 in the deciding tiebreak.

Freshman Eitan Khromchenko has begun to cement his status as one of the better singles players on this young Villanova team. He leads the team with four singles wins on the season, and he was inches away from

making that five against Lehigh. After losing the first set on the margins, he rallied to steal the second with ease.

In the culminating tiebreak, Khromchenko could not find a way through Matt Kleiman, ultimately falling 11-9 in the third.

At the top of the lineup, sophomore Alex Kim lost his fourth consecutive singles match in straight sets. The North Carolina native has struggled to find a good run of form following his 14-11 singles record from the previous season. The exodus of graduating seniors from the previous season thrust Kim into the number one position, and growing pains are to be expected.

Freshman Josh Robinson and sophomore Daniel Cheng lost in straight sets in their respective matches. Robinson has been a revelation for the Wildcats this season. After not being included in Adams’s lineup for the first two matches, Robinson has cemented his spot as the undeniable second option for singles.

In the doubles point, sophomore Justin Suarez joined Kim while Prokurat and Khromchenko teamed up in the second spot. The sophomore pair fell by a tally of 6-2 while the freshmen edged one more game, although still losing 6-3.

The Wildcat’s three-match losing streak comes within the span of just four days, a compact schedule forcing the team to trudge from Cherry Hill, New Jersey to Bryn Mawr before embarking for Bethlehem, Pennsylvania this past Saturday. With the

matches and the losses comes valuable experience for a youthful Villanova team. Against Lehigh, Adams’s entire singles lineup consisted of freshmen and sophomores. While this reliance on youth builds a strong foundation, a trial by fire can leave behind stinging losses like those of the past week.

With six matches cancelled for the Wildcats so far this season, inexperience compounded by uncertainty weighs heavily on the 3-5 record carried by the team. That record serves as a façade hiding a chaotic underbelly to this Villanova team.

With eight matches played, there has yet to be a Wildcat match in which the losing team managed more than one point. In three matches, the ‘Cats dominated their opponents, and those other five served as lessons for a team burdened by youth. As the season progresses, Adams and his coaching staff will hope to achieve more consistency with his team as the players normalize to a strange gauntlet of matches.

The team next faces La Salle at home on March 28 at 3 p.m.

WEEKLY SCOREBOARD Mar, 17-23 Wednesday, March 17 Men’s Tennis vs Temple 0-7 L Men’s Soccer @ Georgetown 2-3 L Softball @ Towson (G1) 5-2 W Softball @ Towson (G2) 11-2 W

Thursday, March 18 Women’s Soccer vs Seton Hall 2-1 W (2OT) Friday, March 19 Men’s Tennis vs Monmouth 0-7 L Men’s and Women’s Track Meet @ Villanova Stadium Women’s Lacrosse @ Georgetown 11-19 L Women’s Volleyball vs Seton Hall 3-2 W Women’s Basketball vs UMass (WNIT) 78-51 W Men’s Basketball vs Winthrop (NCAA Tournament) 73-63 W Saturday, March 20 Softball @ Butler (G1) 3-0 W Men’s Tennis @ Lehigh 1-6 L Baseball @ Stony Brook 2-1 W Softball @ Butler (G2) 4-1 W Men’s Soccer @ Providence 0-2 L Women’s Volleyball @ Seton Hall 2-3 L Women’s Basketball vs Florida (WNIT) 77-57 W Sunday, March 21 Women’s Tennis @ Lehigh 6-1 W Men’s Tennis vs Mount St Mary’s 4-3 W Softball @ Butler 3-0 W Women’s Lacrosse @ Georgetown 8-18 L Baseball vs Stony Brook 8-3 W Women’s Soccer vs St John’s 2-2 T Men’s Basketball vs North Texas (NCAA Tournament) 84-61 W Monday, March 22 Women’s Basketball vs Delaware (WNIT) 70-77 L Tuesday, March 23 Women’s Tennis @ Temple 3-4 L Women’s Volleyball @ St John’s 0-3 L

The match against Lehigh was much more competitive than the scoreline showed.

Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

SPORTS

The Villanovan | 15

Track and Cross Country At NCAA Championships Jamie Pennington Staff Writer

On Saturday March 13, the Villanova men’s and women’s track teams competed at the 2021 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships, and on Monday, March 15, the Cross Country teams competed in the 2020 Division I Championships.

In the men’s division at the NCAA Indoor Track Championships, Villanova redshirt freshman Sean Dolan broke 3:58 in both of his mile events, notching a remarkable time as well as a PR of 3:57.20 in Friday’s semifinal heat, placing fourth and earning an automatic berth to the final.

This semifinal performance makes Dolan’s performance the fastest time for the mile in Villanova’s NCAA meet history. Dolan then held his own in the final event against a plethora of talented older competitors, notching his second sub-3:58 time, with

3:57.91, and gaining a sixth-place finish. Following this tremendous weekend of competition, Dolan became the 43rd member of Villanova’s sub four-minute mile club, while achieving two top-eight fastest indoor mile times in school history. Dolan’s contribution to the team event would assist in Villanova’s 10th straight NCAA indoor meet of scoring in the team division.

On the women’s side of the NCAA Indoor Track Championships, Villanova proved to be just as dominant. In the 800-meter event, senior McKenna Keegan recorded an extraordinary best mark twice in the two days of the championships. In the semifinal race, Keegan recorded a 59.55 400-meter split, and closed in on her competitor during the 400, passed her, then finished in seventh place, her best career NCAA individual finish, with a time of 2:04:56, as well as the seventh fastest indoor 800-meter time in Villanova history. Less than a day later, Keegan beat her semifinal time in

The men and women gather after the NCAA championships.

Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

Junior Lydia Olivere celebrates after the NCAA Championships.

Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

the 800-meter final, recording a time of 2:04.2, ensuring an outstanding seventh place in the competition. Keegan’s final run would bump her previous day’s performance to the eighth fastest time in school history, with this final time placing seventh. Keegan contributed two team points for the Wildcats (their 12th consecutive year earning team points at the meet), as well as earning the honor of becoming the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Mid-Atlantic Women’s Track Athlete of the Year.

As for the men’s cross country team, sophomore and Big East champion Haftu Strinzos and junior Josh Phillips respectively placed 66th and 67th out of 251 runners in the 10K race at the Oklahoma State University Cross Country Course. Strinzos would prevail with a time of 31:11.0, with Phillips placing a mere onetenth of a second behind, with a time of 31:11.1. Additionally for the Wildcats, junior Charlie

O’Donovan placed 109th overall (31:36.1), senior Nick Steele finished in 132nd place (31:59.6), senior Paul Nichols placed 168th (32:24.0), graduate student Justin Weber placed 213th (33:13.1) and rounding out the ‘Cats NCAA lineup in an extremely competitive field was junior Jack Fredian, placing 232nd (34:37.2). These performances contributed to the Wildcats 20th place overall win in the team competition, placing above eight nationally ranked squads.

In the NCAA Women’s Cross Country Championships, individual qualifier junior Lydia Olivere displayed her talent in the 6000-meter event at the OSU Course, just ten days after placing third at the Big East meet and earning a bid to the NCAA Championship. At the start, Olivere reached the front of the pack during the first kilometer downhill, while surpassing 15 runners over the final kilometer stretch. Olivere placed 91st overall with a time of 21:27.4.

Baseball Wins Two Against Stony Brook Matthew Ryan Staff Writer

Last week, the 4-2 baseball team played a two game series against Stony Brook. The team was originally scheduled to play Northeastern, but that series was canceled, so it squared off against Stony Brook.

The ‘Cats got the series sweep, 2-1 and 8-3, and are currently on a sixgame winning streak, improving their record to 6-2.

Game one of the series took place at Stony Brook, with starting pitcher graduate student Tyler Arella on the mound for ‘Nova.

The first five innings of the game were scoreless, with the ‘Cats only getting a single runner in scoring position. However, in the top of the sixth, the ‘Cats broke the scoreless tie.

Sophomore AJ Hansen opened up the frame with a walk and advanced to second on a walk. The next batter, senior Chris Rotondo, hit a single, advancing Hansen to third. Freshman Cameron Hassert then took the plate and delivered a sacrifice bunt, advancing Rotondo to second and scoring Hansen.

Later in the inning, with Rotondo on second and one out, graduate student Ryan Toohers hit a triple, scoring Rotondo and giving the ‘Cats a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, with sophomore Brandon Siegenthaler on the mound, Stony Brook got on the board with a one run single,

cutting ‘Nova’s lead to 2-1.

With the score still 2-1, the ‘Cats brought in their closer, sophomore Danny Wilkinson, in the bottom of the ninth. The first batter of the inning for Stony Brook reached on an error, and then with one out, John Tuccillo reached on a catcher’s interference.

A pass ball advanced both runners, giving Stoney Brook runners on second and third with two outs.

Evan Fox walked, bringing Johnny Decker to the plate with the winning run in scoring position and two outs.

Decker flew out to right field, and the ‘Cats hung on to win 2-1.

Toohers had two hits, one walk and one RBI, and Arella pitched six scoreless innings, striking out 10 on the way to his first win of the season.

Villanova had six hits (two triples), drew four walks and struck out 14 batters.

At home in game two, the ‘Cats got on the board early, with Hassert grounding out to first, which scored Rotondo, who led off the game with a triple.

In the top of the third, Stony Brook responded. With starting pitcher senior Jimmy Kingsburg on the mound, Stony Brook scored two runs on two different singles, giving them a 2-1 lead.

That lead would not last long for Stony Brook. In the bottom of the third, Hansen tripled and Rotondo brought him home with a single, making it a 2-2 game.

Rotondo later stole second and advanced to third on a sacrifice fly by Hassert and was brought home with a two out, one run triple by sophomore Jack O’Reilly. The next batter, Toohers, hit a one run single, which scored O’Reilly and gave the ‘Cats a 4-2 lead.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, the ‘Cats got some insurance runs, with Hassert hitting a bases-loaded single, scoring senior Sam Margulis from second and senior Pat O’Neill from third.

In the bottom of the seventh, the ‘Cats tacked on two more runs with a bases loaded single from Margulis, scoring O’Neill from second and sophomore Lucas Latrenta from third.

With senior Cameron Mathes on the mound in the top of

the eighth, Stony Brook scored on a one run single, making it an 8-3 ball game. That score went on to be the final as the ‘Cats got the series sweep over Stony Brook.

Toohers had two hits and one RBI, and Kingsbury pitched six innings, giving up two runs while striking out four.

Villanova had 12 hits (one double and three triples), drew five walks and struck out eight batters.

This week, the ‘Cats face their first Big East opponent of the season as they go up against Creighton on the road in a four game series.

Game one is on Friday, a doubleheader on Saturday and the finale is on Sunday.

The Bluejays are 4-6 with a team batting average of .267 and an opponent batting average of .278.

Ryan Toohers swings for Villanova.

Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

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DINING SERVICES

Villanova Dining Services

Passover Dinner Thursday, March 25 St. Mary’s Dining Hall

Menu

Matzo Ball Soup Tzimmes Sabra Chicken Beef Brisket Mushroom & Onion Kugel Sauteed Spinach with Garlic Orange Tarragon Glazed Carrots Passover Matzah Flourless Chocolate Cake

Matzah is Available in Donahue, Dougherty, & St. Mary’s throughout the passover holiday

When the Pharaoh freed the Israelites, it is said that they left in such a hurry that they could not wait for bread dough to rise (leaven).

In commemoration, for the duration of Passover, no leavened bread is eaten, for which reason Passover was called the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the Torah or Old Testament.