The Villanovan | Volume 112, Issue 13: Wednesday, April 28, 2021

WEDNESDAY APRIL 28, 2021 www.villanovan.com @thevillanovan

STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916

VOLUME 112 | ISSUE 13

Board Editorial: Use This Year To Do Better

Saying that the past year has been bad is, at this point, a cliché. The problem with this cliché is that it makes it difficult to not simply shrug and say, “yeah, it has been,” which ends the possibility of really getting to express why. This isn’t to say that it isn’t obvious; in our various roles as humans, citizens and students, and for many of us also in our personal and relationship roles, we have had to face hardships through this year that few through history have had to face. The issue is that the cliché also creates a situation that makes it easy to write gushing pieces about what we’ve learned and what the positives of the year have been. This isn’t on a knock on those who are optimistic.

It’s just to suggest that sometimes you just have to admit something was terrible to get some use out of it.

Through a pandemic that has killed millions, watching Black men and women across the country be murdered by those in power, learning of the harrowing stories women on our own campus have to tell about their experiences with sexual violence, hearing countless stories of the mental health crisis this year has caused and watching our country be torn apart at the seams by the ever-present political divisions that were exacerbated by a contentious presidential election – and this is by no means an exhaustive list – we have all, in our own way, been affected by the veritable Hell that was the previous year.

Critiquing the optimism of some of us by no means suggests they are wrong. To the contrary, we want to add to their optimism, and suggest that now as we stare at the end of the pandemic, it is utterly Continued on p. 5

The Villanovan: A Year in Review

The 2020-2021 school year was unprecedented.

Courtesy of Sarah Jones

Cate McCusker Co-Editor-in-Chief

On August 17, 2020, the University held its first day of classes for the 2020-2021 academic year on campus, thus beginning an unprecedented year at Villanova.

Several other colleges and universities had chosen to remain virtual for the fall semester, such as the University of Pennsylvania and Georgetown University. However, Villanova opened its campus to all students and set in place the Caritas Commitment, a pledge to modify student behaviors in an effort to ensure the health and safety of the community.

Many doubted

the University’s ability to remain on campus for the entirety of the semester, especially after videos of a large gathering of freshmen spread throughout the community during the first night of move in. University President, Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A., Ph.D., however, had confidence in Villanova.

“I really believed that we could do it,” Donohue said in an exclusive interview with The Villanovan on Friday afternoon.

“I wasn’t concerned that we couldn’t. There were a lot of naysayers out there.

But we did it. We proved that we could do it.”

And the University was successful. Students followed the Caritas Commitment and kept the case

count relatively low, despite a spike at the very end of the semester, and the fall semester concluded with everyone on campus.

Over the summer, after the unjust death of George Floyd set off protests across the country, the call to action for racial justice was brought to Villanova’s campus.

“I think it’s been not only a call to Villanova but a call to the nation...

Particularly for me that was a call to acknowledgement,” Donohue said, reflecting on the @blackvillanova instagram, which was created over the summer as a platform for Black and POC students, faculty, and alumni at Villanova to share their experiences with the community.

“We talk so much about community here, and in some cases we really failed people. We called people to live in community, but we never realized the struggle they had in living in our community.”

The Aequitas: Presidential Task Force, led

by Vice President of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Dr. Teresa A. Nance, was created over the summer as an effort to “assess the racial climate on campus, identify areas for improvement, and create a plan for developing the cultural competence for all students, staff and faculty who are members of the Villanova community,” according to the University’s website. Dono Continued on p. 2

A Letter to the Class of 2021 Grant Carter

Staff Writer

Exactly a year ago, my friend Isabel Forward ‘20 wrote her own letter to the Class of 2020, hardly a month after campus was suddenly closed because of the oncoming pandemic.

She said something that resonated with me, especially now: “in this big and

scary world, none of us are really strangers”. Plenty has changed since then, and in many ways, the world has gotten a lot scarier.

Despite it all, I look back on what the Class of 2021 has experienced, and I am filled with optimism for where we are going next.

Together, we experienced a Championship, Continued on p. 13

The Class of 2021 had an unprecedented senior year.

Courtesy of Villanova University

COVID 19 Vaccine Pop Up Event p. 3

Decolonizing Series Hosts Final Event p. 4

The Freshman Experience in the Pandemic p. 5

Food Truck Friday Should Become a Villanova Tradition p. 6

The Problem with Jake Paul’s Boxing Career p. 8

VTV Holds First Ever Villys Awards p. 9

Club Spotlight: Villanova Mock Trial p. 13

Villanova’s Woodrose: Two Albums in One Year p. 14

Villanova Softball Wins Three in a Row Against St. John’s p. 17

Athlete of the Week: Madison Burke p. 19

2 | The Villanovan

News Opinion Culture Sports

1 5 9 17

PUBLIC SAFETY BLOTTER

VOL. 112 | ISS. 13 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, April 28, 2021

NEWS

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

Public Urination April 22 M – 2 SAC Garage A male student was observed urinating in public.

Unauthorized Use of Motor Vehicle April 23 Caughlin Hall An unknown suspect took a University owned golf cart and the golf cart key.

Liquor Underage / Public Drunkenness April 24 McGuire Hall A female resident student, under the age of 21, appeared in public intoxicated.

Student was transported by VEMS to Bryn Mawr Hospital for further evaluation and treatment.

Criminal Mischief / Theft by Unlawful Taking or Disposition April 25 Good Counsel An RA reported a missing Exit sign During the theft the sign housing was damaged .

The approximate value of the sign is estimated at $40.00.

Liquor Underage April 25 Rudolph Hall A male resident student, under the age of 21, was found to be intoxicated and suffering from injuries related to a fall .

VEMS Ambulance transported to the hospital.

CONFIRMED CUMULATIVE CASES AS OF 8:00 P.M. TUESDAY, APRIL 27

1135 1,139,390 32,924,233 149,310,353 Villanova University

Pennsylvania

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.

United States

CAMPUS CALENDAR Diversity Advancement Programs: Real Talk with Recruiters April 27 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Virtual

Dissertation Defense: Indu Priya Eedara April 29 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Virtual

Symposium: Is Christianity the Source of Racism?

April 30 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Virtual

An Evening with Sr. Thea Bowman: Songs, Service, Struggle April 27 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Virtual

Reading Day April 30 All day

Heritage Society Virtual Mass May 2 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Virtual

Engineering a Sustainable Future April 28 11:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Virtual

COVID-19 TRACKER

2021 Falvery Scholars Virtual Research Presentation and Awards Ceremony April 30 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

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

St. Rita of Cascia Community Room

Continued from p.1

hue explained how the task force worked over the summer to talk about issues on campus and call people’s attention to it, and creating direction for the community.

“It’s been sobering in some ways, because I think it really calls on each one of us to reflect on how we live our lives, and how some of our actions or words intentionally or unintentionally can be perceived by others as very racist,” Donohue said. “We need to be aware of it and we need to make ourselves aware of it.”

A new university-wide race and justice course will also be piloted this fall, and hopefully implemented in the spring semester as a requirement for all students to take.

Another challenge the University, and the rest of the nation, faced this past year was the growing mental health crisis.

Some students took action, such as sophomores Julia Stanisci and Dayna Deakin, who started the mental health initiatives IfYou’reReadingThisNova and the Bandana Project, respectively.

Additionally, after receiving feedback from students who expressed their exhaustion from a full semester without any breaks, the University implemented two “working breaks.” The “working breaks,” were helpful for some, but for most others it pushed back their workload and added to their stress.

With a full fall semester under their belts, students seemed to relax on the Caritas Commitment, as within the first week back

Common Ground Dinner May 2 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

The Oreo Final Day of Classes May 3 All day

on campus for the spring semester, the University saw a spike in cases.

To combat the spike, Donohue emailed students instating the Slow the Spread Directives, a two week lockdown across campus, and warning students that if the cases did not go down, students would be sent home.

“We got really close to the point of saying that we just can’t handle this anymore” Donohue said, reflecting on the spike. “People again really rallied and came up and said that we can do this. I think we’ve proved it, the numbers have gone way down. I’m really proud of this community for the Caritas Commitment that they lived. People really came together.

I know there were a lot of sacrifices made, but we did it.”

After the number of cases was brought under control, another crisis on campus came to light: sexual assault. On Wednesday, March 3, the University received an email from Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police, David Tedjeske, notifying students of several cases of sexual assault over the past few days. A week later, a University football player was arrested for a sexual assault case that had occurred back in September.

Alarm immediately rose in the student body. Students were angry about not only the multiple cases, but also the timing and language of the email.

“I think we could word it differently, we have to be a little more careful about some of the words we chose and how it’s introduced,” Donohue said, reflecting

Worldwide

CONFIRMED VACCINATIONS AS OF 8:00 P.M. TUESDAY, APRIL 27

140,696,663 6,151,465 United States

Pennsylvania

on the way the University handled the situation. “As I said in the town hall that we had with the students, there’s information that you just can’t share with people, for the protection of the people involved and for the people that have been victimized...We do have federal regulations that we have to follow. That’s not something we have a choice in. If a certain event happens in a certain way within a certain timing, we are mandated to put those things out.”

Finally, as we near the end of this academic year, and with more and more people receiving the vaccine, students are eager to find out about what next semester will look like. Donohue is optimistic, but he was unfortunately unable to provide The Villanovan with any concrete answers about the future.

“I hope and I expect that things will be more normal. We haven’t made a decision requiring (the vaccine) yet, but I hope

people do take advantage of it, it has been proven that it can work,” Donohue said. “I don’t know about mask wearing, it’s not necessarily our call. We wait for the governor’s office to give out those indications.

I expect that we will have most of our classes in person, and faculty and staff have been told to be prepared to come back in August, so I am hoping and expecting that things will have more of a sense of normalcy to them.”

Although the future is unknown, Donohue is thankful for the efforts of the community this past year.

“I’m really proud of the faculty, staff, and students. I can’t tell you how thankful I am to everybody,” Donohue said. “People stepped up and did things differently and it wasn’t always easy, but we did it. That’s something to give thanks for and that’s something we should celebrate. And hopefully we won’t have to do it again.”

Students gather by the Oreo.

Courtesy of Sarah Jones

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

The Villanovan | 3

NEWS

Professors Host COVID-19 Vaccine Pop-Up Event Katie Reed Staff Writer

On Tuesday, April 27, there will be a COVID-19 Pop-Up educational event on campus to provide students with information regarding COVID-19, vaccines and the immune system. The event will be in person from 4-6 p.m. at the Riley Ellipse and the Dougherty tent area. This was put together and will be hosted

by Joseph Comber and Elaine Youngman, professors in the Department of Biology, as well as Aimee Eggler, a professor in the Biochemistry Program.

Throughout the past year, faculty from both the Biology and Biochemistry departments have met to talk about the pandemic and ways to make sure that people have access to scientifically supported information to help keep everyone safe. With the weather becoming warmer, they have the perfect opportunity to address the University as a whole in a way that gives everyone a break from Zoom lectures or webinars.

“We noticed that information about SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 is being communicated from many places including the CDC, WHO, state and local health departments and that

sometimes this communication doesn’t match,” Comber said.

“When communication isn’t clear or accurate, it is open to misinterpretation. Our major goal with this event is to engage the Villanova community with clear, accurate, empowering information so that they can better understand the pandemic and mechanisms that we have available to stop the pandemic.”

Comber will be running a table at the event dedicated to the immune system. He will explain how the immune system generates a response after being exposed to a pathogen, such as SARSCoV-2, from memory. He will also be talking about the concept of herd immunity and vaccination, which will become important for students and faculty as the University hopes to transition back to a normal in-person fall semester.

In order to make the table more interactive and engaging, Comber plans to use printed PowerPoint slides with helpful information and cartoons, as well as glo-germ and glitter to help demonstrate how pathogens are able to spread.

Eggler will be running a table about vaccines.

“Biology major Jordan McCarthy is the lead student on the table design, with help from Katie Collar and Elise Miller, and with

faculty Drs. Noelle Comolli and Bill Kelly from Chemical Engineering also supporting,” Eggler said. “We’ve got FAQ , the latest data, and the reasons why vaccination is a critical part of keeping COVID-19 from continuing to affect our campus, country and the world.”

This table will also have an interactive “What-if ?” pinup board for students to see the benefits of the vaccine. Students will either fill in the end of the sentence, “If I got the COVID-19 vaccine, I would…” or “If we all got vaccinated, we would…”

As a possible answer, Eggler offered, “Attend Villanova basketball games again.”

Both Comber and Eggler make it clear that this is an important event for students to attend to ensure that everyone is properly educated and can make informed decisions in regards to the pandemic.

“I think this event will help give students and other attendees a better understanding about the pandemic as a whole,” Comber said. “From immunity, to transmission, to testing, to vaccination, I hope people come away more knowledgeable. Better information and understanding will help us end the pandemic more quickly, and let us be back to the community we’re used to.”

“The event is a resource to get your questions answered, and having a lot of us there together shows our VU support for science-based education about the virus and a healthy community,” Eggler said. “Join Will D. Cat and your fellow students, and get a cool mask too.”

If one is feeling hesitant about receiving the vaccine, looking for answers to COVID-19 related questions or just wanting a free mask, make sure to show up to the COVID-19 Pop-Up event on Tuesday and show support for the community.

The COVID vaccine continues its roll out.

Courtesy of PAHO

Students Celebrate Earth Week with On Campus Events Jack Birle Staff Writer

The University, along with several student groups, hosted multiple events in celebration of Earth Day 2021 under the banner of “Earth Week.”

Earth Day is held annually on April 22 and began in 1970 as a day for environmental protection awareness during the rise of environmentalism in the United States in the mid-20th century.

The University and student groups organized events from Monday, April 19 through Saturday, April 24. Events were held both virtually and in-person, with social distancing and other precautions in place, due to the continuing pandemic.

On April 19, Charles Widger School of Law professor Todd Aagaard hosted a talk titled “Climate (De)Regulation in the Courts.” The event was held virtually, and it discussed the current status of how climate change pollutants are being regulated in the United States.

On April 22, several events were held to celebrate Earth Day. There was a campus tree tour event in which the University’s horticulturalist provided information about the various trees around campus. The University and the Campus Activity Team hosted a sustainability themed edition of Nova Quiz at the Ellipse in the evening. Both of these events were held in-person with social distancing and other safety measures in place.

In addition to these events,

the University hosted a keynote talk with Katharine Hayhoe titled “Christian, Climate and our Culture in the United States.”

Hayhoe is a climate scientist, a professor in Public Policy and Public Law and co-director of the Climate Center at Texas Tech University. The event was held virtually via Zoom. The keynote focused on how climate change has ignited an intense reaction from several groups, including religious groups, leading to the misconception that Church and science cannot co-exist. As part of her keynote, Hayhoe made it clear that there is still hope for combating and overcoming climate change.

“There is no magic deadline [to climate change], there are deadlines that we humans have set,” Hayhoe said. “The reality is every choice counts, every year counts, every ton of carbon counts, it all counts, and that means that every decision we make has a chance to impact the world for the better.”

On April 23, the University hosted food trucks by the campus green with sustainable food options. On April 24, the Student Sustainability Committee hosted a t-shirt tie dye at the campus garden. The event was held in-person with social distancing and other safety measures in place.

There was also a sustainability market with several vendors located by the campus green. That evening was the Open Mic for Justice event, which offered students the opportunity to express themselves through performance while promoting a social justice message.

This event was held in-person at the Ellipse.

Additionally, the week after “Earth Week,” the University connected with other colleges to hold an Intercollegiate Sustainability Forum on April 26 via Zoom.

Ursinus College and Susquehanna University students gathered to discuss susutainability and current barriers to sustainable solutions.

The University celebrated Earth Week as part of its commitment to sustainability. Its current

sustainability campaign began in 2007 when University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A., Ph.D. signed the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. The agreement was meant to address greenhouse gas emissions and the destabilization of the Earth’s climate.

The University looks to continue its commitment to sustainability by hosting more events promoting environmentalism and conservation in the future.

A student tie dyes a shirt at an Earth Week event.

Courtesy of Villanova University

4 | The Villanovan

NEWS

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Protests Continue Following the Death of Daunte Wright Lydia McFarlane Staff Writer

On Sunday, April 11, the United States had another instance of racial injustice when unarmed Daunte Wright, a 20-yearold black man, was shot and killed in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.

The shooting happened during the ongoing trial of Derek Chauvin, the former police officer charged with the murder of George Floyd in May of 2020.

Brooklyn Center is only about 10 miles away from Minneapolis, where the trial is being held.

Tensions in Minneapolis and the surrounding areas have been high for the past few weeks during the trial.

Wright was stopped by police at a traffic stop for having an air freshener dangling in his rearview mirror, which is a traffic violation in Minnesota. Upon stopping Wright, police found that he had an outstanding warrant. When police attempted to arrest him, Wright tried to get back in his car. Following a brief skirmish, officer Kimberly Potter fired her gun, shooting Wright in the chest. Wright drove a few blocks and crashed his car. While his girlfriend was taken to the hospital following the crash with non-life-threatening injuries, Wright was pronounced dead at the scene.

Wright was the father of an almost two-year-old son. Fortyeight-year-old Potter has been a part of the Brooklyn Center Police Department since 1995. The day following Wright’s death, Potter

claimed to have accidentally shot him, mistaking her taser for her gun. Many are questioning how a trained officer could mistake a gun for a taser. Their weights are different, and they are intentionally placed on opposite sides of the police officer’s bodies. The Black Lives Matter movement put it simply, saying “There are no accidents in police terror and white supremacy. We say his name.

Daunte Wright. We will continue to remain dedicated in the fight against white supremacy and state-sanctioned violence against Black people.”

On April 14, Potter was charged with second degree manslaughter. Potter was placed on standard administrative leave before resigning from her position later in the week. In response to the pending trial and open case on Wright’s death, his family hired civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who has represented many families of Black men and women who lost their lives as a result of police brutality in the past.

“Daunte Wright did get a charge and an arrest of the officer that shot and killed him,” Crump said. “So we are making progress, and I want to encourage those protesting — those young people, those activists — that you are making a difference.”

Unlike other cases of police brutality, Potter was arrested and charged immediately after the incident. Shortly after the incident, body cam footage from Potter was released. It shows the events as they happened and highlights words from Potter herself. She is heard saying as Wright seems to

resist arrest, “I’ll tase you! I’ll tase you!” Immediately after firing into the car, she is heard saying, “I just shot him.”

On April 13, Wright’s family joined the family of George Floyd in a press conference to express their grief.

“He had a smile that was angelic, he lit up the room, he was funny,” his mother said tearfully. “He was an amazing son. He will truly be missed by everybody.”

Although she acknowledged and embraced the national outrage regarding her son’s death, she encouraged protestors to remain peaceful. As expected, protests broke out nationwide. The Black Lives Matter movement has another name to add to a list of Black lives lost that is seemingly endless. In Minneapolis and

the surrounding areas, a curfew was put in place in an attempt to prevent violence and danger. The protests in Minneapolis on the Monday night following Wright’s death resulted in more than 40 arrests. There have been cases of looting and violence from the protests over the last few nights.

However, many peaceful protestors have been met with heavily armed and ready police forces. Protestors are demanding more serious charges against Potter. They also demanded for the firing of Brooklyn Center’s police chief Tim Gannon, who resigned later in the week.

Protestors, activists and citizens alike are calling for change as the nation deals with the aftermath of another Black life lost to a minor offense.

Protesters marched in Portland following the death of Wright.

Courtesy of Getty Images, Nathan Howard

Cultural Studies Program Hosts Former Black Panthers no one else was going to. He explained that in the mid-1960s, African-Americans were “marginalized, disregarded and unserved.”

While never a member of

On Tuesday, April 13, the the BPP herself, Kioni-Sadiki seeks University’s Cultural Studies Program sponsored a panel discussion to educate people on the legacy that the Party has left. The BPP with former Black Panther Party created more than 60 survival pro(BPP) members and other Black grams, including free breakfast for activists. Panelists Diane Fujino, children in school and free healthMatef Harmachis, Dequi Kicare clinics. She said that many oni-Sadiki and Hank Jones spoke social programs Americans have about their book, “Black Power today were first created by the ParAfterlives: The Enduring Significance of the Black Panther Party,” ty and that no one had heard of which is available to order through sickle cell anemia until research by the Panthers. The movement also Haymarket Books. The book paved the way for lead testing. serves as a helpful timeline of the

Multiple panel members Black Power movement, from the made sure to point out the importfounding of the Black Panther ant role that women played within Party until present-day. the BPP.

Jones, a former member

“The role of women in of the BPP, explained how the the Black Panther Party is downbrutal murder of Emmett Till in played,” Jones said. “They were 1955 propelled him into action. the backbone of the party.”

He joined the Student Nonvi Acknowledging that men olent Coordinating Committee are usually the face of the Party, before joining the BPP at age 27.

Jones went on to say that “we [the While most men joined at age 17 men] were too busy dodging bulto 23, Jones was already married lets and on the run and locked up. with three kids when he became The women kept the party funca member. He was drawn to the Party because it “went from theory tioning”.

Kioni-Sadiki noted how to practice.” Jones criticized the way in which the media’s attention words like ‘radical’ and ‘extremist’ distort the reality of freedom to the Party only focused on the fighting. fact that it was an armed group.

“We’re taught there’s someHe stressed how Party members thing wrong with being radical,” had to defend themselves because Lauren Kourey Staff Writer

she said. “But you can call me radical anytime you want. ‘Radical’ means getting to the root of the problem.”

Her husband and former Panther, Sekou Odinga, served 33 years as a political prisoner. While she celebrated his release in 2014, many former Panthers are still in or have died in prison. Harmachis noted how Chip Fitzgerald died after 51 years in prison.

In 1969, J. Edgar Hoover, the former director of the FBI, deemed the BPP as the largest internal threat to the country.

Multiple panel members remarked how, once Hoover made this public statement, the Panthers had targets on their backs.

“We were much more than just an armed group,” Jones said.

“We were a reaction to police violence.”

Jones spoke of how integral the Party was to the safety of the Black community in these cities.

In addition to the various survival programs created by the Party, they would also protect the elderly people in their communities by escorting them to run errands.

Jones reminded audience members that there is still work to be done in the United States for African Americans to truly feel safe. Jones and Sadiki-Kioni brought up the worrying rise of fascism in the country, which can

be explained by the “systems being threatened”--the systems in question being the countless American institutions that perpetuate systemic racism. He closed the discussion by saying, “This is not a free country. Not even close.”

To learn more about the BPP and its legacy, Harmachis recommends Lee Lew-Lee’s documentary, “All Power to the People,” which is available for free on Youtube. For additional educational resources about Black oppression and history, the panel members suggest the following: zinnedproject.org, rethinkingschools.org, abolitionistteachingnetwork.org, freedomarchives.org and the Schomburg Library for Research and Black Culture.

Women played an important role in the BPP. Courtesy of Getty Images, David Fenton

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

The Villanovan | 5

OPINION

OPINION

Board Editorial: Use This Year to Do Better Continued from p.1

beautiful to watch people hope again. Watching the vaccination numbers go up by the day, seeing accountability finally delivered to the murderer of George Floyd and seeing people in desperate need finally getting to go back to work is gratifying and uplifting to us all.

The difference here from general optimism is that we must see that it is unacceptable to simply breathe a sigh of relief and say, “Thank God that’s over!”

We should all remember exactly how it felt to watch our leaders and those of other countries somehow simultaneously failed to keep us safe from a deadly pandemic and respect the freedoms owed to us as human beings.

We should all remember how we felt when we saw a police officer press his knee into George Floyd’s neck for nine minutes, and while we watched those around him do absolutely nothing to stop it.

We should remember how we felt when we learned the stories of Breonna Taylor, Daunte Wright, Ahmaud Arbery and the unfortunately countless other names of individuals who died at the hands of those abusing the power they held.

We should remember how we felt when we heard the stories

of women who have faced sexual violence on our own campus, and how we felt when Villanova did next to nothing to help them or work towards prevention.

We must remember all of this because it is all that will ensure that something changes. Take those feelings and use them to do better.

When horrible things happen, and horrible things have abounded this year, they become even worse when they do not result in improvements. If we allow our government to continue to get away without genuine changes, the catastrophic failures of those in power, both throughout the pandemic and through senseless violence against Black people, will continue and worsen. Do not let them think they got away with something.

We must also use our feelings to demand better of our own community, namely Villanova. Since this needs to be expressed, and loudly, creating more task-forces and sub-committees does absolutely nothing to solve problems; in fact, creating more bureaucracy and red tape will likely make it even more difficult to get problems solved. Everyone knows this is performative, so please, for the sake of our collective intelligence, stop insulting us by telling us you’re doing something when you create a new task

force. Instead, just listen, and then actually do something.

When we come back in the fall, do a better job at educating the men who come to this campus, or are already on it, about what sexual violence is and what their role is in its prevention. Give women the resources they need to prevent sexual violence against them and give them the means to report sexual violence discretely and immediately. Then actually act on it and notify students quickly when it occurs.

If you need a good start, the women who work as editors and writers for this paper have continually written about the flaws of the current system. This semester’s various pieces by Vivi Melkonian, Julia Stanisci, Madison Burke, Cate McCusker and Sarah Sweeney, among others, have addressed the University’s failures to help women on campus and make concrete recommendations for change.

We also encourage the University to show its students of color that it is actually doing something to make sure that their voices are heard and that real change, not performative activism, is being implemented. This starts, foundationally, with making sure that our classes are representative of the country we live in.

The stigma of “Vanillanova” exists for a reason, and unfor-

tunately entering any classroom on campus will tell you why. Accepting more diverse classes, and promoting the perspectives and experiences of students of color once they are here, is the only way Villanova will ever reverse this stigma.

Finally, use the way you felt this year to do better in your personal lives, too. Remember the days that going out for a walk made you feel like a human again, remember the days when lying in bed for hours only resulted in things feeling worse, remember how taking time for yourself and discovering new hobbies gave you a renewed joy for life in the midst of chaos and remember how pushing through 13 weeks straight of class without a break made you lose all motivation to do even the work you enjoy.

Take all these feelings and actions, good and bad, and take the time to figure out what they mean in a non-pandemic context.

Then, use them to help understand what makes you feel meaning in your life, and what makes things worse on your mental health. Do not do things that you hate – and encourage yourself to do things that bring you genuine joy, or at least make a bad day feel better, like simply cooking dinner or cleaning your room.

This year sucked, so make it worth something.

A Reflection on the College Experience Amid a Pandemic Joe Adams Staff Writer

Well, we’ve done it. Villanova has completed its first full year in a pandemic.

Personally, I’m surprised that we made it. We saw the spikes of COVID-19 cases last semester, but even bigger spikes came this semester. Luckily, we were able to push through and stay on campus all year long.

First and foremost, I’m so grateful that we were able to have school within a pandemic. The idea of this seemed impossible almost a year ago, but somehow, the University made it work. Although not every aspect of college life was normal, it was as normal as it could be given the circumstances. I know a lot of my friends back home have had to stay online all year, so I feel extremely lucky that I got to spend my first year of college on campus.

There is a lot that I appreciate about how Villanova handled the pandemic. For example, the outdoor events with high quality food trucks each week was something that I looked forward to. I also enjoyed the in-person events we were able to have from time to time, such as the Relay for Life 5K, the game watch on Mendel Field and NOVADance. These events made college feel “real” for me, and I had such a great time at each of them.

The Freshman year experience was very different during the pandemic.

Courtesy of Sarah Jones

I wish Villanova created more of these events, because they were all safe and exciting. The common theme of community in these events because so many members of our student body were able to go and participate, and that made it all the better. When we were able to come together as a community, it truly made me feel like a Villanovan.

This is the best part about Villanova: the feeling that we are all in this together as one community.

There were also some parts

of these past two semesters that I wish were different. First is the food.

Although it was my first time on campus, I’ve heard that the food used to be “so much better.” And that makes sense, because I did find myself wondering if it would ever improve in the first semester. By the time the second semester came, there were more options, so that was a plus. But, hopefully in August, there will be even more to choose from and a bigger variety of different foods.

I also think that the University could have done a better job with mental health. Many students have voiced their opinions on this, as we are all feeling burnt out right now. Furthermore, for those of us who needed counseling or somebody to talk to, our concerns did not feel like a priority. I think many of us had to silently struggle to get through these past two semesters for a variety of reasons, and I wish the University had put more of an emphasis on prioritizing the mental health and well-being of the students. Whether it was a lack of days off, or just getting loads of work while having to deal with a pandemic, this is one aspect of Villanova I hope improves in the future.

Another aspect of campus that could have been better was communication. A lot of time, I felt left in the dark, especially with updates on COVID-19. I wish I knew more about vaccine updates before the final weeks of school or about the spike of cases on campus and how we would be fixing the issue as quickly as possible. While the messages came, they often came too late.

As a whole, I’m pretty happy with how my first year went. Things were different, but more things went right than wrong. I’m optimistic for the future, especially if Villanova requires the COVID-19 vaccine to return to campus. But for now, we’ll have to wait and see what happens.

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 Associate Editor-in-Chief exceed 500 words and must be signed. No anonymous letters will be published. All submissions beOpinion Editor come property of The Villanovan and are subject Opinion Editor to editing for clarity and space.

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

Wednesday, April 28, 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 authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of The Villanovan.

Food Truck Fridays Should Become a Villanova Tradition Tina Aron Co-Opinion Editor

The typical “college experience” was surely hard to find this year. Yet, both through student and university efforts, there were safe activities that quickly became fan favorites. One of those fan favorites was Food Truck Fridays, a Community First sponsored event that brought local food trucks onto campus. This provided an enjoyable and safe place to socialize while also providing a free sampling of different food. At first, it seemed like this event was just trying to compensate for the lack of socialization due to COVID-19.

Yet, these Fridays attracted a large group of students who ended up being regular attendees, even bracing the winter cold to visit their favorite trucks.

Sophomore student, self-proclaimed food blogger and food truck connoisseur, Eleanor Dalsass, was a weekly attendee of Food Truck Fridays and had some valuable thoughts on the return of these events next year. Eleanor is totally in favor of the continuation of these Fridays regardless of the COVID-19 situation next year, as “they have become such a beloved and appreciated aspect of Villanovans’ social life.”

These Food Truck Fridays were a great way to establish a sense of community on campus but also had a local impact by involving local small businesses. Throughout the pandemic, there was a huge wave to support small businesses, which Villanova participated in by bringing these food trucks onto campus. However, this support should not just stop

Food Truck Fridays were a popular and free event provided to Villanova students.

Courtesy of Olivia Pasquale

with the end of this year. It will take a long time for these local businesses to recover from the pandemic, but the financial support, free publicity and community outreach provided from Food Truck Friday will surely help get these businesses back on their feet.

Eleanor’s food blog (@ eatwitheleanor), in which she reviews local restaurants and posts her own self-made dishes, also suffered a hit during the pandemic. She was grateful for the opportunity that Food Truck Fridays provided, both content-wise and experience-wise.

“Not only is this weekly event great for local businesses who were deeply affected by the pandemic and who are still trying to recover, but they are also a great way for students to try new foods of different varieties and cultures without having to spend money or leave campus,” she said.

“As a foodie, and someone whose food blog became relatively stagnant during the pandemic, the food trucks allowed me to continue to pursue my love of trying new foods and sharing in these experiences with my friends.”

I greatly anticipate the return

of many pre-pandemic social events.

However, if the pandemic did teach us anything, it’s how to have fun in the face of adversity. For those who struggled making friends this year and finding things to do, Food Trucks Friday offered an atmosphere filled with food, music and outdoor enjoyment. This was a place where anyone was welcome to expand their palate or simply talk to friends around a fire pit.

Not only did students enjoy these Fridays, but every food truck worker seemed happy to be there and participate in the atmosphere.

After months of going to these food trucks, it seemed like workers and students were happy to see each other week after week. An enthusiastic food truck that comes to mind is Bake’n Bacon, whose workers were constantly exhilarated and happy to serve Villanova students. They often had back-drops set up for photo ops, gave out free swag or simply joked around with students. In an Instagram post, Bake’n Bacon announced their partnership with Villanova and wrote, “We are so thankful for this opportunity Villanova, thank you again for trusting us!”

While going to college during a pandemic was not ideal, Food Truck Fridays were one aspect that improved the whole experience. I was happy to see the number of students taking advantage of this event every week, and for those who did not participate, I hope that this becomes a tradition for years to come.

In Eleanor’s words, “Food Truck Fridays were something that I Iooked forward to every week, and I really think that they have become an integral part of Villanova and need to be retained next year.”

The Wildcat Meal Share Program Jacob Artz Staff Writer

Opportunities that are not taken advantage of are opportunities wasted. Especially during this time of need, it is important to seize any opportunities that you can get. It doesn’t matter if it’s sports, academics or needs in the house like food. In this case, it is the meals that we are able to afford on campus to buy the variety of food the University offers.There is much struggle during this time, and one way to help is to step up. This is done through a variety of actions like service in the community, working for an elderly person in need or making people more aware of situations that are important.

One of these situations is that many juniors and seniors choose not to have a meal plan during the years they move into apartments. Unfortu-

nately, some of them do not budget their money correctly and struggle at times to afford groceries. Even though all Villanova students are smart in their own way, these financial gaffes happen to all of us, as we often think we have more than we actually do.

The problem with this is that Villanova has stepped up to plug the hole of this need but many students, actually almost all of them, do not take advantage of this great opportunity. To me, opportunities are made to be taken advantage of, especially when the University is giving students an avenue to be better despite their mistakes.

This program that students can take advantage of is the Wildcat Meal Share Program as an extension of the Nova Nook. The program has students that can sign up to donate their unused meals. Through these donations, accumulations of unused

meals have piled to more than 200.

Keep in mind that a student who requests to be a part of the program receives 10 meals per semester that go directly to their Wildcard. However, only one student has benefitted from this program, and there are plenty of meals left to be taken advantage of.

For those who are not familiar with the Nova Nook, it is the service that runs the Wildcat Meal Share Program and is located in Dougherty Hall Room 217 with normal operating hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Its mission is to provide supplemental personal necessities to students who are in need.

Its goal is to provide a safe space to distribute simple necessities that can be found in a dorm or apartment like toiletries or food items for students who struggle to manage these costs.

The program can only succeed and be stocked with essentials through the generous donations of fellow Villanovans who care deeply

about their community. Furthermore, the Nova Nook has laundry detergent and small donations that can be added to one’s NovaBucks account for campus laundry.

Services like these that Villanova offers should not be overlooked because all of these programs do great work that often goes unnoticed. It is time that we do what we can to help out, not just in the Nova Nook, but in other organizations and services throughout our community that do amazing work as well.

This awareness is important because we have just celebrated Earth day this past week, which reinforces our commitment to keeping the places in which we live clean so that future generations can enjoy the beauty of nature for years to come. Earth Day keeps the planet healthy and prospering for our kids and grandkids to live in, so why not keep your fellow students healthy for finals and beyond?

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

OPINION

The Villanovan | 7

Biden Ends Silence and Recognizes Armenian Genocide Taleen Postian Staff Writer

Achieving the acknowledgement and declaration of a historically agreed-upon fact is a deceptively simple challenge. It is one that the Armenian community intimately understands, specifically in the form of denial of a genocide. For the past 106 years, every year on April 24, the international Armenian community experiences a plethora of emotions and is then told to be quiet about them. We feel a righteousness course through us, with the need to march for our history. We unite under our common history and survival, feeling blessed to be alive together. Most prominently, we experience a collective grief so large that it’s crazy to think that this is a grief originating from a crime that occurred so long ago.

But the idea of this crime being one that began and ended in the early 20th century is false and a large reason for our ongoing suffering. By denying the existence of this genocide that, by the admission of the main organizer Talat Pasha, eliminated three quarters of the worldwide Armenian population, the violence continues to this day. We see it in the displacement of the tens of thousands of Armenians in the aftermath of the Artsakh War, which I reported on in October of this past year. We see it in the threat of Pan-Turkism, as Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declared in a statement released on April 24, “Armenopho-

bia is in the essence of Pan-Turkism, and today we can see its most disgusting manifestations in Azerbaijan as fostered by the authorities of that country.”

This is why the recognition of this mass atrocity as a “genocide” is so important. Through recognition there is healing, and through recognition there is prevention of future genocides. Don’t believe me? Look to the 1939 speech by Adolf Hitler, who stated on the eve of the Nazi invasion of Poland that began World War II, “Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?” This quote is not merely cited here for shock value, instead to establish the historical precedent for the Armenian Genocide in particular to influence the execution of subsequent genocides and holocausts. As Lawrence Douglas writes in an article about historian Stefan Ihrig’s book on the connection between the two genocides says, “Turkey had introduced extermination as a way in which a modern nation state could ‘solve’ problems posed by an unwelcome minority.” If recognition leads to prevention, silence and impunity lead to genocide.

Thus, why has it been historically a challenge to get the American government to acknowledge the Genocide? This is largely due to America’s diplomatic relationship with strategically-located Turkey.

Turkey to this day refuses to recognize the Genocide as a genocide and claims the 1.5 million deaths to be a side effect of the first World War, not the extermination attempts of

the Turkish government. If America made a move towards Genocide recognition, Turkey firmly condemned it. This is why President Joe Biden’s campaign promise of genocide recognition was not taken seriously by many Armenian-Americans, since presidents have been making the same promise for decades, with each one walking back on that promise when in office. This is why this year’s acknowledgment is so unprecedented and important.

On April 24, Biden became the first American president to formally recognize the mass killings, starvation marches, relocations, rapes, forced conversions, tortures and murders of 1.5 million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as a “genocide.” This announcement shocked, amazed, encouraged and relieved the American-Armenian community.

“I was so happy when Biden officially recognized it,” said junior Armenian student Daniel Donabedian. “The whole world practically knew what occurred in 1915, the U.S. knew what occurred too, but they just didn’t want to disrupt their relations with Turkey by formally recognizing it. I’m very glad our government finally did what was right despite Turkey’s wishes… hopefully it can provide Armenian Americans with pride knowing that their country is no longer denying the Armenian Genocide.”

This sentiment was echoed by another Armenian junior, Isabel Hagobian.

“My reaction was shock and excitement because although U.S.

recognition is long overdue it is a good step in the right direction and what we have been working towards,” she said.

The feeling that the statement was “long overdue” is one that many Armenian-Americans share.

“Despite the pride I feel from the U.S. acknowledging this atrocity against Armenia, it astounds me that it took this long to do it,” Donabedian said. “The Armenian Genocide, like most genocides, was not discreet at all, so it’s just kind of shocking to me that the U.S. took so long to recognize an obvious truth. I hope that one day Turkey can formally apologize for what their former government did, but I’m not holding my breath.”

He brings up the fact that this recognition is one step on a ladder Armenians have been climbing for more than a century. I hope this statement inspires us to climb even higher.

Every year, the Armenian people excavate devastating personal trauma to educate the rest of the world about a silenced genocide.

Biden’s statement of recognition is the result of decades of that work and we should not be thankful –– we should be proud.

“I think Biden’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide will mean more awareness towards the genocide and more conversation in other media sources that may have been hesitant to use to word genocide before,” Hagobian said. “It’s an amazing accomplishment for the Armenian Diaspora and something for us to celebrate.”

The Horrible Prospect of the European Super League Margot Giuliano Staff Writer

To those of us who love the beautiful game of soccer, the formation of a Super League in European football was a horrible prospect. The stated motivation was to improve the quality of the game. The actual motivation was money and power, interchangeable goals that were not well hidden.

At its inception, the management of the top-level European teams met privately to discuss ways to ensure that those at the top stay at the top in terms of earning potential and exposure.

Following the American model of leagues that are set without opportunity to be relegated to a less prestigious division, it sounded good at first. Why should any team, such as Manchester United, be relegated and not share the purse in a given year or short term period simply because they are slumping? After all, the team helped bring the sport its huge popularity.

The fans and players went nuts on many levels. By adding another league, the players who are already overplayed would be expected to add more games and practices into their lives. This is in addition to the travel involved.

The fans love their hometown teams, and although the big names like Juventus, Chelsea, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Paris

Saint-Germain would continue to get the biggest following, they liked the idea that a team like West Ham could be in the playoffs. Every person can play soccer –– it’s part of the culture, and to take the dream of glory away was simply abhorrent.

UEFA president, Aleksander Ceferin, was infuriated.

He checked in with several teams and was simply lied to about their intentions with regard to a Super League. In some cases, these individuals were more than colleagues but close personal friends. He had already worked hard to improve the regulations governing the Champions League to accommodate some of the concerns shared by the group wanting the Super League. In fact, UEFA instituted many new regulations to address some of the concerns that motivated the forces behind the Super League.

The reality would have essentially created a parallel Champions League with less competition but more games.

One journalist equated the formation of the Super League to the NBA. Imagine if the best teams didn’t like the outcome of the playoff system and decided that they would have their own playoffs to determine the true best team in basketball. They would play at the same time, so the greatest players would be expected to play in the “greatest game.”

Ceferin’s response was quick and sure. He announced

that players should not be released from their current responsibilities on any level to play in the Super League. Many team managers agreed and levied their ownership to remove themselves from the conversation.

It happened…the Super League fell apart before it was even formed. However, the consensus is that it will be back.

As leadership and the economy change, this issue will rear its ugly head again.

There is a phrase in soccer,

Chelsea fans protest Premier League match.

Courtesy of Getty Images

to those of us who truly love it: “For the good of the game.”

There is no positive context in which a Super League would accomplish this. Still, money and power are huge motivators and will always work to increase their force. As fans, we hold the ultimate control because we buy the tickets. Refuse to support this attempt to sterilize the game and remove the hope and joy of loving teams that, at least for today, can realize the dream of being elite.

Isn’t that what we all want?

8 | The Villanovan

OPINION

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

The Problem with Jake Paul’s Boxing Career Rachel Reiniger Staff Writer

The Jake Paul versus Ben Askren fight on April 17 earned more than one million pay per views, top celebrity appearances and as was surely to be expected, controversy.

But, while many are only talking about whether or not Paul’s first-round knockout was preplanned, the larger question at hand remains: should we even continue to further the career of this notoriously polarizing figure?

On April 22, the New York Times published an article surrounding harmful experiences with Paul.

The main focus of the article was around AJ Mitchell, a musician that joined Paul’s influencer house, Team 10, at the age of 14.

After Mitchell’s parents received clarity from Paul’s parents and assistance over living arrangements and safety, Mitchell signed a contract that gained him free rent in exchange for giving Paul a large cut of his monetization, as well as contributing to Team 10 brand deals. However, upon his arrival at the house, Mitchell says he slept on the floor, was constantly harassed with pranks and was thrown into Team 10 parties, which were flooded with alcohol and drugs.

Again, Mitchell was only 14 years old. He also began dating a girl nearly a decade older than him. Mitchell’s allegations align with many previous Team 10 members’ stories, such as Alissa Violet, who claims Paul verbally and emotionally abused her. These types of allegations have been public

Jake Paul has made the transition from YouTube star to boxer in recent years.

Courtesy of Villanova University

for years, but Paul is seemingly invincible to cancellation.

The most disturbing allegation against Paul was made by Justine Paradise, a TikToker who claims she was sexually assaulted by Paul in 2019. Paradise posted a TikTok about her experience on April 9 of this year.

The details in her story are tragically alarming. Because of Paradise’s following and ability to get her story out to the public, a few others have come forward with their own stories about Paul.

Many are speculating that Pete Davidson, who was hired by Paul to interview him and cover the fight, asked about Paradise’s allegations.

During his locker room interview, Davidson’s question was muted, as Triller

(the sponsor of the fight) pulled the kill switch in an effort to avoid controversy. Paul was clearly not happy and appeared shocked by the question, leading many to believe it was indeed about the accusations against him.

Davidson then went on to talk to Paul’s opponent, Askren, and tell him that no one is rooting for Paul because of his terrible reputation. This obviously did not sit well with Paul.

While Davidson’s awkward remarks were candid and probably what a lot of people were thinking, it begs the question: if we all hate Jake Paul, why do we continue to support him?

Even if we are not rooting for him to win, more than one million people paid to watch him fight. In Davidson’s case, he accepted Paul’s money and

attended the fight, plastering his face all over the promos and ultimately increasing viewership. Yes, I am glad Davidson pointed out Paul’s accusations at the Triller event but, why is there even a Triller-sponsored event for Paul in the first place? Why are companies and celebrities comfortable being associated with him and taking his money and for that matter, why are people in the public supporting any platform with his name on it?

It seems like stories that reflect poorly on Paul’s character, whether it be taking advantage of smaller influencers, disrupting neighborhoods, calling COVID-19 a hoax or sexual assault, are never-ending. And yet, Paul is currently starting a new venture fund that has attracted support from Silicon Valley and continues to gain fans through his new boxing career. While the vast majority of us recognize Paul’s entire rise to fame as disappointing or even undeserved, we continue to debate over the logistics of his fight or the mystery of his next opponent.

I think everyone should continuously think about which Paul news story they are talking about. Is it how fast his last knockout was, or is it Justine Paradise’s allegations? And, if you are talking about it, is it with some type of admiration because of a fascination with his rise to fame, or is it with disgust over his actions and a belief that he should not continue to succeed? If you recognize that Paul should not have a platform, I encourage you to not purchase or support his next fight or business endeavor and, instead, be vocal about the need for accountability.

Cap or No Cap: Biden’s Vacillating Refugee Stance Megan Jackson Staff Writer

During the presidency of Donald Trump, inflammatory racial rhetoric and sensational policy threats held the nation’s attention on immigrant and refugee rights.

January’s inauguration — coupled with a long-overdue social media ban for the former president — brought an end to Trump’s harmful commentary on the matter.

Many previously outraged voters mistakenly equated a cessation of xenophobic presidential discourse with a resolution to the issues faced by immigrants and refugees themselves. Those who felt free to relax under President Joe Biden’s administration were secure in the assumption that his progressive campaign promises would come to fruition. However, while Biden has refrained from open condemnation of refugees and eased some discriminatory restrictions, he has fallen far short of his promises to the global refugee population and the American communities who await their arrival.

By February, Biden had reduced his aspirational refugee cap from 125,000 to a more conservative 62,500 without raising too many eyebrows. On April 16, he decimated even that number in favor of maintaining the Trump-era cap at 15,000, leaving thousands of preapproved refu-

gees stranded far from their final destination. Political backlash from fellow Democrats was swift, obligating the Biden camp to rescind its announcement and promise a higher number by May 15, but public discourse remains largely unchanged. If U.S. onlookers wish to see real change on refugee and immigration rights, constant vigilance and activism from voters is imperative to align all administrations with refugee interests in both word and deed.

Americans are all too familiar with the pattern of transition between campaign promises and results. Many candidates, naïve to the realities of legislation, overpromise and underdeliver. However, Biden was intimately familiar with the realities of working around Beltway gridlock, having served as Vice President during both terms of Barack Obama’s incredibly polarized presidency.

In fact, his campaign assurance of admitting 125,000 refugees during his first year, while ambitious, was not far from previous U.S. averages, which were around 95,000 annually before 2018.

Press Secretary Jen Psaki’s characterization of the White House’s rationale for adjusting that number has been conflicted.

She denied, then confirmed, that Biden weighed increasing immigration numbers at the Southern border, now deemed a “crisis,” in making his refugee cap decision.

While addressing the immigration

influx is a noble goal, there is no reason it would stand in the way of accepting refugees from other nations. Processing for refugees, who are vetted and approved before traveling to the U.S., has always taken place separately from immigration procedures. Around 35,000 such refugees — more than twice Biden’s allotted number — have already completed the approval process and await nothing but permission and a plane ticket to begin their new lives.

“The U.S. has always been able to walk and chew gum,” Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, the chief executive of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, summarized for the New York Times. “[Immigration and refugee processing] are two completely distinct pathways and programs.”

There is no real explanation for the novel failure to coordinate both under President Biden — unless genuine effort has not been paid to the endeavor.

Other circumstances may legitimately be complicating the ideal of raising the refugee cap.

The new administration certainly has a full plate, given the global pandemic, ensuing economic crisis and ongoing military engagements. Each of these factors also serve to swell the global refugee population, which surpassed 80 million in mid-2020 and will only continue to rise. Biden officials have been quick to blame the Trump administration for gutting

the previously established system by cutting funding, closing out international positions and limiting officials’ travel. These circumstances may justify the adjustment of Biden’s aspirational cap to 62,500, with the promise of revamping these programs and arriving at least at the pre-2018 average by the administration’s second year.

Instead, Biden decided not to raise the Trump-era cap at all and provided no timeline for doing so. His rhetoric may differ from his predecessor’s racist precedent, but this only serves to protect Biden from the public’s censure, rather than protecting the refugees themselves from Biden’s identical xenophobic policy decisions.

Legislative compromise is, to some extent, inevitable, but that should not exempt Biden from the obligation to retain his focus on refugee rights. Compromising away the lifeline of thousands of refugee families, especially without providing sufficient explanation or a specific plan for addressing their needs in the future, falls far too close to the Trump precedent for comfort. At the end of the day, the only policy choices that are truly unacceptable are the ones we the people refuse to accept. Eagle-eyed public oversight of the presidency was a new practice for many in the days of Trump, but it is a habit that the American people must maintain to protect the interests of those most vulnerable from even our progressive presidents.

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

CULTURE

The Villanovan | 9

CULTURE

University Holds First Ever Villys Student Film Festival

award of the night: “Standout Villy Filmmaker.”

Another documentary, “Cathedral,” was created by the Carroll

This past weekend may have Sisters, Jackie and Betsey. “Cathebeen the weekend of the Oscars, but dral” centers around Chandler V. on Villanova’s campus, all eyes were Coleman, a retired Marine and lifeon a different film award ceremony: long artist who creates stained glass in The Villys. On Friday, Apr. 23, the Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. organization Villanova Television The film won “Best Documentary.”

(VTV) held its first ever Villys, a

The largest category of the student film festival. The event took night by far was the Drama category. place at the Oreo at 8 p.m., and lasted “Abroad” was directed by A.J. a little over two hours. Films were Fezza, Matthew Gaetano and Jake shown on four screens located around Saunders. The film begins with two the perimeter of the lawn. roommates finding the ideal candi Submissions were open to date to replace their third roommate, all Villanova students, and had to A.J., before A.J. embarks on his study be submitted by Sunday, Apr. 11 in abroad semester. The tone quickly order to be considered for the festival. shifts after A.J.’s study abroad All submissions were evaluated by a plans fall through. “Abroad” won panel of seven judges, who ranged “Best Story.” from University professors to ad “Panopticon,” directed by ministrators and alumni. The judges Connor O’Malley, is a silent film were JJ Brown (Director of Student about a man living under constant Involvement), Dr. Debra Arvanites, surveillance. The film won “Best Dr. Susan Mackey-Kallis, Dr. Rebec- Direction.” ca Makas, Fr. David Cregan, Kimmy “Echo,” directed by Will Mariani, and Professor Hezekiah Acchione, shows how a deaf girl deals Lewis. with loss. The film won “Best Dra There were a total of thirteen ma.” films screened in the three categories

“Dunface,” directed by VTV of Documentary, Drama and Come- Internal Director Ally Weitzman, dy. follows a young man (played by VTV

The documentary “Warrior News Director Miguel Badia) who Class” was filmed last year in the Sois drawn by paranormal visions to a cial Justice Documentary class led by mysterious mansion on West CamMatthew Marencik, Steven McWilpus. The film won “Best Cinematogliams and John O’Leary. “Warrior raphy.”

Class” tells the story of three Phila “On the Move,” directed by delphia-area veterans from the War E.J. Burke, shows the story of when on Terror. The film won the biggest a disheveled hitchhiker finally gets a A.J. Fezza Co-Culture Editor

ride.

Finally, The Villys topped off the night with its Comedy category.

“Spoons Out,” directed by Miguel Badia, shows the events that unfold when a member of a friend group is “spooned to death.”

“Bathroom Break” was directed by A.J. Fezza. The film follows a college student as he waits for hours for his roommate to finish using the bathroom.

“Rewrites,” directed by Audrey Agnew, follows a writer and director who are stuck in rewrites for their film. “Rewrites” won “Best Comedy.”

“Russian Roulette” was directed by VTV President Zach Mann. The film, set in 1982, is about a covert branch of the CIA that is tasked with stopping the USSR from unleashing a deadly bio weapon on U.S. soil. “Russian Roulette” won the “Audience Choice Award.” This award was decided by the festival attendees, who voted for the winner via Google Form at the end of The Villys.

Each of the winners of The Villys received a certificate. The “Standout Villy Filmmaker” winners received a $100 gift card to Campus Corner Pizza, and the “Audience Choice Award” winners received a $50 gift card to Forget Me Not Food, a cake and pastry business run by senior Erin Gresh.

The rest of the winners received a $25 gift card to Campus Corner Pizza and a $25 gift card to Rosie’s Coffee at Villanova Station, both Villanova favorites.

The Villys were held on Apr. 23.

Courtesy of Olivia Pasquale

The Villys appear poised to become an annual event. The festival was primarily managed and advertised to the student body by VTV Internal Director Ally Weitzman.

“The Villys were amazing this year,” Weitzman said. “All of the films were great and we had a really enthusiastic audience. I’m so glad that we were able to have this event this year and make it fun for everyone.”

Going forward, Weitzman wishes to make a few changes to The Villys. She hopes that in the coming years, with COVID-19 behind us, the festival will instead be held indoors and films will be presented on one large screen instead of multiple smaller screens. The current locations that VTV officers are looking at for the 2022 Villys are The Connelly Cinema and the new Performing Arts Center.

Hopefully, The Villys will become an iconic staple of the University’s spring calendar in the years to come.

The 93rd Annual Academy Awards in Review Elena Rouse Co-Culture Editor

Sunday, Apr. 26 marked the 93rd Academy Awards, as nominees flocked to the red carpet in person for the first time in over a year.

After a troubling year with a global pandemic and racial injustices across the country, the Oscars treated the night as not only an acknowledgement of the past year, but also as a celebration for the movies that got many people through it.

The event itself looked quite different from the usual luxury of the Dolby Theatre. Producers Steven Soderbergh and Stacey Sher took things to a different level, having the event take place in a new venue and switching up the usual order of awards. Due to the pandemic, only nominees and presenters could attend the ceremony held at Union Station in Los Angeles.

Many nominees live streamed into the event, and performers nominated for best song pre-taped performances.

The cinematography made the event look as if it was a movie itself instead of a live show.

Regina King, actress and comedian, opened the Oscars. She did not do an opening monologue filled with jokes as is the usual protocol.

Rather, she took her time to speak on the year as a whole, including what it has been like as a black woman with the recent George Floyd verdict.

“Now, I know that a lot of you people at home want to reach for your remote when you feel like Holly-

to his mother to capture her embarrassed reaction. Vinterberg, winning for best international feature, brought everyone to tears as he himself choked up onstage, dedicating his film to his late 29-year-old daughter who died earlier this year by a texting driver.

Youn had the most overall talked about speech, directly talking to Brad Pitt and speaking highly of fellow nominee Glen Close, who has been nominated for eight awards and has yet to win. She also, in a sarcastic and heartwarming tone, mentioned her two sons.

“I’d like to thank my two boys, who make me go out and work,” Youn said. “This is the result, because mommy works so hard.”

The University had a moment of its own at the Oscars as well.

Anthony Giaccchino, winner of Best Documentary for “Collette,” is a 1992 Villanova graduate. He was a history and German double major.

The night ended with the upset of the whole ceremony. The last award, Best Actor, went to Anthony Hopkins. This comes after much speculation that late Chadwick Boseman would win for his role in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” After Joaquin Phoenix announced the award, the show ended abruptly, as Hopkins was not present to accept.

The Oscars, with its completely different set up due to the pandemic and movies that many have not seen for the same reason, still had its usual memorable moments and Filmmakers and actors behind the film “Nomadland” celebrate their Oscars victories. flare that makes so many tune in to Courtesy of The Wall Street Journal watch each year.

wood is preaching to you,” King said.

“But as the mother of a Black son, I know the fear that so many live with, and no amount of fame or fortune changes that.”

The first award of the night went to “Promising Young Woman” for Best Original Screenplay, with director Emerald Fennell being the first woman in 13 years to win. Following this was the award for Best Adapted Screenplay, going to Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton for their adaptation of “The Father.”

Throughout the night, there were some noteworthy moments that people have not been able to stop talking about. Most notably was one of the more diverse nomination pools in the ceremony’s history. With nine people of color nominated for

acting and 70 women gaining attention as well, the Oscars proved to be leaning towards a more progressive future. Some historical wins were Chloé Zhao, a Chinese filmmaker, for Best Director of “Nomadland” and Yu-Jung Youn for Best Supporting Actress in “Minari.” There were also some historically older winners, with Anthony Hopkins earning Best Actor and Ann Roth winning Best Costume Design, the two being 83 and 89 years old respectively.

As for acceptance speeches, Daniel Kaluuya, Thomas Vinterberg and Yuh-Jung Youn gave the most memorable ones. Kaluuya shocked audiences when he talked about his thankfulness for his parent’s procreation that created him. It also humored audiences as the cameras cut

10 | The Villanovan

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

THE VILLANOVAN

The Marriage Pact came to Villanova in early February.

The Villanovan welcomed a new staff in January.

Villano c

Students like Ioana Taisia (@_yoyoscloset_) created their own businesses during the pandemic.

President Joe Biden was elected on November 3rd, 2020, after a contentious race.

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

OPINION

The Villanovan | 11

N YEAR IN REVIEW

Students were encouraged to “Stop the Spike” as COVID-19 cases skyrocketed at the end of Fall semester and beginning of Spring semester.

ova started the year in the news as freshmen were caught having a large gathering on south campus.

NOVADance was held in the Spring Semester and raised $481,753.64 for childhood cancer treatment.

12 | The Villanovan

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

CULTURE

“Quo Vadis, Aida?” Highlights the Bosnian Genocide es under the command of General Ratko Mladić, who can be seen in a famous photograph handing out candies to children before taking their brothers and fathers to be slaughtered

“Quo Vadis, Aida?” is a Bosin the killing fields of Srebrenica. Dr. nian film directed by Jasmila Žbanić Beyer explained that some in the inthat provides a harrowing account of ternational community thought Srethe days leading up to the massacre brenica must be ceded to Milošević in of more than 8,000 Bosniak men and order to negotiate a peace deal. boys in the UN-declared safe haven

“This ignored the responsibilat Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovity to protect and the UN Convention ina, in July 1995. The slaughter was on Genocide which calls for intervenperpetrated by the Army of Repubtion, demonstrating a massive failure lika Srpska with the backing of the of western nations and the UN,” BeyYugoslav National Army. The film er said.

“The failure and its painful was nominated for an Oscar for Best “Quo Vadis, Aida?” was nominated for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Acadelessons are clearly shown by the film.”

Foreign Film in 2021 and has been my Awards on Apr. 25.

Twenty-five years later, this lauded by scholars since its release Courtesy of The Calvert Journal genocide that occurred in front of our on March 5, 2021. The atrocity is own eyes in the heart of Europe is recounted through a woman named must be in the right emotional space Yugoslavia, the Serbian forces waged often still excluded from school curAida, a Bosnian Muslim herself to do so,” Beyer said. war against Bosniaks and Croats to riculums, even classes that specifically who is an interpreter for the United

From my own experience expel them from lands that would focus on human rights and genocide.

Nations on the ground in Srebrenica. watching the film, I will certainly become “pure Serb” lands. Western Some argue that the death toll of the While fulfilling the immense demands echo Dr. Beyer in warning that it is nations had imposed an arms emapproximately 250,000 killed during of her job, she tries desperately to emotionally-taxing and a formidable bargo on Bosnia and Herzegovina, protect her husband and two sons challenge to finish. Nonetheless, it which meant that Bosniaks could not the Bosnian War does not amount to living in the enclave from the torture would not be possible to do any sort obtain weapons to defend themselves that of atrocities in Rwanda, Cambodia, or the Holocaust, while others and brutality of the Serb forces under of justice to the horrors that occurred against the Army of Republika Srpsblame the genocide in Bosnia on the the command of General Ratko in the Muslim enclave at Srebrenica ka, which also had access to the refalse notion that ethnic hatred has Mladić. and throughout the entirety of Bosnia sources of the JNA. As the genocidal

I was first introduced to the and Herzegovina without evoking acts of Serb forces became more and always dominated the region we call the Balkans. Perhaps it is the failure film by Dr. Gerald J. Beyer, an ausuch powerful reactions in viewers. more apparent, the United Nations of western nations that keeps this thor, scholar, and professor of Chris- “The film provides an accuand the West, including the admintian ethics and theology at Villanova rate portrayal of the abandonment istrations of both George H.W. Bush genocide out of the public eye.

“With the recent internationUniversity, in the class Solidarity and of Bosnian Muslims by the internaand Bill Clinton, refused to intervene al conference to commemorate the Peacebuilding in Central and Eastern tional community,” Beyer said. “This or even change their position on the 25th anniversary of the tragedy at Europe. The first two-thirds of the inaction in the face of genocide is arms embargo. Instead of lifting the Srebrenica, more and more classified course focuses on the Polish Solidardepressingly and eerily reminiscent of arms embargo or conducting NATO evidence is coming out that leaders ity Movement, the resulting collapse the Rwanda failure.” air strikes against Serb targets, the knew the Serbs’ plan and decided not of communism in Poland, and the

The atrocities of Srebrenica UN set up numerous “safe havens” to take on responsibility,” Beyer said. subsequent social and economic phe- portrayed in the film occurred as around Bosnia and Herzegovina in

If we look at the Rohingya in nomena that occurred across Polish part of a horrific four-year campaign which Muslims would be protected Myanmar or the Uighurs in Chisociety as a democratic, neoliberal of genocide, torture, and mass rape

by UN peacekeepers. One of these na, we can see that genocide is an capitalist model was implemented. between 1992 and 1995 committed “safe havens” was in the small town The last third of the course shifts to against Bosnian Muslims, or Bosof Srebrenica in Southeastern Bosnia ongoing threat in our world today.

It is imperative that more people focus on the Bosnian genocide follow- niaks, by the Bosnian Serb forces of and Herzegovina. are educated on the atrocities and ing the breakup of Yugoslavia. the Army of Republika Srpska with

As Serb forces closed in on the international failures associated

Dr. Beyer recommended the support of Serbian President Srebrenica in the beginning of July with past genocides like that which this film to us as a supplement to the Slobodan Milošević and the Yugo1995, the Dutch peacekeeping force occurred Bosnia and Herzegovina, material we were studying in class. slav National Army (JNA). Fueled by was massively outnumbered despite and the film Quo Vadis, Aida? is a

“I precautioned my students extreme nationalism and the desire repeated requests to UN higher-ups devastating reminder of what can still in class that this film is extremely to construct a Greater Serbian nation for more personnel. The safe zone happen if we fail to live in solidarity challenging to watch given the focus that would include all ethnic Serbs was essentially handed over by the with the targets of tyranny. on the Bosnian genocide, and one living in the territory of the former UN peacekeepers to the Serb forcAnthony Grasso Staff Writer

Book of the Week: “Where the Crawdads Sing” Caleigh Beaton Staff Writer

For what began as a book not expected to sell more than 28,000 copies, Delia Owens’ “Where the Crawdads Sing” has made a profound impact on the fiction writing world, holding its position on the New York Times Best Sellers list for 124 weeks. It explores the themes of loneliness, education and acceptance, making it appear as a young adult novel, but in fact captivating a wider demographic.

The book follows Kya Clark, “the marsh girl,” all the way from age six to her young adult life, spanning the years of 1952-1970.

Isolated from society, Kya grows up in a shack in the marshland of North Carolina. Abandoned by every member of her family, Kya must find a way to navigate life as a young woman.

“Where the Crawdads Sing” connects everyday life to the natural world in a profound way. With a lack of communication and no one to care for her,

nature becomes Kya’s whole world and ultimately all she knows. The marsh is Kya’s savior, companion and educator. Her surrounding wildlife teaches her how to hide, hunt for food, make money to support herself and how to act in her relationships, drawing deep comparisons between the natural world and human life. However, even with her intense connection to nature, Kya finds herself longing for human connection and love, and ultimately finds it with two boys in the town that shame her.

The book begins with the murder of football star and town favorite, Chase Andrews. Switching back and forth between Kya’s childhood and the current murder when she is in her mid twenties, the reader gets to know Kya all the while knowing she is accused of the murder.

After stealing the hearts of many avid readers, “Where the Crawdads Sing” is now being made into a movie starring Daisy Edgar Jones and is currently in pre-production under Hello Sunshine, the company run by Reese Witherspoon.

“Where the Crawdads Sing” is a critically-acclaimed New York Times Best Seller.

Courtesy of Washington Post

A coming of age story, as well as a troubling mystery, this book shows the lasting effects of isolation and what it takes to survive in a society that rejects you

but a wildlife that needs you. This book is a must read for nature lovers, mystery seekers and those that find themselves searching for love and hope in the hardest of times.

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

CULTURE

The Villanovan |13

Weekly Club Spotlight: Villanova University Mock Trial Chelsea Le Staff Writer

Clad in business suits and ready for court, Villanova’s Mock Trial team continues to represent the University well against schools across the country.

As members of the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA), students participate in intercollegiate competitions where schools argue as prosecution or defense in stimulated court cases. Each year, teams receive a case with a set of affidavits and exhibits that tell a story about an alleged crime. Members are assigned as attorneys or witnesses, and the club meets twice a week to prepare for a season typically lasting from September to March.

This year, Mock Trial performed exceptionally well considering the unprecedented circumstances.

Despite everything being on Zoom, including the competitions, the team still had an outstanding season. After success at Regionals in mid-February and fine-tuning its case strategy, Mock Trial advanced to the Opening Round Championship Series (ORCS) as one of the top five teams from the region, ranking in the top 192 out of hundreds of other college teams.

The A Team placed second at one of the invitationals, and members across both teams received individual awards.

Patrick Riss, a sophomore Philosophy major, spends most of his time participating in Mock Trial.

Since joining, Riss had enjoyed the camaraderie among members, despite all events being online.

“A large part of the Mock Trial experience is travelling and the time the members spend together—unfortunately a lot of that wasn’t possible this year,” Riss said. “However, where we could, we made it work.

Recently, we just competed in the intramural basketball league with our team Ball and Order, thankfully a lot of the team was able to participate in that.”

Because competing teams can only have 12 roles filled up by

10 people, only so many members can participate. To compensate for this, Mock Trial rotates roles among students so that more have an opportunity to compete. Riss, who usually was an attorney, was able to diversify his experience through these reassignments.

“Over the course of this season, I got the chance to play both an attorney and a witness, which was a lot of fun,” Riss said. “For our final tournament, I was able to play an Australian DJ - that was probably the highlight of my year.”

Mock Trial had one of its first successful elections in Riss’ recent memory. The club only has three main positions: president, vice president and chief of internal affairs.

“I am proud to say that it was a success,” Riss said “As a club all about discourse, we managed to have

VU Mock Trial practicing earlier this year.

Courtesy of @VUmock

a civil colloquy.”

This year, Makena Kerns was elected to the office of the presidency, Patrick Scariano to the vice-presidency and Maggie Cavanaugh as chief of internal affairs. The executive board hopes to send a team to nationals in the coming years and recruit more members.

Hannah Phillips, a freshman Political Science and Humanities major, was one of the new recruits for this season. As an attorney on both plaintiff and defense, Phillips wrote directs and crosses for different witnesses and delivered closing arguments on both sides.

“My favorite part about Mock Trial is definitely the friendships that you make with the people on your

team and the adrenaline rush that comes from objection battles and competition,” Phillips said. “From the first practice, I could tell that the season would be really fun and I’d make a ton of new friends.”

Anyone interested in joining can email mcavan15@villanova.edu or mkerns1@villanova.edu. Members are typically accepted during the fall when the season starts, but the club would love to meet and get to know anyone.

“Join Mock Trial if you want to learn more about our legal system, practice your public speaking, reading, writing, acting or analytical skills and have the chance to meet a lot of unique people and be part of an established community,” Riss said.

An Open Letter To The Graduating Senior Class of 2021 Grant Carter Staff Writer Continued from p. 1

...a Super Bowl, the Great Spit Fire of 2017, a transformation of campus. Walk through campus on Lancaster, and notice an entire half was not there when many of us moved into South Campus. I write this letter from my apartment in the Commons, which were by then no more than a slab of concrete. The bridge existed only on paper, which certainly did not help anyone make it to their morning class in Tolentine. The Mendel Field we see now was engulfed in a series of trenches and pipes, for an infamously long period. These constant changes defined our time at Villanova. But our community is not just a gathering of buildings.

Apart, we lived through a global pandemic, which has stolen

“The Falcom and the Winter Soldier” is the most recent Marvel series on Disney+.

Courtesy of Julie Vrabelova/Marvel Studios

something from each of us. What we all lost was the time we expected to have together. For a while, it was not certain we would get it back.

Our place on campus became dependent on the ebb and flow of an online dashboard. Predominantly online classes even made being on

campus a weird, unnatural experience. It cramped our style.

Now, the world is finally emerging from this fever dream of a year. We can finally look behind us and see that maybe there was beauty in the chaos. As distant as we were at times, over Zoom or states

apart, we really never have been strangers.

Our path has granted us a renewed appreciation for humanity and community. It has been a year of reunions, running into friends we have not seen since pre-pandemic, or perhaps even pre-abroad. Grabbing a drink with roommates from St. Mo’s, or seeing former teammates. Little interactions are suddenly monumental.

Carry that appreciation into the next step, no matter where it is. While we are here, enjoy every moment, as you already should. The next moment is coming anyway, so let’s relax, and finally take the time to enjoy this one.

Our time together on campus now may be precious, but it will always be here for us to come back to, like a second home. Who knows how it will change next. Whatever the case, we have all been a part of it.

Thank you Class of 2021, and congratulations.

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Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Villanova’s Woodrose: Two Album Releases In A Year Sara Hecht Staff Writer

Emerging from the pandemic and into the music scene at full force, Woodrose, Villanova’s new indie rock band, has recorded and released two entire EP albums all within the past year. Alternative music lovers can find these records, “Woodrose” and “Woodrose++,” on Spotify and Apple Music – along with the single “I Can Only Dream.”

Woodrose’s sound honors many popular alternative and rock and roll groups, sharing its inspirations such as The Beatles, Bon Iver, The Strokes, Mac DeMarco, Radiohead, Neil Young, Frank Ocean and Bob Dylan, to name a few.

The band is composed of Villanova sophomores Michael Loparrino, more commonly known as “Lopo,” Seamus Daniello and Chris Cruz – all of whom play guitar and piano. In addition to these instruments, Lopo plays the bass alongside Daniello, who is the lead vocalist of the group. Cruz also sings on two tracks and co-writes with Daniello.

“We all met as freshmen,” Lopo said. “We all loved to play music together in the Good Counsel lounge, so it felt natural for us to become a band.”

However, with the pandemic cutting their freshman year short, the band members were forced to disperse across the country. Neverthe-

less, Cruz and Daniello were able to continue their collaborative songwriting while in lockdown.

“Our first EP was recorded entirely at our homes during quarantine,” Daniello said. “Chris and I would send recordings back and forth and call each other routinely to discuss the direction of the project.

It was a very different approach to music creation but the most we could do during that time.”

Thus, in recognition of this unique process and in true “slow the spread” fashion, the cover of their latest album, Woodrose++, features the band members safely socially distanced against a wooded backdrop.

With the release of this second EP album, Daniello shares how he has grown as a songwriter and witnessed his process develop over the course of this past year.

“The less I think about writing songs, the better they come out,” Daniello said. “I used to write the music before the lyrics. Pretty much all of the first EP was written that way. Now, I feel like the lyrics should come first. The music is then inspired by the words.”

The pandemic has also thwarted Woodrose’s ability to perform its music live, something the band looks forward to with great excitement.

“We would love to play more gigs and want to really start practicing our songs once we release our

new album,” Lopo said. “We plan on making it our best yet by having it professionally mixed and mastered.

Hopefully next year we can play a lot of gigs and gain traction in the local scene.”

Woodrose has two parting messages for readers. First, it is looking to add a drummer into the mix,

so reach out if interested. Second, Lopo excitedly shares that the band is working on a new project, set to come out Fall 2021.

“New music is on the way,” he said. “We’re gearing up for our next album cycle.”

Band members (from left to right) Michale Loparrino, Seamus Daniello and Chris Cruz.

Courtesy of Seamus Daniello

How First Years Have Dealt With FOMO During

Chloe Miller Staff Writer

FOMO, the fear of missing out, was added to the Oxford English Dictionary back in 2013 and is probably something many freshmen are far too familiar with. Experiencing FOMO is common, even natural, and is only heightened by the current state of the world. Science has shown that FOMO occurs when someone has a lack of satisfaction with his or her current social life, something that most people, especially freshmen, are experiencing right now with the pandemic.

One might be stalking a friend who goes to school in Florida, jealous of the insane parties she seems to be going to while sitting in a dorm room for yet another chill Friday movie night. One might even be stalking his or her older sister, looking at all her posts from her wild times in college. While scrolling through endless posts of people somehow partying despite the pandemic, one could find themselves miserable.

One of the most important things to remember as this unusual year of college winds down is that no one is alone in this feeling.

Throughout this year at Villanova, the administration and clubs were innovative as they hosted food trucks, NOVAdance, fire pits on the weekend and so much more. While the University put in the work to make this year feel as normal as possible, many freshmen feel as though they missed out on a typical freshman experience.

Coming into college, they were fed stories of how wild and exciting the first year at college was, and in most cases, they didn’t get anywhere close to this idyllic picture. One of the most challenging parts of freshman year for

many was finding friend groups.

“It was really hard to branch out and meet new people,” freshman Valeria Torres said. “Most of my friendships formed within my dorm building and I found it hard to do things outside of my little friend group.”

Instead of having an enormous friend group to hang out with, Torres found that she hung out with a smaller, more tight-knit group. While this could be viewed as a positive during the pandemic, Torres, along with many freshmen, still wished they had a wider network of friends so that campus felt more like home.

“You see pictures of your friends who go to colleges that don’t necessarily follow all the precautions hanging out in huge groups, and I kind of wish I had that sometimes,” Torres said.

Another aspect that distraught

many freshmen girls was the delay of sorority recruitment. Due to the large spike of COVID-19 cases back in February, recruitment was pushed back to the end of March.

“Having sorority recruitment really late was rough,” freshman Alex Tessendorf said. “I saw all my friends hanging out with their sorority friends early on in the semester. I was so looking forward to meeting new people, but now everything feels rushed.”

In combination with already having a semester in which students couldn’t go out or meet new people as they would have in a regular year, the late sorority recruitment was challenging. Again, it was another hurdle in the effort of meeting new people. Now that sorority recruitment has happened, Tessendorf feels as though she is branching out, but she doesn’t have a lot of time to do so before heading back home for the semester.

Despite some community events, freshmen still say they struggled to meet people. Courtesy of The Villanovan

With such an unusual year that put freshmen in a unique position, there had been a lot of innovation on their part to make the year feel somewhat normal. Trying not to feel like they are missing out on the normal experience, freshmen learned to make do with their circumstances.

“One thing that I have found really helpful is to try to make routines with the friends that you have found here,” freshman Maggie Winston said.

“Maybe that’s going to CampCo every Friday or having a group study date once a week.”

On top of creating these routines, freshmen, such as Winston, have found that trying their best to explore the area around campus can be a way to have fun while also following COVID-19 restrictions. In terms of dealing with the FOMO while living in a pandemic, Torres encourages the freshmen to understand that they still have three more years left and to really reflect on the good times they’ve had despite the restrictions.

“It’s really important to recognize that your life is incomparable to anyone else’s,” Winston said. “To ignore the FOMO I’ve felt this year, I’ve tried to focus on the amazing friends I have met here. I also find it helpful to take a day off social media to recharge and escape from all of the perfect posts we see on social media.”

Although this year may not have gone as planned for many Villanova students, reflecting on the fact that we were lucky enough to spend a full year at college can be helpful to overcome the FOMO one may feel when looking at other people’s lives. It’s important to remember that a whole class of students are going through the same thing and look forward to the (hopefully) normal) years in the future.

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Summer Fashion Guide: How To Style Your Summer Devin Toolen Staff Writer

The summer season is right around the corner. With the days getting longer and the weather getting warmer, it’s time to pack up winter clothes and break out the light and airy summer styles. Social media users across all platforms have been making predictions and posting content about what fashion styles to expect in the coming months.

Gen-Z style icon Emma Chamberlain recently posted a “what I’m wearing this summer” video to her YouTube channel, highlighting the many clothing items and styles that she wants to incorporate into her summer wardrobe. Other popular online personalities have done the same thing, giving the general public a good idea of what to look out for in fashion this summer. With that, let’s examine some hot trends, styles and articles of clothing that will be essential this summer.

First, a staple to any summer wardrobe is a good pair of denim shorts.

As Chamberlain described in her YouTube video, the jean shorts and tank top combination is the perfect simple everyday outfit. Quality denim shorts, however, can be hard to find. Vintage Levi’s are a personal favorite, as they usually fall a bit longer on the leg and provide more coverage. However, these types of shorts can be expensive. Look to Abercrombie instead for a pair of denim shorts that will feel great. A good pair of denim shorts can be dressed up with a satin cami and heels or dressed down with a white tank and New Balance sneakers.

While mixing and matching tops with bottoms can be enjoyable, it is sometimes annoying to have to figure out which pieces work together and which do not. To avoid stress of making sure an outfit matches, look into wearing matching sets this summer. Matching sets usually consist of a top and bottom that feature the same pattern or color.

Sometimes, these sets have a third piece,

which could be a sweater or cardigan that also matches. One type of set that will be popular this summer is the cami top with a matching satin midi skirt. Also, be on the lookout for short sleeve button-up tops with matching drawstring shorts.

These types of sets will be great for a hot summer day. To find matching sets, try shopping at Zara, ASOS or even Cotton On.

Matching bathing suit sets will also be huge this summer. This would include a bikini top, bottoms and a sarong of the same pattern. These types of sets have been all over Pinterest summer boards. The new brand Cool Is A Construct makes these types of sets, as well as Emily Ratajkowski’s clothing brand Inamorata. For cheaper options, try Abercrombie or Blackbough Swim.

Patterned matching bathing suit sets will make one look and feel put together while hanging out on the beach.

Another style that is certain to make a big statement this summer is crochet. Crochet tops, bags, dresses and even hats have become high demand fashion pieces over the past few months. Instagram account @Scarlett.and.Sam makes adorable crochet tops that look perfect with staple denim shorts. Also, for stylish crochet bags, check out @NicolinaClothing on Depop. Nicolina crochet bags feature fun patterns like checkerboard or yin and yang, and they would look so cute with a summer outfit.

Accessories are essential elements to any outfit, and this summer, try to take risks with the pieces worn.

Thanks to TikTok icons Suede Brooks and Victoria Paris, layered, chunky and colorful necklaces are trending and will be a big hit this summer. The necklace that Brooks and Paris constantly sport is from jewelry designer Martha Calvo, and it features pearls, gold chains and assorted charms. These necklaces are quite expensive. However, if looking for a similar style while not trying to break the bank, check out ShopGeminiJewels on

This @Scarlett.and.Sam crochet top pairs perfectly with denim shorts and mini heels..

Courtesy of Devin Toolen

Etsy. This style necklace is also quite easy to make. Check out Michael’s for charms and other jewelry-making items to create a unique interpretation of the iconic Martha Calvo necklaces.

As for shoes this summer, try to find a perfect pair of mini heels to wear with any look. Heeled mules will be very popular this summer thanks to the Gucci rubber sandals that recently gained

popularity. Jeffery Campbell also makes mules like these for a fraction of the price.

Check out stores like Lulu’s, ASOS or even a department store like Nordstrom for a great pair of mini heels. In terms of sneakers, replace the white platform Supergas or Air Force 1s with a pair of New Balance 990s. These comfortable shoes will pair perfectly with denim shorts or even a sundress.

Student Group Feature: The Villanova Dance Companany Maddie Schieder Staff Writer

The Villanova Dance Company and Ensemble performs at various events in the campus community. According to the Villanova website, the company is a select group of dancers who perform at events both on and off campus.

They are required to audition at the beginning of the year, attend class twice a week and be present for rehearsals and other events.

Villanova’s dance group performs personal and creative choreography with numbers choreographed by director Melissa Salcedo and other outside companies.

These student dancers perform at annual events on campus such as Special Olympics, St. Thomas of Villanova Day of Service and Parents’ Weekend. Additionally, they perform as guests for the Villanova basketball games at designated games throughout the season. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic, things have been a little different this year.

What makes this year challenging for the company is the lack of space they have been able to reserve for rehearsals and classes. In the fall semester, they were granted

ity, engagement and exploration for the University’s performing arts community – enriching Villanova’s campus and enhancing educational opportunities across the University.”

Considering the time and effort these artists have invested into their organization, it is difficult for their creativity to reach its full potential due to limited resources.

Lindsay also discussed their current circumstances and the significant change in atmosphere for herself and the team.

“In the current semester, we have unfortunately not been able to access the PAC at all for classes, rehearsals or performances,” Lindsay said. “We have been using the The Villanova Dance Company performs for the campus community at many events. St. Mary’s chapel and a tent in the Courtesy of @villanovadancecompany parking lot on West Campus. Lookaccess to the new Performing Arts system, huge mirrors, windows and ing ahead, I am hopeful there can be compromise for the underclassCenter on the corner of Ithan and more. We were able to have our men to be able to use the studio Lancaster Avenues, yet the compacompany dance physically distant and possibly theatre in the PAC, as ny has had difficulty in the current and still able to connect creativewe are the biggest dance group on semester. Andris Lindsay, Dance ly. We have always made the St. campus.”

Company president, explained their Mary’s dance studio work in the As a senior, Lindsay wishes experience last semester compared past, but compared to the new cen- the best for her team in the future. to this one. ter it is quite small and stuffy, and COVID-19 has impacted the world

“The PAC in the fall was the floors are nothing like the new in many different ways, a lack of amazing and such a big upgrade Marley we got so lucky to dance on resources being one of them. From to what we’ve been used to in the this past fall.” luxury studios to a parking lot, the basement of St. Mary’s the past

According to Villanova’s Villanova Dance Company looks three years,” Lindsay said. “The website, “The John and Joan Mulforward to change in its creative third floor studio has perfect floors, len Center for the Performing Arts and bright future. expansive space, an extensive sound is a hub for performances, creativ-

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Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Semester Closing: Student Plans for Summer and Abroad Nikki Merrill Staff Writer

With the spring semester coming to an end, students have their sights set on the summer. Quality time with friends and family, travel plans, internships and just the luxury of free time awaits on the other side of final exams.

Sophomore Anna Mark Helwigh will be returning home to Denmark in June. Schools, shops, restaurants, museums and hairdressers have been closed since the end of December, but Helwigh is confident in her native country’s ability to reopen in time for the summer.

“The Danish Government has made a reopening plan that will gradually lift the coronavirus restrictions in two-week intervals,” Helwigh said.

“I think the government is doing what they can to give us a normal summer, so I think Denmark will be relatively open over the summer.”

As part of a normal summer in Denmark, Helwigh looks forward to celebrating Saint John’s Eve on June 23. Saint John’s Eve closely coincides with the summer solstice, otherwise known as “midsummer” in the Northern Hemisphere. The traditions of the holiday bring people all across the country together.

“We get together with friends and family around a huge bonfire in the town, neighborhood or at the beach,” Helwigh said. “Around sunset the bonfire is lit and everyone stands around the fire and sings ‘the midsummer song.’”

After Saint John’s Eve, Helwigh will compete in some high level track meets in Europe. She runs on the track and cross country team at the University and recently set a personal best and school record in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:05.86.

“I plan on racing at the European Athletics U23 Championships in Bergen, Norway this summer,” Helwigh said. “I made the standard in the 1500-meter and the 3000-me-

Students are gearing up to leave campus for the summer.

Courtesy of Sarah Jones

ter steeplechase, but I do not know which event I’m going to do yet. I just look forward to going on the trip with my teammates and seeing everyone compete…I might stay in Norway with some of my friends for a couple of days after the European Athletics U23 Championships. We are talking about renting an Airbnb near a lake

and just have fun, relax and enjoy the summer.”

Other students also plan to travel this summer. Sophomore Joy Kim will travel the east coast with her family.

“With my brother leaving for college in the fall, my parents will have an empty nest, so we’re planning

to go on a road trip from Georgia to Maine,” Kim said. “It’ll be our last family trip before we all go our separate ways.”

Kim and her family plan to go camping at Acadia National Park in Maine. The park boasts stunning forests, rocky beaches and impressive peaks. If one keeps an eye out, you may catch sight of moose, bears, whales and seabirds in their natural habitat.

Other summer destinations include New York. Maggie MacDonald, a J.D. Candidate in the class of 2023, plans to go to the Hamptons to celebrate her first year of law school here at the University.

Senior Margaret Hyde will be moving to New Jersey to start a new job in healthcare communication.

Later on, she will also be traveling to San Antonio to visit her boyfriend in the Air Force.

Other students will use the summer to prepare for study abroad in the coming semester. Sophomore A.J. Fezza plans to study at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland this fall.

“It’s a gorgeous school with amazing courses and an amazing history,” Fezza said. “This is my first time ever going to the U.K., and I could not be more excited.”

The Office of Education Abroad said in a recent email to study abroad students that they hope to have a better understanding of what, if any, international travel may be approved from the University by June.

Despite the precariousness of the pandemic, Fezza is optimistic that the study abroad opportunities will hold up.

“By the time school there starts in September, both the U.S. and the U.K. will have likely achieved herd immunity, so I don’t see any reason why study abroad should be cancelled again,” Fezza said.

Evidently, students have a lot to look forward to this summer. If all goes well, a great summer will serve as a springboard into an even better fall semester.

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

The Villanovan | 17

SPORTS

SPORTS

Softball Wins Three On The Road Against St. John’s Meghann Morhardt Staff Writer

After a three-game sweep against Providence last weekend, Villanova softball carried that momentum through last weekend with another three-game sweep on the road against Big East opponent St. John’s.

On Saturday, the Wildcats won game one of the double header, 16-4, and the second game, 16-6. On Sunday afternoon, a much closer third game resulted in a 3-1 win for the ‘Cats.

The Wildcats recorded 18 hits from seven players in their first victory.

Senior pitcher Paige Rauch and sophomore outfielder Dani Dabroski each had four hits, two RBIs in five at-bats.

Senior Julia DaCosta and junior Ryan Henry both hit home runs in the sixth inning.

Villanova came out strong, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning behind RBI singles from junior Megan Kern and freshman Tess Cites, along with a sacrifice fly from DaCosta that scored another run.

The Wildcats tallied two unearned runs in the top of the second to stretch the lead to 5-0, but the Red Storm was able to respond.

With three runs in the bottom of the second, St. John’s cut the lead to 5-3.

The third and fifth innings were powered by Dabroski and Rauch, each with RBI singles in the third. Rauch had another RBI single

to score junior Sydney Hayes and advance Dabroski in the fifth. Rauch would then advance to second while Dabroski scored on an error by the Red Storm, stretching the lead again to 9-3.

St. John’s earned a run back in the bottom of the fifth, but that would be it on the offensive end for the Red Storm. Henry and DaCosta responded with solo homers in the sixth inning to extend the lead to 114.

The ‘Cats scored five runs in the top of the seventh inning, followed by a scoreless relief inning from freshman Caroline Pellicano to secure the 16-4 victory.

Villanova carried this momentum into the second game, tallying 16 runs again with nine Wildcats crossing the plate.

Senior Angela Giampolo and sophomore Chloe Smith each recorded three hits on five and four at-bats with one and three RBIs, respectively.

Villanova started off much slower in game two, trailing 5-1 after a four-run second inning from St. John’s. However, the ‘Cats responded with five runs of their own in the third to take a 6-5 lead. The first two runs came from back-to-back RBI singles from Giampolo and Smith.

Pellicano relieved senior pitcher Anissa Amarillas in the bottom of the third and allowed just one more Red Storm run in the remaining three innings.

Following two singles from

Smith and Giampolo, DaCosta made the game 9-5 with a three-run homer in the fourth inning.

Villanova scored seven runs, four unearned, in the fifth inning.

The ‘Cats had two RBI hits and were aided by four walks and an error by the Red Storm, allowing them to take a 10-run lead and employ the mercy rule, ending the game after just five innings.

The two teams faced off one more time on Sunday afternoon with the ‘Cats coming out on top to complete the sweep. This game was not as convincing as the first two.

Rauch pitched a complete game, allowing just four hits and one run on the day. This improved Rauch’s season record to 15-2 with an earned run average of 2.15. Rauch added to this stellar performance with two hits and an RBI in the game.

St. John’s took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when

its leadoff batter scored after reaching base on a single. Villanova was not able to respond until the third inning when Dabroski scored on a Rauch RBI double after reaching base on a fielding error from the Red Storm.

The score stayed tied until the top of the fifth when the ‘Cats loaded the bases on a walk for Dabroski and a single from Rauch followed

by Giampolo getting hit by a pitch.

DaCosta notched a single to left field that scored Giampolo and gave the ‘Cats a 3-1 lead.

Rauch continued her dominance throughout the remaining two innings to close the game and secure the victory.

The Wildcats are now 2610 overall and 10-1 in Big East play.

They will host Delaware on Wednesday at 3 p.m. and Princeton on Thursday at 2:30 p.m., before traveling to Seton Hall for a three-game series this weekend.

Senior Paige Rauch fires a pitch.

Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

Baseball Loses Two of Three at Butler for the Bulldogs. Every pitcher struggled except for sophomore Danny Wilkinson, who pitched three and one-third innings without giving up a hit.

After getting swept in their

Butler started the first game first two series of Big East play, the off hot, scoring four runs across the Wildcats took on the 7-15 Butler Bulldogs (2-6 Big East) on the road. first two innings, but the ‘Cats reThe ‘Cats were able to end their Big sponded, scoring five runs across the third, fourth and fifth innings, highEast losing streak, which reached lighted by an O’Reilly bases-loaded seven games, but lost two of three to the Bulldogs, losing game one 10- double in the fifth that scored three, 5, winning game two 8-1 and finally making it a 5-4 game in favor of losing the rubber game of the series, Villanova.

Butler responded in the bot11-3. tom of the fifth, scoring five runs,

Elite hitting highlighted game one for the Bulldogs, who had and it added on to its lead in the sixth, scoring one run, which made every player with an at-bat finish it a 10-5 game. the game with at least one hit. A

Now on a seven-game losing bases-loaded double by sophomore streak, the ‘Cats looked to Graceffo Jack O’Reilly was a bright spot for to end their winless stretch in game the ‘Cats, but their bats couldn’t two. keep up, resulting in a 10-5 loss.

The ‘Cats jumped out to an

Game two had elite pitching early 2-0 lead in the first inning and from junior ace Gordon Graceffo never looked back. In the bottom of and hot-hitting all around for the ‘Cats, who finished with 11 hits and the fifth, Butler cut its deficit in half, making it 2-1, but the ‘Cats scored had seven different players finish with at least one. A four-run seventh six runs total in the seventh and and a two-run eighth sealed the deal eighth innings, making it 8-1, which went on to be the final, ending Vilfor Nova and the win for Graceffo. lanova’s losing streak and giving it The right-handed pitcher pitched its first win in Big East play. eight innings of one-run ball while

Senior Chris Rotondo had striking out five and only giving up two hits (one triple and one home four hits. run) and two RBIs. Junior Nick Lo The rubber game of the russo had two hits (one double) and series broke open in the eighth inning when the Bulldogs put up eight two RBI’s. Graduate student Ryan Toohers had three hits (one double) runs. The Bulldogs only had eight and one RBI. hits, but they walked eight times,

The deciding game of the and the Wildcats had two errors, series started back and forth, with one of which put a runner on base Matthew Ryan Staff Writer

Butler scoring three runs across the second and third innings and the Wildcats scoring three runs across the third and fourth innings, knotting the game up at three.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Bulldogs completely blew the game open, scoring eight runs, making it 11-3, which stood for the remainder, giving the Bulldogs a 2-1 series victory.

The next series for the Wildcats is a four-game Big East series against the 15-16 Xavier Musketeers (6-3 Big East). Game one is on Friday, games two and three will be played as a doubleheader on Saturday and the series finale is on Sunday.

The Musketeers had three players on the preseason all-Big East

team: catcher Natale Monastra, second baseman Jack Housinger and left-handed starting pitcher Nick Zwack.

Housinger (BA: .293) and Monastra (BA: .287) are second and fourth, respectively, for Xavier in batting average. Andrew Walker leads the team in batting average at .361, and as a team, Xavier hits .250.

Of pitchers that have started more than half of their appearances, Zwack has the second-lowest ERA (3.12) and opponent batting average (.245), trailing only Trevor Olson, who has a 2.92 ERA and a .199 opponent batting average.

Overall, the ERA for the Musketeers is 5.66, and the opponent’s batting average is .268.

Gordon Graceffo willed the ‘Cats to a win to stop a seven game slide.

Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

SPORTS

18 | The Villanovan

Successful Philly Metro Meet Zac Tipton Staff Writer

The Villanova Track and Field program finished its regular season at the Philadelphia Metropolitan Collegiate Invitational. The women won eight events, including Lydia Olivere’s record-breaking performance in the 3000-meter steeplechase, while the men won four events, including Haftu Strintzos’ sub-29-minute performance in the 10,000 meters.

The women dominated the competition, winning eight of 13 events and finishing top three in three of the other five events. Many athletes provided top performances, including Olivere, who broke the school record in the 3000-meter steeplechase. This is the second time she has broken the record in her Villanova career. In other events, Jada Thomas won the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.91.

Danielle Burns finished second in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:00.30. Villanova also placed first in both the 4x400-meter relay (3:38.78) and the sprint medley relay (3:49.82). Amari Onque-Shabazz and McKenna Keegan were on both of those relay teams. Keegan won Female Track Athlete of the Week for her efforts in both of those relays, as her 52 second anchor leg on the 4x400 relay erased a large deficit and won the race for the Wildcats.

For field events, Sanaä Barnes won the high jump while tying her school record of 1.82 meters, while Roschell Clayton finished

as runner-up. Ashley Preston, who tied for the second best mark in school history at the last meet in the pole vault, won the pole vault this week, clearing 3.85 meters, just shy of last week’s mark. Gracee French went strong finishing first in shot put with a distance of 14.72 meters and second in discus with a mark of 49.47 meters. Emily Galvin finished fourth in the hammer throw and Teresa Rotolo had a third place finish in the Javelin with her personal best throw of 38.63 meters.

The men finished with four winners. In the 400-meter hurdles, Keeghan Hughes took home first with a time of 52.95 and Nicholas Mollica finished fourth with a time of 53.82. Nick Ackerman finished fourth in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:01.64. Patrick Spychalski (14:24.90) and Ben Seiple (14:26.74) finished second and third in the 5000-meters. Both runners posted personal best times. Strintzos had a time of 28:55.55 to win the 10,000

meters. The Wildcats also won the 4x800-meter relay and the distance medley relay. Casey Comber, Sean Dolan and Charlie O’Donovan ran in both relays. The 4x400-meter team finished fourth in its relay. In the field events, Jacob Kelly finished second in the high jump with 2.06 meters. Michael Troup finished third in the long jump with 6.97 meters and Malik Cunningham took fourth with 6.84 meters. Billy Loewen finished second in the shot put with 15.56 meters, which is his personal best. Jadyn Anczarski finished third in the discus with 48.09 meters. Both Anczarski and Alex Telma both had personal bests in the hammer throw with Anczarski throwing it 53.16 meters, and Telma throwing 51.22 meters.

Both the men and women’s teams qualified for the postseason, advancing to the Big East Tournament. The tournament runs from Friday, May 14 to Saturday, May 15 in Geneva, Ohio.

Senior sprinter McKenna Keegan ran the anchor leg for two Wildcat relay victories.

Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

The Rise and Fall of the Super League Noah Swan Staff Writer

One of the greatest threats to ever face European soccer appeared and evaporated in just over 48 hours.

But it did not just vanish.

The announcement from 12 of Europe’s most influential club soccer teams attempting to create a Super League sent shockwaves throughout the sporting world, permeating sporting conversations immediately. Fans along with players and coaches felt betrayed, incensed, blindsided and more following the explosive decision.

Fully appreciating the motivations and reactions behind this monumental event requires some background on the structure of European soccer, particularly for the largest clubs. Any club in Europe has two primary competitions through which it pursues trophies: their domestic leagues and European competition. For example, English teams like Liverpool or Manchester United play in the Premier League against other teams in England throughout a 38-game season. Barcelona plays against Spanish teams in La Liga, Bayern Munich against German clubs in the Bundesliga and so forth.

The most successful teams have the chance to qualify for European competition largely through achievement in the domestic

leagues. The Champions League, the premier European competition, hosts 32 clubs from around Europe in a format resembling the World Cup. Following a group stage in which the top two teams from eight groups of four teams qualify for the knockout rounds, teams play twolegged fixtures up until a one-game final that decides the best team in Europe and arguably the world.

With Champions League qualification comes large sums of money that can climb to dizzying heights allotted by success. For example, Italian club Juventus raked in more than $100 million after the 2014-15 season after just losing the Champions League final. That potential earning induces clubs to spend with the expectation of rehashing the outspend through television rights money the following season. Qualification for European competition has evolved from a boon on the record of a European club to a necessity for the largest clubs, and missing out can have disastrous consequences.

Despite the shocking levels of revenue clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid record every year, the biggest clubs in Europe face enormous levels of debt. The pandemic has exacerbated this issue for clubs as the largest source of their money, television rights, has leveled off. As adjacent revenue for live match streams dried, the largest clubs faced a dilemma with regards to short-term debt obliga-

tions.

These issues culminated in the decision made by these 12 clubs, ultimately a financial decision hoping to add security to a volatile competitive and financial environment. With American leagues like the NBA or NFL, revenue sharing and a closed format stabilize the earning potentials of each team. For soccer teams, a poor season can cost a team tens of millions of dollars.

With more American owners entering the soccer landscape, the proposed Super League introduces a model similar to that of American leagues. The basic structure involves 20 teams split into two groups or leagues with each team playing the opponents in its league both home and away. The top three teams from each group progress to the knockout phase while the fourth and fifth-place teams play each other for the final spots. Fifteen teams gain a permanent spot in the league with the final five spots left to qualify in a now permanently unknown system.

Each of the founding teams was guaranteed a lump sum of more than $300 million at the outset by American bank JPMorgan, but the league fell apart quickly.

Fans argued why a team like Arsenal, currently 10th in the Premier League, deserved a permanent spot in this league over the oft-superior Leicester City. Coaches, players and fans came out in force against

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

WEEKLY SCOREBOARD Apr. 14 - Apr. 20

Wednesday, April 21 None Thursday, April 22 None Friday, April 23 Women’s Tennis vs. Creighton (Big East Tournament) 4-0 W Women’s Lacrosse @ Denver 10-18 L Baseball @ Butler 5-10 L Men’s Tennis vs. Marquette (Big East Tournament) 1-4 L Saturday, April 24 Women’s Tennis vs. DePaul (Big East Tournament) 1-4 L Baseball @ Butler 8-1 W Softball @ St. John’s (G1) 16-4 W Women’s Track @ Philadelphia Metropolitian Collegiate Invitational No team scoring Men’s Track @ Philadelphia Metropolitian Collegiate Invitational No team scoring Men’s Lacrossse vs. Marquette 19-8 W Women’s Rowing @ George Mason Invitational No team scoring Softball @ St. John’s (G2) 16-6 W (5) Women’s Water Polo @ LIU Brooklyn 12-15 L Sunday, April 25 Softball @ St. John’s 3-1 W Baseball @ Butler 3-11 L Women’s Water Polo vs. La Salle 11-14 L Women’s Lacrosse @ Denver 9-19 L Monday, April 26 Men’s Golf @ Big East Championships 3rd of 9 (Day 1) Tuesday, April 27 Men’s Golf @ Big East Championships (Day 2) the proposition, looking to maintain the façade of a meritocracy in European soccer. After Chelsea and Manchester City pulled out of the agreement, others followed in suit, and the league died before a scheduled match.

However, this is not the end of the European Super League.

This has been a theory floating around the soccer world throughout the past 15 years, and these owners have taken a reputational hit, but they will still be looking to maximize their revenue in the future. Although seemingly finished, the announcement and proceeding cancellation of the Super League left an indelible mark on European soccer and will shape the debate over future restructurings.

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

The Villanovan | 19

SPORTS

Men’s Tennis Season Ends In Big East Tournament Noah Swan Staff Writer

The Villanova men’s tennis team saw its season cut short, losing 4-1 in the quarterfinals of the Big East Championships to Marquette. Although it was a premature end to a beyond strange season, the Wildcats can come away from this season with optimism heading into next year.

Marquette opened the match by picking up the doubles point, courtesy wins at the number one and number three positions.

Villanova head coach Brad Adams seemed to have found the best doubles combination over the past couple of matches, but the Golden Eagles overwhelmed the inexperienced Wildcats in the match.

Sophomore Alex Kim and senior Daniel Martinez lost 6-3 at the top of the lineup, finishing 3-4 on the season as a partnership.

Despite the losing record, the team found much more success than previous combinations for the number spot. As Martinez graduates this season, Kim will need to rediscover this chemistry with another teammate and build upon the experience of this season to come back stronger in the next campaign.

Sophomore Justin Suarez and freshman Anthony Prokurat fell at the number three doubles spot by the same score as their teammates. The younger pairing finished the season with a stellar 5-2 record despite not starting the season as a team. Suarez and Prokurat struggled to find wins

alongside other teammates, but the pairing secured the number three doubles spot down the closing stretch of the season.

The final doubles set was cut short, as freshman Josh Robinson and junior Matthew Jones’s 5-5 battle at the number two spot lacked an adequate finale. With a 12-5 record on the season, the number two doubles team accounts for almost half of all doubles set wins throughout the season.

The duo became a key partnership for Adams as he altered the lineup during the season, evidenced by the number of matches the team played together. Jones returns next year for his senior season looking to rejoin Robinson with one year under his belt. The two form a dangerous squad for the Wildcats moving forward.

Kim went down in straight sets at the number one singles spot, closing out the season with only five wins. Following the 14-11 record in his freshman year, Kim had a tough job at the top of the singles lineup. Facing more experienced competition and players of a different caliber forced Kim to make adjustments and reorient himself to the season. He has focused more on taking lessons or observations from each match and shaping himself through this gauntlet. He has emerged with a less than stellar record but as a much better tennis player and someone to watch out for next season.

Prokurat and sophomore Daniel Cheng did not finish their matches at the number five and number four spots, respectively.

The men’s tennis team huddles during the Big East Tournament.

Courtesy of Villanova Athletics Robinson and Khromchenko must The two gained invaluable experinot rest on this success but work ence throughout the season, each with their teammates to improve with 17 singles matches to build upon this season’s performances. upon for the next season. Cheng

The only singles win came moved into a greater role this past from freshman Ryan Nguyen at the season after only seeing the court number six singles position, a lone nine times his freshman year. With bright spot in a mostly sour day greater playing time, Cheng will for the Wildcats. Consolation wins now need to step into a leadership aside, Nguyen finishes the season role alongside other sophomores with a winning record, one of four as he boasts more experience than freshmen with winning singles remost other Wildcats. cords for the team.

Freshman Eitan Khrom Each match this season addchenko and Robinson finished ed experience to a team that needthe season with a team-leading 10 ed it desperately. Martinez departs singles wins despite the losses to from the team with a sour taste, Marquette. As seen with Kim and but the team must remain locked Cheng, freshmen can often find more success in their first year with in as this offseason proves crucial to successful matches next season. a leveling off the following season.

Athlete of the Week: Madison Burke Colin Beazley Staff Writer Billy Vinvi Co-Sports Editor

While she may seem like just a regular student while editing The Villanovan or creating funny memes, junior rower Maddie Burke is anything but.

Nicknamed “Baddie Murke” by friends, the Pleasanton California native is a key member and captain of the rowing team, leading them to a first place finish at last weekend’s George Mason Invitational. Her boat, the second varsity 8, beat Jacksonville by less than a second, finishing in 6:47.8.

This was a slight improvement over the week before, as a time of 6:49.4 was only good enough for a second place finish in the Kerr Cup.

Although it may seem like Burke was born for the boat, her journey to the rowing team was anything but straightforward.

Burke comes from a family of athletes, as her older brothers Sean and Colin were both collegiate distance runners in track & field and cross country, at Boston College and UCLA, respectively.

“I started running cross country and track in high school then decided it wasn’t for me and I needed a new sport,” Burke said. “I’d done every other sport growing up so I thought what the hell, let’s try

The Villanova Rowing team practices and meets on the Schukyll.

Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

a new one, and here we are.”

Recruited out of high school, Burke decided to make the trip cross country to Villanova, Pennsylvania for college. Despite being a five hour plane ride from the West Coast, Burke found a new home on the Main Line.

Burke jumped right onto the water upon arriving at college, competing eight times in her freshman year as part of the varsity four and second varsity eight. She experienced success right off the bat, helping the varsity four boat to a third place finish at the CAA Championship and fourth in the Grand Final at the George Mason Invitational. Burke also helped the second varsity eight squad finish in second place at the Rollins Invitational and against St. Joe’s and Delaware.

As a sophomore, she was part of the varsity four stroke lineup, which came in 20th out of 48th teams at the Head of the Schuylkill. Burke also was a member of the second varsity eight who finished in second place against UCF and Duquesne at the Metro Cup Regatta.

Off the water, Burke studies Communication, specializing in Public Relations and Advertising.

She excels in her extracurricular activities as well, as she is The Villanovan’s own Associate Editor-in-Chief.

Juggling school and sports is always impressive, especially with the early morning practices that rowing in particular requires.

When asked how she’s survived three years of early alarms and short nights, Burke credits “Naps

on naps on naps.”

Next weekend, Burke and the rowing team will compete in the Bergen Cup, before competing in the CAA Championships in mid-May.

Referring to the upcoming tournament, Burke explained that the meet was expected to be against Bucknell, however the team has been quarantined and will not compete. She went on to explain that the University of Connecticut Huskies will be the team to beat.

“I think the conference this year will be tough...UConn is typically quite good but with all this COVID stuff teams are so confusing!”

Burke is confident that Villanova will make a good showing in the tournament.

Athlete of the Week: Madison Burke

Madison Burke (front middle) is a captain on the rowing team.

Courtesy of Villanova Athletics