The Villanovan | Volume 113, Issue 12: Wednesday, December 15, 2021

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 15, 2021 www.villanovan.com @thevillanovan VOLUME 113 | ISSUE 12

Black Lives Matter and God Trial

STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916

Women’s Basketball Bounces Back

Elena Rouse

Co-Culture Editor

This past Thursday in the Mullen Performing Arts Center, God Himself was put on trial.

As the final project for the upper level Theology class, “Do Black Lives Matter to God,” students partook in a mock trial in which they questioned God for the treatment of Black lives, touching on the greater question of why God seemingly lets people suffer.

The professor of the class, Rev. Naomi Washington-Leapheart, talked about the class’s premise.

“How is it that human suffering and evil can persist, even overwhelm humanity, if God is good, and God is powerful and God is presumably just?” Washington-Leapheart said about the main question on which the class was based.

To answer this question in reference to Black lives, Rev. Washington-Leapheart has conducted the same mock trial for her class at the end of each semester. She has taught the class since the Spring of 2016.

“I just wanted to figure out a way to first of all test students’ mastery of these theological concepts but also put it in a real world context where God is literally on trial,” Washington-Leapheart said.

Junior Eric Lavin, a member of the class, spoke about the way in which the trial is organized.

“In this trial, the

Villanova women’s basketball bounced back with two straight wins.

Courtesy of Quinn Burns, Villanovan Photography

Meghann Mohardt Staff Writer

Following two tough Big East losses last weekend, Villanova women’s basketball bounced back with two straight wins, beating James Madison on the road, 76-67, on Thursday night and upsetting No.23 ranked Oregon State, 56-52, at home on Sunday.

The ‘Cats were led by junior Maddy Siegrist, who made her return to the court on Thursday after missing six games due to a wrist injury. The star forward scored 65 points in the two games, bumping her season average up to

21.3 points per game over four games played.

Siegrist recorded a double-double on Thursday, finishing with 37 points and 17 rebounds.

This is the eighth time Siegrist has scored 30 points in her career, and she now has 25 career double-doubles in 58 games.

Siegrist was one of two ‘Cats to score in double figures, with sophomore guard Lior Garzon adding 16 points, four rebounds and four steals.

The difference in gameplans was evident as Coach Denise Dillon’s team oriented motion offense proved to be more effective. The ‘Cats recorded

an assist on 21 of their 27 field goals, led by freshman guard Lucy Olsen and junior guard Brooke Mullin, who finished with seven and six assists, respectively.

The Dukes finished with just four assists on 23 field goals in the game.

Villanova struck first, with two free throws coming from Siegrist in the first 20 seconds. The Dukes would tie the game three times in the first quarter, but the ‘Cats continued to ward them off, never trailing over the 40 minutes.

The ‘Cats led 2215 after the first quarter behind nine points from Siegrist. James Madison improved offensively in

the second, but the ‘Cats strong defense and team offense persevered, never allowing the Dukes within five. Siegrist scored a layup and came up with two key defensive rebounds in the final minute to give Villanova a nine-point lead at the break.

Siegrist and Garzon combined for 29 of the team’s 42 points in the first half. The ‘Cats shot 47.2% from the field, including 37.5% from beyond the arc in the first half.

JMU made some adjustments at the half, scoring two quick baskets and cutting the lead to five in the first minute of the third quarter. The ‘Cats

Continued on p. 2

The Wright Way: Bring Back the Suits, Jay

Villanova men’s basketball coach Jay Wright is known for many things, winning two NCAA championships in the last six years, holding a place as a basketball Hall of Famer and being the best-dressed coach in college sports.

However, Coach Wright’s wardrobe has taken a drastic turn. Wright has nixed his iconic and classic suits for a series of matching sweat-sets, ditching class for comfort in this 2022 basketball season. His style on the sidelines has moved away from sophistication in favor of casual, and we have to wonder if it’s affecting his game.

When asked about his attire choice before the season began, Wright replied,

“We’re going casual,” Wright said when asked about his attire choice before the season began. “We’re going to try it out and see how it goes.

Everybody seemed like they were gonna go casual, and now that it’s getting closer to gametime, I think some guys are going the other way, but we’re prepared to go casual right now, and we’re gonna see how it goes.”

Wright attributed much of his sense of style to his late tailor, Gabriele

“Gabe” D’Annunzio, who passed away last winter. In an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer, Wright remembered his tailor fondly and gave him all the credit for his chic look.

D’Annunzio was responsible for many of Wright’s iconic looks, specifically his double-breasted suits, and his great attention to detail. Even without the suits, Coach Wright still radiates confidence and calmness on the court no matter what Continued on p. 13

New Rhetoric Course on Hate Speech p. 3

Mock Recruitment Hosted by Panhel p. 4

Board Editorial: Thank You, Villanova p. 5

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

PA Voting Barriers for Out of State Villanovans p. 7

Club Sports Player of the Month: Thomas Dougherty p. 10

Augustinians of Villanova: Fr. Peter M. Donoghue p. 11

Villanova’s Holiday Village and Market p. 12

Men’s Basketball Dominated by Baylor p. 13

Women’s Club Soccer Takes Trip to Nationals p. 14

Continued on p. 10

Vivi Melkonian Co-Opinion Editor Tina Aron Co-Opinon Editor

2 | The Villanovan

News Opinion Culture Sports

1 5 10 13

VOL. 113 | ISS. 12 www.villanovan.com @thevillanovan

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

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

NEWS

Editor-in-Chief Editor-in-Chief Associate Editor-in-Chief Digital Editor 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

PUBLIC SAFETY BLOTTER Disorderly Conduct December 8 South Campus Grounds An unaffiliated female acted in a disorderly manner after being asked by Public Safety to move her illegally parked vehicle.

Retail Theft December 9 Connelly Center A male resident student removed food items from a display case that were offered for retail sale without payment.

Liquor Underage/Public Drunkenness December 10 Rudolph Hall A male resident student, under the age of 21, was observed intoxicated in public.

The student was evaluated and transported by VEMS Ambulance to the hospital.

Theft by Unlawful Taking or Disposition December 10 Vasey Hall A faculty member reported personal property was stolen in August 2021.

Disorderly Conduct December 10 Sheehan Hall A resident student reported than an unknown person placed offensive material on his room door.

Criminal Mischief December 13 Stanford Hall A staff member reported damage to a residence hall window.

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.

COVID-19 TRACKER Confirmed Cumulative Cases as of 8:00 P.M. Tuesday, December 14

356

33 27.38K

Cumulative Cas- Estimated Active es (from 8/17) Cases

202

Residential Students

99

Non-Residential Students

Total Number of Tests (from 8/17)

55

Employees

ASK THE VILLANOVAN “My situationship and I have been together for a little bit now and we’re exclusive, but he hasn’t called me his girlfriend yet.

Should I bring it up to him before we leave for break?”

Honestly, in this situation it’s best to be really transparent about how you feel. If they like you, odds are this is already on their mind. And on the off chance that he has a bad reaction, then that’s probably a sign it’s not the right thing. Red flags blend in well with Christmas decorations this time of year, so keep your eyes peeled!

“My ex texted me asking if we could meet up for coffee when I’m home for winter break. He said he just wants to ‘catch up,’ which seems harmless, but it was a really bad break up so idk what to do. Should I go?”

They always come crawling back. If things ended on bad terms, then honestly, you’re probably better off steering clear. That being said, if you think this could help you get the closure you want then maybe go for it, but keep things short and sweet. Make sure you have somewhere to be after — an escape plan is always a must.

“Should I invite my best friend to go skiing?

The trip would be more fun but we’d have to share a bed.”

Skiing with friends is always better than skiing alone.

If you won’t snuggle the homies, are they really your homies?

“The Editors-in-Chief of my newspaper are moving on to better things, and I’m really sad about it. How do I make sure they never leave me?”

We wish we could help you there, but we’re just as lost as you. We love you Jack and Cate!!! :)

“Black Lives Matter at School” Authors Discuss Book Lauren Kourey Staff Writer

On November 15, the Director of the Cultural Studies Program, Karyn Hollis, hosted Tamara Anderson, Chris Rogers and Ismael Jimenez to discuss their book, Black Lives Matter at School: An Uprising for Educational Justice on Villanova’s campus.

These three educator activists talked about the Black Lives Matter at School’s Week of Action, which has now been brought to over 40 cities and improved more inclusive education nationwide. Established in 2016, the Week of Action began in Seattle when thousands of educators and students came to school in “Black Lives Matter” shirts. Their message inspired members of the Caucus of Working Educators’ Racial Justice Committee nationwide, including Philadelphia.

The teachings of the Black Lives Matter at School movement are guided by 13 principles, including restorative justice, loving engagement, unapologetically black and queer affirming.

Educator activists were already laying down the groundwork in Philadelphia in 2015. Jimenez, a co-founder of Philly Black History Collaborative says that beginning

with a “neo-liberal attack on education” during the school year of 201415, many schools in the Philadelphia school district were closed, and 95% of the students affected were African American. This caused the Caucus of Working Educators to create a Racial Justice Committee within their organization. Jimenez stresses the importance of asking “what is

identity within a white supremacist construct?”

In the fall of 2018, the Racial Justice division began having public meetings where they would discuss the history of racism, colorism, hierarchy and enslavement.

Jimenez told the audience how leadership of the Caucus was taking credit for the work being

The Director of the Cultural Studies Program hosted the authors of Black Lives Matter at School.

Courtesy of Amazon.com

accomplished by the Racial Justice division, which was primarily “labor being done by black women.”

During the COVID-19 lockdown, the groups split, and the Racial Justice Organizing Committee became its own organization.

While Dr. Anderson, a current professor at West Chester University, believes folks should be appreciated for their ideas, especially those who are marginalized, she is wary about individuals who are eager to take ownership of their own ideas.

“We have to be very careful with territorialism,” Anderson said.

“It’s a very white supremacist idea.

A lot of people built [Racial Justice Organizing Committee] and gave us this material with grace and integrity.”

Rogers shared that he “started working with curriculum thinking of policy demands and authentic relationships that educators wanted to build by black-led organizations.”

He believes that “we are living in the largest protest moment in history,” meaning social justice mobilization is easier now than it ever has been.

According to Rogers, classrooms need to become a platform to experiment and build on the 13 guiding principles of Black Lives Matter at School.

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

The Villanovan | 3

NEWS

New DEI Rhetoric Course on Hate Speech Sarah Wisniewski Co-News Editor

Billie Murray, Ph. D., of the University’s Communication Department will complete her first semester of teaching the course known as Rhetorics of Hate & Free Speech, which she developed to address diversity, inclusion and equity (DEI) issues in the United States.

The class focuses on discourse involving hate speech and the legality of free speech in the United States.

Students examine such discourse through a rhetorical lens. The course also includes the evaluation of rhetorical theories on how to combat hate speech.

The syllabus reads, “because ensuring minoritized peoples’ access to spaces of democracy is of central importance, we will engage in a critical exploration of the communicative systems that enrich and hinder participation in public life.”

Due to her research of social protests, Murray wanted to develop such a course for several years but found inspiration after the Black Lives Matter movement flourished in 2020.

The University also established a course development grant for anti-racist perspectives, which she applied for and received. The grant allows Murray to teach this course for

both the fall and spring semesters for two years.

Murray’s book, “Combating Hate: A framework for direct action,” was also completed in time for the first class. It had taken eight years of research and writing to complete.

“I used last summer, the summer of 2021, to develop the course,” Murray said. “It became a lot easier because I had finished my book and I could incorporate the book with my research into the course.”

One of the highlights of this course is the final project. Murray is trying a new approach and has allowed her students to develop their own project addressing hate speech. A majority of students in the class have centered their projects around the Villanova community specifically. Others have taken a more general approach to share key themes of the class with community members.

Junior Kat Burke designed political cartoons for her final project. She wanted to emphasize the fact that the United States is one of the only Democratic nations to not regulate hate speech.

“When I showed my friends the cartoons, they were shocked to see that free speech is not so great and amazing for everyone,” Burke said. “There are issues that need to be addressed in our country.”

The class will continue to be updated as each semester concludes.

The political cartoons emphasis the lack of regulations for hate speech.

Courtesy of Kat Burke

Students in Billie Murray’s Communications Class Create Projects to Call Out Hate Speech Sarah Wisniewski Co-News Editor

Part of Billie Murray, Ph.D.’s new Rhetoric course included allowing her students to develop their own projects to spread the messages of the class.

Many of the students’ used their projects to educate other students on campus about hate speech and its relation to the First Amendment. Others utilized their projects to emphasize the issues of hate speech particular to the University.

Projects ranged from infographics, to stickers made to cover up hate speech, to podcasts speaking about hate speech, to art pieces.

Two students in the course even traveled to Tennessee to speak to activists outside an alt-right convention.

Junior Lauren Jones decided to create a fictional story about hate speech within elementary and middle schools. The story will be from the view of a victim of hate speech.

Jones was inspired by her work at the Boys and Girls Club of Oyster Bay East Norwich. She also wanted to take a different direction from her classmates and choose a new audience than college students.

“I wanted to switch up the target audience to younger students in hopes that being exposed to these difficult topics earlier in life would benefit their futures,” Jones said.

Jones, a Communication major, hopes the story provides her audience with a significant amount of information regarding racism and hate speech. Jones believes that

kids would benefit from having these discussions early on to better comprehend the heavy topic.

Jones also hopes in the future to continue educating students about the issues of hate speech.

“I think it would be a great opportunity for local schools to share this book with their students,” Jones said. “I think it would be great if they would have me as a guest speaker via Zoom,” Jones said.

Another student, Holly Hanson, also chose a project not intended for college students. Hanson will create a comprehensive lesson plan for a high school history class. The lesson plan would focus on the First Amendment and free speech rights.

Hanson’s background and plans for the future have helped her with this project.

“U.S. History class is typically the venue in which Americans learn about the United States Constitution,” Hanson said. “I, for one, hated history class, but I did and do love school. So much so that my post-graduate career will be as a teacher. I am familiar with lesson planning and teaching techniques.”

Hanson hopes that this project will act as practice for lesson planning but will also provide insight about the First Amendment that many may not even had.

“I learned how little I know about our nation’s founding principle,” Hanson said. “I think I’m leaving with even more questions, which is what a good education or course should do.”

Kat Burke, a Communication major, has decided to go out of her comfort zone for her project.

Burke decided to create political

cartoons to draw attention to the issues of hate speech within the U.S.

Burke used a digital design program to create the cartoons, since she admitted to not being too involved in the arts.

However, Burke expressed the additional skills she learned since choosing a project not within her already developed skills.

Sarah Mcavoy, a Political Science major, focused her project on the Supreme Court cases related to hate and free speech. Mcavoy decided to create a website with outlines of major cases. The website provides not only the facts of the cases but the impacts of the rulings.

Since hate speech remains unregulated in the U.S. by any form of legislation, the courts are responsible for interpreting existing law for every case of hate speech.

“Since technically there is no hate speech regulation, yet Supreme Court cases set precedents of how the US should proceed legally with cases like these, I thought it would be interesting to have one place where these important cases are placed cohesively,” Mcavoy said.

“An overall goal is for my audience to be able to trace how although we do not regulate hate speech, the justice system does shape how we address it and those nuances are also rooted in white supremacy and hypocrisy.”

More projects will be available for viewing around campus.

Students in the course plan to post their flyers and infographics for other University students to see.

Junior DJ Comerford developed an infographic to assist students on campus with combatting incidents of hate speech. The recommendations are based off the teachings of the course.

Courtesy of DJ Comerford

4 | The Villanovan

NEWS

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Philadelphia Justice Project for Women & Girls Advocates for India Spellman Sarah Brady Staff Writer

On Aug. 18, 2010, George Bud Greaves, an innocent WWII veteran, was killed in an attempted robbery-turned-murder. Two days later, on Aug. 20, 2010, another innocent life was taken.

India Spellman was wrongfully accused of the murder and linked robberies. Despite coercion, police brutality, illegitimate claims, forgotten alibis and Spellman being only 17, she was tried as an adult and sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Still today - more than 10 years later - Spellman sits in prison at SCI Cambridge Springs for a crime she did not commit.

Police showed up on Aug. 20, 2010 to take Spellman in for questioning regarding Von Combs, the co-defendant on the case. Combs had been at the house two days prior when the crimes had occurred.

India’s grandfather and retired Philly police officer, Bruce Stafford Sr., was not concerned when Spellman got taken in on this day.

Von Combs had spoken with Spellman regarding his position as quarterback on the high school football team in the early afternoon of the murder and left alone, after borrowing Spellman’s jacket. That was the last time Spellman had seen Von Combs.

On the way to the station, Spellman’s father, Bruce Stafford Jr., requested counsel for Spellman but was assured there was no need for an attorney as the detectives would only be asking a few questions.

At the police station, Spellman’s mother, Morkea Spellman, refused to give consent for the interrogation of her daughter.

At 5 p.m. on Aug. 20, Morkea was told to go home as her daughter had allegedly confessed to

the murder of George Bud Greaves.

However, according to police records, it was not until 6:10 p.m. that the interrogation of Spellman

by Detectives Henry Glen and James Pitts even began.

After the interrogation began, Spellman claims she was slapped in the face by Detective Pitts and told if she signed a paper, she could go home. Spellman adhered and then, struggling to read the paper, asked Detective Pitts to read it for her. Pitts refused and sent Spellman to booking.

Pitts denies the accusations.

Nonetheless, according to court documents and victim trials, Detective Pitts has been subject of more than 11 citizen complaints, five internal investigations, two partner violence occurrences, alleged assaults of witnesses and has been on six cases that the city has settled for a total of $1 million.

Further, there have been multiple cases where individuals have received exonerations after Pitts’ illicit involvement in the cases.

Pitts was moved off street duty in June 2021 following the various claims of eliciting false confessions and physically assaulting suspects.

Revered Villanova Professor and Founder of Philadelphia Justice Project for Women & Girls, Jill McCorkel, offered insight into the matter.

“Good detective work begins with an interrogation process that everyone can have confidence in ensuring the rights of the accused,” McCorkel said. “Professional requirements dictate that Pitts not have separated her from her parents...If Pitts believes she did it, you want a confession that is persuasive in court and stands on appeal. Creating these situations that often result in wrongful convictions undermines the integrity of the District Attorney’s Office.

Justice, in this case, means making

sure that never happens again - we need to protect juveniles.”

When Spellman finally did receive an attorney, the legal guidance was near negligent. Though Spellman was home with her father and grandfather at the time of the crimes, her father and grandfather were never contacted by Lawyer Harry Seay for an alibi. Phone evidence corroborated her alibi by showing Spellman started a 25-minute phone call at 3:33 p.m., overlapping the 3:52 p.m. pronunciation of Greaves’ death that was never addressed in court.

Eye witness discrepancies were not properly probed. For example, eyewitnesses claimed the suspect was a “thick, dark-skinned, 25 to 30-year-old woman wearing a hijab,” while Spellman was a skinny, lightskinned, teenage girl never known to dress in Muslim head coverings.

At 9 a.m. on Dec. 14, 2021, India was set to have her PCRA hearing in the Philadelphia Center for Criminal Justice.

India was set to sit in front of Judge Scott DiClaudio and ask for a direct appeal of the Superior Court’s decision which would then lead to a retrial and eventual exoneration.

Tragically - despite facing reschedules and date changes for nearly two years now - the December 14th PCRA hearing has once again been rescheduled for a date yet to be set in the coming year.

Notably, the Philadelphia Justice Department has never exonerated a woman.

Though many feel this could happen to any young black youth, Sarah Morris - the current Co-Director for the Youth and Art Self-Empowerment Project who worked closely with India through her initial 2010 trials, states otherwise.

“The treatment of India in the media was particularly harsh given she was a young black woman and was accused of killing an older

white man,” Morris said. “She and her co-defendant were demonized in the media. Even her lawyer was skeptical of her story. It had to do with being a young black woman.”

Morris continued to explain that the majority of people who are impacted by the criminal and legal system are black and brown in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, but the people who make the laws are predominantly white legislators from outside of those two cities.

“There is a big disconnect there and the people who are making the laws don’t have any actual investment in whether or not locking people up actually makes us safe, which at this point we really know it does not,” Morris said. “The biggest barrier is how to remove people who make the laws from the impacts of those laws and the racism that pervades a lot of it.”

For Dr. McCorkel, the call to action is simple for Villanova students.

“One of the most important things students can do is raise awareness and show up,” McCorkel said. “It makes a huge difference when people are visible.

Visibility with bodies in court but also on social media. The more people that are posting about India and talking about the case - that is press.”

India Spellman’s mother has been fighting her daughter’s case.

Courtesy of Jessica Griffin

Panhellenic Council Hosts Mock Recruitment Erin Costa Staff Writer

On Sunday, Dec. 5, Villanova’s Panhellenic Council hosted Mock Recruitment for any freshman or sophomore interested in rushing a sorority this coming spring.

The event ran from 12 to 4 p.m. and allowed dozens of young women to talk to members in each of Villanova’s eight panhellenic sororities.

Villanova’s sororities Alpha Phi (ΑΦ), Alpha Chi Omega (ΑΧΩ), Alpha Gamma Delta (ΑΓΔ), Chi Omega (ΧΩ), Delta Delta Delta (ΔΔΔ), Delta Gamma (ΔΓ), Kappa Delta (ΚΔ) and Kappa Kappa Gamma (ΚΚΓ) gave interested individuals an opportunity to speak to members and gain insight into the values and personalities of each chapter.

For new sophomores and juniors in the sororities, Mock Recruitment provided them with an opportunity to experience what in

person rush is like, since they have never been through the in person process as a member.

Due to the pandemic, the 2021 rush was online, which kept the 2020 and 2021 pledge classes from experiencing recruitment in person.

Because of this, several sorority members were relieved to be given the opportunity to talk to Potential New Members (PNMs).

Delta Gamma member Vivi Melkonian spoke for new members of the sororities.

“For those of us who haven’t been through in-person recruitment, mock was a great way to get our feet wet,” Melkonian said. “I think we were just as nervous as the PNMs, but it made me really excited for the real thing.

I hope that the girls that attended enjoyed it as much as all our sisters did.”

For Sophomore Kappa Kappa Gamma member Nicole Haddad, Mock Recruitment alleviated stress surrounding the recruitment process.

“I found mock recruitment to be really beneficial for both sides because as a freshman, I was super nervous to rush,” she said.

“This year, I got to see the other side of recruitment and it made me excited for the real process to start. Recruitment can be really stressful for people during their first time on either side of the process because nobody knows what it is going to be like, and being able to prepare for the process alleviates a lot of stress.”

For many, Mock Recruitment was extremely beneficial and made them even more excited for recruitment in January. Kate Mosca, a sophomore member of Kappa Delta, spoke on the success of the event.

“I enjoyed mock recruitment a lot more than I was expecting,” Mosca said. “The energy in the room was so fun and I loved that we were able to meet some people who are planning to rush.

It made me very excited for actual rush.”

Head of Kappa Delta

recruitment, Caroline Longworth, spoke for Kappa Delta.

“Mock recruitment was such a great way to get our chapter excited to recruit in person this year,” she said. “I hope the PNMs enjoyed their experience, and are looking forward to recruitment in January as much as we are.”

Information for Panhellenic Sorority Rush can be found on Villanova Panhellenic’s website.

Rush will be held before syllabus week from Jan. 6-9.

Registration for 2022 recruitment closed on Dec. 13, but if you have any questions about the rush process or next year’s rush, contact the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life.

Coming spring 2022, Gamma Phi Beta will be joining recruitment as a new sorority on Villanova’s campus.

If interested in joining Gamma Phi Beta, visit Villanova Panhellenic’s website and visit the “Chapters” tab. Information about the chapter will be found under “Gamma Phi Beta.”

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

The Villanovan | 5

OPINION

OPINION

Board Editorial: Thank You to The Villanovan

Whenever anyone asks us why we love The Villanovan, the answer is always simple: The people.

Yes, the hard-hitting journalism is great. We love chasing stories, interviewing different people, and writing about events across campus. But by far, the best part of this paper is the people.

Nothing beats walking into The Office on a Wednesday afternoon to a table of some of our favorite people, gathering in Cate’s apartment for a pasta dinner on a Sunday night, or laughing late in the evening on our Tuesday production nights.

Every single person on this team makes The Villanovan the best paper it can be. We couldn’t get anything done without Molly Baker, who works hard to edit each of our articles. Quiet and calm, Queen Mollu will always be there to give you a laugh and a smile. Liv Pasquale is an amazingly talented photographer, just check out her pictures that Jermaine Samuels reposted on his Instagram. Ariana Megerian makes our Instagram the best in the game.

Sarah and Sarah, our news queens, are some of the coolest people we know. Sarah Sweeney is not afraid to call anyone out when they’re being classist, and

she has absolutely amazing style.

Sarah Wisniewski is THE main character. Case closed.

Our Opinion section is run by the sweetest duo. Tina Aron very frequently is the only one with her head on straight around here, and it is more than needed.

Vivi has the best dog pics, and she’s consistently there for anyone who needs someone to listen.

Everyone wants to be friends with our Culture Editors.

Elena Rouse, we’re obsessed with your Instagram and your vibe in general. You just have cool girl energy. Chloe Miller is also hilarious and has already become such a big part of this team.

Ah, the sports section.

Billy Vinvi and Colin Beazley are absolute icons. Everyone knows they can turn to Mr. Kelly’s for advice. As the oldest on the team, Billy never runs out of wisdom.

Colin works harder than anyone on the team and is everyone’s favorite golden retriever.

To our rising Editor-in-Chief staff: you’ve got this.

We chose you because we believe in you. You have helped to make this paper into the home that it is, and we know you will continue to do so for your new staff.

To that new staff: this paper could very well be the best part of your college experience.

It definitely was for us. We could

not be more thrilled that you are joining the club that we love with all of our hearts, and we sincerely hope that you will love it as much as we do. You made the right decision by #RushingTheVillanovan, and we can’t wait for you to see exactly what we mean.

These people have made The Office a home, and we couldn’t be more grateful for them. You all have no idea how much you mean to us.

Forever and always: V’s up. Go ‘Cats. Rush The Villanovan. Xoxo - Cate and Jack

The Wright Way: Bring Back the Suits, Jay Tina Aron Co-Opinion Editor Vivi Melkonian Co-Opinion Editor Continued from p. 1

he is wearing.

Coming out of a loss against Baylor, it is worth questioning whether or not Wright sporting his usual suit would have changed Villanova’s fate. During the abysmal game, Villanova students took to YikYak to express their frustration.

“Pajama Jay is Hall of Fame menace to society,” one Yik-

Yak wrote.

Another YikYaker, with a tone of anger and optimism, wrote “I feel like if Jay would just wear his suit again we would be ranked no. 1.”

Villanova student and men’s fashion blogger, Brendan Donoghue (@mensfashion5s on Instagram) expressed his opinions on Wright’s new look.

“Fashion mogul Tom Ford has been quoted as saying ‘dressing well is a form of good manners.’ Donoghue said. “Well, in coach Wright’s case, dressing well is a form of intimidating the opponent before tip off. If Villanova has a fashion icon, it is Coach Jay

Jay Wright winning the National Championship in 2016.

Courtesy of The Washington Post

Wright. Coach Wright’s suits are not just a staple of Nova’s campus, they send a clear message of preparation, attention to detail, and sophistication that sets the tone of his program”

Aside from being iconic, Wright’s suits represent preparedness and poise on the court. They are reflective of a strategic and confident team who present strong competition to their opponents.

Now, at about a quarter of the way through the season, Villanova already has three losses under their belt, notably one of which was to UCLA coach Mick Cronin, who sported a suit during the game. The Villanovan asked Wright how he felt about ditching the suits this season, and whether Jay Wright warming up for the game recent against Syracuse. or not he thinks this would have Courtesy of @NovaMBB/Instagram made a difference in his losses

against UCLA and Purdue.

“I did think that Mick looked really good,” Wright said.

“It might have impressed the officials a little bit, it might have helped him, but he did look good.

I was jealous.”

The Villanovan went on to ask the question on everyone’s minds: will the suits be making a comeback this season?

“I actually enjoy the casualwear,” he said. “I really do.”

Wright expressed that he plans to continue with the casual trend for the remainder of the season. While this comes with collective outcry from the Villanova student body, we only wish the best for Coach Wright and the men’s basketball team. The suits may not be making a comeback but we sure hope the ‘Cats will.

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, December 15, 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.

U.S. Media Needs to Change Coverage of Mass Shootings Carter Smith Staff Writer

While I was inspired to write this because of the recent school shooting in Michigan, this article is not about guns or gun control because I think that topic is detached from the point.

The uniquely American cycle of mass gun violence is now spinning a lot faster than it used to.

What was previously years between events is now months or even weeks.

While the lax gun control laws that we have in the US are a part of this alarming trend, they are not the only factor. The American legacy news media conglomerate is also to blame, and their share can be explained with one reason: journalism is a business.

If you have watched cable news at all in the last 10 years, you may have gotten the impression that there is rarely anything significant to talk about. The anchors seem like they are stalling for time.

And that’s because they are.

Organizations such as MSNBC, Fox News and CNN don’t make money from telling the news.

Rather, they make money from the advertisements that run alongside the news. Hence, their goal is to keep people watching as long as possible to see as many ads as possible. Companies are more willing to buy advertising space when your programming gets lots of traffic.

As information technology has exploded, most of us have shifted to getting our news from non-traditional sources, like the websites of newspapers or social media, which has left the legacy cable news organizations in a desperate posi-

tion. They sensationalize what little news there even is, exhaustively milking topics to death and make up pointless controversies to keep people watching until the next commercial break. Normally, this is not an issue, as most of this “content” is irrelevant. But when something truly important happens, like a mass shooting, the sensationalized American cable news machine finally has something to talk about.

Mass shootings are a jackpot for these organizations. They come with an easy explanation of who, what, where, when, why and how. There is an obvious “bad guy.”

There are motives, emotions and numbers, which can be exhaustively told, retold and updated as the situations evolve. They are exciting in an incredibly grim sense of the word.

The practice of reporting to fill the space between commercials now takes on a darker tone. A single event can provide a week’s worth of content, as anchors deep dive into every single thing related to the shooting, the most problematic being the shooter.

The news covers everything about them. These were their names. These were their weapons.

This was their body count, compared to other shootings. Here’s what they said on their social media page prior to the shooting. Thus, this coverage creates a legacy. The depraved individual, who would have never otherwise gotten noticed, is now recognized by name and face in nearly every American household. They become celebrities.

This media treatment shows other similarly unstable people around the country that they will be rewarded for their deplorable

Media covering a press conference following a shooting event.

Courtesy of NBC News

actions and that they will be given the attention that they so desperately crave on a nation-wide scale.

They will be compared with the others that came before them, and the media is keeping score.

These events give people who have tuned out a reason to watch cable news again. They provide a narrative and an emotional response of great proportion to the viewers, who in-turn are boosting the ratings and profits of the news organizations.

The content does not stop with the shooting. Afterward, they can create all varieties of branchedoff content: interviewing the survivors, airing debates on gun control and interviewing the survivors about their reactions to those very debates.

This continued unfettered coverage

does not help the affected heal but instead scar.

While I do believe that such tragedies should be reported on, they should be treated with reverence and care to make sure healing can take place and to prevent the perpetrators from gaining the legacy they aim to create. Changes like not showing the shooter’s name and face, not elaborating on their personal life, along with donating all or a portion of the revenue from the broadcast to organizations that can help prevent the continuation of these tragedies would be a good fix. This task lies with those who report these events. News organizations hold tremendous sway over the happenings of our society, and they should treat their power with more dignity, respect and caution.

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

The Villanovan | 7

OPINION

Michigan Shooting Sparks Necessity for Gun Control Isabella Balian Staff Writer

Hopefully everyone has heard about the fatal shooting at Michigan’s Oxford High School, as Education week qualifies it as the deadliest shooting so far this year. In addition to Oxford High School’s shooting, one person was fatally shot at Humboldt High School in Tennessee on the same day. Two shootings on the same day is an unimaginable low and should raise concern about America’s necessity for stricter gun laws.

As usual, news reporters, social media influencers and politicians make posts expressing their condolences and offering thoughts and prayers, yet they hesitate to take action against the cause of the shootings. In order to implement stricter gun laws, politicians must work past “thoughts and prayers” and work towards policy change.

Michigan prosecutor Karen McDonald expresses frustration with Michigan gun laws, stating that most teenagers are able to use firearms, as they embrace the tradition of hunting.

“To prevent further tragedies like the one we witnessed yesterday, and at large, we have got to address responsible gun ownership in this country and Oakland County,” McDonald said.

I agree with McDonald’s statement, in that responsible gun ownership is vital to better protecting our communities. State legislators in Michigan must pick up the debate around gun control and work towards creating safer communities.

In June 2021, the Biden-Harris administration announced a

Gun reform protests are widespread following many school shooting events.

Courtesy of The Philadelphia Citizen

comprehensive strategy to prevent and respond to gun crime and ensure public safety. President Joe Biden believes “that the surge in gun violence that has affected communities across the country over the last year and a half is unacceptable, and his Administration is moving decisively to act with a whole-of-government approach as we enter the summer months when cities typically experience a spike in violence.”

While Biden’s statement seems progressive, after his six months in office, it is evident that there is still room for reform.

Most Americans expressed general concern and condolences for the victims that passed in the Michigan shooting. However, not everyone in America held the same sensitivity. Kentucky state representative Thomas Massie posted a photo with his family with all of them holding large guns shortly after the Michigan shooting. Massie’s family photoshoot

displays a distasteful lack of sensitivity for the recent events in America. In order for our country to establish a safe environment in schools without gun violence, all politicians must be able to recognize the problem.

Most Democrats push for reform in gun laws, with policies that include universal background checks, exempting firearm safety devices from state taxes, preventing those convicted of domestic violence from possessing firearms for several years and allowing gun bans on local government property. Although these policies are hard to implement because of Republican disagreement, they are necessary to implement to work towards safer communities and a decrease in gun violence. Some Republican law-makers fear that there will be an overreaction to the recent school shootings and that the gun laws that may be implemented would be overbearing. However, I believe that stricter gun laws are far from an overreaction and are neces-

sary to hopefully decrease deaths in school shootings and to create a safer setting for students.

This year, there have been 29 school shootings, which resulted in 60 people dead or injured. As a former high school student, the possibility of a school shooting always crossed my mind. These brutal murders and traumatic experiences for the children of America must come to an end. Students should feel comfortable attending school every day without the worry that it may be their last day alive. The only way America can work towards that goal is by increasing the security and control around gun ownership.

“School is supposed to be a safe space, and children and teenagers should not have to walk in every day in fear of what could happen,” Villanova student Hannah Sweeney said. “Gun violence is an urgent and pressing issue, and reformers should not keep waiting around for more shootings to decide if the laws need tightening. While it is impossible to prevent all violence in school, it is undeniable that having easy access to a gun allows for acts of aggression to quickly turn into massacres”.

There are many small ways to show support for better gun control in America. Most people attend demonstrations and protests to show their support. Some donate to gun control organizations and contact local officials to demonstrate interest in the importance of gun control.

Others post on social media and join local leadership groups to show their support. Working towards stricter gun laws is a vital cause for American safety, and it’s never too late to show support.

PA Voting Barriers for Out-of-State Villanovans

the individual and the county elections office.

Lindsay Gallagher

Villanova’s #LetsVoteNova Staff Writer website, a joint effort between SGA, the Office of Government Relations

Villanova students whose par- and the Office of Student Involveents live out of state are experiencing ment, explains that an on-campus challenges to voting in Pennsylvania. resident must use “800 Lancaster

“I’ve tried three times to vote Ave and their residence hall name in and have been prevented from doing the apartment line” as their physical so for arbitrary reasons,” senior Bella address on the PA voter application Wu said. regardless of where they receive mail.

The Villanovan spoke to This is despite the fact that the West students about their experiences regis- Campus and South Campus buildtering for and voting in Pennsylvania ings are not located on Lancaster Ave. elections and found that they are

Senior Victoria Hamilton having difficulty registering correctly reported that her voter registration and having their votes accepted. was rejected because she incorrectly

The Pennsylvania Departlabeled her home as an “apartment” ment of State provides a webpage instead of a “college residence hall.” dedicated to voting as a college In her second attempt at registering, student. It specifies that “you can she used dark blue ink instead of register and vote where you live while black ink, and her application was attending college in PA or at your rejected again.Villanova’s campus prior home address,” but you can covers four voting precincts. Because only be registered in one place at a most students change residence halls time. When registering to vote, one annually, they have to change their must list their address exactly the way registration every year and start the that the PA state government has it registration process over. listed in its records, or the ballot will

“I haven’t heard a single be voided. On a college campus or in explanation as to why Villanova is so an apartment complex, this is diffigerrymandered,” Hamilton said. “If cult because one’s mailing address is anything, I think it turns people off not always the same as their physical from voting to have to re-register over address.The government does not and over.” publicize which address is the “cor Student Jake Dorais agreed. rect” address to use to vote. The only “There’s very little direct way to find out is through trial and communication from the state and loerror, which can take time and many cal government about mail-in versus iterations of communication between in-person voting status and how you

need to reapply to vote every time you switch residence halls,” he said.

In Dorais’s home state of California, since the pandemic, “registered voters automatically receive mail-in ballots that have all of the relevant information contained inside,” which he finds convenient. California also sends multiple reminder emails if it has not received one’s ballot yet.

Pennsylvania allows voting in-person or by mail, but in order to get a mail-in ballot (which is often the most convenient option for college students that have busy schedules or lack personal vehicles), one must either submit a Pennsylvania state driver’s license number (which outof-state students do not have) or mail several letters back and forth between the county elections office to prove one’s identity. It is after this that they send a mail-in ballot, which may or may not be accepted depending on how it’s filled out and whether the county elections office receives it in time.

The pandemic has caused unprecedented backlogs in the US mail system, which further extends the process. Essentially, an out-of-state student needs to “start” registering to vote in Pennsylvania several weeks or months before the actual registration deadline in order to ensure that they can vote. Hamilton ordered her mailin ballot a month before the 2020 presidential election and still spent four hours at the Delaware County elections office in early November

trying to vote.

“I had to cancel my mail-in ballot that never showed, then wait for them to process the paperwork,” she said. Thirty minutes later, the poll worker told me I couldn’t use my California driver’s license and instead to use my Wildcard, so I had to start the paperwork over and wait for it to process again. After it went through, I had to re-register to vote as an in-person voter, wait for them to process that application, and only then did they give me a ballot to fill out.”

Wu’s vote was not counted in the same election because she also never received the mail-in ballot she requested in October. On Election Day, her only option was to vote with a provisional ballot in person.

She later found out her provisional ballot was nullified and her vote did not count because her “address was incorrectly formatted, despite following the exact directions of the polling place workers and the instructions on the ballot.”

“Being constantly suppressed and deterred from voting, despite the hours of paperwork, going over directions, checking deadlines, mailing in documents and reading emails that the voting process has cost me, is beyond frustrating and demoralizing,” Wu said.

Exercising the right to vote should be an enjoyable experience.

Pennsylvania has a long way to go in enabling college students to vote more easily.

Design by Rachel Reiniger

THE VILLANOVAN: SE

EMESTER IN REVIEW

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

CULTURE

10 | The Villanovan

CULTURE

God and Black Lives Matter: Mock Trial Elena Rouse Co-Culture Editor

Continued from p. 1

prosecution is charging God for the reckless endangerment of Black lives and will try to prove this in court,” Lavin said. “The defense will attempt to show that God is innocent of the charge, while the jury makes the final decision.”

To prepare for the trial, Washington-Leapheart devotes four weeks at the end of the semester for students. Roles are chosen by an elimination process, assigning categories and giving students some choice on what role they want in the trial. After that, students then have to build their case. To help, Washington-Leapheart brings in attorneys and teaches the class about the trial process, jury instruction and law jargon so cases can be accurately built.

The mock trial took place in the Smith Lab in the Mullen Performing Arts Center on Thursday, Dec. 9. The event was open to any who RSVP’d.

Before the trial, Rev. Washington-Leapheart gave her take on the outcome of the present trial in relation to trials from previous classes.

“It’s been all over the place,” Washington-Leapheart said. “I function as the judge, so I’ll be listening and I’ll think the prosecution does a really good job, but the jury will find God not guilty. We have not had back to back semesters with the same verdict.”

As for this year’s trial, after both prosecution and defense, the jury voted that God was not guilty.

Lavin, who was a member on the jury this semester, spoke about his overall experience with the course.

“I have wanted to be a lawyer for a while and am currently thinking about law school, so I wanted a chance to be able to see both sides of the case and evaluate which team is making the most watertight argument,” Lavin said.

“I think being a member of any jury can be a very insightful and unique experience, as although all of us have to serve jury-duty, most of us do not actually sit on a jury during a trial. This is perhaps one of the most important parts of our criminal justice system, and I think even being a member of a jury for a class trial can really offer a unique perspective, as both sides of the case are trying to appeal to you.”

Rev. Washington-Leapheart also spoke on her intentions for the class.

“My main goal as a Theology professor in general is to convince students that Theology matters,” Washington-Leapheart said. “Even if you’re not a reverend like me or you’re not active in a faith community, so much of our social norms, political ideas, have a theological root. So, I want students to recognize Theology when they see it out in the world.”

When asked about the inspiration for doing a mock trial as the final project, Rev. Washington-Leapheart noted two things.

In college, she took a class

Students put on a mock trial for their final teology project about God’s responsibilty for Black sufffering.

Courtesy of Re. Naomi Washington-Leapheart

called “Suffering” for which she had to partake in a mock trial of God.

For her, the experience was “transformative,” and she wanted to recreate that for her own classroom.

The other inspiration for the mock trial was the book “The Trial of God” by Elie Wiesel, a Nobel Prize winner that explored a mock trial of God in relation to the Holocaust.

These inspirations not only prompted Rev. Washington-Leapheart to conduct her own version of this mock trial, but continues to prompt her hope that the experience will guide her students to grow as individuals.

“I also have as a goal for this particular course that students develop a greater sensitivity to human suffering,” she said. “There are things we say like ‘everything happens for a reason’ or ‘God won’t give you more than you can bear,’ and these things might be traditional things to say, but they don’t always land well on the person who is in pain and who is suffering.”

“I say to them all the time, ‘I want you to be able to support your friend, your loved one, who is going through a difficult situation by doing better theology around pain and suffering, so you can be a better friend.’”

Club Sports Player of The Month: Thomas Dougherty Sarah Wisniewski Co-News Editor

Thomas Dougherty, senior captain of the Men’s Club Water Polo team, will be announced as the December Club Sports Player of the Month.

Dougherty has been a member of the team since his freshman year of college.

College was not the first time the senior captain got in the pool though. He has been playing the aquatic sport since sixth grade. He was inspired by his older brothers who also played. Prior to trying water polo, Dougherty was a swimmer which helped him adjust to the new sport.

Dougherty plays the position of hole set. It is an offensive position, which Dougherty likened to the center position in basketball. Essentially, the main goal of the hole set is to take shots and score goals.

“My main goal was to be an essential part of the offense, and I wanted to support my team by scoring as many goals as I could,” the captain said. “I couldn’t have been as successful without the help of my teammates.”

Dougherty not only worked to improve his stats in the pool but also be a leader for the team.

“I worked hard to try and help my younger teammates get more involved in the offense and help to make sure they are ready to step up in

the coming years,” Dougherty said. “I knew I had to step up when we lost 5 of our 7 starters this year.”

His teammates seem to admire the captain’s attitude and leadership. Junior DJ Comerford spoke highly of his longtime teammate.

“Tommy is a great player.

I’ve been playing with him since high school and to see him progress into what he is now is impressive,” Comerford said. “As a captain, he led by example, scoring half our goals while not being subbed out once.”

When asked about his experience as a whole, Dougherty explained that the first year of playing was his personal favorite.

“Freshman year was a lot of fun because we had a young team,” Dougherty said. “There were a lot of freshman and sophomore players, so we got to all learn from one another and go through the experience as a team.”

His freshman year the team also made their way to Nationals.

Dougherty also mentioned that his senior year was also excited because the team got to play new teams. Their division allowed them to compete against teams such as Virginia and Navy.

He will not return for the spring semester since he will be graduating from the Villanova School of Business at the conclusion of the Fall 2021 semester. He does plan to join his brothers on the Masters team,

which is made up of alumni from schools in the division.

Dougherty wants to thank his teammates and coaches for the support during his time on the team and is honored to be awarded the player of the month.

“I am very grateful to be recognized and honored as a club

athlete,” Dougherty said. “I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish what myself and my team did this season without the help from all of my teammates and our coach. They are the reason that we won so many games and that I was able to play so well. I know that the team is in good hands for the coming years.”

Thomas Dougherty is the senior captain of the Men’s Club Water Polo Team Courtesy of Julia Comerford

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

The Villanovan | 11

CULTURE

Augustinians of Villanova: Father Peter Donohue Olivia Sabalaskey Staff Writer

“People often say that they were called by God to do something,” University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A., Ph.D. said. “I don’t know if I ever necessarily heard God’s voice, but I heard God speak through other people. They recognized that I had abilities that sometimes I didn’t recognize myself. They trusted that I had the talent to do certain jobs that I would never have even thought of.”

This week, Fr. Peter offers great insight into not only his life as an Augustinian at the University, but also as Villanova’s 32nd President.

While many people feel called

by God to pursue a certain vocation, Fr. Peter felt called by God to become an Augustinian through friends, colleagues, mentors and family members.

Born in Bronx, New York, Fr. Peter grew up in a devout Catholic family, due to his participation in weekly Sunday Mass as an altar boy.

At five years old, Fr. Peter moved to Detroit, Michigan with his family where his father worked for what was then the New York Central Railroad.

In high school, Fr. Peter was very involved in extracurricular activities.

Given his passion for theatre, Fr. Peter acted in numerous plays and musicals throughout his high school experience. He was also elected and served as his class’s President all four years of high school. Looking back, Fr. Peter views his high school presidency as a sign from God to pursue a vocation that involves teaching and advocating for a body of people in academic life.

Fr. Peter recalls his admiration of the Dominican Nuns’ work at his grade school and high school. The Sisters also helped Fr. Peter discover the Order of St. Augustine.

“In the late 1960s, the Dominican nuns led a very mysterious lifestyle,” Fr. Peter said. “Their lifestyle kind of intrigued me, being the theatrical person that I am, and so I just started exploring religious life.”

Fr. Peter spoke with the Dominican Sisters at school about his interest in becoming a priest, and they recommended that he not join the Dominican Order because they were “a serious bunch, and you’re not serious at all,” Fr. Peter recalls them telling him.

Later on, after doing much research on religious life and the various orders in the Catholic Church, Fr. Peter saw an advertisement for the Order of St. Augustine in a newspaper. Immediately interested, he

contacted them, explaining his interest in joining. The Vocation Director responded, thrilled to hear Fr. Peter’s excitement, and soon Fr. Peter was sent to study at Villanova University at the age of 18.

Although Fr. Peter was delighted to start this new chapter of his life, he hardly knew anyone at Villanova. Determined to connect with the thriving community on Campus, he became very involved in extracurricular activities, particularly in theatre.

In 1975, Fr. Peter earned a B.A. in Theatre and Communication Arts from Villanova, and was ordained an Augustinian priest in 1979.

“My life took a whole new trajectory when I became an Augustinian,” Fr. Peter said. “I had always wanted to be a high school teacher, and I wanted to direct plays too. I think that passion goes back to my high school days and how the Sisters really inspired me with their dedication to teaching.”

After being ordained, Fr. Peter was sent on his first assignment by the Augustinians to an all boys high school in Washington D.C. During his time teaching at the high school, Fr. Peter directed plays and obtained his Master’s degree in Theatre right across the street from the Catholic University of America.

Four years later, the Augustinians requested his service as the Vocation Director for the Order of St. Augustine. Fr. Peter moved back to Villanova because the headquarters for the office remain on campus.

“Being the Vocation Director was a very challenging job,” Fr. Peter said. “It was an interesting four years that I am very grateful for.”

After four years as the Vocation Director, Fr. Peter happened to run into his undergraduate Theatre professor on campus one day. After a brief conversation, the professor asked Fr. Peter if he would be interested in trying out for Villanova’s summer play, “The Playboy of the Western World.” Fr. Peter had been eager to perform for a while, so he said yes almost instantly, longing to return to his favorite place: the stage.

Upon conclusion of the play, those working in the Theatre Department realized Fr. Peter’s dedication and passion, hoping he would work there to inspire future students. The Augustinian Provincial approved Fr. Peter’s new position as Production Manager as suggested by the Theatre Department. After three years of helping create magnificent plays, Fr. Peter presumed that he would return to teaching high school given his lack of a Ph.D., but Villanova’s Theatre

Department had other plans for him.

“They called me in, said that I did a great job as the Production Manager, and encouraged me to go for a Ph.D.,” Fr. Peter said. “Honestly, I didn’t want to, but they really wanted me to. So, I applied to a Ph.D. program.”

While Fr. Peter studied and taught theatre at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to obtain his Ph.D., he was inspired by his coworker, a Japanese Kabuki actor, to write his dissertation on Kabuki Theatre’s influence on Western Theatre and travel to Japan to immerse himself in Kabuki. Fr. Peter reminisced on his travels to Japan often given the large amount of souvenirs that adorn his office.

After completing his studies at the University of Illinois, Fr. Peter was elected Chair of the Villanova Theatre Department in 1992. He taught, directed and ran the Department for 14 years until Villanova University’s 31st President, Rev. Edmund J. Dobbin, O.S.A., announced that he was stepping down after 18 years.

Many of Fr. Peter’s colleagues, mentors and friends suggested that he put his name in the group of six competitive candidates. Doubtful that he would be elected given the prestigious candidates, Fr. Peter was stunned and honored to have been chosen.

“The ultimate role of a President is to look to the future, enhance the vision of this school and entice people to fulfill that mission,” Fr. Peter said. “Pre-pandemic, I traveled a lot, so the job requires frequent attendance at fundraisers, receptions and at various associations, organizations, and academic societies.”

However, Fr. Peter’s favorite part of the job involves meeting and working with Villanova alumni

because he is able to reminisce with them about their wonderful experiences as students on campus.

“I look at the job as though I am the face of Villanova in many respects, but the heart, soul and the mind of Villanova are the people that are here,” Fr. Peter said. “They create what Villanova is about.”

When asked what he enjoys most about being an Augustinian at Villanova, Fr. Peter confirmed his love for the community spirit on Campus.

Some of his best friends are Augustinians given that they cook, clean, eat and pray together every day. However, he is inspired by those who are not Augustinian Friars but are Augustinians in spirit: students, faculty and staff that believe in the mission of Villanova and have embraced the spirit of community in their lives.

“It not only supports me in what I’m doing in my role as the President, but it inspires me to be a better person,” Fr. Peter said. “We inspire each other.”

Given Fr. Peter’s passion for and his love of the spirit of community on Campus, he thrives when able to interact with students, getting to know them not only as a collective whole, but on an individual level as well. Fr. Peter hopes for his fellow Augustinians, students, faculty and staff to get to know him a bit better too.

Fr. Peter shared some fun facts about himself that he feels not too many people may know of. For example, when he was younger, he frequently took tap and Irish step dancing lessons. Also, Fr. Peter’s favorite theatrical production is “Hamilton.”

As the Fall Semester comes to an end, Fr. Peter wishes Villanova students good luck on their final exams but also a very merry Christmas.

University President Father Peter Donohue with Olivia Sabalaskey, staff writer.

Courtesy of Olivia Sabalaskey

12 | The Villanovan

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Wednesday, December 15, 2021

How Villanovans Are Spending Winter Break Chloe Miller Co-Culture Editor

Villanovans from 48 states and 56 foreign countries are heading home for the holidays. While Villanova has done a tremendous job decking the halls and lighting the trees on campus, students are eager for the break after one of the first “real” semesters in a year and a half.

The holiday season looks different for each and every Villanovan. Whether one celebrates Christmas, Kwanzaa or Hanukkah, this time of year is special for all.

Many families take the extended three-week break as an excuse to pack up the car, or suitcases, for a family vacation.

“My family is driving to Ohio Amish country to go look at furniture,” Georgia Mowers said.

“My family is obsessed with the Amish, so it is our thing to visit Amish country together.”

Junior Olivia Mulcahey is spending part of her Winter break in Disneyland. As a California native from the Bay Area, taking a trip to Disneyland was necessary, especially to see the castle decked out for the holidays.

Taking full advantage of the Winter season, Ryan Maloney is heading up to New Hampshire over break. While there, Maloney

plans to spend time with his family while taking advantage of New England skiing.

Other students are aiming to seek refuge from the incoming cold winter. Sophomore Ryan Wall is going on a family trip to Turks and Caicos. Winter break is the time to relax with family and enjoy a much-needed vacation.

Although going on vacation is the plan for many Villanovans, some are simply spending the time at home and even becoming tourists in their own city.

“I’m from Chicago, so I can’t wait to go to the Chicago Zoo to check out their Christmas light display,” Maggie Winston said. “I also just want to spend a lot of my time with my dog while I have the chance.”

For others, having a Winter break does not necessarily mean they are taking a break. Sophomore Sophie Ilkhanoff has discovered that being at college can be wildly expensive, so she is planning on heading back to her job at home and picking up some extra shifts to prepare for second semester and the inevitable Doordash orders.

With no school work comes no responsibilities, but for the hundreds of young women going into Sorority Recruitment and the hundreds of young women getting ready to recruit, Winter break is a time of preparation. Riley Haw-

kins plans to be somewhat busy preparing for recruitment while also managing her new position in her sorority.

Fall of 2019 is the last time Villanova was able to hold a normal and totally in-person semester.

Many Villanovans were not even students at the University then.

Despite the learning curve that was present this semester while getting back to normal, it has

come to a close. No matter how you are spending your break, this is a time to reflect on the effort and hard work that has gone into the past four months while here at Villanova. In three weeks, campus will be back and we will once again be struggling to find a place to sit in Connelly Center during the lunch rush. Appreciate your time, wherever you go, over this holiday season.

Villanova students will return to campus in early January.

Courtesy of Villanova University Facebook

Villanova’s Holiday Village and Night Market Maddie Schieder Staff Writer

On Thursday, Dec. 9, the Christmas at Villanova series hosted the Holiday Village and Night Market at the Oreo and Campus Green.

The event featured food trucks, vendors, a beer garden, photo ops and music. It ran from 3 to 9 p.m. and was flooded at every hour with students eager to jump into the holiday spirit. Not only were there more food truck options ranging from pizza to chicken and waffles, but the vendors surrounding the main campus also had a variety to offer. The circle of white tents around the decadent Christmas tree were composed of 30 vendors, mostly small businesses from around the area displaying their latest creations. There was an Athleta stand, a plethora of candles sold, local farmers markets and even homemade crochet work.

The Villanovan spoke with Kerrin from KerrinCreates, as she expressed her feelings toward the market and her overall experience.

“It has been really exciting to be a part of the holiday market, especially as a Villanova alum,” she said. “It is always fun to be around students and come back, I know how excited they get about the holidays.”

Kerrin explained that the kindness of students at Villanova has never changed and that “the students are all so friendly and it

is always fun to get an experience back on campus.”

KerrinCreates makes hand-lettered ornaments and all hand-lettered things including calligraphy. Kerrin was not the only vendor excited to be on campus, as all of the entrepreneurs were friendly and talkative to students, which is something everyone could use more of around the holidays.

Apart from all of the amazing items being sold and multiple free food trucks for students, there was also an ambiance on campus that felt magical.

Not only was the Christmas tree the star of the show, but there was also a fake snow machine and snowflake projections on the roof of Connelly and twinkling icicles hanging from the trees. As one made their way to the beer garden, there were tables set up with decorative Christmas wreaths and strung lights above. Along with the tables and lights came the sound of classic holiday songs played throughout campus, and some even said it felt like they were at the North Pole.

The University has worked hard and remained dedicated to incorporating plenty of student events on campus during these unprecedented times, and this was exactly what Villanova students needed before finals week. Nothing beats free food, Christmas lights and buying a fresh, homemade candle. Involvement on campus is extremely rewarding for students, and the Christmas at Villanova

Campus Green had firepits and festive lights at the Holiday Village and Night Market.

Courtesy of Chloe Miller

experience is a perfect example.

Whether it be the illuminated dove on Connelly Center, the massive trees next to Dougherty decked out in colorful lights or the wreaths on nearly every academic building, the University has done much to help raise students’ spirits during the Holiday season.

Since Dec. 1, there has been

some kind of event on campus in the spirit of the season. The last event will be held on Sunday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m., which is the End of Semester Mass and Nativity Blessing. If you have not already, take the time this weekend to embrace the festivities and get involved on campus before relaxing at home for break.

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

The Villanovan | 13

SPORTS

SPORTS

Women’s Basketball Secures Two Victories Meghann Morhardt Co-Sports Editor Continued from p.1 extended the lead back to eight behind two baskets from Siegrist and a three-pointer from Olsen.

Holding a 10-point lead entering the fourth quarter, the ‘Cats did not slow down, scoring five straight points to extend the lead to 15. The Dukes responded with a 9-0 run of their own to cut the lead to six, but Villanova weathered the storm, outscoring JMU 15-12 over the last five minutes to close the game.

Villanova finished shooting 44.3% from the field, 34.6% from deep while holding the Dukes to just 37.7% and 14.3% in the respective categories.

The ‘Cats held onto this momentum as they returned home to face Oregon State on Sunday.

The victory over No.23 ranked Oregon State is Villanova’s first against a ranked opponent since its dominant 76-58 victory over No.13 DePaul in Harry Perretta’s last home game on Feb. 23, 2020.

Siegrist led the ‘Cats again with 26 points and nine rebounds.

Senior forward Brianna Herlihy recorded her fifth career double-double with ten points and a career-high 14 rebounds. Garzon was the third Wildcat to score in double figures, finishing with 11

points on 3-8 shooting.

The ‘Cats stunned the Beavers, opening the game on a 10-2 run in the first five minutes. Oregon State responded with back-toback threes to cut the lead to two with 2:42 remaining in the period.

Each team would score two more points before a scoreless final minute, giving Villanova a two point lead entering the second.

Oregon State bounced back in the second, scoring four straight points to take the lead one minute into the quarter. The two teams traded baskets back and forth for the remainder of the half, with neither team leading by more than one basket.

Siegrist hit a three with 25 seconds remaining in the half, but junior forward Taya Corosdale responded with a three for Oregon State as time expired to tie the game heading into halftime.

The ‘Cats opened the second half with a 9-0 run, consisting of back-to-back threes from Garzon and a three-point play from Siegrist. Oregon State responded with a 6-0 run of its own to cut the lead back to three. Villanova was unphased, going on another 12-4 run to take its largest lead of the night, holding a 48-37 lead with 2:14 left in the third quarter.

Oregon State scored four points to close out the third, but the ‘Cats led by seven entering the final quarter. Villanova relied on strong

team defense in the fourth to secure the win despite scoring just two field goals and four free throws in the period.

Oregon State cut the Villanova lead to one, but the ‘Cats went 3-4 from the line and held the Beavers scoreless over the final 1:29 to secure the victory.

Villanova finished the game shooting just 29% from the field and 25% from three. The ‘Cats

Forward Brianna Herlihy looks to pass.

Courtesy of Quinn Burns/Villanovan Photography

recorded a season low three turnovers while forcing 15 from the Beavers.

Villanova improved to 5-5 on the season. The ‘Cats return to action on Dec. 21 as they face their final Big Five opponent LaSalle on the road. Villanova is 2-1 in Big Five on the season, and a victory against LaSalle would secure it at least part of the season title. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m.

Men’s Basketball Dominated By Baylor, 57-36 Colin Beazley Co-Sports Editor

With 11:38 remaining in the second half, Villanova senior guard Collin Gillespie slammed the ball to the court. The Wildcats, down 13 to the reigning national champion Baylor, had been able to get nothing going against a tenacious defensive effort, and Gillespie was frustrated enough for an uncharacteristic display of emotion.

From that point on, it only got worse for the ‘Cats. With a 10-3 run over the next five and a half minutes, the Bears systematically wore down Villanova, extending the lead to 20 points and holding the ‘Cats at that distance for the rest of the matchup.

When the final whistle blew on a 57-36 loss, the Wildcats had made history, but not in the way they had wanted. In the first half, the Wildcats tied a Jay Wright-era record with just 15 points in the half.

After putting up just 21 in the second, including four free throws in the last minute from junior guard Justin Moore, the Wildcats had the eighth worst offensive performance in a game in history by a ranked team and had tied for the lowest score ever from a team in the Top 10. The game was the first time the Wildcats had been held under 40 points since 1979, as well as the fewest points and lowest field goal percentage ever by a team under Wright.

“I think Baylor’s an outstand-

ing defensive team, as physically tough and quick as anyone we’ve played against,” Wright said. “Obviously we really struggled scoring, I give them the credit for that, they did a good job…They were just in us, physical, athletic, quick, and we really struggled with it.”

The only Wildcat to find any offensive success was Moore, who had 15 points on the day. The rest of the team struggled. As in both previous matchups with top teams, Wright utilized a six man rotation for the bulk of the game, but Gillespie scored just six in 37 minutes, graduate forward Jermaine Samuels scored two in 32 and senior forward Brandon Slater scored two in 30 minutes of action.

The Wildcats attempted 54 shots from the field, 27 from beyond the arc, and made shots at an identical 22.2% clip from both. Normally efficient, the Wildcats turned the ball over 13 times and had just five assists in the game, all by different players.

“We’re a pretty good shooting team,” Wright said. “I really chalk up our missed shots to their defense, I really do. We got off 27 threes, I’d say eight of them were open, maybe 19, 20 were contested, hard. As I said, I don’t think it’s just their on the ball [defense] but their ability to recover and cover ground is really exceptional.”

The Bears struggled offensively as well, scoring 25 points in the first half and shooting under 40% on the game from the field. Baylor entered the game averaging 84 points

per game, but it struggled against the Villanova defense. Just two Bears entered double digits, senior guard James Akinjo, who led all scorers with 16, and junior guard Adam Flagler, who had 10.

“We didn’t do a bad job defensively,” Wright said. “We just couldn’t score.”

The Bears dominated from the start. The game was tied for the first 11 seconds, but senior forward Matthew Mayer hit a three on the first attempt of the game to spark a 8-1 run, and although Moore hit a three to bring the ‘Cats back within four, the Wildcats were never able to muster enough offense to threaten the Bears.

The Wildcats were held scoreless for stretches of 7:30 and 5:05 in the first half and 4:04 and 5:32 in the second. Samuels scored his layup with less than two minutes remaining, catapulting the Wildcats over the thirty point threshold.

“They did a good job of stopping ball screens and recovering,” Gillespie said. “They make you guess a little bit when you’re open and when you’re not, so they did a good job of recovering on the guys who were trying to shoot.”

Going into the game, the headlines revolved around the Wildcats getting a shot at revenge against the team that knocked them out of the NCAA Tournament last year and beat them during the 2019-20 regular season. In the Sweet 16 last year, the Bears defeated the Wildcats, 62-51, tightening up on defense late

to come from behind and steal the victory. Baylor went on to win the National Championship, but with four of five starters leaving for Baylor and Gillespie and Samuels returning for the ‘Cats, the Wildcats were expected to be the better team this year.

However, Baylor dominated throughout, not skipping a beat despite its new faces.

“That team was great last year,” Wright said. “I think this team is really good and could be as good… they lost great guards, they replenished their guards, but those big guys …can guard anyone on the perimeter. Whatever position, they’re big, and they can guard Collin and Justin and they can rebound and guard anyone in the post. I think that’s the basis of their defense, and those guys are back, and they’re better than they were last year.”

No. 2 Baylor improved to 9-0 on the season, and with the statement win and top-ranked Purdue’s Thursday loss at Rutgers, the Bears improved to No.1 in Monday’s AP Poll.

Meanwhile, No.6 Villanova fell to 7-3 on the season and slid down to ninth in the poll. Villanova is the only team with three losses in the Top 25, as all three came against teams now ranked in the top four.

However, this loss doesn’t have the same silver lining as the other two, as this game was never Villanova’s to win.

The Wildcats will look to rebound Friday night in their Big East opener against Creighton.

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14 | The Villanovan

Men’s Basketball Preps For Big East Play Tyler Moore Staff Writer

Following Villanova basketball’s gut-wrenching loss to current first ranked Baylor on Sunday, the ninth ranked Wildcats are 7-3 in non-conference play with one game remaining against Temple on Dec. 29. Between now and then, the team begins Big East conference play, signaling an even more difficult challenge than the past two months.

The Big East has been hot this season so far, with every team playing well. Over the nonconference slate, the Big East is 88-23, winning nearly 80 percent of games played. Some of these wins have included Villanova’s beating of ranked Tennessee, Seton Hall’s win over top-10 ranked Texas, UConn’s double overtime defeat of ranked Auburn and Marquette and Xavier’s stunners against Big Ten foes Illinois and Ohio State.

Leading the Big East in the newest Associated Press Top 25 poll is Villanova at number nine with a record of 7-3. The ‘Cats are the only team in the top 25 with three losses, let alone the top 10. Although the Wildcats have three losses, those three losses came to three of the current top four teams, two of which the ‘Cats held a solid lead for a portion of the game. The difficult non-conference schedule, possibly the most challenging in program history, has prepared the team for an always challenging Big East slate.

Following the Wildcats

come the 9-1 Seton Hall Pirates, ranked 16th. The Pirates have been off to a dominant start, especially considering their failure to make the tournament last year.

Many questioned whether the Hall could make a comeback, and those questions have surely been answered.

With arguably the second most difficult schedule in the Big East, the Pirates’ only loss comes to Ohio State who sits just ahead of them. It is just not the solid loss that should be recognized, however, as the Hall shocked then-fourth ranked Michigan and then-seventh ranked Texas. Senior guard Jarod Rhoden has been crucial for the Pirates, averaging 17.4 points and 7.3 rebounds a game. The Pirates are likely the biggest threat to Villanova in conference play, and the ‘Cats will travel to Seton Hall on Jan. 1.

The UConn Huskies come a few spots behind the Hall, ranked 20th. The 9-2 Huskies’ two losses have come to current 12th ranked Michigan State and West Virginia. While UConn’s schedule has not been all that challenging, a big win over 13th ranked Auburn was crucial to keeping the team in high regard. The Huskies, who were upset in the first round of March Madness last season, have yet to prove they are a team that can compete on the highest level.

The Wildcats will not face UConn until early February.

Close behind comes Xavier with a record of 9-1, as it holds the 22nd spot in the poll. Xavier has been playing solid basketball,

with its only loss coming to 11th ranked Iowa State in a nailbiter.

Most impressive by the Musketeers has been their win against 15th ranked Ohio State, the same Ohio State that upset former top team Duke just a few weeks ago. Xavier has been beating its opponents in convincing fashion, proving they will be a contender for the conference title.

The Musketeers are led by senior guard Nate Johnson and senior forward Jack Nunge. Johnson is averaging 13.4 points while shooting 47.5% from three thus far this season. Nunge, a seven footer, is averaging 13 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. ‘Nova faces Xavier at home on Dec. 21.

The Wildcats kick off Big East play by traveling to Creighton on Friday. The Bluejays, a team that has been under the radar for most of the season, only have two losses, both of which were against current Top 25 teams. Creighton also has a few marquee wins, including knocking Brigham Young out of the poll after an 83-71 win at home.

Senior forward Ryan Hawkins has been the leader for the Bluejays, leading the team in points and rebounds. The team may not be ranked, but they will pose a challenge for Villanova in the first Big East game of the season. Tipoff is at 8 p.m. and the game will be televised on FS1.

The Big East has always been competitive, and by the looks of it that will hold true for this season yet again. The conference is anyone’s to win.

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

WEEKLY SCOREBOARD Dec. 8 - Dec. 14

Wednesday, December 8 None Thursday, December 9 Women’s Basketball @ James Madison 76-67 W Friday, December 10 None Saturday, December 11 Football vs. South Dakota St. (FCS Quarterfinals) 21-35 L Sunday, December 12 Men’s Basketball @ Baylor 36-57 L Women’s Basketball vs. Oregon State 56-52 W Monday, December 13 None Tuesday, December 14 None

Women’s Club Soccer’s Trip to Nationals Sydney Sears Staff Writer

From Nov. 18-20, Villanova’s women’s club soccer team had the opportunity to compete in the NIRSA National Championships in Foley, Alabama, playing against the top club soccer teams in the country.

While the tournament got off to a rocky start, the players were able to come out with a 2-3 record at the tournament and made the most of the experience, representing Villanova well.

Before getting the opportunity to travel to Foley, the team first had to win the regional tournament, which it did on the weekend of Oct. 23. After losing its first game to Harvard, 1-0, the team came back and was able to beat Binghamton, 5-2, UPenn, 1-0, and Maryland, 1-0 in the championship to clinch its bid to compete in Nationals in Foley.

The team was faced with adversity before the competition even began. Before the tournament, starting goalie Izzy Jacowleff dislocated her shoulder. While she was otherwise okay, she was not able to play.

Hannah Phillips, the other goalie on the team, took the challenge of stepping up and performing for her teammates.

“Being able to compete at nationals this year was truly the best capstone to an already amazing season,” Phillips said. “While competition did not go exactly the way

we hoped, I’m proud of the fact that we were able to hold our own against such talented and technical teams.”

When arriving at the tournament, the Wildcats realized that they were the only team there that did not have a coach. In fact, the team captains had to purchase balls from Five Below to even practice before games.

The first day of the tournament was a wake-up call for the team. Having only lost one game throughout its entire regular season and postseason run thus far, the team was not used to losing. On day one, they played the club teams of UNC and UCLA and lost to UCLA, 6-1, and to UNC, 7-1. While the Wildcats were upset with the results, they knew they were the underdogs coming into the tournament and vowed to take advantage of the rest of the games that they would be able to play. Rather than dwelling on the losses, the team wanted to enjoy themselves.

The night after its first games, the team got together and created a TikTok as a team bonding exercise.

Before they knew it, the TikTok went viral, getting more than 470,000 views and 64,000 likes. All of the other teams and even some of the workers at the tournament saw the video, and Villanova ended up being known as “the TikTok team” for the rest of the tournament. This helped the team create conversations with multiple other teams at the tournament, creating a friendly atmosphere.

On top of this, one of the nights the team went bowling, and it invited

other teams to join for an enjoyable night.

In the loser’s bracket, the team went 2-1. After beating the University of Arkansas, 3-2, with the game-winning goal by senior captain Lindsey Scalley, Villanova punched its way to the consolation bracket championships by beating Purdue in a 1-0 overtime thriller, as sophomore Sydney Sears scored less than five minutes into extra time. While it wasn’t necessarily the championship it had originally wanted to play in, the team was super excited that it had made it that far.

“Winning regionals and competing in the championship division of nationals without a coach and with a really young team was an amazing experience and accomplishment,” senior team captain Nicole Garcia said. “I am so proud of all the hard work we put in this season and am excited to watch the underclassmen lead future teams to the national

championship.”

Senior team captains Garcia and Scally, who each were an integral part of the team, along with the rest of the seniors, are sad to leave but are proud of how they were able to end their Villanova soccer careers.

While the team may not have won the competition, they still were able to leave Alabama with a prize.

Villanova was given the tournament’s Sportsmanship Award, voted on by all the players in the tournament.

The award is given to one team that makes sportsmanship an integral part of their competition.

Looking toward the future, the players are hoping that this experience will be repeated and that they’ll be able to return to another national tournament in the future.

They also hope that any girl looking to compete at a high level of soccer will recognize the hard work and dedication they can put in by being a part of a winning team.

The Women’s Club Soccer team at nationals.

Courtesy of Sydney Sears

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

SPORTS

The Villanovan | 15

Villanova’s Season Ends With 35-21 Quarterfinal Loss

Graduate quarterback Daniel Smith threw for 271 yards and 2 TD in the loss, adding a score on the ground.

Courtesy of Olivia Pasquale/Villanovan Photography

Colin Beazley Co-Sports Editor

Down two scores with two and a half minutes left and their season on the line, Villanova turned to its miracle man for an answer, sixth year running back Justin Covington.

Covington had been in so many big moments as a Wildcat, converting on fourth and one to clinch an upset win over James Madison earlier this season, scoring two touchdowns to upset fifth ranked Towson in 2019 and leading the Wildcats to both wins in the 2021 Spring season. The heart and soul of the Wildcats, the three year captain was given the ball on a screen pass from graduate quarterback Daniel Smith, and despite Covington’s finding little success all game against a talented South Dakota State line, the Villanova faithful strained their necks with anticipation of what he could do. A storybook ending seemed a certainty.

Covington would deliver just as he always did, and the Wildcats would find a way to pull off an unlikely victory just as they had all year, en route to the fifth seed and a 10-2 record.

But it wasn’t to be.

While Covington was trying to make something happen on the screen pass, South Dakota State’s sophomore cornerback Dalys Beanum knocked the ball out, and his teammate Caleb Sanders recovered the fumble to seal the game for the Jackrabbits. Victory was already almost assured for the Jackrabbits, but with that final turnover, their trip to the semifinals was confirmed, as South Dakota State defeated Villanova, 35-21.

Covington was disconsolate on the sideline. His helmet still on, his head in his hands, the entire Villanova sideline came over to comfort Covington, yet their words did little to soothe the wounded running back. Even after the game, Covington was still devastated.

“He’s broken up,” Villanova head coach Mark Ferrante said. “I don’t think he’s taken his helmet off yet. He’s just sitting in his locker with a lot of guys going up to him,

and uh…” He trailed off, knowing that there was nothing they could do to help his running back feel better.

At the end of the day, the play was most likely meaningless.

South Dakota State was ahead by two scores with just over two minutes remaining, and ESPN gave it a 99% chance to win the game, yet that play was the end to a special season for the Wildcats

“Unless you win the whole thing, there’s only going to be one team happy out of the 24 that make it,” Ferrante said. “It stings today, it’s gonna hurt a little bit tomorrow as well.”

Fellow graduate student, linebacker Forrest Rhyne, said much of the same about it being the end of the road and the end of his Villanova playing career.

“No [I wasn’t able to hold my emotions together in the locker room],” Rhyne said. “Just seeing guys that I’ve been with every day for five years break down, that’s just going to lead me to break down. Up here, I can talk the talk, but downstairs it was very emotional.”

Making the loss even more painful for the Wildcats was that this game was winnable. In the first half, both teams traded long touchdown drives, and the game looked to have the makings of a shootout. Villanova’s run defense was being shredded, not by the FCS’s top rusher Pierre Strong Jr, who left the game on the first drive, but by his understudy, sophomore Isaiah Davis. Despite the defensive struggles, Villanova’s offense was finding success in return, as Smith found junior wide receiver Rayjoun Pringle several times to set up a score for Pringle and a rushing score for Smith.

With 1:39 remaining in the half, the Villanova defense forced a punt, and Smith connected with junior receiver Jaaron Hayek for a 55 yard touchdown pass to take a 21-14 lead into halftime. The Wildcats won the toss at the beginning of the game and elected to defer, giving the offense a golden chance to go up two scores without needing an additional defensive stop.

However, during halftime, South Dakota State head coach John Stiegelmeier made an adjustment.

“We played less man-to man-defense,” Stiegelmeier said of the shift from the first half to the second. “Nothing against Villanova, but we did not think after the first half that we had to be as concerned about the run as we [were] coming in. And so we were more concerned about the pass [so we played] more zone, so we got more people seeing the ball.”

The change worked, and Villanova was forced to punt on their first two drives to start the half.

Meanwhile, the South Dakota State offense continued to pummel the Villanova defense, rushing for 48 yards in the third quarter and 88 in the fourth. In the third quarter, the Jackrabbits used the run to set up three long passes from graduate quarterback Chris Oladokun to junior wide receiver Jaxon Janke, totaling 82 yards in the quarter alone.

“I think we had a bit of a chip on our shoulder because they were so good defending the run,” Steigelmeier said. “And I mean that seriously, we’re pretty good running the ball … I think that was the matchup, our big guys against their front linebackers and d-linemen.”

Against a Villanova defense that came in giving up less than 100 yards per game on the ground, the Jackrabbits asserted their will, rushing 45 times for 268 yards. Davis alone ran for 174 yards, scoring three times.

Oladokun sang the praises of his offensive line after the game.

“I don’t even remember really getting hit throughout the game to be honest,” Oladokun said.

“The way they just controlled the line of scrimmage… It was just an all-around great effort by those guys up front.”

After trailing 21-14 at halftime, South Dakota State scored 21 unanswered points to take the lead.

The Wildcats found no success on offense in the second half, and Pringle, who terrorized the Jackrabbit defense in the first half, was held to just one reception in the half.

“You need to play a more consistent game for the full four quarters, and we were only able to do it for the first half,” Ferrante said.

“We didn’t play well enough in the second half to get the W today.”

The Wildcats can be proud of their season, which ended with a 10-3 record, a Colonial Athletic Association title and a trip to the FCS quarterfinals, but with so much experience and so many players finishing their eligibility Saturday, there’s a hint of what could have been for the ‘Cats. The core of the team played its final game against South Dakota State, as Covington, Rhyne, Smith, defensive lineman Malik Fisher and kicker Cole Bunce are all graduate students.

“I think we can win a national championship,” Rhyne said after their elimination. “I didn’t feel like we were outmatched out there today. They’re a very, very good team and they lost the national championship in the spring, but I felt like the CAA is the best conference in the country, every week we played similar opponents to that level, in my opinion. I just felt like we didn’t get it done [defensively]... we did not by any means play a perfect game.”

“I would definitely be proud of this season. Now that the season’s over, I will allow myself to be proud of this season.”

Rhyne led the Wildcats with 21 tackles in the game, his second straight game with 21 tackles. He ends the season as the FCS’s leading tackler with 154 tackles, but said that it meant nothing to him after the game.

“We’re not number one in terms of the team,” Rhyne said, “so it doesn’t mean anything.”

Steigelmeier tipped his cap to Ferrante and the Villanova coaching staff.

“I told everybody, it’s one of the best if not the best coached football teams I’ve ever watched,” Stiegelmeier said. “I see guys doing the same thing over and over and over, doing their job over and over and over… I just think it’s a very well coached football program.”

“And then let’s not forget, there’s a bunch of guys in Villanova’s team that were planning to play on, and their career ended today as seniors. And that’s always a tough deal in FCS football. [They’re] a really good football team. I’m excited to move on, but my heart goes out to those guys.”

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DINING SERVICES

Villanova Dining Services

Wishing you a joyous holiday season and a Happy New Year!

Thank you to the Villanova Community for helping us make this another safe & successful semester. We look forward to serving you again in the spring!

Please visit our website for a complete list of dining hours of operation during the Holiday Break. https://www.villanova.edu/villanova/services/dining/hours/fallfinalsSatFri.html