The Villanovan | Volume 114, Issue 19: November 2, 2022

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 2, 2022 www.villanovan.com @thevillanovan

STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916

VOLUME 114 | ISSUE 19

Closing Bartley’s Carpet Room

Midterm Elections: Get to Know the Candidates

Elena Rouse Co-Culture Editor

The Business School’s Bartley Hall houses the Curley Exchange, a major social hub of Villanova’s campus. The dining and social spot’s location, conveniently across from the Ithan parking garage, is not only centrically located, but is an ideal place for students to congregate between classes, grab lunch or do homework.

But within this space’s realm, there is a room so hotly debated, so notorious, its doors have been locked up more and more in recent months to deter its stir.

The room of which we speak? The Exchange’s “Carpet Room.”

Dubbed its title for obvious flooring layouts, the Carpet Room is a separate, large room off of the Curley Exchange with moveable tables and seating for students. It is also often used as an events room.

Usually, the room’s wide doors slide open to show the room is open for student business, but this past semester, the room has been closed more than ever before.

The whisperings as to why this is happening is that the Carpet Room, to some, emanates less than ideal culture.

In a survey sent out to students, voluntary respondents both anonymous and named wrote out their thoughts.

“It is an overwhelming, unwelcoming collection of frat bros with a few sorority girls sprinkled in during the day and a dumping ground for their trash upon their departure,” a junior in the Business School said.

“Frat haven,” an anonymous senior said.

“The carpet room is the place where all the different fraternities on campus hold tables and sit together. It’s a Continued on p. 10

With the midterm election one week away, it is important to know who is on the ballot.

Courtesy of Lenfest Institute

Lydia McFarlane Co-News Editor

With the midterm elections one week away, it is important to know who is on the ballot. Here are the candidate profiles for each candidate for those who are voting from their school addresses.

John Fetterman is the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate. He is the Democratic sitting Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania, and he was elected to that position in 2019. Previously, he was the mayor of Braddock, PA from 2005-2019.

His major policy

positions are to raise the minimum wage to at least $15, universal healthcare, transition to clean energy to address climate change, legalize marijuana, compassionate immigration reform, protect abortion rights, stand up for unions, equal marriage rights and to get corporate money out of politics. He had a stroke in May and was not very active on the campaign trail because of it. However, his doctors expect him to make a full recovery. He was notably endorsed by several unions, including united steelworkers and united food and commercial workers.

The Republican

candidate for U.S. Senate is Mehmet Oz. He was a physician, the host of the Dr. Oz show, a health expert on Oprah’s show and an author. He has no previous political experience.

His major policy positions are energy independence, grow American economy by focusing on domestic issues causing inflation and reversing Biden era policies, restore our service, stop illegal immigration, pro-life, support veterans, get tough on China, protect the Second Amendment, support law enforcement, “Pennsylvania first,” secure elections, support small businesses and free speech. Oz is not from PA

and lives in New Jersey. He was notably endorsed by Donald Trump, Ted Nugent, Sean Hannity, Nikki Haley and the PA Fraternal Order of Police.

The Democratic candidate for governor is Josh Shapiro. He is the PA Attorney General. Previously, he was the Montgomery County commissioner from 2011-2017 and member of PA House of Representatives from 20052011. His major policy positions are pro-choice when it comes to abortion, legalize marijuana, stricter gun control, equal pay, environmental regulations to combat climate change, cut costs and invest in public

Continued on p. 2

Congressional Race for PA’s 168th District Isabella Balian

Staff Writer

The midterm elections are approaching, and with a wide variety of candidates on the ballot, it’s important to know who is on the ballot and what they stand for so one can cast an efficient vote. While the election for the Senate between the Democratic candidate, John Fetterman, and Republican candidate, Dr. Oz, has taken over most of the media headlines for the Pennsylvania elections, there

are also elections within the House of Representatives.

The House of Representatives is the lower chamber of Congress, and the Senate is

the upper chamber, and together they comprise the national bicameral legislature of the United States. Congressional Representatives represent the

Within the current congressional races, PA’s 168th district remains up for grabs.

Courtesy of Radnor Township

people of their districts, while senators represent their entire states. The number of districts is determined by the state’s population, but each state always has two senators.

Within the current congressional races, Pennsylvania’s 168th district remains up for grabs, as Democratic candidate Lisa Borowski is running against the Republican incumbent Christopher Quinn. Representative Quinn has been serving Pennsylvania’s 168th districts for six years, which consists of town Continued on p. 2

Father Anne Visits Campus to Speak About Religion p. 3

Q&A With Congressional Candidates Galluch and Scanlon p. 4

We Need More Businesses on Campus p. 5

Why You Should Care About State Elections p. 6

CUP OF JOE: Parking Issues for Commuter Students p. 7

Jay Wright Shares Clifton Strengths At Live Event p. 9

Club Spotlight: Villanova Equestrian Team p. 10

Men’s XC Wins Eighth Big East Championship p. 12

Field Hockey Closes Season With 5-1 Win Over Georgetown p. 13

Anders Said It: Football Deserves More Attention p. 14

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Wednesday, November 2, 2022

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PUBLIC SAFETY BLOTTER

VOL. 114 | ISS. 19 www.villanovan.com @thevillanovan

COLIN BEAZLEY VIVI MELKONIAN TINA ARON CATE McCUSKER RACHEL REINIGER SARAH SWEENEY SARAH WISNIEWSKI LYDIA McFARLANE A.J. FEZZA ELENA ROUSE CHLOE MILLER MATTHEW RYAN MEGHANN MORHARDT MOLLY BAKER OLIVIA PASQUALE MICHAEL BRADLEY DEENA LEH CONTACT

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

Carrying A False Indentification Card/ Liquor Underage October 28, GOOD COUNSEL HALL One male resident student under the age of 21 was evaluated for alcohol intoxication by Radnor EMS and transported to Bryn Mawr Hospital.

Liquor Underage/ Public Drunkenness October 29, GOOD COUNSEL HALL One female resident student under the age of 21 was evaluated by Villanova Police for alcohol intoxication and released.

Liquor Underage October 29, ST. CLARE HALL One female resident student under the age of 21 was evaluated by Villanova Police and VEMS for alcohol intoxication and released.

Liquor Underage October 29, TRINITY HALL One female resident student under the age of 21 was evaluated by Radnor ALS and transported to Bryn Mawr Hospital.

Theft By Unlawful Taking or Disposition October 29, RILEY HALL

A Resident Assistant reported a posted schedule and a room placard were taken from outside his residence. The value of the loss is unknown.

Harassment- Repeated Communication October 29, HOVNANIAN HALL A female resident student reported being harassed by her roommate.

Disorderly Conduct October 30, HOVNANIAN HALL A resident student reported that two males were creating a disturbance in the hallway of a residential building.

Liquor Underage/ Public Drunkenness October 30, SHEEHAN HALL One female resident student, under the age of 21, was found intoxicated in public, evaluated and released by Radnor ALS. Liquor Underage/ Public Drunkenness October 30, O’DWYER HALL A female resident student, under the age of 21, was intoxicated in public. Radnor ALS transported the student to the hospital.

Liquor Underage/ Public Drunkenness October 30, ST. MARY’S HALL A male resident student, under the age of 21, was intoxicated in public and evaluated for alcohol intoxication by Radnor ALS. Criminal Trespass/ Theft By Unlawful Taking or Disposition October 30, HOVNANIAN HALL A female resident student reported that another female resident student took her Wildcard without her knowledge and consent. The actor then used the card to unlawfully enter a residence hall room that she was not permitted to enter.

Theft By Unlawful Taking or Disposition October 30, STANFORD HALL A female resident student reported her electric scooter stolen. The amount of the loss is $800.00.

Sexual Assault October 31, WHOLE CAMPUS Title IX Coordinator conveyed a second-hand report of a sexual assault that occurred during the month of January 2022 in a University-owned residence hall.

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.

Candidate Profiles The Democratic candidate is Austin Davis. He is a current member of the PA House of Representatives.

Continued from p.1 His major policy positions are pro-choice, marriage equality, education. He has been endorsed gun reform and taking environby the current PA governor Tom mental procedures to address Wolf, as well as the Philadelphia climate change.

Firefighters and Paramedics He has been endorsed by Union.

The Republican candidate the Pittsburgh LGBTQ Stonewall Democrats, the State Democratfor governor is Doug Mastriano. ic party, and the Human Rights He is a current member of the Campaign.

PA state senate and is a veteran.

The Republican candidate His major policy positions are is Carrie DelRosso. She is a curto Restore Freedom, return to rent member of the PA House of normalcy, restore confidence in Representatives. Her major polelections, education and parental rights, lower tax burden, revive the icy positions are pro-life, Second Amendment support and aneconomy with energy and protect ti-Critical Race Theory. the Second Amendment.

She did not condemn the Mastriano is an election denier and he has sued the January 6 insurrection after it happened committee. He has been endorsed and is endorsed by Republican PA gubernatorial candidate Doug

by Trump.

Next are the profiles for the Mastriano.

The following are the US House of Representatives, but Pennsylvania House of Represenstudents who live off campus may tatives. If students live off-campus, have different representatives.

The Democratic candidate they may have different representatives. for the U.S. House is the current The Democratic candidate representative Mary Gay Scanlon. She is up for reelection, as all is Lisa Borowski. She has had involvement in local politics for a members of the House are every decade. Her major policy positions two years. are to invest in public education, Her major policy posicommon sense gun reform, worktions are voting rights, education, immigration reform, child welfare ers’ rights, pro-choice, protect the environment and easy access to and gun violence prevention. She voting. has been endorsed by the Human She has been endorsed by Rights Campaign and Common Planned Parenthood, Change PA, Defense.

The Republican candidate Human Rights Campaign and for U.S. House of Representatives Represent PA. The Republican candidate is David Galluch. He served in the is Christopher Quinn. He is a curU.S. Navy fro rent member of the PA House of m 2008-2019.

Representatives. His major policy His major policy positions are to positions are pro-life in regard to support the US economy to bring abortion and to protect and prodown inflation, getting parents mote small businesses. involved in children’s educations, As the election gets closer, affordable healthcare, workforce make sure to stay informed about development and immigration who’s on the ballot before getting reform. out to vote.

He has been endorsed by Make sure to do research the Delaware County Republican and make informed decisions Party.

Next are the candidates for about who to vote for this midterm election.

Lieutenant Governor of PennsylFor more background invania. The lieutenant governor is formation on each candidate, visit the second highest ranking govthe www.ballotpedia.org. ernment official in the state.

Lydia McFarlane Co-News Editor

Local Election in Radnor Isabella Balian Staff Writer Continued from p.1 ships in Delaware County such as Garnet Valley, Marple Newton, Rose Tree Media and West Chester, which are all relatively close to Villanova’s campus.

Quinn acts on a variety of issues including standing up for taxpayers, affordable and quality healthcare, keeping communities safe, investing in our children’s future, preserving the environment and fighting for safe and secure pipelines. Over the years, Quinn has helped shape many solutions affecting the Delaware community and advocated for political action in terms of these issue areas.

Regarding healthcare, Quinn recognizes the importance of accessible healthcare and funding for critical health services such as mammograms, cervical and breast cancer screenings, prenatal and infant care and rape crisis care. In terms of education and children’s future Quinn delivered more than $800 million more in K-12 education, $120 million for Safe Schools and $90 million for Special Education.

Throughout his time representing the district, Quinn also stood up for taxpayers and small businesses by opposing the mass tax and spending budgets that would have increased taxes by $1 billion. Quinn vows to continue advocating against massive tax increases that will have a negative impact on families, seniors and small businesses.

Borowski got involved in politics within her son’s School Board and later became the Vice President of the Board. Within the Radnor Public Schools, Lisa worked to find common sense solutions to complex challenges and increase community relations. She later ran for Commissioner and led efforts to secure critical investments for the public library, increase police funding, pave township roads, improve stormwater management and pace four balanced budgets.

Within her campaign for Congress, she focuses on a large variety of issues including public education, common sense gun reform, workers’ rights, infrastructure, the right to choose, access to the ballot box, public safety, pipeline safety and protecting the environment.

With the recent overturn of Roe v. Wade, the right to choose has been a controversial topic within politics and people’s decisions on the ballot. Borowski prides herself in being a proud pro-choice candidate who vows to stand up for women’s rights in making their own healthcare decisions. She believes that no matter the individual’s opinion on abortion, the choice should remain between a person and their doctor, not within a politician’s hands.

With this said, students may wonder how this is relevant to them or ask questions regarding if their vote counts. Historically, Pennsylvania jumps back between being a red state or a blue state, and winners are not usually pre-identifiable, whereas states such as Massachusetts or Alabama are likely to have a predetermined outcome. Some students may question where they should vote, feeling that their vote may bear more weight in a state of political uncertainty rather than in their hometown. Additionally, some may question the role of local politics to college students: why should we vote?

Villanova student Emma Conlin reflects on voter registration and her decision to switch her voter registration from New York to Pennsylvania.

“As a New York State resident, New York is historically blue, but with PA being a swing state, my vote in this election means a lot more than it would at home,” Conlin said. “I also believe it’s extremely important to get to know local officials and potential candidates running so I can make my voice heard not only in my home state but where I go to college.”

Additionally, Conlin commented on different issues of the candidates and the way their election decisions may affect local politics and students’ rights.

“As a future healthcare provider and someone who cares deeply about women’s rights, I believe the right to choose and preserve access to abortions is one of the most important for students and citizens to become educated about keep in mind while voting,” Conlin said.

For more information on voting rights, transportation, voting locations and voter registration in Pennsylvania, visit the #LetsVoteNova page on the University website.

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

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The Villanovan | 3

Father Anne Visits Campus to Speak About Religion Arden West Staff Writer Last Wednesday, as is frequently done at this Roman Catholic institution, a priest came to speak at Villanova. Her name is Father Anne.

She enjoys rescuing dogs, live music and connecting with people.

Most of all, she likes playing an integral role in the next era of the Catholic Church. Father Anne was ordained on Oct. 16, 2021 in Albuquerque, New Mexico through the Association of Roman Catholic womenpriests.

Today, there are more than 400,000 Roman Catholic priests across the globe. Out of this huge Catholic pie, Father Anne finds herself in the thinnest of slices: she is one of 250 female priests.

While Father Anne was baptized Catholic and celebrated a confirmation, she was not a practicing Catholic until her thirties, when she began to more seriously explore religion. She managed a secular rock band and lived with the musicians on a lavender farm outside Portland, Oregon. The house was half a mile from a local Jesuit Parish, where her conversion to Catholicism began.

After putting deep roots into the Catholic community everywhere she lived and returning to school to earn her Jesuit degree, Anne, like St. Augustine, felt her restless heart. She heard calls to be a priest from God and would lie awake at night “physically consumed by God’s frustration.”

However, she knew that it is illegal for a woman to be ordained in Roman Catholic tradition, so she abided by the law and tried to live out her vocation in every way that she could as a woman. Anne ran pastoral ministries, brought people commu-

nion, led retreats, went to get a master of divinity and even ran a parish as a pastoral associate. She shared her thoughts about how her work was not enough.

“God was not satisfied,” Father Anne said. “God wanted more.”

Father Anne said that she lived in a constant battle over what to be: obedient to God versus obedient to church doctrine.

After choosing to pursue priesthood, she realized that she is different from the Roman Catholic Woman priest movement because she is “not a Roman Catholic Woman Priest, but a Roman Catholic priest who is a woman.”

Father Anne is celibate, wears the collar and calls herself Father. Although she lives and works exactly like a male priest, after her ordination, she has been excommunicated and cut off from sacramental life of the church.

She cannot receive Eucharist, cannot work for the church and she will be denied a Christian burial. If she was a man, she would have healthcare, a Ph.D, connections, a paycheck and a worldwide network of priests who devote themselves to looking out for each other. But for Father Anne, despite being a priest, she has none of this. At times, she has even struggled to keep food on the table and a roof over her head.

Father Anne is dedicated to reform, and she wants to do it by expanding the symbol of priests. Right now, it’s contracted to the male form alone, but she is working to expand it to also include the female form.

“Roman Catholics do not see this,” she said motioning to her body.

“This symbol is much more prevalent than we realize,” Father Anne said. “When a male priest walks into a secular environment, in his collar, I don’t believe that the first

thing that people think of is God and reconciliation and the relationship of God and the body of Christ. I think that the first thing that people think of is Indian boarding schools, abuse of power, the sexual abuse of a child.

But when they see me, a woman in a collar, they are greatly intrigued by the embodiment of the symbol. They see a future and are re-filled with hope.”

She recounts a story when she was at a grocery store and an elderly man stopped her and asked if she was a priest. He said that he had never seen a woman in a collar; he was overjoyed and gave her great encouragement. Another couple, one of Latino descent, told Father Anne that they had left the church after the sexual abuse scandals.

However, they asked Anne if she would baptize their two-year-old daughter.

“You are exactly what the Church needs,” people tell Father Anne.

Father Anne has been invited by non-Catholics, lesbians and even Atheists to preside over weddings, memorials and liturgies.

“God is made present by my presence,” she said.

Father Anne is focused on her passion for women’s equality in the church because she recognizes that a male-only priesthood emboldens the subjugation of women everywhere. Despite her dedication, she has faced trials, lost friends and colleagues and has been endlessly criticized and tormented for her priesthood.

Even in the crowd at the event, there was evidence of the deep disagreement on this issue.

Rick Bochanski, a student, shared his thoughts about the event, saying he was “disappointed in the university” and found the event to

be “scandalous.”

Amid challenges and accusations from audience members, Father Anne explained her beliefs backed by the religious text.

Another student, Nathan Reynolds, appreciated the non-conventional event.

“Father Anne’s talk was eye-opening,” Reynolds said. “She’s changing the world right now.”

To end the conversation, Father Anne shared what she hopes that people, on both sides of the issue, take from the event.

“I hope people take the idea of scrutinizing the things that are in their lives,” she said. “We often assume that things are static or ‘the way that they are,’ but oftentimes there is a deeper reality at work. I hope that when people go forward, they see the world around them and are able to distinguish what is coming from a loving God and what is simply not.”

Father Anne left the Catholic church to become a priest.

Courtesy of Fatheranne.com

Bartley Hall Launches New Liquid Waste Disposal Bins Katie Reed News Columnist This past August, new liquid waste containers were installed in Bartley Hall to help Villanovans reduce their waste and recycle properly. Now that the entire maintenance staff has received training on how to use these containers, they were finally opened for use after fall break.

Ava Eberly and Maeve Malone, two sophomore Student Recycling Coordinators for the Waste and Recycling Department, were able to shed some light on their roles and the new liquid waste containers.

“We are mostly helping out with the initiatives that the team already created last year, which includes waste auditing, mapping the waste bins both inside buildings and outside buildings, helping out with donation drives and zero waste games and getting the message out to different groups across campus,” Malone said.

The waste audits in particular helped the team select Bartley as the best place to try out the liquid waste containers, as Bartley had the highest percentage of things thrown

out that should have been recycled.

“A lot of what we’re doing is trying to teach people how to dispose of their waste properly,” Eberly added. “A lot of people are coming from all over the country, and they have different levels of exposure to programs like recycling and composting, so we’re trying to bridge the gap between people who do know and people who don’t.”

For instance, from Oct. 2026, Eberly and Malone, along with other members of their team, hosted a Bartley takeover in the Atrium.

They set up a table to talk about the new initiative and ask students about their recycling habits to educate them on how to recycle properly.

The bins themselves are made from recycled plastic and there are currently six of them in Bartley.

When students open the bin to dispose of their leftover liquid, there is a splash pad that allows the liquid to go through but stops other kinds of waste from entering. Then, the liquid can pass through the normal drainage system and is recycled back into the system at the water treatment plant, Eberly mentioned.

Fiona Lonergan, a junior who is the head of the Food Committee within the Student Sustainability Committee (SSC), also volunteered at the table and shared her

thoughts on the new program.

“One of the biggest things is that [prior to this], you couldn’t recycle a plastic cup if it had ice or leftover liquid in it,” Lonergan said.

“The whole purpose of having the liquid waste containers is it gives you a place to dispose of that liquid so then you can properly recycle your cup.”

Lonergan also emphasized that after disposing of the liquid, one has to throw out both the lid of the cup and the straw used, which people may not know.

From this experience, Eberly, Malone and Lonergan learned that it took engaging with people directly to get them to use the new containers properly.

“The hard thing we are learning is that signage is not enough,” Lonergan said. “You need someone there telling people what to do for anything to be done properly.”

As Malone pointed out, signage is also something that Waste and Recycling is evaluating along with the waste audits to see what can be improved, as they revamped it in Bartley with black signs for trash, blue for recycling and brown for liquid waste.

Implementing these containers will have a lot of benefits, including having cleaner recycling, ensur-

ing recyclable material won’t end up in a landfill and reducing the weight of recycling. This not only helps the custodial staff, as they won’t have to worry about overexertion or slipping on spilled liquid, but it will also help reduce Villanova’s carbon emissions, since the trash and recycling will weigh less on the trucks and require less gas to transport it.

“I hope it’s easy enough that people will utilize it,” Lonergan added. “I think it’s really great, and I hope they are implemented all over campus.”

Eberly and Malone expressed similar thoughts.

“I think it’s a really good idea,” Malone said, noting how when she was growing up, she was unaware of the nuances of recycling. “Coming here, having this job and learning more about recycling has been really helpful, and I feel like a lot of people are in the same position as me where they don’t even know how to properly recycle.”

Malone and Eberly mentioned that the Waste and Recycling team is always looking for volunteers at its events, such as when it does donation drives and zero waste basketball games, so if one wants to get involved, reach out to recycling@villanova.edu.

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

The Villanovan | 4

NEWS

Congressional Candidates: Scanlon and Galluch Cate McCusker Senior Editor Villanova resides in Pennsylvania’s fifth congressional district, which encompasses all of Delaware County, some of Chester County, a small portion of southern Montgomery County and a section of southern Philadelphia.

Currently, this district is represented by Democratic Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon. In the upcoming midterm election, Scanlon is challenged by Republican candidate Dave Galluch.

The Villanovan was able to sit down (virtually) with both candidates to discuss their goals, thoughts on key issues and more.

Why they’re running Dave Galluch: “Basically the last half of 2020 was a pretty formative experience for me. I had left the Navy to work at Comcast doing strategic development, but just, you know, the rioting, the looting, the disavowal, the time honored traditions, the leadership in this country and just a lot of the stuff I was seeing in the summer in the fall of 2020. Just people being driven apart, turned against each others families. Families being ripped apart by political differences. It just didn’t square with what I served for, what my friends served for, what some of my friends who didn’t come home or came home bearing the scars of their service. On deployment. It’s not about Team Red or Team Blue. It’s about solving problems. And that’s what we should be doing in Washington. Yes, we all have our own ideological beliefs. We all have our own value sets, but everyone’s moral compass should be pointing in the same direction if you’re in Congress, and unfortunately, I don’t think that’s the case anymore. And we’re always gonna have disagreements but we have to get back to a point where we can actually arbitrate our, you know, contentious disputes amicably and civilly and diplomatically.”

Mary Gay Scanlon: “I decided to run for election because so many of the issues I’ve been working on for my entire adult life were on the line. That includes elections and voting rights, it includes immigration, it includes children and families, kids having a good start and having access to good public schools. All of those things were on the line four years ago, and we’ve made some progress in some of them. We’ve been able to do between the American Rescue plan and the infrastructure bill and the chips bill, and the very mild, but still necessary gun safety legislation we passed this summer, and then the Inflation Reduction Act, we’ve been able to make huge investments in public safety, community violence interruption, baseline support for families.”

Goals if elected DG: “I would say economy jobs and cost of living is number one. We’ve knocked on 40,000 doors as a campaign directly, and nine out of 10 doors we talked about gas prices, or how much food costs. For me that’s near and dear to my heart. I come from a working family. I was raised by a single mom. My dad was killed by a

drunk driver before I was born. So, I know how hard working families have to work just to keep their head above water.”

“I’d say inflation and crime are the primary two. But just opportunities for young people to get good paying jobs, open businesses, and have the same sort of choices that our parents had and our grandparents had. I think that that’s really important too.”

MGS: “It continues to be protecting our elections, protecting fundamental rights, whether it’s to vote or whether it’s for a woman to make the right reproductive health choices for herself and her family. When you’re in Congress, you have the opportunity to really impact the lives of folks in your community, so I’ve been working a lot on issues of economic development for this region. Things have shifted from straight up manufacturing to a lot more life sciences and 21st century economy. So, how do you make those transitions and make sure that the people who live here are prepared to take those jobs? So a lot in that arena.

“Gun violence is clearly an issue across the country, but it’s been a particular issue in our region, and it’s impacting everyone. I got carjacked right before Christmas last year. It’s the easy availability of guns as well as the fact that, we see that the driving forces are usually poverty, lack of opportunity, hopelessness. So, you know, the economic issues that I’m working on, actually head towards gun violence prevention, so those are huge issues for our region and issues I want to keep working on.”

Bipartisanship DG: “I think I offer a more bipartisan and common sense approach on the issues. Congresswoman Scanlon has voted with Congresswoman Ocasio Cortez 96% of the time, Ilhan Omar 96% of the time. They are out of the mainstream. I don’t want to approach politics with my own ideology. I want to vote with the district and be representative for the people. Delaware County for the most part is and has been and will remain sort of a moderate a moderate county, and I just don’t believe Congresswoman Scanlon has been a moderate voice on the issues. I want to turn the temperature down and I want to let the viewpoints of PA five govern what I do in Congress because that’s what you do when you’re in Congress. You know, people don’t work for you, you work for people, and I think that’s that’s just a fundamental difference in how Congresswoman Scanlon and I view view how to approach politics policymaking and the sort of track record one would cultivate in Congress” MGS: “I’ve worked with both sides.

I’ve worked with people across the political spectrum for my entire political career and my entire legal career.

My political career is only about four years long, and it’s been a really unusual time because of the hyper politicization. The idea that you work in a bipartisan manner presumes that the other side is willing to come to the table, and that’s one of the issues that we have right now. Leadership in the Republican party at the national level has explicitly declared that they don’t want work across the table, and we’ve seen that with everything from the

Inflation Reduction Act to the American Rescue Plan, good bills that have provided necessary services to the American people that our Republican colleagues have voted unanimously or nearly unanimously against, but then claimed credit for the results when they go home to their district.

“I have introduced and passed bipartisan bills in Congress. I have worked in a bipartisan manner on our school board, but it does presume that there’s a willingness to work on the other side. It makes it difficult to work across the aisle, but with that being said, when you’re dealing with our kids going hungry, then I’m gonna work with anyone who’s willing to solve that problem. If we’re dealing with, how do we do a better job at reducing gun violence, I’m gonna work with anyone who’s willing to seriously address that problem as opposed to just saying, ‘I need to be tougher on crime,’ because that doesn’t accomplish anything.”

Abortion & reproductive rights DG: “I stand with the vast majority of people in supporting exceptions. I stand with the vast majority of folks who support common sense limitations on abortions, and the vast majority of Americans believe abortion should be safe, legal and rare up until that point and by exception after that.

From my perspective, as a federal candidate, it’s not a federal issue. It’s a state issue. I plan on taking no vote when it comes to changing abortion laws in the United States at the federal level…but I’m certainly not for a total abortion ban.”

MGS: “We were out there last week talking with some of the young Dems and, and they were saying that the Roe v Wade issue is top of mind. I think it is for a lot of people across the district. I’m not afraid to say I’m a Democrat. I’m supporting those policies, and I’m proud to do it.”

Election integrity DG: “I would say election integrity, that’s another one that the constitution prescribes the management of the elections in individual states to the federal government…I think there are common sense things we could do. I think it should be easy to vote. It has to be easy to vote. I fought in the military, I defended our institutions, defended the right to vote, defended elections. Full stop, it has to be easy to vote. It should be hard to cheat.

I think there are things we could do that most people agree with. For example, 80 to 90% agree with voter ID. You know, I understand there might be folks in some communities that it might be hard for them to get an ID, and the easier problem to solve is let’s find a way for them to get an ID because they should need an ID not just a vote but they need an ID for a whole lot of other things in life. If they don’t have an ID, you know, they’re being held back and a whole lot of other ways, so let’s find a way to get folks IDs because it will help them in a vast array of things that they that they try and do in their life. And another common sense thing that at the state level would make sense would be engaging in cross check programs…I think those are two common sense things most people agree with would make our elections safer, and it wouldn’t restrict

anyone’s ability to vote or access to the ballot box.

MGS: “Pennsylvania submitted a slate of fake electors to try to overturn the election. Many of our elected officials and candidates are still refusing to acknowledge that our election was safe and secure, and that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were elected as president and vice president. They’re trying to roll back changes that were made to Pennsylvania’s election laws in 2019 that were actually proposed by and approved by a Republican legislature.

“Having been in DC on January 6th, having been in my office across the street from the capitol, walking through the doors to vote on the floor every day where people smashed in the doors and tried to stop the legitimate certification of an election where someone died, actually trying to break into the capital where my colleagues, 139 members of the House Republican Caucus, voted against certifying electoral votes, including eight members from the Pennsylvania delegation who objected to certification of ballots that they had been sworn in on for their own elections only three days before.”

What they would say to Villanova students who are on the fence right now DG: “The number one thing that I will always bring to serving everyone is an open mind. I want people to have access to me. I pride myself on the fact that I’ve gone to every corner of Pennsylvania five and back. When I go places, we don’t go into pre-prepared photo-ops. I go into bars, I go into restaurants, I just walk down the street in places like Chester and Upper Darby, and I just talk to people. I want to be accessible I want to actually understand what people want, and I want to vote the district. Folks may not always agree 100% with what I do, but I don’t want to be an ideological voice. I want to be a pragmatic voice. I just want to solve problems.

We have a lot at stake in this country. A lot of issues that cut across party lines and I don’t think that we can continue with business as usual.

Party loyalty, party ideology, sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s a bad thing, but we need new voices and new generations need to step up.”

MGS: “I’m working every day to protect some pretty fundamental rights around voting access, particularly for students, because our Republican colleagues are trying to restrict access to voting, particularly by students and young people. I’m working to protect other fundamental rights, including privacy rights to abortion, reproductive healthcare, same sex, marriage, contraception, all those are on the line with this recent Supreme Court decision…I’ve lived a career and, and being in Congress is just an extension of the work that I’ve done for the last 30 years to provide opportunity and equity and access, focusing on folks who are least likely to have a seat at the table, whether that’s kids, women, immigrants, or underserved communities….Congress is not a career move. It’s simply an opportunity to continue doing work that I’ve done for over 30 years.”

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

OPINION

The Villanovan | 5

OPINION

Midterm Election Predictions: 2022 Races Heat Up

Joe Biden does not share this luxury, as his approval ratings continue to be underwater, at times even worse than his predecessor former President Donald Trump. This is likely to spell With the midterm elections doom for any chance of Democrats right around the corner, the highly being able to hold their already thin tense Senate campaigns across the majority in the House. In addition, nation are coming to the final home the current state of the economy as stretch that could determine the agen- well as the various cultural war issues da in Washington for the next few that plague the nation seem to lean in years. The stakes are very high, espe- favor of Republicans making signifcially for a midterm election, as states icant gains this year to put a halt to such as Georgia have seen record ear- President Biden’s agenda. Given the ly voting nearing presidential election current landscape of traditionally blue figures with at least a few more states districts seeming to lean red or be in to follow suit. With the month during toss-up range, I believe that the GOP an election cycle known for infamous will pick up around 30 seats in the “October surprises” now coming to a House this November. close, I feel that predictions for control Now onto the Senate, which of Congress are more likely to be at holds some of the most followed politleast close to target. One thing is clear ical races since the 2020 presidential that many people can agree on: this election. Honestly, control for this election cycle does not bode well for chamber of Congress remains anythe Democratic Party. one’s guess, as both parties seem to be It has been the case in modfacing their share of struggles. ern American history that the PresiFor starters, the Republican dent’s party has almost always been Party has put up really flawed candihurt by midterm elections as the dates for Senate. Georgia Senate canreferendum is on their governance didate Herschel Walker seems to have rather than the minority party. This a new negative story about his personhas been the case since World War al life surface on a daily basis, which II, with the notable exception of could make a significant difference 2002. Even then, the circumstances in a state that is increasingly purple. were extraordinary, as dealing with Blake Masters in Arizona is still down the aftermath of 9/11 and bringing in his race against incumbent Senator forward a brief time of unity and solMark Kelly due primarily to runidarity served then President George ning as a very “Trumpy” candidate, W. Bush well. However, President despite the former president losing the Steven Makino Staff Writer

state in 2020. Even in Ohio, the race only has J.D. Vance up by a small margin with Rep. Tim Ryan doing fairly well in a state that President Trump won in both 2016 and 2020.

While I think Vance should be able to win, I am not as confident that it is a sure thing anymore.

However, the Democrats haven’t done much better in choosing candidates this cycle, which is arguably more important due to them having to carry the baggage of a very unpopular president according to the polls. This is shown by the fact that races that seemed to already have a predetermined outcome have become competitive races for Republican candidates across the nation. The Senate races in Colorado, Nevada and Washington further reinforce this point as the economy remains the top issue for most Americans of any political affiliation.

The Senate race in Pennsylvania between TV personality Dr. Mehmet Oz and lieutenant governor John Fetterman is one that is a key indicator not just for the outcome of this year’s election cycle but also for the next few years. Since Pennsylvania went to now-President Biden (albeit by a narrow margin) in 2020, it was not much of a surprise that Fetterman was dominating Oz throughout the summer, especially with the momentum surrounding the overturning of Roe v Wade. However, as Fetterman increasingly became the center of at-

tention, ranging from his policy views to his past record, Oz has been able to capitalize on this momentum to narrow the race. In addition, worries about Fetterman’s health have only continued to grow as the election draws near. The stroke that he suffered in May was pretty serious, and given that stroke recoveries can take a long time, voters seem to be struggling over whether he’ll be able to handle the immense pressures that come with the job. These debates only seemed to be reinforced in the aftermath of the only PA Senate debate between the two candidates, as Fetterman struggled to give full answers to questions in addition to Oz outperforming expectations. The race is currently a statistical tie, and if I had to choose between a winner, I feel that Oz will come out with one of the narrowest senate victories in recent memory.

Overall, I believe that the House is almost guaranteed to flip towards the GOP, but when it comes to the Senate, I feel that the Senate will either go to the GOP by one vote or remain a 50-50 split with Vice President Kamala Harris continuing to be the tie breaker.

Predictions have never been an easy business in the political scene, with the 2016 cycle essentially throwing the polling industry into an utter frenzy. However, one thing’s for certain: turnout is sure to set new records with the outcome anticipated by the bulk of the country.

We Need More Outside Businesses On Campus Loghan Hirkey Staff Writer On Oct. 20, we all received a surprising email to fill out a survey about the dining services at Villanova. Besides asking if students would like more variety and better-quality food, it also asked questions about whether other businesses on campus would be well-received. These questions varied from more local businesses, popular food chains such as Starbucks and more restaurants.

This may be one of the best things Villanova has attempted to do for this school. It is time for a change.

We want better food options.

There are multiple benefits to having outside businesses on campus. First, for students who do not have a car, such as myself, it would be a lot easier to walk five minutes to Main Campus for Chick-Fil-A instead of Ubering to one that is a five to 10 minute drive (and perhaps even further) away. It saves money and ensures safety by reducing students trying to get to a destination off campus without having their own vehicle.

Although Lancaster Avenue is a seemingly-safe area, most people do not feel very comfortable going alone to an off-campus restaurant during the day, let alone at night.

It would also boost the morale of the students. Having a routine of the same food choices can get boring and can put students in a bad mood. By having different

Some students feel that the University’s campus needs more food and drink options than campus-run establishments like Holy Grounds.

Olivia Pasquale / Villanovan Photography

businesses on campus, I could mix up my food options throughout the weeks and bring a positive aspect to my day. Having more options would also incline me to eat more and overall give me more energy.

Finally, the University would heavily benefit financially from putting businesses and restaurants on campus. If we had better food options, students would be willing to pay more, and those proceeds from food purchases and

dinner reservations would bring in more money for the school. Currently, I will DoorDash or Uber to a restaurant off campus if I want a different bite to eat. Having that accessibility on campus is a win for everyone. The University and students would benefit from having outside businesses on campus.

The Villanovan asked a few students on campus for their opinions on having more familiar and new options on campus.

“I personally would prefer Dunkin because there are none that are close by, and it’s what I’m used to at home,” sophomore Victoria Bratsos said. “Villanova food is hit-or-miss for some people, but with chains, there is an established menu that people like overall.”

“I think the thing students are most unhappy with on campus is the food,” senior Meghan Rivardo said. “Bringing outside businesses onto campus would increase revenue for the University by causing more students to buy a meal plan and stay on campus to eat.”

Sophomore Andrew Nguyen-Lepczyk expressed his interest in having outside businesses on campus.

“I think it’s a good idea,” Nguyen-Lepczyk said. “Especially since the campus doesn’t really allow easy access to other restaurants besides the few in the shopping center and those on the corner of campus. I think it would add some real variety to the campus dining experience.”

Overall, many students on campus would love to have outside businesses on campus. It also seems that many upperclassmen would be willing to buy a meal plan.

Colleges around the world make outside businesses such as food chains, local restaurants and more variety of food options present on their campus. Villanova should follow in their footsteps and make food chains and local restaurants available on campus too.

6 | The Villanovan

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

OPINION

EDITORIAL BOARD

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS

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

COLIN BEAZLEY Editor-in-Chief

POLICY

The unsigned editorial that appears is the opinion of The Villanovan as determined by the majority of the Editorial Board. Other columns, letters and artwork represent the opinions of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of The Villanovan.

Why You Should Care About State Elections Andrew Portas Staff Writer If you haven’t noticed from the myriad of campaign signs on lawns or dozens of volunteers registering students to vote on campus, it’s election season. This upcoming Tuesday, Pennsylvanians will cast their votes for crucial and contested seats in the United States Senate and Pennsylvania governorship. These races have stirred national media attention and are likely what motivate most students to vote.

While every race and every vote has serious and unique implications for the lives of Pennsylvanians, statewide races are often overlooked, or simply ill understood, particularly in the state legislature. In fact, today’s top issues will be determined by the upcoming Pennsylvania General Assembly and Governorship. It’s important to first know how these institutions work to understand why they are so important.

The General Assembly is Pennsylvania’s legislative branch, equivalent to the U.S. Congress and is further split into the State House of Representatives and State Senate.

Like Congress, it develops policy and makes laws specific to the wills and needs of Pennsylvanians. The governor leads Pennsylvania’s executive branch by advancing legislation and overseeing the enforcement of state law through various bureaucracies such as the PA Department of Agriculture or PA Department of Transportation.

The State Senate district, which includes nearly all Villanova students, will not be up for election

Among many heated elections is the battle for the Pennsylvania legislature in Harrisburg.

Courtesy of Kalim A. Bhatti / The Philadelphia Inquirer

this year. However, the 168th State House district, which after redistricting in 2020 now covers the entirety of Villanova University, has a tight race between two incumbent state Representatives, Democrat Lisa Borowski and current 168th Representative Republican Christopher Quinn. More well-known is the gubernatorial race between the Democrat State Attorney General Josh Shapiro and incumbent Republican State Senator Doug Mastriano.

While I will not delve into the policy preferences and backgrounds of each candidate, it is important to associate the names of each candidate with the roles and duties of their specific positions. In order to make an informed decision on election day, I encourage all students to explore each candidate’s campaign website and Ballotpedia. com page.

The 2022 state elections are particularly important because either

party can realistically win a majority in the General Assembly and/or the Governorship. While Democrats are favored to take the governorship, consistent polling inaccuracies in past gubernatorial elections like Virginia and New Jersey imply it’s anybody’s game. Likewise, while Republicans currently hold a firm control over the General Assembly, redistricting has injected uncertainty into many races, with many now leaning in Democrat’s favor.

Thus, the saying “every vote counts” is as relevant as ever to Pennsylvania politics during this election cycle. The gubernatorial and 168th house race are both likely to be determined by a marginal number of votes. Students at Villanova will in turn play a consequential role in determining which policies Pennsylvania will pursue in the upcoming years. Most importantly, today’s most hot-button issues will be directly addressed by state-level

policies.

Perhaps most obvious is reproductive rights policy, which after the overturning of Roe v. Wade has been delineated as a state-level decision. Pennsylvania’s next General Assembly and Governor will determine the legality of abortion in the state. The state’s gun policy will furthermore lie in the hands of Harrisburg. This election will determine if Pennsylvania pursues expansive policies of gun control or expands its citizens’ access to firearms. These are but two highly divisive and widely discussed topics that will effectively be determined by our state elections.

Various other topics unique to Pennsylvania will be determined by upcoming state elections. For instance, the state is the nation’s second largest producer of natural gas with drilling initiatives and regulations largely put forth by the state government. This election is essentially a referendum on whether we will satiate massive global energy demand or pursue a more progressive environmental agenda. The list of state specific issues on the ballot this year is extensive and includes other topics like election law reform, LGBTQ+ policy and education privatization.

The bottom line is that most issues on the ballot this year will be determined by who we vote for in state elections. Furthermore, the aforementioned issues all have immediate effects on how we lead our lives as Villanovans. Nov. 8 is everyone’s chance to determine the trajectory of their experience at Villanova and its surrounding community. Let’s vote, Nova, and choose the type of Pennsylvania we want to learn, work and live in.

Fetterman Should Be Transparent About His Health Chad Woerner Staff Writer Anyone who watched last week’s Pennsylvania Senate race debate would have been hardpressed not to hear Democratic nominee John Fetterman stumble through words and struggle to finish sentences as the questions rolled on.

This is not the first time that Fetterman, who underwent a serious stroke almost 6 months ago, has shown signs of executive functioning issues.

Some neurologists have pointed out that among stroke survivors, the lack of ability to pronounce words correctly or the failure to remember certain terms is not acutally an accurate display of one’s complete cognitive ability.

Acording to Fetterman’s doctors,

even though he is still recovering with his linguistic abilities while speaking, his intellect itself has likely not diminished, only his ability to process it.

While the majority of stroke recovery tends to happen in the months immediately following the event, full healing can still take as many as 2 full years or even longer.

Given Fetterman’s recent public appearances which show that he is still suffering from the effects of that stroke, the hope for Democrats that his situation will continue to significantly improve is very much up in the air.

Oral communication is critical to the daily job of a senator.

From floor speeches to phone calls to even brief conversations with staffers, it should be entirely sensible why voters would be concerned whether Fetterman can effectively fulfill the duties of a senator while struggling with basic verbalization.

While many senators have been able to serve with a disability, few have had the issues that Fetterman is currently having.

Yet, voices from the other side of the aisle have often mocked Fetterman’s condition, and in doing so only polarize the race further instead of adressing the core of the issue, which is the lack of transparency from Fetterman’s team about his condition. In an interview with Hugh Hewitt after the debate, Republican National Comitee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel joked about whether Fetterman would be able to finish a sentence. Tucker Carlson asked whether a suspicious lump on the back of Fetterman’s neck has an Instagram profile. It is not clear to what extent the lump is related to the stroke, but it has been another point of susciption about Fetterman’s well being that has yet to be answered.

Fetterman’s team of doctors

have tried to continue the impression that the stroke has only had minor impacts on the Lietanentut Governor. Just days after the stroke, a statement from his office read that “the doctors tell me I didn’t suffer any cognitive damage.” While that may be largely true in the sense that Fetterman has not lost any concrete knowledge, his recent stumbles are requisite for susciption that he has suffered much more cognitive decline than his campaign would like to acknowledge. Given the importance of his job and the people potentially electing him to office, his doctors should be as forthright as possible and not cover up his true condition in order to play politics.

As House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said last Thursday, “even those Democrats on CNN were embarrassed of who their nominee was and the capability of carrying out the job. This is a big job in the Senate.”

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

The Villanovan | 7

OPINION

CUP OF JOE: Parking Issues for Commuter Students Joe Adams Opinion Columnist Lately, I have heard a lot of complaints from my fellow Wildcats. One complaint in particular is the trouble with parking on campus.

I live on West Campus. I am lucky enough to have a parking spot, but it can be frustrating when I have to circle West Campus over and over just to find a spot. When we have to pay to park on campus, it should be easier to find a spot.

I believe the best course of action would be to build a parking garage on West, right outside of St. Mary’s.

I know it sounds ambitious, but it seems like the best way to go about it at the current moment.

Villanova is a walkable campus, but to get to restaurants, stores, pharmacies and even emergency doctor visits, a car is the best way to go. Sure, the train runs down the Main Line, but often, it does not go exactly where we want for it to go, which then makes it hard to actually go out and have the ability to get around specific places.

A few weeks ago, I asked my Instagram followers about their thoughts on whether there should be more parking on campus.

“With the increasing freshman classes, Villanova is gaining students, so we need more parking,” one student said.

“If we have the opportunity to bring our cars on campus, we should have more parking options so we aren’t always worried about

The University’s I-1 Garage is the largest of the parking areas on campus.

Courtesy of The Harman Group

getting a ticket,” another said.

A lot of students brought up the fact that West Campus is in the most need of more parking spaces.

“There’s never enough parking on West.”

“We need more West parking.”

“West Campus does not have enough parking for everyone who lives there.”

Clearly, students shared my sentiments and frustrations with the parking system. One of my roommates, Brendan Tierney,

commented on the situation.

“Less confusion should be a priority,” Tierney said. “The whole system confuses me.”

While West Campus is something that I am focused on due to where I live, I also started thinking about students who commute to Villanova’s campus. A few weeks ago, I had a commuter student, Landon Carter, reach out to me to share some of his concerns with parking in the Ithan Avenue Parking Garage.

He emailed me the following:

“I wanted to bring to your attention issues involving the Ithan Avenue Parking Garage, particularly as it relates to commuter students. This semester, the lot has been extremely congested, and it is difficult to find a parking spot. Earlier this afternoon, I spent 20 minutes trying to find a spot. I noticed other students in this situation; as all of us were driving in circles to find a spot.

“This situation has been worsened by the fact that Guests, Friends of Villanova and patrons of the Refectory are all allowed to use the parking garage,” he continued. “To make matters worse there are several levels that are restricted to students that are residents of the Commons, making parking options for Commuter students more limited. This seems extremely unfair to students who have to pay tuition in addition to paying $105 for a year-round spot to use the garage.

Maybe these Friends of Villanova guests could be directed somewhere else to park.”

This was discouraging to hear, as I did not realize that this issue went beyond on-campus students. Again, I wonder if building another parking garage or lot on campus, exclusively for guests and visitors, would be beneficial for students trying to find parking.

In the next year or two, I know that this situation will get worse due to even larger class sizes. I strongly believe that if Villanova is proactive now and adds more parking in a few locations around campus, the situation will improve and students’ frustrations will begin to subside.

Culture Clash: What is Upstate New York?

Isabella Ledet Staff Writer Many students at Villanova come from the surrounding areas: Pennsylvania, New Jersey or New York. However, despite the University’s close proximity to the state of New York, many people do not know what Upstate New York even is.

Sure, an iconic city of around 8.5 million people takes the forefront of everyone’s minds when they think of “New York.”

But by area, New York City is only around 0.5% of the state of New York. So, where does Upstate begin? And why is Upstate important?

There are six divisions of New York State. Contrary to popular belief, Upstate is not just the part of New York that is not NYC. In terms of the division of New York state, my opinion is the same as that of a popular Instagram meme account, UpstateNYMemes.

The account took a map of all of the counties of New York and divided it into the six regions: Western, Central, Upstate, Downstate, NYC and Long Island.

When I tell people that I am from Albany, most people living north of the city will tell me the part of New York that they are from as if it is closely related to Albany.

Many New Yorkers have attempted to delineate the regional borders of New York state.

Courtesy of @upstatenymemes

“Upstate New York is anything upstate of Westchester, not including Westchester,” senior Dan Mezzalingua from Syracuse said.

“I would say anything above Kingston is upstate, but I have to emphasize Westchester is not upstate,” sophomore Grace Giombetti from Albany agreed.

Both Kingston and Westchester are Downstate, which is the part of the state between the city and Upstate.

“People confuse Upstate with Central and Western NY, which are both very different from Upstate,” Giombetti said.

This leads to the mislabeling of Syracuse, Rochester and even Buffalo. Syracuse is located in the very heart of Central New York, which is west of Upstate.

Rochester is so far west that it is essentially Western New York. And then Buffalo, which is the major hub of Western New York. Albany keeps a safe distance from the Bills Mafia.

Now that the exact definition of Upstate has been established, the second question that I have posed becomes the one more difficult to defend. How is Upstate important? Politically, New York is by no means a swing state. In elections, it is reliably “blue.” However, most of this is due exclusively to the city since its population is so high. NYC is only 0.5% of the state by area, as I mentioned above, but it is around 43% of the state’s population. Looking at the individual counties in New York, many of them were surprisingly “red” in the

2020 Presidential Election. Even though these counties are small and cannot compare to the population significance of NYC, it is worth noting that New York is not as unified as it may appear, especially shown by its geography. In fact, for this year’s election, many counties have been redrawn altogether.

I would like to argue that Upstate New York, though its exact definition is widely disputed, is highly important. It contains the capital, the largest publicly protected natural area in the United States, touches Canada and much more. Despite NYC’s high population and international renown, the capital of New York state is Albany, right in the heart of Upstate.

I got to go to the New York State museum, the Governor’s Mansion and the capitol building on field trips growing up. Though Albany is a small city (its skyline has literally a singular skyscraper), it is still the capital of an impressive and important state, and I feel lucky to have had the chance to grow up in a capital city. In addition, the Adirondack Park is part of Upstate.

The Adirondack Park is six million acres of protected land, containing the 46 High Peaks and more than 3,000 lakes and ponds. Autumn in the Adirondacks is breathtaking.

Next time one thinks about “New York,” I urge them to take a moment to consider what is beyond the city. It is 99.5% of the state, in fact.

8 | The Villanovan

Wednesday, November 02, 2022

CULTURE

CULTURE

Inside Bartley Exchange’s “Carpet Room”

and/or other aspects of identity or affiliation.”

While the culture itself remains disputed, what can be confidently said is that the Carpet Room (continued from pg. 1) is densely populated with Greek life members, specifically male ones.

Senior Owen Connor pro...non exclusive-exclusive club space.” vided insight on the reasoning for the A number of interviewees Room’s demographic. shared similar sentiments about the “Greek life students do not vibe of the Carpet Room, all intensely have on campus housing or ANY passionate about a room that oozes space to hang out on campus so they with exclusivity. have started hanging out in the carpet Others, however, vehemently room,” Connor said. “According to disagreed.

Villanova’s Offi ce of Fraternity and “It’s a nice place to hang out,” Sorority Life, 42% of males in Greek one senior in the Business school notLife are in the business school. This is ed. compared to 25% of the student body As for the culture? “Welcombeing in the business school.

Most ing,” the student reiterated. of the fraternities on campus have Or as another put it, a place between 60 and 80 members.

In the for “Doing work and hanging out carpet room of the exchange at any with friends.” given time there is usually an absolute To these respondents and more, the room is a convenient place maximum of 20 guys per fraternity sitting at a table. Going back to the to study, eat, and hang out with numbers, that is around 25% of each friends between classes. fraternity there at a given time. While Whatever one’s viewpoint I know this isn’t a perfect comparison, about the room’s culture, something about it caused enough disruption for this 25% still compares to 42% of the fraternity members being in the Business School Dean, Joyce E. A. business school.”

Russell, to vocalize sentiments of inWhile the numbers hold, clusivity in an email sent to the entire they still do not change the fact that Business School on Oct. 25. the room has been closed a lot this “As a reminder, this space semester.

However, whether one loves was designed for inclusive gatherings the room, hates it, or has no clue as to where all students, faculty, staff, visiwhy there is an entire article written tors, and employers are always welabout it, students agree that solving come,” The email stressed. “As such, any sort of issue the Carpet Room any community member should be may or may not present does not able to use the space. It is our colleccome from closing its doors. tive responsibility to practice Caritas “It makes the rest of the Exand ensure this space is hospitable for change way too crowded and LOUD, all community members, irrespective and it is so hard to find somewhere of age, gender, race, ethnicity, ability, Elena Rouse Co-Culture Editor

Bartley Hall’s “Carpet Room” has been a hot topic with its recent closed doors.

Courtesy of Sam Rabkin/Villanovan Photography

to sit when I just want to eat or do work,” A sophomore and non-VSB student shared. “I live in the quad, so, for me, the closest place to do work on campus is Bartley; a good amount of the people in the exchange don’t even live on campus, and it’s annoying having to do work when they just take up space doing nothing.”

Even those against the Carpet Room expressed similar sentiments.

“As much as I don’t like the carpet room, closing it really messes with the seating available in the exchange and it gets super crowded,” a junior said.

If closing the Carpet Room is a clear wrong answer to the alleged permeating energy the room emits, then what is there to be done about the feelings some students have about the space?

“The long tables in the carpet room allows each fraternity to ‘claim their space’ in there, so if the school

is concerned about that room only having fraternity guys in there, make it like a study lounge (take out the long tables, put in couches or computers in there),” A sophomore said.

Another student provided a more tongue and cheek response.

“Keep it open more. Might as well let the frats hang up their letters.”

Or an even simpler answer “Just make sure everyone cleans up their trash.”

No matter what one’s view is on the Carpet Room, or if it even matters to a person at all (“the room is harmless, and I don’t think people should be getting in a twist about it,” one student said), clearly there is much to be said about the tensions, the debates, and the interest it spurs.

Whether one is a Carpet Room advocate or the president of its anti-fan club, the Carpet Room, so it seems, is here to stay…just, maybe with locked doors.

Villanova’s Halloweekend on the Green

Tallulah Laska Staff Writer

On Saturday, Oct. 29, Villanova’s Campus Activities Team (CAT) and Office of Student Involvement (OSI) held Halloweekend on the Green. There were two parts to the event, the first at the Oreo from 5-8 p.m. and the second on the Campus Green from 8-11 p.m. Students and faculty were invited, along with families from the area, to participate in trick-or-treating, pumpkin painting and more. Later in the evening, students and faculty were invited to food trucks and a beer garden.

Tables were set up around the grass behind the Oreo for trickor-treating. Sororities and fraternities had tables, along with campus departments like Public Safety. Many families came to campus, and faculty and staff members also brought their families. Children, adults and students sported their best Halloween costumes, from SpongeBob and Patrick to Ariel from “The Little Mermaid.”

In the center of the circle of tables was pumpkin painting, bouncy castles and face painting. CAT’s pumpkin painting table, which was prepared with just under 300 pumpkins, was a big hit and ran out of pumpkins by 7 p.m. Some pumpkins had the classic Jack-O-Lantern

painting, while others had the Villanova “V.” Everyone was invited to take their painted pumpkins home with them. Pumpkins could also be entered into a contest.

Julia Ramsey, a member of CAT who was working the pumpkin painting table, explained how the night had been going.

“We had hundreds of pumpkins painted, with a majority of them entered into the pumpkin painting contest,” Ramsey said. “It was so cool to see such an array of designs on the pumpkins.”

The decorations were spooky and right on theme. Projected onto Kennedy Hall was “Happy Halloween” along with pumpkin and bat images. Spider webs were projected onto the roof of the Connolly Center and moving skeletons were projected onto the side of Corr Hall. Trees were lit up in traditional Halloween colors like purple and green. Classic Halloween songs were played all night.

As the evening progressed, the crowd moved from the Oreo to the Campus Green for food trucks, fire pits and more. Even the food trucks were themed, with one of them being ‘The Munchy Machine,’ a play on words with The Mystery Machine from “Scooby Doo.” There was a live band playing both Halloween-themed and regular music. The food trucks lined the

walkway by Austin Hall and Falvey Library. On the green were fire pits with chairs and a bar for those older than 21. There was also an “escape room” truck, which had Halloween themed escape rooms.

Fire pits were open to keep everyone warm as they enjoyed their food and listened to the band.

Senior Erin Welch attended the second portion of the night.

Welch tried many different food trucks and got drinks from the beer garden.

“The food was so delicious,” Welch said. “I got chicken and waffles and mac ‘n cheese, which were both so good. The band was a really nice touch and helped keep everyone lively, even though it was pretty cold.”

There were smiles everywhere, and the laughter could be heard from all over campus. CAT and OSI did a great job curating this event, allowing people of many ages, from younger children to students and faculty, to enjoy all the different activities.

Erin Welch (left) and Julia Ramsey (right) participated in the Halloween on the green.

Courtesy of Tallulah Laska

Wednesday, November 02 2022

CULTURE

The Villanovan | 9

Jay Wright Shares Clifton Strengths At Live Event Sarah Wisniewski Co-News Editor Prior to the glorious and anxious days of Freshmen Orientation, all incoming University students are required to take the Clifton Strengths assessment. In addition to all past students of the University, Jay Wright, former head coach of the men’s basketball team, now has the honor of saying he too has completed the assessment.

The test lasts for 30 minutes and includes paired statements test takers must evaluate which they agree most with. For example, the two statements, “Starting conversation is an effort for me,” and “I get a rush from striking up conversation,” may be on opposite sides of the spectrum. The participant then chooses which side describes them more, with a neutral option in the middle.

The assessment concludes by providing each participant their top five strengths. There are 34 strengths in total, all of which get ordered, but the top five are most important for this assessment. The test not only provides the names of one’s strengths but explains in detail what each means and how it can help one improve in various situations.

On Oct. 26, Wright sat down with community members and students to speak about his results and their effect on him. The event was held in the Topper Theater of the John and Joan Mullen Center for the Performing Arts. The discussion was moderated by the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Interim Chair of the Political Science Department, Crystal Lucky, Ph.D., and senior Julia Danos.

After a warm welcome, Wright joked about speaking at the event.

going through his top five strengths and seeing where the results were as expected and where they were more of a surprise.

One of the main surprises from the audience members, the moderators and even Wright himself was that competition was not among the top five strengths in his results.

Wright joked that his wife Patty, who was in attendance, was far more competitive than him. He referenced their times playing golf together and how she was keener on a win then he was.

Wright then went on to speak about how important knowing your top strengths can be, referencing his new career as a broadcaster for college basketball.

“It’s funny because I’m starting this new career,” Wright said.

Student Sarah Park posed with Wright after attending his talk at the Mullen Center. “I don’t know how [the deliberative Courtesy of Sarah Park strength] is going to fit in. You know, “I enjoy talking in front of your gut,” Wright said. “I wanted to to watch a game and think what we people and talking about our team. keep going because it was forcing me have to fix and make better. I don’t The only thing I don’t like talking to say, ‘You know what? What’s your know if people listening to the game about is me,” Wright said. “So, I gut in this? What’s your gut?’ And you really want to hear that.” hope I’m good at this. Talking about start to see a little bit of consistency in Wright also mentioned that myself.” your gut.” he will work to utilize his strengths in Wright’s top five strengths in Lucky then shared that she his position as special assistant to the order include restorative, arranger, was frustrated at times because the University President Rev. Peter M. deliberative, self-assurance and adapt- program will automatically move test Donohue, O.S.A., Ph.D. ability. The Clifton Strengths describe takers onto new statements if they are The discussion then cona restorative individual as someone taking too long to choose an option. cluded with a short Q&A session who excels in dealing with problems Wright responded that he was able with audience members. One of the and identifying solutions. An arranger to get through all the statements and questions asked Wright if he believed likes to figure out how all the pieces even enjoyed the experience of the he had the same strengths as a kid as and resources of a situation can be assessment. he does now. The former coach told put together for maximum productiv“Usually when taking tests, a story of playing on his high school ity. Deliberative individuals anticipate you can’t wait until it’s over, but this basketball team in regard to his restorobstacles while also taking serious one I was like ‘I want to keep going ative strength. care in their decision making efforts. with this,’” Wright said. “It’s making “My high school coach jokes Self-assurance and adaptability are me think.” to this day that we would be in a hudexactly as they sound.

The discussion then went on dle, and we’d come out of the huddle, In the beginning of the event, to the experience Wright had when and I would tell the team, ‘That’s not Wright spoke about the actual experi- evaluating his results with Associate what we’re doing,’” Wright joked. ence of taking the assessment. He said Vice Provost for Career and ProfesAt the conclusion of the that after reading each question, he sional Development, Kevin Grubb. event, Wright thanked the moderators wanted to take his time and deliberate The former head coach said that and audience for their time. Grubb on each but knew that was not the he wanted to continue going over then gave Wright the gift of his Clifgoal of the assessment. all the ins and outs of his results but ton Strengths t-shirt with his top five “You know you got to do it had another obligation to attend. He marked on the back to wear proudly within a quick period and do it with praised the assistance of Grubb in for others to see.

Alpha Chi Omega Tennis Tournament For Charity Julia Stanisci Staff Writer On Sunday, Oct. 30, Villanova’s sorority Alpha Chi Omega hosted its third annual Alpha Chi Open. First held in Fall 2020, when COVID-19 made it difficult to hold in person events, the Alpha Chi Open is an outdoor tennis tournament to raise funds and awareness for those affected by domestic violence.

The event was coordinated by the Alpha Chi Omega Philanthropy Committee, led by AXO VP of Philanthropy, senior Emma Rivas-Vasquez, and supported by AXO Domestic Violence Awareness Week Chair, junior Sadie Miller.

“The Open is an all-day tennis tournament, during which those playing raise money for the Laurel House of PA, which houses women and children affected by domestic violence, and play for prizes,” Rivas-Vasquez said. “In total, AXO raised over $2,000 for the Laurel House, but more importantly, raised awareness to the prevalence of domestic violence and how to support one another through difficult times.”

Miller helped Rivas-Vasquez

coordinate the day and played in the tournament as well.

“Helping Emma run DVA Week and the Open was so much fun and so rewarding,” Miller said. “Playing in the tournament itself was a blast, and it was so great to see AXO and other members of the Villanova community come together for such a great cause.”

The tournament itself consisted of 52 competing teams and three initial rounds, followed by quarterfinals, semifinals and finals. The tournament was co-ed and open to all skill levels. Each team consisted of two partners, and each pair registers as beginner, intermediate or advanced to determine how the bracket is built.

The weather was beautiful on Sunday, with temperatures in the high 60s, a perfect fall day for some tennis.

Games started on Sunday morning at 11:15 a.m., and the tournament wrapped up around 3:15 p.m.. James Foxen and Jack Macaspac took home the title of AXO Open Champs after an 11-7 win over Ryan Nguyen and Joanna Konopka in the finals. They took home a prize basket filled with a $45 gift card to Athleta, a $25 gift card to Bryn Mawr Running Company, two free soul cycle rides, an Oran-

geTheory swag bag, a 9R Kickboxing swag bag, nutritional goodies and more.

Other awards were also given.

Alessandra Tomas and Kelton Frimel won “Best Dressed,” Jack Klein and

Connor Wall won “Most Spirited” and Lauren Ghong and Jessica Laino won “Best Sportsmanship.” Overall, the day was a great success and a strong end to Alpha Chi Omega’s Domestic Violence Awareness Week.

Julia Stanisci (left) and Meghan Chegwidden (right) participated the AXOpen.

Courtesy of Julia Stanisci

10 | The Villanovan

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

CULTURE

Club Spotlight: The Villanova Equestrian Team Emily Schoonover Staff Writer Villanova offers a unique variety of club sports for students to participate in, including an English-style club Equestrian team.

While students often see club soccer or club running practicing on campus, the Villanova Equestrian team practices off campus.

Though unseen, these athletes work just as hard in their relentless pursuit of passion.

The Villanova Equestrian team practices about 20 minutes off campus at Great Scott Farm, which is a business owned and operated by Lindsay Langan, who also happens to be the coach of the team.

Member Grayson Pruett described how this relationship with Langan formed.

“Basically, what happened is that someone on the Villanova team approached Lindsay and asked if she would be our coach,” Pruett said.

Langan owns her farm and has her own business training clients in the equestrian sport. On top of this, she provides weekly lessons for members of the Villanova Equestrian team, for which they pay a small fee.

Each member of the team is assigned a horse for the week, and once everyone is set with their horses, they do a group ride for about an hour.

es.

Along with the opportunities that this club sport provides for people who enjoy riding, those on the team genuinely enjoy being a part of the team and hanging out with their fellow members.

Member Morgan Panzrier spoke about her experience on the team.

“I love the community the equestrian team has connected me to, and I have made some of my best friends being on the team,” Panzrier said.

Pruett also shares this love for the team and mentioned lots of group bonding activities such as team brunches and other get-togethers. She described her appreciation for her fellow teammates.

“To be able to have a community where we can all bond Members of the Villanova’s equestrian team pose with their horses. over a huge passion that we’ve Courtesy of Grayson Pruett all had since we are little is really For horse shows, the names of those being the “home show” something unique and special,” of all the horses are put in a hat hosted in November by Villanova she said. and each person’s horse is selected at the Great Scott Farm.

Pruett also described how randomly.

“We basically have to set she loves to incorporate horseback “It’s supposed to be a tesup everything, get the horses riding into her week. tament to who you are as a rider,” ready, provide snacks and provide “It is a dream to be able to Pruett said. some opportunities for fundraisride in the middle of my school To prepare for shows, the ing,” Pruett said. week and it’s a phenomenal form Villanova team switches up the In the English Equestrian of exercise,” she said. horses to mimic the same feel of competitions, there are two major Villanova’s club equestrian the competition. divisions or categories of challeng- team has around 30 members who The team competes in the es: flat and fences. The flat catego- deeply love the club. If you are Interscholastic Horse Show Assory is focused on the equitation of interested in supporting or joinciation (IHSA) against other colthe rider. Fences is how well you ing this team, make sure to check lege students. To be on the team, can execute a course of jumps. out its page on the Villanova club there is a requirement of three These are the categories that the sports website or its Instagram horse shows each semester, one Villanova Equestrian team practic- @villanovaequestrian.

Introducing the New Student Band “Study Hours” Tommy Lynch Staff Writer On Oct. 21, a new student band debuted outside the West Campus apartments for Delta Gamma’s annual Anchor Slam fundraiser.

Consisting of guitarists Bill Bishop, Mac Costonis and Thomas Newton, bassist and singer Seamus Daniello and drummer Lucas Deane, “Study Hours” put on its first official show, which was long overdue.

“This has been a long time coming,” Deane said, talking about how he had jammed with Costonis and Newton since he was a freshman living in Catherine Hall.

This small group performed together last year for a Pi Kappa Phi event, but it was not until this year that it added Daniello to the roster, thus creating the band now known as “Study Hours.”

“Study Hours” performed two hours of classic 2000s radio hits at Anchor Slam, including “Party in the USA” and “Mr. Brightside.” While currently just a cover band, the members are not opposed to eventually writing their own music.

“I think there’s a lot of potential for it; with the chemistry and creativity of the group,” Bishop said.

As well as playing together, many members of the group are a part of other musical groups. Daniello is a member of the Spires, a competitive a cappella group on

campus, and both he and Costonis are members of the Villanova Singers, Villanova’s all-male choir.

Newton also has his own music on Spotify and Apple Music and has more than 1,000 monthly listeners. His first song, “Love Moat,” went viral on TikTok when it was released in late 2020.

The band comes from a wide array of musical backgrounds, with influences ranging from “Nirvana” and “The Smiths” to Jimi Hendrix, John Mayer and Ed Sheeran. This diverse range of upbringings helps the band keep its setlists interesting, as it doesn’t spend too much time on one specific genre or artist.

While the group usually uses the Student Performing Arts’ Rock Band Room to practice, the band’s first (and only) practice before Anchor Slam was cut short due to a noise complaint from students living in St. Mary’s Hall.

Even with the lack of preparation, the band put on an incredible show.

“The performance really brought the whole event to life,” Alexis Huber said, a student who attended Anchor Slam. “The music brought a great energy that left you in an amazing mood.”

Anchor Slam is Delta Gamma’s annual charity volleyball tournament that raises money for Service for Sight, which helps provide access for the blind and visually impaired. This year, it teamed up with Pi Kappa Phi, and the fundraiser was a huge success.

“I knew we had to do some-

“Study Hours” performs outside of Delta Gamma’s Anchor Slam.

Courtesy of @studyhoursband on Instagram

thing fun, different and exciting to get people hyped and involved in such a short amount of time,” Gabby Slentz, Delta Gamma’s Director of Service Hours said.

“It was the perfect day, and we are so grateful to the Sisters of Delta Gamma, the Brothers of PiKapp, the boys of ‘Study Hours’ and all of our friends for their help and support in raising the most we have ever raised for our Philanthropy, Service for Sight.”

“Study Hours” does not

have any future shows yet, but this does not mean the group isn’t ready to go back out and perform.

“We’re definitely on the lookout for opportunities to play, but they don’t present themselves all that often,” Deane said. “But I think we all agree that playing live music is a super exhilarating, just great experience overall.”

To follow the band and be caught up on any updates for future shows, check out its Instagram @studyhoursband.

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

The Villanovan | 11

CULTURE

Anne Welsh McNulty Institute to Celebrate Fifth Anniversary on Nov. 16 in Topper Theatre

Ross M.A., Associate Director.

“This organization is a gender equity organization,” Boyer said. “We are here to better everyThe McNulty Institute one.” marked its fifth anniversary this The institute also has a past October and will be hosting a committee specifically focused on celebration on Nov. 16 in the Top- intersectional racial and cultural per Theatre from 5:30 to 9 p.m. issues.

The celebration will in“A lot of what the institute clude the institute’s first Legacies does is through collaborative partof Leadership Conversation feanerships,” Boyer said. turing Michaela Walsh, Neeti DeCelebrating Women’s Enwan ’13 and Anne Welsh McNulty trepreneurship Week and the 50th ’75. It also announced the Michae- anniversary of Title IX with Big la Walsh Collection. Anne Welsh East Commissioner Val Ackerman McNulty ’75 is the philanthropist, were some of the highlights that benefactor and namesake for the Ross mentioned the Institute hostMcNulty Institute. ed in just one week.

McNulty graduated from The organization also acVillanova in the same class as tively works to amplify the voices University President Rev. Peter of people of color and seeks to M. Donohue, O.S.A, Ph.D, during make real change in communities. times when the school first tran“We are intentional of the sitioned to being co-educational. opportunities we offer to be inShe was the editor of The Villaclusive,” Boyer said. “We actively novan and wrote an op-ed on why recruit from different communities Will D. Cat as a girl, Wild-Kitten, of women and non-binary individwas unnecessary for representing uals for our student ambassador’s women and being gender inclusive, program. We want every voice to the start of her career as a trailbe represented […] We focus on blazer. McNulty soon received her gender equity in the scholarships MBA from Wharton and worked we fund, for example, a scholarfor Goldman Sachs for many ship for black women’s representayears. She has been grateful for tion in electoral politics.” her roots at Villanova and helped Boyer and Ross are both create this institute with Terri conscious that they are white Boyer, Ed.D., ‘95, the institute’s women, and they are intentional in founding director, and Danielle inclusiveness to make sure everySydney Singh Staff Writer

one is heard at the Institute. The Institute sees where the University can improve in uplifting underrepresented voices, especially on a predominantly white campus, and works towards creating communities that foster as much for intersectional identities.

If there is interest in join-

ing or supporting the McNulty Institute, there are many opportunities to do so. The student ambassador’s program is a great way for students to directly work and learn with the Institute. Students can also submit personal experiences of leadership in their lives through the Women’s Leadership Diaries.

Students in the Institute work together to foster women’s advancement.

Courtesy of Villanova University

Kendall’s Column: ‘House of the Dragon’ Fan Club Kendall Hayes Culture Columnist It feels like just yesterday when I was sitting in my backyard with some of my friends in the beautiful August heat and they were telling me how it was NECESSARY for them to be home by 8:45 pm; HBO’s “House of the Dragon” was premiering at 9:00 pm sharp.

I don’t know if I was living under a rock, but I didn’t even know that HBO was coming out with a prequel to the show, Game of Thrones. It also felt like a full circle moment for me because when I was a senior in high school, the final season of “Game of Thrones” was being released, and now a whole new prequel was being made my senior year of college.

Now, flash forward two months from that August day in my backyard, and I am distraught. It is the first Sunday at 9:00 pm when I do not have a “House of the Dragon” episode to watch… and then rewatch… and then analyze.

The premiere of the show broke records, drawing in approximately 9.99 million viewers between HBO and HBO Max. HBO released that “House of the Dragon” drew in the largest audience in the streaming service’s history, including content that premiered before HBO’s streaming era. For

comparison, the show Euphoria was viewed by 2.4 million people during its premiere; 313% less than the “House of the Dragon” premiere.

According to an article in Variety, HBO’s “House of the Dragon cost just under $20 million per” episode to produce the 10-episode first season. So, obviously, my roommates and I would take watching the show extremely seriously. Millions upon millions

“House of the Dragon” is streaming on HBO Max. Courtesy of HBO

of dollars were used to create this masterpiece.

The show looks at the reign of House Targaryen 200 years before the events of “Game of Thrones.” It is based on George R.R. Martin’s book, Fire & Blood, and it follows the succession of King Viserys I Targaryen, and the battle between his children for the Iron Throne.

Every Sunday my roommates and I have had the same

exact routine come 9:00 pm. First, we all head into our living room.

Second, I log into my HBO account. Third, we put subtitles on because sometimes the mixture of English and High Valaryian gets confusing. Finally, we begin the show and watch.

During this intense hour, not many words are exchanged between any of us as we are all enamored with the remarkable acting and cinematography presented in each episode. But, occasionally some of us would scream at the television during certain scenes (I am ‘some of us’).

Student Pilar Wisor shares a similar Sunday evening “House of the Dragon” routine that proves my roommates and I are not alone.

“Watching ‘House of the Dragon’ was truly a cinematic experience. Every Sunday night at 9 PM, all of my roommates would gather in our living room to watch each new episode together,” Wisor said. “For an hour each week, the show gave us all a time to sit down and enjoy each other’s company.

It’s crazy to think that the next season of ‘House of the Dragon’ will air when we are 2 years out of Villanova, and all of my roommates and I will be watching the show again individually but in tandem.”

It is crazy to think that the next time this show will air will be about two years from now, but as we all have seen, time moves exponentially: especially, when an HBO super series premiere is at the finish line.

12| The Villanovan

SPORTS

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

SPORTS

Men’s XC Wins Eighth Big East Championship

tant in Coach Matt [Valeriani], so it starts in recruiting,” O’Sullivan said. “[He] works really hard in terms of bringing recruits in. We work well After a disappointing result in together.” the Big East Championships last year, For Strintzos, this was his Villanova men’s cross country head second consecutive runner-up finish coach Marcus O’Sullivan called for in the Big East Championship. This “redemption” this year. was only the second race of the His team certainly respondseason for him due to a bout with ed.

COVID-19, but he did not show any Villanova captured its eighth signs of any lingering issues.

Big East Championship and its sec“I thought he had a really ond in the last four years on Saturday good chance of winning from about at Highland Park Course in Attle800 [meters] out,” O’Sullivan said. boro, MA. Villanova outpaced the “He was right there with Barry hometown squad of Providence, with Keane from Butler, who’s won it 27 points, compared to the Friars’ 55. before.”

Georgetown finished third with 68 However, with 200 meters points, while Butler claimed fourth remaining, Strintzos approached with 75 points. the last major hill and did not have The head coach praised the enough stamina once he completed process of preparing the team for the hill to sprint to the finish, giving winning.

Keane the title.

“This is a culmination of a Sophomores Murphy and few years of work,” O’Sullivan said.

Jennings impressed. They share Villanova placed five runcommonalities in how they entered ners inside the top 10. Senior Haftu the program and how they have risen Strintzos placed second, with a time to the top of Big East cross country of 23:21, sophomore Liam Murphy competition. finished third, with a time of 23:28, They came into the program senior Charlie O’Donovan recorded during the uncertainty of COVID-19 a time of 23:34 for fifth, sophomore and matured through their journey.

Jack Jennings claimed seventh, with With both finishing in the top 10, a time of 23:37, and senior Josh O’Sullivan reflected on how the two Phillips posted a tenth place finish in runners have performed this season.

23:43.

“That was a huge improveVillanova now has its sixth ment from last year,” O’Sullivan said.

Big East title under O’Sullivan, but All the runners executed well, he is adamant that the success is giving O’Sullivan a luxury that does credit to the entire coaching staff. not occur much in sports, especially “We have a very good assisin meets with a Big East title loomJacob Artz Staff Writer

ing.

“To be able to say, ‘We’ve got the team [championship], you can enjoy the last 1,000 meters,’ is a really nice feeling to have knowing that you’re well ahead,” O’Sullivan said.

To aid the team, O’Sullivan jogged the course before his runners hit the course. The new course in the cross country landscape will be improved and set up for impactful meets in the future.

“I think it’s got the merits of being a good location for us,” O’Sullivan said.

Providence had an advantage, considering it is located 20 minutes from the course, and it uses the course sometimes to train. The hilly nature of the course did not allow athletes to “get going” because of the constant inclines and declines.

Providence, along with Georgetown and Butler, provided a substantial challenge to Villanova, but O’Sullivan pointed to the one separating factor of fitness.

“We’re staying, performing well the whole time,” O’Sullivan said.

Villanova seeks to continue its fine running in two weeks at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional at the Blue and White Courses in University Park, PA. The team is confident that it will run well at the regional meet, which will put it in a great position for the NCAA Championships.

“We look like we’re in great shape to be able to go [to the NCAA Championships],” O’Sullivan said.

“I’m saying that confidently, but anything can happen at Regionals.”

The Blue and White courses provide a longer test for the runners, increasing the distance of the race by two kilometers. There are many challenging hills as well.

Villanova placed third last year in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic regional behind the winner Georgetown and runner-up West Virginia at the Lehigh Goodman Campus Cross Country Course.

Georgetown is a team to worry about with its stack of talent, and Princeton, which finished fourth in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional last year, is coming off an Ivy League title on Saturday.

The 10 runners employed at the Big East Conference meet will be reduced to seven for the regional and national meet, with all 10 runners continuing their training in case of injuries or unforeseen circumstances causing one of the seven runners to miss a meet.

Villanova tallied many points through the Wisconsin meet, putting it in position to secure a berth into the NCAA Championships.

There are two avenues to secure a spot in the NCAA Championships. The first is earning an automatic bid through running well at the regional meet or an at-large bid based on points accumulated during major meets in the regular season, like the Wisconsin meet.

The team is not resting on the points it has already accrued, but rather, desires to win to create momentum for the NCAA Championships.

Women’s Soccer Finishes Season with Tie vs. Providence Elijah McDow Staff Writer On Thursday evening, the Villanova women’s soccer came away with a 1-1 draw against Providence, putting an end to a season of trials and tribulations.

If the Wildcats had beaten Providence, their season would have continued in the Big East Tournament. With that opportunity now in the past, Villanova finishes its season with a 3-6-1 record in the Big East and an overall record of 4-9-3.

In the first 30 seconds of the match, Kyla Gallagher scored the opening goal for Providence. From there, the Friars dominated the first half. They maintained the majority of possession and managed six shots on goal. With such dominance from the Friars, Villanova goalkeeper Megan McClay and defenders such as senior Alexa Wojnovich had their hands full in the first 45 minutes.

After a first half they would rather forget, the Wildcats responded in the second, displaying hunger, grit and cohesion. This took patience, buildup and teamwork which ultimately paid off in the 74th minute when senior Makayla Stadler headed in a goal off a corner kick from junior Emma Weaver. After the Villanova equalizer, neither team found a decisive goal before the final whistle.

Stadler’s goal was her second

Makayla Stadler (above) scored Villanova’s lone goal against Providence.

Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

of the season, which tied her with graduate forward Cici Fox for most goals on the team. While Weaver already had a team-high of four assists, her pass to Stadler on Thursday meant she finished the year with five.

Despite individual achievements, the Wildcats have struggled as a whole, but that is to be expected in a year of transition. At the end of the last season, head coach Chris McLain resigned after six seasons at the helm of the program. In the offseason, Villanova appointed Samar Azem as the new head coach after a successful five years at Campbell University.

On Aug. 18, the Azem era officially began when the Wildcats

played Boston College. After losing this match, 2-0, they remained winless until Sept. 14 when sophomore Maddie Fried scored an 89th-minute goal to help the Wildcats defeat Colgate. From there, the team had a few wins but mostly went back to a streak of losses. Despite all the defeats, many of these games were close, as the deficits ranged from one to two goals on multiple occasions.

Aside from the lows, the season also had some good and memorable games, such as the 2-0 win over Seton Hall, the 1-0 win over St John’s and a 2-1 thriller against DePaul on senior night.

Now that players such as Fox,

Stadler and McClay have taken off their cleats and put their jerseys in the hamper, Azem and the Wildcats turn to another new chapter. This chapter sees the loss of eight seniors.

There is now a huge void and plenty of spots to fill next season. This means that come next fall, the roles of players such as Weaver, Maddie Fried, Lauren Belcuore and Lauren Ashman will grow even bigger as they will now be the leaders of the team.

For Fox, Stadler, McClay and Wojnovich, the game at Providence was the last time they would suit up for the Wildcats. While it is bittersweet that their careers are now over, the leadership, positivity and heart of these seniors, even during a losing season, were invaluable for a firstyear head coach such as Azem.

While this was a difficult season of transition and a period of growth, the Wildcats learned a lot about themselves and their new coach. After a losing season, teams often look to respond by not repeating their previous results, and often the comeback is greater than the setback. This is exactly what Azem and the Wildcats are looking to do and preparation has already started for this. While losing so many upperclassmen will prove to be difficult, it’s clear that the returning players and the coaching staff are ready to get started and determined to get Villanova back to a position where it is competing for Big East championships year in and year out.

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

The Villanovan | 13

SPORTS

Field Hockey Closes Season With 5-1 Win vs Georgetown

play, which statistically is the best ership this season, the women will season the women have had since also take this time during the off 2018, something Milhous attributseason to prepare for the fall. ed to the team culture.

“We want to fine-tune a The Villanova field hockey “These guys have been a lot, to work on basic skills and to team closed out its 2022 season part of the culture change for the get our hands faster for 1v1’s in with a 5-1 win over Georgetown on past few years, so they’ve really attacking play,” Milhous explained.

Friday, Oct. 28. witnessed the change,” she said.

“We see most of our growth in the The Wildcats started the “And with that culture change, it spring time because it gives us the game off strong, maintaining good really is about our core values and time we need to master skills, espeball movement and control, helping standards: passion, growth and cially with the freshmen.” them to take the lead with back-to- accountability. These girls have In addition to the returning back goals. Sophomore midfielder lived it. They’ve really changed it, players, Milhous also spoke on the Anne Drabbe started off the scorand it’s great to see. We’re just such nine recruits Villanova has for next ing, and senior forward Caitlin Van a tight knit group, and we really do season.

Goeverden followed it up to give call ourselves a family.”

“They’re all very talented, the women a 2-0 lead.

The Wildcats will be gradu- and we actually just received a In the second quarter, Villa- ating five seniors and two graduate verbal commitment from an internova extended its lead to 3-0 with a students this year, but two of those national player a few days ago, who goal from junior forward Meghan seven, Claire Borman and Hannah we are also really excited about,” Mitchell, her ninth of the season.

Barsky, will return to the field next she said.

While there was no action season for another year of play, as With the 2022 season in the third quarter, the Hoyas well as the many underclassmen coming to a close and the women were able to stay in the game, standouts. boasting their best record in four getting some shots on the frame “I could name everyone,” seasons, the field hockey program and eventually finding the back of Milhous said when asked who the is on the come up. the net in the final quarter of play. standouts are. “We just have a lot “Everyone is talented, but However, the Wildcats were deof contributors and a lot of threats most importantly, they’re all roottermined and responded with two on the field. There aren’t any weak ed into our core values and stanmore goals in the fourth quarter, spots.” dards,” Milhous said. “The future one from sophomore midfielder As the Wildcats say goodbye is bright, and we’re excited to keep Emma Schwarz and one from to their senior and graduate leadgrowing.” junior back Sabine de Ruijter, to solidify a dominating win over Georgetown.

As the final whistle blew, head coach Joanie Milhous described the sentiment of the team with just one word: sad.

“I don’t think anyone was ready for it to end,” she said. “Our seniors were sad, the coaches were sad, honestly everyone was just sad.

We couldn’t believe it was over.

The seniors and fifth years changed the culture on the team, and everybody looks up to them and admires them.”

This season, the Wildcats finished with a 11-6 overall record The team poses for a picture following their win to close out the season. and a 3-4 record in conference Brooke Ackerman Staff Writer

Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

WEEKLY SCOREBOARD Oct. 26 - Nov. 1

Wednesday, October 26 None Thursday, October 27 Women’s Soccer @ Providence 1-1 T Friday, October 28 Volleyball vs Providence 3-1 W Field Hockey vs Georgetown 5-1 W Saturday, October 29 Women’s Rowing @ Head of the Schuylkill No Overall Team Scoring Women’s Swim vs Georgetown 161-139 L Men’s Swim vs Georgetown 271-83 L Women’s Cross Country vs Big East Championships 4th of 11 Men’s Cross Country vs Big East Championships 1st of 9 Football vs Hampton 24-10 W Volleyball vs UConn 3-1 L Sunday, October 30 Men’s Golf @ City 6 Invitational 2nd of 4 Monday, October 31 None Tuesday, November 1 None

Women’s XC Places Fourth at BE Championships Catherine Browne Staff Writer The Villanova women’s cross country team ended its conference segment of the season as it secured fourth place out of 11 teams in the Big East Championship over the weekend.

The strong lineup was composed of five runners, four of which were making their Big East Championship debut this weekend. However, one would not have noticed the inexperience across the roster. The Wildcats finished with 119 points as the five top scores were within a 25 second spread of each other.

Earlier this week, the team learned that its star runner, graduate student Lydia Olivere, was sick and unable to race.

“We still wanted to go in there and try and be a top four team,” head coach Gina Procaccio said of Olivere’s absence.

Olivere is expected to recover in time for the NCAA Regionals in a couple of weeks.

At Highland Park in Massachusetts, first year runner Amelia Arrieta finished in at 21:14, leading the team in 20th place. Following her race, Arrieta was named a second

Amelia Arrieta was the first Wildcat to cross the finish line, coming in 20th place.

Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

team all-Big East honoree.

“She [Arrieta] is a great competitor, and it shows,” Procaccio said.

“She’s got what it takes to really move up and finish in the top 10 next year.”

The next two Villanova finishers crossed the line within a six second spread. Sophomore runner Emily Robinson finished in 21:24, good for 24th place, and graduate Ariana Gardizy finished two spots behind in 26th place in 21:30.

Gardizy is an inexperienced Big East runner as she recently transferred from the University of Pennsyl-

vania, but Procaccio felt that Gardizy competed well in her first Big East appearance.

The remaining three team members were junior Anna Helwigh, sophomore Margaret Carroll and first year runner Kinsey Pogue. Helwigh is known to compete at her best in the Big East competition as she finished with a PR in the 400-meter relay and 3000-meter steeplechase in track and field last season. This time she solidified 30th place by finishing in 21:35.

Carroll finished 32nd overall, with a time of 21:39.

Pogue rounded out Villanova’s roster for this conference championship, finishing in 52nd, with a mark of 22:33.

Although Robinson and Helwigh had experience competing in this race, the remaining four runners made their debut at the conference championships this weekend.

“I thought they handled [the competition] pretty well and raced pretty competitively,” Procaccio said of the rookies.

The Wildcats entered this race with a balanced lineup creating a 25 second spread among the top five scores of the team. This is the smallest range of finishing times for the team since 1990, when Villanova won its second of six consecutive Big East Championships.

The team entered this conference race being ranked fourth in the Mid-Atlantic Region in the latest polls released by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

The Wildcats will make an appearance on Friday, Nov. 11 at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional at Penn State for an opportunity to qualify for the NCAA Championship.

“We are going to get Lydia [Olivere] back in the mix and we are just going to go out there and give it everything we have,” Procaccio said.

SPORTS

14 | The Villanovan

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Anders Said It: Football Deserves More Attention

football?” or even “Does Villanova have football?” Usually, that question is followed by a “yes” with a weird look on your face or a confusing conThe Villanova Wildcats versation about what FCS is.

Football team gave Hampton a Last year, Villanova had its not-so-welcoming welcome to the best football season since its 2009 CAA with a 24-10 victory over the National Championship year, and Pirates to improve Villanova to 5-3 everyone was talking about it very seon the season. This was a step down riously, looking ahead to each matchfrom last year when the ‘Cats were 7-1 up. The Wildcats’ first CAA title since after eight games, and you can feel the the 2012 playoff run, which included energy settling down around campus. a first round bye and a tight win over Villanova’s students only really give Holy Cross in the second round, got their football team the enthusiasm everyone excited, but it was followed it deserves if it’s doing well, not just by a loss to South Dakota State that based on love for the home team. ended the season.

The scene at Villanova Yet, even when football was Stadium felt off on Saturday. There at its peak, the sports conversations were times when the Hampton around campus were often centered visiting crowd was louder and more around the potential success of the passionate than the Villanova student basketball team or basketball games section – at least what was left of it that hadn’t even happened yet. Footafter halftime. The celebrations for ball’s success was real and right in the touchdowns felt oddly quiet for front of everyone and still felt second Halloweekend, even during a Connor in line. The support for it is underWatkins 75-yard touchdown run. whelming, and students who do invest “There’s room for improvein it are taking notice of it for both ment,” a senior who was in the stustudents and the school itself. dent section said. “I would like to see “The school administration more fan participation for the games could do more to support the foottoo, because after last weekend as ball program,” said another senior well, there were times when we were who was at the game. “Last year was outnumbered by the away team.” definitely a better year both in terms Villanova is a “sports school.” of on-field success as well as school It doesn’t take much effort to see that. support. I think one of the best things People know this school as a “basketthey did was adding the postseason ball” school. The men’s and women’s double lottery to make sure the stands teams are the lifeblood of the campus. were full. But there are times when The student body does well when they football has taken the backseat to basdo. But how many of you reading this ketball, and then the school wonders have been asked “Is Villanova D-I in why fans don’t come to the games.”

Anders Pryor Sports Columnist

Can Villanova ever be a “football school,” even when its football team is playing at its best? Obviously, it’s not realistic to ask Villanova to be Penn State where people camp overnight. But even other FCS programs like North Dakota State, rival Delaware or defending champion Sam Houston State are viewed as “football schools” to as much of an extent as they can be. It doesn’t look like Villanova can reach that point.

At any “sports school,” football often comes first in line. Even at many “basketball schools,” like Kansas and Duke, football still draws a lot of attention. The gap between basketball and football for the Wildcats is extensive, and much of that is on the students. Even with a decent record,

football still finds itself in “point grab” territory for students looking to boost their odds for basketball games. Real “sports schools” give their attention to the biggest sport in collegiate athletics regardless of how they do.

It’s going to take a collective and active effort from the administration, athletic department, student body and fans to give Villanova football the credit it deserves. If Villanova is able to win out and make the playoffs, hopefully there will be a step up in firing up the campus into a football spirit the same way it does for basketball. The success of basketball shows the community knows how to do it whether the team does well or not. Credit is due for the football team, and it should be given to them.

Through eight games, Villanova football has a 5-3 record coming off a win over Hampton.

Quinn Burns/Villanovan Photography

Volleyball Goes 1-1 Over Weekend Zac Tipton Staff Writer Having lost six of its last seven games, Villanova volleyball needed a win. The Wildcats finally secured that win beating Providence in four sets (20-25, 25-21.

25-20, 25-18). This victory allowed Villanova to sweep the season series against the Friars and give the team its third win in conference play.

However, the winning streak did not last long, as UConn beat Villanova (7-17, 3-9 Big East) the next night in four sets (20-25, 2522, 25-22, 25-17). UConn has now won both games this year versus the ‘Cats.

Head coach Josh Steinbach was happy to get a win but thought the team didn’t play well during the match.

“Every time you get a win, it’s a reason to celebrate,” Steinbach said. “Excited to get that win here at home. It’s one of those matches where I don’t think any team played great, but I thought we did some things better.”

The Wildcats did not start out the first match as well as they were hoping. They lost the first set in a back-and-forth affair because Providence went on a run of six in a row to end up winning, 25-20.

It didn’t take long for Villanova to bounce back and put it out of reach. The ‘Cats absolutely dominated the next three sets, having big leads, and even when Providence would try to close the gap,

Villanova put it away.

Villanova did not have a good defensive start to the game.

The Wildcats could not get blocks at all, and Providence seemed to be taking advantage of height differences throughout the entire game, which caused Steinbach to make changes. He brought in senior Belle Morgan to set.

“I think we got Belle [Morgan] in the front row instead of Andrea [Campos],” Steinbach said. “Dre is not very physical, so when we go to Belle to sit the front row portion, it gives us size at the

Homer (No. 6) had 11 kills against Providence.

Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

net. So, that was conscious in that regard. I thought Providence was doing a good job taking advantage of our small setter, so we had to make a change there.”

Junior Riley Homer had an incredible game with 11 kills, a .467 attack percentage and an ace.

She was the driving force of an offense that had been stagnant over the past few weeks. Kiera Booth had a great game with 11 kills as well. Tara Garvey continued her strong run with 10 kills and two blocks.

“Tara has a special arm,”

Steinbach said. “She’s a physical player: she can play above the net, she’s strong and she hits the ball really hard.”

The UConn game was the exact opposite. Villanova took home the first set and had a lead late in the second, but the Huskies came back to win that set before taking home the next two.

This was a game when Villanova looked primed for an upset in the first two but ran out of gas.

“I think where we are in our season, we don’t think we have it,” Steinbach said. “We know that every set no matter the score is something we are going to have to work for. You can’t just play half a set and have a six point lead and then cruise. That’s not how this game works, but we were in a good position. The second set is a set you got to be able to finish off, and we didn’t. This is characteristic of a team that’s 3-9 in conference play.

A 9-3 team finishes off that set.”

Booth led the team in kills in this match with 11, while Morgan and Campos combined for 34 assists. Four different players had 10 or more digs for Villanova: sophomore Elizabeth Feczko with 17, junior Taryn Whittingham with 13, Homer with 11 and Campos with 10.

Villanova travels to face DePaul (7-17, 3-9 Big East) on Friday before heading to Milwaukee to face “the best Marquette team I’ve ever seen,” according to Steinbach.

Marquette (20-2, 11-1 Big East) is ranked 17th in the country.

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

The Villanovan | 15

THE BACKPAGE

THE BACKPAGE

Across 2.

Classic Halloween film that recently had a reboot 5.

The Villanovan’s annual issue published at the start of the basketball season 6. the Democratic nominee in the 2022 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania 8.

World Series team with “Dancing on my Own” anthem 9.

Most popular Halloween candy 10.

Villanova’s student-run campaign to help Villanova students be civically engaged 14.

Current Eagles quarterback 16.

First artist to claim Billboard’s Hot 100’s entire top 10 in a single week 19.

Former Villanova basketball and huge Philly fan 20.

The only undefeated NFL team in the league

ASK THE VILLANOVAN “I just found out my boyfriend is pro-life and I personally disagree with this stance. How do we move forward?”

First of all, we aren’t advising that being someone that has opposing political views than you is wrong. However, if this is something that goes against your fundamental beliefs than it is important to have a mature conversation about the subject.

It is a good opportunity to have a conversation about it and educate eachother, however, it is something that is pretty significant to disagree about. It may be worth reevaluating your relationship and inquiring if there are any other fundamental things you both disagree on.

“I’m a senior and I feel like everyone has jobs lined up already. I feel completely behind, am I the only one that’s struggling with this?”

You are not alone. There is a lot of pressure that you shouldn’t let get to you. Focus on yourself,

because as cheesy as it sounds, everything is going to work out for you how it is supposed to.

Look at the time after graduation in a positive light, rather than being afraid of this time, look at it as a chance to explore and try new things. Try to be excited about this time as a way to find out new things about yourself.

“I lost various aspects of my Halloween costume at Kelly’s on Saturday night. Do you think I’ll ever get them back? Do they have a lost and found?”

After a long couple days, Halloweekend is finally over.

Luckily for you, now there’s a whole year to come up with another costume. Unfortunately, this may mean that you have to abandon your lost costume and cut your losses. Kelly’s may have a lost and found, but after a long and crowded night, we’re not sure if you actually want those aspects of your costume back. Use this as an opportunity to come back next year with a fresh look.

Down 1.

Philly’s Annual New Year’s Day parade 3.

Month of madness 4.

Hosted and organized by Villanova University students and is the largest annual student-run Special Olympics event in the world 7.

Charlie Brown’s supernatural character that appears on midnight on Halloween 11. shirley 12. the Republican nominee in the 2022 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania 13.

City where the Phillies’ rival comes from 15.

YouTuber group involved in a cheating scandal 17.

Apple wireless headphones 18.

The third biggest party day of the year

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DINING SERVICES

Villanova Dining Services Friday, November 4 through Sunday, November 6

Special Olympic Athletes Please be mindful that our operations will experience larger volumes throughout the weekend.

We appreciate your patience and understanding!