WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 21, 2024 www.villanovan.com @thevillanovan VOLUME 116 | ISSUE 4
STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916
Singing Community Tightens Around the Future Valentine’s of College Hall Tradition Lives On Julia O’Keefe Staff Writer
The Villanova Singers charmed the campus community this Valentine’s Day with their long-held tradition of delivering singing Valentine’s Day grams. Whether it was an impromptu phone call, a classroom appearance or even a dorm room wake-up, the Singers spread love by surprising gram recipients in full tuxedos and four-part harmonies. The Villanova Singers is an all-male, traditional chorus dating back to 1953, when Harold Gill Reuschlein, Dean of Villanova’s Law School, founded the group. The singing Valentine tradition dates to 1979, when the Singers first began serenading Villanova students in academic classrooms on Valentine’s Day. Family, friends and secret admirers could buy a gram for someone else, signing up the Singers to deliver it at the requested location. After taking time to adapt during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Singers were excited to be back to offering their in-person grams alongside video messages and phone calls in 2023. Like last year, this year’s customers could send a phone call for $10, video message for $5 or in-person singing gram to the campus location of their choice for $20, including a dorm room wake-up option for an additional $5. They sang everywhere, from the middle of Café Nova to a chem lab (safety goggles on) to serenading Villanova’s very own University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A., Ph.D.. Each gram is the Singers’ own rendition of “You Are My Sunshine,” with the spinoff being “You Are My Valentine.” The group comes together to Continued on p. 7
An increase in community scrutinity raises important questions about the future of College Hall. Graydon Paul /Villanovan Photography
Arden West Co-Editor-in-Chief
For decades, College Hall at Marks Apartments, colloquially known as “Courts,” has been emblematic of the classic college experience. As embedded in Villanova culture as the campus itself, College Hall is home to more than 100 Villanova students and is a popular off-campus housing destination. Although synonymous with tradition, College Hall has been the recent recipient of a concerted effort by both the Lower Merion Police Department (LMPD) and the
University to crack down on residents’ behavior and conduct. This development is a direct result of increased standards held by community members and a lowered threshold for disorderly actions. “College Hall is its own animal,” Lieutenant Edward Sarama of the LMPD said. “It’s an echo chamber.” Lt. Sarama’s observation describes the duality of the conditions at College Hall. It is a literal echo chamber—sound reverberating off the padded walls—and a metaphorical one—the same issues have been compounding and amplifying each other over
the years. “Nothing that is happening [at College Hall] is new; in fact, behavior in the past was worse,” Sarama said. So, if past students have lived at College Hall, hosted social events and conducted themselves similarly to or even more problematically than Villanovans today, why is there now a heightened attention on the property and harsher repercussions for current residents? The answer lies in the neighbors. Police reports from the first two weeks of the Fall 2022 semester indicated that the LMPD received three
complaint calls from community members related to College Hall. However, the same reports from the first two weeks of the Fall 2023 semester indicate that the LMPD received 10 complaint calls from the community related to College Hall. These reports reveal that during the 2023 semester, three times as many complaints were received as the same period in 2022, pertaining to the 800 block of Montgomery Avenue, where College Hall is located. Descriptions for these incident reports include disorderly conduct/state law violation, noisy party, liquor law/18 years or older, and fire alarm
Continued on p. 2
BSU Black Excellence Awards Preview Kellyn Zirn
Staff Writer On Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. in the Villanova Room, Villanova’s Black Student Union will be hosting the Black Excellence Awards for its Black History Month Showcase. These awards will recognize and celebrate the outstanding achievements and contributions of Black students at Villanova. As stated on the Black Student Union’s Instagram,
“This prestigious event aims to spotlight the remarkable accomplishments of those who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, academic
excellence and a commitment to making a positive impact on both campus and the broader community.” Throughout the event,
University poster gives information about Black History Month Brian Luppy / Villanovan Photography
there will be music, entertainment and food, and it is definitely worth attending. Tickets cost 10 dollars for students and 15 dollars for faculty, staff and guests. While the Saturday event will be filled with joyous festivities, the highlight of the night is the nominees for the Black Excellence Awards. The categories for the awards are Class, School, Academic, Service & Advocacy, Student Organization, Extracurricular and Style. Senior Lydia Continued on p. 3
This Week in Politics p. 3
Orientation Counselors Deserve to be Paid p. 4
Villanova’s Relationship Culture is Out of Hand p. 5
I’ve Cursed Philadelphia Sports p. 6
Villanova Marriage Pact: Will You Meet Your Match? p. 7
Ticket to (Blue) Ride p. 9
Finding Motivation: Tips for Avoiding Winter Burnout p. 12
Women’s Lacrosse Defeats Bucknell, 16-12 p. 13
M Tennis 1-2, W Tennis 1-0 Over Week p. 14
Baseball Starts Season 0-3 Against Incarnate Word p. 15