The Villanovan | Volume 115, Issue 1: Feb. 1, 2023

University Updates COVID Procedures

Lauren Armstrong Staff Writer

“You have Covid,” are the words nobody has wanted to hear since March of 2020, and now almost three years later, this phrase is as prevalent as ever. Since returning back from winter break, there has been another on campus outbreak of the virus, and mass amounts of students are being instructed to quarantine all at once. But where will all these students go?

In past semesters, the obvious answer would be the Fairfield Inn in Broomall, or the “Covid hotel”, yet it was revealed to students this semester that the school will no longer be providing rooms in the hotel to students. Those sick have been left with three options: stay in their dorms, go home, or spend their isolation in the student health center.

For students who live out of state, or even more than a few hours away, going home is essentially an impossible option. Underclassmen would need their parents to drop everything to make the round trip and for upperclassmen it is unsafe to drive far distances, nonetheless while sick. But with the increase of cases on campus, and the limited amount of rooms in the health center, students are stuck without another option.

Upon arrival at the student health center, it is revealed to students that not only will they be staying in this room for upwards of six days, but they will be assigned a roommate, or possibly more than one, for the duration of their stay. This has raised concern in students, who assumed they would be isolating by themselves in order to get better and to not get others sick.

Yet, is it possible to

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Student Perspectives: Back to School

After Break p. 3

Eagles Advance to Super Bowl, University Celebrates

On the evening of February 4th, 2018, The City of Brotherly Love celebrated like never before. Nearly 1,200 miles away, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as Meek Mill’s “Dreams and Nightmares” blasted on the stadium’s loudspeakers, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated Tom Brady and Bill Belichick to win Super Bowl LII.

In a little over a week, the Eagles will have the chance to win football’s ultimate prize once again. After defeating the San Francisco 49ers 31-7 and advancing to the Super Bowl, the Eagles

will be playing the Kansas City Chiefs in Glendale, Arizona on February 12th at 6:30 PM EST. With a matchup between the Kelce brothers, Jalen Hurts leading the Eagles offense and Rihanna performing at halftime, this game is one that should not be missed.

It is an exciting time to be a Philadelphia sports fan. The dust has barely settled from the Phillies’ exhilarating playoff run and the Eagles’ 8-0 start to the season. While the Phillies came up short in the World Series against the Houston Astros, the Eagles will hopefully return from Arizona with a victory.

For many Villanova

students, the Eagles’ season and this weekend is one they will not soon forget. On a day that also marked the return of Justin Moore, two tailgates were happening simultaneously in South Philadelphia. On one side of the Wells Fargo Center’s parking lot there was a sea of midnight green, and on the other side, a sea of navy, white and powder blue. While Villanova fell to Providence, 70-65, the disappointment of this loss was short lived. After the final buzzer sounded, the attention of many students turned across the street where the Eagles were preparing to play the 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field.

MLK Day of Service

On January 16, 2023, the University celebrated its sixteenth annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. Through service opportunities on and off campus, students and participants honored Martin Luther King’s visions of peace and social justice on the national holiday commemorating his birthday

and his legacy. Almost 15 years ago, a group of Black students was inspired to move volunteer efforts off campus

to give back to their respective home communities. Fifteen years later, it has grown into a collaborative volunteer

This was especially true for senior and Villanova cheerleader Kayden Johnson. Once her cheerleading duties were over, Johnson’s full attention turned to the Eagles. “My roommate and I went straight to the Eagles game after the Nova game and we were so excited,” Johnson said. “This season has been incredible and the energy in this city is insane.”

An Eagles fan since day one, Johnson is no stranger to the hatred that is often associated with the city and franchise.

“People love to hate Philly but there is nowhere else like it,” she said. Instead of taking offense to this hatred, Johnson has fully

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effort on campus and in the surrounding area, and into Philadelphia communities as well.

University members were able to volunteer on campus or in the greater Philadelphia area for the event. For this year’s event, volunteers serviced more than fifteen locations throughout the area. Volunteer groups participated in work such as

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18

Elijah McDow Staff Writer

University students tailgate in preparation for the Eagles Game. Graydon Paul / Villanovan Photography

Chi Omega sorority participates in MLK Day of Service Graydon Paul/Villanovan Photography

Lydia McFarlane Co-News Editor

Liquor Underage/ Public Drunkenness

January 24, MAIN CAMPUS

GROUNDS

A male resident student, under the age of 21, was observed intoxicated in public, evaluated by VEMS, and transported To the hospital.

Harassment- Repeated Communication

January 25, WHOLE CAMPUS

A female resident student reported being followed on multiple occasions by a known male resident student.

Receiving Stolen Property

January 25, MAIN CAMPUS

A non affiliated male was found in possession of a stolen license plate.

CORRECTIONS

Liquor Underage/ Public Drunkenness

January 26, FEDIGAN HALL

A female resident student, under the age of 21, was evaluated for alcohol intoxication.

Harassment- Repeated Communication

January 27, WHOLE CAMPUS

A staff member reported receiving disturbing messages from an unknown sender via email and social media.

Theft By Unlawful Taking or Disposition

January 29, S-6 GAREY HALL LOT

An nonaffiliated male was seen taking scrap metal from a construction dumpster.

Criminal Mischief

January 30, I-1 MAIN LOT GARAGE

A male resident student reported his front right tire was slashed while parked in the I-1 garage.

Factual errors are corrected as soon as they are brought to The Villanovan’s attention. Please send an e-mail to villanovan.eic@gmail.com to report errors.

COVID Policies Updated

Lauren Armstrong Staff Writer

get better while isolating with someone who is just as sick as you are? Why did the school get rid of the single rooms at the Fairfield Inn? These are questions that students want answered and they all raise extremely valid concerns during this on campus peak of the pandemic.

Students affected by the school’s decision are not pleased. A student, who would like to stay anonymous, stayed in her dorm while in isolation without a roommate present.

“I felt worried when I went into common spaces, particularly the bathroom, since I didn’t want to get others sick,” the student said. “It is not feasible to wear a mask when brushing your teeth or taking a shower.”

She was not happy while in quarantine and believed “our university should have done a better job preparing for the outbreak, as it makes sense that there would be an outbreak while everyone is traveling back to campus from a variety of places. I was not given an option other than staying in my dorm or traveling back home, which for students who live further away is not possible. I think the school should have kept the hotel as an option for students who need it.”

Freshman Marie Loroz had to isolate in her dorm in Stanford Hall, while her roommate was present in the room.

“[I] was constantly anxious about the different ways in which I was forced to interact and possibly expose others to Covid,” she said. “I had no other choice than to continue to use the communal bathrooms, but I hated feeling like I was putting others on my wing at risk. The school’s solution was to ‘wipe off anything I touched’ but that seemed inadequate to me.”

On Friday, January 27, 2023, an email from Kathleen J. Byrnes, the Vice President for Student Life, was sent to students. In this email, Byrnes addressed the new guidelines regarding on campus isolation. In the email she stated that it is allowed for

students who are remaining in their assigned dorm rooms to “retrieve grab and go meals from the dining hall.”

Loroz was not happy with her isolation situation.

“Isolation in my dorm made me very uncomfortable, especially when the school informed me that it was okay to leave my room in order to go into the campus dining halls to receive food,” she said. “Even while wearing a mask and grabbing food to go, allowing students who are actively sick with Covid to enter the most crowded buildings on campus is ridiculous to me.”

Luckily, Loroz’s close friends were willing to drop off food to her room, yet she believes the school should have formed a system to deliver food to students who were isolated in their own dorm, in order to contain the spread of the virus.

Freshman Betty Dorsey was concerned about mixing students who have Covid with others who do not.

“I think it is kind of concerning that there are students who actively have covid and are in the dining hall at the same time as everyone else,” she said. “Of course, wearing a mask does help, but Villanova truly should have a better system for providing meals for those who are sick. Especially in order to stop the spread of this virus on campus and decrease exposure.”

Overall, Villanova’s response to the newest on campus outbreak has not been positively received and, with an increase of students getting sick every day, students are asking the school to do better.

MLK Day of Service

Lydia McFarlane Co-News Editor

serving food or rejuvenating churches, all activities meant to highlight Dr. King’s legacy and values.

With the semester starting on Tuesday, January 17th due to the holiday observing Dr. King’s birthday on the previous day, many students came back to campus a bit early to serve with friends and community members for the University’s sixteenth annual MLK Day of Service.

Senior Moroti Adewole reflected on her last year participating in the service day. She volunteered with the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority members and other nonmembers like herself that joined them in their volunteer efforts. They went to a site with a large warehouse where they organized donated classroom materials that the nonprofit, Teachers’ Teammates, would later give out to Philly teachers at a low price.

The nonprofit is focused specifically on helping teachers in Delaware County, PA mitigate the out of pocket costs that can often come with being a teacher. For example, many teachers end up spending their own money on basic classroom supplies such as pencils, notebooks, pens and notecards. Teachers decorating their own classrooms often spend their own money out of pocket to create a classroom space their students will enjoy. Teachers’ Teammates, the nonprofit Adewole and her volunteer group worked with, aims to assist these teachers financially.

“I 100% support the work that the organization is doing, especially since it reduces waste by

taking in donations from several companies throwing out supplies and teachers get to shop at the site multiple times a year,” Adewole said. “Since supplies that teachers and parents provide from the beginning of a school year normally run out by December, this allows for an experience that enriches the lives of teachers and their students.”

Senior Rashel Batista was this year’s president of the MLK Day of Service planning committee. Batista along with other committee members had to reach out to sites, provide necessary supplies to the sites and match volunteer groups to the sites. This year was also the first time since the pandemic hit that the Day of Service took volunteers off campus.

“We were working hard to make our first off-campus MLK Day of Service since 2020 the best it could be,” Batista said.

Batista also reflected on her time volunteering with MLK Day of Service and being a part of the committee.

“My experience with the MLK Day of Service was amazing and it helped me in my journey,” Batista said. “I was the administrative assistant of the e-board and this year I was able to be the president. This experience has helped me become the leader that I am today and has helped me grow.”

Batista and other members of the committee reflected on the success of this year’s MLK Day of Service and want to encourage students to continue to volunteer. Batista wants other students to share her love for the day and for service in general as a way to give back.

“MLK Day of Service means to me that people care about making MLK Day a day ‘on,’ not a day ‘off’ to give back to community and take care of [one] another,” Batista said.

Student Perspectives: Back to School after Break

Emily Attisano Staff Writer

As students move to campus for the spring semester, the excitement of new classes makes the chilly Villanova air more bearable. Although the fi rst days of the semester were gray, each building on campus feels like a cozy escape from the cold. The hominess of students fi lling up the library or fi nding their new favorite spot in Connelly makes the campus feel indescribably warm.

Now, as the buzz of the new semester dies down, a peaceful lull settles over Villanova. Students fi nalize their schedules while meticulously calculating the latest possible moment they can leave for their 8:30am classes. Campus in the winter is uniquely beautiful, and so are the endless possibilities of the spring semester.

With the end of the fi rst week of classes, students shared their thoughts on the spring semester and the end of winter break.

A junior accounting major, Harnoor Sekhon, shared her bittersweet feelings about the new semester and returning to campus.

“I am always really sad to leave my family when coming back to campus, but I am excited to see my friends again, and I am also

looking forward to some of the classes I am taking this semester,” Sekhon said.

Maahika Naheta, a junior in the business school, echoed Harnoor’s thoughts.

“I love being at home and relaxing for a bit, but I also have a lot of fun on campus, so I am excited about that,” Naheta said.

From basketball games and the Winter Formal to seeing the trees bloom again in the Spring, the new semester brings so many exciting things. Students were asked what they look forward to the most during the spring semester.

Julia Mastino, a senior comprehensive science major, shared her excitement for graduation.

“After so many years, I am really excited about fi nally graduating and maybe traveling or starting work,” said Mastino. “Just seeing my hard work pay off is something I am really looking forward to this semester.”

A junior in the nursing school, Sally Ketterer, conveyed her anticipation for warm weather.

“I love sitting under the trees on West [Campus], doing homework or just people watching with my friends,” said Ketterer.

“So [I] defi nitely [love] Villanova during the warm weather.”

Despite the anxiety of

starting new classes, the optimism and excitement for the spring semester seems endless as more students continue to share their positive thoughts and enthusiasm to be back at Villanova after the break.

“I’m happy to be back on campus as I am excited for my classes this semester, to see all of my friends and to go on fun trips,” said Laurel Lancaster, a junior political science major.

Skylar Musick, a junior English and communications double major, mirrored Laurel’s sentiments.

“The semester has been busy already, but it’s been full of exciting new classes and professors, and amazing memories with friends,” said Musick.

“I’m looking forward to the Winter Gala, as that will be a night for the entire Villanova

community to relax and have fun together.”

However, for some students, the spring semester holds equal parts nerves and excitement. Diorys Savinon, a junior marketing and business analytics major, shared how new classes can feel both overwhelming and exciting.

“While I am happy to be back, I miss relaxing during break and dread some of the upcoming work and exams, but I am looking forward to seeing friends and going to basketball games,” Savinon said.

Ultimately, these students perfectly capture the sense of excitement but also nervousness that has settled over campus since the start of the spring semester. With so many events, classes and even simple days to look forward to, it seems as though this semester will be incredibly exciting.

Freedom School Round Table Session

Katie Reed News Columnist

On Thursday, Jan. 26, the Center for Peace and Justice Education hosted its annual Freedom School event in Connelly Center, which featured several one-hour sessions for students and faculty to attend throughout the day. The Freedom School seeks to continue the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and to educate the Villanova community on topics relating to social justice, human rights, peacemaking and many other causes.

One such Freedom School Session, entitled “Representation Matters: Black Female Writers in Philadelphia Classrooms & Beyond,” led by senior English research assistants Adrianna Ogando and Cynthia Choo, sought to not only shine a light on Black female writers and histories that have long been overlooked, but also to establish concrete ways for teachers to address this in their classrooms by implementing more diverse and inclusive curricula.

Ogando and Choo presented from 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the St. David’s conference room. Their work was centered around Alice Dunbar-Nelson—a Black female writer, activist, and educator—as her writings and teachings help provide insight into making educational spaces more accessible for Black students. To bring their goals to fruition, their project involved transcribing Dunbar-Nelson’s pieces to organize them on a free digital platform, attending and assisting with professional development (PD) sessions in the Philadelphia school district (including elementary, middle, and high school), creating the Black

Women Writers Video Project and attending the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) conference in Montgomery, Alabama last October.

With a project of such ambition, Choo addressed some of the challenges they faced.

“In terms of challenges, I think it was just really trying to narrow down what we wanted to focus on because our project has developed in so many different ways and we have a lot that we’ve taken on,” Choo said. “Also, we were trying to make it engaging for the audience and not just speak for an hour straight, but [instead] coming up with activities that we could do with them.”

Given that the focal point of the presentation was the PD sessions that Choo and Ogando helped facilitate, they modeled their activities from those sessions. For the first activity, they asked audience members to reflect on their favorite books, shows and movies in terms of whether they felt their identities being represented in those media forms. In the second activity, they read an excerpt from Dunbar-Nelson’s short story “His Heart’s Desire” and asked the audience what key themes they could identify and how they felt they could engage with the text.

Ogando noted how fulfilling it was to see the teachers at the PD sessions engage with Dunbar-Nelson and other Black women writers like Frances Ellen Watkins Harper to challenge their current curricula.

“A lot of the professors and teachers would be like, ‘my students are asking questions about this text’ or ‘my students are predominantly Black or brown and I really want them to engage with this,’” Ogando said. “There

were also a lot of white teachers who were asking questions like ‘how do I say this’, ‘how do I make this space comfortable for my students’ or ‘how do I address whiteness in my classroom,’ and it was really rewarding to see that play out [and] get the conversation going,” Ogando said. Choo expressed a similar sentiment, especially given her desired career path.

“Once I graduate, I’m looking to be a teacher, and so as an aspiring educator I was really thrilled because our research team was directly impacting teachers who were seeking support to diversity their curricula,” Choo said. “[Given] that part of me who eventually will become a teacher and is also committed to creating these safe classroom spaces, [it] was really just incredible to see that unfold.”

From the PD sessions, Ogando and Choo were able to craft concrete, convenient resources for teachers to utilize, such as creating a One Stop Doc that has all of the resources and links they may need to access information for lesson plans. Ogando highlighted that while many schools and universities are offering more classes that push Black literature and Black women’s work to the forefront, there is more work to be done and “there is always more to learn.”

“I think it’s important to know that this culture, this work and these women have been around for a long, long time,” Ogando said. “Diversity, inclusion and representation are more than just that it’s there, it’s about really implementing it, doing the homework and taking the time to educate yourself about stories and people who, if you don’t look for it, you would not be exposed to.”

Choo expanded on this and how their project seeks to bridge these gaps.

“I think our project and our team is really committed to theory and practice and knowing that both have a place in any educational space,” Choo said. “[We aren’t just] focusing on the whole theory part of reading this literature and going through or transcribing the archives, but also implementing them in very practical ways in spaces that we have direct access to, whether it’s the Villanova community or the Philadelphia school district.”

Both Choo and Ogando had many words of advice for Villanovans, such as being comfortable with being uncomfortable, asking questions, opening yourself up to new information and perspectives and checking white privilege.

“If [white privilege] is something that’s a really new concept to somebody, I would even say just think about the things that you don’t have to question,” Ogando said. “Think about the ways that you’ve been represented in the media, think about the books that you’ve read in class, think about your education—how does that make you feel? I think that [is] a good place to start.”

“The history is all there,” Choo echoed. “It’s really just a matter of going out of your way to learn it yourself because a lot of these narratives and these stories are not taught in your classic high school classroom.”

Be on the lookout for more ways you can engage with the imperative mission of both the Freedom School and Choo and Ogando’s work.

The sun sets over South Campus. Graydon Paul / Villanovan Photography

Decarbonizing Villanova: A Town Hall On Fossil Fuel Divestment

Emily Attisano Staff Writer

On January 25th, the Student Government Association passed a resolution calling on Villanova University to divest their endowments from fossil fuel companies. This resolution echoed the student body’s demand for a shift towards sustainability. With the increasing severity of climate change, students are urging Villanova to do its part to mitigate environmental degradation and environmental injustices. Global communities and ecosystems suffer the price of Villanova’s investments in the fossil fuel industry. The resolution calls for the University to divest the 4% of its $1.2 billion endowment from fossil fuel companies and to make strides towards renewable energy.

In a response to these sustainability demands, Villanova faculty and students organized a campus-wide town hall meeting on decarbonizing Villanova’s campus. The town hall, held in Connelly Cinema on January 27th, served as a public discussion on Villanova’s lack of sustainability, raising visibility and making a statement to the university. With a tremendous group of students, faculty and alumni in attendance, the town-hall made Villanova’s divestment from fossil fuels a priority.

During the town hall meeting, eight diverse speakers expressed their thoughts on sustainability, divestment and climate change. The list included Professor Jean Lutes, Sharielle Rodriguez, Jessica Mengistab, Professor Pali Singh, Professor Jonathan Doh, John Chaimanis and Joseph Miscimarra.

Lutes began the town-hall by framing Villanova’s history in fossil fuel investments. She illuminated the global implications of such contributions–the dangers that

disproportionately affect marginalized regions. The question of how Villanova perpetuates these injustices lingered throughout the rest of the meeting.

Each speaker that followed conveyed an argument for divesting from fossil fuel companies.

Rodriguez, a pre-law student, explained how investment in fossil fuels unfairly exposes vulnerable populations to harm. She argued that Villanova’s role in this environmental injustice contradicts its community mission. Therefore, the university has an obligation to divest from fossil fuels. Rodriguez then urged Villanova to make information on their endowment funds and investments more visible and transparent. A component of environmental equality is information accessibility.

Mengistab highlighted the intersection of human health and

the environment. As a registered nurse, she conveyed the dangers of climate change on communities that experience the greatest effects of polluting industries. She explained how “fossil fuel generated air pollution and climate change linked to $280 billion in healthcare costs.”

Food insecurity, severe weather and air pollution are just some of the consequences of fossil fuels that cause these health risks. Divesting endowment from fossil fuel industries is necessary to mitigate the health concerns disproportionately impacting frontline communities.

The meeting then transitioned to models of renewable energy, with Singh providing statistics on the cost and effectiveness of renewable energy sources. He argued that wind power and solar energy are being deployed globally and may be a more affordable energy source.

Involvement Fair Preview

Hannah Sweeney Co-News Editor

As the Spring semester begins and classes start picking up, it is more important than ever that students fi nd time for the activities they enjoy in the midst of all the stress.

In attempts to get students involved and to help them feel more comfortable during the transition back from break, the Offi ce of Student Involvement will be hosting the 2023 Spring Student Involvement Fair.

The Involvement Fair is held at the beginning of every semester and features stands and booths from almost every organization on campus. Currently, Villanova has more than 200 student run clubs and organizations, giving students looking to get involved a wide variety of opportunities to fi nd something that interests them.

This could include clubs focused on sports, volunteering, music, art, theater, social justice,

politics, movies and much more.

“When I went to the involvement fair last semester I met some girls on the club basketball team who convinced me to try out. Now it’s one of my favorite things I do on campus,” Isabelle Jacowleff said. “I like being part of a team because it makes the big school feel a little smaller.”

“Some of my best friends are the people I met through joining Formula,” Villanova junior and driver controls lead for the Villanova Formula team, Sola Dugbo, said.

“I didn’t really know what I wanted to be involved in coming into Villanova. I went to the involvement fair and signed up for a bunch of diff erent clubs and ended up fi nding something I really enjoy.”

This semester’s Involvement Fair will take place on Tuesday, February 7th, from 5-8 pm in the Villanova Room located in the Connelly Center. Whether students are looking for new extracurriculars

to fi ll their time or trying to get more involved in something they are passionate about, stop by and

He suggested that Villanova has the money to invest in these renewable energy sources. Since the issue of divestment raises financial concerns, professors in the Villanova School of Business shared their perspectives on fossil fuel investment. Doh stressed the importance of socially responsible investing. He expressed the necessity of not only considering financial return, but also the social and environmental implications of investments. In this vein, Chaimanis explained how investment in fossil fuel is risky with stranded assets, government regulations and the legal consequences of high emitters. He argued that “renewable energy investments already are a massive and growing place to invest energy.” As such, divestment may be in the financial interest of Villanova.

Miscimarra, the student who organized Marquette University’s divestment campaign, shared his experience with leading a successful movement. He urged the Villanova community to not accept the “people are not ready” excuse, but rather continue with social media campaigns, educational initiatives and activism. He explained that with Villanova and Marquette’s similarities, divestment is just as possible at Villanova as it was at Marquette.

Like most college campuses, Villanova has a legacy of fossil fuel investment and carbon emissions. In a small move towards sustainability, Villanova pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. It was the general consensus of the town-hall speakers, however, that this plan is not efficient or quick enough to combat climate change. Instead, they agreed that divesting Villanova’s endowment fund from fossil fuels is the most valuable course of action. Ultimately, the presence of students, faculty and alumni in tandem with such effective arguments made the town hall meeting a tremendous step towards divestment.

University faculty hosted a campus-wide town hall to discuss sustainability on campus. Graydon Paul/Villanovan Photography

check out some of the communities that enrich and connect Villanova’s student body.

The Involvement Fair will be held in the Connelly Center’s Villanova Room. Graydon Paul/Villanovan Photography

University Announces Additions to Board of Trustees

Isabella Carlin Staff Writer

In an email sent to the Villanova community on Friday, Jan. 20, Rev. Peter Donohue, OSA, Ph.D, announced the new members and leadership positions of the 2023 Board of Trustees.

“The Board of Trustees serves as the governing body of Villanova University. It is composed of alumni, parents, and friends who volunteer their time and expertise to provide critical oversight and guidance for the University,” Father Peter stated in the email.

The Board elected three individuals to leadership positions. Elizabeth Mazzeo (‘81 VSB), who currently serves as a special advisor and the former Chief Administrative Officer of Bloomberg LP, was selected as the chairperson. Thomas Quindlen (‘84 VSB), who is a retired Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the Diversified Value and Lifestyle Group at Synchrony Financial, was elected as vice chairperson. Additionally, Rev. Francis Doyle (‘67 CLAS) was chosen to serve as the board’s secretary.

“Once again, we have an impressive group of alumni and parents joining the Villanova Uni-

versity Board of Trustees,” Father Peter explained in the press release. In addition to electing

members to hold office, the Board of Trustees also appointed five new members to join the committee

and to provide their insight into how to improve Villanova and provide the best experience for all members of the community.

“I look forward to working with Chris, Al, Bob, Diane, and Siran during their tenure as trustees to ensure that Villanova continues to deliver on our Augustinian Catholic mission, while always looking toward the future and what is best for the Villanova community,” Father Peter said.

It was announced that Christoper J. Macguire (‘89 CLAS), Founder and President of 1251 Capital Group; Alfonso Martinez-Fonts Jr. (‘71 CLAS), retired Executive Vice President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation; Robert F. Moran (‘72 VSB), Chief Executive Officer of UNATION, Inc.; Diane P. Rowen (‘86 CLAS), a philanthropist who supports catholic education; and Siran H. Sahakian, Vice President of The Hirair and Anna Hovnanian Foundation joined the Board of Trustees. Their tenures began on January 1st.

“I look forward to working with the new leadership team, our new members and the entire Board of Trustees as we endeavor to ensure Villanova’s continued success,” Father Peter said. For more information, go to the University website.

Biology Profs. Granted $1 Million for Wetlands Research

Jadyn Ramos Staff Writer

The new semester has just begun and with that, new projects, new studies and new donations are already taking place to help enhance Villanova’s research department.

Villanova University’s fi nest professors in the science and environmental departments were selected to receive a generous grant to carry out research on the wetlands.

The professors assigned to this project include Samantha Chapman, PhD, and Adam Langley, PhD, who are both professors in the Department of Biology and are two founding faculty members of the Center of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

These faculty members are part of the investigative team that were named to receive the $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to conduct this project research. The offi cial name of the wetlands research project is “The Interplay of Nitrogen Loading and Ecosystem Sustainability in Threatened Wetlands.”

The members of the research team as well as other faculty members and Villanova’s community are grateful to the opportunities that this grant and research project allows for not only the faculty involved, but also for the students on the campus. Dr. Chapman and Dr. Langley have the ability to include more under-

graduate and graduate researchers in their work and with this grant at least two Villanova graduate students and several undergraduate students will be able to be a part of this project’s team.

The wetlands research project is mainly focused on the dynamics of nitrogen in the wetland systems and the impact it causes. There are several origins of nitrogen pollution such as septic tanks, fertilizers and largely populated areas. A typical wetland system can remove vast amounts of nitrogen from the environment, but too much nitrogen pollution can be overwhelming for the wetlands to handle and can cause its collapse.

The grant will support many experiments that the researchers will conduct in marshes and swamps, primarily in Florida, because it tends to produce high levels of nutrient pollution. This high pollution level is resulting in fi sh dying off and other negative consequences.

Villanova’s professors and students will be working together with the University of Central Florida and the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve to conduct this research project.

The goal of this project is to learn more about the eff ect of nutrient pollution on coastal wetlands and how ecosystems can remove nutrients. The work that will be done by the professors and students is pertinent to the current times.

This will help the ecosystems and the people who are directly impacted as well. The experimentation will help answer

pressing questions and conduct research that would not be possible without the support of NSF.

The grant is a very generous donation to Villanova Univer-

sity and will not only help research and solve pressing issues in the environment, but will also create opportunities for young students to be a part of the research.

The University announced the addition of six members to its board of trustees. Graydon Paul/Villanovan Photography

Villanova biology professors were granted $1 million for research on wetlands. Olivia Pasquale/Villanovan Phtography

Villanova Chosen As 2023 Opus Prize Host

Katie Lewis Staff Writer

A familiar phrase within Villanova vernacular is “restless hearts”, a reference to the St. Augustine quote regarding the human quest for fulfillment. As the University strives to embody this idea through acts of service, Villanova will be the host of the 2023 Opus Prize. The campus-wide event will take place throughout the coming months as the process of selecting and evaluating nominees commences, centered on the prize theme, “Awakening Restless Hearts.”

Every year, the Opus Foundation partners with a Catholic university to honor individuals and organizations inspired by faith to advocate for positive change in the face of daunting humanitarian challenges. On Nov.

9, Villanova will ultimately present finalists with a $1 million award and two $100,000 prizes.

As host, the University will take part in the process of identifying nominees, selecting finalists, participating in due-diligence site visits and planning the awards week on campus.

A committee consisting of students, faculty, staff and alumni will oversee this process while embodying Villanova’s Augustinian mission, values and unique traditions. The committee is co-chaired by Nick Tumolo, Director of University Events and Initiatives, and Alicia Dunphy-Culp, Senior Director of First-Year Experience and Special Assistant to the Vice President for Student Life.

The three finalists will be evaluated and chosen by a jury made up of 11 members from the Greater Philadelphia area, representing a variety of fields from the arts to business

to medicine and more. Some of the jurors include University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A., Ph.D.; Michael Nutter, Former Mayor of Philadelphia; and Crystal Lucky, PhD, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs in CLAS and Professor of English.

According to the Opus Foundation website, a primary object of the award is to recognize “unsung heroes” championing positive social change, especially related to poverty and injustice, as well as inspire communities by the finalists’ powerful acts of service. The finalists of the 2022 Opus Prize, hosted by The Catholic University of America, were organizations working to reduce crime in vulnerable neighborhoods, provide care to leprosy patients in Ecuador and promote tolerance between Christian and Muslim communities in Nigeria.

The 2023 nominees and

finalists for the Opus Prize are not yet revealed, but will be chosen based on criteria such as their commitment to social entrepreneurship, alignment with the Opus Foundation mission and values and ability to benefit from the publicity and monetary award. In his official message, Fr. Peter assures that more updates will arrive as the committee makes progress on upcoming events.

“On behalf of the entire Villanova community, we are honored to partner with the Opus Prize Foundation to host the 2023 award,” said Fr. Peter. “As Villanovans, our University mission calls us to ignite change, and the Opus Prize Foundation embodies this mission by supporting organizations addressing the world’s most pressing social problems. We look forward to infusing our Villanova values and traditions to this year’s event, and to helping identify the finalists deserving of this prestigious honor.”

Students Create “The Space” Supporting Sex Education

Isabella Balian Staff Writer

The start of a new semester brings a wave of new student organizations coming to campus with unlimited opportunities for students to get involved on campus. Specifically, one of the first student organizations openly supporting sex education and bettering sexual health calls itself “The Space.” The students within The Space pride themselves on creating a safe space for students to discuss reproductive and sexual health, in addition to providing resources for students of all backgrounds and identities to foster discussion and share experiences.

The executive board of students formally established its mission statement as follows: “Our purpose is to create opportunities and spaces on campus for meaningful conversations on topics related to reproductive issues to raise awareness and allow varying opinions to be explored in a respectful, caring manner. The goal of The Space is to be a facilitator through which students and community members can engage in open and respectful dialogue inclusive of all viewpoints. Such a space will always be guided by Villanova’s own Mission Statement that calls our community to ‘mutual love and respect’ in all aspects of university life.”

“The Space, to me, is a safe space on campus where individuals can come to talk about the topics everyone else is too scared to talk about,” co-President Sharielle Ro-

driguez said. “It is a place where we can spread knowledge in an equal and equitable way. It is a place where we help people learn and understand the issues affecting all people regardless of orientation or life circumstances. In The Space we provide resources and safety.”

The executive board jump started their introduction to campus with two events this week. On Thursday, two students from the executive board, Rodriguez and VP of Development, Isabella Balian presented their initiative to a Peace and Justice Class: Sustainable Solutions to Poverty. Students from The Space were asked by Professor Stephanie Sena to present their mission to the class, aiming to guide them on how to design a campaign around implementing a policy change that would be beneficial to society. Professor Sena explained that the class is based around ideals of social change and teaches students how to make meaningful change in society within the lens of peace and justice.

When visiting this class, Rodriguez and Balian presented their mission, history and what the future of The Space may look like. The students from The Space explained that their organization is a formal re-branding of one of Villanova’s previous feminist organizations, “feminova,” aiming to make their organization more intersectional and inclusive of all identities. Rodriguez presented future events and initiatives that The Space is looking forward to hosting. These include handing out and providing resources, hosting events geared toward

sex education, facilitating student discussions about how daily news is impacting Villanova students and collaborating with other organizations. Students on the executive board of The Space recognize many Villanova students who feel uncomfortable talking about their sexuality, bodies and sexual health. With the establishment of their organization, they hope to bring more Villanovans a safe space to connect and share their experiences.

Later on, Thursday, The Space collaborated with Villanova’s POWER to host, “Ask a Sex-Pert.”

A certified sexual educator, Dr. Mark Levand, discussed aspects of sexual health and safe sex for students to have a safe space to learn.

“I think we all have gaps and holes in our sex-education, and as Levand himself said, it is important to have

information and access in order to make safe, informed and independent decisions,” co-President Molly Carreiro said.

The students also mentioned some future events and initiatives that they are looking forward to hosting such as handing out and providing resources, hosting events geared toward sex education, facilitating student discussions about how daily news is impacting Villanova students and collaborating with other organizations. The Space has formally established themselves on campus as a safe space for students and continuously expresses their excitement to continue on campus.

“I’m excited for The Space to engage the Villanova community through dialogue and education so that we can break silences that have persisted for too long,” Carreiro said.

Villanova University will be hosting the 2023 Opus Prize. Olivia Pasquale/Villanovan Photography

The Space hopes to create a safe space to discuss reproductive and sexual health. Courtesy of The Space

The theme of this year’s ceremony is “Awakening Restless Hearts.” Courtesy of Villanova University

OPINION ChatGPT Threatens Academic Integrity

Lauryn Hayes Staff Writer

There is no better way to start off the new year than by addressing the robot in the room. Yes, the robot, not the elephant. Let’s talk about it.

Many of us walked into the first day of classes prepared for the usual syllabus review. However, some students may have noticed a new section on their syllabus that was read aloud by their professors about the use of A.I. technologies for academic assignments. At least, I know I did. After studying abroad in the Fall semester, I thought maybe I missed one of Villanova’s many emails regarding the use of tools like this last semester.

The newest A.I. technology, ChatGPT, short for chat generative pre-trained transformer, that was released this past November, has proven to be one of the most intelligent forms of technologies yet, and has shaken the academic community.

To provide more background of its surprising abilities, ChatGPT can hold conversations like a human and answer questions about almost anything. ChatGPT can provide answers ranging from writing emails to questions and

prompts for an essay, such as defining terms, providing examples and so on.

More recently, according to NBC News, a Wharton School professor conducted an MBA exam through ChatGPT, and the A.I. technology scored between a Band B on the exam, passing with flying colors on what was otherwise a very challenging test for most people. I can not help but feel bad for those spending countless hours studying for their MBA, just for this robot to come along and possibly outscore them. As a student, I am extremely worried about the unfair advantage an A.I such as this provides.

Beyond this, it is unclear how advancements in A.I. technology will affect me as a Communication major in a similar or different way it might a Computer Science major, for right now at least. But, I will say the more readily used these high-tech robots become, the less we as students as a whole apply and develop the very skill sets we are on this campus to pursue.

The outstanding abilities of ChatGPT are undeniable and have caused a shift in the academic community at Villanova as well. In conversation with Dr. Randy Weinstein, Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning, he provided

meaningful insight behind this new addition to some of our syllabi. The new section in a few of my courses’ syllabi is a short statement advising against the usage of A.I. technology because it goes against Villanova’s strict academic integrity code. However, it is important to note that there is no University wide ban on the use of A.I. technologies. Incorporating a statement regarding the use of A.I. in a courses’ syllabi is the sole decision of each faculty member, according to Weinstein. Some faculty have chosen to critically analyze ChatGPT. Therefore, there are many different approaches faculty are taking to address this new technology.

My biggest concern with ChatGPT is the threat A.I. technology poses to academic integrity on campus. Every professor should adopt similar policies prohibiting the use of A.I. technologies unless instructed otherwise for a specific assignment or activity- though I can not picture an academic scenario where this would be the case.

The use of ChatGPT not only raises academic integrity concerns but it also threatens our overall academic experience for numerous reasons. First and foremost, sources must be cited for most academic assignments. However,

technology like ChatGPT does not provide sources or references and therefore is not the best tool for our many assignments that require citations. There is truly no telling what various academic sources the technology draws upon or whether the information we receive is even factually accurate.

Furthermore, if a student were to copy information from ChatGPT and claim it as their own, if discovered it would undoubtedly be considered plagiarism. In addition, Weinstein mentioned that ChatGPT and other similar technologies do not always provide the most critical and indepth responses for questions and can confuse what the assignment is asking or what the paper is trying to achieve.

In essence, A.I. is cool but don’t be fooled. In the meantime, I encourage everyone to continue doing their own assignments.

With that said, A.I. has both advantages and disadvantages for us in the academic community. It’ll take a long time—at least I hope— before A.I. can completely mimic all forms of human intelligence, with ChatGPT being the newest development on this front.

Now that the robot has been addressed, I hope everyone double-checks their syllabi.

Marijuana Legalization: Should Pennsylvania Go Green?

Steven Makino Staff Writer

For decades, the debate over whether medical and recreational marijuana should be nationally legal or decided on a state-by-state basis has been a complex one, to say the least. This issue has seen a lot of attention in recent years, as President Richard Nixon’s “War on Drugs” initiative has continued to decrease in popularity since it was enacted.

Interestingly, in a country that seems more politically divided than ever these days, marijuana legalization is an area that has garnered notable bipartisan support.

Even top political figures, such as President Biden and former President Trump, have signaled support for loosening federal restrictions when it comes to cannabis products, though both continue to hold reservations about taking the bold step in full legalization.

Nevertheless, there is no denying that much popular discourse seems to be favoring pro-marijuana activists on the state level across the nation.

Currently, Pennsylvania is being eyed as the next state to join 21 other states in fully legalizing the drug, which leaves the key question: Should marijuana usage be legal in the state? I think that the benefits of legalization are too great to ignore.

While there are good faith arguments on both sides of the issue, there seems to be a mandate for legalization on a political level. Just last November, Pennsylvanians decided to send then Lieutenant

Governor John Fetterman to the U.S. Senate, who repeatedly emphasized the fact that he supported national legislation to fully legalize marijuana.

Additionally, former Governor Tom Wolf legalized cannabis for medical use in 2016 and has also been vocal in his support for recreational use of the drug. He included adult-use legislation in his 2021 state budget proposal, which was unfortunately struck down by the General Assembly, and he also made it a priority to grant pardons for those with non-violent marijuana conviction charges through his broader clemency program.

Current Governor Josh Shapiro said in an interview with Al Día that he wants to “build on that program” and has also stated his support for adult-use legalization while on the campaign trail.

The increase in support for this policy is something that isn’t terribly shocking, as the states that have legalized marijuana have greatly benefited economically.

For example, Washington has seen a significant increase in tax revenue from marijuana as the state accumulated around $559.5 million in legal cannabis revenue in 2021. Colorado saw notable increases as well.

On the same note, cannabis analytics company New Frontier reported that federally legalizing marijuana could add an additional $105.6 billion in aggregate federal tax revenue by 2025. Increased tax revenue, especially on the state level, would allow for more wiggle room in spending on state initiatives in

Pennsylvania.

More economic benefits would be seen with the addition of new cannabis-related jobs, as the industry will need a decent number of employees in order to effectively function. The lucrative process of growing and distributing marijuana legally will require many employees ranging from farmers, construction workers, manufacturers and more. Especially with growing concerns about an imminent recession, the growth of the marijuana industry would be a big benefit not just to consumers, but also to individuals looking for stable job opportunities.

It is worth noting that there are also researched benefits to both medical and recreational marijuana use. According to the Mayo Clinic, there is evidence to suggest that marijuana helps reduce burning and shooting pain in the body, as well as reduce muscle stiffness. As a result, it has been suggested that marijuana could pose as an alternative painkiller that is safer and less addictive than many prescribed today.

There is also evidence of marijuana’s beneficial effect on cancer patients in reducing nausea and vomiting. Additionally, there are promising studies that show a possible link between marijuana and a lower number of suicides, although more research on this subject is necessary. This is not to say that serious health concerns about the usage of marijuana do not exist or are not legitimate. Excessive usage of cannabis could result in long-term respiratory damage as well as permanent cognitive damage, especially

in younger people. Car accidents while under the influence of marijuana are also cause for concern. However, it is worth noting that many drawbacks and dangers attributed to marijuana could also be said about products like alcohol and tobacco, both of which are legal nationwide for adult use. The Mayo Clinic even states that “cannabis has less potential for addiction and long-term consequences than other substances, including nicotine and alcohol.” In other words, why should one be illegal but not others?

The pro-cannabis movement has seen many successes in recent years, in the public eye as well as on the legislative level.

For example, stereotypes of marijuana users being lazy and unmotivated have become less widely held. New perceptions have been justified by the many people in public life and private citizens who use cannabis and do not fall under common generalizations like these.

The Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act was recently passed with overwhelmingly bi-partisan support and signed into law by President Biden, positive progress for the federal approach to marijuana. This act seeks to eliminate barriers on the research of the drug and its health benefits.

While it may take some time to reach conclusions as a result of this research, it is a step forward on the road to legalization. With great legislative and social progress seen in recent years, I believe that legalization, both in Pennsylvania and nationwide, will become reality—it’s just a matter of time.

EDITORIAL BOARD LETTERS TO THE EDITORS

COLIN BEAZLEY

Editor-in-Chief

Editor-in-Chief

POLICY

MATT RYAN

JACKIE THOMAS BELLA IRWIN

Associate Editor-in-Chief

Opinion Editor

Opinion Editor

Isabella Ledet Staff Writer

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

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.

A (Belated) Christmas Grievance

creativity, the talent – I only wish there could have been a sequel this Christmas season.

One of Villanova’s greatest gifts of the holiday season is the community-wide email from University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD wishing us all a joyous Christmas season. Even though it is no longer the holiday season, my despair about this past year’s Christmas email has reached into the new semester, until now, when I have an opportunity to air my grievance.

Why did Fr. Peter not sing in this year’s Christmas email?

When opened last year’s email, the last thing I was expecting was a Villanova rendition of “My Favorite Things” sung by the president of the University himself. It did not take me long after my arrival to Villanova to discover that our president held a PhD in musical theater. This intrigued me, but I never quite understood the scope of Father Peter’s love of music until his Christmas email.

The email made me inexplicably joyous, got me into the Christmas spirit and genuinely impressed me. In fact, I favorited the email and saved it so I knew that Fr. Peter’s lovely song was never

more than a few clicks away. This year, my expectations were high. When I saw the email with a link to the video, I was ecstatic. I opened it the minute it was sent out and watched expectantly with a smile on my face. It was time for me to hear a new song.

But imagine my disappointment when I found no singing in this year’s Christmas message.

There is no explanation for this great let-down. Perhaps the president of the University had other matters to attend to and did

not have time to record a singing message. Perhaps he could not think of a song to parody Villanova. Perhaps he was simply not in the mood to sing this year, though I would find this hard to believe. Whatever the reason, I was left unsatisfied when this year’s Christmas greeting concluded.

I only hope that the reason for the absence of Fr. Peter’s singing was not because he thinks no one appreciates it. “Raindrops on Mendel and sunrise on Higgins…” lives rent-free in my mind. The

What’s Fizzin’ at Villanova?

Choi Staff Writer

“The two soccer girls riding on one scooter together everywhere together.”

“Let’s go catssss”

“When there isn’t a seat for u at the conn table but u wanna hear the tea.”

These are just a few of the popular posts that Villanova students can see and relate to on the new app Fizz.

Fizz is an app exclusive to college students that was first released in October of 2022, and has recently become popular on Villanova’s campus. This anonymous social media platform allows students to upload text, posts, memes and pictures. After they are posted, students can comment, like and dislike the posts.

Fizz is similar to Yik Yak, another social media platform that has the same goal of bringing a community together. However, unlike Yik Yak, Fizz makes students log in with their school email address, verifying that they are truly members of the college community rather than just within the same geographical location, which is what Yik Yak is based on.

Because of this, Fizz is more

applicable to Villanova students and much of the content shared has a bit of an “insider” feel to Villanova’s campus and culture.

“It’s definitely an interesting app,” an anonymous student said. “I end up checking it pretty often to see what people are up to.”

While some students have been enjoying the app, others are a little more skeptical about giving it a try.

“I feel like it’s a repeat of Yik Yak. I don’t know… it just feels wrong to give them my school email address too–who knows if any of my professors are spying on us through the app?” another anonymous student explained, laughing.

This raises an interesting point. Because the app collects college email addresses, college administration can likely become involved and eliminate some of the anonymity that the app advertises. However, it is also important to note that Fizz is not formally affiliated with Villanova by any means.

Another similarity between Yik Yak and Fizz is the concept of “karma.” On Yik Yak, the point value system is branded as “Yakarma,” but these two platforms essentially utilize this same idea. Users who post will receive upvotes and downvotes, which is what the “karma” numerical score is based on.

Fizz built off this system add-

Villanova’s Christmas festivities are second to none, in my opinion. There is nothing more joyous during the holiday season than a campus completely decorated for Christmas. And on top of the decorations, we have the Christmas message. It is wonderful, of course, that our university president sends a message at all. Many – if not most – universities do not celebrate the holiday season at a level even close to that of Villanova.

I appreciate the decorations. I appreciate the extra festivities. I appreciate that I was wished a merry Christmas from Fr. Peter. However, the only thing better than getting wished a merry Christmas is getting sung a merry Christmas. No gifts compare to the gift of song. I only hope that in the future there will be more singing Christmas greetings.

When things are not going so well or one needs a smile on their face, look no further than Fr. Peter’s 2021 Christmas Message. I often think of it myself. “When the twilight shadows gather, when I’m feeling sad, I simply recall [Father Peter’s song], and then I don’t feel so bad.”

ing rewards that users can receive for completing certain items on the app. For example, Fizz users can receive an award for their first comment on a post or if they created a post that received 100 upvotes.

This feature prompts users to be more interactive with the app and gives people greater motivation to engage themselves in the Fizz community, which is another promising addition to Yik Yak that I believe Fizz provides.

As for me, Fizz is an app I am still exploring. I only recently found out about it this semester and I enjoy checking it occasionally to see the various opinions and funny memes that students come up with.

So far, I have found that Fizz is different from Yik Yak in the sense that most of its content, at least here at Villanova, is heavily based on experiences that exclusively happen here on our campus. Thus far, Fizz appears to have exceeded Yik Yak in the goal of uniting our Villanova community and sharing student stories, interactions and relatable experiences.

I have found more vulgar terms and humor on Yik Yak than on Fizz and, while some may say that the app is a repetitive concept, I believe that it is more so a big inside joke that brings our student voices and ideas together.

‘Nova’s Christmas decor impresses; can the same be said of the 2022 Christmas message? Olivia Pasquale/Villanovan Photography

Isabel

Fizz is on the rise as a YikYak competitor on Villanova’s campus. Courtesy of Fizz

Philadelphia’s Opioid Crisis: How can we help?

Erin Costa Staff Writer

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Philadelphia has experienced extremely high levels of opioid addiction, overdose and death as the opioid epidemic gains a greater presence in the U.S.

Within my fi rst few weeks back on campus, I did not hear or see much regarding the current opioid crisis, despite Philadelphia being such an integral part of the Villanova experience for many of us students.

As both a University and student body, it is important that we educate ourselves on this topic given the high likelihood that a fellow student, professor or faculty member is currently being aff ected by opioid addiction, either directly or indirectly.

I reached out to Communications Professor Gordon Coonfi eld to learn more about opioid addiction and its current status in Philadelphia.

As a Philadelphia resident, he has seen the devastating results of opioid addiction fi rst-hand and has learned a lot about this epidemic and its surrounding causes and eff ects.

First and foremost, he emphasized the need to educate ourselves on opioid addiction as it could target anybody, and strike at any age. We discussed what he calls the “triangle” behind opioid addiction, and how the points interlink with one another. The three points, which are narcotic availability, poverty and trauma, each contribute to the continual cycle

of addiction and dependence.

Cheaply available narcotics such as fentanyl, alongside generational poverty and past and present physical traumas have entrenched many Philadelphia neighborhoods, continuing to exacerbate a devastating situation.

“Compassion is a big aspect of this,” Professor Coonfi eld said. As a University, a way we can demonstrate compassion is by reorienting the way we look at addiction.

Addiction is a disease, and oftentimes this can be forgotten as those with Substance Abuse

Disorder are sometimes looked at as problems to be fi xed, rather than people who are struggling to overcome the impossible. This addiction aff ects our workers, veterans, family and friends, and blaming and imprisoning those affl icted with it only perpetuates and worsens the situation. As a University, Villanova should work towards providing Naloxone, a medication which prevents the eff ects of opioids, at University sights as well as provide and spread information about where it can be found.

Services such as recovery specialists for students and faculty who may be experiencing, or know someone experiencing opioid addiction, should be made readily available.

At a student level, there are many things we can do in regards to local assistance and situational awareness surrounding opioid addiction.

Anything we can do to alleviate poverty and the eff ects of poverty in Philadelphia is a start: many people who have Substance Abuse Disorder are homeless or in deep poverty, though this is not always the case.

A tangible way we can work towards alleviating the eff ects of poverty is by volunteering or donating to shelters and soup kitchens in the Philadelphia area.

Professor Coonfi eld recommended a soup kitchen he personally has experience with in Philadelphia named St. Francis Inn, which is also referenced on the Community Outreach of Villanova (COV) page.

To fi nd more places like this in the Philadelphia area, the campus ministry website has provided many resources under their Social Justice tab.

Going to a University near a city like Philadelphia provides us so many opportunities, and it is our responsibility as students and educators to return the favor in any way possible.

Ultimately, reorienting our attitudes and actively educating ourselves on situations such as the opioid crisis is essential as it is not only aff ecting Philadelphia, but likely many people within the Villanova community as well.

The opioid crisis has become a major problem in Philadelphia in recent years. Jackie Thomas/Villanovan Photography

HE 2023

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Spread Designed by Co-Digital Editors Hayden Karnes and Natalie Zickel

CULTURE

Students Celebrate Eagles Advancing to Super Bowl

Elijah McDow Staff Writer

Cont. from page 1 embraced it and her outlook for Super Bowl Sunday is the same as many other Eagles fans, “no one likes us, we don’t care.”

Johnson is not the only Wildcat taking this approach, as sophomore Taj Walter also has a similar outlook. As a Philadelphia native, he has enjoyed every minute of the season from August until now.

“This whole season has been amazing,’’ Walter said. “It’s been so nice to be good again.” Throughout the entirety of the playoffs, Walter has made sure his allegiance to the Eagles is clear and obvious. While he has received a hard time for this, he knows plenty of people despise the Eagles and has responded by “talking a lot of trash and wearing jerseys.”

The majority of this season has left many Eagles fans excited but also in awe. Two of those fans are Johnson and Walter but another is sophomore Peter Kowenhoven.

“Winning in 2018 was amazing and I never thought we would be able to turn it around so quickly,” Kowenhoven said. “Jalen Hurts took a massive jump this year and the draft picks and offseason trades have been vital to us reaching this moment again.”

When asked how this season compares to five years ago, Kowenhoven was quick to mention how a night like February 4th, 2018 can never be replicated.

“Nothing will ever top that night in 2018,” he said. “When we won I started crying, and to this day, it is still t,he best moment of my life.

Even though nothing will be as good as 2018, winning this Super Bowl will still be special, I probably won’t cry again but I’ll definitely be wearing my lucky jersey that I wore five years ago.”

Even Villanova professors are getting in on the Super Bowl excitement. Adjunct professor of psychology John Pierce sported the hat Jason Kelce wore at the Eagles Super Bowl parade in 2018 to class on Monday. The hat was recreated by Delaware County designer James May.

“He has made about 300 or so so I picked up mine up today to grab it to be part of the Eagles community, celebrate the victory and provide hopefully good luck for two weeks from now,” Pierce said.

It’s clear that the spirit of the Eagles is resonating with everyone at Villanova from professors to students. As Johnson alluded to, “there’s nowhere else like Philly.”

Whenever one of the teams is doing well, everyone comes together to celebrate. It is a special feeling and a sense of community that many other cities do not have. Despite the traffic, road closures, larger than usual crowd and tight windows in between games, this past weekend demonstrated that many Villanova students show the Eagles the same love that they do the Wildcats. Even though the Super Bowl will take place 2,350.1 miles away, it may as well be held in Philadelphia because the trash talking, wearing of lucky jerseys and the “no one likes us we don’t care” attitude will extend across the country.

While it remains to be seen if there will be another parade down Broad Street, one thing that is for sure is that Eagles fans will take Philadelphia by storm.

Villanova Sorority Recruitment Recap

Leah Cardinale Staff Writer

“RushTok” has taken the internet by storm again this year, with many people on TikTok entertained by videos of young women participating in sorority recruitment at college and documenting their experiences. The idea that people are so intrigued by what goes on behind the scenes of sorority recruitment is far from inconceivable.

Sorority recruitment at Villanova began on Jan. 11th with the recruitment kick-off. As stated in an email sent out to potential new members (PNMs), the women met with their Rho Gamma, or Recruitment Counselor, in addition to their other Rho Gamma group members. This program was the official check-in for the week’s programs.

In recent years, some of the rounds have been virtual, due to the pandemic. Round One is the Sisterhood Round, which took place virtually on Jan. 12th and 13th. Jennifer Toomey, assistant director of fraternity and sorority life at Villanova, expanded on this in the email sent to the potential new members

“While our program on these days will be held virtually, it is still our expectation that you move back to campus on Wednesday, January 11th,” she wrote. “There will be evening activities, as well as meetings with your Rho Gamma group, which will be held in-person, so we are excited to welcome you back to campus early regardless of modality.”

Round Two (Philanthropy Round) and Round Three (Preference Round) were held in person at The Villanova Inn on Jan. 14th and 15th. Everyone’s schedule was very different on these two days, depending on which group(s) each woman was visiting. These were long days, with the program starting at 10am each day and concluding around 6-7pm. During these two days, Villanova Panhellenic provided buses for transportation to and from The Inn.

Freshman Anna Kosierowski, a new member of Kappa Delta, commented on her experience.

“I was definitely a little nervous going in and didn’t want to leave [winter] break early,” she said. “My favorite part was being able to meet so many girls and get to hear from upperclassmen and their time at Villanova. The process was definitely very tiring because

we had to wake up very early to hear back from our Rho Gammas and meet with so many different sororities.”

Villanova has eight National Panhellenic Conference Sorority Members: Alpha Phi, Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Gamma Delta, Chi Omega, Delta Delta Delta, Delta Gamma, Kappa Delta and Kappa Kappa Gamma. Director of Recruitment, Olivia Mulchaey broke down the amount of planning involved in preparation for rush week at Villanova.

“We’re super excited with how everything went this weekend. It was definitely a high stress week, but I think we’re all glad that everything went well,” Mulchaey said. “We started planning for this a year ago and it was great to see all our hard work pay off. We had more girls rush than ever and the majority of them were able to join a chapter they love which was the most important goal I had in mind. I’m honored to have had the privilege of working with all of the amazing recruitment chairs from each chapter and I’m so proud of the work they all put in.”

On the last day of rush when all PNMs met at the Oreo and were given envelopes that

contained the name of the sorority they were accepted into and would become join. Upon opening the envelopes, the women literally ran “home” to the sorority written on the paper inside the envelope.

“It was so rewarding to see all the PNMs open their bid cards and run home to their chapter,” Mulchaey said.

Another freshman, Brooke Manganiello, a member of Alpha Chi Omega, discussed how the process affected her.

“I really had the best experience during rush,” she said. “I loved hearing about the philanthropies and meeting the new girls. I really feel like I’ve made some genuine connections. I think overall I’m also just proud of myself for doing it. I was really quiet in high school and this whole process would have been too intimidating to high school freshman me. I proved to myself that I could do it and still have fun.”

Participating in fraternity and sorority life may not be for everyone. However, it is a great way to meet new people and participate in philanthropy. Making the decision to rush is a difficult one but hopefully knowing a bit more about what goes on behind the scenes can help you make that choice.

Villanova student Matthew Ryan and his mother (CLAS ‘86) at the NFC Championship. Courtesy of Matthew Ryan

Tallulah Laska Staff Writer

Villanova recently made the switch from Google Workspace to Microsoft Office 365 Platform, migrating all student and faculty accounts over winter break. In an email from Villanova’s University Information Technologies (UNIT), students and faculty were told that the migration would improve scheduling processes.

“This account migration will significantly improve the calendering [...] process between students and faculty, provide enhanced security and privacy features, and increase the storage capacity of all Villanova user accounts,” UNIT explained in the email.

Though the switch to Microsoft Office was advertised as an improvement from Google Workspace, many students are unhappy with the change. Senior Julia Ramsey explained that Microsoft Outlook is creating an accessibility barrier for her emails.

“Not only is there a spam folder and an ‘others’ folder, Microsoft has also decided it will ‘quarantine’ your emails, where you cannot see or access them until later that day,” Ramsey said. “One time, I missed a Zoom meeting because the link was ‘quarantined’ and I was not aware, and the email could not be released until the next day. Also, why do we need to quar-

Villanova Says G-bye to Gmail

antine emails? It feels dramatic.”

Microsoft quarantining emails is a common occurrence among students, as many are missing emails or are unable to access them because they get sent to quarantine. Additionally, students will lose access to Google Docs and Drive, which means all documents or files will be deleted. Students can download these items via Google Takeout before Mar. 10. More information about this can be found in an email from UNIT from Dec. 21, 2022.

Junior Greta Horgan explained her frustration with the switch because Microsoft Word and PowerPoint are very difficult to collaborate on. She finds that sharing files and editing simultaneously is much smoother in the Google Workspace.

“It’s really frustrating working on a Word document with a group because you are unable to edit the same sections at the same time, and sometimes it does not save your work,” Horgan said. “This is not something I’ve seen happen on Google Docs, as it is a much more user friendly platform.”

Though Horgan is having a difficult time adjusting to Microsoft Office, she believes it will help in the long run. Most professional settings use Microsoft Office, especially in corporate environments. Students need to become proficient in Microsoft Office, especially Excel.

Junior Annie Dudrear also expressed her annoyance with the switch occurring during the academic year. Dudrear felt it would have been more convenient for the migration to have happened over the summer, so that students had more time to become accustomed to the new workspace and graduating students would not need to learn to navigate Microsoft Office for just one semester.

The migration to Microsoft Office took place on Jan. 3rd, with all emails having been transferred from Gmail to Outlook. All files stored on Google Drive will be made read-only on Feb. 10 and will be deleted on Mar. 10. Students should monitor their Microsoft and Google accounts to confirm all data has been transferred and can contact UNIT with any questions or issues.

The State of Villanova Dining: An Era of Sophistication

Sofia Krzewicki Staff Writer

When Villanova students filed into their favorite dining halls in mid-January, on the eve of a new semester, something was very different. Instead of the flimsy, floppy paper plates, plastic utensils and sometimes patronizingly small cups, students grabbed warm, freshly washed dishes, stainless steel utensils and filled hard plastic cups with their favorite drinks. Once finished, students loaded their then empty plates onto a dish conveyor belt.

“I like the new plates and utensils because the trash doesn’t get as full,” first-year student Adam Stuecheli said.

It was the same food Villanova students loathe and love, when served on real plates and utensils, but it elevated the quality and brought a level of sophistication to Villanova Dining Services.

Last semester, the circulation of a video containing images of a live grasshopper found in a pre-packaged salad container from the Belle Aire Terrace in the Connelly Center stunned students and raised questions about the quality of Villanova Dining Services. However, the new year brings changes to the dining experience, including the addition of real silver and dinnerware.

The transition certainly took students by surprise. It was met with mixed reviews, yet most seem optimistic and appreciate the switch. Yet, there are concerns

about the complete eradication of the paper plates and containers.

“I think it was weird how they just didn’t tell us [about] the switch,” another first-year re-

marked, “I prefer the boxes…because you can take it to go.”

While it is still possible to take food out and back to a dorm or another location, it is a rarity

these days on campus. As a result, the dining halls are increasingly popular at mealtimes, as students struggle to find a space to enjoy their food with proper plates and silverware.

The dining environment looks cleaner and more presentable: it is nice to see students gathered around a long table with friends, sharing a meal without the cardboard excess that often littered tables and overfilled garbage cans.

Dining Services has implemented a self-service model on occasion, especially during breakfast. Students have commented on the awkward portioning in previous semesters; the lack of consistency in each scoop of food can be frustrating. With self-serve, that problem is solved: students can take as many or as little as they desire.

Additionally, at Café Nova, one of campus’ most beloved retail dining options, students can once again compliment their Chipotle-style rice bowls, flatbread pizzas or chicken parmigiana sandwiches with a scoop (or two) of Villa Dolce gelato, with flavors ranging from the classic vanilla and chocolate to more exotic and creative ones, including strawberry cheesecake, apple crisp and blood orange sorbet to name a few.

If this is an attempt to repair Dining Services’ bruised reputation, then it may just be a successful one. Or, if it is merely in the spirit of January and making changes in a new year, then it is a change still celebrated and welcomed by Villanova students.

Villanova students have strong opinions about the recent change to Outlook. Olivia Pasquale/Villanovan Photography

Villanova introduced new silverware and dishware this semester. Natalie Zickel/Villanovan Photography

Zoe Manning Staff Writer

Calling all skiers and snowboarders. Snowcats, Villanova’s ski and snowboard club, is currently recruiting new members.

Snowcats is a new club that is entirely diff erent from the previous club team that once existed at Villanova. It is completely recreational, and the club team once participated in competitive races. Emily Cahill, the club’s VP of Marketing, shared why she was interested in forming a club like Snowcats.

“Once Covid impacted clubs and activities, the Club team was disbanded,” Cahill said. “Now, as a junior, I want to help create something that I can be a part of in my last few semesters, but also have it for those in the grades below me to continue for years to come. I know skiing and snowboarding are important to so many students on campus, so I want us all to have the opportunity to go do what we love.”

Cahill also explained that the club’s “relaxed approach” is why people should feel inclined to join Snowcats, since “[they’re] all about having fun and doing what you love on the mountain, safely of course.”

During the spring semester, there will be fundraising events and at least three trips to the Pocono Mountains while they

Club Spotlight: Nova Snowcats

remain open. In the fall, students can look forward to more fundraising events, potential indoor skiing, tubing and group bonding events to get to know other members of the club. It is important to note that students do not need to have their own equipment here on campus with them to participate, since the mountains off er rentals for skis, poles, boots and boards. According to Cahill, “…all students really need is a helmet and their winter clothes.”

If a student is interested in joining Snowcats, they can become a club member by joining the GroupMe linked in the club’s Instagram bio and regularly attending meetings this semester.

The Snowcats executive board consists of Cahill, President Elizabeth York and VP of Finance Lili Kopack. Cahill explained that the reason the group wanted to start Snowcats stems from their childhood enjoyment of winter sports.

“The three of us grew up skiing and snowboarding and wanted a way to do that with others on campus,” she said. “With no club team anymore, we decided to create a club. That way, everyone who has grown up skiing/ snowboarding, or wants to take a trip, has the ability to.”

Students can fi nd out more information about Snowcats and their upcoming events, trips, and fundraisers by checking out their Instagram, @novasnow-

cats. Forms, waitlist details for trips, and other information can be viewed by joining the club’s GroupMe through the link in their Instagram bio.

In the meantime, be on the lookout for Snowcats’ next event on Wednesday, February 1, where they will be selling Chick-fi l-A sandwiches in Bartley Hall.

Julia Stanisci’s Leaning on Letters

Catherine Gunther Staff Writer

“When was the last time you wrote a letter?” The opening line of Leaning on Letters, Julia Stanisci’s directorial debut, poses a question central to the performance, her thesis, and the work she has done during her time at Villanova. On January 25th and 26th in the Communication Department Studio on the Villanova campus, Stanisci, in partnership with Caitlin Coleman Martin and Dr. Evan Schares, presented a performance which uniquely accessed the realities of mental health, the stigma associated with it and the power of sharing one’s story.

Stanisci is the founder and leader of the Villanova chapter of If You’re Reading This Nova, an online campaign which presents open letters from members of the Villanova community in which they share their experiences with mental health struggles and foster an encouraging environment for their peers. Stanisci describes IYRT Nova as “a place where we can use our voices to touch the lives of those around us.” As the name demonstrates, the letters submitted serve not only as a means of sharing one’s journey, but also as a source of refl ection, guidance and hope for the reader. Sometimes the reader is reassured they are not alone in the diffi cult feelings they face. They may be reassured that there are resources and a support system of

loved ones they can fall back on. Readers may discover new methods of coping or develop a better understanding of the diffi culties they face. Most of all, readers are shown that there is hope, that the people writing these letters have been stronger than their struggles and recovery is possible.

The piece began with simple staging consisting of various elevated surfaces, and pieces of paper littered around the space. The performance began with Stanisci guiding the audience through her journey with mental health. As she spoke, she clutched a green envelope. This envelope served as a thread which visually linked each unique story weaving Julia’s experience with the letters

of other Villanova students. Actors represented the authors and recited their letters reminding the audience “we are all broken, that’s how the light gets in (Charlotte D. ‘22).” The performances were poignant, and each cast member communicated the deeply personal struggle of the author while also emphasizing their courage and the hope they found.

The show acts as an integral piece of Stanisci’s master’s thesis on “the power of therapeutic letter writing performance in the context of mental health advocacy. In presenting this work, Stanisci hoped to discover what happens when the letters “jump from the page to the stage.” Having led the Villanova chapter of

IYRT, Stanisci has experienced, fi rst-hand, the tremendous power of therapeutic writing as well as the power that comes from sharing these stories to a larger audience. Taking the stories from the page to the stage provides a unique opportunity to witness the eff ect of such a performance on the actors as well as the audience in the moment. What happens when you bring people together to hear each other’s stories and discuss mental health.

Maybe you haven’t written a letter in a while, maybe when you have it always had a narrow purpose. Stanisci and the cast of Leaning on Letters invite people to write a letter for themselves, to write letters to discover things they did not know, and thereby discover the “power of therapeutic letter writing.” The performance furthers this mission by breaking down the barriers of stigma surrounding mental health and initiating a dialogue because it is “through dialogue that cultural change may take place.”

There is a certain delicacy necessary when dealing with topics of such great importance, weight and emotion as well as in telling the true vulnerable stories of real people. Leaning on Letters brilliantly creates a space in which the authentic stories of community members are presented truthfully, from the source and with the essential purpose of inspiring those struggling and communicating a message of perseverance above all else.

Villanova student Joel Woeste is featured on the Instagram page of the Nova Snowcats. @novasnowcats/ Instagram

An advertisement for IYRT’s Leaning on Letters @vuperformancestudies / Instagram

CAT’s Lunar New Year Celebration

Katie Formato Staff Writer

The Lunar New Year began on a high note at Villanova, thanks to the Campus Activities Team. CAT hosted a 2023 Lunar New Year Celebration on Saturday, January 28th. The event lasted from 4-8pm, with a great turnout of students who celebrated the New Year with friends.

The Lunar New Year celebrates the start of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. This year, January 22nd marked the beginning of the Lunar New Year. The Lunar New Year typically begins at the end of January or the beginning of February on the fi rst new moon. Festivities range for the fi rst 15 days until the start of the full moon.

Lunar New Year is one of the most important celebrations among Asian cultures. Each year is connected to one of 12 animals and this year is the Year of the Rabbit, though in Vietnam it is the Year of the Cat. Red is often symbolized with the Lunar New Year because it represents good fortune, so people often wear red clothing and celebrate with red decorations.

CAT transformed Cafe Nova for a fun event to celebrate the New Year with fortune cookie making, a calligraphy station, t-shirt giveaways, a red envelope surprise and Asian New Year food.

Many students attended the event to participate in fun activities, listen to music and enjoy traditional foods such as fortune cookies and spring rolls.

Cafe Nova was decorated with red and yellow lights and the tables were set up with red table cloths fi lled with diff erent activities for students to try. When walking into Cova, students could pick up a t-shirt and a red envelope, which was fi lled with chocolates. Students could participate in the various arts and crafts activities at the event, including making fortune cookies out of clay and calligraphy. There were paper and markers provided for those who wanted to make origami, draw or write a letter. In addition, there was craft paper that students could paint and design. To help guide students, a QR code was provided on every table that led to a video on how to make a clay fortune cookie and write Happy New Year.

The start of a New Year is always an exciting time. It is a time for people to come together and celebrate another year that has passed on and look forward to a bright year in the future

The Lunar New Year celebration hosted by CAT was a success, allowing students to come together to celebrate the Lunar New Year with fun activities, music and food.

Make sure to follow @villanovacat on Instagram for more updates and upcoming events.

Kendall’s Column: The Beginning of the End

Kendall Hayes Culture Columnist

Now that the fi rst two weeks of school have passed, I can now fi nally begin to refl ect on the concept that this is it. The beginning of the end?

I felt “it” coming back to school. By “it,” I mean that feeling a person gets when they know they are doing something for the last time. I realized that this was my last drive back to Villanova to start a new semester, after having done this seven previous times. And after having that realization about the drive, I then thought about how this would be my last semester ever, actually, not just at Villanova, but for all of my education journey. One minute a person’s world revolves around classes and tests and papers and quizzes. And then before they know it, it is time to be an adult.

When you think about the concept of school, it is absolutely wild. From the ages of fi ve to 22, we are placed in a simulation that forces us to interact with others. College is even more of a simulation than elementary, middle and high school. In college, we are in our own little community. Our own little bubble. We eat together, live together, study together and take classes together. Despite being all diff erent individuals from different places and diff erent families, we coexist under this umbrella that forces us to socialize. It is incredibly strange to think about

what life will be like once that bubble has popped and we all go out into the real world.

I would be lying if I said I was not scared for the future, for what comes after the minute I cross the stage and am handed my diploma. But, I also would be lying if I said I was not excited about what comes next. Really excited, actually.

I never thought I would

truly love where I went to school. Let me rephrase. I never thought I would be obsessed with my school to the point where I would give tours for free (shoutout to Blue Key). I thought I would have an amazing college experience, but I did not think I would be one of those kids who pushed their school onto everyone saying that it has been “life-changing” or the “best four years.” However, three and

a half years later, I am that kid. College has been the best years of my life.

While at Villanova, I was able to fi gure out who I am as a person. The person I was when I got here in August of 2019 was very diff erent from the person I am now.

I think that college is supposed to be the place that prepares someone for the real world, not just a place to study, party and make friends. I know that statement seems kind of obvious, but what I mean is that college should not just be about setting us up with a job and a steady income. College should morph each of us into the best versions of ourselves. And I am really beginning to see the beauty in that as it is all coming to an end.

Now, as I enter my fi nal semester of college and my education, I can say with extreme confi dence that Villanova has done a successful job at preparing me for life post-college. Whether it was through living on my own, the friends that became my family or the connections and knowledge I have gained, I feel ready. Although it is heartbreaking to leave a place we all love so much, maturity is knowing when it is time to go. And I think the moment you realize that the next chapter might be just as remarkable as this one, is when you’re ready for it. That is when you know college ending is not the beginning of the end, but truly just the beginning of the rest of your life.

Villanova students learn how to write Chinese characters at CAT’s Lunar New Year Celebration Graydon Paul/ Villanovan Photography

Kendall and her fellow senior friends are celebrating their last hurrahs on campus.. Courtesy of Kendall Hayes

Jacob Artz Staff Writer

After junior Liam Murphy, graduate student Charlie O’Donovan and junior Sean Dolan broke the four-minute barrier last year at Penn State with times of 3:59.63, 3:57.46, and 3:57.59, respectively, one record was on their mind

“[We’re] starting to eye up the school record [of 3:48.83],” Dolan said.

A year later at the same Penn State National Open at the Horace Astenfelter III Indoor Track, Murphy, O’Donovan and Dolan produced lower sub-fourminute miles with one record going down.

Murphy ran the fastest of the three men, setting a swift pace with a time of 3:55.58. This time broke the facility record of 3:56.51 that had sat at the top of the list for the last 11 years.

“That was a big run,” head coach Marcus O’Sullivan said. “Very impressive. And it’s probably, it’s certainly, on the all-time list of Villanova athletes indoors. It might be number two or three.”

What makes the feat more impressive is that the record was held by a past collegiate runner.

In addition to his facility breaking record, Murphy also garnered the NCAA lead for the mile run with the time set on Friday night cutting almost four seconds off his time from last year.

SPORTS

The Trio of Mile Excellence

“He committed himself to a whole new level of expectations in terms of training, and I think that continued all the way through cross country,” O’Sullivan said. “I mean, he won NCAA [Mid-Atlantic] Regionals in cross country and got [Mid-Atlantic] Regional Athlete of the Year.”

O’Donovan was close behind Murphy, posting a time of 3:56.08. This puts O’Donovan two spots behind Murphy on the NCAA leaderboard in third place.

“In fairness, Charlie O’Donovan did a lot of the work, and I think Liam was able to conserve some energy,” O’Sullivan said.

Dolan rounded out the trio with a time of 3:57.45, which puts him in 11th place on the NCAA leaderboard.

Because each man is such a different runner, the trio can push themselves to new heights, challenging one another in training and in races.

O’Donovan and Murphy are the cross-country type with strengths from the mile distance and longer, with Dolan focusing from the mile on down, more specifically, the 400 and 800-meter races. Both styles cross at the mile mark, which helps create these times.

As for the sprinters of the squad, they’ve had a boost in success with help from freshman walk-on Amiri Prescod, who ran a personal best 6.88 in the 60 meters, the seventh-fastest in school history.

“He’s one of those hidden

gems,” O’Sullivan said. “You get those every now and again. They’re great to have because they’re exciting to see from the very beginning and no expectations.”

Freshman Jimmy Milgie also had a standout performance, but on the second day of competition, during the 4x400-meter relay. Milgie closed out the event from a fourth to first finish on the final leg of the quartet with a blazing time of 47.83 seconds for a total time of 3:16.44. The race set up where Milgie was behind and knew he had the ability to run down first place.

“The win becomes the focus, and the time is a byproduct of it,” O’Sullivan said. “He’s getting better from race to race.”

Milgie also won the unseeded 400 meters with a time of 48.81 amongst the 21 competitors.

The other three runners in the race included freshman Ronan O’Neill (49.89), junior Nicholas Mollica (49.70) and senior Sean Dolan (49.03). Mollica registered a time of 50.03 and freshman Sal Barletta carved out a personal best of 50.27 seconds.

On Friday, more solid times were run in the mile, with graduate student Evan Addison running to a time of 4:04.22 and senior Miller Anderson recorded his personal best with a time of 4:08.15.

Addison desires to be the 45th member of the sub-four-minute mile club, which he could join at the Boston meet in two weeks. Anderson was experimenting with the

mile but will now drop back down to his normal race in the 800 meters. The Wildcats will have the week off before they head for three separate meets, where the distance crew will head to Boston, the jumpers to Clemson and the third meet in New York.

Boston will present another opportunity for the distance runners to compete against other national qualifier hopefuls and improve their spot for a chance at a national meet berth.

The 3k, 5k and the mile will be the important events with Murphy, O’Donovan and Dolan competing, as well as graduate student Haftu Strintzos making his return after battling a variety of illnesses, including COVID-19 and Mono, Graduate student Josh Phillips will debut after getting sick over the break.

The team will most likely add a meet at Notre Dame the week after the trio of meets to compete in the distance medley relay, which consists of four legs of 1200 meters, 400 meters, 800 meters and 1600 meters.

The emergence of Milgie in the 400 meter prompted the late addition to the schedule to see how the runners will fare in this specialized event.

O’Sullivan wanted to wait a bit longer to enter a distance medley relay meet to give his runners the best chance to post a national qualifying time, which are exceptionally fast this year.

Men and Women’s Tennis Struggle Early in the Year

James Haupt Staff Writer

This past weekend, the men and women’s tennis teams continued their spring seasons, traveling through the East Coast for their fi rst and second matches of the spring.

The men’s team opened up play with a tough loss against a well-rounded Drexel squad in their spring opener. It then traveled to Delaware, hoping to win against the experienced Blue Hens last Sunday, but it unfortunately suff ered another big loss despite a competitive outing.

The women’s team bounced back from a loss against Princeton last week with its fi rst victory of the season, over Morgan State.

Although it is not ideal to start a season 0-2, there is plenty of optimism for the men’s team. The fi nal score of 6-1 against Delaware does not accurately refl ect on how well the team performed.

The fi rst team point went to the Blue Hens, as they swept the Wildcats doubles teams, but the promising freshman team of Tighe Brunetti and Cooper Gordon narrowly lost 7-5 after both coming off illnesses the previous week.

Junior captain Josh Robinson played with junior Noah Winton, taking another close loss.

Sophomores Trey Fourticq and Ryan Nguyen lost, 6-2, against a tough Delaware duo.

However, the singles match proved to be successful for the Wildcats as Tighe Brunetti won in two sets by scores of 6-4 and 6-2, making him a bright spot for the Wildcats on Sunday. Head men’s coach Brad Adams noted how Sunday was “a bit step up from Drexel.”

“Obviously I wanted a win, but I loved to see how the team bounced back,” he said. The men are now looking to turn their season around this coming weekend, February 4th, at Bucknell.

The women’s team was a diff erent story this past Sunday as it secured their fi rst victory this season, with a commanding 5-2 win over Morgan State.

The win didn’t come easy,

as the Wildcats started the day off by losing all their doubles matches. Coach Steve Reiniger noted that this “wasn’t their normal doubles teams.”

“I tried to get everyone in and avoid running players into the ground this early [in the season],” he said.

However, the Wildcats were able to pick up the intensity, going 5-1 in singles matches. Junior Emma Brogan was the number one in the singles. She won in three sets to start the successful singles performances.

Another notable victory in singles was from freshman Emi Callahan. According to Reiniger, Callahan was recently moved from the fourth spot up to the third after her performance against Princeton, cruising through her opponent in two sets, 6-1 and 6-3.

This was overall a strong performance for the Villanova women’s tennis team which left Reiniger satisfi ed. Prior to the season, Reiniger’s message to the team was to “play meaningful sets and be match ready.” It seems like the Wildcats listened with this huge bounce-back win.

The women will now look to pick up their second win of the season on February 4th, as they head to New Jersey to take on New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Men’s tennis falls to Drexel and Delaware this past weekend. Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

Women’s Water Polo Goes 0-4 on the Weekend

Camden Wright Staff Writer

This past weekend, the women’s water polo team went 0-4 after traveling to Indiana for the Hoosier Invite tournament at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center.

After Villanova’s first twotime All-American, Kaysie Stuba, graduated in 2022, the squad was left with a new team dynamic, and one that lacked a leader. In addition to Stuba, the team was also left to play without two other previously graduated seniors for their first games of the new year.

The Wildcats started the season off ranked 13th in the country, but a challenging schedule with several ranked teams has presented challenges for the squad, such as the hard loss this past weekend.

However, regardless of the loss, head coach Larry Sanders remains optimistic about the future of this team and the season to come: “[the team] could see improvement happen as we played each game.” Sanders also expressed his excitement for what is to come after the team continued to show great improvement in the first couple of games.

The Wildcats had a rocky start to their season opener as Villanova was down 8-0, missing as Villanova was down 0-8 and all five shot attempts in the first

quarter. The ‘Cats made a slight comeback, but not enough, falling to home team Indiana.

In the second game, Villanova had ten steals and eight blocks as a group. Freshman Ella Mattocks scored her first career goal with 1:02 remaining in the first quarter, but a scoring run by Marist College led to an overall 9-6 loss for the ‘Cats on Saturday.

Score improvement improved for Villanova in the final against Cal State East Bay, where after some back-and-forth scoring,

Villanova climbed its way back to tie the score up late in the fourth quarter. However, the team fell short, losing 8-7 at the end of the game. With a 22 shooting percentage, the team plans to focus more on their offense, as well as adjusting to the absence of former seniors.

Villanova opens the doors to the Villanova Swim Complex on Feb. 4 as it hosts Mercyhurst for the first home game of the season at 2 p.m.

WEEKLY SCOREBOARD

Jan. 25 - Jan. 31

Wednesday, January 25

Thursday, January 26

Friday, January 27

Men’s Tennis @ Drexel

1-6 L

Men and Women’s Track @ Penn State National Open No Team Scoring

Men’s Swim @ Penn State 111.5-179.5 L

Women’s Swim @ Penn State 106-183 L

Saturday, January 28

Men and Women’s Track @ Penn State National Open No Team Scoring

Women’s Water Polo vs Indiana @ Hoosier Invite

5-19 L

Women’s Water Polo vs Marist @ Hoosier Invite

6-9 L

Men’s Swim @ West Virginia 83.5-207.5 L

Women’s Swim @ West Virginia 100-194

Sunday, January 29

Women’s Basketball @ No. 5 UConn

58-63 L

Men’s Basketball vs No. 23 Providence

65-70 L

Men and Women’s Swim Go Winless

In an action packed weekend for the Villanova Swim Teams, the Wildcats fell to both Penn State and West Virginia in their away meets.

On Friday, the Penn State men took out the Wildcats 183106, while the women lost 179.5111.5 to the Nittany Lions.

The Wildcats started the day strong with wins in both the men’s and women’s 200-yard medley relay, and a win in the men’s 1000-yard freestyle.

For the relays, the winning men’s team was led by Gavin Jones, Mikey Thurk, Henry Gingrich and Ryan Maher, finishing with a time of 1:35.71.

The women swam with freshman Katie White, juniors Hannah Wasmuth and Cara Stapleton and senior Maggie Kleinsmith, who finished with a time of 1:51.22.

Junior Charlie Hinckley was able to continue his dominance in the 1000-meter freestyle, shattering his own personal best of 9:35 with a time of 9:19.33. Hinckley took home the only individual first place finish the men had on the day.

For the women, they also lacked individual success, but one freshman, Winnie Jalet, was able to rack up a few accolades for herself, winning both the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard

breaststroke. In the 100-yard, Jalet posted a 1:04.42, a full second faster than the rest of the field, while in the 200, she ran it in 2:18.83, three seconds faster than the rest of the field.

Besides those wins, Villanova’s only other first place swims were in the 200 free relay, where both the men and women took top prize.

The men had a group of

Thurk, Maher, freshman Alex Hamill and senior Reid Hutcherson who finished with a time of 1:25.91, whereas the women included Stapleton, Sophomore Lainey Quinones, Junior Lexi Elkovitch and Senior Perri Stahl. They finished with a time of 1:37.60.

Overall, Villanova had 32 top three finishes between both teams with seven total wins.

Women’s Water Polo vs Harvard @ Hoosier Invite

11-23 L

Women’s Water Polo vs Cal State East Bay @ Hoosier Invite

7-8 L

Men’s Tennis @ Delaware

1-6 L

Women’s Tennis vs Morgan State

5-2 W

Monday, January 30

Tuesday, January 31

The Wildcats headed back to work the next day at West Virginia, but brought home another loss, as the men lost 207.5-83.5, while the women lost 194-100. Only the women were able to generate some success, winning both the three meter dive and the 200 yard butterfly.

Freshman Claire Feick took home the 3-meter dive with a score of 258.68, and freshman Katie White won the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:02.48. Overall they finished with 17 top three finishes.

The men had 18 top three finishes, but were not able to bring home a win in any event. Hinckley received the most points for Villanova with two second place finishes in the 500 and 1000 yard freestyle.

With these losses, the Wildcats have officially closed out their regular season, and now look to prepare for the Big East Championships, which will take place at the end of February.

Zachary Tipton Staff Writer

Villanova swim celebrates Swimfest this past weekend. Pepper Ritchey/Villanovan Photography

Women’s water polo fell to Cal State East Bay after a late goal. Courtesy of Villanova Atheltics

Basketball Teams Prepare for Marquette Matchups

boards.

Both Villanova basketball programs will take on Marquette on Wednesday, with the women facing the Golden Eagles at the Finneran Pavilion at 6:30 and the men traveling to Milwaukee for an 8:30 tipoff . Both Marquette squads are near the top of the Big East, meaning the Wildcats will need a strong eff ort to win either matchup.

Women’s Basketball:

Ranked No. 19, Villanova’s women’s basketball team returns home to the Finneran Pavilion on February 1st, National Women and Girls in Sports Day, to take on Marquette. The Wildcats head into play 18-4 on the season and 9-2 in the Big East. The Golden Eagles boast a 14-7 overall record, 7-5 in conference play.

This is the second time this season that the two teams will meet. The Wildcats clinched the fi rst matchup, winning a close, 54-52 game in Milwaukee. In the win, the Wildcats had three players, including Villanova’s all-time leading scorer, senior Maddy Siegrist, reach double digits, while the Golden Eagles had two girls in double fi gure. Marquette owned a 38-36 advantage on the back-

While a home court advantage is big for the Wildcats, as Villanova has won 18 out of its 19 home games this season, the team is coming off a tough road loss to UConn, snapping a nine game winning streak. In Sunday’s matchup, the Wildcats fell short by just fi ve points, helping the Huskies secure the top seed in the Big East.

As for the Golden Eagles, they currently sit in fi fth place in the Big East. They come into Wednesday’s matchup on a three game winning streak.

The game will air on FS2 and will feature an entirely female crew.

Men’s Basketball:

The men’s basketball team (10-11, 4-6 Big East) heads to Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Wednesday for a Big East matchup against No. 14 Marquette. The Golden Eagles currently boast a 17-5 overall record and are tied for fi rst in the Big East with a 9-2 conference record.

The last time these two teams saw each other was over a month ago, when the Golden Eagles edged out the ‘Cats, 68-66. The game was not settled until the fi nal seconds. A pair of free throws from Marquette proved to be the diff erence as the clock ran out.

However, Villanova is a far diff erent team than when it fi rst faced Marquette. On Sunday, senior guard Justin Moore returned for the Wildcats, playing for the fi rst time since tearing his Achilles tendon in March. With Moore back in the rotation and freshman Cam Whitmore with a monstrous 21 point, nine rebound game for the ‘Cats on Sunday, Villanova hopes to light a spark going into a packed February schedule.

As for Marquette, the

Golden Eagles are a run-and-gun team, featuring one of the nation’s most effi cient off enses. Marquette averages 82.6 points, with a 11.7 scoring margin over its opponents. Leading the pack is sophomore guard Kam Jones, who is averaging 16 points per game. Jones shot 55.6% from the fi eld and 57.1% from the three point line the last time he faced the Villanova defense.

The game will air nationally on FS1.

PHOTOS: MBB vs Providence 1/29

Brooke Ackerman Co-Sports Editor

Villanova fans cheering at Wells Fargo Center Sunday afternoon. Graydon Paul/ Villanovan Photography

Villanova suffered a 70-65 loss against Providence on Sunday. For a full recap, visit Villanovan.com. All photos Graydon Paul/Villanovan Photography

THE BACKPAGE

Across

3. Shoes commonly found in Bartley

4. Food location with ice cream and personal pizzas

7. Men’s basketball player who just returned from injury

9. Building on West with a gym

11. Villanova currency

13. Brothers facing off in Super Bowl

15. number of mail rooms on campus

16. What you put a picture in

17. worst men’s basketball team in the Big East

ASK THE VILLANOVAN

All of my friends are in the same sorority except for me, but I accepted a bid from a diff erent one. Everything was great fi rst semester, but I can already feel us growing apart. What do I do?

While this might feel upsetting right now, it presents a great opportunity for you to make new friends. Given that you’re an underclassman you still have most of your college career on the horizon!

When you’re with your new sorority sisters, don’t think about what you’re missing and what you’re other friends are up to, rather embrace who you’re with. It can be hard to make new friends the deeper you get into your college career, so make the most of this new adventure.

All my friends are abroad... what do I do?

While this is not ideal, again, it

presents a nice opportunity. Try to do some things you wouldn’t have done last semester: join a new club, reach out to an old classmate, or even go out of your way to meet new people.

Also, this is a great time to zone in on your school work and make sure you’re on your A-game.

I just found you my best friend has feelings for me, and I don’t know how I feel. What do I do?

This is a slippery slop. If they are down in the dumps in love with you and your feelings are up in the air, it might be best to not do anything until you know for sure. However, if your best friend just wants to see where things go, it’s worth thinking about.

Regardless, when going going through this, it’s best to communicate. If you don’t, it could ruin your entire friendship.

Down

1. Speaker brand

2. Event the Eagles are headed to

4. Location of Villanovan offi ce

5. Current season’s zodiac sign

6. Bartley food location

8. Thing you have to wear because of COVID

10. Popular italian restaurant right by Villanova

12. Every letter

14. All-time leading scorer at Villanova